BPO Summer Nights

Andrew and I enjoyed a concert last night at Knox Park, in East Aurora, put on by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. They do a few free outdoor concerts each summer, which serve as fundraisers and a way to bring culture the those who wouldn’t otherwise attend.

The selections were mainly from major motion pictures–from ‘Jaws’ to Pixar’s ‘Up’–which I enjoy the most. It’s neat to recognize the themes from Indiana Jones or Jurassic Park.

We’d stumbled upon the BPO performing in a park last summer in South Buffalo (while we lived at the hotel) while out on a walk with Hadrian. Obviously, we were really kicking ourselves that we hadn’t known about it earlier.

Well, this time we were prepared! (Love the new shirt, by the way. Thanks, Mom!)

I was feeling very bourgeois and so brought a baguette, salami and special strawberry chardonnay cheese (for me, obviously), along with a selection of veggies and hummus, cherries and a little angel food cake (for Andrew). We had wine to drink, and it was wonderful.

I was in a quandary; do I bring the wine bottle or not? I didn’t; I poured about half into a smaller container and packed all the food in Tupperware. I shouldn’t have stressed; there were more people there with wine bottles than you would believe. Bourgeois indeed!

But oh, to have had a cute little picnic basket (or at least the innards of one; I have a beautiful market basket I used) and a way to have kept just one bottle cold–do they make single-bottle “wraps” or something to chill a bottle? I settled for Tupperware, which may not have been uber-classy, but served the purpose and provided a stress-free transport.

It was a beautiful night, and we ended up randomly finding some of Andrew’s co-workers in the crowd, and so sat with them, which was nice. The weather was perfect, parking was effortless (for the most part) and the music well chosen. If we had ended our night here, it would have been a success.

But no, we embarked on the biggest dichotomy (good word, thanks Ben!) of all; we packed up our wine and cheese and headed with Andrew’s friends to the Wales Center Hotel…you don’t have to drive far outside of East Aurora to get to hickville. Let’s just say Julie’s cute yoga outfit was “overdressing,” let alone Andrew’s button-up, linen shorts and sandals. We weren’t in Kansas anymore… It was all-you-can-eat wing night there, the girls’ softball team was raising money and us girls managed to drag out a game of pool WAY longer than it needed to be. Hey, at least the wings were good!

…and i’m DONE

(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!

the mice, they are a-playin’

At least this one has been… Playing, and school-working, and running and cooking… I have been a BUSY girl these last few days, filling my extra free time to the max! So busy, I haven’t even had time to BLOG-gasp!

Let’s see…where did I leave off?

Well, Andrew’s long gone, but I can’t not post about the fantastic dinner we had Wednesday. Foreign!

I pulled this recipe for Banh Mi sandwiches out of a Food Network magazine back in 2008 or 2009. It has, literally, been sitting in my “to try” recipe binder (in the fish section), waiting for such a time as this. Well, the stars aligned last week and I finally made them…

You can see the fish peeking out from under the watercress and carrot. The seasoning for the fish was super easy and really good–I just sauteed coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature) for a minute or two, added some Thai red curry paste and cooked it a little longer, then slathered it all over the fish before broiling. It smelled SO GOOD. I’m keeping the recipe because I think it’s such a unique flavoring, and the asian sauce you make to go with it was a winner, too.

Andrew left Thursday, which was the night I made my hawaiian pizza. Check out my solo dinner set-up:

Disclaimer: About a minute after I took the photo, I traded the magazines for the laptop and perused my usual: Kath’s blog, Facebook and People.com. I call them my guilty pleasures.

Check out that perfectly browned cheese! With a good red sauce, hawaiian pizza cannot be beat. Although I don’t know that I’ll be using fresh mozzarella next time for pizza; it’s best reserved for caprese salad.

Thursday night was also the night I chose to clean the WHOLE house…kind of like a mini-spring cleaning. I always clean when Andrew leaves… The way I see it: the earlier I get the place cleaned up, I longer I get to experience a clean house without having to pick up after anyone else! It’s been glorious…

The next morning, at 6:30 a.m. no less(!), Emily and I did one of our Made to Crave discussion dates over the phone.

