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!

my first beef on weck

I tried my first “beef on weck” tonight at, appropriately, the restaurant touted as the inventor of the famous Buffalo sandwich.

Andrew and I have been meaning to go to Schwabl’s since we first saw it after we got here. You can read all about it here, but basically it’s an old, well-known hole-in-the-wall place that is known for its roast beef and seafood. Surprisingly, neither Andrew nor his parents had ever been, so the four of us met there tonight.

One of the drinks they’re known for is called the “Ebenezer Punch,” which is a mixture of Southern Comfort, orange and lemon juices, lemon lime soda, and is only served during the summer. Andrew got one and it was tasty but tart.

We all ordered the infamous “beef on weck,” which is essentially sliced roast beef served on a kimmelweck bun. Kimmelweck buns are large hamburger buns covered in salt. You can find beef on weck sandwiches all over the place, but apparently Schwabl’s is known for starting them, so I figured it would be a good place to give it a try.

Andrew and his mom got fries on the side, as well as their vinegar coleslaw. You can see some of Andrew’s punch in the top left corner.

The place is small; it might only have ten or so tables with a bar. Seating is limited, so it’s not uncommon to have a wait at prime dinner times. We showed up after 7 p.m. and had to wait just a few minutes for some people to leave a table in the front.

The walls are covered in framed newspaper articles and plaques announcing “Voted Best Beef on Weck” from just about every local publication. What I liked the most was the customer service and homey atmosphere. Every waitress was 50+ and wore white uniform dresses, similar to a 50’s diner, but with less kitsch. The gentlemen servers and bartenders wore shirts, ties and white aprons. Everyone was more than polite and our waitress offered not once, but twice, to bring us samples of some of the sides we were debating about.

Sorry folks, had to use the flash for mine. Andrew’s dad and I opted for the german potato salad instead of fries and I didn’t regret it. Look at all the salt on the bun! Traditionally, you’re supposed to put horseradish on your sandwich. Horseradish jars sit on Buffalo dining establishment tables just like ketchup and mustard do everywhere else. I love horseradish, but man does it have a kick sometimes!

I don’t know that any of us thought it was the best beef on weck we’d ever had (it was for me since it was my first), but it’s definitely the kind of place you bring your out-of-town guests, or go to when you want that small, cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Or Hungarian goulash. Apparently they serve it on Saturdays, and only on Saturdays, for lunch and dinner. We’ll be back then.

it was a homerun

…at least according to Andrew. That’s what he says when I make something new (which is pretty much any time I cook) and he likes it.

DINNER! Photo courtesy of Andrew.

I made a version of Maggiano’s famous fried zucchini appetizer. It comes with lemon aioli and Susy and I could have eaten it 24/7 without stopping. Seriously.

I found the recipe online at TaraCooks.com. I chose it because it called for club soda in the batter instead of an egg. I was out of eggs and I didn’t want to buy a whole dozen before my five-day trip to Phoenix. Besides, I’d rather get my eggs from the farmer’s market or the co-op, and neither of those happen until tomorrow, which did me no good tonight. So, club soda it was. And it was 99 cents. And it doesn’t go bad. Sweet.

My cut-up zucchini was pitiful. The skin was super thick and my knife is dull as all get out (with no way to sharpen it here!), so I wasn’t thrilled with the slices. I got a few long ones, but they were all too thick, and then a bunch of smaller scraps. Interestingly enough, the scraps turned out to be the best of the finished product.

BTW, I HATE glass cutting boards. I hate the noise my knife makes each time I use it, and I swear it has contributed to how dull it’s gotten. But, it’s what’s here.

I made the aioli, but not exactly as the recipe said. I subbed plain lowfat yogurt for the sour cream (it’s what I had in the fridge) and dill seed for the dill weed. I’m pretty limited here. It was yummy; more yogurt-y than creamy.

Our salad fixings were on their last legs in the fridge, so I threw a basic green salad together for both of us with Garlic Expressions dressing. Andrew loves it! I love sprouts. I especially love sprouts with ranch dressing or on veggie sandwiches with avocado.

I also included some of my canned goodies: Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted Apple and Pear Sauce, from her newest cookbook, How Easy is That? I love this stuff. It’s like dessert. I canned a bunch for Christmas gifts this past year and it was my go-to dish to bring to events since it made so much and was so easy. I love that it’s applesauce with a more intense flavor, which comes from the pears and orange zest.

To drink? Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Orange Blossom Cream Ale. You can get this all over (in fact, the first time I saw it was in a friend’s fridge back in Ohio), but I’m on a ‘local’ kick and only want to buy New York microbrews right now. This is an awesome beer for those of us who like Blue Moon and won’t touch a Bud.

For the sake of calories, Andrew and I have been splitting a beer instead of having our own. Obviously, there are lots of benefits to this; our purchases go further and we ingest fewer calories and alcohol. Since I’ve lost weight, I’ve definitely noticed that anything I drink affects me a lot more than before. Who knew ten-plus pounds could do that? Drinking just portions of beers, or wine, is something I saw on KERF. She’s always having just a little bit of something.

I fried up the zucchini and then kept it warm in the toaster oven.

The finished product:

It was no Maggiano’s, but it was a great way to use a zucchini that was languishing in the fridge. Andrew, while he passed on the aioli, chowed the zucchini. Seriously. Thank goodness, because I probably would have it he hadn’t! What you see above, plus one long piece, is all I had–talk about some self-control!

So yeah, dinner was a hit. HAHA, get it, hit? (homerun…) 🙂