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Archive for the ‘Ice Cream’ Category

my stay-cation with emily

Posted in church, curry, Dayton/Ohio, Exercise, Friends, hiking, hummus, Ice Cream, sunglasses, thai food, trader joe's, traveling, trips, wine on January 12, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

OK, so now that I’ve divulged my senior moment about losing my sunglasses, here are some highlights from my recent trip to Emily’s:

First, I arrived to the cleanest, freshest, calmest, most tranquil house I’ve ever entered, and there were even snacks and tea to welcome me!  Soft music was playing, candles were flickering and the lights were dimmed.  I mean, I guess bringing work home with you as a massage therapist may not be the worst thing in the world…  See it here.

A few shots of the new place (as fate would have it, Emily and her husband bought their first house the same day we bought ours’ here in New York!):

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Just like Andrew and I, they’ve done a lot of updating their already move-in ready house.  They have plans for a new kitchen, soon.  I cannot wait to see what they pick!

After we spent a relaxing evening snacking, drinking wine, catching up and running some errands, we went off to bed WAY TOO LATE, yet woke up refreshed and ready for a workout.  I think that is one of my favorite things about Emily–she is as into working out as I am and is so creative with what she does.  She can get exercise out of anything, and we often make up our own ‘circuit training’ session at least once.  Saturday morning, after a leisurely breakfast with her husband, Dan, we bundled up and set out (extra sunglasses in hand for me) for Sugarcreek Metro Park, which seems to be a favorite location of ours.’  I’ve done 5ks here and we always seem to find ourselves there for a hike.

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After our hike–in which I wore my new YakTrax (metal coil-like rope you attack to the bottoms of your shoes to help in snow and ice) and Emily wore her snow boots.  The YakTrax one, hands down.  I could have run the entire trail no problem, while poor Emily was reduced to slipping and sliding.  We even got lapped by some little Asian women armed with both the proper footwear and poles!

Speaking of Asian…we headed out for Thai food for lunch!  Thai is definitely my ‘go-to’ food of choice.  Thankfully Andrew likes it, too.

Emily was a good sport and agreed to try the green curry with me–it was HOT.  And we got a 1 on a scale of 1 to 5.  I introduced them to Thai iced tea, which is such a treat for me.

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Next, Emily and I split off for some more shopping.  We found ourselves at Zebra Girl Boutique, which is owned by a friend of Emily’s, named Natasha.  It’s filled with fun accessories like jewelry, purses and scarves.  Natasha treated us like queens and I picked up some goodies and gifts. I swear, all I did was walk around the store and say (out loud), “That is so Carolyn” or “That is so Abigail.”  My sisters-in-law really like their bling.  And Carolyn has a thing for zebra stripes.  I may have picked up some goodies for them, too….

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That night, we’d arranged to visit our friends, Jen and Dave, and their almost-one-year-old, Aiden.  Their house is across the street from our old neighborhood.  We packed up our slippers (we like to make ourselves at home there) and some belated Christmas presents.

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Aiden may or may not have gotten ahold of my phone…

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Emily, the consummate ‘planner’ of the group (she blows me out of the water, folks), got our dinner ordered–and she makes it look so easy.  Funny anecdote:  While on our hike that morning, we had to institute a no-planning-the-next-workout-until-we-finish-this-one rule!  We just can’t help ourselves.

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We chose City BBQ–a favorite of mine–and got a small family pack.  We all fondly remembered the time we ate this same meal (plus Andrew), in this same living room, around a tablecloth-covered DOOR.  (I went and checked for the post–it was back in April–but no photos of door/table.  Sad.)

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The happy momma and poppa wearing their new gifts :)

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Remember I told you that Emily and I can come up with a circuit workout at the drop of a hat?  Well, we did just that on Sunday morning before church.  We drove to a local high school in hope of using their track, but found the gate locked and assumed it would be covered in snow, anyway, so we settled for the parking lot, instead.  We did laps around the cleared lot and alternated with calisthenics each time we rounded the car.  Thirty minutes later, we were bushed.

