Recent Eats: Coffee Shop and Bakery Favorites

If you asked me where I work, I’ll say I work form home. Really, though, I work more from coffee shops in and around the Twin Cities than I do in my own home… or, my “office” - the desk I’ve had since I was a teenager in my bedroom at my parents’ house in the eastern suburbs of Minnesota. 23 (and a half!), restless, curious, and hungry, I can’t stay seated in my office for more than two hours at a time, and how productive would I be if I let myself go for walks around the neighborhood four times a day?

So, I coffee-shop-hop. Each week, I seek out two or three coffee shops I want to visit - some new to me, and others familiar favorites. I pack up my work things and block out the entire afternoon for coffee and a pastry. I mean work! I’m working, I promise… with bottomless coffee and something a little sweet (occasionally savory) and treat-y. Here are my favorites, so far.

When I said “occasionally savory”, I was talking about this croque monsieur bun from Mon Petit Cherie in Stillwater. I think I like it a little more because I don’t need to drive far to get my hands on it. This delicate bundle of ham, cheese, and tender, buttery dough called to me, and I couldn’t ignore it, though I did also have my eyes on the giant slices of peanut butter chocolate cake (!!). I pulled apart the dough, swirled snuggly around a center of warm, melty cheese and more tender, buttery dough. Sweet or savory, the inside of any bun is the best part - that’s a known fact. What is up for serious debate now is which has a bigger piece of my heart (also my stomach): a sweet cinnamon roll or this croque monsieur bun…

The latter is currently in the lead.

And while I’m talking about Mon Petit Cherie, I must shine the spotlight on their chai latte - make it dirty for me, please. I’m not snobby about my coffee drinks, but I will ask if the chai flavor comes from a syrup or actual tea. And if it’s syrup, is it house-made? Also, how sweet is it? Just curious. Okay so maybe I am a little snobby, but the source of the chai flavor makes a big difference! MPC makes their syrup in house, and it’s sweetened only with a touch of sweetened condensed milk, mostly for creaminess. This is the drink to order when you need a hug, but not from a human. When you just want something warm, sweet, and espresso-spiked.

When I do make the drive into the Twin Cities, my two closest friends always offer me their couch for the night. Nicole, who lives in St. Paul, has a surprisingly cozy and comfortable couch and a sweet pup who wakes me each morning with a few kisses (read: aggressive licks on my cheek). Just down the street is PJ Murphy’s Bakery on the corner of Randolph Ave and Syndicate St. It’s the kind of place you can show up to on a Saturday morning in your pj’s, glasses, and still-kinda-tired-yawns and be greeted with welcoming smiles behind the glass case of every croissant, donut, muffin, danish, and coffee cake you could dream of.

I spotted this raspberry cream cheese croissant-danish (yes, it’s a thing) tucked between others, similar to but not one of its kind. This beauty is one-in-a-million. If Julie Andrews were a pastry (in my opinion), she’d be this. Enough said.

One of the first coffee shops in St. Paul, Bread & Chocolate, secured its spot on Grand Avenue almost 30 years ago now, long before the coffee-shop-hopping, aesthetic-latte-loving millennials of my time came on the scene. Minnesotans of all ages love this place - you’ll see young college students with textbooks piled high on their tables sitting next to older folks with sharing newspapers, stories from their college years, and bottomless cups of coffee. A cross between your favorite family-owned neighborhood coffee shop and the new, “hip” spot on the main street, Bread and Chocolate greets all of its guests with consistently high-quality coffee (and free refills), made-with-love sweet treats, and an unmistakeable warm sense of community on a historic, bustling St. Paul street.

When you go, you’ll likely feel overwhelmed in the best way possible when scanning the case of baked goods. Start here - with the classic chocolate chip cookie. I promise you, it’s simple and subtle, but without a doubt, perfect.

And when you’ve got plans with a group later (or not, and you’re just craving sweets - it’s fine), pick up a handful of treats and take them to go. If the chocolate chip cookie takes first priority, the brownie comes next, with a precise and difficult to achieve fudgey, rich and light, cakey texture. The oatmeal raisin cookie, well, get it if you know someone who needs it. It’s good, but it’s not my favorite when surrounded by the rest of these. The cute heart cut-out cookie sandwich was the best shortbread cookie I’ve ever tasted. Reminiscent of the Knott’s Berry Farm thumbprint cookies, this one surpassed the classic upon first bite.

When I’m in Minneapolis for the day, I can’t not take a walk around Lake Calhoun or Lake of the Isles, but before I do that, I must be productive. And to boost my productivity, I must have a steaming hot cup of caffeine and something sweet with me. Coffee shops in Minneapolis aren’t cheap - and this “Chai-der” latte from Five Watt Coffee is no exception. Whatever the price tag, though, the coffee is fantastic every time and the baristas are some of the most friendly of their kind. I’ll warn you - it can get a little loud here so if you absolutely must work in peace, this might not be the best coffee shop for you. If, however, you need some umph in your creativity and you want to work around cool people, definitely check out one of Five Watt’s four locations.

Oh yeah - I forgot to mention! If you wait until 4 PM at Five Watt, you can snag two baked goodies for just $2! Usually, though, I don’t have the patience, and I want something sweet with my coffee, and I can’t drink coffee at 4 PM. So, I pay full price and I’m reminded it’s all worth it when I bite into a giant bittersweet cookie like this with three different types of chocolate!

