My 200th post - A trip to my grandparents.

The spread at my grandmothers.

Stuffed artichokes, turkey soup, bruschetta, salad, and fried dough.

MY FAVORITE!

Stuffed artichokes. My grandma makes them for me all the time since I was real little.

The dessert spread. 5 cakes, and cookies. Hahah.

Aunt Beth, my dad, and grandma - Looking at my cousin Anthony's senior pictures that I photographed.

My Pop Pop.

He had cancer in his arm earlier in the year and it was cured. Recently he was diagnosed with lung cancer and it is incurable. He's scared, but in high spirits.

Christmas Eve & Day - Decorations & Food.

The dining room all set up and ready for dinner.

Appetizer Table.

Living room & tree.

Everyone eating a dinner of seven fishes... and my cousin Matt staring at me like a creep.

Rocco... all bummed cause he couldn't enjoy the delicious meal.

The tree looks beautiful... like every year. I found one imperfection. This ornament is staying on the tree with a twist tie!

Top left: My great uncles home made sausage. He is a meat inspector and meat is his passion haha... this sausage is ground chicken, dill, garlic and maybe something else. If you've ever had a porketta before, then that is what this tasted like and it was amazing.

Top right: Third course of Christmas dinner. Salad, and of course Kielbasa and Ham purchased and cooked by my great uncle Frankie.

Bottom Left: Second course of Christmas dinner. Raviolis and garlic bread.

Bottom right: First course of Christmas dinner. Cappelletti Soup with some parmesan cheese.

I didn't get a good picture of my Christmas Eve plate but it was piled high with eggplant parm, lobster tail, shrimp wrapped in bacon, shrimp scampi, twice baked potatoes, breaded cauliflower, salad, flounder stuffed with crab and maybe some other things. Here is a picture my sister took of me tackling my plate:

ME!

My cousin Matthew made a ravioli sandwich.

Verdict: Very delicious.

Christmas in the City!

New York City is my favorite place to visit during Christmas. I used to live in NYC and as fun as it was to live there for a short period of time, I think I'd rather just be able to visit whenever I want. My family and I try to go every Christmas season. We've done everything from seeing the tree, shopping and seeing Santa at Macy's, going up to the very top of Rockefeller Center, to seeing the Rockettes about 3 times (the show never changes). This year we decided to check out Mario Bitali's new place, Eataly (AMAZING! GO THERE NOW!) and walk around stores like Versace and Bergdorf Goodman where there were shoes for $1,000 and coats averaging out at $4,000. We ended the day with a greek meal at Molyvos where I ate lamb chops with potato pancakes, the best greek salad I ever ate, and topped it off with probably the best baklava I've ever eaten.

Because I've been to NYC so many times I found it really difficult to photograph things I've seen over and over again. Also, it was really cold outside... so pictures are limited, but I hope you still enjoy!

Empire State Building.

Disgusting.

Madison Square Park.

50,000 sq. ft. of Italian heaven.

This is Mario Bitali's new place and it is absolutely amazing. Imagine any italian food, both easy to find and rare... it's here and you can buy it. They had every meat you could thing of, cheeses, pizza, home made pasta, black truffles, vegetables, fruits, wine... so much wine! It was absolutely amazing that I can't even come close to doing it justice right here, right now - so I'm not going to try. You'll just have to go check it out for yourself.

I can't wait to go back... and my waiter was Italian, and pretty cute too.

A whole rabbit in the meat case and only about 20% of the home made pasta that is available for purchase.

Wine & Pizza for lunch.

Macy's.

5th Ave.

Another part of 5th Ave.

Benjamin & Daniel's Bar Mitzvah.

I was so happy I was asked to be the photographer for Benjamin & Daniel's Bar Mitzvah. It was such a great time and the boys have such wonderful family and friends. Enjoy the pictures and congratulations!

Before the ceremony.

Left family shot is before the ceremony. Right family shot is after the ceremony.

Daniel.

Some appetizers after the ceremony.

Benjamin and some friends.

Benjamin and Daniel were lifted up high on their chairs!

Followed by dad!

Everyone doing the Hora.

Daniel!

Daniel on the right, with some of his friends.

The DJs at the party afterwards had a ton of games for the kids to play. This particular game they had to guess songs and artists based on small clips of music and these two girls were playing rock, paper, scissors to determine a winner.

All the kids pointing at the two most important boys of the day.

CHRISTMAS.

I had the whole apartment to myself this weekend because my roommates were off doing fun Christmas things in Vermont... I worked and worked and worked my butt off all weekend. I come home late Sunday night after a long day at work to the smell of pine...

There is a real live Christmas tree in the living room complete with candy canes.

Merry Christmas!! :)