We all went to our church, Apex, and it was as if I’d never left.  I tell you what–I’ve never loved sermons like the ones I’ve heard here.  I’m definitely one of those ‘daydreamers/mind-wanderers’ in church (well, really, is there anywhere I go where I’m not already thinking of the next place/thing/to-do item?), but not at Apex.  Why can’t we find a church like that here (insert whiney voice)…:(

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We sat with another friend from our Bible study group, Brett, who picked up his two girls after the service.  They were a little camera-shy, but I was able to catch a few shots:

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Yet again, the girls broke off for some more shopping (we kidnapped Jen!) and the boys went home to take care of the kiddos.  At First Watch (a must-do for me while in Ohio) a sweet older lady pointed out we were all wearing scarves….PHOTO!

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Lunch of champions: some sort of veggie/egg thing covered in salsa and cheese, along with an english muffin and greens.  Sour cream ON THE SIDE.

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Back to the mission: YakTrax for Emily and SUNGLASSES for me!  Pardon the lack of smile/pose; Emily had the brilliant idea that I should take a picture of myself in the pairs I was trying on so I could compare them quickly.  Below is the winner :)

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While there, sweet Emily gifted Jen with a new–and bigger–purse (the one she’s been carrying around wouldn’t even hold my lipgloss collection).  Note the gray/green scarf–A Zebra Girl find and her gift from us.  Jen and Dave as new parents without family around don’t get out much, and are so, SO, SO (and I cannot stress this enough), SO low maintenance, I thought it would be nice to get them some things to wear on those rare occasions they DO leave the house.  A scarf for Jen (even childless Holly and Emily know necklaces and earrings are just baby playthings) and an athletic jacket for Dave.

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After dropping Jen off at home, Emily and I made a mad-dash to Trader Joe’s so I could stock up on our favorites.  Good news!  We have not one, but TWO TJ’s coming to Buffalo soon!  The one that’s led the rumor mill will be located on Niagara Falls Blvd. up in Amherst (read: FAR), but there is talk of another and–dare I hope–to be located in the Southtowns.  It cannot get here fast enough.

After a light baked-potato-and-salad dinner at the homestead, Emily and I again ventured out in the cold–this time for ice cream.  Just like First Watch and TJ’s, I can’t go to Dayton and NOT stop at a Graeter’s.  I had anticipated getting a kid-size scoop of black raspberry chip, but splurged on a sundae.  I consider it a personal victory that I didn’t finish it.

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Our evening consisted of magazine reading under a blanket with a well-known holiday classic movie on in the background.  Who can name it???

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Monday morning we did 45 minutes of P90X yoga, which just about killed my arms, and then we showered and got ready to depart (me) and work (Em).  I packed up my TJ’s loot–mostly frozen fish, their awesome Orange Chicken and wine, as well as some dry-goods favorites like fig butter, sunflower seed butter and red quinoa tortilla chips–and loaded the car.

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Emily and I did a light lunch at Tropical Smoothie–we split their fish tacos and a ‘Health Nut’ smoothie–before I left.  It was so nice to have some time to sit and chat and not rush out the door!

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After only a couple hours into the trip I needed a comfort/coffee break, and snapped a photo of my new sunglasses in action.

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And healthy snacks!  Veggies, hummus, TJ’s sweet and salty trail mix and an iced coffee (it was warm that day!).

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My last stop: Chick-Fil-A in Erie.  Normally we drive home on Sundays, and they are closed.  But not this time :) I got my usual: two-strip kid’s meal with lemonade and bbq, polynesian and ranch to dip.  I also mix mayo, ketchup and hot sauce for my fries.  I learned it while we lived in New Orleans (that, and a ketchup/mustard/mayo/Tony Chachere’s seasoning combo dip) and whip it up every time.

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By the time I got home, I was READY to be home.  I missed my Andrew, but enjoyed my relaxing-try-not-to-plan-too-much trip to Emily’s.  My next one can’t come soon enough.

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all stocked up

Posted in Ice Cream on September 19, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Perry’s was on sale at Wegmans the other day.

Only $2.99 each!  (The night before, it was $5.49 at Tops.  I know because Andrew and I arrived at Kone King at 10:07 thinking they were open until 11, but they close at 10 since school is back in session.  The next best thing: pick up ice cream across the street at Tops.)

So, the next morning when I was grocery shopping at Wegmans, of course I was going to pick up a few of my favorites!  And plus, now that summer is over, it’s not like we’re going to be going out for ice cream on an every-other-night basis…  And they aren’t ALL for me; I got the Rainbow Sherbet for Andrew :)

Just call me an ‘ice-cream-aholic.’

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Arts Fest

Posted in art, Ice Cream, Penn State on July 14, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Or, ‘a walking tour of the best school ever.’

