When I started my side gig working at my local airport the first international trip that I wanted to take was to Ireland. We hadn’t been there and I come from a very Irish family. Our quick trip was everything that I thought it would be and I can’t wait to explore more the beautiful […]
Author: jlkalloch
I’ve been following the account liemessa on instagram for years. I first stumbled acoss this account when I was mindlessly scrolling and saw a beautiful chocolate cake with cherries, it looked so good and I had to make it! After clicking on picture I found out that belongs to Jenni Hayrinen who is a Finnish […]
I’m a native Mainer and it’s no secret that I love where I live, but Maine winters can be long. They are bitter cold and snowy and if you don’t have fun things to do they seem neverending. I didn’t grow up skiing but since meeting Andrew 14 years ago I’ve broadened my winter activity […]
We’re in the 2nd week of February so that means it’s time for another date night in! The first date night in with a French theme was a casual Apéro, which is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening in. But Valentine’s Day is a week away and today’s French date night is […]
We’re coming up on Valentine’s Day and what country would be more fitting for a romantic date night in than France? I can’t think of one! I’m going to share a couple of date night in options from this favorite country of mine. First up is a more casual date night in, more of a […]
There’s just something so nice about catching the bus or train and having it transport you to another destination. I love that the bus/rail system in Europe is so easy to navigate. The USA could learn a thing or two about public transport from Europe! When we made last minute plans in 2018 to visit […]
My husband, Andrew, is part Finnish. He’s super proud of this fact and will tell anyone who will listen. He has a Finnish flag decal on his car and before our front porch was redone he flew the Finnish flag outside our home. See, super proud. We haven’t had the chance to visit Finland yet […]
It’s the second week of January and I wanted to share some mocktails that I’ve been enjoying this month. After the holiday season I always try to cut back on alcohol, sweets and heavy meals. Do a bit of a reset for my body. This year, I especially wanted to cut back on the alcohol […]
This is hard. Staying home all the time, not being able to have friends over for dinner or meet up for drinks to catch up. I don’t mind a quiet evening in, but I like to do things out and about too! Plus I’m running out of Netflix to watch (help!) The other day I […]
We love a theme night! I know this isn’t the first time that I’ve told you this. We’ll pick a recipe, get some tunes going and imagine we’re somewhere else for the evening. We’ve been doing this for years but 2020 gave us the opportunity to do them even more. Travel doesn’t seem to be […]
The New Year is only days away! Can you believe it?!?!? Usually I’d be finalizing plans with friends, booking a manicure apt and trying to put together a sparkly outfit. Not this year though. This New Years it will just be me, Andrew and the kitties. And that is ok with me. As much as […]
2020 is finally coming to a close. Thank goodness! I must admit though, and I don’t even want to say this out loud but I have a feeling that 2021 may not look that different. So instead of a woe is me attitude I want to prepare for the new year with some new ideas. […]
We’ve been hosting Christmas morning breakfast at our place for years. The menu has changed and evolved over time, you learn pretty quickly that made to order eggs are not fun on a holiday morning! We’ve made a delicious holiday hash with root vegetables, a variety of frittatas, brioche cinnamon bread, breakfast strata, the list […]
Portland, Maine is a lovely little historic city. It’s Old Port area and Downtown have plenty of charm with their cobblestone streets, bricked sidewalks and architectural treasures. One of those treasures is the Victoria Mansion. This stately home, built between 1858 and 1863, was a summer residence for self-made business man, Rugglers Sylvester Morse and […]
Traveling to a European Christmas Market may be off the table for now but you can still enjoy some of the festive charm in your own home. Cozy lights, traditional decor and these yummy recipes will brighten up your holiday season and bring a touch of European cheer into your homes. German Lebkuchen: The Original […]
When I was a kid I loved those cardboard Advent Calendars where you would open the little numbered doors and there would be a cute Christmasy chocolate in there. Looking back the chocolate was pretty terrible but I loved when it was my turn to open the door. I noticed some “adult” advent calendars pop […]
Thanksgiving this year was very different. Instead of a huge gathering of family or friends with WAY TOO MUCH of everything we had a nice, quiet meal with my mother in law. Just the three of us. So completely different, but I have to say I didn’t mind the quiet. I’m actually not a huge […]
So, we did a thing. A thing that I swore I would never do. We bought an artificial Christmas tree. Even as I’m typing this I still can’t believe that we have a fake tree sitting in a box ready to be assembled this holiday season. It just doesn’t seem right! Andrew has wanted to […]
It’s been a while since I’ve shared what we’ve bee up to with our Sunday Suppers. We’re still at it! Trying out new recipes and old favorites but always cooking something delicious on our Sunday’s so that they seem a little extra special. This past Sunday I made something out of my new cook book, […]
If you know me, it’s no secret that both Andrew and I spend a lot of time in our kitchen. We love to try new recipes, whip up old favorites and challenge ourselves to recreate a meal from our travels. Theme food nights have always been big in our home! The lack of travel for […]
I always look forward to Friday, not just because it’s the end of the work week, or payday but because it means takeout! I grew up in and currently live in South Portland, just minutes and a bridge ride away from Portland. This little city of ours has gotten quite a lot of attention the […]