The Thing's I Would Do For Lunch In Buffalo...

I live in Las Vegas. I've been here for 13 years now. And as the city has grown on me in many ways over the years, there is one thing that I never, ever stop yearning for.

Buffalo foods.

The problem with Buffalo foods is this. When you're there. You don't really value it. I'd compare it to the Vegas strip. I have no value for it. I ignore it. I don't visit it very often.

Well that's what I did growing up surrounded by Buffalo foods. I had no idea that the food I was taking for granted on a daily basis would one day become one of the things I missed most in the world!

When I visit home now, I gorge myself on the stuff. I generally gain a minimum of 5 pounds on a quick weeklong visit to my home town.

So in honor of my favorite place in the entire world and it's incredible array of foods (okay... and maybe the fact that I'm super hungry), I give you...

My Buffalo food wish list:

The one and only Chicken Finger Sub.

My first stop on every trip is John's Pizza and Subs. From there... I tend to eat a minimum of one Chicken Finger Sub a day. How do I order mine? Medium. No onions. Extra bleu cheese. But seriously, there isn't a wrong way to order one. As you can see from the photo, the melted provolone cheese atop the spicy chicken fingers combined with the crisp lettuce and tomato and the smothering of Buffalo style bleu cheese comes together to create what I would call the perfect food. The king of all subs. The creme de la creme. All right, you get the point.

Next stop... Beef on Weck.

I typically get mine at Adrian's on Grand Island. Is it the best in Buffalo? Probably not. But there's something amazingly comforting in sitting on that picnic bench, eating my beef on weck while glancing over at Fantasy Island across Grand Island Boulevard. If you're not familiar with a beef on weck. It's thin sliced slow roasted beef dunked in au jus and placed lovingly on a kimmelweck roll. The real secret is in the kimmelwick roll. The roll is covered in kosher salt and caraway seeds adding the perfect salty punch to the sandwich. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The Staple Food... Chicken Wings.

See in Buffalo, where these babies were invented, we don't call them Buffalo wings. They're called chicken wings. Which makes alot more sense doesn't it? Jessica Simpson would have understood the concept a lot quicker if they had just been calling them chicken wings from the beginning. Obviously, no trip to Buffalo would be complete without stopping for wings and beer. And for the record... chicken wings really shouldn't be eaten without beer accompanying them.

Mighty Taco.

Mighty Taco is pretty much the McDonalds of Buffalo. They're everywhere now. And there's a reason that the chain is so expanded in Buffalo. Because there is absolutely nothing better in the world than two super mighty's and a loganberry after a long night of drinking. Frankly, I don't find it necessary to eat Mighty after drinking, I'd eat Mighty anytime.

Ted's Hot Dog's.

Ted's is the standard in Buffalo. Hot dogs, sadly, are just not made like this anywhere else. I'm pretty sure they're using Salens hot dogs, but they grill them to perfection, poking holes as they grill to give it just the right smoky taste. Louie's Hot Dog's is amazing as well and if you're into grilled hot dogs, is more than worthy of a try.

Pizza.

Yep, I'll say it. Buffalo has the best pizza in the world. Many will argue this. I'm not sure what makes it so incredibly good, maybe it's the water that the dough is made from, maybe it's the magical tiny circular pepperoni's. But it's one of a kind.

For dessert... straight to Anderson's Frozen Custard.

Frozen custard is like a smoother, creamier, more satisfying version of soft serve ice cream. Anderson's has perfected this. As a kid, we'd go in the summer. If black raspberry happened to be the flavor of the day, it was as good as winning the lottery. I'm an adult. I've been back. The feeling doesn't go away.

My last stop is always to either Kelly's Country Store or the Chocolate House for Sponge Candy. We tend to buy enough to last us for several months on any trip home. This delicacy is just not found anywhere else in the country. It's like Buffalo's best kept secret. The honeycomb like sugar center melts in your mouth. The chocolate coating is the perfect consistency. Ahhh... just thinking about biting into one of these makes me smile.

So there they are. The things I would do anything for. We're planning a trip to B-lo in late July. If you're looking for me... I'll probably be eating.

Ahhh... The Fruits of my Labors!

It wasn't easy.
It took weeks and weeks of dedication.
There were moments when I was sure I wouldn't succeed.
But failure was not an option for me.
Oh no.
Not for me.
I watered.
I watered some more.
And I created life and food from nothing but a seed.
(Okay... it's possible that I did not ever see the seed that these beautiful plants started from. It's possible that I actually started from a seed-ling but that would be what I refer to as a minor detail.)
This week has been highly successful for me in my little tiny world of gardening.
I harvested two tomatoes and one very small (but extremely sweet) strawberry!





Ahhhh... all is right with the world.

