Check out Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery in Okemos

Julia Child once said, “A party without cake is just a meeting.” I love me some good cake, and thankfully, my friends and family feel the same way. We’re pretty lucky in mid-Michigan to have a variety of delicious bakeries around the area.

My friends and I were getting together yesterday for our friend Tessa’s birthday, and this celebration seemed like a great opportunity to give a bakery that just opened a try: Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery in Okemos.  Continue reading “Check out Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery in Okemos”

Check out Punk Taco in Old Town

Today was considerably the most beautiful day of spring so far, which isn’t saying too much considering it was snowing this past week. Yet it was so fortunate that I had lunch plans with my friend Jen today in Old Town, because today was the perfect day to visit the newly opened Punk Taco.

I can always count on Jen to suggest a new and fun place around the Lansing area to check out; our last outing was to The Crafted Bean in Lansing.

Punk Taco is the latest restaurant from the restaurant development company also responsible for some of my other favorite spots in Lansing, including The Cosmos, Zoobie’s, and The Creole.

Punk Taco, located in the spot right next to the new Creole Burger Bar & Southern Kitchen, has a very cool vibe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhEygq2lvIR/?taken-by=punktacolansing

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Exploring Michigan: Adventures in Owosso

Owosso, Michigan is a town less than 40 minutes away from the Lansing area, but I didn’t know much about it other than a car dealership. Seriously. So when my friends Linda and Ellen wanted to check out a store there, we planned to make a little Saturday trip out of it. Some Googling brought some promising ideas for coffee, shopping, and lunch.

Despite it turning into a typical late-March Michigan day with rain and wind, we were all charmed by the friendly town of Owosso and its offerings. Here are photos from our adventures. Continue reading “Exploring Michigan: Adventures in Owosso”

Check out The Crafted Bean in Lansing

Earlier this week, I met up with my friend and former coworker Jen for coffee and lunch at The Crafted Bean in Lansing. The original DeWitt location opened in December 2016, and the Lansing location, west of Sparrow Hospital on Michigan Ave., just opened earlier this year.

I was really excited to try a new coffee place in Lansing, especially when Jen told me that they have a food truck outside that serves up sweet and savory bubble waffles. SIGN ME UP.

The vibe inside is very cool, embracing the authentic architectural details of the space instead of trying to make something new look old and lived-in. I love the exposed brick, tin ceiling tiles, and eclectic furniture.

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Let me tell you why I love Red Haven

I think that everyone has their own Cheers bar, and without a doubt, Red Haven Farm to Table is ours.

Red Haven is not only one of the most inventive places to eat in mid-Michigan, it is also the finest and most welcoming. When we visit, we feel like members of the family.

Photo credit: Red Haven

And I dare say that their current menu is one of the best they’ve had in their five-plus years of being open. I’ve been trying to tell everyone I know about it.

Here’s a peek at some of their current dishes, including a duck dish that is now in my All-Time Top 5 Favorite Red Haven Dishes. All photos shared with permission of Red Haven.

For those who are unfamiliar, Red Haven employs a farm to table concept that supports and promotes local farmers and products. The small plates-style menu changes every few weeks to reflect the changing seasons and availability of ingredients. Menu items consist of shareable sides and appetizers, as well as entrees appropriately sized for individual diners.

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What’s for lunch: Poké Lab

I’ll never turn down the opportunity for a ladies lunch, so when my friend Linda asked if I wanted to meet up with her for a lunch date, it was a resounding yes. After the days we’ve been having, it felt great to have plans to get out of the house for a bit.

Linda suggested we try Poké Lab in East Lansing, a newer restaurant near campus that opened this past fall. Poké bowls have been a trendy food item for the last couple of years, so I was excited to give this place a try.

Armed with my sidekick Margot, we visited Poké Lab for lunch with Linda yesterday, and it was delicious!

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Favorite Costco finds in January

Costco is a magical place. For years, Zack and I have had a membership, but our visits were limited to the location near my parents’ house. Despite great reviews about their freshly prepped foods and prices on staples like eggs and milk, we often stuck with frozen foods and paper products due to the distance from home. That, and treating ourselves to the $1.50 hot dog combo, obviously.

That is, until this past year.

Finally, the Lansing area was blessed with a Costco this past fall, and we’ve been able to enjoy frequent visits ever since. While weekends are very busy, I’ve enjoyed a couple of low-key visits with Margot on weekday afternoons, and it is eerily quiet in there. Margot also doesn’t have to throw elbows when it comes to grabbing samples, so that’s a plus.

Our proximity to the new Costco has opened up a world of possibilities as far as trying out fresh food products, and even venturing into the center aisles of clothing items. Wow there’s a whole new world in there.

Here are some of my favorite Costco finds from this month, including a ready-to-make meat Korean BBQ dish that I’ve turned a few friends onto the last couple of weeks.

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Okay, I finally get it. Kroger ClickList is amazing.

