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Archive for the ‘chocolate’ Category

one happy (valley) girl

Posted in breakfast, Buffalo, chocolate, New York, pancakes, Penn State, races, Running, school, traveling on July 16, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Well, where did I leave off?  (I realize I’m two days behind… I’ve been a busy, traveling girl!)

When I woke up Sunday morning, this is what was waiting for me on the table:

Awwwww :)  When Adam had asked me what I ate pre-race, I mentioned toast, peanut butter and banana.  And he got organic–double awwwww :) :)

Here we are, before:

I got the tank to match the neon pink trim on my shorts!

And can I just say that it was like 90% humidity and that State College has WAY MORE HILLS than I remembered?  Like, a ton.  It was as I was rounding the golf course hill that it all came back to me…

(Check out the building behind me in the above picture–that totally was not there when we went to school!)

And here we are, after:

Adam was DRENCHED and I was pretty sweaty, too.  Hot and steamy, it was!

And guess who WON her age group?  YOURS’ TRULY!  A 10k in 46:56.  Not too shabby.

I’d love to say I was shocked, but I wasn’t.  Perhaps surprised is more accurate.  I definitely wasn’t feeling fast that morning and was, as usual, intimidated by the field.  I have to admit; all this winning is still really new to me (let’s just say running wasn’t my sport of choice for, like, my entire life), but I’ve placed in my age group enough now that I feel like I can’t leave a race until they’ve posted the results.  It’s weird.  Awesome, but weird.  I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.  I mean, I don’t even really look like a runner.  At least not the fast ones.

And I have a theory: I’m in what I’m calling a “sweet spot” right now.  I’m in the 20-30, or sometimes 25-29, age group, which is just older than the super skinny, super fast high school/college ‘elite’ runners, but I’m younger than the ‘been-running-for-twenty-years-post-kids-competitive’ group.  More times than not, I’ve noticed that the ladies finishing just ahead of me are older, but don’t win THEIR age groups.

Apparently, my 15 minutes of fame is limited.  Or I’ll just have to get faster.  (I think I’ll take the latter.)

And the perfect end to a fantastic weekend, a great run and a win?  The Waffle Shop!

It’s a State College mainstay and super famous.  It now has three locations–the original being right on College Ave.–and always has a line around the building on weekends.  I’ll admit that Andrew and I weren’t regulars here while we were students, but it is the first place I had chocolate chip pancakes, and for that I will be forever thankful.

Adam, Andrew and I met up with Abigail and waited outside as the temps started rising.  We made it into the air conditioning just in time!

I ordered the “mini platter” and was able to request chocolate chip pancakes instead of plain.  Thank goodness for substitution-friendly establishments!

After our delicious and very traditional PSU breakfast, we all parted ways and I headed toward Philadelphia, while Andrew and Abigail went north back to New York.  I’ll be on the road through Thursday–more photos and updates on my travels soon!

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when in Buffalo…

Posted in Canada, chocolate, Co-op, East Aurora, House, pizza, wings on July 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

…do as the Buffaloes do.  Or, Buffalonians, rather.

And that would be to eat wings, of course.

It was a beautiful 81 degree day here yesterday and after a balmy walk with the dog, Mom, Josh and I met Andrew for lunch at the Bar Bill, a local watering hole and wing favorite.  It gets pretty packed on weekend evenings (hey, it’s a small place), but summer lunches under the awning are just great.

Mom and I shared a beef on weck sandwich and we all enjoyed some of their wings.  Josh is even more of a wuss than me when it comes to spice; I think he let a wing touch his lips and then announced he couldn’t go any further.  (I will admit, my spice tolerance has gone WAY up since moving here–now I don’t have to ask the servers at Thai places to make my dishes milder–due to my wing consumption.  I sure hope that’s the ONLY thing that’s gone up…)

After licking our fingers, I showed mom and Josh our new house–the owners were nice enough to let us come for a visit.  I even did a little recon–finding out exact paint colors and eyeing sizes of things and such–and they’re even going to leave a couple pieces of furniture I’d had my eye on AND those cool house numbers Andrew and I had admired!  SCORE (and what a blessing)!  They are just the nicest people alive :)

We spent the afternoon in EA, walking the village.  Mom popped into Vidler’s and was even able to find a couple things she needed (a single zipper pull, anyone?), as well as some things she “didn’t” (a pair of Birkenstocks from the place Andrew used to go as a kid).  After refueling with some drinks from Taste, we headed home to await Andrew’s arrival after work.

We went back into the village a bit later to drop Andrew at a co-op meeting and I drove mom and Josh around a little to show them the high school and a little more of the village.  After a quick visit at the Nye’s house, we popped into Fowler’s to see Abigail and so I could stock up on some chocolate (mostly as gifts, really) with my Groupon, before catching the 9 p.m. showing of the new Spiderman movie at the Aurora Theater.  Andrew Garfield makes a great Spiderman–go check it out!

On the agenda today: Niagara Falls and Pasquale’s Pizza…what else?

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family visit

Posted in books, Buffalo, chocolate, church, ethnic food, Exercise, Family, God, House, Ice Cream, New York, school, teal, wings on July 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Mom and Josh are here visiting!

(So happy to have them here, but I swear!  I can’t catch a break this summer…it’s just one crazy day after another!  When am I supposed to have that ‘down time’ I’ve been waiting for?)

We picked them up at the airport at 9:30 and went straight to church, where we heard Jim and Jill Kelly talk about her new book and their struggles and faith–very neat to see them and loved hearing their testimonies.

