A Fall Favorite of Mine

Last month my Mom stopped by to help me can tomatoes - an activity I remember doing this with her, my Grandma and Aunts when I was younger. With the colder temperatures approaching I thought it was the perfect time to can some tomatoes - I'll use them for my Mom's homemade spaghetti sauce recipe, homemade chili and other warm winter foods. We started out with a bushel of tomatoes that made us {me} 11 full mason jars - perfect amount for a single lady on her own! The part I remember disliking the most was when the tomatoes came out of the boiling hot water and you have to peel them right away - I remember my fingers not liking that part and they still don't! haha.

{Step 1: Line table or counter with newspaper and get bushel of tomatoes}

{Step 2: Cut out core and prep for hot water}

{Step 3: In the water you go - just enough time to get the first layer soft enough to peel off}

{Step 4: Peel off the top layer of skin and put in mason jar - my least favorite part}

{Step 5: Clean rim of jars, seal with lids, put in hot water for 40-50 minutes to seal, store and use whenever needed}

Overall it was a nice Sunday morning/early afternoon spent with my Mom. Not only did it bring back childhood memories, its was a day where we made new memories together in my new home, which is a gift in itself.

-B

Queen City Half Marathon

Tomorrow over 300 runners will be hitting the streets in Downtown Buffalo for the first Queen City Half Marathon. An all female race {making it the 50th all female race in the Country}. Outside of it being your typical race, what the message is behind the race is what matters...woman empowerment. Its about women supporting other women, working together and having fun while accomplishing that goal you have set forth for yourself.

I'm excited to see how the race is and the feedback that is received, its a pretty cool event, that I think will grow and be more and more successful with each year that passes. If you would like more information on the race you can go here.

Good luck to all the runners out there tomorrow!

-B

Rochester Public Market

It seems like it has been forever since my last blog post. I've put blogging on the back burner because my schedule has been crazy, but I'm hoping I can be more consistent on my posts again.

A couple weeks ago I went back down the 90 to visit my friend Arica for her birthday in Rochester, while there, we had planned to go to the Rochester Public Market - it was on my end of summer bucket list and since I'd never been to that market before, I thought why not. The Market is huge and has amazing farmers and vendors to shop from!! I got avocados for $1!!! And a bundle of sun flowers for $4!

{Beautiful flowers and vegetables. These vendors do it right!}

It's definitely worth the while to take the hour or so drive to pay a visit on a Saturday morning if you can... the market won't disappoint you if you are a farmer market goer, it was a great suggestion from Arica!  Skip ahead to this past week where I ran into my friends from Fudge Factors and I was talking to them about this and they suggested I visit the market in North Tonawanda, saying it is a really nice one, probably the most similar to the one in Rochester. I'll have to add that to my places to visit and compare the two.

Until next time,

-B

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{crowd shot}

{wine sampling}

Safari Niagara

A couple weeks ago {Labor Day weekend to be exact} my Mom, niece, nephew and I went up to Stevensville Ontario and spent the day at Safari Niagara {a nature park with animals, a splash pad and playground}. We went over the Peace Bridge which to my surprise wasn't a long wait whatsoever despite being a Holiday weekend, it was a 30 minute trip from Buffalo to Ontario!

{art sculptures thru the park}

{a cool bird exhibit that takes you up close}

We spent the day looking at the cool art sculptures, watching the animals {lions, giraffes, hippos and more!}, paddle boating and playing in the splash pad and playground. Its a little pricey for admission, but you can bring in your own food and non-alcoholic beverages in, which makes up for buying at their food stands. Overall its a cool place to spend the day, especially if you have children.

-B 

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{play area}

{flamingos}

Harlie's First Day of Training

Harlie is 9 months old and in, as I like to call it "doggie toddler mode." She really thinks she runs the house and is in charge, so after help from my Dad and researching a few places I found a dog trainer {Sarah Demerle} on thumbstack she is fairly cheap {compared to local places} and she comes to my house which is convenient for me with my schedule. During the training we focus on Harlie's excitement, jumping on people, play biting and understanding that I am the "Pack Leader." Her first training session went ok, Harlie caught on with some things and other things {like the prong collar} we have to work on. Its crazy how after one session I've learned a lot and I know she has too.

