Nitro is the New Black Coffee

If you know me, then you know I have a *slight* obsession with coffee -- more specifically cold brew coffee. I even wrote a whole post about my love for it a while back! So you know when I started hearing about nitro cold brew coffee,  I needed to try it.

Starbucks has had nitro cold brew for a little over a year now, but only at select locations -- so the brew alluded me until a few weeks ago. J.P. Licks, a Boston based ice cream shop, recently released their own nitro and sent out free small nitro and cold brew coffees to their reward card members. I promptly ran to the nearest one to try both and perform a taste test!

I ordered both drinks black and ordered them as they should be served (cold brew with ice and nitro brew without).

The cold brew tasted as expected -- slightly sweet, slightly bitter and relatively smooth.

The nitro brew was unbelievable.

I normally don't drink my coffee black, even with cold brew, just because I prefer the milk or cream to further smooth out my cold brew. It would be completely unnecessary with the nitro cold brew and I actually loved it black. It was smooth and sweet and honestly tasted nothing like what I'm used to coffee tasting like. It was also interesting that it had foam like a Guinness. I was blown away and hope nitro cold brew starts becoming more common because the only downside is it's not offered everywhere!

Have you tried nitro cold brew yet? What were your thoughts?

Exploring the West

Before I started my current job, I had never been to the West Coast. (I always joked the farthest West I'd gone was Iowa, and that it didn't really count!) Lucky for me, in the year and a half I've worked at my job, I've been sent out on two business trips to the West!

The first trip was great, but I only went out a day early to do some exploring in San Francisco and then was in Pleasanton attending meetings for the rest of the trip. The trip I just got back from a couple of weeks ago I was able to go to Seattle and Salt Lake City on business and then decided to have a fun weekend in San Diego with a friend!

It's definitely a toss up between Seattle and San Diego as to which was my favorite city. I loved Seattle because it was beautiful and walkable. I also got to spend a lot of time on boats during my trip thanks to my wonderful friend (and coworker). I was able to attend the Pink Boat Regatta on my last day in the city and it was incredible -- so much pink, boats, and love for breast cancer research!

I also spent a fair amount of time at Pike Market which was amazing and the food all over the city was unbelievable.

I loved San Diego because of the weather and the beach with mountains surrounding it! I also couldn't get over the cacti and succulents everywhere.

I also had the best tour guide around, who also knows all the great food spots. I definitely ate well the entire trip! Also, did you know that real tortillas are so much better than flour? I never knew!

I don't have many pictures from Salt Lake City, but it was also such an interesting place. I saw the Salt Lake City Temple for the LDS Church, drank a beer named the Polygamy Porter, and saw a indie film at a theater associated with Sundance. Everywhere I went in the valley, it was like the mountains followed us too. I want to go back someday to ski because I saw ski resort signs everywhere!

It was such a great trip and I feel so blessed that I was able to travel to three places that I've never been before to both work and play! Have you ever visited Seattle, Salt lake City or San Diego?

Strawberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars

If you knew me while I was in college, you'd know that I was not a cook. It wasn't even until after I started dating Daniel that I owned a cutting board! It's not that I didn't know anyone who could cook -- my dad is a great cook and would always make scrumptious dishes for us and my grandmother can make the most delicious desserts imaginable -- I just didn't.

Cooking was one of the things that Daniel and I did together when we would visit each other after we first started dating, and my skill and appreciation has increased from there. From time to time now, I just need to cook and spend time creating in the kitchen -- and these bars are a result of that!

The strawberry rhubarb bars were a happy mistake -- I originally wanted to make boiled peanuts, but what d'ya know, you can't find raw peanuts in the North very easily. Strawberry rhubarb is definitely a flavor profile that I came to appreciate from my time spent living in Lancaster, PA. I actually have some strawberry rhubarb jam in my fridge right now that I picked up at the Central Market from our weekend trip a few months ago!

While living in Lancaster, I did make a rendition of these bars but only with rhubarb. They were good, but not as great as I wanted them to be. I think the strawberry in the recipe this time really brings the bars over the top and I loved that both the strawberries and rhubarb that I found were locally grown in Massachusetts!

If you want to make some of the bars, find the recipe I used here! It was super easy to follow. The only ingredients I left out were the lemon zest (I put in a squeeze of lemon juice instead) and the food coloring (I didn't need it with how ripe the strawberries were).  I'd love to hear what you think if you make them or if you have any other recipes that you've loved recently!

The Cat's Meow -- Kate Spade Surprise Sale is Here!