Then we headed to Elmwood to get some Saigon Cafe Thai for lunch before walking around and popping into different shops.  Scored a major find at reimagine, a trendy consignment home-goods place–some small retro Pyrex/Corning saucers that match the teal-rimmed ones I found at Goodwill in Ohio!  We also started eyeing this amazing black-and-wood two-tone long table for our new house…

We (well, more like Josh and I) wanted some ice cream and after seeing the wait at Watson’s, Andrew announced that he was taking us to Condrell’s, a local long-established ice cream and chocolate shop.  We enjoyed sundaes and sodas before heading home to rescue the puppy (who’d been cooped up for 7 hours–thank you to Mom and Dad Layer for giving him a comfort break once during that time!) and start marinating dinner.

After a walk and a quick female-only trip to Target, we all settled in to watch This Means War (cute, but super predictable and a bit more risque than I anticipated), before turning in after midnight…

Andrew’s already off to work, I’ve been up since 5:30 working on an article and doing my morning thing, and our two visitors are still asleep!  Although Josh did open his eyes and speak coherently for a bit while I was up putzing in the kitchen.

We’re off to the gym later this morning, then meeting Andrew for lunch at the Bar Bill for wings, then seeing our new house (!), followed by an afternoon in East Aurora.  Sigh…I’m happy.

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birthday love

Posted in birthday, chocolate, coconut, cookbooks, Friends, gifts, ginger, pineapples, Running, Things I LOVE on May 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Or, “the year of the personalized presents.”  Or, “Holly is loved.”  Or, “…and this year’s theme is: GINGER!”

You get the picture.

I opened the pile of boxes the mailman has been bringing for the last week or so the other night, and there was no way to anticipate the amount of love those cardboard walls contained.

-a sparkly beaded necklace with color blocks of clear, silver and two shades of blue; I can’t wait to dress up and go to dinner wearing it

-teal running socks and tie-dyed sports bra, from a friend who listens (and who put together an incredibly thoughtful gift with four ‘themes,’ all beginning with ‘F:’ food, fitness, friendship and faith)

-Joy the Baker‘s cookbook, which I desperately wanted to buy the moment it was released a few months ago because the story of how she baked sweet potato pies with her dad touched my heart (it also features her on the cover, in a 50′s dress with tattoos on her shoulder, which something inside me just loves)

-an assortment of dark chocolate, some with fun fillings like orange and ginger and some without

-what looks like a lifetime supply of ginger candies from multiple sources (gosh, I must talk about ginger more than I thought?), including THREE tins of ginger Altoids, straight from Texas

-Pumpkin Ginger tea, two of my favorite flavors all wrapped up in a cup of warm goodness for those fall afternoons I’ll be spending doing homework

-Larabar’s Coconut Cream Pie flavor energy bar, which I’ve been eyeing every time I go grocery shopping since Wegmans stocks that one in the checkout line with all the candy bars and it CALLS TO ME EVERY TIME–how did my running partner know??

-two red and dark teal/green wall hangings, one featuring a pineapple and one with cherries, which made me long for a house in which to hang them

-various kitchen gadgets, from the cutest little chalkboard tiles on which to write dish names or guests’ names for entertaining, to beautiful metal measuring spoons decorated with designs of food

-flowers sent from a girlfriend from college that are colorful and beautiful and remind me how long it’s been since I’ve had fresh flowers in the house

-a beautiful orange scarf with tassels on the end, which complements my collection quite well–of all the colors and patterns I already have, orange wasn’t one of them

-two devotionals, which will come in handy since Made to Crave is (sadly) coming to an end this week

-a giftcard to Boden, which arrived in its own beautiful package and is my new favorite clothier (except that I own NOTHING from them so far), from the least likely source–just check out their website–can’t you just see me in everything they have or what?

-a giftcard for a massage that I am COUNTING THE DAYS until I can redeem!

-peanut butter-flavored Gu for long runs, from a friend who knows her energy gels

So, basically, I’m a pretty lucky girl.  No, luck doesn’t really have anything to do with it.  God has hand-picked each of these ladies (and family members) and put them in my life for a reason, and equipped me to be a friend worth having.  I am so blessed, it’s not even funny.

(And this doesn’t even include any of Andrew’s family’s stuff; we’re doing my birthday this coming weekend since we were gone this past weekend.  Yay for more love!)

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i had an idea…

Posted in avocado, baking, banana, breakfast, cheese, chocolate, Co-op, King Arthur Flour, nail polish, strawberries, whole grains on May 23, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

…and it was a yummy one!

A couple days ago, as I was packing Andrew’s lunch (yes, just one of the gazillion things I said I’d never do) all I had left in the bottom of the Julio’s chips bag was a bunch of crumbs.

And immediately, I thought of a mexican breakfast/egg dish kind of thing.  Why?  No idea.

I held onto the bag of crumbs and finally made my concoction this morning, sauteeing onion and red bell pepper with the eggs, and added leftover chorizo (score!), some salsa, avocado, green onion and monterey jack cheese.  All this atop Julio’s seasoned chips.  Just delightful.

I kept it light be serving just these on the side:

Strawberries and half an orange.  Just delightful :)

Happy Wednesday afternoon!  I’m making some King Arthur Flour’s Banana Chocolate Chip Squares (another blogger was nice enough to type up the recipe) to bring to the co-op‘s first annual meeting (!!!!) tomorrow night, and will be continuing The Hunger Games.

