The Senase Project

Back in 2011, after a group of students from Semester At Sea had the chance to visit Senase in Ghana, Africa, they came back to Buffalo with a mission. While they visited a small village named Akatim, they found out there were hundreds of kids there with no access to education. Though they spent a short time with the community in Akatim, they were changed by what they saw, and shortly after began The Senase Project.

Since the trip in 2011, volunteers from The Senase Project have made additional trips to Africa to meet with local leaders and educators and find out what they could do to help. The result, a plan to build a new school and provide the resources educators need to help the children of the village. 

The enthusiasm and clear passion for the mission gained them a big name supporter, Desmond Tutu, who has worked with the Senase Project to obtain grants and other funding to begin the work. The Buffalo community has also been extremely supportive of the organization as well as family and friends of the founder/Board members. 

Currently, three functioning classrooms are up and running at the current school location while work finishes up on the new school. When completed, the new school will help facilitate educational programming for over 120 students from Kindergarten to 11th grade. They hope to have work on the new school completed by the end of September 2013.

The Senase Project volunteers don’t have plans of stopping once the school is finished. They have already outlined their second project, a new medical clinic. The medical clinic will be a much larger undertaking with a considerably bigger budget than the school. They already have a plot of land where the clinic will go, but are taking the planning stages slowly so they make sure they get it right. 

The clinic will be a major improvement for the village. The current medical clinic serves about 10,000 residents and is a considerable distance away from the village center, making it difficult to get to, especially for those very ill. Medical resources are very limited and while they currently do the best with what they have, there is great need for improvement. 

“Our mission is to empower a community and provide them with the resources to help improve the quality of life.” Sophie Herrman, Marketing Director for The Senase Project told me. 

What impresses me most about this small, grassroots organization, is that the majority of the founders and Board members are still in school. They are an extremely passionate and young team with a lot of ideas and a great set of goals and plans to improve life in Senase.

"Our immediate goal is to improve the quality of life in Senase and provide them with the resources they need, but we hope in 5-10 years that we can say we have helped additional villages in Africa." 

The organization relies on private donations and they are currently running a "UFunded" campaign to raise money for the school in Akatim. Check out their fundraising page, HERE, and if you can, support the drive! 

You can stay in the loop on the progress for the school and other upcoming projects and fundraisers by checking out The Senase Project on Facebook and Twitter too. 

Education has been a hot topic in Buffalo and throughout New York State for the past few years with budget cuts, state testing and limited government funding. While these challenges are incredibly hard to work with here, there are millions of children who don't know what the inside of a classroom is like and have never been to "school".  

I'm looking forward to seeing where The Senase Project goes next and am so proud of the students who have been working to "Pay It Forward" and make a difference in the lives of others! 

Krystal's Buffalo Summer To Do List - 2013

Summer comes and goes entirely too fast in Buffalo. There are hundreds of events to choose from to fill up my schedule, but there just never seems to be enough time to do everything I want. Come September, I find myself saying, "I wish I did that!" 

To help focus my summer plans, I've created my own "MUST DO" Buffalo Summer 2013 To-Do List. Some are obvious staples I do every summer, and some are random personal summer goals. I plan on updating this blog post throughout the summer as I check things off.

Feel free to join in, or, even better - create your own Buffalo To Do List and send it my way!!! I'll pick out some of my favorites and post them! 

Krystal's Buffalo Summer 2013 To Do List:

1.) Get to every Buffalo food truck at some point this summer!

2.) Throw a wine party featuring all "local" wines and food!

3.) Take at least 5 tours offered by Buffalo Tours

4.) Try all the fitness classes offered at Canalside this summer (Zumba starts June 4th)

5.) Take a hard hat tour of The Central Terminal! - Sunday, June 9th

6.) Tour at The Darwin Martin House

7.) Take a Lockport Locks cruise

8.) Enjoy a bottle of local wine outside around our patio/fire pit (we are putting one in soon!)

