Pristine lakes, dotted with pine tree-covered islands. Rustic cottages and stately manner houses. Hiking, boating, fishing, foraging. The Lakeland region is instantly recognizable as the postcard version of Finland. It's the country's largest region, encompassing the central and eastern portions of Finland.
Finland is a coastal country, and the southwestern region is home to the world's largest archipelago by number of islands (approximately 40,000). One of the best ways to experience this part of Finland is the Small Archipelago Trail, which can be explored by bike, car, or mass transit.
Santa Fe's most popular nickname is "The City Different." It's a reference to the New Mexico city's distinctive architectural style: starting in 1912, city officials recommended (and later mandated)...
At the end of February, I went to Santa Fe, New Mexico for an early spring break getaway—after a couple of years spent mostly in Minnesota, I was eager to experience a place that's very different geographically, culturally, and culinarily from the Midwest.
Have you ever wanted a peek behind the scenes at Tangled Up In Food? Would you like to learn more about food blogging? Do you want to improve your food writing? Tune in to my virtual food blogger...
Throughout my twenties and early thirties, I regarded people who were into skincare with the same envious fascination that my teenage self reserved for the popular girls. I can't redo high school (nor do I want to—being a socially anxious nerd sent me down a far more interesting life path), but I eventually realized that I could get into skincare.
This will be my 12th season as an Untiedt's CSA member, and over the years I've noticed that family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances tend to ask me the same questions when they're considering CSA membership. If you're wondering if a CSA is right for you, here are those frequently asked questions, with my honest answers as a longtime CSA member.
Since I quit my day job, my freelance work has gone through so many different iterations (and oh yes, an ongoing pandemic). Here are my takeaways from the past year.
Spending the evening with Mike at the Mall of America (MOA) in Bloomington, Minnesota is one of my favorite date night traditions. As a child of the late 90s and early 00s, I really enjoy malls. I appreciate that they're walkable and climate-controlled, unlike the open-air "lifestyle centers" that are now all the rage. I revel in the sensory overload of having so many things to see and smell and eat.
In an inspired gift-giving move, Mike's parents presented us with an L.L. Bean tote bag filled with food for Christmas. Fancy tortilla chips and salsa that became the base for sheet pan nachos. Mixed...
Housed in a historic brick building in the heart of Minneapolis' Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, Alma is a lot of things. There's a fine dining restaurant on one side, and a more casual cafe on the other. Upstairs, you'll find a boutique hotel. There's even a retail aspect to the business, offering hand-crafted bath and body products, gourmet ingredients, and home goods. It seems like an odd mashup, but on a recent staycation...
Occasionally, I get invited to media previews and influencer events, like a party Wicked Foods hosted to celebrate their U.S. launch. I wasn't able to attend, but they kindly sent me a box of samples so that I could try their plant-based products at home. I've spent the past few months cooking my way through Wicked Foods' breakfasts, meal pots, meal kits, and condiments, so I wanted to share an honest review.
Pine forests, lake views, and a historic lodge straight out of central casting: Grand View Lodge is the quintessential Minnesota resort. It's located in Nisswa, a small town in the Brainerd Lakes area in central Minnesota.
Since I was a kid, I've been delighted by mushrooms. I love spotting them growing out of trees and popping up on lawns, and I also love eating them in risotto, soup, and on the grill. However, I was...
Mike and I recently visited Colorado for his cousin's wedding. Since we haven't had the chance to do much traveling recently (thanks, delta variant), we decided to splurge on a stay at the Edwards House, a boutique inn located in Fort Collins, Colorado.
There are people who are next-level hosts, who delight in having loads of people over for themed parties with impressive spreads of food and build-your-own cocktail bars. Then there are people like me—introverts with small houses and zero aptitude for creating classy place settings. This is where the low-key cheese party comes in.
We timed our trip to Seattle exactly right: mid-July 2021, post-vaccine but before the delta variant's spread. Crowds and indoor dining didn't concern us, and it was perfectly acceptable to wander around unmasked in Pike Place Market eating cherries. Two months later, I'm already nostalgic about it.
This is my ninth annual summer roundup post, and a couple of months ago, I thought it would be easy to write—a straightforward essay about my triumphant return to normalcy, including a trip to Ireland...
