Category Archives: Life

City of Trees

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It’s been awhile since I’ve published anything here, but I’ve received a lot of requests about life updates, and I thought that this would be a good way to share what’s new.

Greg and I are officially residents of Idaho! While the journey to here and now started long ago, I am going to start with 3 weeks ago – the end of September. My last day of work was September 19, and that was also the day that Greg and I left for a short vacation with my family to Burlington, VT. We drove to Albany, NY on the 19th and then to Burlington on the 20th. We had awesome weather and an amazing time – highlights included biking and walking to everywhere we went, the Burlington Farmers’ Market, August First, Citizen Cider, The Skinny Pancake, biking the Island Line Trail and exploring Red Rocks Park.

*Note: all photos in this post are unedited, straight from my phone 🙂

We drove from Burlington back to Adams County on the 23rd, and then the 24th and 25th were focused solely on packing. We had done a lot of cleaning out prior to the 24th but had nothing actually packed. Those two days consisted of packing all of our belongings from the time we woke up to the time we went to sleep. At the end of the day on the 25th, everything we were taking to Idaho was in one room of our house.

We moved our stuff across the country with UPack. You load all of your stuff into a moving cube, and it is shipped across the country for you. We chose to load and unload our stuff at the trucking terminal rather than at our house because it was the cheaper option. So the 26th was dedicated to loading our UPack. With the help of Greg’s stepdad, we loaded the belongings from the room pictured above into a moving cube. I had some serious doubts about fitting everything in, but we somehow managed to fit nearly everything. Just a few small things had to stay behind. Once we were done, we closed and locked the doors and said goodbye to our stuff for more than a week. The next time we saw it would be in Boise!


After our UPack was loaded, we had 5 days left in Pennsylvania and those were filled with visits and taking care of last minute things. We wanted to get to bed early on the 1st, the day before we left, but that didn’t happen and that was okay. We were up at 4 a.m. on the day we left, the 2nd, and we pulled out of our driveway while it was still dark, at 5:45 a.m. The stars were so bright and clear on the morning that we left, and I sat on our back deck with Forest one last time before we left that morning.

Our first day of driving was our longest, 12 hours of drive time. We drove from Aspers, PA to East Moline, IL. We drove through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois on day one. East Moline is right on the border of Illinois and Iowa – right along the Mississippi River. We arrived at our AirBnb at around 6:30 p.m., settled in with Ivy and Forest and then ate delicious Mexican take-out from a spot we found once we got there – Adolphs. The drive went by pretty quickly on day one, even though it was the least scenic and longest day. We had packed our coffee, breakfast and lunch for each day in a cooler in the car, which worked out so well and enabled our stops to be super quick. 

Anyone who had talked with me before the move knows that I was nervous about how Forest and Ivy would do in the car. Traditionally, Forest doesn’t settle down during car rides and Ivy just doesn’t do them, so to put them in a completely packed up car for 12 hours had me a bit nervous. Well – not only did it go better than expected, it actually went incredibly well! Ivy actually seemed to enjoy it, so much so that we joked that we would take him for rides just for fun from now on. And Forest was such a trooper for being cooped up for so long. We could not have been happier with how they did. 🙂

Day two was another early day – we were all packed up and on the road by 5:45 a.m. We drove from East Moline to Cheyenne, WY. The drive was again not that scenic until we reached western Nebraska. The landscape became beautiful in western Nebraska which was a welcome sight. We arrived in Cheyenne at around 5:30 p.m. Our AirBnb was about 10 minutes outside of the city of Cheyenne and we had the most gorgeous view of the sunset. We got Forest and Ivy settled into the space, and then Greg and I drove into the town to pick up Thai takeout. The town was adorable and I would like to visit again someday for sure. 

Day three was our final day! We were on the road again at 5:45 a.m., but with a quick stop for hot coffee for our drive. We had packed cold brew in our cooler, but with temperatures in the 30’s in Cheyenne when we left, we were craving some hot coffee to start our trip. The sunrise and drive through Wyoming was incredible. We took so many photos and videos out the window and could not stop commenting on how gorgeous the scenery was. Wyoming is a beautiful state, and it just got better and better as we drove through northern Utah.

We were so excited when we crossed into Idaho and the drive from the border to Boise seemed like it took forever just because we were so ready to get there. We drove through some pretty heavy rain in southern Idaho, but we were greeted by a beautifully sunny day when we pulled into our apartment complex at about 5:30 p.m.

Not only did we not see our apartment before moving in, we had never been to Idaho at all. We knew that the moment we first saw our apartment would be exciting, and it was, and it was also a super pleasant surprise. We are so grateful that we loved the space as soon as we saw it. 