One time, I was almost patient enough to wait until 4 PM for the $4 special. Almost! Oh well. I snagged this gluten-free brownie and a seasonal scone and planned on taking half of each home with me to share with Mom and Dad, and savoring the other half of each myself with my coffee - decaf coffee because it was 3:55 PM on a Tuesday. In contrast to the brownie from Bread and Chocolate mentioned above, this one was soft and pillowy, distinctly milk chocolate, and studded with tiny chunks of chocolate throughout. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting from a gluten-free brownie, and I loved every bite. None of this brownie made it out of the coffee shop, but I did manage to save the scone for Mom and Dad and they said it was delicious, so there’s that on that.

Driving along Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis stresses me out, so I’m thankful for Spyhouse Coffee on the northern end (just one of the brand’s many locations throughout the cities), where I can pull off onto a side street, always find parking, and settle in at this cozy brownstone space. Again, you need to just swallow the larger-than-normal price tag of the drinks because they are worth it. Many of the drinks rotate seasonally, and the baristas are magnificently creative with their flavor combinations. Pictured above is the “Solid Gold” - a play on the turmeric latte, or golden milk latte, made with oat milk and espresso, and only lightly sweetened. I’ll be back begging for this drink to stay on the menu, as soon as I get my next paycheck.

In just 6 short weeks, I made 6 trips to Isles Bun and Coffee in Uptown Minneapolis. If that doesn’t tell you how good it is, I don’t know what would. Read more here about why I adore this place and their giant buns laced with sugar, cinnamon, and butter, and slathered with cream cheese frosting. Also, this is the exception to the expensive coffee trend in Minneapolis. You can pick up a cup of drip for just about $2, or a latte or cappuccino for less than $4 alongside your big sweet bun.

Who needs cake on your birthday when you can get a bacon apple fritter, known as the “Pinup Girl + Bacon” at Glam Doll Donuts, and bottomless coffee? Lucky for him, Dad got all three this year with his favorite (and only) daughter. Women-owned Glam Doll Donuts in Northeast Minneapolis (also on Eat Street) brings back memories of my donut-shop days in college. It’s exactly what a donut shop should be - bright and vibrant, whimsical and upbeat, and most importantly, welcoming. Glam Doll nailed it. Oh, and the donuts! Those are fantastic. I went for the jelly-filled “Femme Fatale” donut and couldn’t put it down - it was messy, so that’s one reason, and it was just too good to stop, so that’s another reason. Dad tends to be less vocal about his food, even when he loves it. Before I even took a bite of my donut, I peeked over my laptop and all I saw were crumbs on his plate. Next time we go, I’m sure he’ll get the same thing. I’ll branch out and try something new - Glam Doll offers too many fun donuts too settle on just one. Stay tuned for the next donut adventure!

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Hey, thanks for reading. I hope I’ve stimulated your sweet tooth and coffee cravings! Now its your turn - if you’ve been to the Twin Cities, or if you live here, I’d love your recommendations for coffee shops and bakeries. My list is always growing! Leave your suggestions in the comments below.

See you next time!

Little Things

Gratitude is a practice, not just a feeling. It’s a decision, one we can make everyday to show our appreciation and embrace the joy of contentment. It’s a decision I try to make every morning to begin my day on a positive note. Listing even just two or three things can help me focus on what I have, rather than what I’m wishing for. And after a long season of loss, that shift of focus makes all the difference. So, here are a few of the little things I’ve felt incredible gratitude for lately.

Dog cuddles. DOG. CUDDLES. It’s scientifically proven that cuddling can help reduce stress levels, and dogs are better than boys (most humans in general, actually) 99% of the time, so… there’s that. Since we lost Maggie a few months ago, I’ve been cherishing every moment - every pet, every lick, every tail wag - with other pups because they are just so precious. Fortunately, my friend Nicole always lets me cuddle her pup, Maya, when we’re together. Grieving the loss of a pet is a whole new ball game for my family, and we are not trying to rush the process. However, I’m not not saying there won’t ever be another pup in the family.

I have friends! I really do, and they’re wonderful. People always ask how we met, given that I didn’t know anyone when I moved here. Who’da thunk Hungry Haley would allow me to meet actual friends?! I’m thankful with every ounce of my being for these two goofy girls who have helped make Minnesota feel like home. Just before Christmas, we got together to make dozens - yes, dozens - of Christmas cookies. Why dozens? Because we can’t plan well and because Nicole (who is on the left, and Kathryn on the right) really likes cookies, apparently.

Okay, here’s an absolute favorite that, hopefully, Dad won’t grumble about. How cute, right?! Also, yes, I’m 23 and still sleep with a teddy bear - just the brown one because the other two squeak when squozen (past tense of squeeze?) and that just won’t do in the middle of the night. This is one of those warm-and-fuzzy moments when I can’t help but think how grateful I am to be home with my parents and best friends right now. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for letting me come crash the party and take over the kitchen!

Scenes like this make me an extra enthusiastic morning person - that bright and twinkly tree, warm cup of coffee (in a classic Christmas mug from Grandma, of course), and a white blanket of snow outside are a recipe for pure joy in my book. There really isn’t much more to say about it, actually. This picture is worth a thousand words to me!

Quite literally, this isn’t really a “little thing”. Those trees are huge! Just the hour or so spent walking and talking on a cold winter morning with family I only see a few times a year - that’s the little thing I’m talking about. This is a trail in Stillwater just a couple miles from my parents’ house and I definitely plan to return more often this winter when I learn to cross country ski, and this spring and summer when the weather is nice enough to hike around. Grateful for the beauty and peace in nature.

Now this is most definitely representative of a little thing - the few minutes I have at work before preparation for a class or event when I can just take a deep breath to appreciate 1) having a job, 2) having a job I love, and 3) having a job that teaches me something new every single day. And, of course, can we take a second to admire this kitchen? It’s a dream not only for the chef, but also for the host! I can’t say I love every moment I spend in this place because some moments can be pull-my-hair-out or cry-in-the-closet-real-quick stressful, but I can say that, at the end of day, I close these doors with a grateful heart for my coworkers, our students, and this company as a whole.