9.) Buy a new piece of artwork at the Allentown Art Festival - Sunday, June 9th

10.) Tour at Graycliff Estate in Derby, NY

11.) Take a tour at Forest Lawn Cemetary

12.) Cross the Ride For Roswell finish line after biking 30 miles

13.) Tour the Teddy Roosevelet Site

14.) Cheer on the Bisons at Coca Cola Field and get cotton candy with Jacob

15.) Take a Whirlpool Jet Boat tour

16.) Take a hot air balloon ride over Letchworth State Park (thanks Dad for the best Christmas gift ever!)

17.) Take Jacob on a nature hike around Tifft Nature Preserve

18.) Sample something I've never tried before at The Taste of Buffalo

19.) Water bikes at Canalside

20.) Strawberry picking - and hopefully the crop is better than last year

21.) Cherry picking (we didn't get to go last year because the crop was so poor)

22.) Visit the Niagara wineries - Saturday, June 1st

23.) Visit the Burchfield Penney Arts Center (preferably on a rainy summer day)

24.) Spend an afternoon at the Griffis Sculpture Park (West Valley, NY - close enough!)

25.) Lead a great tour for Buffalo Bites Food Tours

26.) Beach day

27.) Rock climbing at Silo City Rocks

28.) Visit the new location for Lake Effect Ice cream and sample something new - Thursday, June 6th

29.) Get to Artpark and Canalside for a few concerts

30.) Throw a party at Shakespeare in the Park - you are all invited (bring a dish to pass)

New Directions Youth & Family Services

Respect. Responsibility. Safety. Goals. Those are the "norms" at New Directions Youth and Family Services.  Their mission, according to their website, is to "foster resilient, self-reliant families and permanence for at-risk children in the shortest time possible, by promoting safe, respectful, responsible and goal-directed behavior".

The agency dates back to the late 1800's when they first opened a group home for children in need. What started as one small house nestled in the woods in Randolph, NY has grown into an additional five homes that all have a slightly different focus to treating at-risk children. 

Take for instance The Randolph House. It  focuses on getting its residents outside and participating in a variety of recreational activities including hiking, kayaking, skiing, and horseback riding.  

The Zafron Home houses teen parents, provides a safe and encouraging haven for new moms to continue their education and receive the support they need. 

An additional four houses throughout Western New York in Lockport, Falconer and Westons Mills all take a slightly different approach to treatment and house a variety of at-risk children. Two of the homes also house state-approved schools for students with special needs.

In addition to the residential locations, New Directions also offers foster care and adoption services throughout Western New York. Couples interested are screened, go through a training program and receive ongoing training on how to best serve the children they foster, and in some cases, adopt. 

Preventative services are the "newest" addition to the 23 different services they provide for Western New York. Family support, crisis intervention, Intensive Case Management and more all take a very family centered approach.

"The old model of treatment was that if a child wasn't making it at home, they went to an institution. The relationship with the family was never the same. Nowadays, we put a large value on the influence of family. Families are forever, and the more you can do to make the family stronger, and include the family in aspects of treatment, the stronger the family will be in the end." Brad Sande, Development Director for the organization told me. 

When speaking with Brad, he truly emphasized their family approach and how they are all about strengthening the family, because it will be in turn strengthen the child. I couldn't agree more. Many times, families can feel helpless, or don't have the resources to make things better on their own. That is exactly what New Directions is here for. 

Staff are experts in their field and programs are accredited by The Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services and additional agencies. The organization partners with over a dozen additional groups and is a member of many top agencies. They are the leader in services for at-risk children in Western New York. 

Services reach over 1,000 families every year with close to 250 families placed in their residential homes. Preventive services reach the most families, providing an incredible resource for families in need. 

While most of the funding for programming comes from county contracts and funding, the reimbursement rate doesn't support the many special services (including recreational activities) that they believe are very important to the well being of the children they serve. 