We arrived in Boise on Friday, October 4, and wouldn’t be unpacking our UPack until Monday, so we had a pretty empty apartment for the first few days. Once Monday came, Greg and I were up super early to get to our UPack, drive our stuff to our apartment and haul everything up the three flights of stairs. It was a long day and we were spent at the end of it, but we were so happy to have our stuff and be able to start making our apartment our home.

We’ve been in Boise – the City of Trees – for a week now and we are absolutely loving it. We love our apartment and it’s location within the city, and the city itself is amazing. We are able to get on our bikes at our apartment and go anywhere we need to go. We’ve been hiking, mountain biking, gone to farmers’ markets, coffee shops, a brewery and all of the grocery stores. All of that is bike-able or walk-able from out apartment and I love that lifestyle. Boise has a paved commuter trail that runs the entire way around the city and we are ale to hop on that right from our apartment complex – either on our bikes or with Forest for a walk. The scenery is incredible every where you look.

We can’t wait to see what is in store for us in the City of Trees!

 

Nourishment Lately – Beginning of Whole 30

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Hello dreaming foodie friends!

I wanted to pop on here today to share a bit about my first ever Whole 30 experience. I never thought that I would do anything like this, mainly because I am not big on following rules, especially when it comes to setting rules around food, but after hearing and learning more and more about the Whole 30 program, here I am, eleven days into my first Whole 30!

Day one for me was Thursday, Feb. 14, and day thirty will come on Saturday, March 16. I don’t have a lot of concrete reasons as to why I decided to give this a try, other than maybe just as a way to change things up, to try something new and different. I’m feeling like winter is getting a bit old and boring, and this seemed like as good a way as any to bring something different to the table. I was also drawn to it because of its lack of extreme rules or time period. It’s honestly not that different than how we normally eat, so I knew that the changes wouldn’t be overly extreme and it’s only a 30 day experiment and experience (although I do plan to do a reintroduction portion following that).

Here’s a summary of the things that I cannot have during my Whole 30 experience: alcohol, grains, legumes (beans, peanuts, etc.), natural or artificial added sugar, dairy. 

And here is what I have been eating:

Protein: eggs, beef, poultry, pork, fish

Veggies: spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, beets, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, garlic, onions cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, mushrooms, spaghetti squash

Fruit: blueberries, bananas, cherries, apples, oranges, dates

Fats: olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter)

Extras: walnuts, almond butter, coconut milk, collagen protein powder

What you see above has basically been the extent of my ingredient list over the last eleven days. Breakfast has been either eggs and some combination of veggies, or a smoothie. Lunch and dinner have been a protein and a ton of veggies. For snacks, I have been having apples and almond butter, a date with almond butter, or an orange. One thing for sure that I am loving – how many veggies we are eating! We have always been big veggie eaters, but with lack of grains and legumes, we have been going super heavy on the veggies and I love it. 

As far as how I feel, I honestly don’t have much to say at this point other than that I just feel good. I just feel good. And I am enjoying what I am eating every day. I do want to say that I feel like I have slightly more energy overall, but I still think it’s too early to tell if that is true. So far, I am loving my Whole 30 and I plan to keep the blog updated with the rest! Let me know what questions you have in the comments below!

Five Recipes For Fall

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Fall officially kicked off in my kitchen this year with this clam chowder, which was the most wonderful start, and I’m now looking forward to every bit of the warming and comforting food that goes along with this season. Here are five recipes that are on my fall cooking bucket list! 

Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal. Fall=oatmeal time. This peanut butter + jam baked oatmeal is the definition of comforting. This healthy and nourishing recipe will feel so right on cool, fall mornings.

Butternut Squash, Pear + Curry Brown Butter Soup. I love using fruit in savory recipes like this one. Grab some local butternut squash and pears and enjoy a warming and comforting bowl of goodness.

New Sweet Potato + Black Bean Burgers. This remains one of my favorite plant-based burger recipes. These burgers hold together so well and are flavorful, hearty and nourishing. Use local sweet potatoes for these this fall!

Beet Gnocchi. Beet gnocchi may just be my favorite dish ever. And with local beets in the fall – it’s perfect. This recipe is from Food & Wine, and my post shares the process, plus a few minor tweaks I make to the recipe.

Apple Crisp. A favorite fall dessert of mine. This apple crisp is just slightly sweet and is made with almond flour instead of wheat flour.

Happy fall cooking and eating!

Make-Your-Own Mountain Pies

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Today’s post is not a recipe, but an idea that I’m so excited to share. Fall is the perfect time to have a make-your-own mountain pie get-together!

To start, for those who don’t know what mountain pies are, they are basically pressed sandwiches that are made over a fire. I grew up eating mountain pies, but recently realized that there are lots of people who don’t know what they are. All that you need to make them is your favorite sandwich ingredients, a fire and a mountain pie maker – which are inexpensive and easy to come by.

