Blogging has been light for a while owing to the fact that the Free-Ride family was in transit to the wilds of New Jersey in order to celebrate Uncle Fishy and RMD getting hitched.
Amazingly, not only did we arrive in time, but the various airlines seemed to deliver all the other guests without mishap, too.
There was a good bit of snow on the ground, which the Free-Ride offspring loved. The grown-ups ... well, we were more concerned with the hazards it introduced as far as driving and walking. (By our count, in our party there were five falls on the ice. Only a couple required medical treatment and pain medications, though.)
Not to mention the toll that snow, ice, slush, and salt might exact on our shoes.
Paging Dr. Isis for a shoe consult! I don't know if these count as hot on an absolute scale, but for me they're pretty dressed up. Also, extremely comfortable.
Uncle Fishy and RMD are foodies, so the food was really good. We actually eased in to the three days of eating with a rehearsal luncheon at Aldo's. Who doesn't like cheesy garlic bread, fried zucchini, bruschetta, and stuffed eggplant? (There were various sorts of meat, shellfish, and cephalops, too, but as a vegetarian, I wasn't really paying attention to them.)
The reception dinner itself was at Blue Hill at Stone Barn. The food was really fresh and really, really yummy. The kids have made a list of foods for me to reverse engineer and create for them at home. At the top of that list are two of the appetizers, rissotto balls and beet burgers.
Then, there was the brunch the morning after, featuring bagels, Uncle Fishy's homemade gravlax, Aunt Molly's cookies, and Joanna's chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream and raspberry filling topped with chocolate ganache. If you're anywhere near Montpelier, Vermont, you should try to get your hands on one of these cakes (maybe at the Langdon Street Café). The experience of eating a slice was life-changing -- I don't think I've ever had anything as tasty in my mouth.
Major props to the Borough of Ringwood for sending the plows out Sunday morning so that RMD's peeps could get to the festivities without recourse to sled dogs.
La familia Free-Ride is now ensconced at Duke and Super Sally's, so posting ought to pick up again. There are a bunch of book reviews in the pipeline, just in case you get book store gift cards and need some ideas for how to use them.
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Damn, those are cute! I'm a total mary jane fanatic. Can you post the link? Merry Christmas Free-rider Family!
They're the Söfft Calypso in aubergine suede (Zappos seems to have them on sale now). No break-in time at all and still totally comfy.
Excellent post. I agree that plowing snow is useful!
It is very snowy where I am too.
NS
Yeah! Motherfucking Jersey!!
And yes, your shoes are HOT!
Happy Holidays FreeRides!!!! w00000t to Uncle Fishy and RMD!
Holy cow. Reception dinner at BHaSB? Wow.
[Did you get to take the farm tour? It's one of my top two or three favourite restaurants, and the farm staff have been uniformly enthusiastic every time we've toured.]
Definitely worth the drive from NJ! [Well, almost anything is worth the drive *out* of NJ... ;)]
Here in Albany, we got a few feet of snow and delayed travel south until the 24th - definitely a smart move. Now I'm back but the family is still in DE, as I have two grants and a paper to get out for Jan 3..
There was a farm tour scheduled on Friday (while we were still in transit), but it was canceled on account of snow.
Yes, Janet. I approve, I approve, I approve!!!! Those little suede flowers are amazing!!!!
Ohhh Blue Hill. We were lucky to be there in August for a major family birthday, with the gardens in full swing and some surreally good tomatoes. Presentation was also fabulous without being snooty. Still think of the tomato-vodka shot from time to time.
Love the tattoo! And the shoes. I own the same pair in brown leather. :D