In order to raise the funds to support recreation programs, the organization is hosting its 4th Annual "Wines of Distinction" event tomorrow (Friday, May 3rd) at the Lockport Town & County Club located at 717 East Avenue in Lockport, NY. The event starts at 7:00pm and will feature wine samples from around the world, including The Niagara Wine Trail. Tickets to the event are $35 each, or $60 for two and can be purchased at the door tomorrow night. In addition to wine samples, appetizers, cheeses, desserts and coffee/teas will be served. For beer lovers, micro brew beer samples will also be available. 

Prize raffles and basket raffles will be available to event goers, with the chance to win an IPad, flat screen television, luxury box at a Buffalo Bisons game, sports memorabilia, golf outings and more! 

It is a fun opportunity to learn more about New Directions and enjoy a night out! I'll be attending with my Mom, and hope you will join us and the rest of the guests in attendance to help raise money for this important organization in Western New York. 

Restaurant Week Recap #4: Cecelia's Ristorante in Buffalo

To wrap up my Restaurant Week adventures, I planned a girls night with some of my best friends from high school. I'm fortunate that so many of my close girlfriends growing up still live around me! 

We chose Cecelia's Ristorante, located on Elmwood Avenue. As with most places on Elmwood, they don't have a parking lot, but I was able to score a great spot just outside the restaurant on the street. 

The Italian restaurant is a trendy spot in Buffalo with a great outdoor patio. The inside boasts a large bar, and plenty of seating, but can get crowded quickly - especially during happy hour. The atmosphere is laid back, fun and flirty. It is a great spot to bring a date in Buffalo. Come summertime, the patio is hopping and it's a wonderful place to people watch. 

The Restaurant Week special included an appetizer, entree and cannoli for dessert. But before I get to the food, let's talk about the martinis. They boast a long martini list to choose from. I opted for the Bellini and it was tasty and not overpowering. Other good choices are the Lemon Drop, Pomegranate and Berry Snapple. If you are looking for a great deal, they offer 1/2 priced martinis Tuesday - Friday from 4:00 - 6:00pm (only available at the bar).  

For my appetizer, I chose the margherita pizza, which was honestly a meal in itself (see picture on the right). It was tasty, and while I couldn't finish it all, it was great for sharing with the table. They offer it under their regular pizza menu, and while I wouldn't necessarily go to this restaurant for pizza (try Siena, Rocco's or 800 Maple), it was a good starter. 

One of my friends chose the Caprese salad (also on their regular menu) and it was a gorgeous presentation, generous portion and delicious. To be honest, all of our appetizers were great. Others at my table chose the stuffed banana peppers (which were on the spicy side but had good flavor) and a Caesar salad (tasty). Our meal was certainly off to a good start. 

Before I get to our entrees, I want to point out how much I enjoyed the fact that the Restaurant Week specials were actual normal menu items for the restaurant. Many times, Restaurant Week specials include dishes you can't normally get at the restaurant, and while it is usually something delicious, I'd rather have a regular menu item so I know if I should come back or not. 

For my entree I, and a few others at my table. chose the Chicken Brushetta (cutlet floured & sauteed with grape tomatoes, basil, goat cheese in a lemon white wine sauce served over whipped potatoes). The dish had me at "goat cheese" but honestly everything about it was delicious. The chicken was breaded perfectly and cooked well and the lemon white wine sauce complemented everything on the plate. The whipped potatoes has so much flavor and all together it was a perfect dish. I would go back for this dish alone. 

Everything else my friends had (penne broccoli, chicken parm) looked great too and everyone enjoyed their meals. The portion sizes were good, there were not really any leftovers, but you definitely felt full and satisfied. 

Girls nights out are so important and Restaurant Week gives you a great opportunity to get together with friends, family and co-workers (although who really needs a "reason"?). I'm already counting down to the Fall Restaurant Week!