(I can’t help it, I’m a bit biased.)

Let’s go chronologically, shall we?

A friendly face greeted me when I opened up the cabinet to get a mug for my coffee!  Yet another surprise Adam had waiting for us.

Adam and I went for a trail run together once he was up and going.  We ran right out his back door and onto the trail.

I’d been on that trail before, but never to run.  Ninety-one percent humidity today = lots of sweat!

We swung into the visitor’s center (located next to the stadium) to pick up Adam’s race packet and for me to register for the 1oK tomorrow.  Yay for being spontaneous and getting some exercise at the same time. I love races!

While there, we took some photos of (and with) JoePa’s statue.  In light of recent events, I felt like we couldn’t get there fast enough to snap another photo should the unthinkable happen.  Thankfully, (at least for now) the statue is safe.

We lunched at the Penn State Sub Shop, located just off campus on Beaver Avenue.  It’s one of those rinky-dink places with limited seating and its walls are covered in photos from the 70s, 80s and 90s in which the subjects are all displaying sub shop banners.

We walked around the booths and we actually ended up buying something.  Andrew loves photography, and with the new house needing some more ‘stuff,’ we chose four different prints of the campus at different times of the year.  Can’t wait to have them framed and up together in some sort of grouping.

Arts Fest is both on and off campus, and features all sorts of art and street vendors.  Allen Street had a giant structure in which water systematically filled and then was dumped out of buckets hanging above.

After we made the rounds of the art booths off campus and then made some purchases at stores along College Ave (the obligatory Family Clothesline purchase, a neat PSU football field platter to match the one Abigail gave me for Christmas, and a vintage Buffalo Bills t-shirt from People’s Nation, similar to Homage in Columbus, OH), we made our way back onto campus as we meandered toward the car.

We passed Simmons Hall, where Andrew spent three years and I spent two.

Look!  Here’s Andrew in front of his window (which, for awhile anyway, he used as a door for the convenience factor).

We wandered through the HUB (student union building) as a shortcut to get to Adam’s staff parking lot.  Many a lunch was eaten in this building, mostly at Panda Express.  Since leaving college, Starbucks has invaded the campus as they bought what was there before–Seattle’s Best.

We passed the Armsby Building, which is where I took my Advanced Creative Writing class.

Our destination: the creamery!  When we were students, the creamery (at least the retail part of it) was housed in a small building on the north end of campus.  It’s now been moved into a giant, brand-new building on the same road.

I have to admit, while the new building is beautiful and the blue-and-white umbrellas and tables outside are nice, it just doesn’t feel the same.  Granted, whenever I go back to campus now it’s typically an event weekend, which means there is a huge line at the creamery and you basically file in and out as fast and as efficiently as you can.  There are ton of people working behind the counter; yelling peoples’ orders and scooping ice cream as fast as their fingers can.

All the cones and cups come in one size; and yes, I ate every last bit of it!  I chose Alumni Swirl: vanilla with swiss mocha chocolate crunchies and a blueberry swirl.  Yum.  And I was genuinely hungry after four hours of trekking all over downtown and campus.

We walked back toward downtown and passed one of the buildings they built while we were students.  I tell you what–each time Andrew and I come back there are buildings and green spaces popping up all over the place.  One the one hand, it’s nice that the campus is growing well and looks beautiful, but the more it changes, the less I recognize it.

Here’s Thomas Building, which houses the largest classroom on campus–it seats a whopping 1,000 students!  I actually had a class in that room–100 Thomas–my first semester on campus: LARCH 60–the History of Landscape Architecture.  It’s hugely popular.

Here’s a view of the Shortlidge Mall, which used to just be Shortlidge Road.

Not all of the buildings on campus are beautiful and old; this one is very much in the 50′s style of architecture.

And here’s the front of the HUB:

Here’s one of the prettiest areas of campus, the mall leading up to the library:

We went to Golden Wok for dinner, a favorite of Andrew’s from college.

Here’s Andrew’s fortune:

After reading it, he quickly replied: “I already have–I married her.”  Awww.  He must want something.

After dinner we walked back up through the engineering quad and discovered that Penn State now is home to a bunch of ducks in a small pond near the alumni center.  They were incredibly friendly, but that’s to be expected; the squirrels here are all but domesticated.  I mean, think about it?  There are like 40,000 students walking around for nine months of the year; they couldn’t avoid them if they tried.