I grew up eating super traditional mountain pies – it was either pizza (tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni) or dessert (canned pie filling). Not that there’s anything wrong with those traditional combos, but a couple of years ago, we started having ‘gourmet’ mountain pie parties at my parents house, and my mountain pie experience will never be the same. Instead of sticking to those traditional ingredients, my mom and I prepared a ton of different ingredients, then laid everything out so that it was a make-your-own mountain pie bar. We’ve had these get-togethers several times over the last few years, and although it can be a lot of work (especially for a big group of people), it is always so fun and so delicious. I thought I’d share the idea today, as well as some ingredient ideas and some of our favorite ‘gourmet’ mountain pie combinations!

The key to a make-your-own mountain pie bar is to have a wide variety of ingredients in a few categories of foods – you need a variety of meats, vegetables, cheeses, sauces/condiments and ‘extras.’ It’s nice to have all of the ingredients prepped and in small bowls/containers and then laid out on a table next to the fire. It can take some time and can be a bit of work, but if you set aside enough time, it can be a lot of fun to get everything ready. One other note – the type of bread that you use does make a difference. Use a high quality bread of your choice for the best results. The last time Greg and I made mountain pies, we used homemade sourdough from a local bakery (Gettysburg Baking Company!), and it was amazing.

Here are some mountain pie ingredient ideas:

Meats: pulled chicken or pork, ground beef, bacon, smoked salmon, ham
Vegetables: onions (raw or caramelized), peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach
Fruits: peaches, apples, berries, bananas
Cheese: cheddar, swiss, provolone, goat cheese, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, gouda, parmesan
Sauces/condiments: mustard, pesto, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, tomato sauce, peanut butter, salad dressings, salsa
Extras: capers, olives, banana peppers, artichokes, saurkraut, fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary), chocolate, marshmallows, nuts (like pecans, walnuts, peanuts), brown sugar, fruit jam, lemon curd

And some combination ideas:

Savory:
Bacon, peach, goat cheese (herbs would be good on this too)
Tomato, caramelized onion, olive, caper, mozzarella
Chicken, caramelized onion, saurkraut and cheddar
Chicken, banana peppers, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, hot sauce
Ground beef, mushrooms, banana peppers, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan
Chicken, mushroom, pesto, gouda
Ham, broccoli, mustard, gouda
Smoked salmon, tomato, capers, cream cheese
Pulled pork, onions, peppers, barbecue sauce, provolone
Ham, apple, mustard, cheddar
Chicken, salsa, cheddar
Spinach, caramelized onion, artichoke, parmesan, feta

Sweet:
Cream cheese, berries, brown sugar
Banana, peanut butter, chocolate
Marshmallow, chocolate, banana, peanuts
Cream cheese, peaches, pecans, brown sugar
Cream cheese, lemon curd
Peanut butter, jam, peanuts

So, that’s it! The mountain pie filling ideas are endless, so pick your favorite foods and try it out. Honestly, the craziest combinations are usually the tastiest mountain pies! Another key when you have a big group of people is to have the bread pre-buttered. That way, each person can just grab their bread, place it buttered side down in the mountain pie maker, top it as they please and then put it in the fire until pressed and toasted.

This post has me craving another make-your-own mountain pie night! If you have any awesome mountain pie combination ideas, or any questions about the process, let me know in the comments below!

Five End of Summer Recipes

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I’m trying my best to make the most of the end of my favorite season. For me that looks like spending as much time outside as possible, taking extra moments to be grateful for warm weather, and cooking with as much fresh produce as I can. In case you’re looking for a bit of end of summer cooking inspiration, here are five recipes from my site that are perfect for this time of year!

This peach + cucumber fresh lemonade. I haven’t made this lemonade in years, but looking back on the post has me craving it like crazy. This combination of peach, cucumber and lemon is so, so delicious and refreshing.

This peach + blueberry pico de gallo. This is an awesome appetizer, is so easy to make and would be so good right now with end of summer produce. Use this as a dip with tortilla chips or top your favorite tacos with it!

This late summer pasta: homemade noodles with pesto + tomatoes. This would be the perfect dish to cook on a summer day when all that you want to do is stay at home and cook a wonderful meal. There is something so special about making noodles from scratch and then adding fresh, seasonal produce to them. This is definitely on my end of summer cooking bucket list.

These herbed zucchini noodles with grilled shrimp and tomatoes. We’ve got lots of tomatoes right now in south central Pennsylvania, and they would be perfect in this light and summery dish. We are also trying to grill as much as possible right now, and this light and healthy dish is cooked completely on the grill.

This blueberry crisp. This recipe is not mine – it is from Shauna Niequist’s book Bread and Wine. I love this recipe so much that I shared it a few years ago on my blog, and I still love it the same. This crisp is made with olive oil, almond flour and nuts and makes a perfect snack, dessert or even breakfast. It’s wonderful with summertime blueberries – either fresh or frozen.

Happy end of summer cooking and eating!