Thanks for the memories, Restaurant Week!

Caprese Salad (so pretty)

30 Wishes For Buffalo

I turned the big 30 this April!!!  All month I've been blowing out candles on cakes and making wishes. I started writing this list of my "Buffalo wishes" on my birthday, when I woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep. 

I can’t tell you what I wished for when I blew out my birthday candles (because then it won’t come true), but here are thirty wishes I have for this great city. I get some are far fetched, I know many may take another 30 years to happen, but some are already in the works and I can’t wait to see those wishes come true! 

Some of the wishes I have absolutely no control over, but in other cases I can do something, and I will. I hope you will too. 

So, in no particular order, here is the list...

Krystal's Wishes For Buffalo, NY

1. The obvious – The Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl (I’ll actually take a playoff home game, preferably in the next few years).

2. The other obvious – The Buffalo Sabres win a Stanley Cup.

3. They tear down the skyway and create a version of NYC’s High Line.

4. The Trico building is reused and filled with new business in Buffalo.

5. The Richardson Center Corporation finds additional tenants to fill all the remaining ward buildings!

6. The Buffalo Bills Stadium moves downtown. Make. It. Happen.  

7. All the grain elevators are reused and filled with great new Buffalo ventures (it starts with Silo City Rocks…who will be next?)

8. More breweries in Buffalo.

9. More bike lanes on the streets of Buffalo.

10. New business booms on Main Street.

11.Kenmore/Tonawanda change the no parking on the street rule. I grew up there and it always seemed like too long of a time period to me. I don't live there anymore, so it wouldn't apply to me, but still want to see it changed. 

12. Continued development at Canalside and seeing the old site of the Memorial Auditorium filled with new business. 

13. Buffalo’s Roswell Park finds THE cure for all cancers.

14. The full dream of restoration at The Central Terminal is completed and we have a high speed rail in the area.

15. I’m all about shopping local, but if there is one chain store I love, it’s Ikea. I want an Ikea in Buffalo.

16. The unemployment rate reaches an all-time low.

17. The population of Buffalo trends upward instead of down (but, you know, not so much to where my 20 minute drive to anywhere is compromised…haha, okay, I’ll accept a longer commute if it means more bodies in Buffalo). 

18. A TV show, based in Buffalo, NY airs and is a huge hit shining a lot of positive light on The Queen City!

19. A handful of big name celebrities buy condos/apartments/houses in Buffalo because it becomes "the city" to live in. 

20. New leadership in Buffalo creates positive change for a city ready for greatness again.

21. The Buffalo Police Department receives additional support which in turn reduces the homicide rate in Buffalo.

22. The Buffalo Public Schools find a way to enact big changes to make it a desirable school district for families.

23. The issue of segregation in Buffalo is properly addressed and not kept a secret anymore. I’ve seen a lot of talk about this in recent months, now we need to start changing the dynamic here. 

24. I have touched on this already, but more college graduates choose to stay in Buffalo because the jobs they want are here.

25. A personal wish for me is that someday I can move into downtown Buffalo. It is a dream I’ve had for many years, but hasn’t worked out for one reason or another – not that I am complaining, the path I’m on right now is right where I want to be.  

26. More school districts in WNY add or add more Buffalo history into their social studies classes.

27. The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus & UB School of Medicine work is completed bringing thousands more to downtown Buffalo on a regular basis.

28. Whatever needs to happen with the Peace Bridge Project happens (this is one project I haven't followed closely, but have been hearing about for years). 

29. Buffalo winters remain mild finally changing the national attitude that all it does in Buffalo is snow. A lot. 

30. For all of NYS - Government takes a hard look at air pollution and enacts stricter regulations for businesses. I'd like to see Erie County get an A in the American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report. 



What are your wishes for Buffalo?

