(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.) Happy Friday! I’m super excited for a three day weekend where I have no set plans. This rarely happens, especially during the school year, where we can kind of plan our weekend as it goes. Tomorrow my son will be busy with soccer and then a Boy Scout car wash. But, it’s a three day weekend filled with so much possibility! This week we enjoyed a mid-week day off. School was closed on Wednesday for Yom Kippur. My son spent Tuesday night and Wednesday at the new waterpark, the Kartrite, for his friend’s birthday celebration. My daughter enjoyed some time at the mall with her friends. I got to sleep in a little later and was able to catch up on some blog posts. A win for all! Here are five from this week:
1. Reading – I am finishing up Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle. It’s a mystery thriller that I’m not loving. But, it has me curious enough to see how it will end.
2. Supper Club – Last Saturday was our monthly supper club. This month’s theme was Italian. I made Eggplant Rollatini and Dana made Italian Wedding Soup. His soup was so good and definitely the better of our two dishes.
3. Lunch in NYC – Sunday we took a trip down to New York City. Dana’s brother lives there so their parents and us all drove in to see their new apartment and go out to lunch. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant right near his apartment called Vietnaam. I had Chicken Bun (Vermicelli). This is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes!
4. Drinking – On one of our recent podcasts, we discuss all things pumpkin spice. Neither my husband nor I had ever tried the Starbucks PSL……until this past weekend. Both of us were not huge fans of the drink, but we finally got to see what all the hype was about.
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Today’s September reads post is short and sweet. Sadly, I was stuck in a reading rut and didn’t have much motivation to read. Part of the problem was that I made myself finish a book for my book club that I just wasn’t into. So it was very slow reading and not many books were read. The books I read were all over the rating scale. With only four books read, I had a 2, 3, 4 and 5 star read this month. Here are my September reads that I’m sharing with Jana and Steph’s monthly linkup.
2 stars
Beautiful Ruinsby Jess Walter – In 1962 Pasquale is running his family’s hotel on the Italian coast. American actress Dee Moray ends up as a guest at his inn. The two end up forming a close relationship despite their language barrier. Present day, Claire Silver must listen to movie pitches for her movie producer boss. An unexpected visitor leads her on a path to connecting the past. This book ruined me this month. I would have given up on it, but it was my book club’s read for the month. It had been on my to read list, so I’m glad that I finally was able to give it a try. I was also the only one in the book club who didn’t love it. The story line didn’t interest me at all which made me want to do anything but read. However, I’m definitely in the minority with my opinion about this book. If it’s been on your to read list, I recommend you give it a try.
3 stars
My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni – Tracy Crosswhite has spent 20 years looking into the disappearance of her younger sister, Sarah. Edmund House was convicted and put in jail, but she’s not convinced he’s guilty. But then Sarah’s body is discovered and Tracy makes some discoveries that put her life in danger. This was just an okay mystery for me and didn’t make me interested in continuing the Tracy Crosswhite series.
4 stars
Ask Again, Yesby Mary Beth Keane – Peter Stanhope and Kate Gleeson are neighbors and best friends. Their fathers, both cops, met on the job and moved their families to the suburbs. After a tragic accident, the two families who were once cordial to one another, are not the same. As the book progresses, we follow Peter and Kate and how their lives are shaped by the accident. This book was Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show Summer Reads book pick. My husband listened to it on audio and I read it so we can discuss it with each other. This book gave me insight into mental illness and alcoholism and the effects they have on a family.
5 stars
The Tattooist of Auschwitzby Heather Morris – It’s 1942 and Lale Sokolov is transported from Slovokia to Auschwitz-Birkenau. He is given the job of tattooist, marking his fellow prisoners with the numbers that will identify them. For over two years he survives at the camp, even falling in love. This book had been on my to read list for awhile. While the subject matter of the Holocaust is always difficult to read, I think that it’s important to remember. Like many books about this time period, it is based on a true story. It is well written and a highly recommended read.
