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.

In Minnesota, bars are part of the social glue that holds people together. I don't mean drinking establishments, although those have their place too. What I'm talking about are desserts made in metal...

We wound up in Sedona for a few days in February because of Mike. He grew up in Maine, so much of his childhood travel was focused on the East Coast: Acadia National Park, Boston, New York City. He is familiar with some parts of the West—his extended family lives in Colorado, within sight of what they call foothills but what look like mountains to a lifelong Minnesotan. But he's never experienced anything like the red rock...

For the past several years, I've been working towards eating healthier, and my CSA share from Untiedt's Vegetable Farm is one of the things that's helped me. What's a CSA? It stands for Community Supported Agriculture. At the beginning of the growing season, you can purchase a CSA share from a local farmer. Throughout the growing season (typically weekly) the...

It's been a while since I've written about life as a full-time freelance writer—since quitting my paralegal position last February, I've touched on some of the initial challenges and the ups and downs. Now that I've passed the one year mark, I wanted to look back and reflect on how my life has changed since making the leap.

Risotto is one of my favorite dinners—it makes me feel like I have it all together, no matter how stressful my day has been. If I have the time, I make traditional risotto. But if it's a hectic weeknight and I need an easy dinner before a workout, I throw together a hands-off version.