Until next time...

-B

Jack Craft Fair

A couple weeks ago I attended the Jack Craft Fair at the Central Terminal. Being my second time attending the event, I was looking forward to seeing some of the Etsy shop owners face to face. While sometimes ordering online is nice, I am a fan of shopping face to face and meeting with the owners. Vendors lined the main floor of the Central Terminal with amazing pieces of art, furniture, jewelry and more. There was a live band, a DIY section and food and drink available. Even though it was quite warm inside, the backdrop of the Central Terminal was quite stunning. I've been inside that building a number of times and each time I'm there it still amazes me how beautiful of a place it is, its also nice to see it being used for events.

Below are some of my pictures from the event.

-B

{Welcome}

{Live band and line up of events}

{view of the main lobby full of vendors}

End of Summer Bucket List

Its hard to believe that Labor Day is around the corner and soon kids will be going back to school. I feel like July just flew by and August isn't slowing down either. I went back to see what I still had on my list of things to do this summer and compiled a decent bucket list I am hoping to accomplish.

Grill on my patio - I haven't used my grill at all this summer and I'm hoping I can have a BBQ before summer ends

Go to and Orioles game - yes nothing to do with Buffalo, but being able to attend an MLB game is a summer classic in my book and the O's are my team

Visit a farmers market

Go berry picking

Attend an outdoor concert

Take an outdoor yoga class

Watch a movie outdoors

Hike the trails at Artpark

Visit Chautauqua Lake - make a day of it!

Have a beer {or two} at Thin Man Brewery

Visit the Southern Tier Wineries

Get a group of people together and try an Escape Room

Stop by the Elmwood Arts Festival

Plan a vacation for the Fall

Friday Finds

{inside the barn of Pittsford Farms Dairy - their ice cream is so good! and I love that clock}

{I love these bridal party gifts I got from Pretty Sugar Paperie! Gina did an awesome job, so happy I learned about her local business}

{when my Aunt and Cousin come to visit and bring me Swiss Chalet! Its been so long since I've had it. It reminds me of when I was younger and me and my family would go to the one that used to be downtown on Main St in the Theater District. Yum!}

{Jothi in the elephant yard at the Buffalo Zoo a couple weeks ago}

{working with the United Way is always a fun time, especially when includes the mascots!}

World Elephant Day

Today is one of my top 5 favorite days of the year, I know to some they may think it's crazy, but elephants are one of my favorite animals. They are extremely intelligent and have a great memory that spans over years. They form deep family bonds and are led by the matriarch - being the oldest and often largest female of the herd. They display different emotions - anger, play, joy and grief. They are the largest land animal in the world and there are two different species African and Asian Elephants. The Buffalo Zoo has two Asian Elephants - Surapa and Jothi. You can visit them in the elephant yard and house today for some fun activities taking place for World Elephant Day.

-B

{my trip to see the elephants at the Buffalo Zoo a couple years ago, this is Surapa inside the elephant house}

{her keepers doing enrichment activities with her}

{me and my niece with her}

A day trip in the "585"

{Cobbs Hill Park - the view of Rochester was pretty cool}

While in Rochester the other day for Bills Training Camp, Kelsey and I decided to make a day of it and since she went to school there she showed me some of the hot spots in the "585." It was a fun day and it makes me like Rochester a lot more now! Below are pictures from the stops we made. A big thank you goes out to K.Sweet for being my tour guide!!

