Several months ago, I was filling out one of those icebreaker questionnaires—the sort of thing with questions about what famous person you'd like to have over for dinner and how you spend a typical Friday night. One of the questions was "What six things can't you live without?" My list (in no particular order) was my husband, my running shoes, podcasts, oatmeal, the Internet, and indoor plumbing.
For many cruise ship passengers, the dramatic fjord scenery on the cruise into Flåm is the whole point of visiting this tiny port. Home to only a few hundred people, Flåm feels more like a tourist attraction than a village (this is actually true—the "real" town center is a few miles from the port, inland up the river).
I've been blogging for nearly seven years now: for most of 2011 and part of 2012 I baked and blogged my way through Beard on Bread; once I finished that project, I started this site (which at the time...
To be honest, the holiday season isn't my favorite time of year. I do love some parts—putting up my Christmas tree, spending time with friends and family, driving around my neighborhood to look at lights—but it's also a hectic, stressful time, and the deluge of sugary treats makes it hard to stay on track with healthy eating.
Bergen is Norway's second biggest city, with a population of about 278,000. The historic Bryggen district, vibrant museum scene, and bustling shops and fish market make the city popular with tourists, and Bergen's proximity to the fjords also means that it features prominently on many Norwegian cruise itineraries.
'Tis the season...for Ritter Sport's holiday-themed chocolate bars. Since my most popular blog post of all time is my review of Ritter Sport flavors available in the U.S., I wanted to post a review of the 2017 Winter Edition flavors: Spekulatius, White Cinnamon Crisp, and Caramelised Almonds.
Do you have a wine lover on your list this holiday season? Give them the gift of wine! As longtime readers know, I love to support local agriculture and producers, so I'm thrilled to partner with the Minnesota Grape Growers Association to promote their Minnesota Wine Passport.
It's official: we are deep in the throes of winter squash season. When you think about it, winter squash are the pretty much the quintessential fall produce, since you need to turn on your stove or...
Thanksgiving is an excellent day to be a vegetarian. Don't believe me? Other than the turkey, all of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes can easily be made vegetarian: leave the bacon out of the Brussels sprouts, make mushroom gravy, and use vegetable broth in stuffing baked in a casserole dish. Add in mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, and you won't even miss the turkey.
'Tis the season for all things pumpkin spice, from the ubiquitous lattes to breakfast cereal and ice cream. Personally, I'm a fan of the real deal: this is the time of year when I stock up on pumpkin puree and add it to breads, muffins, cookies, and even pasta sauce.
Ålesund is a town of 47,000 on Norway's western coast, famous for its Art Nouveau architecture and striking natural beauty. It's an ideal port stop on a cruise itinerary: the city center is compact and close to the cruise ship pier, and there are several museums and other sights to keep tourists occupied without feeling overwhelmed.
I haven't posted a new recipe in quite awhile. I've been writing about the best ice cream in the Twin Cities, Norway, and the highlights of my summer, and cooking farro stuffed squash from 2016 and...
London is the biggest city I've visited: 8.8 million people, spread over 607 square miles. I spent four days there, barely enough time to scratch the surface—even at my standard jam-packed touring pace. So instead of posting a very incomplete city guide, this post focuses on my personal London highlights.
Despite the fact that the majority of my blog posts feature recipes or travel writing, my most popular post by a wide margin is my review of Ritter Sport flavors available in the U.S. In the vein of giving the people what they want, here's my latest Ritter Sport review: a rundown of the new-to-me flavors I picked up on my recent trip to Hamburg.
I have always been a snacker: when I was in elementary school, my chocolate chip granola bar was the highlight of my day. As an adult, I bring little cups of homemade chia pudding to work for a mid-morning snack and enjoy cottage cheese or edamame as an afternoon pick-me-up.
Why visit Roseville, Minnesota? To begin with, Roseville is perfectly positioned for a Twin Cities vacation--it's about a 10-minute drive to either downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul, and Roseville is the only northern suburb to border both cities.
It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and pumpkin spice has returned with a vengeance. As always, I packed as much as possible into the glorious three months of my favorite season.
Haugesund is a city of 37,000 on Norway’s southwestern coast. It was founded in 1855, when the herring industry was king; today, the city is a major shipping center and shopping destination. At first glance, Haugesund didn't seem to offer enough to keep us entertained for the day--there's no historic city center or major sights.
Kristiansand is located on Norway’s southern coast, a city of 88,000 people famous for its old town of white wooden houses. It’s a fairly minor stop on a cruise itinerary—the old town is quite small, and it was difficult to find a day’s worth of activities to occupy our time.
Maybe the initial enthusiasm has waned. Maybe you've eaten BLTs for three days straight, but there's still a line of tomatoes staring you down from the counter. Maybe you don't know what to do with the bulging bags of green beans that keep showing up in your CSA box.