And our last surprise of the evening?  The fact that we barely recognized the Peace Garden, which was being put in while we were students.  See those trees?  They were just saplings when we were here!  Look how they dwarf Andrew and provide all that shade–I remember sitting and reading here in the sun before the trees were tall.

We walked our little legs off today, and I’ll looking forward to some rest!  Adam and I have 6.2 miles to run in the morning, followed by lunch at the Waffle Shop!

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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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the first of many weddings

Posted in Dayton/Ohio, Family, Friends, hiking, Ice Cream on June 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Andrew and I were out of town this weekend for summer wedding #1: his cousin Hannah’s wedding to her longtime boyfriend, Taylor.  I traveled down a couple days early and got dropped-off in Dayton, OH, to hang with this girl and the cutest baby EVER:

I hung with Jen and Aiden for a couple hours around our old stompin’ grounds (Beavercreek) before heading south to my ultimate destination.

We had City BBQ for dinner:

Kids’ plates and new outdoor seating!  I can’t decide if I like it when things change while I’m gone, or if I’d rather them stay the same.

Then we ran some errands before picking up Graeter’s to-go:

Oh, black raspberry chip, how I love thee!  ESPECIALLY in sundae form with real whipped cream, hot fudge and a cherry.  Did I tell you I discovered their secret for melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chunks?  MUST figure out how to replicate that at home.

And where were we headed that night?  To Chez Wilhelm, of course!  Emily worked late, so Dan and I power-walked for awhile, regaling each other about our recent house purchases.  Well, I did most of the regaling; Dan politely allowed me to monopolize the conversation and inserted his own house comments when I paused to catch my breath.

The next morning we headed to Sugar Creek MetroPark for a trail hike, one of our absolute favorite things to do together.

OK, between the sunglasses and headband, do I not look like an alien cancer patient??  Not sure the angled glasses are my best look…

Afterward we refueled at EarthFare for lunch!  We sampled Indian food from the hot bar, I couldn’t resist the emerald kale or broccoli cranberry salad, and we both got tea to drink.

And the highlight of our day?  Laying out by her pool!  (Don’t worry, Dad, we used LOTS of sunscreen.)  In fact, I learned my lesson from Memorial Day weekend and reapplied multiple times; I was rewarded with a beautiful brown tan and no red at all :)

We cleaned up and dressed to the nines to go out to….wait for it….FIGLIO!  Emily and I have been trying to fit this wood-fired pizza place into one of our visits for awhile now, and we just never seem to be able to.  Funny story: Andrew and I thought it was a furniture store the entire time we lived in Ohio!  Imagine our surprise when Emily and Dan informed us it was a relatively fancy Italian place…

We made it in time for happy hour, so we each got a mini-Martini and split a pizza as an appetizer.  We ended up getting their signature Peasant side salads and cups of the shrimp and crab corn chowder instead of entrees, but it was hard to be disappointed since they were both so good!

After all, we had to leave room for this:

Rita’s!  I went with a regular gelati (water ice with custard) with the chocolate peanut butter water ice.  I knew Andrew wouldn’t be able to resist a stop on our way out of town the next day, so I figured I’d have one more chance to get my favorite, mango, before leaving Ohio behind.

And perhaps my favorite part of the whole day?  Cleaning out Emily’s closet!

Oh, how I love a good closet clean-out!  Ever since I had a trendy co-worker come over a couple years ago and help me purge my tired wardrobe, I’ve been going through my clothes regularly to get rid of what doesn’t fit, things I just don’t wear and anything old and tired looking.  It’s cathartic, I tell you.

Emily emptied her closet of about five bags of clothes, a bag or two of shoes and a few purses.  They’re moving in a month or so, so it’ll make that load lighter.  I even got a couple items in the process–score!

The next morning, we headed to a nearby track for a self-designed circuit workout.  We matched!

After our workout and bunch at First Watch–our favorite!–we headed to Emily’s office where she blessed me with a PHENOMENAL massage.  Seriously.  This girl is amazing.  I had some majorly sore calf muscles from a workout earlier in the week, as well as some chronic neck and shoulder pain, and despite her working on those areas pretty intensely, I STILL almost fell asleep on the table!  Talk about heavenly!

Andrew picked me up from there and we headed into downtown Indianapolis for the rehearsal dinner.

