the rest of the trip

…and getting my head above water!

I took two tests this morning, and miraculously did quite well for having been out of town over the weekend, at least I think so. Rocked the Bio one with a 95% (highest grade of the class!) although I’m irritated because the professor’s questions are unnecessarily tricky. AND I swear he NEVER said that Lysosomes are “suicide bags….”

I have a busy week ahead–article writing, grocery shopping, lots of cooking and baking, Andrew’s birthday, finishing up the house, prepping for Emily and Dan’s arrival, and another test and quiz–WHEW! After my interview for said article this afternoon, I’ve been experiencing a brain-dump of sorts and just surfing online. Once I post all this, I think I’ll be mentally ready to take on the week!

First things first: our b&b. It was called the Oliver Phelps and I realized I’d never taken a picture of the outside. It was amazing.

After breakfast Saturday morning, we headed out to walk around the little “downtown” area and do some shopping. Sara recommended this store to me when she saw we were headed to Canandaigua. It was very neat, although I have to add a little disclaimer here: we’re UBER-lucky to have not one, but TWO specialty olive oil and vinegar stores here on Main Street in East Aurora. One is a chain, Primo Olivo, and the other is a local place called Tuscany on Main. We’re fans and have been into Tuscany multiple times. I did, however, leave F. Oliver’s with a bottle of Honeyed Ginger balsamic vinegar and a bottle of Tuscan Garden olive oil. Can’t wait to use them!

After candle stores, gift stores, a chocolate shop and, believe it or not, a bazillion antique/thrift-type stores (Andrew wanted to go in!), we decided it was time for lunch.

It’s a chain but it got high reviews on TripAdvisor, so we popped in. What in the world made Andrew think he needed 16 inches of Philly Steak, I’m not sure, but whatever. The smallest I could order was 8 inches, and since cheese is a MAIN ingredient of Philly CHEESE Steaks, there was no way were splitting one.

I ended up leaving 75% of my bread behind. I didn’t need it, anyway. Andrew polished BOTH of his right off. The verdict on the steaks from a somewhat-native Philadelphian? Very good.

We drove around a bit, willing our lunches to digest, before walking around the tip of the lake. It was a bit breezy, but we couldn’t have asked for better weather.

We stopped into the Christkindl Market. A big disappointment, there. There were some neat vendors with quality, unique items, but for the most part, it was those “dipping oils” and “scented soaps” kind of stuff. No thank you.

By that time it was late afternoon, and since our dinner reservation wasn’t until 8 p.m. we were looking for something to do. That’s what happens to us “high-speed” vacationers; we get bored. Give us an itinerary, no matter how loudly we complain!

Because it’s the off-season now, lots of places were closing around that time, so we had to sell out and take a study break at Starbucks. Oh well. The free WiFi kept Andrew occupied while I studied, which apparently paid off!

We knew we wanted to go to this authentic German place for dinner, but when I called for reservations, all they had left was 8 p.m. I grumbled but took it. The place is owned by two native Germans, so I figured it was worth it.

We started with a beer for him and a Jager for me, which was half beer and half hard cider. AWESOME. Don’t I look weird when I have dark lipstick on??

We also started with snails in a red wine sauce baked in a puff pastry that looked like a football. Andrew may not like cheese, but who else do you know who picks snails off the menu for an appetizer?

He got the sausage platter and I chose something a bit more unique–a piece of beef round rolled around bacon and pickled and cooked. We both got spaetzle, too.

And of course, I forgot to photograph the apple streudel we split. Oops. Photographic proof we ate it all.

The next morning, after breakfast and checking out, we went on a drive over to the other lake to see what was there. On the way we stopped at Red Jacket Orchard store, which was a fantastic find! I hauled out jars of specialty mustards, honey, dressings and cider like no one’s business! I’m thinking a “Holly’s goodies from Canandaigua” post is in order…

After being thoroughly disappointed with Geneva (not that it was bad, but Sunday morning isn’t exactly the best time to go, either), we headed back and ended up at Simple Crepes, somewhere I’d been salivating about since researching the trip.

