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Life Lately // and a Mantra

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Ya’ll. I keep wondering, where did the day (night, week, months) go?? As I find myself smack dab in the middle of a 22-day working streak, I’m not only exhausted, but I’m so grateful for those little moments that make this hustle and this (part) stay-at-home mom nonsense worth it.

Here’s what we’ve been up to lately:

  • I was the featured tweeter of the week for In The CLE.

  • I worked. A LOT. Babysitting + coaching gymnastics. It was a crazy pants week full of kiddos, ya’ll. And every time I wonder “WHY do I do this!?” one of those little boogers pulls at my heartstrings. I can’t deny it — I love these damn kids.
  • We made a trip to the Lego Store + Trader Joe’s. And we survived! Seriously guys… it was hit or miss for a while. Those women at TJ’s make me loco!

    • I watched 7 episodes of 13 Reasons Why on Netflix. I love it. So much. But I ALSO WANT CLAY TO FINISH THE TAPES. Like, now.
    • We went to the park. TWICE. And Remy Bea wore her favorite shoes — her Freshly Picked moccasins in Heirloom in Blush and Gold! Seriously — we adore these mocs! They are handmade of the softest leather imaginable and they are absolutely adorable. By far, these are my most favorite shoes for Miss Remy Bea and she loves walking in them! Because, ya’ll! She’s walking nonstop now!

    • I met up with a dear friend for a couple of beers at HiHo Brewing Co, which is, by the way, my favorite new local place.

    • Chad and I had actually went on a date! First, dinner at Hodges. Next up, tickets to see Alton Brown Live at Playhouse Theater. It was FABULOUS. We haven’t been to Hodges since Ari was one; and I have never been much of an AB fan, but his live show was absolutely phenomenal. No joke.But we got caught in a huge snow storm on the way home and it was a mega bummer. But we made it! PHEW.

    • Remy had adorably awful pigtails. Seriously, who invented pigtails!? Sure, they’re cute. But she also looked like a demon. 🙂

  • I treated the kids to Retro Dog (while Chad worked all day). We’d had such a long and crazy week, so when Ari asked for a hotdog, I thought, sure, why not!??

  • Ari and I went to Camp Y Noah for Family Fun Day. At the end of a super long week, it was just what I needed — a break from Remy Bea and a breath of fresh air.This place was seriously incredible. And I wish Ari was old enough to attend day camp (the starting age is 6)!

 

Basically? It was a perfectly imperfect week. I loved every second of this craziness. Well, except for the parts that I absolutely hated. But those were few and fleeting.

So, after all that craziness, here’s my MANTRA of this upcoming week:

This. This could not be more SPOT FREAKING ON, ya’ll.

 

5 Course Tasting Menu // Devils Backbone Brewing Company + the Black Pig Cleveland

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Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the Devils Backbone Brewing Company release party for Cleveland at Ohio City’s own Black Pig restaurant!

I’ll admit something — I had never heard of Devils Backbone Brewing Company prior to this event. In fact, although I have frequented many of the restaurants in Ohio City, The Black Pig is one of the few that I had yet to make it to! So I was extra excited.

I brought along one of my fave bloggers (and dear friend) Crystal of Eat Drink Cleveland. We arrived early so that we could chat with the DB crew (and because we’re a little OCD and wanted to ensure we found good seats). We were able to convince one of the gals from DB to sneak us a taste of their signature Vienna Lager and it was delicious and left us eagerly anticipating the rest of the beer lineup!

We sat down and awaited our first course, but it was an anything but dull wait! It just so happens the COO, Hayes Humphreys, so we got the scoop on the whole DB Brewing story! Founded in 2008 by Steven Crandall, Devils Backbone Brewing Company is located in the heartland of Virginia — at the base of a mountain in ski country! They’re a 4 star champion brewery that has slowly been expanding down the coast and through the midwest.

And then came the first course from Chef Michael Nowak of The Black Pig — Roasted Butternut squash, topped with Foie Gras, on a bed of Rye Berries.

While some may be offput from the Foie Gras, it really did give the butternut squash a buttery flavor and great contrast to the crunchiness of the squash and rye berries. It really complimented the Vienna Lager, one of 3 year round beers and also their flagship beer. As someone who gravitates towards IPAs over everything else, this lager was delicious, smooth, and I would pair with literally everything I eat.

The 2nd course was Squid Ink Agnolotti filled with Smoked Trout, topped with Mussels and Fennel, in an IPA Beer Broth.

