Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi isn’t looking back! Less than a month after the 32-year-old reality star announced her retirement from the Jersey Shore reboot, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, she is fully embracing her time at home with her family.
Case in point: The MTV personality took to Instagram on Tuesday, December 24, to share a snapshot of herself and husband Jionni LaValle hard at work in the kitchen preparing a holiday meal. “In the kitchen with the man, the myth, the legend himself,” Polizzi captioned the sweet photo. “Christmas Eve Dinner at our house.”
In a series of updates on her Instagram Stories, the reality TV star detailed exactly what she and her husband, 32, prepared. Offerings included a cured meats platter, a massive cheese plate, LaValle’s famous crab sauce, stuffed mushrooms and more.
The Jersey Shore alum, who had some help in the kitchen from her pal and “It’s Happening With Snooki & Joey,” podcast cohost Joey Camasta, also showed off her large array of wine. “Do you think I have enough bottles here today?” she asked, joking, “It’s just for me.”
This massive culinary undertaking comes roughly three weeks after the Chile-born celeb confirmed her retirement from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. “There’s reasons why I’ve come to this decision,” she explained on her podcast at the time. “It’s definitely a hard decision. OK, you guys, I love you so much, and don’t hate me for my decision, but I have to do what’s best for me at the moment, and I am retiring from Jersey Shore.”
Added Polizzi: “I am not coming back to Jersey Shore [Family Vacation] for a season 4, if there is one. And there’s a lot of reasons why, but the main reason is really … I’m just like, I just can’t do it anymore.”
The mom of three — who shares kids, Lorenzo, 7, Giovanna, 5, and Angelo, 6 months, with LaValle — also noted that her little ones were a major factor in her choice to leave the show. “I hate being away from the kids. I don’t like partying three days in a row. It’s just not my life anymore,” she explained. “I wanna be home with the kids.”
The Strong Is the New Sexy author previously opened up to Us Weekly about the difficulties she faced balancing the MTV reality show with her obligations as a wife and mother. “I’m still trying to figure that out,” the reality star told Us in September. “They’re very stressed. I love being here. I love being with the roomies. But at the same time, I miss my newborn, I miss my two kids. So honestly I’m still trying to find that balance.”
Polizzi starred in all six seasons of the original Jersey Shore, all four seasons of spinoff Snooki & JWoww and three seasons of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which will return to MTV in 2020.
Scroll down to see the Christmas Eve feast she prepared for her family!