I’m a “variety” kind of girl when it comes to food, so I went with the brunch buffet, which includes a ‘made-to-order’ crepe station as well as oatmeal creme brulee. OMG. Must make oatmeal creme brulee at home ASAP. It was amazing.

Andrew got the caramel apple crepe, along with a regular one, too. I was surprised he didn’t go with his favorite, Nutella.

My tasting plate, filled with brunch yumminess!

After filling our bellies, which was kind of my plan, we headed to the New York Wine and Culinary Center for our wine pairing class!

Neither of us had ever done anything like that before, and it was so fun! It really deserves a post on its own, but I’m pressed for time now (in general and currently–Andrew is on his way home NOW), so this will have to suffice. Basically, we got to taste 6 different wines with 6 different flavors, for a total of 36 tastes! And that was after we learned how to properly sniff/swirl/taste wine, which was probably my favorite part.

Basically, Andrew and I favored either a Chardonnay or a Riesling with almost every flavor, and opposite of each other every time! So, as long as we have either or both on the table, we should be fine… It was neat to see how the flavor of the food changes the wine. In fact, for awhile now I’d thought I didn’t like buttery Chardonnays, but in fact, it was what I chose most often with food! And both of us love Reislings anyway; we just have to make sure to get a semi-dry so that it won’t be too sweet.

So, we learned a lot! It was a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it!

On the way home, we stopped to get me some ice cream. What a nice end to the trip!

Now, back to REAL life and REAL eating!

just another typical ‘holly & andrew vacation’

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!

the rest of the trip

Andrew and I got back late last night from our week-long trip to Ohio and Indiana. It was filled (to the brim!) with friends, family and ice cream. Yup. Those three things pretty much sum it up.

After spending some quality time in Indiana with Andrew’s family, we headed back to Dayton with one more vehicle than we left with. We’re now the proud owners a 2001 green Chevy Silverado, and boy does Andrew look good behind the wheel!

We squeezed in one more trip to Graeter’s to meet an ROTC-friend of mine who I found out was in town. Charlie is a weapons officer on the RC-135 and is stationed in Omaha, NE, and is currently going through the weapons school in Las Vegas. I’m so glad we got a chance to visit, even if it was only for 20 minutes or so, but I wish we’d gotten a photo!

Andrew continued on to Orrville, OH, where he had a business trip and I headed to Susy’s house for a couple days.

We ran (of course) 6 miles in 47 minutes flat — sweet! This is going to sound crazy — we kept trying to slow down, but we must have been feeding off of each other and ended up pushing it the whole way. The next morning, we thought we’d take it easy, but ended up doing 4 in 31:14 — almost exactly the same pace! This whole running-WAY-faster-than-9-minute-miles-with-ease thing is still new to me… Thanks Susy! I owe it all to you. And my 20-pound weight-loss.

After hurriedly showering, we grabbed our friend Jennifer and left for some shopping.

GOODWILL!

There are NO good Goodwills in Western New York. I think there might be some in Amherst, but it’s a bit of a drive, so I haven’t ventured up there yet. I was in DESPERATE need of clothes that fit, and I really lucked out! My haul included two pairs of Gap jeans, two pairs of American Eagle cords, a pair of J. Crew khakis (almost exactly like my favorite pair that I had to give up!), two pairs of shorts, three skirts and a pair of BCBG “tuxedo” pants (they have stripes of sequins down the sides) — not sure where I’ll wear them, but they were in mint condition, looked fabulous on and probably retailed for $100 — I had to.

Onto more Dayton favorites…

…Trader Joe, I have missed thee.

I’d already done some shopping with Emily here, but I picked up some more essentials, like granola, peanut butter and mango gummies. One can never have enough.

Sara, a house church friend who met us Sunday for lunch, told us about the new popsicle place that opened up across from TJ’s. We had to go.

It’s a little gourmet treat shop and they have all sorts of fun flavors of popsicles. Susy got the raspberry/lime/coconut, Jennifer chose the honeydew/basil/lime and I was craving the banana pudding with vanilla wafers — all were yummy!