First thing’s first - that puffiness in my chest is my scarf, not… well, you know. Still as flat as a ten-year-old boy and I’m okay with that! Anyway. I mentioned Nicole earlier, so here’s Kathryn! She moved out to snowy MN from sunny CA just about a month before I did for a job with a start-up medical device company in Minneapolis. What a brave girl! I knew we’d be good friends immediately, and now look at us, taking long walks in the snow and not freezing! I’m so thankful for Kathryn’s energy, positivity, and drive for adventure. I know that whenever I’m ready to get out of the house or take a break from work and explore this awesome state, I can call Kathryn and she’ll be ready to hop in the car wherever we’re off to. Let’s just hope I can convince her to stay here rather than fly back home to Cali!

My mom is the most thoughtful and selfless person I’ve ever met, and her passion and business, Dot Plaid, represents those qualities perfectly. Essentially, she spends her time using her artistic talent to remind her loved ones how special they are through these handmade cards. During one of the rare occasions in which I took a nap, Mom made this little cutout and placed it on my nightstand while I slept so that when I woke up, the first thing I saw was Mom’s tear-jerking and heart-warming love for me. She is constantly telling me how glad she is that I’m home with her and Dad. I’m so thankful for this woman.

Now it’s your turn. You can tell me below in the comments section, you can share it with a loved one (or a stranger, I guess), or you can keep it to yourself in your head or your journal or wherever you want it. Just make a thoughtful list of the things - big or little or both - you feel grateful for. Make these lists a habit to train your brain to see the good in every day. I can promise you this simple act will make a big difference. Thanks for reading!

Recent Eats: Hard Kombucha, Grandma’s Lasagna, Homemade Bread, (a last-minute) Thanksgiving, and more

Did you read that? Like really read that? I found hard kombucha in the Land of 10,000 Lakes! I also found the best dirty chai latte and it’s from a coffee shop only 3 miles away from home, and Mom, Dad and I made Grandma’s scrum-diddly-umptious lasagna recipe using a special ingredient. But did I mention I found hard kombucha, too? Anyway, on with the eats.

Here she is. Isn’t she beautiful? After calling a few liquor stores near my house in Stillwater asking, “Hi, do you guys carry hard kombucha? Also known as kombucha beer?” only to get a confused response, something along the lines of, “Umm, let me transfer you to the produce department…” I felt a little discouraged. Believe it or not, Dad actually found this at a liquor store in Minneapolis. For those of you who live here and are now curious, you can find them at Surdyk’s in North Loop. I went with him to his office in the city one day and on our way home, he suggested we stop here because, of all liquor places around here, Surdyk’s would be the one to carry hard kombucha. He was right! Shamelessly, I grabbed about 3 4-packs. Girl’s gotta’ do what a girl’s gotta’ do.

We in the Hansen House are morning people. We like watching the sunrise, drinking multiple pots of coffee, and whipping up a big ol’ breakfast all while enjoying each other’s company (which can’t be said in a less cheesy but still truthful way, so I apologize for the cheesiness). Dad makes the bacon and I make something brunch-y, and that something brunch-y is usually pancakes because pancakes are just so darn easy and tasty. I chose this recipe from Blue Bowl and the family loved it!

“Come meet me in downtown St. Paul for a bite to eat and a drink after work!” I texted my parents after my first week at my new job. I felt cool and successful to finally have a job that I love, and I felt so at home to be able to meet up with my parents for dinner without needing to buy a plane ticket six months in advance. We met at Red Rabbit on Grand Ave. in St. Paul and, per the bartenders’ recommendations, I ordered the spicy sausage pizza and a side of roasted broccolini. If this is isn’t the exact image of my ideal dinner (glass of buttery, oaky Chardonnay not pictured), I don’t know what is.

The. Best. Chai. Latte. Make it dirty, please. I like to be that person who asks where the chai flavor comes from, if it’s made in-house, and if the latte can be made without any additional sweetener. There’s nothing worse than a chai latte that tastes only of sugar and cinnamon! I’m not wrong. Mon Petit Cheri in downtown Stillwater makes the perfect chai with a house-made chai syrup using condensed milk and local chai tea, plus a shot of espresso if you’re like me. I look forward to a little me-time with this chai latte and my journal.

You should recognize this face if you know anything about my life. Grace, my best friend, came to visit during the first week of November which also happened to be the coldest week of this winter thus far - perfect timing for the California girl. Nonetheless, as we always do, we made the most of it. We bundled up when we needed to and braved the almost-negative temperatures to find good food and fun happy hours. For the last happy hour of her trip, we took a couple spots at the Matchstick bar in downtown Stillwater and sipped some of my favorite buttery, oaky Chardonnay. Mmmm.

My dad’s mom, my grandma, created this stupidly good lasagna recipe many, many years ago. In fact, it’s probably older than I am, and it’s a significant component of my fondest childhood holiday memories. For as long as I’ve been in the kitchen, I’ve never taken part in the making of this family favorite dish. Dad’s craving for it triggered the same in me, and at just the right time, Banza sent me a sample of their new lasagna noodles. Clearly, it was time for me to get my hands deliciously dirty - lasagna-style. We tweaked a couple things in Grandma’s recipe: chickpea noodles instead of the usual wheat noodles (which turned out wonderful, might I add) and bleu cheese mixed into the ricotta. Of course, we always find room for improvement, so we will definitely be making this again and tweaking even further. The Banza lasagna noodles will definitely be in the next batch!

