Autumn Flavors

Autumn is the season that makes me fall in love with Michigan all over again. The beautiful colors, the crisp air... and the food!!

After an hour of wandering our local market (and spending way too much!), Bobby and I returned home to get cozy in our pajamas and cook a flavorful autumn meal together.
He made an incredible Plum Mascarpone Bruschetta... crispy baguette with a spread of honey & whiskey sweetened mascarpone... a layer of homemade peach-plum jam topped with fresh sliced plums. It was out of this world incredible.

I tackled a Butternut Squash Risotto. It was the perfect blend of an Italian classic, with Parmesan and sage, mixed with Michigan flavors of creamy butternut squash and caramelized onions.

Eaten on the floor of our new house (we're still working on the whole "furniture" thing...), listening to the rain outside in the trees... it was perfection.

Picture (and recipes) to come!

Bicycling Thoughts

As we settle into our new house, one of the first things to be unpacked was my trusty bicycle. A sage green Trek Allant lovingly nicknamed "Peppermint Patty".

 

Being closer to both of our jobs makes commuting a breeze. Six miles of cornfields and dirty roads, passing children waiting for their school bus and horses freely munching on grass. It is ideal.

Which got me thinking about biking, in general. No offense to the spandex-wearing speedsters I see all over Ann Arbor- but that just isn't my style. The world opens up to you on a bike. It makes me want to slow down and take it all in. Whether in jeans or a skirt and heels, biking is the perfect ride. 

In a couple weeks, we'll be setting off for our next adventure- biking Old Mission Peninsula in northern Michigan. Wine tastings, eclectic restaurants and amazing views await in this hidden gem of the Great Lakes. So why would we want to speed by it all? We've got two days to enjoy seven wineries and meet the incredible folks who run them. Urban bikes, a trailer for Scout, a tent and sleeping bags... we're really looking forward to this one. And we plan on enjoying every minute of it.

Labor Day

With the weather officially turning crisp and chilly, we snuggled in for a taste of autumn. Raking leaves, a smoky fire in the backyard, hot apple cider, cinnamon dusted donuts... we wrapped ourselves in fleece blankets and spent hours outside. Talking about our future, the company, the trips we would take. Bicycle rides through multicolored vineyards. Hiking and photographing the fall foliage. Exploring quaint inns along the west coast. Tasting farm fresh treats at rustic roadside stands.
Here's to a new season, a new start. The kick off to our company, as we begin our journey during the most beautiful time and in the most beautiful place of all. Here's to Michigan...