Hello, Sunday.

Happy New Year, 2023!

I’m not one to dwell on New Years. It’s not a “holiday” or occasion that I’ve ever really liked, nor necessarily put much stock as far as resolutions or grand statements. I always try to ease in the new year slowly, and to let January be a welcome reprieve after the hectic holidays.

One of my favorite things to do to mentally reset for the year is to make a vision board with my friend. It’s become on of our favorite days of the year – we have food and drinks and magazines and music and settle in for 8-9 hours to set our intention for the year in the form of a word. A word that is meant to guide our intentions, thoughts and actions in the coming year. It sounds sort of “woo-wooey” but it’s a tradition we’ve both come to love and embrace and you know those vision boards? They sort of do work!

Last year my word was RESET, and after what was hectic fall in 2021, I do now feel settled in my new house (which has become a home) and my new routine in it.  I got back into my pre-pandemic travel ways and it was overall a welcome deep breath back into almost-normal after the craziness and uncertainty of the previous two years (my 2021 word was, after all, SURPRISE).

This year, my word is STRETCH.  I’ve tried to make it very clear to the universe and myself that this does NOT mean to stretch myself thin (which I’ve been very known and apt to do), but to rather literally stretch more (as in yoga – I’m not getting any younger!) and to figuratively stretch myself out of my comfort zone, to try new things, embrace new experience and to just live a little more broadly than I have in the past, if that makes sense. I’ve got some new ideas and new places on my travel hit-list to help me do just that.

And in the spirit of taking one big literal and figurative deep breath and stretch, I’ve decided to take January off from these pages. December had me busy and ill which meant I was a bit quieter than usual, but I am working on cleaning the site up, hopefully organizing and indexing it better, and the only way that I can figure that I’ll actually have the time to do it the way that I want is to take a break from the kitchen.  And after ten years of weekly updates, recipes and tales – it’s time for a stretch break.

I promise that this OOO will only be a month- and I’ll be roaring back into February with a vengeance with new stories to tell, new recipes to share, and hopefully a somewhat new look.  

Sound good? 

I’ll still be poking around on Instagram so if you miss me, check me out there.

Until then, see you in February! 

Hello, Sunday.

I took a little blog break last week to give myself one last lazy hazy daisy week of summer before life starts to pick up again.  The shorter days also bring with it a trip to Greece (leaving Friday), football season (already started), the return of students to my little college town (HELP!) , apple picking (can’t wait), fall hikes (yes please!) and all the things that my favorite season brings.

I mean, can you tell I’m excited?

I’ve already discreetly started packing and have a full lineup of fall goodies to share with you while I’m gone.  

Until then, what even happened this week? How’s the saying go- the days are long but the years are short? I see you, 2022.

Planning a cross-US country road trip? Here’s your snack set list. I can say I’ve done pretty well, but if you come to Michigan, there are much better things to eat than pasties.

First, you KNOW I love Britney but I can’t with this collab.

Are you really brewing your coffee properly?

I’m judging this as weird. Hate me but…don’t you?

This. The struggles of a multi-racial family.

Um, my Peloton friends and I are definitely thinking about a trip to London…seems we’re not alone.

I joke/not joke that my super power is that I’m ‘everyone’s best friend.’ I guess there’s a reason for that. The Super Friends.

Pumpkin bread season? I got you.

I’m thinking of trying this overnight hair curling headband thing. Tell me your thoughts.

September is this week. How even? I’ll see you there.