Pete and the Apple Pancake

Peter and his huge breakfast - the Original Pancake House's signature item - the Apple Pancake, a single large pancake smothered with sautéed apples and cinnamon sugar baked to perfection.

Zucchini Blossoms

I love Wegmans!! After searching high and low for them at local farmer's markets - I found them at Wegmans. Pete and I have been dreaming of zucchini blossoms and I so wanted to make them at home so we can just pic out on them.

Aren't they beautiful to look at...

and good to eat too after I stuff them with ricotta and fresh herbs!

I have a great recipe for them which I posted sometime last year - click on Zucchini Blossom for the recipe. Enjoy!!

The Perfect ♥ Martini

Thanks to 800 Maple for making this delish martini!

Alicia's Bachelorette Weekend

Thanks to Jess for organizing such a fun bachelorette for Alicia! We camped over at Keuka State Park, had a limo picked all of us girls up from our campsite (all other campers had their eyes on us lot), lots of tastings and vino shopping at the Keuka Lake wineries, an amazing dinner at Esperanza Mansion and back to camp with our attempt to light somewhat wet firewood for smores!

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Sharon's quick stop!

Peter and Chee Ming drove to Indianapolis over the weekend to help Sharon move apartment to a friend's house and drove her back to Buffalo. She literally had less than 48 hours with us before she departed for Poland to join up with my parents on their European holiday. Here are pictures from dinner with the rest of the crew and at home.

Sharon & Amelia and Myrto and Sherene @ 800 Maple

Sharon, Chee Ming, Xenia, Myrto & Sherene

Peter, Sharon, Chee Ming, Xenia and Myrto

Sisters at home...

Sharon with her jiě fū = brother in law

Have a wonderful time in Europe!!
XoXoX

Viva Toronto

Myrto and Gian Paolo had a conference in Toronto to attend, the rest of us just wanted the drive, dim sum brunch and some grocery shopping. Sasha rode his bike the entire way and we snapped some "AMAA-ZING" pictures of Gian Paolo hanging on to his helmet on Sasha's bike on one of the shorter drives.

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The artist in us...

We were over at Artsphere Studio and Gallery to support Katia who is showing several of her art pieces.

One of Katia's piece

This is Shadow and Pink by Margaret Raab - I absolutely love it and wished husband or Wojtek could have at least purchased it for me. I know the perfect spot for it at home too! :P

Here are the guys - Peter, Wojtek & Gian Paolo waiting happily for....

Chee Ming - here he comes. We were all starving waiting for you!

Neighborhood Block Party

This weekend, our street hosted our first annual block party and what a party it was. We have no idea how we are all going to top it next year. Everyone pitched in and made it such a wonderful event and both the adults and kids had tremendous fun.

There were face painting and parade of decorated bicycles/tricycles, three-legged races, obstacle courses, water balloon tosses, whiffleball, throwing pie in face at Dads and pinata! We even had an outdoor screen made and set up for movie later in the evening.

During the parade of decorated bikes... we had a fireman came in his fire department's SUV with his lights all turned on leading the kids parade. This was then followed by an appearance of a policewoman from our town's police department. The kids and adults were all amazed when she pulled out her AK-47 for show and tell and more. The kids all enjoyed being in the back of the police car but, hey - no one had better be looking forward to it in real life! :P

The biggest surprise was when our fireman returned not in his fire department's SUV but with the fire engine. Not only did everyone get to hop on to the fire engine we all got treated to a ride up in the ''ladder-basket"! Such fun!!

What else is there to say but... we love our street!

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Goran & Valya's Birthday

Two of our birthday people were missing on their birthday... not missing MIA but missing as in not around for us to sing happy birthday to on their many happy returns of the day. Goran's birthday was on the 12th - one day after Valya's. Thanks to Wojtek's quick planning, we all gathered for dinner upon their return from the West Coast to toast them.

Make a wish....

Birthday buddies!

Corn Hill Festival 2010

We spent most of the morning at the Corn Hill Art Festival. ONe thing about festivals... I love the food offerings they have. One snack in particular...

Kettle Corn - Dad@Mario and I get a BIG bag each every time we are at a festival/fair.

Me and Erica right surrounded by bubbles!!

The Milizias, Legans & Golibers together...

Who ever thought of this is super creative!

Amelia - we spotted a pink moped for you!

Here's Mom@Nancy enjoying her Georgia Peach cocktail at the Cheesecake Factory!

7/11 Birthdays

Three amazing ladies share the same birthday today...

Mom@Nancy

Joanna@Asia

Valya

Happy Birthday!!
XoXoX
lots of love
Sherene & Peter

With the cousins...

Met up with the rest of the Milizia clan for Christopher's graduation party. He is the last Milizia in our generation to graduate from high school. That completes one generation or high school goer... and I knew it was coming and it did! Aunt Cathy goes... " So, you know what that means? We are expecting you to work on the next generation of Milizias!"

With Shelby & Lisa

Xavi's Birthday

We celebrated Xavier's birthday at Thai Orchid Restaurant with plenty of vino to go around our large party. Here are pictures from the evening...

Xavi with his cake 'name plate'...

The entire party....

And here we are singing Happy Birthday in Spanish to Xavi... needless to say, we were not that in sync nor were our articulatory phonetic skills accurate at all! :P

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4th of July, 2010

We headed to Mandy & Phil's cottage at Poplar Beach by Lake Canandaigua for our annual 4th of July family get together. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day. Somehow, I forgot my camera... but thanks to Jimmy, I can always count on him for amazing pictures!!

Our first backyard barbeque...

Peter and I had a our first backyard barbeque at our place - it was a belated celebration for Amelia & Chee Ming's graduation, Froso's birthday and not forgetting it's 4th of July weekend. Once can't go about around 4th of July and not have a bbq!

We got out our reds, whites and blues out with plenty of stuff for grilling and drinks all around.

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Great American Bake Sale - 2010

It's my office's annual charity event. We continued on with tradition in participating in the Great American Bake Sale where all the proceeds go to Share our Strength - helping to feed child hunger in your local community. This year, I baked a lot more than I previously did. I made several fruit pies and carrot cakes to contribute to the cause. The two weekends event was a huge success, we managed to raised almost $2,200. Hurrah to us!

Our extensive menu board...

Marie posing to our lovely Arabian garb to be donated off.

Yummy baked goods...

I was sticking labels to our brown bags...

Amy's bakesale team!

Carolyn putting our 'sample' brownies tray together...

More baked goods...

Amy - our bakesale ambassador!

Lori & Steve's Wedding

Lori's something borrowed was my wedding veil... I was so honored that she wanted to wear my veil. She looked gorgeous, like a Roman goddess but in her case, a Jewish goddess in her gold polka-dotted empire-waist flowy dress.

Mr. & Mrs. Steven Starr

Lori & Sher

With the beautiful bride...

More pictures from the Starr wedding...

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Alicia's Surprise Bridal Shower

Jess helped hosted a surprise bridal shower for Alicia. Here are pictures from the shower...

Shower favors...

Shower cake...

The centerpiece...

Surprised!!

Alicia admiring her shower cake...

Alicia with her future MIL and Mom

Opening shower gifts... I took this picture while multitasking - jotting down names of gift givers!

Here comes Tom - the fiance!

So happy for you Alicia... looking forward to your wedding day in September!

Over at Wojtek's

It was our first weekend back to Buffalo and a party was in full swing in celebration of Chee Ming's graduation and Wojtek just completed sitting for the CFA Part 2 paper.

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