Fall Soup Party

Posted in Entertaining, Recipes Reel by

 

Fall is the time of year, here in New England, that we thrive. But we also start to get ready for our winter hibernation. My girlfriends and I started a tradition a few years ago during the cold winter months. We get together and each make a new soup. Its really just an excuse to all get together and spend the day relaxing.

One year we did it on Valentines Day so we decorated Galentines themed and make vision boards out of mason jars. Last year we did our soup party as my housewarming for my new at the time apartment. This year we opted for a fall theme. We sat around on a Sunday, ate all day and watched football.

Since our trip to Banff last year, I have been trying to find a spicy curry ramen as similar to Block Kitchen + Bar as possible. Sunday I made the Defined Dish’s Thai Red Curry Chicken Zoodle Soup but since we have some vegetarians in the group, I took our all the meat. I also used vermicelli instead of zoodles because…. Well #carbs.

For beverages I saw Lauren McBride made a Caramel Apple Cider Sangria last weekend for a Halloween party and decided I needed to try it. YUM. I am not a white wine or vodka girl… or even apple cider, but the three together are amazing.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice

Chrissy Teigen’s Thai Carrot and Coconut Soup

Cheddar Beer Soup

Zuppa Toscana

Saratoga Springs

Posted in New York, Travel Tips, USA by

Growing up in Connecticut, we did a lot of exploring. We spent summers on the cape, did day trips into New York City and Boston, even would go up to Maine’s islands for the weekend. One place I never really explored was upstate New York. Saratoga Springs is known for a lot of things. Most popularly, the oldest horse track in the country, some of the only natural mineral springs east of the Rockies, and it’s strong culture of performing arts.

Back in August a group of us went up to Saratoga to celebrate a friend’s bachelorette. (I know, I know, this has been the majority of my travels recently.) We had a weekend completely packed of seeing all things Saratoga and we tried to fit in as much as we could. But there is a lot to do in the horse racing capital, so one weekend just wouldn’t be enough.

What we did – Rack Track Tips

For the main day of our trip, we decided to immerse ourselves in the Saratoga lifestyle and head to the race tracks. We were there for one of the most popular race days of the year: the Whitney. No matter what your opinion is on horse racing, the truth is it is a huge culture in Saratoga and what most of the town is focused on. There are statues of horses and jockeys through out parks around town, and lining Broadway. So, although many of us had a lot of our own opinions about the sport, we decided to jump in head first and live like the locals.

One thing we noticed is there are a lot of ways to do race day. There are a few tour options, which we didn’t take part of, but I would be super interested in learning more about the track and the history of horse racing since so much history has happened right in Saratoga. As far as seating goes, there is reserved seating, and tickets sell out pretty fast according to their website. We sat in an area that was essentially a small sports bar inside the betting area. I wouldn’t really suggest it. From there we watched the races on TV screens and because that weekend was so busy, the service was pretty slow.

I would recommend buying a General Admission ticket for $7 and getting there SUPER early to stake out a picnic table. From there you can have a home base and bring in small coolers with sandwiches and drinks (including alcohol). If you don’t want to bring food in, there are plenty of vendors and food trucks you can purchase from. Most of the areas are open to the public, except for the reserved seats, so you really are not missing out on anything by grabbing a picnic table.

Where we ate

We started our weekend at the Saratoga Winery. Us Northeasterners have a little secret. About three and a half hours west of Saratoga Springs is the Finger Lakes. This area is arguably the best wine region in the country and home to the oldest vines in the US. Saratoga Winery stayed true to their New York routes and many of their wines come from the grapes grown in that region. They also are famous for their seasonal Moonshine drinks. A few of us tried the Strawberry Jam Moonshine which was out of this world. The pizza was pretty good and they had a ton of options which was perfect for our big group.

After the race on Saturday we headed to a local spot that was suggested to us by our girlfriend who lives in town, the Horseshoe Inn Bar & Grill. It was packed! We asked for a table because we knew we needed to eat but if we were waiting to just get in to have drinks, we would have waited in that line a lot longer. They have a live band and it seemed like a lot of fun, but we were focused on the food. They had simple bar food, nothing too crazy. I had fish tacos and a bite of their Mozz Bombs which were amazing. A few of the vegetarians said their veggie quesadilla was the best they have had.

When we first pulled into town on Friday morning, I noticed a cute little Victorian house on the corner of South Broadway and Lincoln Ave called the Thirsty Owl and said we needed to go there. It was super cute, very quaint and just looked like somewhere I’d like. So, Sunday before we headed out, we stopped there for lunch and it was amazing we were the first ones there and the staff offered us a wine tasting in their bar while our lunch was being prepared. Three of us had a five-tasting flight with wines from their vineyard in the Finger Lakes. They just kept getting better and better. And what I liked even more was the staff was super attentive and knowledgeable about their wines.

As good as their wines were, the food was even better. We started with their soup of the day, a seafood bisque, and bacon wrapped scallop appetizer with crispy spinach. Insane! For lunch I had a salmon special which was just what I needed after indulging the day before at the race track.

