I know I have been personal but not "up close" on this new blog. I have referenced people, situations and places loosely, but never named things specifically out loud.So maybe I need to write a little about myself, why I am blogging, and my hope for all this in the end.But let's take this slow.Today, I'll tell you about me.I am Alicia.Married to Andrew.Daughter of Michael & Kathy, Daughter in Love of Rob & Kim.Sister to Melissa+Kaylee & Kaitlyn+Christopher.Physically born in 1985 and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (not to be confused with the Mitten portion of Michigan).Spiritually born again in December 2001.My citygirl soul was born in 2003 & raised in the great city of Chicago, Illinois.I am a city girl at heart.An external processor, ESFP and 7 on the enneagram.Have a Bachelors Degree in Art from North Park University.Art was not what I thought I would do.I play music, and thought I'd be a music teacher.But, deep down - I am just an artist of many mediums.I have been impacted and changed by the people in my life.My family. My friends from my hometown. My girlfriends from college, my family of friends I left behind in Chicago.I fell in love with Andrew after a long obedience.We met in a worship band at college, and led a missions trip together to the Dominican Republic.He didn't "like me back" at first.We started dating when he kissed me on the floor of my furniture-less apartment on the corner of Kedzie & Carmen (he decided he "liked me back" then).We fell in love in the city.Taking rides on the EL late at night.Stopping for Starbucks in Lincoln Square.Our not so real first date was at Tre Kroner one Wednesday morning for breakfast - it felt like half the school was there, staring at us.Our real first date we went to see the movie "Rent" - we were the only non same-sex couple in the theater.Three years later, he asked me to marry him on a rooftop in downtown Chicago.I worked at a church for 5 years in Chicago - one year doing Communications and four years in Urban & Global Outreach.He went straight from undergraduate studies to Seminary.We married in 2008 in the north shore of Chicago.We moved from Chicago in June 2011 for him to take a job in Connecticut.He's a youth pastor. I work for the regional office of our churches denomination.I am thankful God has placed me here.Boston to the East. The mountains to the North.The ocean to the South. New York City to the West.I am loud.Talkative.Have a strange draw to Marathon running.Live in a 175 year old house on a busy corner. It's bright yellow.Spontaneous.Gregarious.Love to entertain.Independent.Love to capture the moment.Always wanting to change the furniture around.

My husband is a movie lover. All things movies, he loves. He is even one of those people who goes to the movies by himself (I shouldn't make fun of him, I am one of those people who eats alone at a restaurant). One of the movies he loves (don't judge) is Just Friends with Ryan Reynolds. It. Is. Ridiculous. But - so quotable.One of my favorite, most quoted clips from the film is when Anna Faris sings a song called "Forgiveness". It's hilarious and just plain silly, but something about it today has one line stuck in my head.Forgiveness is more than saying sorry.I just came out a season that was hard on my soul. I felt I was wandering, reaching out to grasp whatever thought, idea, identity seemed to be "right", and ended up not lost, but wandering. As I move farther away from that time, and thankfully have had friends to ask me the right questions (at times hard questions) - I have done a myriad of things in the name of "forgiveness". I have confronted and emailed those who I have felt hurt by, those whom I've hurt, I have journaled letters never sent, I have asked God to please help me "get over" feeling the anger and frustration I had. But yet, at the end I still felt "wronged".How did I get here? And where is here? I hadn't really moved. I have gone through the steps, the motions of forgiveness. I was trying to fake it til I made it for crying out loud! Why was I still so angry?And then one Monday morning, I was talking on the phone to a dear friend who has walked along side me through this, and she said a simple statement - "I think you just need to forgive."Although she has said this to me 100s of times, I know the Lord put my heart in a place where I could truly hear it clearly. A place where I could understand forgiveness is more than an email, more than "still being right", more than feeling justified. Even now, my phone just lit up with a text message from a girl in our youth group at church. It was one of those chain text-message pictures people send around, but I couldn't see the picture clearly, only the word "Forgiveness" light up on the screen. The first thought flashed through my head, "WHO can see my computer?! That I'm about to write this!?" Nobody of course - but I'm going to take that as one more little sign from God that this truly is the right road to keep traveling. That I have truly forgiven not only in my head, but in my heart. And I need to continue doing that not just today, but every day.No matter the history, no matter the hurt. Without looking back, forgiveness means letting go. Giving it over. And moving forward.

