Just returned from a good morning run with Shane. It wasn’t as cold as expected so we managed to get 6 1/2 miles in around the streets of Utica. The roads were clear and not slippery at all. The only frustratingly slow portion of our run was up the Parkway in front of Valley View. It wasn’t really clear of snow so I experienced a few ankle “torques” (you know…when your foot lands on the ground/snow and it is uneven so half of your foot falls in the crevice?). But the worst part was when the snow plow approached from behind us, didn’t slow down, and completely sprayed both Shane and myself with snow. It makes me wonder if the plow drivers realize that they shoot rocks up when they whiz past like that?! 
Anyway…what’s NEW?!
New Eats: We went to Bella Cucina last night (yes…again!) but they weren’t serving meatless greens. Since it was fairly quiet, I asked if the chef would make them. Only spinach was available but he would make them from spinach. OMG! If you have never had Utica Greens made with spinach, you have missed SO much. These were lighter than traditional escarole greens but with the same wonderful flavors of garlic, onions, peppers, the cheese and just a hint of breadcrumbs.
Once again, we enjoyed our meal however, Ted was feeling the Friday Happy Hour spirit and ordered two half bottles of wine: A Coppola Chardonnay (2005) and a Georges Dubeuf Beaujolais (2004)
I wasn’t really crazy about the Chard. , the flavor was strong with apricot. The Beaujolais was fruity yet dry…nice.
There are a couple of things I wonder about Bella Cucina…we’ve noticed in the past year.
1. They cut some of the scallops in half
and
2. They offer green towels as napkins…
It still remains one of our favorite places for a wonderful Friday night meal.
NEW GADGETS:
Look at this handy little tool for our restaurant dining experience or when shooting in low light…
That’s right. It is a 4” MINI tripod. So adorable! It fits in my purse and helps stabilize shots on the table.
New Camera:
Oh yeah. I did it. Actually, I informed Ted that he bought be an early birthday gift. A SONY DSC-WX1 Cyber-shot. This camera is going to take some studying. It even has a “Food” setting. It’s so light weight and the screen is nice and big.
I haven’t shot any pics with it yet since I have to at least scan the instruction booklet.
Busy day today. Reading, baking, cooking…which reminds me: watch for tonight’s post for a really good meal prepared from an outstanding cookbook – nutritional/health guide. Vegetarian Friendly.
Joanne
I hate it when I do that to my ankle! I am always worried I am going to break it!
How cool that the new camera has a food setting! I am excited to hear more about it! I asked for a mini tripod for Christmas but did not get one. I was thinking about using it for the same thing!
Kilax: When I do it to my ankle, I pause to see if any pain is going to happen with the next foot fall…when nothing happens, a HUGE sigh of relief ..”AH! Beat the odds again”.
As for the mini tripod, it’s really inexpensive. It won’t work with a heavy DSLR camera but is perfect for a Point and Shoot.
[…] you peer in looking for something good to eat.. just a thought. Obviously I was playing with my new camera. I don’t quite have the settings where I want them so the photos in this post might seem a […]