There were a few other restaurants we checked out but weren’t able to fit in time to stop at. Here they are:

  • Salt & Char at the Adelphi hotel
  • Druthers Brewing Company (we had their beer and it was awesome, but their food looked great too)
  • The Wine Bar
  • The Mercantile Kitchen & Bar
  • Gaffney’s

Guess Who’s Back!!!

Posted in Updates by

Hi friends! Happy first day of fall! I haven’t been around too much lately because honestly, I’ve just been trying to survive. Last time we caught up I was in SoCal for a friend’s wedding, but a lot has happened since then so let me catch you up.

First of all, besides my old roomie getting married in California, my best friend of the past 23 years got married to her best friend. (I guess I’ll step aside for him.) Both Shay and Katarina had amazing weddings and beautiful days to celebrate, and most importantly, I was so proud to be able to stand by both of their sides.

With one last wedding this summer, my girlfriends and I got together earlier in August to celebrate our last 2019 bride in Saratoga Springs, NY. Let me tell you, that sleep update town knows how to party. We had an amazing weekend at the racetrack, and eating our way through town.

Oh yeah, and did I mention, I didn’t get one, but TWO new jobs. One was a much anticipated promotion at work. Defiantly something that is going to keep me busy and growing for the next few years. The second…. Well, I’m baaack! Fun fact, I coached high school cheer for eight years, both in Connecticut and California. I took the past five years off but this year I am returning to coach 29 amazing girls at my alma mater, and wow they keep me busy!

Ironically, I haven’t felt more at home in a long time.

What does this mean for me? Well my weekdays are shot now and I’ve officially said goodbye to Friday nights with my girlfriends for the foreseeable future. But my planner and to do lists have been key the past few weeks. I’ve been juggling my added responsibilities at work, my new schedule, and social and family time pretty well so hopefully it stays like that.

But just because this summer has been pretty busy, doesn’t mean my fall is going to be any different. The next few months are jam packed but there are a few things that have been keeping me going.

A few weeks ago, my girlfriends and I took one of our friend’s two and half year old to Lyman Orchard here in Connecticut. They have a super popular sunflower maze that we knew Kieran would LOVE. Chasing after him in the winding maze, following his giggles was a perfect way to start our Sunday. It was a great way to celebrate summer here in Connecticut and get outside bright and early.

Pro Tip: This is seasonal in Connecticut and only open for about a month and half. Get there early. The maze opened at 10 and we were there right at opening. When we headed out at 11, the place was slammed!

I’ve really been soaking up all the me time this summer. I appreciate the few nights a week I have to myself and I am not running onto the next scheduled appointment or gathering. This summer I have been reading a lot of Elin Hilderbrand. Summer on the island is everything for a New Englander so getting lost in her books put a big smile on my face.

And during this me time, all summer, I’ve been living off of my Candlefish candle from my trip to Charleston. It’s been burning 24/7 and the natural scents are everything. Because I don’t love the fruity and flowery scents of the summer, these earthy aromas can bring me right into the fall, which is just around the corner.

This fall I have a few trips planned, Friday night football games, and all the fall activities. Pumpkin picking, apple picking, apple cider donuts, pumpkin spice lattes. Super basic and I am living for it.

What are you look forward to this fall?? Can you believe summer is gone!!

Things I Tell my Customers, But Don’t Always Do Myself

Posted in Travel Tips by

As a travel agent, my job is to have off the beaten path sights to see, know what to do in unforeseen situations, and stop as many unanticipated situations as possible. I can give all the advice in the world, but it doesn’t mean I always follow my text book advise myself. Each time I’ve traveled in the past few months I’ve been thinking more and more about what I would tell my clients rather that what I was doing and I thought I’d throw together a little what I tell clients vs what I do post.

Show up to the airport two hours before your flight, three hours if it’s international.
I once showed up to a flight a half hour before the flight took off, got my luggage and myself on the plane, and had a drink before take off. I wouldn’t recommend it and it was pretty stressful, but usually, you don’t need to arrive at the airport super early. Know your airport and when you’re traveling. That was at a small airport just outside of Los Angeles, I would have never done that at LAX or any of the airports here in New York City, or if my flight was first thing in the morning as that is the busiest time at an airport.  But an evening flight out of Vegas, you bet ya. I’ll see ya an hour before my flight TSA.

One Quart-sized bag of liquids.
I have literally one time in my life put my toiletries in a plastic bag, and it was a gallon, not a quart. I don’t know if that is something TSA is actually looking for but I feel like they talk about the 3-3-1 rule so much I may just keep getting lucky. One thing I won’t budge on in the 3.4 ounce rule. I once forgot I had hairspray in my carry on and I was stopped at every airport for the next week and a half of traveling. Not worth it.

Book directly with the airline or hotel.
Usually this is going to be your best bet. You’ll 90% of the time get the best price right on the hotel or airline’s website, and the fare will be a little more flexible. But there has been a time or two where I’ll check Expedia or Orbitz and if the price is hundreds of dollars in savings… I’m booking there. Truthfully those third party websites tend to have super strict fares that are nonrefundable, and their customer service is generally below par. As a travel agent we won’t even look on those sites.

