The good, the bad, and the delicious!

This past week has been quite the roller coaster. While my bad days were out numbered by my good days, sometimes the bad days are hard to shake off.

But, when I had good days, they were awesome days.

As I mentioned before, I won a pair of tickets to the Buffalo Wine Festival.

We're going tonight! I'll try to take pictures and I'll let you know how it goes!

Jon and I partook in Buffalo restaurant week for a second night at AcQua. It was a great place. They served 4 courses (although we skipped the first, which was duck), we got a table with a nice view of the lake, and our waiter was also a friend of mine from college! It was a great time.

Jon got the shrimp, scallop, and fettuccine dish

I got the mushroom pastry puff on top of seasoned rice with greens.

Jon surprised me with a beautiful pair of new turquoise earrings

...to replace the pair he bought me while we were in Arkansas at a music festival. I lost one of the the old pair the other night while we were out. I was so sad I could have cried. They held such sentimental value to me. I tried everything to find it - I even called the restaurant we went to to see if they might have found it, but with no luck. I was pretty down about it ... until he pulled these from behind his back.
I'm a lucky girl :)

Aaannnddd I was asked to be co-maid of honor (with another of my BFFs) for my best girlfriend since 3rd grade, Dana!

This is me, Dana (with her little peanut still cooking in her belly), and Michelle

I was truly honored to be asked. I've only been in 2 weddings before - once as a flower girl and once as a bride's maid for my cousin. While these were great times, I am so very excited to be in her wedding and have this position. I don't know the first thing about being a maid of honor, but I know it's a lot of work...I have some research to do!

In the meantime, I better eat a hearty meal before the wine festival tonight . . .

Quick Banana Maple Walnut Oatmeal

You'll need:

1 C water

1/2 C quick oats

1/2 ripe banana, sliced

2 T brown sugar

3 T maple syrup

1 1/2 T chopped walnuts

1/2 t cinnamon

To make:

1. Combine oats, sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Add water and 2T of the maple syrup. Stir well.

3. Add banana slices and stir.

4. Microwave for about 3 minutes and let cool until settled.

5. Drizzle remaining 1 T of maple syrup on top of oatmeal and enjoy!

This makes 1 really hearty breakfast or 2 modest meals or snacks.

It is not too dense and has a wonderful sweet slightly caramelized banana flavor. The added maple drizzle on top gives this oatmeal a nice comforting flavor.

How do you handle roller coaster-emotion weeks?