We’d been doing our shopping at TJ’s for the soiree Susy had planned for that night — an ‘open-house’ of sorts so that all our friends could stop by to see me while I was in town! Was that not the sweetest thing she could do? Love her 🙂

While I’m gushing about Susy, I’ll just go ahead and continue. She is the most EXCELLENT wine-and-cheese party-thrower EVER. Seriously. It’s all we ever did for get-togethers at her house and they are always just fantastic. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who organizes and attends wine and cheese parties. Susy, thank you again for making this dream a reality.

Anna helped me make Ina’s brownie pudding for dessert. Topped with vanilla ice cream, it is heaven on a plate. Or in a bowl. It’s basically like eating brownie batter without the raw-egg grossness.

We bought wine at Trader Joe’s, made flatbread pizzas and a fresh mozzarella and tomato pasta salad with Susy’s homemade pesto, arranged meat, cheese and cracker platters, roasted garlic and set out olive tapenade and eggplant dips.

OH. MY. GOSH. Have you ever had bleu cheese with figs drizzled with honey? I hadn’t, either. I don’t even like bleu cheese, at least not very much. In fact, until a couple years ago, I thought it smelled gross. And it kinda still does. But I am telling you, combine it with figs and honey, and it’s like dessert. DESSERT. Seriously.

Our running friends Nicole and Kathy came over, and Jennifer returned as well.

Later on, Kathryn and Mia stopped by as well. These two are hilarious. HILARIOUS. I LOVE hanging out with them. I think they bring out a less-tightly-wound side of my. That, and a little wine helps, too.

We decided to howl at the moon that night and headed to the movies to see The Help. I’d read the book just before we moved, so I’d been looking forward to seeing it. It seemed like it jumped around a bit, but I love Emma Stone (although I think I liked her better about 10 pounds heavier–she just looks too skinny now) and really enjoyed seeing it with my girlfriends. Now Andrew is off the hook and can take me to see something else!

We stayed out past midnight, and because I didn’t say no to Susy’s shot of espresso from that afternoon, it was 2 a.m. before I fell asleep…

…little did I know she, just two floors above me, was having the same insomnia!

Good morning! I welcomed Susy’s espresso this time.

After our run we didn’t have time for a sit-down brunch before I left, so we went to one of our favorite haunts, Tropical Smoothie.

In true Susy-fashion, she convinced me to pop into Goodwill one more time on the way home. We learned Goodwill is a ‘two-hand’ job… Must. Finish. Smoothie. First! I scored a white J. Crew tuxedo shirt (to go with the BCGC pants, perhaps?) and a bunch of long-sleeve shirts and a Gap sweater in anticipation of cooler weather in NY soon.

I left, picked up Hadrian from puppy camp in Troy and got on the road. Andrew and I had decided to meet outside Cleveland and then continue on caravan-style.

I knew there was a Jeni’s somewhere in Cleveland, and it turns out it’s not far off of I-271! We were stoked.

It’s in Chagrin Falls, OH, which is just about the cutest, quaintest town you can imagine. Let’s just say it makes adorable East Aurora look like a ghetto.

It was a nice chance to take Hadrian for a bit of a walk and stretch our legs. I’ve been on a waffle cone-kick of late (I think it’s because it takes longer to eat than in a dish, thus more enjoyment – ha!), and I got all seasonal flavors: blackberries and sweet corn, blueberry and lemon yogurt and peach buttermilk. I told Andrew, upon finishing my treat, that I could go back and get a whole other one no problem. No joke. There is just something about Jeni’s. It’s not heavy like other ice creams, and the flavors are so light yet intense…almost addicting.

We got back on the road with three more hours to go.

I’d been craving Chick-Fil-A for dinner during the entire drive, knowing there is one about an hour and half from home in Erie, PA. I told myself not to get the cookies and cream milkshake, since I’d already had ice cream…

NOPE! I went all out. I hadn’t had a CFA sandwich in months and I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t. Now that we can’t have it all the time, I figured it’d be OK to totally splurge on exactly what I wanted: a sandwich, (small) fries and a shake. And it was all I had dreamed it would be.

Andrew was holding out for a Pasquale’s pizza when we got home, which he picked up on the way. I wish I could tell you I resisted the urge at 10 p.m. at night to have a slice, but I can’t. Oh well, this morning was a new day!