Like I said earlier, there are some tips that I definitely don’t lie about and usually it’s because I’ve learned the hard way. Here are a few things that I am sure to be before or during each trip.

Weigh my suitcase.
I’m not here to pay over weight fees to the airlines. I already have to pay to bring my suitcase most of the time. I have a luggage scale that I use it before every flight that I am checking a bag. You can get one pretty cheep on Amazon that works just great. Don’t think that they’ll give you leeway for a pound or two. It depends on who you get at the counter, but I’ve had to move around my luggage too many times.

Put your boarding pass on your phone.
There are some airlines that I always have their app downloaded on my phone (hey JetBlue, I’m talking about you) but if I am flying an airline I don’t usually use, I make sure to download the app while I’m traveling. Once I check in, on the app I screen shot my boarding pass, or add it to my wallet. That way, its always available while I’m at the airport. When I have a paper boarding pass, I tend to throw it into the bottomless abyss that is my purse making it so hard to find when going through security or when actually boarding.

Buy necessities once you get there.
There is ALWAYS that one thing you forgot. If you know you’ll have a little bit of time once you get wherever you’re going, leave your shampoo and conditioner at home and stock up once you get there. If you can get by with just a carry on, checking your bag because you have to bring your shampoo isn’t worth it.

Use TSA Pre Check domestically and Mobile Pass for international.
This year I finally hopped on the TSA Pre Check bandwagon and let me tell you… heaven! Living so close to New York City, I usually am dealing with pretty big airports with a TON of people. Skipping any line is always a dream. Mobile Pass is also awesome if you’re coming back into the country. Double check if it’s taken at your home airport and if it is, sign up! I not only got to skip the customs line at JFK but I also cut in front of the people who had Global Entry.

What to do in Banff for the Non-Hikers

Posted in Canada, Travel Tips by

The Canadian Rockies are known for a few things. Gorgeous blue lakes, stunning mountain peaks, and thousands of hiking trails, but there’s a lot more to do in Banff besides just hike… up the mountains… to the blue lakes. Last fall I took a trip up to Canada where we spent a week in Banff. Here you can read more about our trip to Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise and how we got there.

As a travel agent a lot of people come in all the time not knowing where to travel. They’ve done a lot of our US National Parks and don’t know where to go from there and when I suggest the Canadian Rockies, the response I get most is… “we’re not really the outdoorsy type.” Well good news… you don’t have to be. Here are 8 things to do in the Canadian Rockies for the non-hiker.

1. Canoe on Lake Louise
Ok, so this isn’t the least strenuous activity on the list but it sure is one of my favorites. During our 45-minute canoe ride we rowed to the furthest part of the lake and on our way pack, a piece of ice from the glacier above came crashing down. Like what!? A real life avalanche?!!! One of my number one bucketlist actives for Banff National Park and it got even better than I could imagine!

2. Hot Springs
There are a ton of options for hot springs throughout the Rockies. Some of the most popular are right in town at the Banff Upper Hot Springs right near the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. But locals told us to steer clear, there are better springs not too far away. We didn’t get to take the drive, but Radium Hot Springs is apparently well worth the hour and 45-minute drive south.

3. Shop
Between Banff Ave and bear St. there are hundreds of local shops to support. You can find anything from art galleries, souvenir shops, sports stores, and casual shopping. Some of my favorite stores we stopped in were Branches Marketplace, Rocky Mountain Flannel Company and the Rocky Mountain Soap Company. We even stopped into Banff Doghouse to bring home some treats for our furry friends.

4. Glacier Skywalk
I’m a pretty big scaredy cat when it comes to heights but this glass walkway in the middle of the Icefields Parkway was well worth concurring my fears. Suck it up and get out there! You end up right in the middle of a canyon and it’s only of the best places to see some wildlife. Plus, you get to hear a lot of good history on the drive out there.

5. Heli-Tour
Ok we did do it but there are dozens of places to take a helicopter tour of the amazing Rockies. I don’t usually like to leave a place without doing some of my top bucketlist experiences but I also am glad I have someone to bring me back. Seeing the Rockies from above is apparently breathtaking.

6. Spa
Like any 5 star hotel, the Fairmont Banff Springs and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise both have amazing Spas that would relax anyone needing a little get away from reality. Manicures, pedicures and full body massages. There is so much to choose from at both locations.

7. Eat
The food options in Banff are out of this world. It was like we were eating in New York City restaurants. My two favorites, hands down, were Block Kitchen + Bar and the Grizzly House. Your definitely need a reservation at the Grizzly House, and be prepared to wait at Block but both are worth the wait!

 

8. Moraine Lake Lookout
They say it’s a hike but really, it’s a pretty simple walk. If you can walk on uneven pavement or cobblestone, this .25 mile “hike” will be cake for you and the views will knock your socks off. A lot of the times the best views are from above but sometimes straight on is just a beautiful.