Just looking at these pictures gets me all jazzed up, and not just because this pizza had bleu cheese and sausage, though that’s definitely a significant contribution to the excitement. Mom, Dad, Mom’s friend, and I picked Giulia in downtown Minneapolis for dinner a couple weeks ago, and after a couple sips of our wine, we ordered the Mozzarella A Mano (I don’t know what that means other than a mozzarella dish), Speziato, One of the chefs rolled a cart with a couple bowls and simple ingredients up next to our table and began what I can only describe as a mini cooking class on how to make mozzarella. He pulled and shaped the milk curds and chatted with us all the while. Before we knew it, a beautiful plate of creamy, fresh mozzarella and an olive tapenade sat in the center of our table just begging for our consumption. We wasted no time digging in. Amazing! For dinner, I chose the Black Apple pizza, topped with sweet sausage, gorgonzola, fennel pollen, arugula, and an apple jam-y type thing. Again, amazing.

That right there is a loaf of homemade whole-wheat sandwich bread, and the official statement that I will probably never (read: maybe once, but that’s it) buy another loaf of the store-bought stuff. I’m still playing around with the recipe I used, which I got from work, and contains a mix of white and whole-wheat flour + beer + honey + butter + active dry yeast. As soon as it’s all ready to go, I’ll post it on the blog - it’s too simple and too darn tasty to keep all to myself!

We had a rough week here at the Hansen House, and we considered just skipping the whole Thanksgiving thing (the food, not the gratitude) this year. Thankfully - pun kind of intended - we pulled ourselves together on Wednesday night and came up with our best attempt at a plan for the big meal. Included in the plan was: cornbread sausage stuffing, balsamic roasted brussels sprouts with bacon, salad, homemade cranberry sauce, plus a turkey and a ham. I’m pretty proud of not only this meal, but of us as a family for picking up our broken pieces and making the best of a day of thankfulness we so desperately needed.

There ya’ have it for November’s eats! Come back in a month to see what else I’m cooking, baking, and eating - I’ve got plenty to share.

From California to Minnesota

2,100 miles. 30 hours. 5 boxes shipped and seemingly endless packed - or should I say Tetris’d - into the car. And here I am in the land of Land O’ Lakes, General Mills, 10,000 lakes, and my entire family. Yes, I’m feeling a little chilly (already), but overall, I’m so dang happy to be here.

Dad flew out to California from Minnesota about a week ago to help me pack and Tetris-ify all my crap - I mean stuff! - into the tiny little Toyota Corolla I call “Chia” (like the chia seed, not the chia pet). I thought I would be asking him for tissues the entire time, but instead, we were both more nervous about how we’d fit everything into the car and therefore I couldn’t even think about crying yet. So that was nice. Once we did fit everything into shipping boxes and then into the remaining space in the car, we took a break for brunch at NoVo Restaurant & Lounge.

And then it was time for the goodbyes. I hate goodbyes! I really hate peas and the word “nipple” (I prefer “nip”, thank you), but I really really hate goodbyes. My stomach churned all week as I thought about how I’d say goodbye to the girls who have become my best friends in just two short months and to the wonderful town that has become home over the course of five amazing years. I delegated the 8-hour drive on Sunday to Dad because I knew I’d be too teary-eyed to navigate the road.

So… yeah. The goodbyes happened and they were terrible and there isn’t much else to say other than, “Hi friends, if you’re reading this, I miss you and love you like crrrraaaazy!”

Dad and I pulled into St. George, Utah at around 9 PM on Sunday night and dinner was the first discussion. With Denny’s and another similar diner with “bear” in the name being the only places around (besides the gas stations with their tempting hot dogs and nachos and other *gourmet* indulgences), I didn’t have much of an appetite, so I pulled out half a loaf of some banana bread I had made earlier in the week along with some RX Bar peanut butter and called it a night. Dad shuffled around the room trying to figure out his hunger level - he’s more of a meal kind of guy rather than snacky. He ripped a chunk off the loaf and, still chewing, kindly let me know that “it’s dry”. I knew it wasn’t my best loaf, but figured whatever, he will go eat a real meal. NOPE. He continues tearing pieces off my (dry) dinner, seeming to just brush off the fact that all he’s said about it so far is how not good it is. You’re welcome. I think?

The next morning, I grabbed a cup of coffee from the breakfast set-up for a pre-workout kick before I squeezed myself into the 4’x4’ space between the couch and the door for a quick 30 minutes of movement. If there’s one thing I need in the morning - especially before 8 hours of sitting on my peach - it’s a good, sweaty, full-body workout. It took a little rushing through the shower and the workout and the getting all my stuff back together, but we did make it out the door and on the road by 8 AM. Again, you’re welcome. I’m good. Reeeeal good.

I took the wheel for the first 3 hours through the gorgeous red rocks and hills of Utah, but my eyelids grew a little too heavy for me to be behind the wheel by about 11 AM, so that’s when we pulled off for lunch and decided to switch pilots. Okay, don’t laugh at me, but Subway sounded SO good for some odd reason, which I’m thinking has a lot to do with nostalgia way more than actual flavor of Subway itself. Dad laughed. I ate my Subway sandwich as he munched on some tacos from a sketchy-looking food truck down the dirt road.

And with that, we hopped back on the road. Drive. Drive. Drive. Keep driving. Finally, we hit Vail, Colorado right and it. was. gorgeous. Absolutely amazing. Yellow-leaved trees studded the hillsides amongst the dark green ones, and the river glistened in the golden hour as it flowed through just down below. We felt like kids in a candy store, “ooh”-ing and “ahh”-ing at the world around us.

Our Monday night stop was in Denver, CO where we met up with Connie for dinner and drinks. I kept telling Dad how excited I was for him to meet her because - those of you who know Connie will agree - she’s just one of the best people on this earth. And she’s one of the few people I’d really want to see after spending 8 hours trapped on my butt in the car. We picked Linger for drinks and dinner, and each bite made us more and more excited for the next. The food was amazing!