Is it bad that I was eating at the same time I was discussing a Bible study about CONTROLLING eating??? I suppose I should fess up and admit I printed out TWO cookie recipes from King Arthur Flour’s ‘best cookie line-up’ just moments before this shot was taken…

Also, note the “cookie-like” object on my plate… They’re called “Anytime Cookies” and they’re from an online site called Nourished Kitchen. I made them a day or so before Andrew left and WOW. Loved them! Super easy, SUPER healthy (no added sweeteners–just sweet from dried fruit) and the texture was great. They’re kind of like a mini-muffin more than a cookie. But at only 127 calories, they’re easier to have as a snack with some fruit or yogurt (or both) than something bigger or heavier. I’ve shared them with some local loved ones (and Susy in her pre-half-marathon care package–tell me what you think!) and they raved.

Recipe is linked. They use coconut flour and unsweetened, shredded coconut. Coconut flour is higher in protein and fiber than regular flour. Most grocery stores with a ‘natural/organic’ section should have coconut flour there, or in their gluten-free section. That’s also where you’ll find the unsweetened, shredded coconut–the kind in the baking aisle is (heavily) sweetened. If you absolutely can’t find the unsweetened kind, use the regular and perhaps decrease some of the fruit. Or you’ll just have sweeter cookies, which if you’re not used to things like plain yogurt and unsweetened applesauce, might be a good transition for you, anyway.

OK, now that I’ve COMPLETELY digressed from my weekend re-cap…

I made this recipe for sweet potato and coconut soup, the recipe for which has been hanging on the fridge forever… I knew I’d have leftover fish from the Banh Mi, and I thought a coconut-flavored soup would be perfect. PCC Natural Markets is a ‘chain’ of co-ops in Washington State and a friend from the co-op here sent me a link to the soup awhile ago. Thanks Mary!

I roasted the sweet potatoes instead of steaming like the recipe called for–check out these babies! Like dessert, I tell you.

Friday was filled with school-working, since I cleaned all night Thursday… Chem lab to finish, two Micro labs to finish, Chem practice quizzes to prep for the actual quiz, Stats homework… Not to mention paying bills, random emailing and phone-calling, co-op blogging…

Friday night I enjoyed my soup topped with a dollop (I love that word, don’t you?) of plain lowfat yogurt (to sub for sour cream, of course!), cilantro and chopped peanuts, paired with leftover fish, edamame and white wine. As my friend Regina said when she saw the photo (I sent her a photo of my food–I AM that weird)…”Def not an Andrew meal!” Nope, not an Andrew meal, although he does eat all of these things (points for him), he does LOVE any of them.

Saturday morning, I read the paper! What a relaxing pastime… Now I know why people sit and read the paper on Saturday mornings… I’m usually up and going early on Saturdays, either the gym or early-morning shopping at Wegmans to beat the crowds (I like shopping so much I’d rather get up EARLY and go to enjoy myself than be rushed and crowded–grocery shopping, to me, is an EVENT).

If you look close enough, you can see yours’ truly’s byline on the front page, ABOVE the fold…(!)

I did hit the gym later that morning and tried a “punk rope” class. It’s basically a circuit-training class with jump ropes, and while it wasn’t as high-intensity as it could have been, it was a nice change and a great time slot (8:30 to 9:15) for a Saturday morning workout.

I spent the afternoon with Carolyn bridesmaid-dress shopping…

…and we found a winner! She’s liked this one from the beginning, and was finally ready to declare that this was it. Ours will be black with a black ribbon, and Abigail’s will be black with a hot pink ribbon. If you’re reading this and you know Abigail, you know that that is SO her.

I’d made plans with Regina for later that night (when was I supposed to get any of my Chemistry done, you ask? I was asking myself the same thing…), but we didn’t know if we were going to stay in, or go out, so I decided to have something ready just in case. Enter Triple Ginger Biscotti.

Yet another recipe that’s been hanging around for awhile… Not even sure who sent it to me…? Susy, was that you? They turned out well, but the recipe made A TON. Should have halved it.

Regina and I stayed in and enjoyed out biscotti and tea after walking Hadrian. So glad she was up for a walk despite the chilly temps; I’ve been thinking a lot lately (because of Made to Crave) about how EVERYTHING we do (socially, at least) is centered around food–meeting for drinks, dessert, coffee, lunch–the list goes on. Now that the weather is getting nicer, it will be easier to meet up for more active activities like walks or runs. Just something I’m trying to start doing to decrease foods’ ever-present status in my life…

(STILL chastising myself for not getting a photo of dear Regina…I’m such a terrible blogger!)

