Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Bars

May 29, 2014May 27, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

I have a confession … I’ve never really LOVED s’mores.

I know – that’s like saying I hate summer … but hear me out. I have never been a chocoholic, OR a big fan of marshmallows. So s’mores? I’ll take ’em or leave ’em.

But these bars. OMG. THESE BARS. There is no way that you’re not going to like these. Even B, another non-s’mores fan (yes, there are two of us and we found one another!), loves these bars. SO with the unofficial start of summer here, I decided to bring these bars to a Memorial Day BBQ and they did NOT disappoint. We got tons of compliments (yay!) and we will definitely be making these again. Enjoy!

PEANUT BUTTER CUP SMORES BARS - I CRASHED THE WEB

Here’s what you need:

The Graham Cracker Crust:

15 graham crackers, blended finely into graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
1/3 c. sugar

The Cookie Layer:

1 ½ c all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 ½ cups (same as 1 1/2 sticks or 12 tbs) butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A 4.4 oz Hershey candy bar (the giant bar), broken up into chunks
6 large Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped up into chunks
½ c mini chocolate chips
2 ½ cups mini marshmallows (1 ½ c to sprinkle on top, 1 c to add in batter)

Here’s what you do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Crush the graham crackers in a food processor. Combine with sugar and melted butter and press into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and gently stir in half of the Hershey candy bar chunks, half of the Reese’s chunks, the mini chocolate chips and 1 c. mini marshmallows.
Carefully add the batter to the top of the graham cracker crust. I found it easiest to add big chunks in the corner of the pan and then carefully push the batter down with my hands so it is even. Be gentle – you don’t want to pull the crust apart. Don’t worry about making it perfectly even – it will spread as it’s baking.
Press remaining candy (Reese’s and Hershey bar) on top of the bars. Sprinkle remaining marshmallows on top of the bars.
Bake for 30 minutes or until marshmallows have started to brown/darken. Allow to cool completely before cutting into them. I put mine in the fridge overnight before chopping them.
Enjoy!

reeses smores cookie bars - i crashed the web

Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Bars

Some questions for you:

Do you like s’mores?
Do you have a go-to dessert that you bring to a potluck? What is it?
Peanut butter cups – yay or nay?

Freekeh freekeh!! Cajun Shrimp Freekeh

May 27, 2014February 23, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Are you a meal planner? This is a dish that I threw together not having much planned ahead of time. Which isn’t always like me. I like to plan my meals in advance. I like knowing what I’m eating for dinner the morning of – or heck, even the night before. But sometimes we can’t always plan. And that was one of those nights. Luckily, we had a few ingredients on hand, and some frozen shrimp, that when put together made for a pretty good dish.

B even suggested we make this again – so it’s a winner in my book!

CAJUN SHRIMP FREEKEH

Cajun Shrimp Freekeh

Here’s what you need:

1 c. dry freekeh (I used Freekeh Foods original)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or diced
2 red peppers
1 10-oz can diced tomatoes with green chilis
12 oz frozen shrimp, or four servings
2 TBS Cajun or Creole seasoning (I like this “Creole” mix from Emeril)

Here’s what you do:

Prepare freekeh according to package directions (my freekeh said to add to 2 1/2 c water, boil, then simmer). About halfway through cooking add 1 TBS cajun seasoning to freekeh. Stir, and continue to cook freekeh nearly to completion – I cooked mine for about 17 minutes (package said to cook for 20).
While freekeh is cooking, heat 1-2 TBS olive oil on a pan over medium low heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and red pepper and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
At this point, freekeh should be nearly done cooking. Add nearly-done (definitely soft, it may have 2-3 more minutes) freekeh, can of diced tomatoes and 1 TBS cajun seasoning to the onion/garlic/pepper mixture. Cook for 3 more minutes on medium heat, stirring to make sure all flavors are combined.
Add defrosted shrimp to pan and cook for 4-6 minutes until shrimp is warm and flavors are all absorbed. When shrimp is ready your dish is too.
Enjoy!

