Amish Country

Late Thursday night when we were laying on my in-laws' couch, Matt and I decided we were in need of a little family getaway time. I'd taken Thursday and Friday off work since Matt had the days off for teacher's convention (since canceled due to Sandy, but he still had the days off), and we thought our little trio could use a day away just the three of us.

So, we left the land of no-power to head to another land of no-power...Amish Country!

We've always talked about taking the 2.5 hour drive out to Lancaster, PA for a little R&R, and what better time to go than when we have no electricity? ;-)

We arrived yesterday around lunch time, so after checking into our hotel (which we booked on Travelocity on the drive out, and which was beautiful!) and doing a little sightseeing downtown, we  pulled into one of the many country restaurants in town. Buffets seem to be the thing around here, but I prefer to order off the menu to keep my portions in check. Unfortunately there aren't many veggie options in Amish cooking, so I went with one of 2 on the menu: a grilled cheese & tomato sandwich on homemade wheat bread with handcut sweet potato fries.

Not the healthiest lunch, but it sure was delicious.

After lunch we stopped into a few shops, including an Amish-run grocery store. I was amazed at all the "packaged" mixes they made in the store - dips, soups, puddings, pancake mixes, etc. All with natural ingredients and no preservatives. We left with a few veggie soup mixes and their famous chai tea mix.

There were tons of quilt shops around town as well, and Matt's actually been wanting a quilt for our bed for a while now (our down comforter is nice, but so HOT!). I almost squeaked when I saw the price tags on those babies - some were nearly $1,000! They were beautiful, but I think we'll be sticking with the comforter for a while.

Next up - a ride in a horse & buggy! The Amish don't drive cars, so there were also lots of horse & buggys around.

Our driver and his horse Pete took us on a tour of his farm and some of his neighbors' land, explaining  his family's history, the area's heritage and the Amish way of life along the way. It was a really pretty ride and it was amazing to hear how his farm has been in the family since the 20s.

Some other tidbits:

- The Amish don't have churches. Rather, they take turns holding church in each others' homes, with up to 200 people attending. They also only hold church every 2 weeks.

- They have weddings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from October to December, as these are the best times for farmers. The weddings last all day with 2 big meals, and lots of singing, but no dancing.

- The Amish don't use electricity from the public power grid, but they can use batteries and gas or propane powered items. They don't watch TV or listen to the radio.

Halfway through the tour, the driver stopped at his farm and his granddaughter offered us treats for purchase, including some homemade honey mustard pretzels (devoured before they were pictured), and homemade root beer. I'm not a soda fan, but couldn't resist these adorable bottles.

How cute, right? After we toured the farm, Riker got up close to some goats and other animals, which got him super excited. Love that little face.

By the time our tour concluded, the sun was setting and we wanted to get back to our hotel to relax. We were staying at the Doubletree in Lancaster, which I booked specifically because it had a huge indoor water park and jacuzzi area.

Talk about perfect for an 11-month old, or any kid for that matter. Riker loves pools, so he had a blast playing in the water. We hung out in the pool area all evening, making sure to take turns taking dips in the hot tub and adult pool as well. :)

We didn't feel like getting dressed and driving anywhere for dinner, and Riker was soooo tired after pool time that there was no way we could take him to a restaurant. Room service it was!

We put Riker to bed in his pack & play in the entry way area, and we were able to stay up chatting over veggie quesadillas and local brews without waking him up. Our window overlooked an indoor courtyard where a wedding happened to be taking place, so guess what our entertainment was for the night?

Bad picture, but we could actually see pretty well. The groom's dance moves were awesome. We were total creepers and kept our curtains open, chairs turned to the balcony, loving every minute of his Backstreet Boys dance-offs. Amazing. Hey, if I have to choose between Saturday night TV or late-night wedding dancing, the choice is clear. ;-)

Such a great family day!

And...There Goes the Power Again

 Earlier this week things started to return to normal in our house after Sandy. We restocked the fridge, got things in order and returned to work full time on Monday. We even got Riker his first haircut!

I almost shed a tear when they cut those shaggy locks from his eyes. He's no longer a baby. (Sigh). But how adorable is he sitting all tiny in the big barber's chair? He cried toward the end, but stayed still the whole time and is quite the handsome little boy with his new look.

Returning to work in the city Monday felt a little strange. It was hard not to think about all the people still without power and homes in our towns, and hard not to notice the big National Guard tanks driving around Manhattan. But our office tried to resume business as usual, and we all pulled together to participate in a coat drive and a few fundraisers for hurricane victims. Everything was going along fine. And thennnn Tuesday happened.

Right after I left work to head to the bus station, a transformer and power wires started leaning over the NJ Turnpike, so they closed the roadway in both directions, leaving a bunch of us commuters stranded at Port Authority. Thank goodness my good friend Abby lives in the city! Rather than waiting around for hours to get home, I headed to her place for the night.

