I’m a self-taught home-cook sharing my passion for eating, cooking, and all things food.
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All in Monthly Recap
I had vacation time this April, I saw the opening season for U-Pick Tulips at the Holland Ridge Farm, right here in New Jersey! They offered fields of self-pick tulips and I knew that I had to visit for my April highlight. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to see thousands of tulips without flying to another country to enjoy them.
I decided to visit the Morris Museum for my March monthly recap on one of the few sunny weekends that hinted of summertime. The Morris Museum was recommended to me as a great New Jersey museum to visit. After browsing the current exhibits, I was excited to visit to see their multiple galleries of artwork, sculptures, and interactive exhibits.
I feel like it was yesterday that I was writing my January Recap from our brunch in downtown Montclair. Without realizing it, it was March, and I couldn’t believe that the month was over. Looking back on the month, the February highlight was dinner at Turtle + the Wolf in Upper Montclair.
My January Recap, a continuation of my monthly reflection series, kicks off the new year with adventures in downtown Montclair. From brunch at Toast, to visiting the Montclair Art Museum, check out my January Recap and highlights by clicking to read more.
My December Recap features Christmas and celebrating the end of the year with friends and family. I wanted to take the end of year off to disconnect from work and enjoy the seasonal traditions (like decorations, holiday movies, and intricate recipes). This monthly recap features our Christmas Eve tradition of The Feast of the Seven Fishes.
My November Recap features my mellow month where I nerded out on the recent release of Rebecca Yarros’s book Iron Flame, and spent the end of the month setting up my foodie Christmas decorations. Read the full recap on the blog.
To enjoy the October holiday season, I booked tickets for the Armour-Stiner Octagon House Tour in Irvington, New York. This house tour featured a multi-floor tour of the house, where we learned about the owners, architecture, and history. Plus, our tickets came with access to a bonus exhibit for the holiday season. Then, we headed to Mumbai Dreams in Nyack, New York for lunch. Click to read the full October Recap.
While August’s visit to the winery was for relaxing and socializing, September was a month of foodie adventures. I visited 4 new locations — from cafes and bakeries to restaurants and food courts. Check out my 4 favorite foodie spots from September!
With the ocean air still on my mind from July, August rolled in with a whisper of fall, bringing cool mornings and blistering afternoons. My focus for August was one of connection. I wanted to recover from my stressful work weeks and reconnect with friends and family. We had several events scheduled in August, including summer vacation. I was excited for the adventure surrounding these activities, and the chance to enjoy the last of the warm summer weather.
If June was all about the five senses — July was focused on taste. Like last month, I read many books — mostly fiction — with one exception; Stanley Tucci’s memoir Taste: My Life Through Food. If you’ve read it, you know it is chapter after chapter of recollections from restaurants, traveling, Italian-American traditions, and Stanley’s own family recipes. As I write my July recap and reflect on this past month, I do so through the lens of food – the amazing ingredients, delicious dishes, and summer memories.
In April of this year, Gretchen Rubin (one of my favorite authors) published her newest book, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World. Each chapter focused on one of the fives senses and how slowing down or focusing on sense-specific activities allowed Gretchen to be more present (and happier) in her day to day life. As life speeds on to the end of the year, I wanted to reflect back on the month of June through my five senses. As a foodie, much of my life revolves around taste and smell — and the month of June was no exception on that front. Click to read my full recap of the my June highlights.
