Lunch Box

This week I have really been reflecting on how I am using my time outside of work.  I made the following observations:

I spend too much time:
Watching TV
Running Errands

I spend enough time:
Decompressing From My Day
Sleeping

I need to spend more time:
Reading
Exercising

So this week I have tried to limit my TV watching to the news (by which I mean the Daily Show/Colbert Report) and one additional TV show on weekdays.  In place I have added the gym in the morning and reading in the evening.  To tackle to the errand running I have been keeping a running list of what I need get/where I need to go.  At the end of the week I can run them all at once and try to combine as many as I can into one store.  While I was unloading groceries this evening I had the idea to corral all of the lunch making supplies into one tub so I just have to grab one thing out of the fridge in the morning to put the lunches together.  I'm so excited.

Simplify.

Good Night,

EM

I Ate Lots of Chocolate This Weekend

This weekend I was visiting some wonderful friends in DC.  To make things even better Kara and I took a chocolate tasting class at Cocova.  Oh my goodness.  I had no idea what to expect.  I thought that we would eat some truffles and talk about what they had in them and how good they were.  What I got was a really interesting history and review of the chocolate making process.  We tasted eight chocolates, each with the same five ingredients, and they tasted so incredibly different.  I learned that the climate, location, and roasting of the cocoa beans have the most influence on the flavor.  My favorite was the dark chocolate from Ghana.

They have over 800 different types of chocolate in the store.  They let you sample every single one, because they really want you to like what you are buying.  I love people who love what they do.  Particular when it involves free samples. 

Beautiful.  

Getting down to business.  Very serious, chocolate business. 

Love,

EM

Eating Cake

 In this weeks installment of "How I Am Becoming My Mother", my mom and I both had the idea to decorate cakes, at the same moment, on the same weekend, just because.  My mom baked chocolate and vanilla mini cakes to turn into whoopie pies.  We gathered up a group of friends, who gathered up a nice selection of sprinkles and frosting and we got to work.  

Sweet Stuff

My first Whoopie Pie, I ate it immediately. 

A combined effort, this cute little piggy pie was for our favorite VT State Trooper. In honor of the pig shaped spot that was hidden on some of the car decals.  

Lovely.

Happy Day,

EM

ABC (Apples, Beer, and Cookies)

It may be snowing already, however I am still determined to check things off my fall to do list.  Here are a few things that I have done so far, followed by the to do list:

Apple Picking
Apple picking, apple cider, and apple cider donuts.  I have to admit as much as I love apples and apple picking I go for the donuts...and not even really to eat them, just to be pleasantly overwhelmed by the delicious smell of the donuts. ahh...

Pumpkin Ale Tasting 
Nine different beers, blind taste test, one winner.  My favorite was the Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout from Cape Ann Brewing Company.  I kind of want to try making a chocolate stout cake with it because I think it would be amazing....maybe I will add that to my fall to do list.

Harvest Moon Cookies
Every year my mom makes delicious decorated sugar cookies to enjoy well watching the harvest moon rise. We take a walk while enjoying the moon and then grab a seat on the porch and chow down.

The Fall To Do List:
1) Make an apple pie
2) Consume at least 5 different pumpkin flavored things
3) Make pumpkin seeds
4) Collect some colorful leaves and press them
5) Make an interesting sweet potato dish
6) Make a Halloween Costume (Bugs Bunny)
7) Hand out candy on Halloween
8) Decorate the house for fall
9) Plant mums
10) Put up the bird feeder

Happy Fall!
EM

The Fair Is A Veritable Smorgasbord

This week we took a trip out to the New York State Fair in Syracuse.  Here are some highlights from the trip (mostly of the amazing food we consumed):

Started the day out with Hawaiian Shaved Ice.  When I would work at the state fair with 4-H I would live off these things.  The best on a hot day. 

Chocolate milk from the Rainbow Milk Bar.  Yum.

Welcome to the Pigeon Department.

There were over 100,000 people at the fair that day.  

Lastly we grabbed some fried dough on the way out, even if we had deep fried Oreos on the way in.   So much goodness.  

Great way to end the summer.
EM

Super Sweet Cupcakes

Last week I made these sweet cupcakes for a friend's graduation party.  They were easy, pretty, and amazingly good.  I used a basic yellow cake recipe with vanilla frosting, then some hand dipped chocolate strawberries.  Nom. 

Getting Started.

Dipped!  Baker's Chocolate makes this microwaveable dip that is so easy and fast.  Warmed up in 1.5 min and hardened in 10 min.

Lovely.

Enjoy!

EM

Tal Bagels

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of spending the day in The City.  For lunch my sister, her friend Jess, and my dear friend Kara stopped at Tal Bagels.  Out of the hundreds, possibly thousands of bagels I have eaten in my lifetime I truly believe that Tal Bagels has the best bagels in the whole world.  Oh, so good.

They have location at 333 E 86 St and  977 1st Ave.

They have so many delicious cream cheeses, salads, and bagels choices.  On top of that their service is great and everyone is really friendly.  

Sesame Seed Flat Bagel and Egg Salad.

Later Gators,

EM