I thought Colorado and Connie was the end of the fun for the trip, as the drive through Nebraska and Iowa would be mainly flat fields of corn, corn, and more corn. I wasn’t wrong about the corn, but I was wrong about the duration of our fun - Dad and I know how to make a good time out of seemingly not much. Our final stop on Tuesday night was at a little hotel just outside of Omaha, Nebraska. In search of dinner, we hopped from restaurant to bar to restaurant in the downtown area in the pouring rain while I tried to hide the fact that I was wearing sandals. Hi, I’m from California.

The name of the restaurant we chose for dinner isn’t coming back to me, and it doesn’t really matter that much because it was nothing crazy special, but here’s dinner anyway.

And on Wednesday we were back on the road, one last time! One last 7-hour stretch before we finally arrive at our destination. Boy, was I ready to get out of the car. Our choice of entertainment for one part of this ride was a Hidden Brain podcast called “Creating God”, and I would highly recommend giving it a listen - preferably with someone who can discuss with you the questions and thoughts that will likely arise - if you have even the smallest interest in faith. My dad and I question just about everything, so we doubled the length of the podcast just by discussion alone.

Before we knew it, our stomachs growled and we pulled off the road to fill up the gas tank and our hungry tummies. No, we did not find a Subway, but instead found a better sandwich stop to satisfy the never-ending craving. Two hours later, I started to recognize my new home - the “Welcome to Minnesota” sign, downtown Stillwater, our cute little neighborhood lined with trees boasting their Fall-themed leaves. Home. I could feel it already.

Mom welcomed us inside with big hugs and a beaming smile, and I got right to unpacking so that I could stretch my cramping legs. I stepped into the bedroom my parents set aside for me that I’ve been impatiently waiting to make my own and couldn’t believe I was finally here. Finally in Minnesota. Just over a month ago, I cried on my bedroom floor in San Luis Obispo as the fear that I’d never leave that place and be close to my family (where I desperately needed to be). Anxiety took over - a new world to me - and tried to convince me that moving to Minnesota wouldn’t happen, but here I am, finally.

I’m at peace. I’m not quite settled yet - job-less and without a core group of friends - but I know in time I will be.

Minnesota Vacation Pt. 2

I left off last time talking about our mini weekend trip to Winona (remember the bat in the kitchen? yeah, that one) and I guess, since then, Minnesota kept me busy enough to pull me away from keeping things up-to-date here. Whoops! Don't you just love it when life happens :) 

We don't do a ton around here, nor do we prefer to. Our mornings start slow until someone leaves to go workout, after which another person or two will follow because we're just active people, especially in the morning. We cherish breakfasts and dinners, and the happy hour in between, together like nobody's business. But other than that, we're low-key. 

I love my family, and I love my alone-time. And the wonderful thing about this vacation is that it's giving me both. Family-time is the breakfasts, dinners, happy hours, and little daily activities in between, and alone-time is my morning coffee, workouts, the chance to bake something, and lulls in the afternoon when no one else proposes an idea for an activity, so I just escape upstairs to read or something. 

We chose one night to go into downtown Stillwater, which is adorable by the way, mainly for a store I've had my eye on since I first drove by it back in March, but also for - you guessed it - happy hour (we're barely moderate drinkers, I promise). I've been eye-balling this one cooking store on the main street in downtown like you wouldn't believe. Obviously we all spent like an hour in there. All of us. Sorry everyone, and thanks for loving me the way you do as you patiently let me peek inside every cookbook, run my fingers across every cast-iron skillet, every porcelain baking dish, every fancy coffee maker (I still love my pour-over). I could get lost in a place like that. 

I spent a full morning focused on scones - the first round came out like a muffin top (which is delicious on its own, but not the goal here), the second round came out like a complete utter under-baked soggy brick, and the third round came out absolutely perfect as could be. You can imagine my emotions - terrifying frustration and then pure joy - went hand-in-hand with each round. Onward and upward! 

Later that night, we grilled carnè asada - our California favorite. So much so, in fact, that my parents asked the butcher to freeze a huge stock for us so that we wouldn't have to suffer mediocre Mexican food out here. My stomach was feeling funky that day and continued to for the next couple, actually, but hey - I still got a few bites in and a really pretty picture of the whole meal! 

Have you heard of that one cereal company... you know, General Mills? Of course you have. Duh. I'm messing with you. Anyway, I visited their HQ! My dad made a connection for me with the leader of this cool company called 301 Inc. that helps grow small food start-ups, so he and I chatted one morning and probably could've kept chatting into the afternoon, too. What a fantastic and exciting time this is to be involved in food. So many companies are moving forward and keeping their eyes open not only for up-and-coming trends in food, but also for the latest news in nutrition and wellbeing. 

We visited a local brewery to hangout on Friday afternoon and I had my first very own beer! You should have seen the bartender's eyes when my brother told her this was my first beer. Yes, I'm 22 years old and only now drinking a beer. And I don't foresee very many more happening in the future - it's just not my thing. I did, however, really enjoy the mango-flavored one I tried here, as well as the free popcorn and the Jenga!

I don't think I've shown you enough food yet. That should change, shouldn't it? Here's our dinner from last Friday night at Lolo's American Kitchen. I found this place online when I was hangrily searching for a restaurant because I knew if I didn't, we'd be sipping cocktails and snacking for the rest of the night. FOOD. I wanted food that night. And maybe a glass of wine. We sat upstairs and pretty much had the place to ourselves, along with all the a m a z i n g food we ordered. A round of smoked salmon and tuna pokè appetizer bites for everyone came before our meal. I ordered the chicken tacos in a lettuce wrap with a side of grilled broccolini. The tacos were delish, but that broccolini just about had me on my knees. Unbelievable. When it was my uncle Tom's turn to order (right after mine), he said "I'll have what she's having", and my heart smiled. There's just something about it when people trust your taste and dinner order enough to get the same exact thing. I find that incredibly flattering. 

