I love river towns—I've always found spending time near water soothing, and being based in the Twin Cities means that there are plenty of picturesque options within a few hours' drive. Stillwater is my go-to, and I've also had great trips to Red Wing, Mankato, and Winona. However, my list of riverside day trips and weekend getaways included a major oversight: La Crosse, Wisconsin.
New York City: 8.3 million people, 305 square miles, over 26,000 restaurants. It would take a lifetime to do justice to New York's culinary scene—we had eight days. So I've decided to take the same approach I did with my post about London. Instead of creating a very incomplete dining guide, I'm compiled my personal New York culinary highlights.
A couple of years ago, I wrote about how Winnipeg was a budget-friendly way to satiate my international wanderlust. Since then, Winnipeg's dining scene has exploded, The Forks Market has been revitalized, and I've been reading all about the spa experience at Thermëa. So when Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg offered to host me for a few days, I was eager to see if Winnipeg was worth a return visit.
When I'm shopping for snacks, I spend a lot of time reading the nutrition facts. I'm looking for foods that are low in sugar and made with natural ingredients—plus, my snacks need to be portable and tasty. Recently, I found a new go-to snack in a spot I wasn't expecting: the kid's section of the yogurt aisle.
Eggs are so much more than a baking ingredient or breakfast food (to be honest, I rarely have eggs for breakfast—I'm too busy eating oatmeal). Nutritious, easy to keep on hand, and versatile, I turn to eggs when I need an appetizer everyone will love, an easy Mexican-inspired weeknight dinner, or a recipe to use up the zucchini and tomatoes in my CSA share.
As I mentioned in my post about my trip to Mankato, I stopped at Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery on my way home. Located a 15-minute drive north from downtown Mankato, the winery has a rural feel, with expansive grounds that include streams, trees, and 13 acres of vineyard. There's also a tasting room where you can sip wine and spirits.
As a freelance writer and blogger, I love going to conferences. The nature of my work means that I spend most of my days working at home alone, so it's exhilarating to find myself in a room full of people who understand exactly what I do for a living. Plus, conferences are a great reason to explore places I wouldn't ordinarily visit—a couple weeks ago, I found myself in Clear Lake, Iowa...
I've now hit the three-month mark as a full-time freelance writer (I've previously written about my efforts to set up a routine and my newfound leisure time/cookie baking habit), and the whole process has been a lot tougher than I expected. On some level, I thought that my side gig would transform magically into full-time employment...
After my recent stay in New Ulm, I decided to spend some time in nearby Mankato, Minnesota. Located along the Minnesota and Blue Earth Rivers, Mankato is best known for its many outdoor recreation opportunities: there are over 50 miles of paved trails perfect for running, cycling, and walking.
Brunch is one of the best meals of the week. Delicious baked goods, eggs, fruit, maybe even a mimosa—you can't go wrong. This month, Barlean's challenged me to create a brunch recipe with their Superfruit Seed Blend and Organic Culinary Coconut Oil, and both products seemed perfect for a brunch-worthy loaf of chocolate strawberry bread.
As I mentioned in my post on my day trip to Red Wing, this year I'm focusing on visiting as many Midwest destinations as possible. Since Germany is my favorite international destination, a visit to New Ulm, Minnesota was a must...
I've been on a cookie kick lately. Since quitting my paralegal job to write full-time, I've found myself with more free time than I've had in years. I'm starting to reacquaint myself with leisure...
Since I eat a primarily vegetarian diet, tofu is one of my go-to proteins. I actually didn't try tofu until college, when Mike introduced to me to the wonders of tofu stir fry. Since then, I've expanded my repertoire to include various cooking techniques, vinaigrettes, and sauces. Flavor-wise, tofu is a bit of a blank slate—it will soak up whatever seasonings you pair it with...
Hamburg is Germany's third-most visited city, hosting nearly seven million overnight visitors per year. However, relatively few of these tourists are from the United States. Maybe it's because Hamburg lacks the storybook charm of Bavaria, or maybe it just doesn't have the name recognition of Berlin.
I quit my paralegal job at the beginning of February to pursue my writing career full-time. It was the right decision, for a variety of reasons, and I'm incredibly fortunate to be in a situation where making the leap into self-employment was financially tenable. But even needed transitions can be difficult, especially when you are the sort of person who thrives on stability and routine.
I love to support local businesses, and recently I had the chance to take a sneak peak at some of the dozens of local artisans and craftspeople who will be selling their wares at Lowertown Pop, a maker event at St. Paul's Union Depot on Saturday, March 24, 2018. Featuring brewers, bakers, distillers, artists, musicians, and more, Lowertown Pop offers an opportunity to shop for unique local products.
My favorite thing to do at a cruise ship port is simple: get off the ship and explore by foot, checking out the port's museums, cafes, and other attractions. That strategy wasn't going to work in Geiranger. The village's population is about 250 people, and the main attractions are gift shops and restaurants crammed with fellow cruise ship passengers. The best thing to do on your port stop is to get out of town and explore the surrounding...
Most of the travel writing on my blog focuses on far-flung destinations: my cruise to Norway, a whirlwind visit to London, and a two-week trip through Germany. But travel doesn't need to be distant to be satisfying. Some of my favorite travel memories are closer to home: romantic getaways to Stillwater, the scenic drive up Lake Superior's North Shore, and a...
I love breakfast food: pancakes, French toast, waffles, muffins, cinnamon rolls. The problem is that nutritionally, these foods are more akin to a dessert than a meal that will give me the energy I need to satisfy me until lunch. When Barlean's challenged me develop a recipe for a treat using their Butter Flavored Coconut Oil, my first thought was breakfast.
You started 2018 with the best of intentions: this will be the year that you eat healthier, stick to a meal plan, and try new things. But it's already February, and those goals have gotten buried under your never-ending to-do list. Wondering how to get back on track? Consider subscribing to a CSA share!
