Hello August...

I'm really glad to see you August...

I hope you bring cooler weather...

The count down to school starting...

School supplies stocked high in the stores...

The rush to finish all the fun things you said you'd do this summer...

Organizing and gearing up for the year ahead....

Oh the thought of fall around the corner....

Crisp mornings....light sweaters.....ahhh! 

I love August....

Black and Whites from our LBI trip...

Happy Wednesday!! 

Joining Lisa at The Long Road to China today for B&W Wednesday! 

Sunday in My City-Buffalo Foods

My city is Buffalo, New York, though I live outside the city in the rural suburbs....it's what most people think when you tell them you live in Western New York. This last week talking to several people from around these parts about food and how popular and known Buffalo is for these foods. Most I have never had or heard of before moving here.

First of coarse is the ever famous Buffalo Wings. People are crazy for their wings here, it's wings this and wings that. Gotta order pizza and wings. I personally have had Wings once here. They were good not earth moving omg good. Pretty much my hubby ruined Wings for me, how you ask? By giving me the calorie count per wing.....somewhere in the 200's including the sauce and dips than you need to add the sip of beer to wash it down, and who really has one wing.

Next is Beef on Weck......roast beef piled high on a Weck roll....I ordered one once also! The meat was piled so high and was so fatty....well lets just say I'm not a fan. But people love them here!

One of my favorites is Chicken Finger Sandwich....it's spicy, cheesy and one of the reasons I'm currently not losing any weight!

Looks harmless right.....I won't even research the calorie count on that one....gotta have a few vises!

This little gem I never had or heard of until moving here. I say you either love it or hate it.....well I love it of coarse. It's Sponge Candy . My favorite is from Fowlers Fine Chocolate's Buffalo's best!

It's molasses flavored candy hard tasting at first than melts in your mouth....it's not for everyone but it means more for me!


There are so many brands of food found here that when people come home they stock up on. With Buffalo being a melting pot of cultures the cuisine reflects just that.

Join Unknown Mami and travel the world with her today! Happy Sunday all!



All images from here

Yes I have become one of those people....

It's no secret I love my dog Sophie....never really thought I'd be that dog person....but I am! She is so stinking cute. She has not let me out of her sight since returning from vacation. It's cute but annoying...especially when you step out of the shower to be greeted by a dog laying on your towels waiting!!

Yesterday while reading blogs she had enough of no attention and decided to take matters in her own hands.

Seriously cute isn't she.....I know I know puke!! Have a wonderful Saturday!! 

Friday Fragments...

Happy Friday!

It's been a fast week! Slowly getting back into the swing of things after vacation! Sophie came back from vacation skinny, we need to fatten her up. She eats when she is there, but really active. Here she is lazy and sleeps all day! I on the other hand came back from vacation fatter and need to get serious!

Katelyn and I went to dinner with our neighbor the other night. It was fun she is a nut. She has never lived anywhere but here and is very small town. I was telling her the differences of people in WNY vs. everywhere else plus the different foods. I think she was shocked to hear the rest of the world is not all about Wings! While we were looking at the menu she pointed out to Katelyn a sandwich called a BLT and seriously wanted to know if she had ever heard of them, like they are exclusive to WNY. It was all we could do but laugh.

It's finally raining here, it's been the hottest and driest July in many years. Our lawn like straw, really sad to see. The grass is dying but the weeds just keep growing.....doesn't seem right! I hope it rains all weekend.

I hope you all have a fun, relaxing and enjoyable weekend! Stop by Mrs. 4444's at Half past kissin time for more fragments plus she did a great Vlog today!

I ♥ Chunky

I'm currently in love with homemade chunky salsa.....it's whats for dinner tonight.

I seriously crave this yummy fresh mixture....tonight I'm adding cooked chicken and putting it in a wrap! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I could eat this whole bowl in one sitting it's so good.
My friend made this over the 4th of July and I've made it every week since.

It's one of those recipe that just list the ingredients and you adjust the measurements as you like.

Avocados cubed( I use a minimum of 4)
Red onion chopped ( not big onion fan so did 1/2 cup chopped)
Grape tomatos halved
Cilantro
Jalapeno peppers deseeded and chopped
Juice from one lime
Juice from a slice of an orange
1 tsp of Honey
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic

All that's missing is a cold margarita! 

Enjoy! Happy Thursday! 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. July is National Ice Cream month...your favorite flavor? Soft served, hand dipped, or frozen yogurt...which do you prefer? And technically yogurt is not ice cream but its hot outside so I'll let that slide for today.

