Buddy Valastro Cracks a Lobster with His Youngest Son — a Goal of His After His Hand Injury

Lisa Valastro/Instagram

Buddy Valastro is enjoying some summer fun with his youngest son!

On Tuesday, the Cake Boss star, 45, shared a playful photo with Carlo, 11, inside Bahrs Landing Restaurant on the Jersey Shore. The father-son duo each held huge lobsters by their claws, smiling at how large they were.

"Lobster 🦞 time. Who do you think has the bigger lobster, me or Carlo? 🦞#lobster #lobstertime #fatherson #likefatherlikeson," Valastro captioned the photo.

But Valastro's sweet post wasn't just a silly photo op — cracking open a lobster was a goal of his after his gruesome hand injury in September 2020.

In June, the New Jersey native spoke with PEOPLE about his personal wins after five reconstructive hand surgeries. Aside from getting back to making cakes, there was one culinary task he really wanted to tackle to prove he had his strength back: opening a lobster tail.

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"It's like a hand motion where you have to really use your fingers to open it," he said of the very hands-on action.

Valastro also shared that he almost missed out on his season three win of Buddy vs. Duff as the last surgery he underwent was only a month before filming started for season three.

Luckily, his most recent surgery was a "game-changer" and Valastro was able to move his hand more easily and even make a fist.

"It was scary because I didn't know if I was going to even be able to compete," Valastro said. "Yeah, I could have used my brain to help develop the cakes or ideas or did things. But thank God we were able to do it, and it was awesome."

Buddy Valastro/Instagram

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The dad of four credits his recovery to his family. Not only did he gush about how his wife Lisa constantly helped him, but he also acknowledged his kids —  Sofia, 19, Buddy Jr., 17,  Marco, 15 and Carlo.

"It was one of those things where it shows you how important family is," he says. "We take for granted the little things like you opening the door or just doing something with your hand. It makes you appreciate the little things so much."