Ya’ll. Holy. heck! I’m in love this pasta. And it paired wonderfully with the Catty Wompus, a Belgian inspired IPA. We learned that this particular IPA has gone through several name changes before this one stuck (apparently they couldn’t get the others approved — which is funny in itself!).

The 3rd course was a Pork Tasting — Bierwurst, Roasted Tenderloin, Braised Collar, Sauteed Spaetzle, Carrot, Cabbage, with a Smoked Demi Glace — and was paired with the Black Lager.

Just after I thought I couldn’t love something more than the pasta with the IPA…. in walks this pig and this lager! First of all, I am generally kind of off-put by any beers quite this dark. My immediate gut reaction is “I don’t like stouts or porters.” And, even though I’m a self-proclaimed IPA aficionado, this Black Lager was the bomb dot com. For serious. It was my favorite. More so than the TWO IPAs we tasted. Woah.

Also? This course? My dreams are made of this pork.

The 4th course — a tamale, of sorts. Braised Venison, Smoked Poblano, Ancho, and Masa De Maiz. Paired with the 8 Point IPA (another one of the 3 year-round DB offerings). All I kept thinking while I was eating this delicious tamale-ish dish was “My husband would absolutely love this.” I liked it a lot — but few things could top the 3rd course for me.

And apparently I forgot to snap a picture of the 8 Point IPA prior to drinking it. Needless to say, it was delicious.

The 5th and final course — Affogato — Espresso Ice Cream, Warm Spiced Chocolate, with Stout Malt Biscotti paired with Cocoa Bear Stout. Crystal told me at the beginning of the night that if I hated the stout, she would drink mine. And not having had dairy in ages, I thought for sure I might have to hand that off to her as well.

But it turns out I liked both! Neither were what I would choose to drink or eat in a million years (truthfully, I am not a fan of chocolate), but I devoured them nonetheless.

I left the event happy, full, and so excited to have this new craft beer available to those of us here in Northeast Ohio!

Thank you to everyone at The Black Pig and Devils Backbone for a great night out. And thanks to Brewmaster Jason Oliver and Chef Michael Nowak for an amazing tasting!

 

 

**Disclosure: I received two complimentary tickets to the 5 course tasting, courtesy of Devils Backbone Brewing Company. I was asked for nothing in return; but all of my opinions herein are wholly my own.**

The Little Mermaid, Retro Dog, and a Pi(e) Day Celebration // A Wrap Up

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Yesterday, after staring at my planner for what seemed like hours, I was amazed to see that we’re nearing the end of March. Amazed because it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Remy Bea’s first birthday — but it was two whole months ago!

Every single day with little kids feels like the.longest.day.ever. Everyday is jam-packed with commitments, errands, and the mundane; but somehow, we blink, and another week, month, and year have passed.

A dear friend of mine recently told me she thinks I’m crazy for keeping my schedule as jam-packed as it is; that I leave very little room for ‘down time.’ But also, that she commends me for keeping my kids active and involved in things — whether that be karate, playdates, or weekly trips to the art museum!

And this past week was no different. Well, minus one little thing:

I sent my husband on a Guys Trip to Wilmington, North Carolina to golf for 5 and a half days.

He had a blast, and we did a great job at surviving! 🙂

Here’s what we’ve been up to in the last week:

  • I took Ari to see The Little Mermaid ballet at the Akron Civic Theater. Despite my child’s affinity for all things Disney and all things artsy, he was bored. Cotton candy helped. Eh, win some, lose some, friends.

 

  • Before our ballet excursion, Ari and I went on lunch date at our favorite spot — Retro Dog! I know I’ve talked about Retro Dog previously, but it’s seriously one of our favorite spots. They serve hot dogs, burgers, fries, onion rings, custard, and beer from Thirsty Dog Brewing. The couple that owns it is originally from Buffalo and their hot dogs are a Buffalo staple — Sahlen’s!
  • Ari’s karate session ended with a bang — or a HIYA! But not to fret, T-Ball starts this week. (PS. I’ve been informed that of all of the local leagues, we signed Ari up for the most intense and most serious league in our area. Ooooops. Makes sense since they have two practices this week alone… for t-ball….).

  • Pi(e) day was a success! Thank you, Sweet Mary’s! Your French Toast Pie did not disappoint!
    PS. Can it be Pi Day every day!?!

  • After months of false starts, Miss Bea finally started (and kept) walking. She’s taken steps before — up to 8 in a row — but this was the first time she just kept going. And she hasn’t stopped! Hooray!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlMlR7iYRpc]

  • One of the highlights of my weekend was getting a fabulous bright yellow cup from Starbucks. It made the gloomy weather completely worth it.

