Instafriday

 1. Emmett didn't want to go out in the rain  2. The rain   3. The Etsy tent at Troy Flea  

4. The crazy 15 minute thunderstorm that knocked out power in Hudson

 1. Take Your Dog to Work Day  2. On a walk in Hudson  3. M came home and crashed  

4. Like father, like son...

 1. So frustrated with my macbook lately  2. Snoring  3. Camo beetle  

4. Raspberry Mocha beer? Yes please.

1. Banana Bread and Mocha beer? Even better!  2. Little pretties in the yard  

3. Lots of work to do   4. Wild berries in the yard

Treat Yo Self Thursday

1. Lumberjack Breakfast print

2. Ultimate Pancake Breakfast Play Food

3. The Breakfast Bundle

4. Hazel Atlas Vintage Plates

Camp Crumster

 Saturday afternoon our great friends Mr & Mrs T invited us up to their camp at Lake Sacandaga. I had some orders to fill, and M had some work to do. But realistically, it was Saturday evening and the orders couldn't be shipped until monday anyway...so we took inspiration from Beca's post and took the evening off.

 The drive west to the lake was peaceful and stunning.

 Once we arrived and said our hellos, we walked down the short trail to the beach. It was still crowded with the pre-dinner camper crowd, so we decided to hold off on the beach until sunset.

 I brought along some Smart Dogs, whole wheat buns, and my go-to summer beer for 2012: Harpoon UFO.

 M housed practically this entire steak himself. 

 M was also psyched to drink some beer out of his brand new (to him) vintage Andre the Giant mug.

 The tall, old pines stood over us as we enjoyed our meal and conversation waiting for the sunset.

 Finally, it was time to walk back down to the beach.

 And the sunset was gorgeous.

After the sun had set, we gathered around the campfire. M & Mr T had to try out their new old man tobacco pipes and comment on how they are now officially old. It was a great night and I'm so glad we took the break to enjoy it!

Round Lake Antique Show

Sunday morning we got up bright and early to go to the Round Lake Antiques Festival. Here are some highlights of what we saw:

 A paper mache antique mask that looks like M!

Triangle Diner

 M and I went to an antique show this weekend and found ourselves in need of brunch after our early morning browsing. We had already tried a few diners in the area and wanted to find some place new. I searched for 'breakfast' on my Yelp app, and the Triangle Diner came up with the highest ratings. It was a 10 minute drive from where we were, so we decided to give it a go.

 Walking in, it was BUSY but moving quickly. We waited about 5 minutes for a table. I really liked the black and white themed interior, especially the checkerboard floor. The seats at the counter did not have backs on them, so we definitely needed to wait for a table.

 Yelp reviewers did not disappoint. The menu had some great omelettes, pancakes, and french toast options along with regular breakfast staples. Their breakfast specials were irresistible and we both ended up ordering a special.

 I had a REALLY tough time deciding between two specials. They had a Chocolate Chip Honey french toast that sounded AMAZING. But I decided to go with the slightly more healthy California Benedict. It was eggs benedict, but instead of the usual meat it had tomato and avocado slices. It was amazing. The homefries were ok, but they were nothing to write home about.

 M's special was the Irish Benedict. Eggs benedict with corned beef hash instead of the usually bacon or ham. He said it was delicious. I had to take his word for it since his dish wasn't exactly vegetarian friendly.

One thing the Trinagle does that is rare around here is offering a single slice of french toast as a side. It wasn't quite as well seasoned as the side of french toast at Otto's, and it was a little eggy for my taste, but not bad! If we ever find ourselves needing breakfast in the Saratoga area, this may be our new go-to!

Emmett and Arthur's Playdate

 Emmett and his little half brother Arthur had a play date last week. I tried to pick out the photos with the funniest expressions to share with y'all. It was hard to narrow them down!

 Little boy is growing up so fast!

 My favorite of the bunch!

 Someone was getting too tired, so Mamma had to swoop in and cuddle him.

My sister and her little baby Arthur.

Treat Yo Self Thursday

1. Repurposed Outdoor Chairs

2. Beach / Outdoor Chairs

3. Retro Metal Lawn Rocking Chair

4. Retro Aluminum Woven Patio Set

Otto's Breakfast Deli

 We were in the Berkshires this weekend for a friend's wedding and found ourselves in need of breakfast. I had looked on Yelp for diners in the area, and when we had trouble locating the highest rated one, we stumbled upon Otto's. I'm glad we did! We enjoyed it so much, we actually came back the next morning got breakfast again! M and I both ordered coffees and were greeted with this cheeky mug. Unfortunately, they were not selling them or I probably would have bought one, just 'cause.

 The walls were covered with old black and white photos, charmingly subtle.

 This place is small, 10 tables plus counter seats. We got a table, but one thing I noticed and liked about the counter seats is that the stools have backs on them. The backless stools are usually the reason I avoid counter seating at diners, so Otto's immediately got a plus one for that little touch.

The service was quick and friendly. If Otto's existed closer to home, I think they might take over as our number one diner pick. The food was much more fresh than your average diner fare. M ordered 'The Deli Plate' aka eggs over easy, bacon, sausage, homefries, toast, and corned beef hash. He also got a short stack of pancakes with.....REAL maple syrup. No complaints from him. 

I ordered 2 eggs over easy, pumpernickle (!!!!) toast, home fries, and something that instantly made me fall in love with Otto's: a side of french toast. AKA ONE PIECE of french toast. Brilliant! The eggs were perfectly done, the toast nice and crisp, the homefries had great seasoning on them (something homefries in our immediate area sorely lacks) and were perfectly cooked, but the french toast was the icing on top of an already perfect breakfast. One piece of french toast, cooked perfectly with seasoning! Also unheard of in our area. Some cinnamon, maybe a little nutmeg baked right in. And with the real maple syrup, there was no way it could have been any better.

Capital District Diners, you are on notice: step up your game, cause Lee Massachusetts isn't that far away...

Epic Road Trip Brew Tour Honeymoon 2012 - One last epic dinner on the road MELT

 We left Chicago to allow for enough drive time to arrive in Cleveland for dinner at Melt. M went here last summer while he was on tour and pretty much hadn't stopped talking about it since.

The menu was full of some many amazingly bad for you sandwiches, it took me forever to describe. Bascially, the entire menu is one big list of epic grilled cheese sandwiches. You may have seen this place on Man Vs Food.

 M stuck with the same selection he had the last time he ate at Melt: the deep fried monte cristo.

I ended up choosing a humongous eggplant part style sandwich. M was right. this place is worth bragging about, but I'm glad we don't live in Cleveland because it's definitely a once a year at the most kinda meal.

After finishing off our meal at Melt, we drove from Cleveland to Buffalo where we crashed on a friend's futon for the night before making the drive back to the Capital District the next morning. We were exhausted, but we had the time of our lives. And we can't wait to go on our next trip!

Epic Road Trip Brew Tour Honeymoon 2012 - The Field Museum

 Our last full day in Chicago, our friends Jeff & Jenn took us to the Field Museum. Where we spent most of our time looking at the animals of the world exhibit: