I've never been a very good cook. Then again, I've never had a ton of practice. My husband is awesome at cooking on the grill and his quesadillas are phenomenal! I stick to making the microwaveable sides. :) The one thing I do pride myself on in the kitchen is baking. Cake-balls & Oreo-balls are my specialties. When it comes to homemade cookies, cakes and cupcakes, I don't have a problem making them tasty... it's the presentation that's an issue (See example A). I probably just need more practice, but I'd much rather purchase treats from a professional. That being said, I've been looking over some pictures from our wedding and this past year and LOVE what my friend Katie cooked up for us. She is so talented and I aspire to learn to be half the baker she is! So when the Super Bowl rolled around this February, I had to hit her up again for the party we were invited to. Not only do they look absolutely adorable, but they taste amazing! I mean, look at the detail on the Ravens helmets! Incredible. Make Love & Bake Cookies, -E
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In the beginning, there were two others like me here in Binghamton; one's husband was promoted to Las Vegas AAA and the other's fiance was transferred to Florida for rehab. For the past two weeks I have been the ONLY wife/fiance/girlfriend in Binghamton. Luckily, since their departure I haven't had to stay in good ol' Bingo alone. Last week, our roommate's girlfriend came to visit! Although she was here to see him, I think I was the most excited upon her arrival. She flew into Binghamton then the next day we left for Altoona, Pennsylvania Logan pitched on Friday night. What was special about this particular outing is that he got to hit, too! In the American League {Texas Rangers, NY Yankees, LA Angels...} teams assign a designated hitter (DH) to take the pitcher's spot in the line-up. In the National League {NY Mets, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals...} the pitcher is required to bat. In the MLB system, National League teams only play other NL teams and American League teams only play other AL teams until the play-offs. In the MiLB system, the teams are intermixed. So, unless a NL team faces another NL team, they play by the AL team rules, where a DH is in the line-up & pitcher's only pitch. But only once a player reaches the AA level do they start to allow the pitchers to hit (these rules don't apply at rookie, low-A and high-A levels. There's always a DH). Not only was this Logan's first time to face another NL team all season, this was his first time to bat since 2008!! {Which means this was my first time to ever see him at the plate!} After a short 3-day trip to Altoona, we returned to Binghamton. As one girlfriend left, another arrived. So after one day of rest at home, we left for yet another road trip. This time to the state capitol, Trenton, NJ. Surprisingly, this city was less "Jersey Shore" and gave off more of a NOLA vibe than I had expected. The city block next to our hotel had some impressive restaurants and the friendliest people (with a lot of questionables roaming around in the mix). After brunch one morning, Logan was in dire need of a haircut. So we strolled next door to State Barber Shop. It was there that we met Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe has been a barber for over 50 years. He is called "The Mayor of Warren Street" because of his wisdom, wit and love of life. At the bar later that night {Social}, we found out from our bartender that Joe was a multimillionaire. So while the haircut ended up being a little too 'New Jersey' for Logan's taste {short and angled-up sideburns}, the experience of hanging out with Uncle Joe was worth it. Side note: Every team has something they're known for. The Trenton Thunder are known for their Crabfries. Seasoned fries with white queso dipping sauce. Yum! Before the game Wednesday night, my new friend & fellow baseball fiance and I found a restaurant bar with awesome food & drinks and a great, low-key atmosphere. One of the many challenges of the MiLB life is finding a place that serves food after 11pm on a weeknight. We were so happy to find out that SOCIAL served food until midnight. -E This is now a bi-monthly thing. Yup. I decided that last week when I didn't feel like posting because, well, I had better things to do. But, I made a promise to myself to explore new music and share the great with others -- So here we go! We won't stop the music. First off, I have been to 5 states + Canada in the past 2 weeks, so instead of listening and researching brand new releases, I've had time to review a few favorites that never quite made it to the top of the charts. Passenger - Let Her Go. Passenger began as a British quartet in 2003. But after the 2009 break-up, Mike Rosenberg became the solo member of the band, keeping the name "Passenger." The album's namesake, All the Little Lights is also a pretty one. Allman Brothers Band - Soulshine. Now this is an oldie. 1994. During one of our many road trips in the past couple weeks this gem blasted through the speakers. It's more the lyrics that I was loving than anything else. Take it to heart people. Soulshine is the best kind of shine there is. He used to say soulshine, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Stars. Released exactly one year ago today, still a favorite jam. One of those that you turn all the way up so you can attempt to belt it without having to hear your own voice... yeah, that kind of jam. Grace Potter's voice is that of an angel. I'm not really a fan of Kenny Chesney, but his duet with her, You & Tequila, quickly became a favorite of mine and I've followed Grace ever since. -E
Today is another FULL off-day for the husband, and our plans to drive to the Finger Lakes in Ithaca, NY to spend the day at a winery (there's hundreds in that area) were smashed when we woke up to a huge storm. It hasn't stopped raining since! So while the rest of my house slept until 1:00 pm, I woke up, made my coffee & oatmeal, did a little work and started pinning. :) Lately I've been obsessing over beautiful blooms ... Maybe it's a little wedding nostalgia (Logan and I just celebrated our 6 monthiversary!) , or maybe it's the fact that I can't keep them in our home since we're constantly traveling that has made me want a garden and arrangements even more. Above: My bridal bouquet and centerpiece in the foyer of the reception venue. By: Branching Out Events, DFW
Below: Logan had a dozen white roses delivered with a thoughtful note and engraved bracelet the morning of our wedding. This past week I traveled with the team to Manchester, New Hampshire where the B-Mets took on the Fisher Cats. This time around we stayed in a much nicer hotel than before and had the opportunity to stay the night in Bolton, Massachusetts with some close family friends. It is so refreshing to stay in a "home" with people we love and know love us right back. They own a winery down the street from their home, which Logan and I visited the summer of our 21st birthdays. This time we got to enjoy lunch at the restaurant on the vineyard. ^ Throwback to my 21st Birthday at Nashoba Valley Winery ^ On Saturday night Logan and I, along with another pitcher and his girlfriend went out in "ManchVegas." A couple months ago when we visited Manchester, I had no idea this part of downtown existed! It's within walking distance of the baseball park and consists of a couple blocks full of bars and clubs. The place we ended up at, Social, felt like a scene out of Jersey Shore. There were grown men fist-pumping on stage with shirts above their heads, women dressed up like Posh Spice and a DJ that thought he was cool by turning off the music for people to sing, only to hear complete silence. Nevertheless, it was entertaining. Beau even got to hang out in the locker room during the Sunday game! On Monday, Logan had his very first FULL off-day of the season! So, I threw him in the car and drove 3.5 hours to Niagara Falls. We stayed in the Sheraton on the Canadian side of the Falls. THIS IS THE WAY TO GO! It was absolutely beautiful! I think one day was more than enough time to spend there. We went on the Maid of the Mist boat tour, walked the city streets, visited 2 wineries {and took part in tastings, of course}, had dinner at Windows by Jamie Kennedy and did a little gambling at the casino. Today we're off to
Altoona, Pennsylvania! Cheers, -E |
Erin Verrettwife of a pitcher. mother of a golden. daughter of the lord. FOLLOW @erinverrettCategories
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