a list

1. Andrew, Alex (Andrew’s friend from high school and also his best man in our wedding) and I are going to “Thursday in the Square” in downtown Buffalo tonight. Actually, it’s now “Thursday at the Waterfront” since they recently moved it, but that hasn’t caught on yet.

2. I’m SO CLOSE to my weight-loss goal! Seriously, like one or two pounds away. I’m very excited, except that I’m starting to have thoughts like “What about another four to make it an even twenty..” Twenty sounds so much better than sixteen. And it’s not like I won’t gain a couple back/fluctuate a few on any given day, so what IS another four? Is this normal?

3. I vacuumed out the Pilot today. YIKES. Hadrian’s hair was EVERYWHERE. Must. Vacuum. More. Often.

4. I’m planning on taking a “field trip” to the big Wegman’s tomorrow. I call it a field trip because I don’t really need that many items and because I’m really going just to explore (I’ve been before with Andrew’s mom, but never to really ‘take it all in’) and take pictures for the blog (to show all of you, of course!). I’m going to feel really silly taking pictures at Wegman’s. Just being honest.

5. I laid out in my bikini to get some sun today. (Don’t worry Dad–I COVERED myself in sunscreen!) I felt like a teenager.

6. We’re pretty much having a heat wave here–it’s been mid- to upper-80’s for more than two days.

7. I ran three miles with Hadrian this morning. He definitely has the energy, but he goes in spurts throughout the run. One minute I’m yelling “easy!” the next, “come on, buddy.” I think he likes it, and it definitely wipes him out for awhile, if not the whole day.

8. Speaking of Hadrian… We’ve had some drama with his, um, how shall I say it delicately? “BM’s” is the only thing that comes to mind. Anyway, since this past Sunday I’ve been mixing up rice, oatmeal, canned pumpkin and peanut butter in different mixtures with his food. We’re currently switching him to yet ANOTHER dog food to see if it helps the ‘problem.’ All this food mixing does somehow bring me a small sense of fulfillment.

9. My pinkie is blue, but feels much better. I still cannot believe Hadrian seriously (relatively speaking) injured both Andrew and myself in the same day.

10. There is some sort of German festival this Sunday outside East Aurora. Andrew and I are SO EXCITED. German food. German beer. Good weather. Festivals. Life doesn’t get much better. (OK, maybe ice cream would be a good addition to the list.)

best ice cream EVER

I don’t remember when I first discovered Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams–I was familiar with the OUTRAGEOUSLY priced pints ($10 each at Dorothy Lane Market!) before I first tried their “Salty Caramel” flavor at Susy’s house.

It was amazing. Salty Caramel is perhaps their best-selling flavor; it’s slightly creative without being too off the wall. That’s the thing about Jeni’s–they don’t have just plain vanilla or chocolate or cookie dough. They offer flavors like Ugandan Vanilla Bean and Riesling and Poached Pear. Seriously, they do. And they all taste exactly how they sound.

Andrew and I made a pit stop on our way up to NY Sunday. Jeni’s has seven (I think) locations in the Columbus area, and we always go to the High Street shop when we’re in Short North.

It’s on the corner of Lincoln and High Streets.

I love chalkboard signs. They make me want to have my own little shop so I can write on them.

This is what you see when you walk in. Well, not everyone gets to see a very indecisive Andrew looking much like ‘The Thinker.’ That’s it–he can’t give me any more crap about taking too long to decide what I want to eat. I now have proof he has his moments of indecision, too.

Thank goodness for the explanation of flavors! I’ve had Bangkok Peanut before, and it’s HOT.

I love that every flavor is so fresh. For example, the Lime Cardamom with Rhubarb you see above was just Lime Cardamom this spring when we were here for Dave’s track meet and stopped in Easter Sunday (They were open on Easter Sunday, of all days! while I thought it highly sacrilegious, I was happy to have some Jeni’s). It was yummy then, and it’s only better with the addition of rhubarb.

This is Jeni. I love funky glasses. I was actually a teensy bit disappointed when I got PRK a couple years ago knowing I wouldn’t need glasses for another 15 years. They can be such statement pieces without even trying. Anyway, about Jeni. She certainly looks proud of herself; and she should be. She’s doing something she loves and worked hard enough and was blessed with enough luck to actually make it big. You go, girl!

This is Andrew thoroughly enjoying his ice cream. He got Ugandan Vanilla Bean (his usual), Strawberries and Buttermilk, and something else. I can’t remember and it was hidden at the bottom of his cone. Side note: the t-shirt he’s wearing is from Homage, a vintage t-shirt store off Pearl Street behind Jeni’s. We stumbled upon it after dining at Tasi, a French bistro also behind Jeni’s, when we were here for the Family Life Marriage Conference a few months ago. Anyway, we LOVE Homage and Tasi. You must visit both next time you’re in C-bus.

I got Bourbon Buttered Pecan, Sour Cherries and Goat Cheese, and Pistachio and Honey–YUM. The Pistachio and Honey was awesome–I saved it for last. It was slightly salty, slightly sweet and a little nutty.

Loved it. The best part? Susy got me Jeni’s just-released ice cream COOKBOOK for my birthday! Cannot wait to make room in this tiny freezer here in the hotel to try out some recipes! Yes, I did bring my ice cream maker to the hotel. I figured, why not? I can’t bake and it’s summer and I knew I was getting the cookbook…

a list

things i’ve done since arriving in New York:

1. unpacked

2. watched cable TV

3. made hummus (from my newest cookbook, Patricia Wells’ Salad as a Meal)

4. gone to a farmer’s market

5. finally finished last month’s issue of Shape Magazine

6. gone to the post office

7. driven back and forth between our hotel and East Aurora a gajillion times

8. ran with hadrian

9. made dinner in the kitchenette (grilled cod with spaghetti and pesto)

10. gone to Great Harvest Bakery (got a mini rye loaf and a mini cinnamon swirl loaf)

11. gotten myself hooked on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ (it was all Andrew’s fault)

12. and, most of all, missed my routine and our friends in Ohio 😦