Oh, and do any of you like radishes?  I admit I’m not a huge fan, but after writing my latest ‘Eat This’ column for the co-op’s blog, I think I might give them another try.

Does life get better than an afternoon of baking and reading, all after having had a great workout and painting my toes?

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what’s new around here

Posted in Andrew, bible study, chocolate, coffee, eating issues, God, hadrian, Ice Cream, Lists, school on May 13, 2012 | 4 Comments »

I know, I’ve been slacking.

Well, maybe with the blog, but everything else just seems to find its way into my already packed schedule.  In addition to the massive amounts of chemistry studying that has been going on for the past week or so (and will continue until 10:59 Monday morning), I’ve been able to fit in a batch of yogurt, Mother’s Day cards/gifts/trips to the post office, multiple hairball clean-ups (eeewww) and some Big Bang-watching.  Thank you, Andrew, for doing my dishes and folding laundry.  I know I whine and complain and can be a bit of a perfectionist; thank you for being patient.

It will all be over after by 1 p.m. Monday–hurray!  I can already taste the margarita I’m ordering afterward…

Anyway, here’s something of a re-cap:

1. Starbucks has had half-price fraps since last Friday, and I didn’t get one until Tuesday, which I think showed great restraint.  The kicker?  I tried their new ‘mocha cookie crumble’ flavor and I was so not that impressed.  Oh well, guess that’s what I get for obsessing over it.  I even brought some of my own sweet potato tortilla chips for snacking along with the drink (I love salty with chocolate!), and they are the same kind you can BUY at Starbucks.  Ha!  Bonus: I’ve been looking for one of their ‘city/state’ mugs that either said ‘Buffalo’ or ‘New York’ that I liked–loved this green one featuring the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline.  Would love to find one that’s more local to Western NY, but until then, this will have to do.

Side note: I’ve visited more coffee shops in the past week studying for the final than I care to admit.  However, I have a post going on my coffee preferences, so I suppose I could chalk them all up to research…

2. We recently received a giant box in the mail–it contained FOUR bags of Julio’s tortilla chips that Andrew mailed back from Texas. He even included a giant bottle of their seasoning blend–think he’s trying to tell me something??

Please note the first ingredient is MSG…  Really?  Like I’m really going to feel good about shaking THAT all over my organic sweet potato fries…  I swear, you guys, it’s like I’m sleeping with the enemy, sometimes.

3.  I made Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chip ice cream from Pioneer Woman’s new cookbook awhile ago, and I still have a little in the freezer.  Here are a couple photos:

All the blackberries I used turned into this leftover pulp–what a waste!  I tried it, just out of curiosity.  Big mistake–all it needed was cobbler on top with some vanilla ice cream!  I had to stop myself after two spoonfuls.

While the ice cream flavor was pretty spot-on, the chocolate I put in left something to be desired….  Instead of melting INSTANTLY in your mouth like real Graeter’s, these chunks of chocolate were crunchy and almost flavorless…almost no melting whatsoever.  At first, I thought it was the kind of chocolate I used: bittersweet vs. semi-sweet, or milk vs. dark.  However, upon further research into their methods (yes, I googled for their ingredients), I realized it’s all about the melting point and temperature…!  Duh, Holly, did you not just learn about this in Chemistry?  Basically, because ice cream is frozen, there is no way the chocolate can ‘melt in your mouth’ very quickly, unless you change the chocolate itself.  Graater’s actually adds oil to their premium chocolate to lower the melting point…  Now, all I need is their ratio of chocolate to oil…

4. So there is this long piece of carpet scrap we keep near the front door to help minimize mess on the carpet from coming in and out the door.  Obviously, it’s not nailed down or anything, so EVERY TIME Hadrian gets in one of his “zoomies” moods, he kicks it up into a wad under the dining room table.  Heck, even just normal walking moves the thing around.  THIS. MAKES. ME. INSANE.  I must bend over 900 times a day to fix the thing.  Yet another reason our forever home will not have carpet.

5. I ate sardines the other day for the first time!  Yes, I said sardines.  Honestly, they taste just like chicken.  Ha!  No, they don’t…but they do taste just like tuna.  Kath made a video of herself making a sardine salad and I was intrigued.  I bought a can of them last time we were in Ohio at Trader Joe’s and finally gave them a whirl.  Not bad at all!  Seriously, just like tuna.  I used her basic recipe and added some relish for a little more moisture.

6. Emily and I are plowing through Made to Crave and loving every moment!  We both agree that these last couple weeks have been really neat and there just seems to be so much ‘synergy’ going on with everything we’re learning.  For example, the beginning of the study focused more on simple principles of emotional eating, whereas now we’re moving into self-control (which was my first major break-through) and obedience to God.  The other night, I had a little bowl of ice cream (small, self-controlled and completely permissible for me), but afterward I realized I had eaten it ‘just because I wanted it.’  A perfect example of giving in and meeting a need–even with something permissible–when I should have been strong.