And to top off our weekend, we went on a boat! A boat. The way to my heart, besides a kitchen. We explored White Bear Lake and the beautiful houses the border it, sipped Blood Marys (I tasted Mom's and it was okay), snacked on prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and crackers and cheese and such, and just enjoyed each other's company. My kinda' day. And exactly the kind of sunshine and relaxing we needed before having a bunch of family over for BBQ-ing later that night!

Sunday was a day of church, hanging out with grandparents, and then walking around downtown Minneapolis. I LOVE THE CITY. Sometimes I feel deprived if I go more than a few days without seeing bustling streets, tall buildings, and other exciting characteristic city-things as such. We spent Monday with my grandma making lefse (see more on my "minnesota" IG story highlights) - a Norwegian sort of tortilla made from potatoes, flour, and butter. That's it. They're pretty good, but the highlight of it all was seeing my grandma so eager to share a part of her family with us and continue to pass on this tradition. Maybe you'll see a lefse recipe up here soon?! Ben and Natalie (my brother and his wife) left on Tuesday, so that day was all for them to just pack up. I took the day to do my thing - to workout, to read, to blog a little, and to get ready for the Minnesota Cup! My dad and I were invited to this event (think mini version of Expo West, for those of you who have been) and accepted immediately. How cool it was to see further development of already blossoming food trends, and to see a little debut of potential future trends! And since Wednesday was my last day in town, I had to squeeze in everything - a little workout, a little baking (I perfected a fluffy, moist banana bread recipe and could pee my pants I'm so excited to share it!), a little time with grandparents (I brought them some lunch from Panera and we all loved it!), and a lot of time with Mom and Dad in the city :) happy. 

So, now it's back to reality. I cherished my time in Minnesota and feel so incredibly thankful for my family. And because I've already been asked this more times than you'd imagine, no - I don't see myself living out there (in a place without a year-round farmers' market, you'd have to really convince me). But, that being said, I will be out there much more frequently because that's where my family is and that's enough of a reason for me to visit whenever I can :) 

Minnesota Vacation Pt. 1

I forgot to bring headphones (then spent $15 on crappy ones at the airport), both my phone and laptop died, and the book I started failed to grab my interest by the third chapter (so I gave up on it). What in the world am I going to do for the duration of this three-hour flight? The dead electronics and crappy headphones and boring book seemed like defeat, until I remembered my journal and how little time I've had during the past few weeks to actually intentionally whole-heartedly journal. I seized the opportunity and spent the entire flight thinking, writing, and reading back over the last couple months. I felt a little wellness-hipster when I filled three pages with intentions for this trip, but I rolled with it and I'm keeping those intentions in my mind everyday. Flying (in a plane, obviously) lets me see the world in a bigger-picture-kind-of-view, something I've been working on for... forever. Thank you, dead phone and computer and boring book and crappy headphones, for forcing me to think. 

If you're wondering what I'm doing in Minnesota, I'm visiting my parents who moved back out here in May. As a family, we lived together in Minnesota until 2003 when we moved to Orange County in California. Then I left for college and my brother left for England, and my parents were left in OC paying way too much for a house and missing our family here in MN. So, they moved. And here we are. Now you're caught up. 

My parents' house (our house? I don't know) is perfect - cozy but spacious, modern but welcoming. It feels like a home away from my home which is exactly what I hoped for. I even have my own room and bathroom (might be my favorite part, besides the kitchen). A quiet little part of me wishes I were a few years younger because maybe - maybe - staying here might sound a bit more appealing. You know, a soon-to-be 23-year-old post-grad living with her parents in quaint little Stillwater, MN (which is what I will be in roughly a year when I will have the opportunity to move back here) doesn't quite ring my bell. But now I'm just getting ahead of myself. 

There isn't too much excitement to share about the trip yet because it hasn't even been a week, but we've done some fun things worth sharing! I arrived on Tuesday, August 7th at night, so we all called lights out early to save energy for the next day. We love slow, early mornings around here and have been starting each day that way - I prep a pot of coffee filled high enough to water our whole lawn (not really, but kind of) per Dad's request, sip on that while reading the news or baking something and chatting with whomever is awake so far. Then there's a breakfast of some sort, which for me has been more of a snack because come 10:30 AM-ish, I'm ready to move and I hate doing that with a stomach full of breakfast. On days when Dad makes bacon and eggs, though, I choose those before a workout. Bacon + eggs > morning workout (most of the time). 

A lot of the days, afternoons, and nights have been pure family time and that's what we all came here for anyway, so we must be doing something right. My grandparents live just 20 minutes away, which makes a drive over to visit them or pick them up and bring them here for dinner easy as can be. As for the rest of my family's location(s), I don't know because I don't know the geography of this state yet (or still...?), but they've gotta' be close by and I can't wait to see as many of them as possible. 