The other day I was walking home from the gym and was thinking about the timing of everything. Our next Call, when people die, when babies are born, when our babies will be born. What if the time isn't right? I found myself making a deal with God;"Ok God, how about when I loose 30 pounds and we have money to move into a house, then we can have a baby?" or "Ok God, I'd be okay having a baby next summer. After the marathon." or "Ok God, we can move to X city once we're done with Y."I felt God say "Yep, okay. You know I already know when 'that' time is. I made it that way."I felt silly.Of course God knows. He knows. Just because he does. And He lets me think me in my tiny little world down here, I have control over it. But gently reminds me that I don't.Timing has always been a fear factor in my life - what if it's not the right time to buy this? To go on this trip? To make this huge decision? The saving Grace to my anxious flippity flop of a mind is that GOD orchestrates the timing. He has the big picture.The most moving image I always find rest in is that of a tapestry weaver and overseer in a sermon I heard a while back. As the overseer is calling out the orders to progress on the weaving of this intricate tapestry, one of the weavers makes a mistake. He stops to apologize but the overseer says to keep going. As the tapestry is nearing completion, the weaver is getting more and more upset about his mistake. Now this piece, which was suppose to be beautiful, intricate, orderly, and cohesively designed - will be ruined with the flaw of the glaring mistake he has made. As the tapestry is finished, the weaver takes a step back to the overseer's perspective - and he cannot believe his eyes. The overseer, who had full perspective the whole time, has taken the mistake in the weaving and made it the centerpiece of the tapestries design - its result is more beautiful than the original. What was thought to be an error in the work flow has now made this tapestry turn out to be grander than it's original design.We cannot see the timing - the beauty that God is weaving in the tapestry of our life We are working so close, so focused in the threads that we forget that we do not see God taking our mistakes, taking our choices, and making them into something we could have never dreamed it could be.

Happy Valentines Day to all my favorite, faithful foodie readers out there! Muah!

New York....New. York.Ahhhh how a weekend in this city can re-energize my soul and tire my legs.Our anniversary is in October, so Andrew decided the perfect way to celebrate was with an east coast "stay-cation" to NY on one of the last beautiful "indian summer" weekends this past fall. We like to stay at this little brownstone on the Upper West Side where the streets are quiet, friendly, and Central Park is a mere 1/2 block to the east. So we packed our bags and rolled towards the city on Friday morning.The city was wonderful: "quiet" and 65 degrees cool as we took our morning walking down 3rd Avenue from Grand Central to SoHo (yes we walked from E 42nd street to below Houston...44 blocks). We explored for a bit, shopped, and headed north to the UWS. 20 minutes and a cat nap later we were walking down Columbus to our favorite West side lunchery: Nanoosh. They are a little Middle Eastern place between 68/69th on Broadway just north of Lincoln Center. We love their hummus, tabbouleh, and especially their mint iced tea. It's perfection. Plus, outdoor seating to people watch on a beautiful fall day.For dessert, another west side find...Levain Bakery.Um...ya. Only the best, warm, crumbly, delectable chocolate chip walnut cookie in New York City...truly the best cookie you'll ever eat. Not to be beat out by the laundry list of other delicious treats we had during our city-stay. I mean: we had crepes. we had beer. we had panini's. we had the best sweet potato fries i've ever had. The cookie was just a snack on our way back downtown. But oh so good.

apple pomegranate tabbouleh

One thing I have really missed about our neighborhood in Chicago, was you could get good middle eastern food at multiple places within a 3 block radius of our house. I have been making middle eastern food at home for a few years now...things like hummus, tabbouleh, taziki sauce, jerusalem salad; but I think this recipe always is my favorite. You can make it year round since most of these ingredients simple to find. My favorite part is the chopped fresh parsley, crisp apples, and tart pomegranates that pop in your mouth.

• 1 cup bulgur
• 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 1 apple, chopped - any kind (preferably something crunchy but not tart)
• 1 cup of pomegranate seeds (you can buy these at the grocery store if you don't want to seed your own pom)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tbs paprika

Place bulgar in a pan (I use a longer pyrex glass dish) and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes...the bulgar should soak up all the water. Fluff with a fork.Chop all the above ingredients and combine in a bowl.Toss everything in a bowl with bulgar. Sprinkle paprika and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to let flavors develop. Toss again before serving.

Today is my mom's birthday. She didn't want me to post anything on facebook, so I thought I'd post it on my blog!My mom is a great lady: she has helped me pack more apartments then I care to count. She has been (happily) dragged to many breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner & dessert places around town...and is even willing to let me still drag her around to places on the East Coast! She is a listening ear, a comforting voice, and a strong wife and mother. She is the mom I want to be when we have some little Sturdlings of our own. She is fun, youthful, up for anything, and selfless.One of my mom's favorite things are my petite vanilla scones, and frankly, who wouldn't want to make these for breakfast and sit down and enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee and mom! I cannot wait to enjoy these with her in 16 days when she's here!