And another example: yesterday, Andrew and I ate a late lunch, so we didn’t want dinner before going to see The Avengers with the Layers.  It was about 5:45 p.m. and I’d just gotten a 100% on my final Chem quiz and was craving a walk and some fresh air, so we decided to walk to Vincenzo’s to get some water ice with our Groupon.  Anyway (I have a point here, I promise), we indulged a little in some liquid sugar (smalls!) before the movie, but passed on popcorn at the theater, which was easy since the line was long and we were already late.  However, by the time the movie ended we were both a bit hungry and Andrew suggested Kone King.  Now, I tell you what, I LOVE Kone King–their custard is just wonderful!  But you know what my first thought was:  ”I’ve already had my dessert for today–I don’t need any more.”  VICTORY!!!  Despite it being 9 p.m., I felt I needed some ‘real food,’ so we opted for subs, where I chose a turkey on wheat.  VICTORY!

7.  My friend, Regina, took me to the local Yogen Fruz here at the mall.  Big mistake; it’s just another thing to crave.  At least it’s (pseudo) healthy, right?

8. I’ve come to the conclusion that Hadrian and I are on some sort of weird circadian rhythm…  Nine times out of ten, I wake up–moments before my alarm–only to hear him start getting up (his collar jingling, a familiar whine/yawn and stretch from the living room, followed by the clacking of his nails on our wood bedroom floor), also moments before my alarm… As long as I can switch him from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. while I’m on summer break, we’ll be alright.

9.  Speaking of Hadrian…  I’m the worst dog-mom EVER.  I went out on a study break tonight to grab a Starbucks and run a few errands, one of which being to buy dog food–he’s dangerously low.  Well, I was apparently more concerned with getting to Ulta before they closed on Sunday than PetSmart…  Between that preoccupation and the onset of a sudden “shopping mood”  (probably more like procrastination, in this case), needless to say, I arrived to PetSmart too late.  Reason #536 that we don’t have (real) children yet.

Guess I’m going in the morning…  (Which really just means an excuse to get Starbucks before school, but who’s asking??)

10.  Hours to final exam: 12!

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Easter weekend

Posted in baking, Barefoot Contessa, breakfast, candy, chocolate, cookbooks, cooking, Dessert, Exercise, Family, Food Network, maple, Running, sweet potato on April 9, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Happy Belated Easter!  I had all sorts of fun things to blog about this weekend, but kinda took the weekend ‘off’ and this is my first chance to sit down (Not really, I still have TONS of schoolwork to do, but this is somewhat time-sensitive, too.  If I wait too long, it will be old news!) and type it all out.

There was LOTS going on this weekend for us, with Andrew’s grandmother visiting and Abigail home from school…

I ran in the Bunny Hop 5K…and scored SECOND PLACE in my age group!  Holy smokes!  Seriously…despite some of my recent PRs here and here, when I saw the 1,011-runner crowd lining up, all hopes of placing went right out the window.  In fact, I was having a bad morning due to a sudden neck spasm and stress (what else is new?), so I really had to pep-talk my way through the entire (almost all uphill, if that’s possible) race.

The neat thing was that the course went right by Andrew’s parents’ driveway!  I waved as I passed the first time… (I’m in pink and purple.)

Andrew’s family (and the dogs!) came out to cheer me on…

Here I am on the way back, just a 100 yards or so from the finish.  LOVE my purple running pants!

Andrew was convinced I’d placed in my age group (based on the small number of ladies who finished ahead of me), so we waited around for what seemed like forever at the finish for them to post results.

At least the oranges were good and even the store-bought oatmeal raisin cookies were decent.  Andrew ate my hot dog, but I caved and got another one and ate about half when the results still weren’t posted…

Sure enough, I DID place–I got SECOND!  Prizes for the Bunny Hop are chocolate bunnies, which, despite their appropriateness, are (in my mind) a bit counterproductive.  Carolyn had the brilliant idea to throw mine in the freezer and use it to bake with later.  It’s currently crushed into small pieces and chilling with my other chocolate.

We spent the day relaxing at Andrew’s parents’ house and running errands on Main Street.  We wanted to show grandma the new cupcake place, and while there, I picked up this little guy:

Perhaps the most memorable event was our dinner Saturday night, and, as usual, I got no photos.  We ended up at a local hibachi grill/Japanese Steakhouse/sushi bar due to our large party (8) and lack of pre-panning (it was 6:30 and we were trying to find a restaurant without an hour wait).  Can I just say the Layers aren’t big on change, ethnic food OR fish??

Let’s just say that if Carolyn’s face had frozen they way she was turning up her nose at the menu, she’s be one unhappy camper.  In all honesty, Andrew and I were pretty nervous–we’d taken everyone here thinking it was akin to a Benihana, but it turned out to be about 95% sushi and sans-hibachi tables.  Our table ended up with five chicken teriyakis, one beef teriyaki, one soba noodle and one edamame order with an Alaska roll.  Can you tell which one was mine??

The night wasn’t a total loss; we ended up in a room of our own and had a few good laughs, and everyone got to experience a few things out of their comfort zone :)

Happy Easter morning!  I got up early to cook breakfast :)

I made the Clinton Street Baking Co.’s buttermilk waffles (thanks for the book, Susy!), maple-roasted bacon and fruit.  I even made the maple butter from the cookbook and it. was. divine.  Even Andrew loved it.

As always, we did Easter baskets.  Andrew’s is full of junk food and candy.  I threw in a Bananagrams game, thinking it would be a good 2-person game for the house.

Andrew (as usual), went way overboard with my basket this year:

He collected all sorts of my favorite gourmet/health foods, like sweet potato chips, Luna bars, flavored seltzer, Starburst Jellybeans, Ritter chocolate with Marzipan (Heather introduced me to it before we moved last year)…

…brie and special topping…

…I’ve been DYING to try this chocolate bar since I saw it in a Food Network magazine like two years ago!