Saturday brought my usual run on the Monon Trail near grandma’s house, followed by errands (had to run to Crate and Barrel for their wedding gift!  Too bad there wasn’t time to shop for myself…) and lunch at McAllister’s with the family (minus Abigail, who was in the wedding party and was already downtown getting prepped).

Here we are, all spiffy:

(Terrible shot, but it was the best I could do while Andrew was driving.)

Here’s the outside of the Scottish Rite, where the wedding was held:

(Disclaimer: this photo was actually taken on our way home from the reception, but I wanted to get at least a little of the outside for you.)  They light it up at night and the colors change.

Andrew’s grandfather (the one who passed away this past December) was a Mason and spent time each week here.  I’d never been inside before, but he’d given Andrew a tour once awhile ago.

They held the ceremony in one of the rooms and then we left for cocktail hour while they re-set it for dinner:

This picture is absolutely terrible.  It was amazing in there!  Better photos can be found here.  (It’s a FB link; hope it works!)

Here we are, hanging out before the reception:

Those Layer kids really know how to cut loose:

(Really, it’s the girls who steal the show at every dance party they attend; Andrew gives it the old college try and does relatively well.)  Ben, Luke (Hannah’s brother) and I grabbed some stretch of wall to chat and watch the ‘entertainment.’

Afterward, we all found our way to archive room to see if we could find grandpa’s pictures.

There he is, back in 1971 when he was first invited to join:

And here is a more recent picture of him we found:

It was really neat to be able to visit the archives–all of us together (well, Hannah was off being the bride and all)–to take tiny peek into part of Grandpa’s life.

And, look!  Just as we were driving away from the church, who should we spy pausing for some nighttime photos?  The bride and groom :)  (Very blurry, but the blob of white kinda gives it away.)

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…and i’m DONE

Posted in Andrew, Date Night, ethnic food, House, Ice Cream, school, thai food, wine on May 15, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

(At least for the next two weeks before my online class starts…)

I’m taking it slow today; just trying to relax and enjoy tackling my GIANT to-do list (you know, the one with all the things I’ve put-off for the last two weeks…) piece-by-piece.  Up first: BLOGGING!

So, yesterday was the big day; my Chem 2 final.  I think I was more nervous for this one (despite my insane amount of studying) because I remembered how hard the Chem 1 final had been.  Plus, everyone in my class knew I’d done exceptionally well on the first one, so I felt all this unnecessary pressure to do just as well the second time around.  Only time will tell; I get my grade Thursday.

All in all, the test went well.  A bunch of us showed up early for a study session with the tutor–which really just turned into a pseudo-party with donuts that probably served as more of a stress-reliever than anything else.  I wish I could say that I walked out of the test a few minutes early knowing I’d done my absolute best and been able to feel incredible relief; instead I took every last moment and even then didn’t have a chance to go back and give the ones I’d had questions on a second look.  The ACS finals are just like that; you just never know how you did until you get your grade.  I’m not worried; the truth is that I studied hard, I’m a good student, I went into the exam with a 101% average in the class and the final is highly curved–if I don’t get an A, no one will.  What I’m really interested in is my raw score on the final…

I did, however, take one last look at ECC before I left–all finished there!

Abigail and I had a late lunch at Arriba, where I enjoyed a small margarita on the rocks with salt (my absolute favorite) and just relaxed outside enjoying the mild weather.  She just returned from a whirlwind week in Florida with her campus Christian fellowship from Penn State, so she was just as bushed as me.  It was so nice to be able to (finally!) be able to enjoy talking about summer plans, Carolyn’s shower details and birthdays coming up (our summer is full of them).

Afterward, we got our nails done :)  (Because that’s what girls do, of course, and that’s what THIS GIRL does to reward herself after a semester well-done.)

This is the color I fell in love with at J. Crew a few weeks ago, but hadn’t had time to actually paint on my nails.  It’s even brighter than this in person…  What can I say?  I wanted to CELEBRATE.

Abigail and I decided some iced coffee and Main Street-walking was in order after our nails were finished, so we ended our afternoon doing that. Oh, and trying on the HOT PINK HEELS Carolyn picked out for us for her wedding.  Oh, they are bright.  Oh, what an excuse to buy something I would NEVER buy myself in a million years.  :)  I just told Andrew he’s going to have to take me places one can wear hot pink heels (with black pants, perhaps) so I can get some use out of them.  Rick’s, I think?