Kate Spade is a staple in my accessory collection. It all started a few years ago when my best friends (see a post about them here) and I went to the new outlet mall that opened up near us. My first purchase was a bow ring inspired by one of my fave bloggers Carly (see her blog here). My collection has come a long way since then -- you will rarely catch me without a Kate Spade bag over my shoulder! I've rounded up a few favorites from their current Surprise Sale below:

I bought this tote a couple of weeks ago at the Kate Spade outlet near me. If you are a fellow cat lover, it's a must have for your collection!

I'm having to use a lot of self control not to pounce (pun intended!) on purchasing this tote which is on sale for $59. 

When I saw this in store a few weeks ago, it almost left the store with me. It's too cute! Ultimately I passed it up due to it being a small bag, but if I didn't already own a Kate Spade "going out" bag, this would be my go to!

This. Is. The. Cutest. Coin. Purse. I've. Ever. Seen. Period.

I have found myself obsessing over the current backpack trend -- brings me back to the 90s, seems like fashion has a funny way of repeating itself. I want to snatch this pack up and make my inner 90s kid squeal with delight.

This muted blush cross-body bag is perfect, right down to the laser cutouts.

I'm calling it now, suede is going to be the new velvet.

This is a staple for your fall wardrobe, you can't go wrong with a wine red cross-body tied up with bow.

The Kate Spade Surprise Sale ends in 6 days, so go scoop up some of these beauties while you can! I'd love to see your favorites and if you buy any goodies!

The Family I Chose

In honor of National Friendship Day, I wanted to dedicate a post to my awesome belles -- Jamie and Sarah. I am so grateful to call them my friends and for them both being there for me throughout the years. (Still can't believe I can say years here, makes me think we are getting too old!)

Our origin story dates back to Spring Break of our senior year of high school. We had all known each other and hung out previously, but this was the trip that bonded us together -- mostly because none of us were interested in 'partying' with our other high school acquaintances and just wanted a chill vacation. There's one particular memory I have of the trip where we were cruizin' in my VW Beetle down the strip in PCB with Jamie in the backseat, Sarah in the passenger and me driving with the windows down. We were watching all the drunk people stumble down the street and past the cars and this one particular guy got really excited and ran through the middle of the cars screaming excitedly offering high fives -- so I stuck my hand out the window to give him one. It was hilarious until I realized his hand was wet with who knows what and my sudden germaphobe took over. I squeamishly asked if anyone had hand sanitizer in the car at just about the same time Jamie offered me some. As all three of us burst out into laughter, I knew then that we were meant to be lifelong friends.

There are so many similar funny memories I could share from college as well -- like a certain night involving Jolly Rancher vodka -- and even now, with me living 1,096 miles away, we still continue to make memories and share our lives together. These ladies are the family I chose, and I'm so glad we chose each other.

5 Things I Didn't Do Before 25 ⎯ and Why I'm Glad I Didn't

I've been twenty-five for almost a month now ⎯ and it still feels weird to say it. Since my birthday, I've spent a lot of time reflecting on what I thought twenty-five would bring me and why I'm glad I had so many misconceptions about where my life would lead so far. So here's a list of things I didn't do before turning the big two five:

1 | Get married 
When I was younger, I always believed that by twenty-five, I would be married and ready to start a family. The idea behind this was that everyone in their mid-twenties were adults and that's what adults do. Where I'm at now, marriage isn't something that is completely off the table, but it definitely couldn't be further from mine and my partner's mind. We already share our lives together in all the ways that matter.

2 | Stay at the same job
This is probably the most important thing I didn't do. I always imagined that the first job you were hired at after college would be something that you would stay at a while and grow into. While this is true for many people still, it isn't always the case. Sometimes there's no where for you to grow and sometimes the job just isn't the right fit. All in all, I'm glad that I had the chance to move states and explore new opportunities. I would highly recommend that approach!

3 | Travel
I list this not as a way of me saying that I don't travel, but to explain that travel isn't everything. I feel like the world today expects all young people to go on these great trips in far off places and learn great lessons. To me this is both impractical (how are these people paying for these things?!) and unreasonable with all the responsibilities given to newly minted college grads. That being said, I do believe in taking every opportunity available to travel and have been blessed with a job that allows me to travel West for business!

4 | Buy a house
I am about as far away from purchasing a house as one could possibly get at the moment. I'm not even sure how someone decides to purchase a house, but maybe that's because most of the housing market in my neighborhood runs upwards of half a million dollars(!).

5 | Act like I have my life together
The most shocking realization of turning twenty-five is that I didn't suddenly receive a book of knowledge on how to be an adult ⎯ I'm still winging it like everyone else I know! But no real surprise there as many of you know, I've been winging it since '92.