After stopping by H&M to buy clothes for work the next day (a good excuse to buy a new outfit!), Abby and I headed out for dinner with her roommate. It was freezing and we didn't feel like going far, so we walked two blocks to a cozy little window-front bistro called Benjamin's. I ordered a Goose Island winter ale and the yellowfin tuna wrap. Delish!

Not a bad evening for getting trapped. :)

After work last night I was able to get home, but not before the crazy Nor'Easter dubbed "Athena" hit. By the time I got back to Toms River my car was covered with a good 5 inches of heavy, wet snow. No biggie. Just cleared it off and went on my way. But when I pulled down my street, all at once the street lights all went off. And then all the houses went dark.

Yep, we are powerless again! Mother Nature sure has it in for us right now. Normally I'd be thrilled with an early snowstorm, but so many trees were already badly damaged from Sandy that the snow storm just put them over the edge. We have a lot of big trees on power lines again, and a few more transformers blew last night as well. I feel so bad for all the linemen who worked so hard to get our power back last week, just to have it go out again this week.

Our house was warm enough to stay the night, but by this morning we were freezing so we rolled out of there by 8 AM.

They're saying it could be next week before our town gets power back, so we decided to temporarily move back in with Matt's parents. For the time being we'll be living and working here.

I couldn't bear the thought of throwing out another fridge full of food, so we packed up the contents of our fridge and freezer to store at Matt's mom's. Actually her fridge was full, so it's currently sitting in the snow on the deck. ;-) We're now in the process of consuming as many fresh vegetables and seafood as we possibly can before they go bad on us. No worries, I could eat salad with salmon any day.

I'm sad to have to move out again for a few more days, but it's a small inconvenience compared to all those who lost so much more. We're trying to make an adventure out of it. Matt's sister and her husband are living here as well since they can't get back to their house in Seaside, so we're one big happy family!

Hopefully I'll be able to do some cooking here and share something other than wraps, salads and veggie pasta. ;-) And with that, it's football time!

Fall Squash Gnocchi with Butter & Walnut Sauce

I should preface this by saying this is not your typical healthy meal. Per se.

It's filled with flour and doused in butter and is carby and probably pretty fattening. But it's comfort food to the max, and for some of us living on the east coast watching the heartbreaking aftermath of Sandy unfold day after day - and for others who may not live here but are bracing against the cold weather setting in - comfort food may just be what we need.

And it's made from scratch, so it's definitely healthier than comfort food from a box or takeout restaurant. Plus I served it with a large green salad with Red Delicious apples (and blue cheese but shh) and simple balsamic vinegar, so at least we ate some veggies alongside.

Making homemade pasta is quickly becoming one of my most favorite things, and gnocchi...those little soft-as-a-pillow dumplings, are no exception. Traditional gnocchi are made with white potatoes, but I was itching to try making them with some of my leftover Hubbard Squash, which I froze a few weeks ago after baking. The result was amazing. They had so much more flavor than regular gnocchi, and a comforting fall essence that was perfect for a cold evening cozied up at home. Bonus - squash has fewer carbs and more vitamins and nutrients than potatoes. A small win! If you don't have Hubbard squash, you can definitely substitute butternut, or even sweet potatoes.

I actually made a batch of this gnocchi last weekend when we had a few dinner/movie guests over, and I tripled the recipe so I could freeze them for another day.

Unfortunately since we lost power for so long, we had to toss them before we could enjoy them again. But they do freeze really well, so if you're going to the trouble (or enjoyment!) of making gnocchi, definitely make extras and throw a batch into the freezer for a quickie dinner another night.

Perfection!

Fall Squash Gnocchi with Butter & Walnut Sauce

Serves 4-6

Ingredients - Gnocchi
2 cups cooked Hubbard or butternut squash
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
3 cups sifted flour

Ingredients - Butter Sauce
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4-5 sage leaves, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Place squash in food processor and blend until very smooth. If the squash is very watery, transfer to a pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until water evaporates and squash moist, but not wet. Cool completely, then add salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Transfer squash to a standing mixer and add egg, then mix until well combined. Then add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup (sifting the flour first is helpful, to ensure there are no lumps). Continue adding flour until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn dough onto a heavily floured board and knead until it comes together; it will be sticky, so continue adding flour as necessary.

Remove large pieces of the dough and roll into a 1" thick rope, then cut into bite sized pieces. Place onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet and set aside until ready to cook. (Note: Gnocchi can be cooked immediately at this point. To freeze, put the baking sheets in the freezer for approx. 30 minutes, until set. Once frozen, transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Cook the frozen gnocchi the same as fresh - do not thaw first).

To cook the gnocchi, drop in small batches into salted, boiling water and cook just until gnocchi float to the top, about 3 minutes. Transfer directly into butter sauce.

To make sauce:

In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add garlic and saute gently until fragrant. Add walnuts, salt and pepper. Stir, then remove from heat.

Toss cooked gnocchi in the butter sauce, then add sage and parmesan cheese. Stir to coat, and serve immediately.