Petite Vanilla Scones

From Pioneer WomenMakes 12 mini sconesIngredientsSCONES3 cups All-purpose Flour2/3 cups Sugar5 teaspoons Baking Powder1/4 teaspoon Salt2 sticks UNSALTED Butter, Chilled1 whole Large Egg3/4 cups milk+1 tablespoon lemon juice2 whole Vanilla Beans or 1 tsp vanilla extractGLAZE3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted1/2 cup Milk1 whole Vanilla Bean mixed in ORif you do not want to buy a vanilla bean, 2 tablespoons of Lars Swedish Sugar will do...or nothing but the glaze would be just fine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla "caviar" inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs.Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together.Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles.Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.VANILLA GLAZETo make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.

I'm happy to report we are settling in! I feel about 60-80% settled...and the percentage will definitely increase when a certain husband will take a certain mattress out of a certain dining room. :) Seriously, we have been in our place almost two months and it's beginning to feel like home. The more times I run my neighborhood loop, walk Main Street, and pull in the driveway; the more it feels good to call Middletown home.

How are things going you ask? Good I guess! Fall is slowly creeping upon us here in New England, and every day the leaves are looking more golden than green. This morning it was 55 degrees...I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt & vest today! (with sandals of course). Pictures are finding their place on our walls, I'm discovering new running routes, and our everyday activities are turning more into a routine. Sundays are a little nuts...it was nice to move here during the summer when the Youth have their break from Sunday/Wednesday activities, but after the fall kick off Sundays haven't been the same! Andrew gets up and gets out the door to church at about 8:15am and I join him for the 11am service. We get home about 1:00pm, have lunch, and chill. He goes back to church at 4 or 5pm for youth group and gets home about 9pm. Yes, WOW! What a work day! Needless to say, he loves it...which makes me so happy to see.

As for me, work is also picking up. Fall in ministry=busy! Last month I had a revelation to "simplify"! As you can see from my pictures, it was a busy summer of weddings, a trip to the UP, and Jasmer babies! As my trips wound down; I toned down the amount of things I was volunteering for, suspended my NYC marathon registration until 2012 and went "ahhhhhh!". This is what I have really been needing: a season to be renewed, refreshed & rest!

I guess many of you don't really know that yes, I have a job! I am the Office Manager for the East Coast Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. I handle all administration for our office, as well as brainstorm the direction of our communication methods (website, design, etc). My office that is the umbrella for all the Covenant churches in the East Coast from Maine to Washington DC. So, my job is a new kind of "busy": there are no city-wide service days to plan and no toy stores to brainstorm for as Christmas approaches. While I do miss being "in the trenches" of ministry, administration and communication design is my gifting! And I get to do both of those things here! I also have been doing a lot of freelance graphic work at home (hence why my blog has been so neglected). It's a good creative outlet for me outside of work. So...that's the long and short of what I do.

Last weekend we had some friends over for dinner...this is something I have been dying to do but just have been too busy. I like to get to know people over food.

pollo el pastor
1 pound chicken tenders or breasts
1-2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin

What you need:
Glass bowl
Fry pan
If you don't have a fry pan that can go from stovetop to oven, you'll want a small sheet pan.
Tin foil
Cooking spray

1. Open the can of chilies and mince 1-2 depending on your spice preference. I find 1 gives the flavor I want, but two gives them the kick of spice.

2. Combine chicken, chilies, olive oil and spices in bowl and cover. Place in fridge to marinate for at least 30 mins or longer.

3. Preheat oven to 325 when your ready to start cooking.

4. Spray pan and set on high heat. (We are just going to sear the meat to lock in the juices so don't worry about burning.)

5. Place each piece of chicken you have in the hot pan. Sear for 1 minute on each side.

6. Cover the pan with foil (use oven mits...hot!) and place in the oven for 25 minutes. (if your using a sheet pan, line the pan with foil for easy clean and cover chicken with foil too).

7. Remove foil and cook for 5 minutes longer.

8. Remove chicken from the oven and cover with foil on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes.

9. Slice and dice the chicken. Return to the pan on medium heat. Add the pineapple with juice and sauté until juice is evaporated.

10. Toss with fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice. Eat on warm corn tortillas topped with diced onion, queso fresco, more chopped cilantro, and lime chaloula hot sauce.