Restaurant Week Recap #3: Butterwood Sweet & Savory in Buffalo

Cheers to good food, Buffalo and new friends. In January, I started up the Lovin' On Buffalo book club. On Friday night, we hosted our second meeting to discuss "Buffalo Memories, Gone But Not Forgotten" at Butterwood Sweet & Savory. The restaurant is located inside the recently restored Hotel Lafayette. It is located on the lower level in what I'm told used to be the "speakeasy" of the hotel. To put it simply, the restaurant is gorgeous. It boasts gorgeous architectural elements, has plush seating for diners and has a gorgeous bar and display area for baked goods they sell. 

The restaurant is considered a "full service fusion restaurant that focuses on modern cuisine." They offer fun appetizer selections, small plates that feature foods from around the world, inventive entrees, handmade pizzas, and more!  The Restaurant Week special included either soup or salad, an entree and a chocolate lava cake for $20.13. 

I started with their "Sweey & Savory" mini salad which was incredible. A bed of lettuce came wrapped inside cucumber with candied beets, avocado, a tomato relish and a citrus vinaigrette. It was topped with truffle frites. and served with a small puff pastry. The flavors were incredible. It was a gorgeous presentation and left me wanting more. Others in my party ordered the Caesar salad and the soup of the evening which was a surf & turf soup and everyone was very impressed.


My entree (pictured right) was a braised short rib that sat in a french onion broth and was topped with a crouton and cheese. It came served with a side of vegetables. The short rib was executed perfectly and was breaking apart and filled with incredible flavor as I ate it.

As someone who gets French Onion soup almost everywhere I go, I was extremely pleased with this version. The broth was flavorful and the cheese and crouton topped it off perfectly. The presentation was nice and I quickly had nothing left on my plate. 

Other entrees at our table included duck, strip steak and salmon.  Everything came out looking beautiful and there were numerous ooh's and ahh's as people ate. The group, most of who had never been to the restaurant before (myself included), were just in awe of such a wonderful evening of food and friends. 

To finish up our meal, we were given a chocolate lava cake. It would not have been my first choice, since I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but it was the only option for Restaurant Week. If you are a chocolate lover, it was a perfect dish. It was extremely rich and gooey. It was a little too chocolaty for me, but I enjoyed the little I did eat. It sat over a fruit puree and some fruit and that was absolutely delicious. 

Within the restaurant, they have the Butterwood Retail Bakery outlet that has delectable pastries, pies and new artisan breads. Everything in the case looked great. 

The Hotel Lafayette has knocked it out of the park with their restaurant choices. Between the Pan Am Grill & Brewery, Butterwood Sweet & Savory and the upscale Mike A's, there is really something for every budget and palate. As for Butterwood Sweet & Savory, the food presentation and taste makes it very "upscale", but it is not priced as high as many upscale restaurants. 

I left there knowing for certain I'd be back with my boyfriend, and am excited to hear they are offering great nightly specials including Bring Your Own Wine (no corkage fees) on Mondays & 1/2 priced bottles of wine on Wednesdays. They are open daily at 11:00am and open at 10:00am on the weekends. They also offer a weekend brunch that I've heard great things about. If you are looking for somewhere to take Mom for Mother's Day, this would be my recommendation. 

The vision and dedication Rocco Termini had for The Hotel Lafayette, and his hard work on new ventures he is undertaking in the City are helping to reshape Buffalo as an incredible destination and place to live. After our meal we had the chance to tour around The Hotel Lafayette, and hearing stories of how rundown this place was years ago, I'm just so thrilled to see the turnaround and look forward to seeing what's next for Buffalo!

Casear salad (left) and Sweet & Savory mini salad (right)

Chocolate lava cake

For more reviews on Butterwood Sweet & Savory check out:   

Restaurant Week Recap #2: Coco in Buffalo

If you haven't been down on Main Street near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus recently, there is a lot of work going on to create a new transit station along with new buildings that will house the University at Buffalo's School of Medicine. The plans look gorgeous, and they will bring a couple thousand students and staff into downtown Buffalo on a daily basis once they are completed.

