Hello! I’m back with part 2 of my holiday recap. If you missed part 1, it covers the first few days of the trip, including Christmas day.
In this post I’m sharing food and fitness highlights from the rest of our stay instead of a day-by-day account.
2022 Pittsburgh Christmas Recap (Part 2)
Food Highlights
We enjoyed many delicious meals with Matt’s family and relied on leftovers for lunches most days. First, let’s start with breakfast.
Breakfasts
Early mornings with Wes meant simple breakfasts most days—toast with nut butter and fruit—so I didn’t photograph every meal. Here are two noteworthy breakfasts we had at the house.
French toast with scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit:
Freezer burritos—my father-in-law said these were a riff on a favorite freezable sausage and egg burrito recipe. They’re easy, tasty, and handy to have on hand.
I also had a few breakfasts out in town at my favorite spot, Mediterra, after meeting friends for workout dates. I grabbed some great lattes at Adesso Cafe too.
Mushroom quiche that reminded me of a goat cheese mushroom frittata:
Salmon toast with cucumber and labneh:
And avocado toast with herbs and seeds that I loved:
Lunches
Lunches were usually leftovers paired with big salads I put together. One example was a salad topped with leftover chicken and a bowl of soup.
My father-in-law made a light, comforting chicken, vegetable, and noodle soup that we loved—perfect for midday meals after richer dinners.
Dinners
One favorite dinner was a large salad topped with leftover steak from Christmas dinner, served with half a baked potato—simple and satisfying.
My father-in-law’s cedar plank grilled salmon was another highlight.
On New Year’s Day we had a traditional meal before driving back to DC: pork, potatoes, collard greens, sauerkraut, black-eyed peas, and cornbread.
We also enjoyed a grown-up night out in Sewickley while grandparents babysat. At Mambo’s Italian Kitchen I started with a beet salad.
We shared a pizza and lemon chicken for the main courses—the entrees were the standout that night.
We also attended a New Year’s Eve party with friends. Riese and I left before midnight so she could go to bed; I was asleep shortly after getting home. The only photo I took at the party was with my college friend Sarah, who was there with others I hadn’t seen in a while.
Fitness Fun
I made time for several yoga classes—some with friends and sisters-in-law and some on my own. That quiet movement helped me reset amid the holiday bustle.
Matt and I managed three runs while we were there, which was special because we rarely run together these days.
I wrote about our Christmas Day run in my previous recap. Another run took place on a sunny day with our friend Tom; it was chatty and enjoyable.
Matt and Tom have been best friends since high school, and Tom paced the run comfortably for us.
Our third run was on New Year’s Day, a reverse of the earlier route. I felt more tired that day—the week had caught up with me—but we still got in a solid effort and completed a cool-down walk afterward.
We squeezed in a hike with friends on New Year’s Day before leaving town. Our friends John and Erin’s kids hit it off with Riese right away, and she loved hiking and holding hands with a new friend.
It was refreshing to walk on a trail rather than along roads without sidewalks near Matt’s parents’ house—walking near traffic with a toddler made me nervous.
That wraps up the rest of the trip highlights. The week was busy but filled with fun—time with family, cousins playing together, and small moments that made the holiday special.
We were sad to say goodbye to family and friends, but it felt good to return home, sleep in our own beds, and settle back into our routine. I was also glad to drop Riese off at school the following week—back to normal felt nice.