Dave sent me home with some Cadbury creme eggs last weekend, and I broke into it Easter morning!  (I was good; I only ate half, though.)

Andrew particularly liked his tangerine-flavored Jelly Belly carrot.  I had to force him to eat one before church…  Seriously, who has to be forced to eat ONE jelly bean EVER?  I wasn’t going to eat a bunch of candy all alone!

After church (we accompanied the Layers), we rushed home to finish our contributions to the meal and walk the dog before heading back to their house.

Butter ‘lambs; are a big deal around here.  I saw them at the grocery store a week or so ago and wondered where they’d been all the other Easters of my life.  Not where I lived, apparently.

I made caramelized pear, sage and orange biscuit bites, a recipe I found in a cookbook of Susy’s last time I was at her house. They were pretty darn good, but I don’t know if I’d make them again.

I also made Pioneer Woman’s Tres Leches cake for dessert.  I. CAN’T. STOP. EATING. IT.  Seriously.  I had two pieces yesterday and two pieces (so far) today.  Not good.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out before Abigail had to head back to school.  I studied for my Micro test (I have THREE tests and a quiz this week…say a prayer for me, people!).

The rest of the family played ‘bean farmer,’ which I believe is really called Bonanza.

Andrew taught grandma.

Carolyn opted out and instead searched for dishes on the iPad.

After a light dinner of sandwiches and leftovers–not that anyone was terribly hungry–Andrew and I headed home to rescue the puppy and prep for the week ahead…if only I’d had another day off!

I’ll be up for air sometime on Thursday!

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i miss ‘us’

Posted in bible study, breakfast, chocolate, Dayton/Ohio, East Aurora, ethnic food, Family, Friends, Ice Cream, peanut butter, Running, thai, trader joe's, traveling, trips on April 5, 2012 | 2 Comments »

That phrase was uttered by our good friend, Dave Diercks, this past weekend during our recent trip to Ohio.

And then it was seconded.  And thirded.  (Is that even a word?)

Anyway…  Here are some highlights from the trip!  (As usual, I didn’t take enough pictures…so I’ll do my best to describe how we used a door as a table, and my two-scoop ‘small’ sundae.

-We brought cupcakes!  I’m a huge fan of Firefly, the new artisan cupcake shop on Main Street here, and we wanted to gift Emily and Dan with goodies.  Since Emily and I are trying to be good and watch our calories, we decided we’d save our splurges for Graeter’s and Rita’s.  But, Dan and Andrew can indulge!  We brought a ‘chocolate-covered strawberry’ for Dan and a Vanilla Bean for Andrew.  The picture doesn’t do them justice…they’re packaged in their own little cellophane bags with the cute Firefly card on the front.

-As usual, we stopped at Chick-Fil-A in Erie for a late lunch.  I really had been craving CFA…I got a 2-strip kid’s meal with fries….

…and a small cookies and cream milkshake to drink!  I love them :)  Andrew actually did a decent number on the shake, so I probably ended up having only 3/4 or less of it anyway.

-While I was “setting up” my food in the car (I have a method), I realized it would make a perfect blog post.  ”On how I eat in the car” coming soon.

-OK, here’s where the pictures begin to fail me…

-We made another stop near Dublin (skipping Jeni’s! A travesty!) for a Starbucks run for me.  Using the blessed iPhone, we found not one but TWO in grocery stores just feet away from where we were after taking the wrong exit off the highway… thank you, Jesus!  AND, the nice lady behind the counter was offering samples of their vanilla scones.  LOVE samples.

-We got into the Wilhelms’ around 8 p.m. and bounded into welcoming arms.  Within moments we were perched on the couch, debating the age-old question, “To where will we go for dinner?”  Silly us, we thought maybe we could quickly come up with a place with little conversation…  One thing we’ve realized is, the six of us (particularly the four Wilhelms and Layers) are PARTICULAR about our food.  And not necessarily in a bad way; we just really want to enjoy our meals, especially those together.

-The Wilhelms had been anxiously awaiting our arrival so we could go out for a nice, long, drawn-out dinner, which they’ve dubbed a “Layer dinner,” in honor of yours’ truly.  A “Layer dinner” is one in which you order drinks, then appetizers…and then shoo your waiter away and don’t order dinner until you’ve eaten said appetizer, and then you might even stay for dessert or coffee afterward.  They are infamous and can last upwards of two hours if you do it right.  Truthfully, these dinners started for us on or first trip to Europe, where people have long dinners all the time (in fact, often you have to flag your waiter down to even order your food, and they wouldn’t dream of rushing you out the door).  Now, if we have the time, we make it a point to stretch out our meals as often as we can.

-We almost unanimously voted for Thai 9, one of our favorite places to eat downtown, and got as gussied-up as our packed-clothes would allow.  We started with drinks (Belgian wheat for me, hard cider for Dan, cocktail for Emily and I can’t remember what Andrew had….) and appetizers.  Andrew and Dan split the chicken spring rolls and Emily and I split the crab rangoon–my mouth is watering just recounting the details!

-I LOVE going out to eat with Emily.  Our tastes are so similar, so we typical end up splitting one or more dishes.  This is something I can RARELY (if ever) do with Andrew, and it makes it so nice for me so I can enjoy multiple things on the menu.  I hate having to choose!  Emily and I wanted exactly the same things–pad thai and sushi–and that’s exactly what we got.