Dana and I are fairly new to the bed and breakfast scene. Besides our recent visit to Cranberry Manor, the only other bed and breakfast that we visited was a couple of years ago when he turned 40. When my 40th arrived last month, I decided that I also wanted to go to a B&B to celebrate my birthday. After a little research, we decided to stay at the Cranberry Manor Bed and Breakfast in the Poconos. It’s roughly a two hour drive from northern Westchester County, a perfect distance for a one night stay. Plus, all of the reviews I read were very positive.
Why a bed and breakfast?
Bed and breakfasts are small and intimate. They are usually old houses that have been renovated and restored to accommodate guests. A big plus is the “breakfast” part of a bed and breakfast. Not only is the home cooked meal included in the price of your stay, but it’s usually delicious and filling. But most importantly, bed and breakfasts cater to adults. All of the B&Bs that I’ve looked into do not allow children to stay.
Cranberry Manor Bed and Breakfast
The Cranberry Manor Bed and Breakfast is a house that dates back to the 1880’s when it was a boarding house. Its most recent owners Sharon and Ric Anderson have been running the bed and breakfast since 2007. Sharon formerly had a career in IT support. She and her husband moved up to Pennsylvania from the South for what she thought would be a tech job. But when that fell through, they ended up purchasing the bed and breakfast.
Cranberry Manor has a cozy, homey feel. I love the holiday tree that Sharon made out of grape vines and decorates for the different seasons.
There’s a community sitting room that has books, games and lots of brochures for local attractions and restaurants. The walls are decorated with antique Collier’s magazine pages that were discovered in the walls during a renovation! There’s a large dining room where guests dine for breakfast.
The dining room also has a billiards table that visitors are welcome to enjoy. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to play during our short stay.
There’s a Butler’s Pantry in the dining room as well. It includes a refrigerator stocked with sodas and bottles of water, and tea and hot cocoa can also be made at anytime. It was nice that, after returning from dinner, Dana was able to walk downstairs and make me a hot mug of tea. Sharon asked him what time we were planning to be downstairs the following morning; a fresh pot of coffee waiting for us when we came down.
Cranberry Manor has five different rooms, each uniquely decorated with a Victorian feel. My husband and I just happened to stay in the “Victorian Room”. It has a queen bed with a half-canopy.
There is a small seating area and a gas fire place. Although space is a bit tight for modern amenities, I would have enjoyed a larger television in the room. It was hiding with the cable box in the little nook above the fireplace.
Each room has its own private bathroom with both a shower and large soaking tub.
One of my favorite parts of Cranberry Manor is the large wraparound porch. There are a variety of seating arrangements, including a bench swing, several rocking chairs and cushioned seating areas. It was nice to be able to sit out there before breakfast and read, while we enjoyed a cup of coffee.
Breakfast
On Sunday mornings Sharon serves breakfast at 9 AM. Look at how pretty the place settings are!
Our breakfast started with sliced bananas drizzled with homemade caramel sauce.
We then enjoyed blueberry peach french toast, scrambled eggs and sausage. I was stuffed by the time breakfast was over. We were the only guests that night during our stay in September. So Sharon asked if she could join us for breakfast and we had a lovely time chatting with her.
Guests are given two keys when they arrive. One opens the front door and one that opens their bedroom. While Sharon and Ric live on property, they live in the space beyond the kitchen, separate from where guests stay. If you are in need of ideas of things to do or places to eat, Sharon is full of recommendations and information.
If you have never been to a bed and breakfast, I highly recommend giving Cranberry Manor Bed and Breakfast a try. It’s not too far away from Westchester County and is conveniently located to various Pocono attractions and restaurants.
The Details: Cranberry Manor Bed and Breakfast 406 Cherry Lane Road East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 (570) 620-2246
Price: $145 – $175 a night, depending on which room you choose and when you visit.
*Although some weekends require a two night stay, give Sharon a call. Depending on the date(s) of your visit, you may be able to stay for one night like we did.
*There is plenty to see and do in the area. But if you just want to relax and hang out at the bed and breakfast, you are more than welcome to do that as well.