OH GUYS. Funny story. My mom's high school reunion took place in her hometown of Winona this past weekend, so we all drove over there and stayed in a bed and breakfast owned by my mom's friend of a friend (or something like that). It was cute - up in the woods, very colorful and woodsy. Every corner and nook and cranny cradled an antique and every wall held a huge frame with an art piece. We came back from dinner one night and (what I thought was) a bird flew over my head when I walked into the kitchen. Thankfully, my dad's nervous voice sounds actually quite calm - "Um, that's a bat..." he informed me and I booked it outside faster than I've ever taken warm chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. A BAT, GUYS. The owner told us to leave the doors open and the lights on, assuring us that doing so would usher the bat outside. Not an ounce of me wanted to go back inside until I could be sure that thing had left the building, but because it was a bat and they tend to hide, I couldn't be sure. After an hour of playing Banana-grams on the porch, we couldn't keep our eyes open and had to head up to bed. I pretended the bat thing never happened... well, I tried to. We woke up to coffee and muffins the next morning, followed by a brunch of fresh fruit and yogurt, crispy bacon, and homemade aebelskivers! If you don't know what those are, they're basically pancake balls with some sort of fruit filling on the inside. Dad and I took a bite, made eye-contact across the table, and promised each other immediately to buy a cast-iron aebelskiver pan because we. need. these. on at least a weekly basis. We finished breakfast and gathered our things to checkout and as Ben (my brother) hopped in the shower, so did the bat. HAHA. Goodbye. I'm out. That's my story. 

as strange as the house was, it graced us with a beautiful view!

I haven't had the chance to explore the adorable downtown streets of Stillwater yet, but I've heard wonderful things and I'm planning a full day ahead to explore the coffee shops, cafès, boutiques, and the one kitchen/cooking store everyone in my family is thoughtful enough to make sure I'm aware of. 

I do have plans to create some recipes while I'm here because, yes, that is work for me if you want to be all technical about it, but I'm lucky because I love my work so it doesn't feel like the dreadful kind of work that is all too common in the world of careers today. On the list so far are scones, a bundt cake, cast-iron skillet pizzas, sangria, and much much more. Stay tuned my friends! 

A Weekend in Minnesota (new home away from home!)

As the quarter dwindles to an end and assignments simultaneously pile up, I have less and less time and energy for creating recipes. I've also taken a break - kind of, but not really - from Instagram and I've been feeling like writing more lifestyle posts. A blogger who seems like just a blogger is not who I want to be, so my hope is that these posts let you into my life because I love it when my favorite bloggers do so for me. 

Okay, so about this whole Minnesota-thing. My parents moved! Our house in SoCal just wasn’t doing it for them anymore, and with both my brother and I out of the house + the majority of our family in MN/WI + the high cost of living in CA, a move back home(ish) made sense for them. They’ve officially been in the new house for a week and I was more than happy to be on the welcoming committee! Actually, can I be on the welcoming committee if I don’t live in the state into which one is welcomed? Minor detail.

Funny story about my flight out there on Friday – I must’ve gotten things confused because I assumed my flight left from SLO at 4 PM, which would leave me plenty of time on Friday for a workout, breakfast with friends, packing, and spending a couple hours on campus for PHE (from here on out, I’m going to refer to my volunteer position at Cal Poly Health and Wellbeing as “PHE” which stands for Peer Health Educator – if you have further questions about my role, I’m happy to answer them!). This assumption also justified my laziness on Thursday night and gave me time to hang with a friend. When I finally went to bed on Friday night at midnight, I decided now would be a good time to double-check my flight info. HA. Haley, please don’t assume things. Your flight leaves from SLO at noon. Cancel all plans tomorrow. Nice one. Hey, at least I checked!

Back to the weekend. I met the cuuuuuutest little old man on my flight out and I wished I could’ve brought him everywhere with me, but I digress. I have a weird thing with flying – it stresses the shizz out of me, but it also excites me unlike anything else. Both the takeoff and landing in a plane usually make me cry, and no I’m not kidding or being dramatic. There’s just something sorta-kinda magical about feeling the vibration of the fuselage (fancy plane term for “body of the plane”, aka the place all the humans sit) as I watch the ground fall lower and lower beneath me, or as I watch the ground bring itself closer to the wheels of the plane during landing, anticipating the calming “boom” of touchdown. Doesn’t really get old.

Oh, and because I’m sure you’re just dying to know what I ate, here’s a picture. I came more prepared with food for this flight than I did with shoes for my actual trip – an accurate depiction of me. Some fresh carrots and a couple soft-boiled eggs, a little hummus, a bag of Hippeas, roasted sweet potato wedges (the star of the show, always and forever), PaleoValley snacks (like a grass-fed version of my favorite childhood snack), and RX bars.

I worked on an assignment for my Nutrition Counseling class during the flight, then convinced myself I’d done enough work and picked up where I left off in Intuitive Eating. I’m reading the book and completing the corresponding activities for each chapter in the workbook and I absolutely love it. A copy of each were my gifts to Mom for her special day!

My parents picked me up from the airport at around 8:30 PM and it was rather strange, as all of my arrivals home thus far have been me pulling into the driveway and just walking in through the front door. But, this is the new norm and we will all get used to it with time. By 10 PM I was in bed, barely able to keep my eyes open, even though it was only 8 PM on CA-time. But hey, when this body is tired, this. body. is. tired. I crawled into my bed in my own room – already set up for me by my blessed mother and father – and hit the lights, feeling thankful and peaceful.

Saturday began at around the same time most other days do – right when the sun comes up – and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Like, come on, LOOK at that sunrise. The living room and kitchen both have plenty of windows, so that makes for bright mornings and, as I said before, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I can’t see myself living in MN, but if one thing (besides family) were to convince me of staying, it would be a Saturday morning in my parents’ living room with the sun beaming in, a hot cup of coffee in my hand, and my family next to me. Perfect is an understatement.

Mom and I worked out in the basement, which is soon to become an upgraded at-home gym, even though it’s pretty dang good as it is now. All I need for 4/5 of my go-to workouts is a set of light weights and a mat, and we’ve had those at home for as long as I can remember. If you’re curious about my workouts, I’ve got plenty of my favorite moves highlighted on my Instagram stories and I also send out a weekly email that details out one of my workouts from the previous week. Subscribe!