With all this gardening potential just brewing inside of me, I'm thinking about buying myself a nice little plot in Montana and just living off the land from here on out.
What was that you said?
No Coffee Bean?
No Target 5 minutes away?
Where the hell am I supposed to buy my boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese while sipping on a delicious Iced White Chocolate Dream Latte?

Okay... let's try again. I'm thinking of buying myself a nice little plot in Montana raised garden bed for my backyard and just living off the land snacking on my delicious home grown veggies!

Thankful.

I don't know why but it seems that lately all I see, hear, read about is tragedy. Children taken from their parents too soon. Illness. Kidnappings. Complete a*%holes who drive after drinking and murder innocent children crossing the street. It's sickening.
I always feel like I'm really over protective with Michael. I can't even count the number of daycare/nursery school facilities I took him out of as a toddler because they weren't good enough or did something that I felt was unsafe.
I do my fair share of complaining talking about how much work it is to raise Michael. And watching the news recently has made one thing abundantly clear for me. I'm not over protective. I am cautious. And I am grateful (actually it's so much more than grateful) that I get to kiss him every morning and kiss him every night. Because so many parents have had that ripped away from them lately. And it's wrong and awful and heartbreakingly sad.
So I find myself just staring at him some days. Filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and love and gratefulness. Life is good. And I'm making sure to cherish every moment of it.

Sobe is Secretly Stalking Me...

Every morning I start my day with a Sobe Lean Energy. I can not get going without it. For years I was a Sugar Free Red Bull girl. That all came to an abrupt end when I wound up in the ER with heart palpitations. So Sobe it is.

But beyond my pure enjoyment of their drinks, I have a giant rational feeling that Sobe is secretly stalking me.

It all started with my tattoo. I got my first tattoo in 1996. The design was simple. I wanted lizards. My name is Liz. People call me Lizard. Obviously the first thing I would have permanently tattooed onto my skin should be lizards. I showed up at the tattoo parlor and told the artist what I was thinking of. He took a week to design my tat. It came out better than I could have imagined. Two lizards... in a yin yang. Fitting for me as I am always in search of balance.
Here is the finished product.



It was original, one of kind. That is until Sobe decided to release their lovely new drink.



What?????
I have spent years swearing to people that I did not have the Sobe logo tattooed on myself.
The conversation usually goes something like this...
Some stranger - "Hey, what's your tattoo?"
Me - "It's two lizards in a yin yang."
Stranger - "Isn't it the Sobe logo?"
Me - "No. Why the &*#$ would I tattoo a drink logo on my back?"
Stranger - "I don't know but it's definitely the Sobe logo!"
Me - "Oh go $&%# yourself."

Okay... I'm probably not quoting myself completely accurately but I promise that's what's going through my head.

Okay... back on track. Sobe Lean Energy (along with all Sobe bottles) have funny little sayings on the inside of the cap. I think that Sobe is secretly planting certain bottle caps in my fridge for certain days.

For instance:


Smarter not Harder.
This one was opened by me at the end of a 15 hour day at work. Oh really Sobe? You couldn't have mentioned that at hour 8?


Bring on the Catwalk.
I opened this one after a morning of Wii Fit.


Kev Bounce.
Well... I still haven't translated this one but my husband's name happens to start with Kev. (Hoping that Sobe's not inferring that he should "bounce".)


Not My Scene.
I opened this at Michael's school dropping him off the other morning. That was as all the Mom's who don't have to rush off to work were planning to hit the Coffee Bean and "catch up". "Sorry you can't come Liz" they told me. I wouldn't have called it the most sincere. I looked down at my Sobe lid... and remembered... Not My Scene.


Respek the Lizard.
Clearly the mother of all Sobe lids. No explaining necessary.

Respek the Lizard.
Words to live by.
(Now if I could just get that through to my son...)

Random Hawaii Post

On March 21st, 2009, I married my best friend. This wedding was 16 years in the making as we met and began our relationship (not sure if that's what it should be referred to, but it'll do) in high school.

I was adamant that if we were going to spend money on any one thing, a great photographer was at the top of my list. My now husband disagreed. "Everyone there will have camera's. We'll have plenty of pictures." Needless to say... I won that debate and found Julia Sieber.

Julia is originally from Switzerland and traveled the world. Eventually she landed in Hawaii and has been there ever since. She super amazing because she got some incredible candids while waiting for the priest to show (he was an hour and a half late!) She also stayed way past what we had paid her for to make sure she got shots of everything due to the priest being "stuck in traffic." (Are you kidding me? It's the North Shore of Hawaii! There is no such thing as traffic!) She is gifted as a photographer with an eye for incredible details. This means alot to me since I can't seem to get a good shot of anything. Seriously, I go to the most beautiful places in the world and get average pictures. Have you ever seen an average picture of the Grand Canyon? Really? Well here you go...