Guys. We survived. We survived!! Yes, we missed Chad; but we did relatively okay with being a single-parent household for a few days. It proved, both, that he can get away and have fun, and that we could do it — that we could keep on a schedule and power through whatever the week throws at us.

And this week I’m ready to take on my own happiness, ya’ll. Here’s my Weekly Mantra:

TGIM, friends! Don’t stress this Monday — embrace it!! xo

Smoothies, Foodies, and the Vitamix Ascent Series Launch //

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In my constant search for balance in motherhood (and life) I have made certain concessions for the sake of time. For instance, we often forego eggs, toast, and cereal for breakfast in lieu of something we can take on-the-go — like smoothies.

I’m guilty of occasionally using those pre-made frozen smoothie fruit mixes. Yes, I know it’s basically nonsense because it’s just a mix of frozen fruit and still requires me to do the work of blending it all together. But, balance, friends. Lucky for me, we have been using a Vitamix for all the blending, chopping, and dicing in our home for the last 7 years!

So when I was asked to attend the launch of the newest Vitamix Ascent Series at their Solon, Ohio store, I was beyond excited!

Of all of the blogger events I’ve been to, this was quite possibly the most well put together event of all time! We were greeted at the door by the Vitamix store team and we were immediately handed a delicious cocktail, crafted by the Spotted Owl‘s very own Will Hollingsworth!

From there we snacked on mouthwatering appetizers, all made in the newest Vitamix! These Pork Belly Sliders on Brioche were absolutely heavenly!

After seriously munching (and by munching I mean devouring…) on all of this delicious food, we were given the rundown on the newest Vitamix Ascent Series blenders.

Even as a seasoned Vitamix user I learned so much! For instance, I was under the impression that we had to use a dry canister and blade to make our own seasoning or flour; but that simply isn’t true! Unless you’re making a lot — like, a lot — at once, even the regular Vitamix blade can handle it!

To call my bluff, they decided to make powdered sugar right in front of my eyes (PS. how was I so naïve to not know that powdered sugar is legit just sugar ground up into, well, powder?? Don’t judge me,  ya’ll.). Oh, and then they mixed up some ice cream in, like, three seconds (because, yum).

And I was happy to learn that Vitamix really stands true to it’s brand of being a family company with huge ties to the community. Vitamix is built and serviced all within a 200-mile radius! And, for those who may not be familiar, Vitamix offers an incredible warranty program on both their new and refurbished models! Our old Vitamix was a refurbished model and when the motor went, we just shipped it in and it was repaired within a couple of weeks and sent right back to us — at no cost!

In addition, the Vitamix Store offers help and assistance with all of your Vitamix needs. If you have questions abotu techniques? Come into the store. Questions about recipes? Come into the store! They also hold weekly in-store events and culinary classes to help you make the most of your Vitamix!

Seriously the best customer service from any company I’ve had any sort of contact with. 

If you are considering purchasing a Vitamix of your own, I strongly urge you to go check out their store this weekend! The Vitamix Store in Solon is running a huge sale this weekend, March 3rd and 4th, starting at just $199.95!

If you want visual proof at what can be done in a Vitamix (other than smoothies!) check out this delicious soup I made in my new Vitamix! It’s Maple Sweet Potato Soup — and the recipe is straight from The Vitamix Cookbook!

At the end of the day, I think this new Vitamix and I are going to create a more-balanced life for the whole family. Not only do I feel a teeny bit less guilty about feeding the kiddos smoothies every morning, but it’s helping me to break out of my comfort zone and make new dishes (like this soup) that I otherwise would be too nervous to do. So thank you Vitamix and my friends over at the Vitamix Store for such a fun event and fun new toys!

 

Disclosure: At the end of the night I was gifted with my very own Vitamix Ascent Series A3500, the Vitamix Cookbook, a Simply Blending spices ‘cookbook,’ and culinary classes for 2 at the Vitamix Store, in exchange for my honest review of the evening and of the new Vitamix Ascent Series A3500.

 

FeBREWary Beer School at Ohio Beergarden

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I’m finally just catching my breath coming off my crazy-busy week last week. While things had been crazy since Monday, the fun really took off on Wednesday when I had the pleasure of attending FeBREWary Beer School at Ohio Beergarden in North Olmstead.

While Chad and I have frequented The Rail since it’s early beginnings in Akron, this was my first visit to it’s sister ‘restaurant,’ the Ohio Beergarden, which features strictly 24 taps of all-Ohio beers! Even their bottles, cans, and wine offerings are sourced locally from Ohio breweries and wineries!

