We made it back to sunny San Diego about 1am Wednesday morning, which translated to 5am Aruba time for my brain and body.
I stayed up until about 6am here unpacking, sorting the mail, doing laundry, and getting my life back into order. At least a little bit in order. Making for about a 28 hour day shy of the hour or so I slept on the plane.
It was a very long day of traveling (18+ hours) but everything went smoothly with our journey; it’s just a long way. Two five-hour flights is a lot for anyone, especially for a four year old, but Skylar did wonderfully.
I found this half written blog post in my drafts and figured it was as good a time as any to think back to early December….
We had been in Aruba for just days, but 72 hours later I was already on my second two-pound bag of powdered sugar.
And my second bag of white chocolate chips.
I had made White Chocolate Peanut, Pretzel, & Chocolate Chip Fudge
and
White Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Puppy Chow
Two big offenders in the powdered sugar and white chocolate consumption category.
In between spending time here…
And gazing at the heavenly views…
…I was knee deep in (white chocolate) baking heaven.
Double Chocolate Caramel Corn & Cocoa Rice Krispies Candy Bars (No-Bake with Vegan & GF options)
And now I am off to my favorite store after a month away. Lord help me. And my wallet.
Good thing I am only bringing a finite amount of cash in my wallet for groceries so that I don’t go too crazy for things I “need” after being away from TJ’s for the month…
…You know, so that I can use those ingredients to make other things I “need”.
What are the first things you do after returning from a trip or from an event that takes you out of your usual routine like holiday travel?
I unpack and empty the suitcases, get the laundry started, go through the mail, get everything put away and back in it’s place; take care of voicemails and emails that need attention. I try to get things humming along again as much as possible.
Then grocery shop and restock the cupboards and refrigerator.
And then…get back into the kitchen and start making things. But I can’t start making new kitchen messes and tackling new recipes and projects until the other things are handled first. One thing at a time.
Oh yeah, and I need to fire up my coffee pot right now…
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Glad you made it back home safe and sound :) Travelling is such a pain but it sounds like your youngling Skylar was a superstar!!! Flight from LA to sydney is like 15 hours straight so I can totally empathise with how exhausted you feel….I never sleep on planes. But first thing I always do when I get home is take a long warm shower. Makes you feel so refreshed after being in recycled air for-like-EVER! Then just like you I have to restock my pantry and fridge with lots of goodies. Happy shopping at TJs!
I am so upset TJ’s is out of cookie butter! You have finally convinced me to try it then *poof* gone.
Oh, and welcome home! We ‘re glad to have back in the States. ;)
Glad y’all made it home safely. It usually takes me almost 30 hours to travel back to Malaysia — shocking and very tiring!!!
Wow, you’re back in CA already! It seems like you only left a little bit ago–I guess the month flew by. Does it feel like that to you? I hope you catch up on sleep and enjoy settling into being back.
Welcome home! I’m like you I do all the same things when I get home. Unpack, laundry, read mail, straighten up ,waster plants and give my dogs a big hug and lots of treats! I usually grocery shop the next day and stock up on goodies.
Holy mama sugar!! Glad you made it home safely. :-)
You are always the best at getting back to “real life” post vacation. Last night Colin and I fell face first into bed and completely ignored our bags until this morning. Today involved cleaning, grocery shopping, and lots of unpacking. Luckily we have another week of vacation to look forward to!
Glad you guys are enjoying your vacay!
ha! what is vacation?
is that what sun means?
i would not know as i live in SUNLESS cape cod :-)
And aren’t you a Cali girl native? Oh that has to be rough. I go into the worst depression ever without sun. I need chocolate..and sunshine :)
I am the same way when I get home from any vacation – long or even just a weekend away. Everything has to be unpacked and put away and the laundry started before I can sit down or lay down to sleep. It doesn’t matter what time i get home, all that must be done asap.
Love the powdered sugar/white chocolate. I’m still wishing I’d made that puppy chow, but I just wasn’t feeling the baking this year. So I didn’t. I have been sewing though. Going with the flow and not forcing anything – that’s the name of my vacation game.
you could make a half batch or even a quarter batch any time of the year :)
and glad you’re not forcing the bakestravaganza like last year’s…and are just taking things easy and one day at a time…and sewing and doing what you WANT! :)
I seriously can’t believe how much you baked on vacation…. uh and that you went through that much powdered sugar! haha too awesome. I hope you enjoy your trip to TJs :)
Yeah I have a Dec recap post…it’s insane how much is in there…but I loved it. I really did!
Glad you had a safe trip back home and are getting settled in! I’m the same way… I immediately unpack, do laundry, check mail and email, and grocery shop ASAP when I get back from a trip. The sooner I return to the norm, the better! :)
Hope you had a happy holiday!
xo
Welcome home! Would you believe I snubbed the TJs cookie butter when I was there? Being I can get Biscoff, I saw no difference.
Dobt you wish powdered sugar came in a better package? It’s sooo messy, lol. Apparently you can make powdered sugar in a vitamix! I’ll try… One day, haha.
I am spotting your new favicon…Lol.. So you!
And yes…powdered sugar pkgs are just…the worst. It gets EVERYWHERE!
And yeah making sugar and churning my own butter, I’ll put those both on my list :)
So glad you found the cookie butter! My husband works for Wafels & Dinges and they brokered the deal to bring Spekuloos to Trader Joe’s! I’ve been in love with it for years since they started carrying it but I’m so glad it’s being mass produced now!
Welcome home!
All SoCal TJ’s are now OUT of Cookie Butter. No word on when it’s coming back. It will, just no one knows.
I am posting about it soon :)
Glad you made it home safe :)
welcome home!!
heres a question…given all the baking you do, how much butter, sugar, chocolate, etc do you go through in a given week and what do you do with all your leftovers? do they freeze? do you give them to neighbors?
i swear you have SO many baked goods constantly causing me to drool, but i have no clue what you do with it all! maybe kyles just not as much of a helper in the sweets department as your family is…
At the bottom of almost all recipe posts in the recipe section, I address the dessert storage stuff with this link, storing desserts in the freezer. Almost all of it goes there. And also what I make, I don’t make 2 and 3+ dozen of anything. Cookies are 1 dozen or 18, max. Brownies or bars are a pan, 8×8 if possible, 9 x 13 max. And what we dont eat, I give to friends but between 12-16 servings per pan or cookies, that’s a handful each among 3 people, spread over 3 days…done. Next dessert. :)
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/08/whooo-whooo.html
Glad you made it home safely. I unpack, start laundry, and of course hit the grocery store since we try to deplete the stock in the fridge. I always feel the need to clean the house again too.