It would be obvious to say that it’s been absolutely freezing outside the last week, with little sign of relief anytime soon. And while times like these mean bunkering down at home with the girls and slowly going stir crazy, some things still need to get done. Namely, grocery shopping.

In that time between getting married and having kids, grocery shopping could be an enjoyable adventure. I could adult and stock our pantry and refrigerator with whatever our hearts desired, lingering in the aisles, deciding what to make for dinner.

But with our little gals, it’s like Supermarket Sweep. I’ve gotta get in and out of there quickly before a meltdown or begging for fruit snacks. I prefer our nearby Kroger because I have the layout and the location of all of our usual list items committed to memory. Nothing annoys me more in a shopping trip than forgetting to get something back in produce, and doubling back over my counter-clockwise path.

I’ve been able to conquer the grocery store or just about any other shopping experience with the girls at my side or in my arms, because necessity of the mother of mothers getting stuff done because it’s gotta get done.

But this week, after the holidays depleted our grocery resources and a vacation away from home, I needed reinforcements. There was no way I wanted to deal with taking the girls out into the freezing cold, stocking up a cart with groceries, loading and unloading. Mama needed some help.

Enter Kroger ClickList. I’ve heard about this magical service (as well as Meijer Curbside and Shipt) from so many friends, but I hadn’t indulged until earlier this week. The truth is I still do like going to the grocery store. I know that even with my list of items, I end up remembering something else we need, or decide to get ingredients for dinner on the fly.

But because of my mini shopping partners and the cold, I tried ClickList this week. And it was amazing.

My only complaint is that our Kroger five minutes away doesn’t participate, but it was worth the 20 minute drive to pull up and have bags of groceries stored in the back within minutes.

The first three times with Kroger ClickList, the service fee is waived. And heck, for days when the high is in the single digits, I will pay that five bucks when my free ones are up.

The Meijer near our house does offer Curbside, but I’ve noticed that the same-day pickup times are often much later in the day than what Kroger has been offering. Because even with convenience and time saved, I still need to be considering naps and temperaments.

My friend Tessa has been singing the praises about Shipt, which I admit I am interested in checking out sometime in the future. But really, if I didn’t go pick up my ClickList order the other day or have one scheduled for this afternoon, I wouldn’t be leaving the house at all. I do still need that (bitterly cold) fresh air and some drive time to feel a little bit alive on days like today.

If you’re considering checking out ClickList or another similar service, my advice is DO IT. Don’t hesitate like I did. It’s been amazing so far.

 

Instant Pot ribs (and three other success stories)

Hello, my name is Stefanie and I am a believer in the magic of the Instant Pot. It wasn’t always this way, but I now know there’s a good reason why it’s one of the most popular gifts this holiday season.

I first started reading things about the Instant Pot in mommy groups on Facebook earlier this year. I’m a Crock Pot enthusiast, particularly in the colder months, so I didn’t really understand the need for another large kitchen appliance.

It wasn’t until I spent some time with my friend Tracy a couple of months ago that the Instant Pot got its first ringing endorsement from someone I knew, and I can’t even express how enthusiastic Tracy was about her Instant Pot. She told me about the super-active Facebook group that covers all things Instant Pot (the group is just under 900,000 members). She said the cleanup is a breeze, and dinner can be done in an hour or less.

Thanks to a really great sale at Kohl’s, I was able to score an 8 Qt Duo 7-in-1 Instant Pot for $85 (they are normally $129.99 for that model) back in October. Admittedly, it took me a few weeks to give it a try.

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A gesture of thanks to our delivery people this holiday season

‘Tis the season for Christmas songs on the radio, the scent of balsam, and, just about every day, packages on the front porch.

Between Amazon Prime, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and two little girls, Christmas shopping has been online about 90% of the time this year. And while it makes life a lot easier around here for us, it means we are keeping our mail carrier and local UPS/FedEx delivery people very busy.

For the past several years, we’ve left homemade baked goods in the mailbox for our mail carrier as a Christmas gift, due to rules about giving cash gifts. And we’ve given cash tips to the team that helps clean our house and also our garbage collectors. But this year, I wanted to do something for the men and women who make the trek up our walkway with packages big and small in the days leading up to Christmas.

Last year, I read an article online about families leaving snacks outside for their delivery people as a gesture of thanks for their hard work during the holidays. I thought it was a great idea, and with so many packages expected at our house in the coming weeks, it seemed like a great year to try it.

Today I ran up to Gordon Food Service and picked up a large box of individual bags of chips, as well as a package of peanuts in their own packets. I also grabbed some LaCroix, and a package of small bottled waters.

I printed out a sign and arranged everything in a large metal drink bucket. Sadly I missed the delivery person who brought us some packages today, but I hope the snacks are taken and enjoyed in the next couple weeks.

At this time of year, I’m especially thankful for all of the people who help make the things we buy online magically appear on our doorstep.

Now, it’s time to get wrapping!

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