Saturday — we prepared for Hurricane Irene.

Part of me was all like, “THIS IS MY FIRST HURRICANE!!”
Part of me was like, “ahhhh this is my first hurricane.”

As I started to write this post, I was anticipating the lights flickering off, our marathon of “50 Best Documentaries to See Before You Die” to end, and the rain to really pick up.

I have to say, this little Yooper girl knows how to handle Midwest thunderstorms and even a “Snonami.”

But a hurricane? No clue.

We stayed up until 2:30 a.m. in anticipation. What we got wasn’t a hurricane — it was a 500-mile-wide thunderstorm and a Sunday morning free of church and responsibilities.

And then Sunday morning, we went out and explored… while it was still raining with 50 mph wind gusts. But if you have ever walked between the Hancock Building and Water Tower Place on a cold, windy Chicago day — you have felt worse wind gusts than Irene produced, trust me!

So what did I do instead of hide from Irene? I cooked (and cleaned a lot)!

I made a giant pot of my potato leek chowder.
I made banana bread.
I made donuts.
I made chocolate sauce to dip the donuts in.

If you are gluten-free, well then this is your lucky day! I’m going to share with you this absolutely delicious banana bread recipe from Babycakes NYC.

And there is also a surprise… I dare you to make the chocolate dipping sauce and drizzle it over the banana bread to make it the most decadent, home-style treat.

🖨 Print Recipe

Erin's Favorite Banana Bread

A gluten-free, dairy-free banana bread inspired by Babycakes NYC — moist, sweetened with agave, and topped with a luscious vegan chocolate drizzle.

Yields: 12 servings | Weight Watchers Points+: 5 points per slice

Ingredients

Banana Bread

• 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (no substitutions)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup rice milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups mashed bananas

Sugar-Sweetened Chocolate Drizzle Sauce

• 4 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 tablespoon canola oil
• Pinch of salt

Directions

Banana Bread

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
2. Brush your loaf pan with oil and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Add oil, agave nectar, rice milk, and vanilla; mix until smooth.
5. Fold in mashed bananas until evenly distributed.
6. Pour batter into loaf pan, filling only halfway.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, then check for doneness. Continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
9. *If you have extra batter, bake as muffins or doughnuts — texture will be moist but delicious.

Sugar-Sweetened Chocolate Drizzle Sauce

1. In a double boiler or microwave, melt chocolate chips until 85–90% melted, with some pieces remaining.
2. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
3. Add oil and salt, stirring to combine.
4. Drizzle over banana bread and allow to set 3–4 hours for a firm glaze, or enjoy immediately for a soft, drippy texture.

Weight Watchers Points+: Add 1 point per slice when topped with drizzle.

Alicia Sturdy | www.aliciasturdy.com

About a month ago I was Skyping with my lovely Chicago sistas, Mabrie & Rachael.

Right before we hung up, we were talking about — if we could do anything, what would we do?
None of us really answered, as babies started crying, husbands got home from work, and we all decided we needed to hang up.

Ever since then, this question has remained in my head... and I have been dreaming about what could be next in my life.

Not that what is going on in my life isn’t awesome right now, but I could see some big things on the horizon if I kept toying with the idea.

Also, not that I have time to ponder these things right now — as we just moved into our new place on Saturday, I am in the middle of a few projects at work, and I, of course, have been busying myself with projects I don’t have time for.

I get in these moods sometimes when things feel uncertain or changing.
Example: the last two times I thought about going to grad school were

1. before I graduated undergrad, and

2. as we were leaving seminary a few months ago.

I honestly would love to... keep doing what I’m doing AND:

• keep designing and expand my business.

• maybe even start a creative design group with my friend Erikka.

• go to seminary or grad school (for what... I don’t know).

• go to cooking school.

• open a bakery. (um, I have already found the perfect building in Middletown for a bakery or storefront/office see to the left).

For the meantime, I need to concentrate on today... or this week.
(aka settling our house!)

Here is one of my favorite summer recipes for you to enjoy the last month of summer.
I love it because it is so fancy tasting, and a very quick dinner.
You just have to have everything ready — (this is key!)

Still unsure?
Do you like pizza from those Neapolitan places where the crust is cooked in a wood-burning oven?
Then you’ll love this, I guarantee it.

Bon Appétit.