I finished a quick 30 minutes of some bodyweight HIIT moves and then explored around in the fridge for something that sounded good. Traveling, especially when a time-change is involved, throws my stomach off a bit so nothing sounded fantastic, but I knew we'd be out of the house for a few hours and I wanted to give my muscles some post-workout fuel. Suddenly, a whole-wheat bagel with peanut butter and sliced strawberries sounded like a winner. One thing I’ve been working on with Intuitive Eating is practicing eating without distractions – no computer, no phone, no magazines (those are the main distractions for me). This might stress me out sometimes when I feel the urgent need to respond to an email or look over a lesson plan for a class, but it also feels really good to be able to just eat, to taste and enjoy what I’m eating. It’s a simple, pleasurable act that can get easily get lost in the midst of life’s to-do lists.

My parents and I hung at home with family for the rest of the night. Snacks, wine, and lots of story-telling and laughter are a given in our family whenever we all get together – not bad things at all. People have been asking why my parents suddenly decided to move back to MN, and I tell them it’s for a couple reasons, but the main one stood out tonight. Family. Family, family, family. Incredibly important to us.

Snacks were sliced veggies, hummus, salsa, crackers and chips, chicken wings (it had been over years since my last chicken wing… just sayin’), and wine. The main event – pizza! These two huge pies came from a place most of my family absolutely adores, called Papa Murphy’s, and while I’m usually a thick-crust-lover, these were some of the best slices of pizza I’ve had. Papa Murphy, you’ve done a dang good job! The Hansen family is one of your biggest fans.

By 9 PM-ish, mostly everyone had left and I realized that I’d made it a whole 24 hours – twenty-four hours – without touching my homework. I patted myself on the back for a second and then grabbed my laptop to work on some assignments. Balance. As much as I would’ve loved to lounge on the couch and listen to my family tell more belly-ache-laughter-inducing stories, my reality right now is week 7 out of 10 this quarter and multiple projects and exams coming full-speed ahead. I did future-Haley a big favor by finishing an essay and making a little more progress on my Nutrition Counseling assignment. An hour later, bedtime.

I love going to bed because I love sleeping, but I think I really love it – like really really love it – because closing my eyes at the conclusion of one day means opening them for the introduction of another is just hours away. Read: another beautiful sunrise and another cup of hot coffee. Mmmm, makes me giddy just thinking about it.

Mom woke up early with me Sunday morning and we chatted, ooh’ing and ahhh’ing at the blue and purple and orange and pink and yellow sunrise, and I gave her my gift for Mother’s Day – she knew it was coming, but was still stoked to open it up. I’ve been raving to her about Intuitive Eating and we’ve talked a ton about creating a healthy relationship with food, so I’m really excited, too, to have someone as close to me as my mom with whom I can talk about all of this. She feels more like a sister than a mom sometimes. Most of the time, actually.

We both went down to the basement/at-home gym for 20-30 minutes of light yoga. By then, my tummy was ready for food, so I cleaned up and helped dad cook bacon and scrambled eggs, along with some fruit and whole-wheat tortillas for breakfast. Dad and I adore breakfast, and each other, so spending time together in the kitchen cooking one of our favorite meals is, like, better than the best breakfast you could ever imagine.

The rest of the morning we spent at church with my grandparents, and then drove to their place to hang out for a little while. OH, and cinnamon rolls (which tasted and smelled much better than they looked) from a bake sale at church were involved. My goodness. I think I should gauge a potential husband based on how he takes my breath away compared to how a cinnamon roll takes my breath away. Seems like a fair scale.

Some thoughts while I sunk my fork into this swirl of warm, gooey, caramelly chunk of future-husband-comparison-scale deliciousness: Was I actually hungry to eat it? No. Breakfast kept me full and satisfied. But did the rolls smell good/look good/sound good? Did the idea of sitting around the dining room with some of the most cherished people in my life, a few of whom I rarely ever have the chance to spend time with in person, while sharing in the pleasure of said cinnamon roll sound more appealing to me than waiting until I was actually hungry to eat a “sensible” lunch (i.e. a salad, sandwich, etc.)? Yes. A million and four times YES. There are parts of Intuitive Eating I had no idea existed, but I’m so thankful they do. I read a blog post from Rachel Hartley a week ago that talked about eating even when you aren't biologically hungry or really craving a certain food, but still eating it because the moment just kind of calls for it. I can't find the exact post, but scroll through her archives and I'm sure you'll find something worth reading! And/or you can read what I wrote about the topic a while ago. This realization that food is more than just fuel/calories has helped me immensely in finding peace with food. 

My grandparents are two strong, determined, and always loving and welcoming individuals. They make us laugh, they show us unconditional love, and they remind us of the importance of family. I know they don’t use a computer regularly (or ever…?), but hey Grandma and Grandpa, I love you guys to pieces.

For the remainder of the day, we drove around the town my parents now live in – it’s right on the St. Croix River, and with the sun shining today, everything felt so right. I couldn’t be happier for them :) we came back home, lounged outside and soaked up our vitamin D before I packed up for my flight home.

And that brings me here! I’m on the plane, typing, reflecting, smiling, looking out the window at the view of a state which I cannot identify as the plane hovers some 36,000 above. I’m so happy on this blog and incredibly thankful for the last 3 2/3 years since it was born. It’s like my child. As much as I love cooking and sharing recipes, I love writing. And as much as I love spending hours articulating my thoughts into a well-thought-out post, I love just letting my mind guide my fingers across this keyboard. So, I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and look forward to more of them! Thank you for reading, and more importantly, thank you for supporting my blog. I hope you love it half as much as I do :) 

Photo by Peel Design Co.