Makes: 4 main courses

CAJUN SHRIMP FREEKEH - i crashed the web

Anyway, I’ve really been enjoying cooking with my freekeh that Freekeh Foods sent me. I started small/easy, with the freekeh chickpea and goat cheese salad, and have been eating it as a side dish, as a main dish, and more. I think I need to try it as a dessert – freekeh pudding or cookies anyone? Maybe that’s next.

Have you tried freekeh yet?
Do you like Cajun food?
Do you count fish as meat? I wanted to post this on a Monday as a Meatless Monday .. but would it even count as a Meatless Monday?

Thankful Thursday: For Family

May 22, 2014May 21, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

My brother graduated this week from college. My brother, whom I remember being born (we’re 7 years apart) is graduating from college. How does that make me feel?

It makes me feel so grateful, lucky and so thankful to have such an incredible family. So for this Thankful Thursday (perhaps my first one?) I want to thank my family. Warning – a short sappy post follows.

Greg and me at his high school graduation

So thank you to my brother — I’m so proud of him – for all he’s achieved in college and beyond … and so excited for him – to start this next chapter of his life, because we all know that life out of college is not easy, but the challenges it presents us really makes us who we are. Despite being nearly a decade younger than I am, there are so many ways in which I look up to him and am inspired by all that he does.

7 years apart – Greg at my college graduation

And of course my parents – for always supporting me and my brother, despite how difficult our decisions have been for them. It is thanks to them that my brother and I are who we are today. I could write a post all about how thankful I am for them – and I know I’ve done it somewhat before – so this post will end with that.

This year – my brother’s graduation. We all look the same, right?

Hope you’re all having as much of a great week as I am and are feeling thankful today as well.

Some questions for you:

What are you thankful for?
Any graduations coming up or just happen? Congrats!
What day of the week was your graduation on? Mine was on a Monday – Greg’s was on a Tuesday and Wednesday!
Where is your alma mater? Do you stay involved? Boston College – Go Eagles! Not as much as I’d like to -B and I are both part of the local alumni association but we haven’t done much with the group in some time.

Oatmeal Heath Bar Cookies

May 21, 2014May 19, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

I think Heath Bar should also be called the Forgotten Candy. I LOVE love LOVE Heath Bar. It’s one of my favorite candies. Growing up, Heath Bar Crunch Ben & Jerrys was my favorite ice cream and was almost always in my family’s freezer (yes, I know I’m lucky). But it’s also a candy I forget about when I think of candy. If I’m craving something sweet and want to buy candy, too often I’ll choose something like a peanut butter cup, peanut M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces – and leave Heath Bar forgotten. So, this is an ode to my favorite, forgotten candy bar- Oatmeal Heath Bar Cookies. These are based one of my favorite recipes – Special K cookies – but have a few different ingredients.

Oatmeal Heath Bar toffee Cookies - i crashed the web

Oatmeal Heath Bar Cookies

Here’s what you need:

1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 c. uncooked old fashioned oats
2 c Special K cereal
1 c. Heath Bar, chopped into pieces (OR buy a bag of Heath Bar that’s pre-diced/crumbled and ready for baking)
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Here’s what you do:

Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix Special K, oats, Heath Bar and chocolate chips. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugars until fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg is added.
Stir in flour mixture slowly, mixing well.
Stir in oat mixture and mix with wooden spoon until well blended.
Make tablespoon sized scoops on greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Got a chocolate lover in your life? These aren’t THAT chocolatey so you may want to add more chips. OR chop up a HERSHEY’S bar and add to batter as well! That’s what did for the one in the pic above.

Oatmeal Heath Bar Cookies omg - i crashed the web

Weekend Update – Cleveland Marathon Weekend

May 19, 2014May 19, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

I’m still feeling the endorphins from a great half marathon weekend and my second sub-2 hour half marathon for this year. That’s right – even though I didn’t plan on running too fast and just wanted to take it easy, Sunday morning ended with me running another 1:58 half marathon race during the Cleveland marathon. (Mostly because of B’s sister, Mary, but I’ll get to that later)

I knew I wanted to take it easy this weekend – I was just getting over a cold and a few late nights, and I realllly wanted to feel good and rested for my Sunday morning race. That’s code for “I was really boring this weekend.”