🖨 Print Recipe

Grilled Pizza

Serves: 8 mini pizzas (1 per person) | Weight Watchers Points+: about 9 per pizza (depending on toppings and crust)

Pizza Dough Recipe

Makes: 2 pizzas or 8 mini pizzas | Points+: 5 per mini crust

Ingredients

• 2¾ to 3¼ cups bread flour (King Arthur Bread Flour recommended)
• 1 package active dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water (120–130°F)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1¼ cups flour, yeast, and salt. Add warm water and oil.
2. Mix until smooth, then beat on high for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in remaining flour until a moderately stiff dough forms.
4. Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
5. Divide into 8 balls, roll out, and prepare for grilling.

Tip: Use a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5 minutes instead of kneading by hand.

Grilled Pizza

• Pizza dough (store-bought or homemade, above)
• Toppings of your choice
• Oil (canola, vegetable, or olive)
• Pastry brush

Instructions

1. Heat grill to medium-high. If using charcoal, keep the hot spot off to the side.
2. Prep toppings and roll out dough (2 pizzas or 8 mini pizzas).
3. Don’t roll too thin — it can tear or get too crisp.
4. Brush the top side of the dough with oil.
5. Place dough on the grill, oiled side down. Cover and cook 1–2 minutes, until lightly golden underneath.
6. Brush the top (raw) side with oil, then flip.
7. Immediately add sauce, cheese, and toppings. Close grill to melt cheese.
8. Cook until cheese is melted and crust is golden. Check often to avoid burning.

Topping Ideas

Alicia’s Favorite

• Mozzarella (or rice-based mozzarella alternative)
• Canned pizza sauce (San Marzano or RAGU)
• Half plain cheese, half with meat and mushrooms

BBQ Chicken

• BBQ sauce
• ½ red onion, sliced
• Shredded rotisserie chicken
• Mozzarella

Chicken Pesto

• Pesto sauce
• Shredded rotisserie chicken
• Mozzarella
• Tomatoes (sun-dried or fresh)

Yooper Special

(My dad’s favorite — call your cardiologist tomorrow!)

• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella
• Pepperoni (fresh-sliced from the deli)
• Crumbled sausage (cooked)
• Crumbled bacon
• Sautéed mushrooms

ok: so I am 5 days over the date I wanted to blog. Woops. I wanted to blog 50 days after we left, but between work, church, my freelance gig, and exploring new england; my blog got lost somewhere in between.

Some of you may be wondering, why are you blogging here? I thought you moved to Tumblr.

Well, it was a fake out. I was trying out Tumblr, but after a few weeks of playing around on it, I am not loving it. So sticking with what I know, I'm staying on Wordpress and giving my blog a new, fresh feel. So stay tuned...things are going to get a little bit more lovely around here.

Some of you may also be wondering what I have been up to!

Let me give you a brief synopsis.

June: drove to New England, got a flat tire, day trip to New York City (cue Empire State of Mind playing in my head), Andrew starting his new job, Me starting my new job, our nice tidy space saver bags exploding in our 10x10 room at the Freemans.

July: 4th of July at Pilgrim Pines, Iowa for Matt & Molly Bauman's wedding, Chicago book-ending our trip (side note: i LOVE being a visitor in chicago...life as a visitor means no job and 24 hour acccess to fun, friends, shopping and delicious eats in a carefree manner), Friday night trip to Boston, HARRY POTTER!, Day trip of eating & shopping to New York with Lil' Erikka, skyping, skpying and more skyping with wonderful friends and family, weeknight trip to have dinner & cupcakes with Suz who is working in NYC through September, and finally last weekend we spent Friday & Saturday in Rhode Island at the Freeman's beach house. ahhhhhhhHHhhhhhh....so relaxing and I am delightfully tan for my upcoming trip to Chicago for wedding #2 of the summer.

So you are now up to speed with what we've been up to these past 55 days (yes, I know I go to New York too much but many of you know that I am a MAGNETIZED to big cities!)

Present day: we are moving into our new place next week!

Let me tell you a little bit about 31 Broad Street. :)

It's in wonderful Middletown, Connecticut; located right on the Connecticut River. It's a historic town that once was "destined" to be a large port city like Boston and New York. Long story short; it didn't. (boo).
We will be occupying the first floor of this house, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. Exactly what we were looking for! It's one block from the main street that is filled with tons of independent coffee shops, local restaurants, and businesses. It. Is. Idyllic.

We are so looking forward to moving in and hosting many dinner parties, movie nights, and weekend visits of friends.

Oh, and regarding this being a blog about food...that is in the works. I haven't been cooking that much this summer, but I have a few things up my sleeve and I cannot wait to share them with you!