Perry's Ice Cream

Perry's Ice Cream, a fourth-generation, family-owned ice cream company headquartered in Buffalo, NY is celebrating their 100-year anniversary, and increased distribution in Northeast Ohio. To celebrate, they released four limited-edition retro flavors, and I had the chance to sample them all.

An immediate front-runner for me was the Heavenly Hash (circa 1970s). It reminded me of childhood bowls of similar Rocky Road ice cream at my grandma's house. Chocolate and marshmallow swirled ice cream with swiss chips and roasted almonds.

The Parkerhouse (circa 1950s) has Amaretto ice cream with sliced maraschino cherries.

Mr. H was excited to see the Malt Shoppe (circa 1990s), as he loves a good malt. But this particular one didn't have as much flavors as the others retro flavors sampled.

Last up was my favorite, the Butterscotch Sundae (circa 1980s). Butterscotch ice cream with salty butterscotch swirls and roasted peanuts. I'll be digging into this one again tonight!

All of their premium retro flavors are available in 1.50-quart packages. You can purchase them online here.

This is a brand I was familiar with as a kid, so it was fun to sample their retro flavors in celebration of 100 years in business.

Disclosure: I was provided with samples and branded merchandise in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Coffee Coffee Coffee

A brand new coffee shop (and bicycle repair shop---more on that later) just opened up in Old Brooklyn. Welcome, Coffee Coffee Coffee!

Our neighborhood has been lacking a good coffee shop, and this one is full of cute, sunny nooks to curl up in...

...with high ceilings and light interiors letting the sunlight just pour in.

In addition to a good cup of coffee (and other great beverages), they are also serving Cleveland Bagel Co. bagels and Herb n' Twine sandwiches (hot or cold). Instantly, I was in love.

In the back of the coffee shop, Sixth City Cycles is taking care of all of your bicycle repair and sales needs.

It might seem like a strange combination, but we'll certainly be bringing our bikes in for a tune-up and grabbing a cup of coffee at the same time. This is a great addition to the "main street" of Pearl Road in Old Brooklyn.

Coffee Coffee Coffee
4193 Pearl Road
Cleveland, Ohio

Macaron Masterclass at Urban Farmer

So the day after Mr. H and I brought home the new pup, we had the exciting opportunity to attend a Macaron Masterclass at Urban Farmer (located in The Westin in Downtown Cleveland).

I put my nerves about leaving a brand new puppy home alone in a crate aside, and I was glad that I did! First, I got to get a sneak peek (and good whiff) of the famous cornbread that Urban Farmer serves in the restaurant. I love that stuff. Some of the best in town.

Our pastry chef-led session then kicked off with Kara showing us how to make macarons like a master.

From start to finish, she made it look effortless.

But, once it was our turn, I can tell you that it was indeed not. However, Kara and two additional staff aided the class of 12 every step of the way.

She instilled confidence in us, and we tackled making them from start to finish in small groups of 2-3. Look at Mr. H piping!

We walked away feeling accomplished, and with a box full of macarons, recipes, pastry bags, and tips.

Urban Farmer hosts pastry classes, in addition to bread making and even butchery classes, every few months. They are totally worth keeping an eye out for! You can follow their class availability on the website here, or on Facebook. Space is always very limited, so act quickly. I can see why, because it was such a fun hands-on and educational experience.

Did you know that macarons are best when aged? You actually age them in the freezer or refrigerator, and they get softer and MUCH better with some time. We got to sample them at different stages in the aging process, and you truly could tell the difference. Who knew?

Disclosure: I was provided with one media pass to attend the class, and we purchased one ticket. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

Urban Farmer Cleveland
1325 East 6th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114

Weekend Bites

With a new puppy in the house, we can't be gone long. But we figured out plenty of quick little outings this past weekend to still enjoy.

That started on Friday evening with my first church fish fry, ever. We went to Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Old Brooklyn. They offer three types of fish, all of the traditional sides, desserts, and more. We both ordered the Beer Battered Cod. It comes with two sides, so I got the pierogi and cabbage and noodles. The fish was nice and crispy, but overall everything lacked seasoning. It was a pretty flavorless plate of food, and no salt to be seen. I can't say that I'd recommend this fish fry.

But the evening quickly redeemed itself, as we made it to Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. just before closing to grab some gooey, stinky cheese and a fresh baguette.

I spent Saturday morning at Spa West. As I settled in for my massage and facial, I thought to myself...it wasn't that long ago that a Saturday St. Patrick's Day would have meant a super early start on drinking and festivities in Downtown Cleveland. But, here I am.

Well, I had to make up for that by scooting over to Dina's Pizza and Pub in the neighborhood for a green beer and Reuben.

Good thing we had a big lunch, because Mr. H had decided to tackle making Beef Wellington at home for the first time that night. It took four hours, and we ate at 10:30PM, but it was worth the wait!

We popped out for brunch at The Black Pig in Ohio City on Sunday morning. Their toad-in-a-hole hit the spot, as did the Bloody Mary!

While grocery shopping at Heinen's after brunch, I couldn't resist some spring blooms to brighten up the kitchen table.

But, the best part of the weekend was more time with the new pup!

She's stolen our hearts, and I almost forgive her when she poops and pees all over the house.

Puppy News

It's been quiet over here the past couple of weeks. Because...BIG NEWS...we got a puppy!

Meet Brinley, the Bernedoodle.

Having a puppy in the house is so much fun, but also exhausting and messy. It confirmed that I should never have a human child, and furry ones are just enough for Mr. H and I. But, we're enjoying her and our new "family" dynamics. You can expect to see more of this fuzzy face popping up in my social media. I'm a bit obsessed with her. So, pardon the pause over here on the blog, but I've had puppy snuggles to soak up (and we haven't been getting much sleep over here).