Friday night B and I went to the movies for the first time in forever. After an amazing (as usual) dinner at Superior Pho, we hit up the movie theater with all the teeny boppers in Cleveland to see Neighbors. Don’t worry, the teeny boppers were seeing Godzilla or something else. The movie was actually pretty good – I didn’t have high expectations but I had a few pretty good laughs out of it. The previews don’t do it justice – it was more than just a stupid movie I promise!

Summer rolls = happiness

my favorite salad at Superior Pho

Saturday was another lazy day. We walked to brunch at pHuel cafe (yes, again…I know this is two weeks in a row) where I had their granola (yes, again) and B had their pancakes (again … but with banana this time).

Another Saturday, another pHuel Cafe breakfast

Ginger Tea from Cleveland Tea Revival

After brunch we headed to the West Side Market to pick up some snacks (Apple Fritters FTW!), but not too many groceries for the week since I’ll be traveling. After the Market it was time for my favorite ginger tea and then laziness time. That’s right, aka Melissa watches several episodes of Damages while waiting for her dinner. We had dinner plans with Mary and a few of her friends at my favorite pre-race dinner place, The Flaming Ice Cube. I swear – they have the perfect pre-long-run dinner and I live by their kalebouli wraps before a race.

Flaming Ice Cube Kalebouli Hummus Wrap

We came home after dinner to a surprise – my Go Vox Box from Influenster arrived! It was such a perfect pre-race surprise – I can’t wait to try out the orthotics (for walking, I’m not messing with my existing running orthotics) and the protein powder and shaker. B and I have protein we use already, but I’m always up for trying out new ones! And BLUEBERRY almonds? Anyway, I digress.

Check out all these goodies from Influenster!

Sunday morning was race day! I was not looking forward to my 5 a.m. alarm – but Mary and I met up before the race so we could start together. Mary was running the full and I was just planning on running the first 10 easy with her before the half marathoners split up from the full marathoners. Mary had other plans – to aim for a sub-4 hour marathon, a PR of about 20 minutes from her last marathon time (Mary is a beast and this is her third race). And she asked if I’d run the first 10 with her – how could I say no?

Mary and I at the starting corral

So out the door went my “easy, enjoying the sights” half marathon plans .. and instead, I ran with Mary for the first 10, trying to keep up with the 3:55 pacers. We did it, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I breathed (or huffed at this point) a sigh of relief when the marathoners broke up for their final 16 as I finished my final 3ish. Mile 11-12 was all up hill and in the sun, and I was dying. I felt like I was going at a snail’s pace and don’t know how but I managed to somewhat spring the final mile to the finish. The end result:

A surprise – under 2 hrs!

post race photo op with the medal

Post race, we met up with some of the members of the “Ladies who run in the morning” club (yes, I just came up with that name) for brunch. I know – two weekends in a row, four brunches. Who am I?

Ladies who Run in the Morning together

Some questions for you:

Drinks at brunch – yes or no? If yes, what’s your drink of choice? Mimosas? Bellinis? Beer?
Morning runner or evening workerouter (that’s a word)?
What was the last movie you saw?
Clevelanders – how did you do this weekend? Did you like the new course? Congrats to all you who participated and thank you to ALL who came out to cheer. It really does make quite a difference in how we feel.
Runners – what’s your evening-before-a-race meal of choice?

Friday Five: Running Update

May 16, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

TGIF! Another week has come and gone and I am SO ready for the weekend. Aren’t you?

In honor of this weekend’s big event – the Cleveland marathon – and the fact that I haven’t posted a running update in a while, here are some running-related randomness for this Friday Five.