Speaking of Rick’s…  We were supposed to go there to celebrate the end of my semester, but it was a bit overcast.  We love nothing more than sitting on their patio, every table full, on a beautiful night enjoying good food, good wine and good weather, and (unfortunately) it was just not that kind of night around here.  So, we opted for The King and I, a thai place a bit north of Buffalo.

Love this outfit, and LOVE those shoes :)  I wore them for my exam.

After starting with hot tea (for him), white wine (for me) and an order of spring rolls (Andrew’s absolute favorite), our dinners arrived.

Instead of pad thai, my normal dish, I ordered their house noodles, which was similar but with more crushed peanuts, less tamarind and more veggies.  YUM.

Andrew got a spicy stir-fry and gobbled it right up!

Don’t you love his shirt?  He knew I would.  It was a recent J.Crew purchase on super sale-$27.99!  LOVE IT.  He has these awesome light linen pants he’s always pairing with heavy or dark shirts/shoes/jacket, so this shirt will help give him something light and season-appropriate to wear with them.

We were both craving a little vanilla ice cream action, and Dairy Queen is Andrew’s favorite.  (I’m a Kone King kind of girl, myself, but DQ is good, too.  And it was way more convenient.)

Can you tell which one was mine?  Despite my outright OBSESSION with ice cream, I was a good girl and ordered a small, which was just right.  However, I’m already salivating over my next DQ treat: the ‘confetti cake’ blizzard they’re featuring this month.  A mini-version will definitely find its way into my mouth when Abigail and I go to the mall to run errands later this week…

I have LOTS to do today…  Up next: clean the house!  Between all the freshly mowed grass we’ve tracked in (grrr…), hair, dust and other things that have been ignored for the past couple days, it’s a MESS!

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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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welcome, may!

Posted in breakfast, East Aurora, Friends, Fun, Ice Cream, local/organic, school, sweet potato, Weight-loss/Nutrition on May 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

And what a beautiful day it was here yesterday, for the first Saturday of the month!

The farmers’ market opened…

…and Carolyn and Abigail joined us for brunch at Charlie’s on the porch!  Definitely one of my all-time favorite places.  And only on the porch; inside is a little cramped when it’s busy.

Per my usual, I can’t NOT get the blueberry pancakes, but I also wanted some savory breakfast components, so I opted for a spinach and mushroom omelet, home fries and one pancake on the side.  (The cinnamon toast was forced on me…too bad I couldn’t have gotten fruit instead.)

I’ll have you know that half of everything (minus the toast–I nibbled on a couple pieces, though) went into a to-go box as soon as I got my food.  To-go box = more room on the table + more room in my tummy + more deliciousness to enjoy later = VICTORY!  Therefore, following the previous equation, a to-go box = victory.  (Obviously, the Chemistry is starting to go to my head…)

Speaking of Chemistry…  As my test is beginning to loom in the distance (May 14th!), there was some of that going on yesterday afternoon as well.

Mid-afternoon, we met Regina and her kiddos, Kevin and Vivian, on Elmwood in Buffalo for some walking around.  We’d thrown the idea out about getting margaritas (it was Cinco de Mayo, after all), but with the two angels that wasn’t going to happen…

We walked around for a bit, popped into Penzey’s Spices (I was in desperate need of cinnamon and powdered ginger–two of my staples–and also got some Za-tar spice and grinding salt).

Regina and I wanted ‘real’ food before we treated ourselves to ice cream (the kids and Andrew had already gotten cones at Watson’s, which serves Anderson’s Ice Cream), so she and I popped into the uber-crunchy (a.k.a super natural/hippie-ish) Globe Market for some bites.  I ended up with tiny amounts of an Israeli Couscous dish and an almond and cranberry chicken salad.

After a bit of a run-around, Regina opted for some blood orange gelato–I had a taste and it was amazing–I ended up BACK at Watson’s for the same flavor Vivian had, White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, atop some Chocolate Chaplin (chocolate with coconut, marshmallow and cashew).

OK, bit of a rant here:  I definitely asked the lady for a small with two different flavors, but she obviously did not understand what I wanted, since I got a giant one.  Now, the old Holly would have been super excited and used this as an excuse to scarf the whole thing because, after all, I had at least tried to order less.  No, not the NEW Holly.  My first thought was, ‘OK, now there is no reason to eat all of this since I didn’t want this much to begin with.’  This is growth, people.

And I’ll share the victory:  I gobbled the top flavor–amazing, by the way–but realized somewhere half-way through the chocolate that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore.  Into the trash it went!  Hurray!

