If you are the sort of traveler who likes to launch out of bed at 7:00 a.m., ready for a day packed with sightseeing and activities, Sundays can be challenging. Many attractions and businesses are closed; others have limited hours. One workaround is to make Sunday an on-the-road day, but that's not always an option. A couple of months ago, my travel schedule put me in Fargo, North Dakota on a Sunday.
Lately, my favorite thing to order when I eat out is French fries. It started a couple of months ago when Josh and I were deciding where to go for dinner. He threw out an impressively eclectic list of suggestions—Spoon & Stable, the Mill Northeast, Punch Pizza. But the thing is, I didn't want to eat award-winning French-inspired cuisine or elevated bar fare or Neapolitan pizza. All I wanted was an order of fries.
There are lots of great reasons to sign up for a CSA share, whether you want to support a local farmer, eat more vegetables, or discover new types of produce. But as wonderful as it is to get a box full of fresh produce each week, sometimes it can be challenging to get through it all before the next delivery shows up.
On my trip to North Dakota last summer, I learned that Bismarck is a great place to eat, with a vibrant local restaurant scene. On my most recent trip, I wanted to spend my time in Bismarck checking out the local drinks scene, from craft beer in a former depot to cocktails at a hidden speakeasy to an Italian-inspired wine bar.
Several months ago, I attended a media preview for a new bakery. The pastry case was filled with over-the-top, whimsical creations: towering layer cakes, center-only sticky buns, macarons covered with sprinkles. Someone asked the pastry chef about his favorite item, and I think we were all expecting him to highlight one of the more unique treats.
Fargo-Moorhead's craft beer scene garners plenty of well-deserved attention: the area is home to several breweries, and there's even a Crafts and Drafts pass that will earn you a free t-shirt if you collect stamps at 6 of the 12 participating locations. However, what if you're not in the mood for a pint of beer but you still want to drink local? You're in luck! Besides breweries, Fargo is home to Wild Terra Cider and Brewing, which serves...
I am baffled by Williams Sonoma. I like kitchen gadgets as much as the next person, and I enjoy browsing through specialty food stores. But the thing about Williams Sonoma is that it feels more like...
"Driving across North Dakota" is shorthand for the most boring sort of road trip: the state is flat and sparsely populated, with vast distances and unchanging scenery. "Driving across North Dakota solo" is pretty much the opposite of my idea of a good time—I'm more of a plane person than a road tripper.
For some people, summer is a season of weekend trips to the cabin. For others, it's a whirlwind of kids' soccer and baseball games. There are people who love camping and avid fans of fishing or boating. We're all about grilling.
I approach my weekly grocery shopping trip with the seriousness of a competitive sport. I start at Aldi because it's the cheapest and try to purchase as much of my list there as possible. Next, I go...
CBD products are becoming increasingly mainstream, and I'm excited to be working with Barlean's this month to promote their Seriously Delicious CBD Chocolate Mint and Extra Strength Ideal CBD Hemp Oil. I've been using Barlean's CBD products for the past several months, and they've helped alleviate some of my longstanding insomnia issues.
I'm a big fan of local producers: I subscribe to a CSA, patronize farmers markets, and imbibe at local distilleries. My love of local flavor also includes wine—yes, even though I live in Minnesota. Thanks to in large part to the University of Minnesota's grape breeding program, the state has a robust wine industry with dozens of grape growers and wineries.
This chocolate chia pudding recipe is the latest addition to my "should've been on the blog by now" series of posts, along with sweet potato mushroom barley bowls. I've been making a batch nearly every week for the past few years, starting back when chia seeds were having a moment and I had gotten very tired of eating fruit and nut oatmeal bars.
My favorite thing to do when I'm traveling is to visit grocery stores. They're a peek into the home kitchens of another culture, a way to get an appreciation for what's similar to and what's different...
Some of the recipes on my blog have a story behind them, like Banoo's baklava cake or miso ginger sweet potato soup. Others are family recipes: my mom's chocolate chip cookies, my great-grandmother's...
As I mentioned in my post about Fargo, many people have preconceived notions about the Midwest. Since I'm a travel writer who primarily covers the region, my perspective is likely a bit more informed. But I'm not immune to stereotypes. When I was planning my trip to Fargo and Bismarck last fall, I wasn't expecting North Dakota to surprise me.
One of the more vivid food memories of my childhood took place at a wedding. We were eating pieces of sheet cake, the white kind with whipped frosting that gets a little bit crunchy on top. The woman sitting next to me carefully scraped the frosting off her piece, leaving it in a heap on her paper plate. I don't know why—maybe she genuinely didn't like frosting, maybe it was some sort of calorie-saving measure...
When you mention distilleries, Iowa is not the first state that springs to mind as a craft spirits destination. However, the state has a burgeoning craft distilling scene with a local focus. After all, what does Iowa have in abundance? Corn, which can be distilled into a variety of spirits.
This month, I'm collaborating with Barlean's to celebrate their 30th anniversary by highlighting their very product: flax! As someone who follows a mostly-vegetarian diet, I'm a big fan of flax because it's a vegetarian source of Omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats that are also found in fish. You can use flax oil in salad dressings and dips, add it to smoothies, and drizzle it over cooked meats and vegetables.
Phoenix, Arizona has never been on my must-see list. I've always associated it with retirement and blazing hot temperatures, which probably says more about my Minnesota roots than Phoenix itself. But as I've mentioned before, I struggle with seasonal affective disorder, and the trip Mike and I took to Disney World a couple years ago in early February really helped me get through the rest of the winter.