Annual Mileage Total: Approx. 512 miles

I know, I know, I’m at waay less mileage than I was at this time last year. But I’m okay with it for a few reason. One, when B and I went to Costa Rica last month, I only ran twice – we kept active with walks, hikes, swims, etc. So that’s two full weeks of at least 20 fewer miles to add to my log. Two, I feel like I’ve been running smarter. When my shin started seriously hurting a few weeks ago (yes, again), I took a few days off. I’ve been trying to take at least one day off from running a week (sometimes 2! like this week) to make sure my body recovers from pounding the pavement. I will acknowledge that it may not seem like a big deal to say “Oh, I’m running only 5 days a week,” but I can assure you (just ask B) that for me, it is. And I know a few other runners out there are nodding their heads reading this and get it.

2014 runs

2014 Races Completed: 4 thus far (plus 1 this weekend!)

I can’t believe it’s May already and we’re right in the middle of running season and our total races completed is 4. B and I started the year with the Chili Bowl 5K in February (we used the 3.1 race as the end to an 11 mile training run). Then in March (exactly one month later), we completed the Chicago Get Lucky Half Marathon. In April, B and I did two races in one weekend – the Hermes 10 miler and a 5K for autism awareness in Columbus. At the 5K, I somehow took home first overall female … guess I should do small community races more often!

post autism awareness 5k

action shot for the 10 miler

2014 Goals: A Work In Progress

This year some of my running goals have included to get to a sub-2 hour half marathon, as well as run 3 half marathons in the year. I’m getting there! I’ve done 1 half marathon (and have 1 this weekend) and met my sub-2 hour goal at the Chicago Get Lucky Half Marathon this year. Hmm, maybe it’s time to set another goal. Sub-25 min 5k? Do I see some interval/speed training in my future (blech)?

My not-quite-accurate finish time. My "chip start" didn't work so take this tiem and subtrack at least a minute to account for how long it took me to get to the starting line (B's chip stated at 1:51 and we ran together)

My not-quite-accurate finish time. My “chip start” didn’t work so take this time and subtract at least a minute to account for how long it took me to get to the starting line (B’s chip stated at 1:51 and we ran together)

Getting More Social in my Running

I’ve definitely been being a more social runner, something that I really like. Flash back to a year ago, doing a long run and asking B to come with me and he admitting he wished I had more “runner friends.” Because about a year ago, I had only really run with B and Mary. Later in the year I started doing some runs with my coworker Cari … and this year I’ve been running somewhat regularly (at least a few times a month) with Nicole and Erica. Running with people used to intimidate me. What if I ran too slow? I get really sweaty .. what if they were grossed out? Yes, I thought about this things. But for some reason, I just stopped caring. I run with people who run my pace and if I’m sweaty, coughing, etc. well, does it really matter?

Best example – got over myself and did the Running of the Bridges with a group of at least 50 other runners last week. It was warm, sunny, and yes, I was super sweaty – but it was fun!

see! I sweat ..

What’s Next?

The Cleveland Half Marathon Race is this weekend! I’m pretty ready and excited to be taking it easy, running it for fun and not competitively, and just enjoy the sights of this city, the new route, the cheering crowds (hopefully) and the cool weather that just came in today. After that – where should I plan half marathon #3?

Good luck to all those running this weekend! Some questions for you:

What’s the next race you have planned? Are you training for something?
What are your running goals?
Are there any half marathons coming up you like? Which should be my next one?
Are you a solo runner/biker/worker-outer or do you prefer in a group?

Hashtag Bashtag (A.K.A. an awesome weekend)

May 13, 2014May 12, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

WOW, what an amazing, fun, busy weekend! It was definitely one of those weekends where I kind of feel like I need a weekend just to relax from my weekend … if you know what I mean?

The past few years I’ve gone to NY for Mother’s Day to spend the weekend with my mom and grandma. My grandmother passed away earlier this year, and my parents visited last weekend, so I decided to spend Mother’s Day weekend in Cleveland with B’s family. While I missed seeing my family, it really was an amazing weekend to be in town. The weather was great for walking to the West Side Market, doing a long pre-work run with Nicole, dancing the night away at the St. Martin De Porres Birthday Bash, walking to Ohio City for brunch AND having an outdoor Mother’s Day Feast.