Sunday mornings are normally my run mornings, since it’s easier to run outside around the house than get to and from the gym before church. Despite my late bedtime Saturday night–Regina and I were talking until at least 10:30–Hadrian got me up at 5:45 and I decided to go with it. After polishing off some coffee, biscotti, the last Anytime Cookie and a banana, I headed out with Hadrian for our 3.4 mile loop. I’d decided to do a long run (a.k.a. something in the 9+mile range for me), so after dropping him back off at home, I set out for my 7.4 mile loop around Orchard Park. The stop at home was perfect; I was able to shed a pair of gloves (I wear two!) and add my sunglasses. And since no one wants to run 10.8 miles, I added a 3-minute loop near the house, which upped it to more than 11.1. Not an even number, but at least 11. I was tired, but satisfied. I hadn’t run more than 7 miles in a LONG time, so busting this out was good for me.

All that running done by 8:45 a.m.! Still plenty of time to refuel and meet Andrew’s family for church. I read my friend, Emily’s blog (a fellow RD-in-training here in Buffalo, not to be confused with the oft-mentioned Emily with whom I’m doing M2C) a couple days ago and she had a ‘toasted marshmallow cheesecake‘ oatmeal that I HAD TO TRY. I knew it would be perfect post-run.

Yes, that is Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter melting on the top. Deliciousness, and pure indulgence. At least with peanut butter one gets a little protein; cookie butter is just dessert, people. Also, I had to leave out the ‘mallows, I was fresh out! But, since I’m not a huge marshmallow fan, anyway, (love ‘smores!), it wasn’t a big deal. SO GOOD, I could have liked the bowl. In fact, I might have.

After church and lunch at Panera with everyone, Carolyn and Ben and I headed to Target for some errand-running. So fun to see what they registered for! I treated myself to some new gym towels–mine were getting pretty ‘tired,’ for lack of a gross-er word–and some other things I needed.

LOOK! The pineapple in action!

I packaged up every last piece of that biscotti! Had to get it out of the house for my waistline’s own protection. Note: this photo was taken at about 4 p.m. Sunday, at which time I had YET to start any Chemistry… I had completely one practice quiz the night before, but still had two to go. My procrastination drugs of choice: 1.) baking 2.) cleaning 3.) anything else that needs to be done around the house. That way, I still feel productive while ‘wasting time.’

Oh, and I also changed out my purses for spring! Goodbye my lovely green leather (but ridiculously heavy!) bag, hello Paris purse! The blue striped bag was a Target purchase to corral all my giftcards and coupons, since the red bag is a bottomless pit. Not a single pocket to be found inside…

Biscotti packed up…now on to Chemistry! I did a practice quiz, followed by leftover sweet potato soup and veggies and hummus for dinner, then another practice quiz.

After taking the dog for a brief, and chilly, walk, I sat down for the real thing. Deep breaths abounded…

And I was handsomely, and shockingly, rewarded with a 100%! Holy smokes!! Seriously, I know I whine and complain about Chemistry, and while I have an A in the class, it’s still super hard and I never quite know what’s really going on with all those electrons and ions and things swimming around in solution… Anyway, I’ve NEVER gotten a 100% on a quiz in either semester of Chem so far, so this was huge.

Except that it wasn’t. The quiz took all of 15 minutes since EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM WAS ONE THAT HAD BEEN ON THE PRACTICE QUIZZES. I repeat: I had the answers in front of me. Seriously. I mean, on all the past quizzes there have been a handful (maybe 5 or 6) problems that matched up with practice quizzes, but never ALL of them. My theory? Dr. Barton rewards those who do the practice quizzes, because that’s the kind of guy he is. Let’s just say I was in total shock and had to keep checking to make sure I’d taken an ACTUAL quiz and not another practice quiz. And for fear that you think I exaggerate about how bad Chemistry is, this 100% will allow me to drop the 72% I got on the last quiz…

And it was a HUGE blessing, too! The extra time I gained by finished the quiz so early allowed me to prep my breakfast:

Pioneer Woman’s Breakfast Bread Pudding. It’s essentially a ‘breakfast casserole’ but less egg and assembled like a bread pudding.

I order to lighten it up a bit (and it is just me by my lonesome), I halved the amount of sausage.

I am, as I type this, enjoying a bowl of this and a pear for breakfast. YUM.

Signing off now–whew, this was a long one!