But Julia... ahhhh Julia. This woman now has a place in my heart. First, she gave me the most beautiful photos of my wedding. She has created memories that I will enjoy for the rest of my life. But secondly (and quite possibly more importantly), she made me look amazing! I mean I just don't look that good in real life. She's a photography god and if you're ever in Hawaii and find the need for a photo shoot overcoming you, look no further!















Julia... I ♥ you!

Back to School - Part 2

I have a full time job that consumes me. I have a son who demands more attention that an average newborn. I am a newlywed whose husband just got promoted and is now working 16 hour days. I have a dog. I have grubs in my garden. I have 10 pounds to lose. Let's face it... I'm busy.

So I figured now would be the perfect time to head back to school!

I spent my formative college years at West Virginia University.
Ahhh... the Mountaineers.



They were wonderful times filled with learning... about things like friendship, Grateful Dead lyrics, and political opinions. I became an uber feminist at this time. I wore more tye dye than any one human should ever wear. I experienced the true greatness of nickel beers at a place called The Dungeon.
Things I didn't spend a large amount of time on (confirmed by my recently received transcript) were classes, studying and my education.

It's been on my list of regrets for 13 years now. It's frustrating as hell to pay off a rather large sum of money for a school loan that did not earn me a degree.



It's not as though I haven't found success without it... it just sucks to leave something unfinished. I don't feel the need to get my degree to boost my career exactly. I just feel the need to learn. To set an example for my son. To finish something left undone. To make my father proud. To experience college in a completely different way.

So I'm done making excuses.
No more...
-I don't have time.
-I don't have the money.
-It will take too long to finish.
-I can't.

And starting Friday... you will find me two days a week at fabulous UNLV!



I'm starting with an executive business course offered to me by the fantastic company I work for! Then... I'm going to take a quick summer session class in June. I'm figuring on 2 classes a semester.

Current goal - Bachelors in Hotel Administration by the ripe, young age of 35!
(Let's just hope I don't gain the Freshman 15 this time!)

Attack of the Alien Organisms in My Garden!

I've been very proud of my garden up to now. I've paid attention to it, talked to it, loved it. I'll admit, I've probably moved a few plants a few too many times. But it's all out of love!
Last week, I had several lovely herbs that needed to be planted. My typical Las Vegas backyard is small, and frankly, I'm running out of space quickly. I decided to move a few of the really overgrown flowers to the back of the flower garden and plant the herbs at the front. It was a hot Vegas afternoon and I went to work. As I unearthed the first plant, I found three of the most disgusting, organisms I've ever seen. I would call them a cross between an alien and a maggot in a horror movie. I'm serious. I almost threw up on my garden!
Here is one of them... (the photo's not great, mainly because I was too scared to get any where near this thing should it decide to hatch, suddenly fly, move... so it's superzoomed)


At this point, I decided that gardening clearly wasn't for me and moved on. I went to bed that night, picturing the aliens growing in my backyard. I pictured them coming out of the ground zombie style and taking over the world. (This is not an exaggeration... I really imagined this.)

I began asking everyone I know what it might be. I got tons of suggestions. I searched them all online, none seemed to match the alien in my garden. I was beginning to worry about my plants though. So yesterday, I went straight to the experts. Star Nursery. While I was getting up the nerve to actually tell one of these fine garden people about the aliens in my yard, I picked up some carnations, an elephant garlic, an artichoke (can those even be grown in the desert?), and another bag of soil. I walked up and down the pesticide aisle at least 50 times. For the record, I totally avoid chemical pesticides when at all possible. This was not one of those occasions. I was desperate. Juan must have felt sorry for me, he approached me and asked me if I needed help or did I just really like this aisle.

Slowly, I explained my problem.
Aliens.


Growing in my garden.


Help.

Juan smiled. Listened intently. Waited for me to finish.
"You've got grubs."


And then Juan proceeded to tell me everything I ever could have wanted or needed to know about grubs.
Here's what I learned...
1. They are eating my plants roots. This will eventually kill them.
2. They will hatch (alien style) and become June bug beetles.
3. They hatch in Vegas around the first week of May.
4. They are currently infiltrating the desert.
5. The beetles are actually worse than the worms. (Is that possible?)
6. There is a wonderful pesticide especially for them.

So home I went, with my pesticide ready to go to war.
Here I am with my game face on.

And I went to work.

Thankfully all my veggies are potted. Juan swears I can cook any grubs out of the pots by simply placing a laundry bag over the pot for the afternoon. The soil will get so hot that the grubs can't take it and will surface. Then simply pluck them out. Right Juan. Pluck them out. I think I'll need my husbands help with that...