(This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional information). Hooray for short work weeks! I am so happy that it’s Friday. Even though it was a short week, it was super busy! We spent the long weekend up in the Catskills where we had the perfect mix of fun and relaxation. We have another busy weekend planned. My son has soccer Saturday afternoon and then we have our monthly supper club Saturday night. We are heading into the city on Sunday to meet up with Dana’s family for lunch. We also have some house projects that we have to catch up on. And Monday will be here again before we know it! Here are five from this week:
1.Emerson Resort & Spa – The Emerson hosted our family for two nights and I can’t wait to share all about this beautiful resort in the Catskills in an upcoming blog post. It was a great place to stay and was conveniently located for our outings. We enjoyed a kaleidoscope class, took a nature walk and played lots of ping pong in the game room during our stay here!
2. Eating – when you travel you eat out a lot. We of course try to eat as much tasty food as we can when we are traveling! You can see it all on my Instagram stories. One of my favorite dishes was this brisket that my daughter ordered for dinner one night. It was so flavorful and tender!
3. Catskill Rail Explorers – we enjoyed our visit with the Catskill Rail Explorers. We biked a little over 8 miles round trip on these quads and got to see some fall foliage and views of the Esopus Creek. It was a fun family experience.
4. Reading – I was able to get some good reading time in while we were traveling and finished The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. Although the subject matter of the book is tough it’s a well-written story. I just started a thriller, Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle and so far, so good.
5. Fall foliage – Living in New York I love being able to experience all of the seasons. Before we headed home from our trip we hiked Great Ledge and got to enjoy these amazing views! It’s not quite peak leaf peeping season yet, but being this high up and seeing this was still pretty awesome.
This week on the blog I wrote about GoGreek in Pelham.
This week on the podcast we talk about Brothers Fish & Chips and What’s your food splurge? Then we end with our Quick Hits of the week!
Imagine you’re walking down the street holding a gyro in your hand. What does it look like? Most of us probably have a similar picture in our minds. Well, think again. This gyro is filled with freshly carved pork, tomatoes, onions, tzatziki sauce and even a few french fries. And it fits right in your hand, just like you’ll find in Greece. Welcome to the traditional Greek gyro, at the recently opened GoGreek Snack Bar, right in the heart of Pelham!
After spending many summers in Greece and enjoying the delicious food there, brothers Dan and Chris Krystallis are trying to recreate the culinary experience for Westchester County residents. As the sons of a Greek immigrant, they have firsthand experience of the flavors and ingredients of traditional Greek food. Running several Greek American diners in upstate New York, Chris brings his restaurant knowledge and experience to GoGreek.
However, it is the husband and wife team, Dan and Amber Krystallis who are running GoGreek. They are hoping to bring fast-casual Greek food to the masses and change a few perceptions about the humble gyro while they’re at it. Though GoGreek’s logo may give off vibes of a chain/franchise, this restaurant is a one-of-a-kind family-run, small business.
Centrally located on 5th Avenue in Pelham, GoGreek is a great spot to grab a quick lunch to go. However, with a variety of seating options available, including counter seats, traditional tables and chairs and outdoor seating, guests are welcome to stay and enjoy their meal.
GoGreek’s menu offers a variety of tasty eats. Handhelds include their signature pork gyro (the traditional style in Greece), or a burger, chicken or veggie pita. They have also recently added a Beyond Burger pita with spicy feta.
Now that the weather is cooling off, you may want to try Papu’s Chili, which was one of my husband’s favorite dishes. It boasts a really complex set of flavors in one bowl.
Or the comforting flavors of home with Yaya’s Chicken Egg Lemon Rice soup.
Of course they also serve falafel, traditional hummus and spinach pie. But they also offer GoGreek Fries or Chips. Available drinks include bottles of Greek sodas (the carbonated orangeade is a great pick) and more common beverages.
If you’re looking to end your meal on a sweet note, they’ve got you covered. They serve traditional baklava and a GoGreek Sweet, fried pita topped with powdered sugar. For those with gluten concerns, everything on the menu is gluten-free, except for the pita, spinach pie and baklava.
When you’re in Pelham, give GoGreek a visit! You’ll enjoy authentic Greek “snacks” at an affordable price.
The Details: GoGreek Snack Bar 108 5th Avenue Pelham, NY 10803 (914) 740-3173