But we were there for a special Beer School of new Ohio brewery, Goldhorn Brewery. Goldhorn Brewery is located in the Hub-55 development on E.55th street in Cleveland. While it’s been open less than a year, the head brewer Joel Warger, formerly of Great Lakes Brewery, has made a mark on the local craft beer market.

We started the night with Soft Pretzel Bites and Beer Cheese paired with Goldhorn Brewery’s Polka City Pilsner. Admittedly, I almost always (okay… always) gravitate towards super hoppy IPAs, but I was so into this beer. It was super light, crisp, and I could still taste quite a bit of hops!

Next up, the Fire Pug Pale Ale, which is a smoked pale ale with Azacca and Chinook hops. I definitely could taste the smokey flavor and it was delicious! Still very light and easy on the palate!

Finally it was time to taste a few burgers, courtesy of The Rail. I’m not going to lie, and I’ve talked about it extensively here on this blog, but The Rail is one of my favorite restaurants of all time.

The burgers were paired with Play That Funky Music Witbier. Yep. Cheesy – ha! And apparently derived from a joke. But, like many jokes, they sometimes turn into reality. For a Belgian beer, definitely one of the best — even if Belgians aren’t my favorite! I could big time taste the coriander and orange peel! Yum!

Last but not least we were able to taste some of Ohio Beergarden’s pizza. The previous restaurant that was located in this space built a stone pizza oven so the folks at Ohio Beergarden are totally taking advantage of that hidden gem — and they’re doing it OH SO WELL!

I have to admit — I may have cheated a teeny tiny bit with the ‘no dairy’ thing. I did eat two crust pieces, but for the first time in a year, I didn’t pick off the cheese. And it was incredible!

Our last beer was the St. Clair Stout. Admittedly, I despise stouts. They are… heavy; thick; and overwhelming. But I tasted it. It was much lighter than other stouts I’ve tasted. It almost tasted like a Christmas ale of sorts, thanks to the cinnamon, ginger and honey. In recent years I’ve turned my nose up at Christmasy beers. And after tasting this stout, I immediately handed it to my friend Cristin and was like “Nope. You have it.” Except I kept coming back to it. I kept tasting it. It kept growing on me. Of all stouts, I think it’s the best I’ve tasted. I ended up finishing it; I just wouldn’t go as far as liking it.

It was so awesome hearing about the story of Goldhorn Brewery and spending an evening surrounded by friends! I have to say that my absolute favorite beer of the evening was the Polka City Pilsner and, as delicious as the pretzels and pizza were, my heart belongs to The Rail burgers.

Thank you so much to the folks over at The Rail and Ohio Beergarden for hosting! I can’t wait for our next event.

 

*Disclosure: I received to complimentary seats to The Rail Beer School in return for my honest opinions and review. As always, all opinions are my own.*

Weekend Wrap Up // and a Weekly Mantra

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Ya’ll! I am beyond — BEYOND — excited for this week! I’ve been very ‘mum’s the word’ about my world, as of late. But this week is going to be amazing! Not only does Ari have 3 karate classes this week [which is just beyond adorable], but I have an all-Ohio beer and food pairing event AND an event at the Vitamix store [insert 500 exclamation points!]!

All of this comes on the tailend of a super beautiful weekend that included movie nights with Ari, a trip to RetroDog after Ari’s karate class, dinner dates, and a family hike + climb at the Gorge Metropark! I mean, it was sixty degrees in February — in OHIO. Say, whaaaat?! The only thing that could have made it better would be if Chad hadn’t had to work all weekend. But lucky for me and the kids, we had Mimi + Poppy in town to hang out with us.


I’m grateful for opportunities and connections that blogging and social media have brought into my life. It may seem weird, but I’ve created awesome IRL (in real life) connections and friendships with SO many of these awesome women!

I’m so content when my children and I are on a schedule. Last week was so crazy busy, but we worked like a well-oiled machine. Sure, it was hectic; but it went by so quickly and with very few hiccups (considering).

I wish for the blessing of health this week. We’ve been semi-healthy as of late, but all of us have battled a cold or cough off and on for a while now. And I’d really just love — and need — everyone to be on their a-game, healthwise, this week.

I’m really happy that I was able to spend another weekend surrounded by love and family and sunshine. These silly weekends — the ones where nothing in particular is planned — are what truly make my heart happy.

Weekly Mantra:



This just feels really right!  Hoping to shed some negative energy and invite in all of the positive vibes this week! Anyone have tips as to how they stay positive?!