Getting Settled

Sometimes after a long time away from home it can take a while to get settled back in.  The best idea is to unpack and starting putting things away and doing laundry, or I personally find it will be a week or so before I contemplate this again.  I also wanted to unpack so I could show Ryan my goodies and give him his presents.  Plus, I unpacked some things that belonged with my parents so they could repack before heading home.

After I took them back to the airport, Ryan and I headed to Garca for some traditional Portuguese food for dinner.  Yes, the kitchen did not have much food remaining, and what was there was mainly things with meat that Ryan got to enjoy while I was away.
We started with the typical bread.
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Here is the goat cheese, quijo fresco.
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Ryan had the steak with fries, rice and fried egg.  This is a typical Portuguese serving for steak.
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I ordered the abrotea because I knew the left over filet would make a great lunch the next day.
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As usual, we ended the meal with some coffee drinks.
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Then it was back home to play with my goodies.  I had received a package from my sister that contained my birthday present, so I was very happy to rip this open.  How cool!  This is the Zoku popsicle maker.  Yes, I know there are cheaper ways to make popsicles and I already own popsicle molds, but the novelty of this bad boy is too cool to resist.  You just place it in your freezer, pour in the juice or whatever and then it freezes and within minutes you have a popsicle.  Too cool.  Yes, we have now experimented, so pictures to come.
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Then I gave Ryan his traditional Moroccan shoes, and they are just a tad small, but are perfect if he keeps the back folded down.
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There are the shoes I bought as we were leaving Marrakech.  They are super cute orange flats.
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Here are the goods from my spice purchase at the herbal market and store we visited in Morocco.  I made sure to by a spice mix used with tajine cooking and some curry too.  Plus I bought cumin because I love cumin.
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I also purchased some argane oil, which I think is gaining popularity in the states.
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Then on Friday we headed to Angra and took a different direction which provided us with these great views.
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In Angra, we ate at AquaEmotion, which we tried for the first time while my mom and Joe were here.  We had a craving for something light, but we could not resist the panned cheese- like fried cheese sticks but made with local cheese and instead in balls. 
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Then we both had the tuna salad sandwich with fries.  Very delicious!  Plus you can’t beat the view since the patio seating is right at the marina.
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After dinner we headed to Copa Cabana for some soft serve.  I splurged on the chocolate cone and Ryan followed my lead.
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By then I was starting to get settled in and we had the a 3-day weekend ahead of us.

QUESTION:  What did you do for the 4th of July?

9 comments:

Beth said...

Oh man, I really want one of those Zoku's. I'm jealous!

We spend the fourth on Broadkill Beach in Delaware. It's this awesome private beach on the Delaware Bay, and we had a big bonfire, beverages, and fireworks in every direction!

FoodFitnessFreshair said...

I can't wait to get some local cheese here! That ice cream cone looks delish.

sophia said...

OMG!!!! Fried cheese balls! Looks fantastic! I wouldn't be able to resist them, either!

I love your orange flats, and I can't wait to see what you come up with that popsicle maker, too!

Shannon said...

What an amazing trip! Welcome home :) It always takes a little while to get back into a routine after being away.

Can't wait to see more about those pops!

Ameena said...

I am with Sophia on how amazing the fried cheese balls look - delicious! And I love your cute shoes...beautiful color.

I had to laugh at your comment about the Indian food - Indian people always freak out that someone might be underfed or hungry and they will do whatever they can to remedy that! Such a funny story!

Nicole, RD said...

Wow, those pictures of Angra could not be any more beautiful! Absolutely stunning!

For the 4th we just grilled out and set off some fireworks. Well, Mark set them off and I tried to keep Lily from shaking in fear!

Lori said...

Oh, I love the unpacking process after a big trip when you bring back lots of great things! We went to the Chicago for the 4th and had a great weekend.

MelissaNibbles said...

I hate unpacking and getting settled. I always need another week off after vacation just to do laundry.
Beautiful pictures!

Jessie said...

Welcome home! :D It looks like you had a great time, and picked up some great stuff along the way - I love those orange flats! The Zoku is a great purchase. Peter and I actually received one as a gift ... and then we gave it away. What were we thinking?! Can't wait to see what you've made! Are you going to cook some tajine dishes? My mouth is watering already!

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