-B

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{First Stop before training camp - Village Bakery & Café - OMG so good and the décor so cute!!}

{views of the beautiful Canal}

{yummy Mexican from La Casa and Margarita's!!}

{the original Wegman's store is the best store ever! Seriously!!}

{A visit to Nazareth College - this is inside the Library - The Rare Book Room - pretty cool! the campus as a whole is a beauty}

{Third last stop of the day was at this delicious Dairy - the cookies and coffee ice cream in a waffle cone - the bomb!}

{Second last stop was at LL Bean - I have never been in one before and I fell in love - I found 10 things off the bat that I wanted to buy. I either need to find a rich man or win the lottery}

Bills Training Camp

 

With the first Bill's pre-season game this Saturday, I thought it was only fitting to post my day trip  to Bills Training Camp yesterday with my friend Kelsey {a fellow Bills fan as well}. We headed out to the 10am practice and it was quite nice, not only were we rolling "VIP" with passes in the hospitality tent {thanks to our friend Nick}, but we were also able to snag some selfies with the players too.

Overall practice was HOT and fun to watch. Being at camp makes me want football season here. Only a few more weeks! In the meantime here is the schedule for the rest of training camp in case you want to head out to SJF.

{morning views from the hospitality tent}

Until next time!

-B

{Photos - Just a Blonde in Buffalo pics}

{let's practice}

{let's play some football}

{Cardale Jones}

{Jerry Hughes!}

One of my favorite places in town

{A little family fun at the lion exhibit, Mom had to come in and break up some rough housing between Father and Son}

My love for the Buffalo Zoo increases more and more every time I'm there. The more I learn about the animals and their habitats the more passionate I am to support a great organization.

Last Sunday the Pro Zoo Board was lucky to receive a behind the scenes tour from Donna Fernandes. Donna is one of the most intelligent woman I know and being able to have her talk about the animals while we walked the Zoo grounds was awesome.

{Luna bear}

{checking out the Maned Wolf exhibit}

It's an exciting time at the Zoo, if you have a chance to spend a few hours there its a great place to visit.

Until next time..

-B

{Photos all Just A Blonde in Buffalo Photos}

Harlie's Adventure at Knox Farm

{Harlie and her new friend Baxter hitting the trails at Knox Farms}

Harlie went on her second play date with her new friend Baxter Monday night. What was special about this play date was she was going to her first dog park! When we arrived Baxter and Harlie walked the trails on the property of Knox Farm before heading into the dog park area. Having not known what to expect, I was pretty nervous, they had two sides; one for the smaller dogs and puppies and the other for bigger dogs. I took her into the small dogs side where she was the biggest dog, but also got along really well with the others.

{At the dog park at Knox Farms}

{Just checking things out}

I don't know how other dog parks are, but the Knox Farm dog park was nice, they had buckets of water, a hose and some tennis balls and Frisbees, I was impressed and I think Harlie was too, when it was time to leave she wouldn't get in the car.

{Running around and having some fun with Baxter}

{Saying goodbye to one another}

She had a great time with her new friend Baxter and can't wait to head back to the Knox soon!

{Mom I don't want to go}

-B

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

Friday Finds!

{Just a Blonde in Buffalo photos}

{the Grove Juice Truck is by far one of my favorite food trucks in the area!}

{Flying kites and hanging out with some of the best local businesses on Sunday was a highlight from this past week}

{Yoga night success, a beautiful view of the diamond under the lights}

{unique and pretty cool artwork inside the silos from Silo City}

{I'm ready to work - inside a tour of Ralph Wilson Stadium this past week}

From The Top Looking Down

{the first view from the tops of the spiral staircase}

I'm a big fan of learning about the history and people in the Western New York area. I'm also a big fan of Explore Buffalo . They provide some really cool tours in and around the Buffalo area and yesterday my Dad and I went on one of them; the Silo City Vertical Tour. Different from the walking Silo tour, you get to go up inside these grain elevators and take in the beautiful views, all while learning about the history of the silos, how they impacted much of the Country back in the 1900's and what the plans are for them now {some are still being used today}. What we thought would be a public tour turned out to be a private tour as me and my Dad were the only two signed up. It worked out really nicely {in our favor}. Larry was are Docent and he was AWESOME! He spoke about the history, the people and told stories making it a one of a kind tour. For me, a person who is deathly scared of heights I am proud of myself for overcoming my fear to go up hundreds of stairs to the top to see the inside of these beautiful silos and to take in some of the most beautiful views of Western New York I have ever seen.