Okay, that’s already too many words and I have too many photos/things to share. So here’s a glance at our awesome weekend in photos … and a few more words.

“5:24 a.m.” Blech.

The weekend started early – well Friday started super early – with a 12ish mile run before work with Nicole. We had planned on doing about 10 to get ready for the Cleveland half marathon we’re doing THIS WEEKEND but somewhere along the route we made a wrong turn and thus the extra mileage. It was super humid out, nearly 70 degrees and both Nicole and I were getting over a cold. Anyway, that meant we could barely breathe, barely talk (okay, who am I kidding, of course we talked the whole time but it wasn’t as much as we used to) and felt awful. Nothing like a bad long run the week before your race!

Oliver and Sofia enjoying some sugar before bed

Friday night, our niece and nephew were having a sleepover at my brother-in-law’s house. Which meant of course we had to go over and hang out with them for a little bit. Before going back and sleeping in my own bed instead of sleeping on the floor (which was a good call).

My awesome breakfast at Phuel.

Saturday was pretty relaxing. B and I decided to get brunch at the new restaurant that opened across the street from us, Phuel Cafe. GREAT decision. I’m not a big “out-to-brunch” fan but I may have to change my mind so we can go back there often. B had some great pancakes and I had their homemade granola/fruit/yogurt parfait with some lemongrass tea. SO GOOD.

B about to enjoy his dark chocolate pancakes

After that we decided the weather was warm enough, but not too warm, to walk to the West Side Market and get some groceries. Since I hadn’t planned on going for a run, this was a great decision – days I don’t run I get restless for some reason if we don’t do any sort of activity.

Some guys were painting a sign along our walk so I snapped a photo.

Saturday night was the St. Martin De Porres Birthday Bash! It was a benefit for my sister-in-law’s school and a really fun event. We bid on some items at the silent auction, enjoyed the gorgeous scene at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Atrium and even got in some dancing. It was fun to get dressed up and go out with B’s family 🙂

B’s family – all dressed up!

We took the bus to the event … and of course I snapped a photo with the chandelier while we were waiting

Sunday morning we woke up to another gorgeous day – meaning it was another perfect excuse to walk to Ohio City and get brunch. After stopping at my favorite tea shop and B’s favorite coffee shop, we headed to Town Hall to enjoy their patio and some food. I ❤ patio weather!

Seen from our walk – a great view of downtown

That night we went over to B’s parents house for Sunday dinner- but this time all the kids had prepared some food in honor of Mother’s Day. The theme was “paleo small plates” so we brought over some pork with a cabbage slaw. The entire set up was so colorful and we ended up eating outside, which was perfect.

Paleo small plates and our outdoor Mother’s Day dinner

Bacon-wrapped squash = amazing.

Some questions for you:

What do you do the week before a race? Do you eat/drink/do anything differently? My goal this week is to actually get sleep. Meaning not work until midnight and not wake up at 5:30 to run 😉 We’ll see if it happens – but since I’m typing it I’M GOING TO DO IT. (wishful thinking)

Any paleo-friendly foods you recommend? It sounds like we may have a few more paleo-themed gatherings coming up and finding small plates that were still substantial was somewhat difficult!

Have you ever had bacon-wrapped squash? IT WAS AMAZING. What’s your favorite thing to wrap in bacon?

Are you a bruncher? What’s your favorite brunch order? I’m not a brunch-goer typically, mainly because I don’t really enjoy going out for breakfast. I tend to enjoy lunch/dinner foods more – savory over sweet.

Meatless Monday: Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese

May 12, 2014May 12, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

While I’m back to eating meat (I gave it up for Lent) and have been for some time, I still enjoy the occasional meatless meal. I’d been dying to try freekeh for a while now – after hearing it dubbed the “new quinoa” I knew that I had to give it a try.