Nestled on Main Street across from the Medical Campus is a cute little French bistro, Coco. Coco opened back in May 2012 under the ownership that ran Le Metro (now closed) in the Tony Walker Plaza in Williamsville. 

If you are driving down Main Street, you may miss it unless you are looking closely. The restaurant doesn't have a large sign. Coco has a blue painted exterior with black awning and lights hanging from it. Once inside, though the space is small, it is very inviting and comfortable. The atmosphere is casual and the wait staff was friendly.

We arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation, so we grabbed a seat at the bar and enjoyed a bottle of wine (the Zum Riesling - only Riesling on their menu, and it was delicious). The bar area is trendy and they offer a fun cocktail menu as well as a wine list and good beer on tap (including Flying Bison Rusty Chain).

Once the rest of our group arrived, we sat down for our 6:00pm reservation. Sometimes, with big groups, and especially during Restaurant Week, you can feel crowded in your seat. I really appreciated the open feel to this restaurant. The arrangement of tables is well laid out and the dining area is gorgeous. 

The menu for Restaurant Week included a starter, entree and dessert. Between the six of us in my party, we tried each of the starters and they were all delicious. I chose the pea & carrot aranchini with arborio rice and mozzarella (pictured, left). I've tried aranchini at a few restaurants before, but this one was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The crispy exterior gave way to a flavorful mix of cheese, rice and vegetable. It sat on a bed of lettuce that was the perfect compliment to it. My boyfriend ordered the roasted red pepper bisque, and while it did have a bold spice to it, it was tasty too. 

For the entree course I went back and forth all day on what to order, everything looked great. I ended up going with the "Bagels & Lox" dish (pictured below) which was an incredibly creative and inventive dish. Playing off the traditional bagel and lox, the entree was a piece of pan seared salmon in an "everything bagel vinaigrette", with a cream cheese and chive risotto. It was topped with a beet marscarpone and had a chopped egg garnish. All I can say is, WOW! The entire dish came together beautifully, and getting a little piece of everything made the flavors burst. My salmon was cooked perfectly, and the risotto was outstanding. As I finished up my last bite (debating on whether or not to lick the plate clean), my boyfriend commented, "You clearly didn't like your dinner."

My boyfriend and one other guest in our party ordered the Moroccan chicken on the menu that came paired with a couscous with dried fruit and nuts. They both enjoyed it a lot, but said it needed a little more seasoning.

The other two Restaurant Week entree dishes were also ordered at our table: Porcini & Marscarpone Pierogi and the Steak Frites. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and there was very little left on plates. I had a chance to try some of the rosemary frites and they were amazing. Among some of my favorite french fries! One of the guests in our party commented that this Restaurant Week adventure was up there as her favorite. 

Our meals closed out with our choice of either a chocolate brownie with ice cream, a rhubarb shortcake (what I chose), or a unique avocado mousse. All the desserts were great!

We looked at the regular menu at Coco and it includes pizzas, entrees, and a handful of different types of mussels. While we were at the bar, another patron ordered mussels and they looked and smelled incredible. We all agreed we needed to come back for another meal and get them. 

With Restaurant Week wrapping up in a few days, I'd say that Coco should be a "must squeeze in" if you can fit it into your schedule this weekend. Call for reservations ahead of time. 

I love Restaurant Week in Buffalo for so many reasons, but the number one reason is because it opens my eyes to restaurants I hadn't heard about before. I didn't know Coco existed prior to looking at the participating restaurants, and I'm glad that the group I was going out with was looking to try something new. There are so many "hidden gems" throughout Buffalo and Western New York, and Restaurant Week gives local restaurants the chance to shine. Coco certainly did for us! 

Moroccan Chicken

Rhubarb Shortcake...a sweet ending to a perfect meal!

For more reviews on Coco check out Urbanspoon: