Weekly Warm Weather Wanderings

An awesome birthday gift from my mom and Maxx.  Going to L Espalier for the Fantasy Tea.  I have been dying to do this for ages, the experience one on my never ending list of culinary excursions I hope to eventually sample in Boston.  I loved this.  Both, for the mouthwatering, to-die-for, bite sized sweet treats we had, the fancy finger food sandwiches, and the never ending tea.  Also though, for the time with these two.  Really wonderful.

The above and below photo, courses from the tasting menu Maxx made me on my birthday <3.  His thoughtfully and creatively making things he knows I both love, and which honor the dietary choices I am currently making (little to no consumption of wheat/grains, as well as hardly any sugar).

The top dish, from scratch Thai spring rolls with a homemade almond butter dipping sauce.  To. Die. For.

On the bottom, a homemade chocolate cheesecake, topped with ganache.  We devoured the entire thing in minutes.

South Boston.  Aside from Beacon Hill, my favorite area in the city <3.  All red brick, narrow sidewalks, antiquated street lamps, eye catching doorways and railings.

This would be Finn.  My sisters dog.  Quite possibly one of the most darling little dogs I have ever met in my life.  He is SUCH a cutie.  Total heartbreaker.

The above and below photos were taken from Maxx and my adventures restaurant hopping.  We had a drink at Top of the Hub, while blow-a-hole-in-your-wallet expensive, the views are awesome, and our conversation was especially sweet and fun that day.

Then, we split a falafel burger and truffle fries (plus a watermelon salad) at The Gallows.  (This is pictured in the photo above).  This place having been on my to-try list for years, both because the food is said to be mind blowing and because the atmosphere has a unique, dark macabre theme to it.  Plus, the restaurant is housed in a spot of the city where real life gallows used to sit.  Crazy/interesting.
We were both absolutely floored by the truffle fries.  They were phenomenal.

Then we split an entrée from Spyce, the spot where robots make your food, newly opened in Boston.

And finished with a finale at Magnolia bakery of chocolate cheesecake and chocolate cake.  Mmmmm.

Little Finn again.  God, how cute is this guy???  I cannot get over it.

Day trip to Newburyport, MA with Maxx and Ida :-D

Plymouth, MA adventure.

Rockport, MA, plus the following two photos are Rockport as well.

Party at my moms house, around July 4th timeframe.  Croquet battle underway :-)

The photo above, and the following two photos, Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves in NH.  SO cool.  Maxx and I went here in June and absolutely loved this.  Walking the wooden walkways, snaking upwards and throughout the woods.  Then crouching to hands and knees and crawling through dark, dripping, narrow caves cut into the sides of rocks. 

Highly recommend this to people in NH.  Its a really low key though quite neat experience, for both kids and adults alike.

Above and the following three photos...sunset at my moms house on the lake.  Love.

Rockport, MA :-D

With my mom following birthday celebration tea.

How cool is this!?  At Lost River Gorge in NH, this is a gigantic, life sized bird nest!  And yes, the sticks it is made from were real.  SO neat!  And with sweeping views of the NH White Mountains behind to boot.

Thai cooking class, back in May with Maxx.  The above photo and the following 6 photos.  We took this at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.  Both of us loved this class, raving about it following.  Not only was the food delicious, but unlike other cooking classes, we were surprised and delighted by how hands on this one was.  Really fun.

The CCAE isn't just cooking classes either.  They offer everything, from language courses, to writing, photography, dancing, you name it.  And the prices are generally quite good.

Ida kisses <3.  Love her.  (She caught me off guard in this photo.  Was trying to just pose, smiling, next to her.  To get both of us in the photo.  Right as I snapped it, she turned and licked me).

Ida <3

The photo above, and all the following (with the exception of the very last photo in this blog entry) are from Provincetown, MA.  We went there on Sunday about a week ago.  Walked all over the city.  Ate Japanese ice cream (this was SO good.  Little pillowy bites, almost slightly gummy textured, so yum), had lunch at a café right on the main road for prime people watching, hung out by the ocean for a while, stumbled on a private little beach-so charming and cool, wandered the quiet neighborhoods- picking out which homes most appealed to each of us, and just had a relaxing, fun time together.