I am a cooking scrapping fool.

I've tried not one, but two new recipes this week. On Sunday, I made Steak Pizzaiola (which on Everyone Loves Raymond, was Raymond's mother's signature dish). Mark really ate this up so I will probably make it again. Then tonight, I made Spaghetti Carbonara, which Lauren really ate up. I'm thankful that my mother does not actively read this blog, because if she knew that we were consuming something involving raw eggs stirred into pasta, she would have heart palpitations.

I am ashamed to say that I did not take photos of either dish.

I've also been trying to catch up on some scrapbooking. A couple of months ago, I had a really productive weekend where I made three pages, but I haven't really made anything since then. Over the course of the last 3 evenings (while Lauren watched Blues Clues on iTunes), I made this:



The photos were taken sometime last September. They are some of my favorites, so I really wanted to get them all on a page. I used what was left of the paper that I used for my Aunt's album, because I just love that paper and couldn't bear to let any of it to go to waste.

Journalling reads: Lauren, you may not be a good eater, but you sure are a cute one.

By the way, I dedicate this layout to my best gal pal, Melissa, who knows who the "good eater" of the Ross family really is.

I will break you.

Tonight, we are watching Rocky IV.



It is so great a film, that we can't help but to get into the action.



dedicated to Uncle Mike and all the former patrons of Kiski Cinemas

Join the crowd.

Mark done got his own Flickr account. I added it to his list of links, but does he merit his own Flickr widget...hmmm? Maybe after he posts more photos. Anyway, it gives everyone something else to look at when I don't update the blog for days.

Ickle baby and icky bug.

This is Noah.



He sleeps. Unlike his cousin.



This is an icky bug. It's unknown if he has a cousin.

Our resident daddy.

I would like to write more, but it is 10:45 p.m., and Lauren is still awake.

*sigh*

Fleecy-D.

Mark gave Daisy her summer shave. We call her by her street name, "Fleecy-D", because she looks and feels like she's wearing a fleece pull-over.

On the road again.

I can't believe I'm 35 years old. Ugh, please make it stop.

Anyway, today we hit the rode again (this time with Lauren in tow) and headed toward Ligonier for Antiques on the Diamond. This show is much smaller than Burton, but has great ambiance. Although there wasn't much to buy (I did find a nice stoneware bowl for $10 that will be great for holding fruit), there was still a lot to see.



And as with all of our excursions, there was food involved. Every June, one of the local churches has a luncheon to benefit their mission work. They serve the best pulled pork sandwiches ever! Even Lauren had a few bites. I've come to the conclusion that I look forward to the June Ligonier show more for these sandwiches than for the antiques!

More pictures can be seen here.

Ohio or bust.

Yesterday, Mark and I spent a Lauren-free day in the great state of Ohio. For the last 5 years, we've attended the Great Geauga Antique Fair, which is held at the Geauga County Fairgrounds in the Village of Burton. We never fail to have a great time in Burton - this visit especially so. Although it was incredibly hot, there was lots of cool stuff to distract shoppers from the heat.




After we finished shopping at the fair, we did our usual walk about town. The first order of business is always lunch. We usually eat at a little hole-in-the-wall place called Tom and Jerry's, but this time, we decided to try the local home cookin' restaurant called Belle's American Grille. Mark and I both ordered the Chicken Pecan Salad, which was as pretty as it was tasty. Seriously - had it not been so dark in the restaurant, I would have taken a picture of it. In addition to chicken and pecans, of course, it was filled with strawberry slices, green and red grapes, tri-color rotini pasta, and mandarin oranges. It even came with a freshly baked muffin on the side. Mark's salad came with a corn muffin while mine came with chocolate chip. To be fair, we decided to split them both.

Next, we headed over to the town square, home to a little log cabin store.



Inside, we found a very nice lady selling maple candies and syrup. I immediately eyed up little mini tin shaped like a log cabin that was filled with syrup. The lady tried to talk me out of it, warning that I was paying 3 dollars extra for the tin. Having done her duty, she wrapped my purchase into a bag and handed it to Mark with a wink. Older women just love Mark.

We're already looking forward to the second fair in September. The rest of the photos from this trip can be seen here.

Pirate game redux.

So for the second time in a month, I went to a Pirate game. This time, I went with my co-workers and sat in our company's luxury box.

The evening didn't start out so great, as just when we left for the game, a massive thunderstorm rolled through the area. We ended up hanging out for about forty minutes on the first floor of a parking garage until we got up enough courage to trek across the Roberto Clemente bridge.

Most of the photos that I took aren't very exciting - just of a bunch of men standing around drinking free beer. Here are a couple of the more interesting shots:



There's a story behind this photo, but I'll leave it to the imagination.



Apparently, when you occupy the luxury boxes, the Pirate Parrot comes to you.