We got home around 6 p.m. and weren’t hungry for dinner, so back to Chemistry I went.  Below is a page from my study packet from last semester’s ACS exam…  Oh, did I mention THIS semester’s exam will cover both this AND last semester?  Yup, it’s cumulative.

Quantum numbers, orbitals, wavelength…  I don’t remember it all!

After just about pulling my hair out trying to at least get through a practice test, Andrew and I decided it was time to head out for some “dinner” at 8:30.  I wasn’t thrilled to be eating this late, but a walk from our house to the village to the new mexican place for margaritas was sounding really good right about then.  (I’ll say it again, it was Cinco de Mayo, after all.)

Well, long and sad story short: the mexican place was more than packed with no room at the bar and an hour wait (!!!), so with no where else to go, we walked back home, trying to brainstorm a solution.  I had no interest in waiting and having a full meal handed to me somewhere at 9:30 at night; the truth was, neither of us were that hungry.  This was one of those classic examples in which I have a definite need for a food “experience” and if that need isn’t getting met, filling it with anything else is pointless.

Sooo, I might have been a little grumbly on the way home.  And then, it hit me! We had margarita mix in the fridge!  I said I silent prayer that there was at least a little tequila downstairs… (gosh, I sound like a crazy person here…)

Three ounces of tequila (the last!) and nine of margarita mix later, Andrew and I were both enjoying drinks on the rocks (sad about no salt!) in front of the next season of Big Bang Theory on DVD.  I even assembled some nachos with sweet potato tortilla chips, a little melted monterey jack cheese and drips of salsa.

Overall, it turned into an OK night :)  I treated myself to a couple bites–literally–of the chocolate I got at Watson’s earlier (a sample to compare with Fowler’s) and ended it there.  Another victory, in my mind. I might have eaten later than normal, but I avoided going overboard by succumbing to a restaurant in desperation, or a popcorn-and-ice-cream-binge that would have been tempting had we not been in possession of margarita ingredients.

Happy May!

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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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a list

Posted in baking, bible study, cookbooks, Dayton/Ohio, Ice Cream, Lists, school on March 22, 2012 | 1 Comment »

1.  I haven’t been blogging much lately.  I’m sorry.  I hate that I’m not.  I’m not even THAT crazy-busy (busy, but not CRAZY-busy), so I’m not even sure why.

2.  We’re having a bit of a heat wave here.  I’m going to be up-front and say I’m not thrilled.  First, I was expecting massive amounts of snow and a long winter, which we didn’t get.  Now, it’s basically feels like summer…  What gives?  We all know this 80-degree weather is going to disappear in favor of 60-degrees and rainy…just hurry up already!

3.  I got an 83 on my Micro TAKE-HOME test.  an 83! On a TAKE-HOME test!  ”Impossible” and “unfair” aren’t strong enough words…

4.  I rocked that last two days in Chemistry.  ”Rocked” = I managed to answer (aloud) more than one question correctly = the teacher thinks I know what I’m doing.

5.  Yesterday was like Christmas!  I got my order from SwimOutlet.com, which contained a pull buoy, paddles, fins, more swim caps and a mesh bag in which to carry it all; as well as my Amazon order that contained the Made to Crave book, devotional and DVD/workbook.  Emily and I are going to do a long-distance Bible study together!

6.  Did I tell you I got accepted into the Dietetics program at Buffalo State?  Well, I did.  Not that it was really up in the air…  I’m a transfer student with a 4.0; were they not going to let me in??  Now comes the fun part–figuring out how to register for my online summer class and fall classes!

7.  I haven’t cooked all week, which makes me sad.  Despite our heat wave, I’m making French Onion soup tonight.

8.  Andrew and I just finished the first season of Big Bang Theory.  Hilarious!

9.  Pioneer Woman’s newest cookbook arrived the other day.  In it, she includes recipes for Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream and Dorothy Lane’s Outrageous Brownies.  (Apparently she has some sort of friend or something from Cincinnati who has introduced her to some of Ohio’s more redeeming qualities.)  It also has the lemon-blueberry pancakes I’m been dying to make.  I’m in HEAVEN.

10.  It’s already THURSDAY.  On the one hand, this is awesome, because it means the weekend is just 1.5 days away (weekends start at noon on Friday for me).  On the other hand, time is flying!  Can you believe it’s almost APRIL???

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