Ohio

Ohh, Ohio.  I thought I got away from it when I was little but somehow we always end up there again.  It's not that I don't like it, I just found more to life than the sounds of trains zipping by, the small town that I grew up in, the everlasting cornfields, and the smell of cow manure.  With all of our ties to Ohio, my sister, brother, nieces, nephews, and friends, it always seems to be a destination on our list twice a year and each time, we make the most of it.

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Best Friends. Forever.

For three days straight, I was spoiled... getting to spend all of the time with my best friend since childhood.  We were neighbors from 1st to 6th grade but when I moved away, I barely got to see her.  So, spending three days with her is such a treat!

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Since childhood, ice cream has always been our passion!! mmm oreos and vanilla...

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And we always seem to match...

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Antiques

Having recently signed a lease for an apartment with one of my best friends, I am on the search for furniture and other odds and ends.  This brings me to antiquing, as it is called.  I must say, this activity will probably be added to my list of hobbies... right up there with photography and shopping because I can do both in one place.  It's so cool to be in one place that is so full of stories.  You see these pieces of furniture that have been passed down through families, old post cards containing actual notes sent to people, and antique cameras that were probably used to capture moments from the 1970s... all being sold in one place.  I love it.  And on top of that, it's one of the best places to people watch.

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Smoothies + Pancakes

My newest obsession... experimenting with smoothies and pancakes. Not together, of course (I don't think a pancake smoothie would be good. But maybe I'll experiment)

I have found that a smoothie is best when it is simplistic. It doesn't needed added sugar.  The sugar from the fruit is plenty.  And with my next step towards a life of veganism (which I will probably never accomplish considering that I still eat fish, eggs, and yogurt), I blend in vanilla almond milk with the fruit.  The result... refreshing, filling, and delicious.

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And then the pancakes.  I am truly inspired by Jim's Pancakes, a blog that is filled with Jim's fun pancake creations for his daughter.  So, I decided to make chocolate chip pancakes but wasn't satisfied because the chocolate chips seemed to always burn.  To get the chocolate without the burn, I melted chocolate chips and mixed 1/4 cup of them in with about a 1/2 cup of pancake mix and poured the new mixture in a random pattern across the pancake that was on the griddle.  Then, taking a knife, I dragged it across the chocolate to give it a marble cake look.

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