New Jersey: Only the Strong Survive

I've always associated New Jersey with... well... Guidos. You've heard of the Jersey Shore reality show on MTV maybe? Yes, that. The fact that that show was a guilty pleasure of mine is another story (and secret, until now) but like I said, that's what I picture when I think of the dirty dirty. I've had many friends from New Jersey. Tara from Cape May, Kaleen (who claims Philly but we all know she's from Trenton), Krash, Kate, the list goes on. Oh and Dabba aka Snookie.

The point is, I've long been a bit weary about the Garden State, and lo and behold, Alex gets an internship here for the summer. I dreamed about visiting him in Boston, Chicago, or maybe having him in D.C., but no, here I am in a Rutgers sublet, sitting in the AC, wondering what to do.

So, I explored a little bit, and between the busy sidewalks, the one way streets, the potholes and the closed roads, I managed to find some very cool places. Take The Rafferty Gourmet, which enticed me from the outside because of their extensive cake and catering menu. Sorry, no pictures. Or, Legal Grounds Cafe, which has a mean ice coffee. And just when I was cursing the streets of New Brunswick and a dollar short for my order, a very masculine but generous female cop eating a doughnut (this is not a joke) spotted me. How I love this state!

But, when all else fails, and I run out of things to do, I bake. You can imagine baking in a boys apartment that is a sublet from other boys who probably never baked a thing in their life. The cabinets are almost barren, and NO there is no KitchenAid Stand mixer. Or any mixer. And yet, I took on the request of a raspberry swirl cheesecake from Alex, and I think I nailed it (recipe and pictures coming Monday). Tonight, I'll take on lasagna, and tomorrow I'm off to Asbury Park to visit two of my best friends from Penn State.

Anyway, I thought I would catch you up a little and let you know I'm thinking of you all! Anyway, that's all... it's about time I do something productive. Ta Ta!