-Unfortunately, we were all too full by the end of dinner to splurge on Thai 9′s homemade coconut ice cream topped with fried banana pieces and honey (if you live in Dayton, you must order that as soon as possible), but it felt great to say “no, thanks” and leave without being over-stuffed.

-Emily and I are also early birds and exercisers, so we enjoyed a light breakfast the next morning while doing the first DVD session of our Bible study, before hitting up the workout room at their apartment complex.  Thirty minutes on the treadmill flies by when you have someone to whom to talk!  (Ain’t that the truth, Susy?!)

-The primary reason for the trip to Dayton (although who needs a ‘reason’ to visit friends?), was to meet little Aiden, Dave and Jen’s little boy who was born in January.  We arranged to meet them at Panera for brunch.  Isn’t he a cutie??

-After we ate (I splurged and got a cinnamon crunch bagel with honey walnut cream cheese–haven’t had one of those in YEARS–and smartly ate the top half and forced the bottom on Dan to prevent myself from eating it), Dave headed to his track meet and Andrew and Dan took Aiden home while Jen joined us for some shopping.

-We MADE OUT at TJMaxx!  M philosophy is that a true workout-aholic can never have too many items of workout clothes, and that is the place to go for a bargain.  I scored tons of awesome stuff, although the terrible overhead lighting washes everything out.  All of those colors are so vibrant–I couldn’t resist any of them!

-After bagging our finds at TJMaxx, us girls headed home to pick up the ‘two men and a baby’ we left behind and raced over to Dave’s track meet at Cedarville University.  Dave throws the javelin and is competing for a chance to go to the Olympic trials this summer.  He ended up scoring a 68-meter throw at this meet, which is just 10 meters shy of qualifying for a spot at the trials, and the most he’s even thrown in a season-opening meet.  Go Dave!  Check out his facebook page for more information; he’s also involved with Athletes in Action (a Christian organization geared toward outreach in the field of athletics) and is partially sponsored by PowerBar!

-It was pretty chilly, so we scooted out of there as soon as he was finished and headed back to chez Diercks, or as it’s affectionately called in our circle, ‘the cave.’   Seriously, between their huge comfy couches and lack of natural light in the living room, it’s very ‘cave-like’ in the coziest way possible.

-Yet again, we foolishly thought we could pick our dinner option from a hat…literally.  We all threw in names of various local establishments from which we could get take-out, and after turning our nose up at Chinese (what were you thinking, Dan??), a small contingent of us strong-armed the others into City BBQ.  Dave did what he does best and placed our order online while I arranged who was going where to pick up food; Emily and me to City BBQ (don’t forget the sweet tea!) and Andrew and Dave to Kroger for a rotisserie chicken and Cadbury mini-eggs.

-Upon arriving back to the Diercks’ lair, we found a door (yes, a DOOR) being placed on their oversized ottoman and topped with a shower curtain/tablecloth.  Don’t mind the handle, Emily…  If only I’d snapped a photo…

-We were all enjoying our food family-style with Ghostbusters on the in background, when it hit me.  These people are FAMILY to me.  Like, seriously family.  I mean, with whom else can you just sit and do nothing for hours on end, and it be totally fine?  (Especially if you’re in the cave.)  The six (now seven) of us have formed a bond like I’ve never had with anyone before, in particular in couples.  There are others with whom Andrew and I share this relationship (Heather and Silas, for sure) and I think that’s why God brought us to Ohio.  To make these lifelong friends.  (And to be near Andrew’s grandparents, but that’s another story.)

-By 8 p.m. Emily and I were getting a little stir-crazy and ready to walk around after dinner, so we convinced Jen to join us on another shopping trip–this one to Goodwill!  Beavercreek has the best Goodwill…there are NO good Goodwills here in NY…sad.  So, we left ‘three men and a baby’ to go stretch our legs.  I scored a pair of Gap trouser-jeans!

-We ended our night on a sweet note with a trip to Graeter’s, where I convinced the manager to give me two SMALL scoops (instead of only one) in my small sundae so I could have two different flavors.  LOVE. THEIR. WHIPPED. CREAM.

-The next morning, we all met at First Watch (one of my absolute favorite places!) for breakfast before church.  Again, Emily and I did our usual and split an omelet with pancakes on the side.

-Upon walking to our cars, Andrew and I realized we’d been fished!  I know I’ve blogged about it before, but haven’t the slightest clue as to when or under what title…  The short story: Dave and Jen own a giant stuffed fish and they (along with Emily and Dan) once hid it in our bed while we lived in Ohio.  It’s been traded back and forth between us three couples ever since.  The orange shirt it’s wearing?  It says “East Aurora” and was how I dressed it when I shipped it back to the Diercks after we moved here.  Gotta brainstorm its next trip to Ohio…this time to surprise the Wilhelms!

-Trader Joe’s is just across from First Watch… $86 later, we were stocked-up on goodies!  Favorites? LOVE their chocolate-covered almonds, sunflower seed butter and a new find, chocolate-ship brownie bars with oats.

-Before heading out of town, Andrew and I stopped into the nearest Graeter’s to redeem our ‘Sweet Rewards’ points for a t-shirt.  He always lets me choose.  What a sweetie.  Outside the doors, we met an Easter bunny!

-After meticulously choosing my shirt–I even made the young man behind the counter climb up and check the size of the one tacked to the wall–I settled for a child’s extra large (which was surprisingly big)  hoping it would shrink.