What is freekeh? According to Wikipedia, freekeh “is a cereal food made from green wheat that goes through a roasting process in its production.” Freekeh Foods says, “Freekeh is a healthy alternative to rice because it has up to 3 times the protein as even brown rice! Freekeh is a roasted ancient grain that is equal to quinoa in protein and fiber … Freekeh has 6 g protein and 4 g fiber per serving.”

Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese

Anyway, enough about the health aspects of freekeh. You get it – it’s healthy. Now, how does it taste?

It reminded me more of rice than quinoa from the texture and flavor. It wasn’t nutty like some quinoas can be and it had a similar soft texture to rice. And it was just as easy to prepare! The fine folks at Freekeh Foods sent me three packages of Freekeh (original, rosemary sage, tamari) along with a bunch of recipe cards with recipes from freekeh breakfast cereal to freekeh chili. I can’t wait to try all the recipes out. But in the meantime, let me share some recipes I came up with, based on what I had on hand. First, Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese:

Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese

Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese

Here’s what you need:

1 c. dry freekeh (I used Freekeh Foods original)
2 TBS olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or diced
1 can chickpeas
1/4 c. goat cheese
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts

Here’s what you do:

Prepare freekeh according to package directions (my freekeh said to add to 2 1/2 c water, boil, then simmer for 20ish minutes).
While freekeh is cooking, heat 1-2 TBS olive oil on a pan over medium low heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic. Cook onion and garlic for 5 or so more minutes, until onion is translucent and soft.
Remove onion and garlic from heat but keep in pan. Add chickpeas and toss to mix well.
When freekeh is done cooking, drain well. Add to onion/garlic/chickpea mixture. Toss so the olive oil and garlic fully incorporate with the freekeh. Pour mixture into a bowl.
Just before serving, toss with pine nuts and goat cheese. Enjoy!

Makes: 2-3 side dishes or 1-2 vegetarian main meals

Some questions for you:

Have you tried freekeh before?
What’s your favorite meatless meal?
What other freekeh recipes should I try?

Disclosure: Freekeh Foods sent me three packages of Freekeh to try out. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions/thoughts/photos/other randomness are my own. And I can’t wait to try out my next package and share the info with you!

Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese

Looking for some more Meatless Monday, vegetarian recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:

An Evening Out in Uptown – Being Part of the Community Chandelier Project

May 10, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Living downtown, B and I don’t get to other neighborhoods on a regular basis. It’s just hard, you know – when nearly everything you want is just a quick walk away, why hop in the car to drive somewhere else?

Earlier this week, though, B and I spent the night out in Uptown, another one of Cleveland’s wildly changing and developing neighborhoods. We were invited to the Chandelier Project Closing Party at MOCA and took the opportunity to help with the project and visit the area.

Are you familiar with the Community Chandelier Project? For the past few months, members from the community have been helping hand make a beaded chandelier for Trentina, the Amelia and Chef Jonathon Sawyer restaurant opening super soon in the neighborhood.

I know what you’re thinking … my craft-making skills are pretty bad … have you seen the pair of mittens I tired to make? But I was assured we’d just be putting beads on strings, and getting to have some drinks and try some of the new Trentina food – plus get free admission to MOCA for the evening (after hours!) – so I happily accepted the invite.

It was a great, intimate event. MOCA is a gorgeous building – inside and out – and we got to see their current exhibit, Dirge, which had more meaning to me than it would have several months ago. Several other bloggers and members of the media were at the event, along with Chef Sawyer, Amelia and their adroable (and super well-behaved) children. The couple gave a heartwarming thanks to everyone who helped them bring this dream to life. We learned that more than 500 people had participated in this community chandelier project – I can’t wait to see it brought to life in the restaurant in the coming months!

We were greeted with prosecco and appetizers! Prosecco the night before a long run = always a good decision.

my beadwork / strand for the Community Chandelier at Trentina

B busy with his strand

every colored bead on the strands represent a new person who helped out.

pretending to be crafty

polenta crisp appetizer, drink and completed beadwork

The amazing couple – Chef Sawyer and Amelia share their story and thank everyone for helping with the Community Chandelier

After the event and exploring the museum, B and I strolled around midtown.