I have been to Silo City before, but to get an in depth tour of this particular area and to learn about the history was one of the best things I've done this summer and I highly recommend anyone looking for something to do to check out the list of dates this is offered. It was one of the best tours I've been on a while.

-B

{Photos are all Just a Blonde in Buffalo Photos}

{We walked across that}

{A beautiful view}

{Inside the walkway to the Perot Malthouse}

Friday Finds!

{Chalk art in front of the First Niagara Center last Saturday}

{My first Waldfest was so much fun! Can't wait for next year}

{Cheers to another successful Wines in the Wild with some great Board members and friends!}

{I should be a zookeeper}

{Nothing will ever beat a hand written card sent in the mail}

Happy 716 Day!

Its a beautiful day to celebrate 7/16 in the 7-1-6. Its an exciting time for Buffalo and there are so many wonderful things to do around town, not just today, but everyday. Don't take for granted what we have to offer around town. Enjoy today!

-B

{just a blonde in buffalo photo}

Harlie's First Play Date

{Harlie has a new friend, Natalia}

Last night Harlie had her first play date with Natalia. Going into this I think I was more anxious than I think Harlie because I didn't know how she would be, but she was great! We went out to walk the trails on my friend's beautiful land and it was the first time she was off leash as well. Her and Natalia really just hung out and walked the trails side by side, it was so cute!! Kate and Brian taught me a lot yesterday and I can't wait to take Harlie on her next puppy adventure.

{Just pal-ing around}

{Let's race!}

{post trails treat - ice cream at Uncle G's - such a cute spot!}

Friday Finds!

{The Flea Market in Clarence is a great spot to go for misc pieces. I found this ladder that I'm using as a magazine rack for $8!}

{ A different view of the lake from Wilkeson Pointe}

{Before the sun comes up views from the Outer Harbor last weekend, the skyway doesn't look bad in this picture}

{Views of the Peace Bridge the day after the 4th}

{Wine, pizza and a little Shakespeare! I love Shakespeare in Delaware Park!}

The Roaming Table

Last week a few friends and myself took a culinary tour of Lewiston with The Roaming Table. Led by Chris and Alicia, the tour was full of food and beer tastings and history of Lewiston. What I liked even more were some of the fun facts that Alicia threw in because she grew up in the area.

{The tour group!}

We made six stops on the tour, starting at the Silo and trying the ever so popular "Haystack." From there we went to Water St. Landing and enjoyed some smoked gouda mac n' cheese and the Bavarian burger. We "washed" that down with a sample of the 42 North pilsner. After Water St. Landing we walked up Main St. all while learning about the history of Lewiston.

{First stop The Silo}

{D'Avolio's}

While on Main St. we also stopped at D'Avolio Olive Oils, Vinegars & More, Orange Cat Coffee Company {one of my favorite spots on the tour}, The Brickyard Pub & BBQ and The Village Bake Shoppe. In between a couple stops we veered off Main St and walked through neighborhoods to see Lewiston outside of the main strip.

{History was a part of the tour}

Throughout the tour Chris and Alicia asked us what festivals we like to go to, told us about themselves and answered any questions we had. When I asked them what their favorite part of the business was they each had a different response. Alicia mentioned its a unique experience and its something new, it challenges yourself. Chris responded saying he loves meeting new people, he always wanted to open his own restaurant and this is the next best thing. Both work full time jobs outside of hosting tours thru the Roaming Table and I give them lots of props for doing both, they are great hosts!

I had never been on a culinary tour before so I didn't know what to expect, but after the tour I will say I would definitely go back and do it again. The amount of food and drink your receive along with the history and learning of all the things taking place in town is highly worth it. For a list of tour times and availability go here. A big thank you goes out to Alicia and Chris for inviting me out to spend a fun afternoon with them!

Cheers!

-B

{Photos - Just a Blonde in Buffalo}

{One of my favorite spots on the tour!  Orange Cat Coffee Co.}

{Alicia and Chris took us through the neighborhood}