-We resisted the urge for more ice cream (well, I had to resist; I think Andrew has willpower of steel!) in favor of a stop at Rita’s on our way out of town.  I made the mistake of trying their new chocolate peanut butter flavor… (Back story: I grew up with Rita’s in PA and LOVE IT.  Mango is my ultimate favorite.  I try different flavors all the time, but mango is where it’s at.)  Anyway, I LOVED chocolate peanut butter and all of a sudden couldn’t choose!  It’s not like I could get one, knowing I could come back any time for mango.  Thankfully, Andrew opted for a large mango, which allowed me to order a chocolate peanut butter gelati–which features their vanilla custard.  I was in sugar heaven.

-We got on the road and had an enjoyable trip back to NY, filled with menu-planning and grocery-list making for me, (no Jeni’s AGAIN–we were too full of Rita’s!), a Wendy’s stop (apple slices for me, nuggets for him and a tiny Frosty to share) and then things went downhill.  Emily HAD to remind me I’d forgotten to take some of the dark chocolate-covered raisins off her hands…which led to a crazy craving!  We stopped at a gas station and ended up stocking up on Doritos, Swedish Fish (my favorite) and Hot Fries and an energy drink for Andrew.  And I might have gotten into the cookies Susy sent home with me…

-We drove straight to Wegmans since I knew our house was devoid of food.  Well, at least the fridge was. As in, EMPTY.  No fruit.  No yogurt.  No bread.  No nothing.  If we didn’t shop now, we’d have nothing for breakfast the next morning, and since I had to pick up the dog IN ADDITION to my normal routine, there wasn’t going to be any ‘going out for breakfast’ for us.

-$123 dollars later…

-We’re all settled back in at home now (we should be, it’s THURSDAY) and I can’t believe this post took me so long…  Notes to self:

-take more pictures!

-post along the way!

Here’s to next time :)

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how we spent our saturday

Posted in baking, breakfast, chocolate, cooking, Friends, whole grains on February 12, 2012 | 2 Comments »

There was baking.  There was snow.  And gym-going.  And car-repairing.  And cake-tasting.  And, finally, a little ice skating.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Andrew’s truck had been on the fritz since Monday morning, and in the course of the week, Andrew and his friend Bart (featured here at Waldfest and here at the ‘beach’), diagnosed the problem as being the fuel pump.  (Bart used to work on race cars in college–like, REAL race cars–and is an engineer at Moog and one of those super-brainy-but-cool types, so I felt like we were in good hands.)

So, after lots of research and You Tube “how to replace a fuel pump” video-watching, Andrew and Bart made plans to replace the part Saturday morning.

Company on Saturday morning = BIG BREAKFAST!

I decided to make pancakes AND waffles (waffles keep better in the freezer) and maple-roasted bacon.

Bart and I like chocolate-chip pancakes, so I added mini-chocolate chips to ours.  I even had whipped cream on hand, too–SCORE!

Waffles staying warm in the oven…  Side note:  I’ve been doing this for awhile now (using the oven to keep waiting waffles crisp and warm) and in just this past issue of Cuisine At Home, someone wrote in and offered this EXACT TECHNIQUE in the reader advice section, and got $100 for it!!  Note to self: wrack brain for something to suggest.

I set the table with three kinds of nut butters, Kefir, plain yogurt, orange segments, pineapple, butter, maple syrup, ginger maple syrup, orange juice and bananas.  And that’s not including the main courses…

We all enjoyed breakfast before the boys headed outside–did I mention it finally snowed–to start the car project while I tackled clean-up.

Look!  They’re twins!  Bart brought over some extra work clothes and gloves (he does this kind of thing a lot), which was nice since the cold weather necessitated multiple layers.

…and multiple trips inside to warm-up and read directions.  (Not sure why Andrew looks pregnant here, but since it’s him and not me, I’m happy!)

Bart, complete with knee-pads…

…Andrew, who was probably wishing it were just a bit warmer.  After our mild week, they certainly did not luck-out on weather for the project.

After I took a snow-filled walk with the dog and went to the gym for a run, I rushed home to shower and get lunch ready for everyone.  Thankfully, I had a great assortment of leftovers (I felt a little guilty serving guests leftovers, but by now, I feel like Bart is almost family, and Andrew’s dad–who had come over to watch the snowy repair job–IS family, and the leftovers WERE pretty special) like homemade coleslaw and roasted potatoes, along with homemade rye bread and sandwich stuff.

I dashed out the door after my last bit to meet Abigail, Carolyn and Andrew’s mom at Butterwood’s, a local bakery for some wedding cake-tasting!  This, of course, would have been a perfect opportunity to take some photos for the blog with all the beautiful cakes and desserts, but, alas, I did not.  I really waver between wanting to be a hard-core food blogger and photo-ing EVERYTHING, and on the other hand, trying to not let it take over my life.  So, no pretty cupcake photos here.

We stayed afterward and got desserts and drinks–I chose a red velvet cupcake that was just gorgeous and  tasted completely divine–thankfully, I still have half to enjoy another time :)

With the sourdough starter that I left out from making the pancakes and wafflers earlier, I made this focaccia.

We didn’t end up eating any that night, because Bart talked us into going out with him to ice skate!  I so tried to stay behind to do the myriad things on my to-do list (you know, like take a chem quiz, finish two labs, write an article, write two blogs, not to mention a million other things), but at the last minute I couldn’t say no.  I threw on some long underwear and ran out the door with Andrew!