I have fallen in love with a flavor this summer.....I tried not to but it happened almost at first sight or taste. Perry's Birthday Bash...it's a little bit of birthday in every bite. Taste like frosting with sprinkles.

2. When you travel do you tend to pack too much or too little?

After living in Europe and traveling mostly by trains you learn to pack very light and conservatively. But if we are driving somewhere I tend to over pack...I figure why not I have the room. This last trip I wore almost everything I packed and was glad to have some extras as it was so hot and humid, we changed several times a day. 

3. What's your favorite cleaning product?

My most used is Lysol products. 

4. Which is the greater tragedy-an innocent person imprisoned or a guilty person set free? Explain.

This is a hard one....really want to pass! I want to believe with todays technology an innocent person rarely gets imprisoned, but I know I'm wrong. I think this is a great tragedy because after all this time there are still flaws and kinks in the system and this happens. Those same flaws cause the guilty people to be set free as well. I hate hearing someone was let free early due to over crowding in system....and then repeat their crime. 

5. What's the longest trip you've taken by car?

As a child probably from New Jersey to Florida....I remember it was long sitting backwards in the station wagon waving  to people and asking my parents are we there yet! As an adult Utah to California stopping over night half way in Vegas. I'm not the best co pilot I usually dose off about a mile into a trip! 

6. tennis-golf-canoeing-biking...pick one.

Tennis though I haven't played in years.....I loved playing it though. Biking if I could pick two....and if the temperature is perfect and the road flat!!

7. What sound drives you crazy?

Cracking of toes, fingers basic body noise like that...it's my nails on the chalkboard sound...yikes!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I can't believe we are to the end of July already...the school supplies are out in the stores...we don't start until September 7th. I feel like as a child summer lasted forever now it's a blink of the eye.  Have lots to do on my list I mean my honey do list....he better get busy!

Stop by Joyce's at From This Side of The Pond and join in on the Hodgepodge today! 

Why do vacations wipe us out? I'm finally done with the mounds of laundry. Spent yesterday dealing with car repairs and grocery shopping. Still feeling out of sorts....back to my Boot Camp exercise class today....I'm scared it's been two weeks of very little exercise beyond lifting a glass to my mouth. Sophie is wiped out too, since picking her up she has slept non stop. I know how she feels.....ah! A dog's life! 

Happy Tuesday :)

I'm back...

Just spent a week in Long Beach Island, NJ with my family....27 of us! Here we are on the day we planned to take pictures..foggy, misty, hot, humid weather all day. 

This is where we stayed....it was gorgeous and a stones throw from the beach! 

We had a great time. It was the hottest weather I've ever experienced over 100 with humidity. The coldest ocean I ever felt in the high 50's ! Lots of family, lots of food, lots of alcohol, lots of fun.

Long drive home

I'm tired

lots of laundry!

Happy Sunday!

New App

I love my iphone .....I wish I had an ipad! I have a laptop so until that dies or mysteriously falls off the counter and dies, I'll have to wait! My favorite new app for my iphone is the Instagram....it's a fun way to play with your pictures, using different filtered looks. Here is one I did with Sophie...I love this picture, she has an ear infection so I got her medicine out and one look she ran and hid.

This is the toaster filter...I like it looks vintage to me. That's Sophie toy basket....she looks comfortable uh? I laughed so hard seeing her hiding spot of choice....she's a nut! 

What's your favorite App? 

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Friday Fragments...

 Happy Friday...omg! this week went by so fast!

Two weird things I want to talk about.....

First is this picture of a flower....I know not another flower, but this is one I have never seen before! I'm watching our neighbors house taking care of her flowers. I swear the ones that are dead were dead before she left, I hope she remembers that!! 

I know it is some kind of Clematis....isn't it wild looking! Do you know? Or have you ever seen this?

Next is on my Flickr account I posted a picture of my first Pedicure of the summer....it's gotten a lot of attention from a creepy admirer of toes. More views than any picture I've posted! I'm thinking I need to take it down....hello they are just toes....weirdo! 

We are heading to The Jersey Shore.....don't worry someone is watching our house, plus we have nothing worth stealing! I can't wait to see my family, relax on the beach, take pictures.....I hope I have some Snooki like sightings....even though we are going to a really nice part of the Shore it will be interesting people watching!! 

Have a wonderful weekend! Please stop by Mrs. 4444's at Half Past Kissin Time and join the fun!