Crock Pot Christening

Mel had been hearing great things about Crock Pots for a long time: easy cooking, easy clean up, minimal heat emanating through the apartment, and super delicious slow cooked food.  So finally we picked one up and tried the first recipe:  BBQ pulled chicken.

Result?  DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS!!

Mel couldn't get over how easy it was:  put all the ingredients in the pot in the morning, ignore it all day, and at dinner time take the cover off and have a delightful meal.  At the risk of being dramatic, she might be willing to deem this the greatest invention since sliced bread.  (Well, at least for those of us who live in small apartments that do not bode well with hot ovens in the summer.)

Seafood in Stamford

It had been a while since we saw Raj, Ria, and Baby J so we headed up to Stamford to check out Crabshell, a really cute seafood place right on the water.

We all enjoyed the spicy shrimp... even Baby J, who we think got a taste of the spice from DJ's thumb!  :)

Then Raj and Mel tried the hot seafood salad (tasty variety of seafood atop fresh lettuce);

Ria had pasta, and DJ went for the soft shell crab sandwich (nothing out of the ordinary, but well executed).

It was so nice to be able to catch up with the Mehta family (Baby J is growing so fast), and spend a little time along the water in Connecticut.  

British Invasion: Jaz and Deep in NYC

Jaz and Deep were in NYC for a week to attend weddings and catch up with friends.  Hooray for quality time with our favorite Brits!

One afternoon we grabbed some Mexican fare at Dos Caminos in Soho.  Delightful guac, quesadillas in mole, fajitas, tacos, tuna salad, and margaritas = happy stomachs.

Then on their last evening in town we headed out to Angelo and Maxie's in Union Square for some savory steak.  We all agreed we prefer this place over Smith and Wollensky's.  Great service, delectable beef, tasty side dishes.  You really can't ask for more!

Turks and Caicos = Rum and Conch!

TURKS AND CAICOS, BABY!

Our summer trip was a memorable one to Provo with a great group of friends:  Brandon, Ladell, Megan (a.k.a. Foxy) and Victoria (a.k.a. Jessica) from Conde plus Liz and her scuba friend, Piroska.  

We rented condo suites at the Royal West Indies resort.  The suites, the grounds, and the staff were all wonderful.  It was such a relaxing pleasure to have the pool, hot tub, and AMAZING beach all just steps from our rooms.

As for the food, the title of this entry says it all: Rum and Conch!  :)  

Rum was the liquor of choice (especially Turks and Caicos's own Bambarra and Trouvadore)...

 

and we had conch in all its forms: jerk, salad, fritters, ceviche.

DJ particularly enjoyed sampling all the possible jerk dishes, and the one served at our resort came with a piece of Johnnie Cake that tasted just like Mel's grandma's homemade bread.  Must find the recipe!

 When we ventured away from the resort with Liz and Piroska, we tried one of the best local restaurants: Coco Bistro.  In a word: sublime.  You sit under a canopy of palm trees while sampling the best of tropical flavor.  Really, a must-visit if you are ever in Provo.

And on our way back to the resort, we passed a coconut tree and couldn't resist plucking a couple to enjoy the fresh coconut water.  Though the "plucking" involved a bit of acrobatics with Mel on DJ's shoulders twisting and tossing the coconuts away from his noggin, it was well worth it in the end.  Just look at the "fruits" of our labor!

Nothing better than a tropical getaway.  We will definitely return someday!