We headed downtown for some ice skating (there is a free rink on the main thoroughfare in the city) and to check out some of the snowboarding at WinterFest.

Don’t you just love my scarf?  Andrew got it for me to go with my coat for Christmas–beautiful!  I’m LOVING the J.Crew Stadium Jacket we scored on Black Friday…  It cinches at the waist and is SO FLATTERING.  And it has a hood.  I have never wanted a hood more than I have since moving here.

After skating, we headed to Pearl Street for dinner, and to warm up!  My fingers were just about frozen, despite the awesome glove liners I got recently.  I enjoyed their Cherry Wheat beer, some onion rings (really hit the spot), a roasted veggie sandwich and their completely splurge-worthy fries.  Seriously, I could really just have their fries for dinner and be happy.

Bart recently discovered a new bar downtown that has a trivia night, so he brought us to check it out.  It’s called Founding Fathers and IT IS AWESOME.  I mean, the proprietor was wearing a tie–is that my kind of place, or what?!

There are flags and U.S. presidential history everywhere–it’s a smart-people bar (I may be a little rusty on my history, but Andrew and Bart aren’t!).  Andrew and I have never really felt “at home” (well, who does, really?) at a bar since we choose not to drink all that much, but we (well, really just me, probably) have always wanted to be a “regular” somewhere, and this is the kind of place I could see us going to often.  I’m not saying we’re going to go every Friday, but we’d like to give their trivia a try (it’s the first Tuesday of the month), and it just felt like somewhere we’d fit in.

It’s pushing 10 p.m. and I still haven’t taken that Chem quiz…

 

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just another typical ‘holly & andrew vacation’

Posted in breakfast, chocolate, Pumpkin, vacation on November 12, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Except for the harried schedule we usually ascribe to when overseas.  I think both of us needed an ‘anti-schedule’ kind of trip this time.

We took off after our Manhattan Bagel lunch yesterday and leisurely drove along Hwy 98 through small town after small town before jumping on I-90.  Along the way, we saw this sign:

We weren’t even in the turning lane and I looked over at Andrew, and he looked back at me.  He threw the car into reverse, switched lanes and turned in.  There is just something about our trips; I all of a sudden feel spontaneous and we’re such foodies that ANYTHING that looks intriguing is fair game.  A random, old-school, obviously well-known chocolate shop?  You bet.

Initially the ‘cashew glaze’ caught my attention, but we ended up leaving with a pumpkin pie sundae with hot fudge for me and bag of goodies for the car.  Andrew chose some flavored candy sticks, white chocolate-covered pretzels and caramel corn; I threw some white chocolate-covered oreos and a small container of glazed cashews.

We broke into the caramel corn in the car and it was quite covered in caramel.  I’m not a huge fan myself, but it’s definitely one of Andrew’s weaknesses.

We arrived at the Oliver Phelps Bed & Breakfast just after 3 p.m. and were shown to our room.  I opted for the cheapest room, which doesn’t actually have a bath connected to the room (it’s just outside the door), figuring the money we saved would cover a dinner out or something.

The room is small and cozy and even has an electric fireplace, something I knew Andrew would love.  He’s had it on ever since…

They have WiFi (sweet!) and while we could have rushed around and find something to do, we ended up lying in bed watching the news and falling in and out of pseudo-sleep until almost 5 p.m., when we got ready for dinner.

We knew we were going to Eric’s Office for dinner (I’d scoped-out restaurants beforehand) and when we saw it was only .8 miles from our b&b, I decided we should walk.  I’ll admit, it was a bit chilly (and seemed WAY longer than less than a mile) but in the end I’m glad we did.  The walk back wasn’t quite so bad.

Eric’s Office is a local bar/restaurant with a teeny-tiny dining area, which is why we went to dinner so early.  While we waiting for a table, we sat at the bar with some beers and popcorn (dangerous!  we had THREE bowls of it!) and watched ESPN…with everything going on at our alma mater, PSU, we’re pretty keen on catching as much news as we can.

We loved the atmosphere at Eric’s and it was a clear local favorite, pretty much a prerequisite of ours when choosing where to eat when on trips.  Andrew ordered a pork tenderloin with a root-beer reduction, and I got beef tips and mushrooms in gravy served over blue cheese mashed potatoes, covered with crispy onions.  It was a bit heavy, but the flavor was amazing.  The atmosphere was really the best part; it was casual but not too casual.

After a crisp walk home, we snuggled in bed with come Dexter episodes before turning out the lights.

I had thought about running in the morning, but decided I needed sleep more than exercise after the week I’ve had.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get as restful a night of sleep as I would have liked (the bed is a double and not a queen, and it’s always hard for me to sleep in new places), but I made it until 7:15 a.m., which is a good three hours more than all last week.

We headed down to breakfast by 9:30 in the high-ceilinged breakfast room of the b&b.

We were brought apricot walnut scones, coffee and juice to start.  While a little sweet for me, the scones were a fantastic way to begin.

Next, a fruit plate of pears and blackberries drizzled with a cinnamon-balsamic reduction.  Yum.

And the coup de grace: a strawberry/lemon/mascarpone mix sandwiched in a croissant, drizzled with a strawberry-balsamic reduction.  The reviews online of this place all raved about the breakfasts; now I know why!

We’re headed out today to walk around the main ‘downtown’ area, visiting some shops and things, as well as the Christkindl Market, which is just across the street. Must walk off breakfast!

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