Selfies outside MOCA (the building is reflective!)

Walking around Midtown

And of course stopped for some dessert at Coquette Patisserie.

Dessert from Coquette

It was a great, beautiful evening and reminded me I really need to get out and explore more. After all, one of my favorite neighborhoods outside of downtown was just named one of THE up-and-coming neighborhoods in the nation by USA Today. If that’s not a reason to leave downtown on occasion, I don’t know what is!

A few questions for you to answer:

Favorite neighborhood near where you live … go!
Modern Art – how do you feel about it? Do you go to modern art museums?
Is the weather finally getting warm where you are? It was sunny and in the 80s when B and I were exploring the area!
What’s one good thing you have going on this weekend/week? This weekend I hope to get back to the Cleveland Flea! We’re also going to a benefit, so B and I can get dressed up and be fancy one evening.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Chandelier Closing Project by MOCA and received free admission into the museum. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions/thoughts/photos/other randomness are my own.

A Dazzzzzzling Weekend

May 7, 2014May 6, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

Wow, what a weekend. It was SO awesome that I’m pretty much speechless. Okay, not really – but I am suffering from some minor laryngitis … for real. But at least I can type, right?

Friday started with a 10.5 mileish run BEFORE work. Yes, that’s right – I ran before work with Nicole, a girl I’ve been running with who also signed up for the Cleveland Half Marathon (in less than two weeks!). We both had bus weekends planned so decided to get in a run before work early Friday morning. It was so nice to know that we’d done 10 miles before 7:30 a.m.!

10 early morning miles with Nicole

Friday night was amazing. My parents were in town (YAY!!!) so we enjoyed dinner at Saigon, and then took in the Dazzle the District celebration. The live music, performances, crowds and of course the actual lighting and fireworks were incredible. For those that don’t know – my neighborhood is now home to the world’s largest outdoor chandelier. And not only did I get to enjoy the lighting of the chandelier, but I got to go with my parents who were in from NY.

Jamie (lives in my building) had a Dazzle pre-party

Pho for dinner

before

Chandelier is lit!

Saturday I woke up with no voice. Like literally no voice at all. So instead of going for a run and playing tour guide, I took it easy. We went to West Side Market with my parents, then of course I had to take them to Cleveland Tea Revival (my mom’s new favorite place!) and then we walked around a bit and explored Ohio City.

YUM! Bread at West Side Market

Pizza at Biermarkt

We enjoyed some pizza for lunch at BierMarkt and then it was on to the Indians game! B got us great seats (4 rows back on the first base side) AND we won. My parents loved sitting so close – and taking home a win is always great.

All wearing Indians hats

Indians Win!

Sunday my parents left pretty early – which was sad, but okay because I had an event to go to. I’m on the board of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Cleveland and Sunday was our annual Scholarship Banquet. Each year, our organization recognizes 100+ local outstanding high school seniors and awards one a $4,000 scholarship. It was a great event and it was so nice to “talk” (my voice was still coming back) to the young students, their parents and hear what they had planned for their future.

Hundreds of people at the PBK Scholastic Awards – Students, Parents, Teachers

Sunday night ended with some work and of course dinner at B’s parents house.

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday … we’re already halfway through this week and soon ready for the upcoming weekend! Some questions for you:

Have you ever lost your voice? What did you do to get it back? I’ve been drinking tons of tea and honey and trying to suck on tons of cough drops to prevent from constantly coughing/clearing my throat.
Are you Phi Beta Kappa?
Plans for Mother’s Day? We will be hanging out with B’s family. Since I saw my parents last weekend, and I’ll be seeing them again in a few weeks, we won’t be seeing them for Mother’s Day.
Have you ever done a long run before a work day as opposed to on the weekend? Would you do it again?
What are you looking forward to this May?