in like a lamb.

This morning when I looked at my phone to check the weather, I saw three little lines underneath a cloud. What does that even mean?? Well upon further investigation (read twitter and local news channels) I figured it out. That little symbol means fog and fog means spring is unofficially here. That's an indicator right? I am going to go with yes. 

I am SO happy March rolled in with some warmer temps, sun, misty rain and fog. I love this time of the year. It is a good thing. This past weekend, we squeezed in the last bit of winter fun and said BUH BYE to cold weather...

Snowboarding at Peek'n Peak

Edgewater winter sunsets

Sweet Moses Hot Chocolate

In the spirit of spring and all things new, I stopped by the downtown Heinen's on my way home from work this week. This grocery store did not disappoint. It is bright and colorful with the most ingenious layout. Leave it to Cleveland to turn a historic landmark into something everyone can enjoy on a weekly basis!!

Seating area under the rotunda

Have you been to the new Heinen's yet? I think I need to explore more...a task I will happily accept. Welcome to the unofficial start to spring everyone!

pour some sugar on....wait.

I am a cream and sugar kind of girl. I love a milky coffee with a bit of sugar to lessen the bitterness of drinking it black. That is until I tried Pour Cleveland.
This blog wasn't named Cup of Cleveland for nothing. I think I may have found it ladies and gentlemen. The best cup of coffee in Cleveland. You can find it located on Euclid in the heart of Downtown and part of the new shopping strip 5th Street Arcades.
 

Pour uses a very cool brewing method called Pour Over. I learned about this method and a handful of other ways to brew coffee by reading the Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee. If you aren't in the mood to read a big book on coffee, you can watch this little video here where the different methods including Pour Over are featured.

At Pour Cleveland, the coffee is brewed right in front of you. A single (or double if you bring a friend) cup is prepared while you pay. Of course, you can't have a great cup of coffee without a little treat. Choose from Brewnuts or the Cleveland Bagel Co, just to name a couple.

It is worth it to experience coffee as opposed to drinking that bland 60 second brewed cup we are so accustomed to now. Coffee can be so flavorful and delicious. After visiting Pour, you will see exactly what I mean. I even left out the cream and sugar.

(Ok I may have added a touch of cream half way through but guys, this is big).

To learn more about Pour Cleveland, visit the Facebook page or Twitter. Let me know if you love it as much as I do!

vintage christmas.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I feel it is appropriate to consider this week the start of the "holiday season." I know there's probably a lot of grumblers out there that feel we can't begin the Christmas festivities until the day after Thanksgiving.

Sorry people. I love Thanksgiving and I love Christmas. I'm celebrating as long as I can!

To kickoff this wonderful time of the year, I headed down to the Cleveland Flea to do a little early Christmas shopping during the Vintage Holiday Flea, November 23&24.

This was my first time visiting the Cleveland Flea and I was so impressed. Such a great group of artisans and vendors! Everyone was extremely talented and brought beautiful items. There were many unique ideas for gifts. Of course, I am a huge supporter of buying local and recycling, so this was right up my alley.

I made sure to stop by the Free Period Press table where my good friend Ali Forbes was selling her new "grown-up" coloring books. These coloring books are amazing. Check out the website to see some of the creative designs. I'll post a picture once I start mine.

At our apartment, we have also started decorating for the holidays. I felt obligated to buy my first ornament once I had a chance to browse Gina Desantis' ceramic table. The little handcrafted and painted Christmas tree was calling my name! 

Downstairs in the "Underbelly" there were a number of food vendors. The Olive and The Grape had the most amazing blackberry balsamic vinaigrette and Meyer lemon olive oil to try. I am looking forward to visiting their location at the 5th Street Arcades.

Spending this weekend at the Cleveland Flea was the perfect way for me to start the holiday season. If you are looking for great gifts, you have my recommendation! 

autumn.

Whether you prefer autumn or fall, I think there's one thing everyone can agree on. We love this season for the following 10 reasons. 

1. Pumpkin Spiced Latte

2. Hay Rides 

3. Halloween Festivities 

4. Carving Pumpkins

5. Hot Apple Cider

6. Leaf Piles

7. Fall Boots 

8. Apple Picking/ Pumpkin Patch

9. Watch a Scary Movie 

10. Carmel Apples

I started checking some items of my list by attending this past weekends's RIPE! Festival at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. 

The day started off with sampling creative pancakes from local chefs in the second annual Pancake Flip-Off. We critiqued each one and voted for our favorites. While they were all delicious and unique, my favorite was the pancake by Fat Cats (In Tremont). This pancake was made with Ohio corn, topped with maple syrup, mixed berry compote, and a touch of chèvre. 

The winner was a delicious pumpkin pie-like pancake topped with a bourbon maple syrup and a cinnamon spiced whipped cream.

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around the perfectly landscaped botanical gardens and sampling the vendor foods. It was so relaxing taking in the sights and smells of fall while listening to the music of the live bands. 

I even had the opportunity to make some of my own music at the Play Me I'm Yours piano. 

After enjoying the festival, we stopped over at the Cleveland Museum of Art to check out the Chalk Festival. Artists of all ages were working intently on creating vibrant masterpieces. I definitely want to get a square next year. 

Did I miss something? Share you fall favorites in the comments! 

these are a few of my favorite things.

Raindrops on roses and pastries on plates.
Fresh smelling books and organic healthy food.
Tiffany blue packages tied up with bows, these are a few of my favorite things. 

OK OK I'll stop. I am sure half of you rolled your eyes at my version of the Sound of Music. Julie Andrews' angelic voice was the soundtrack to my childhood, so you'll have to forgive me.

If we can get serious for a second, I could tell you that you can find all of my favorite things in one beautiful shopping center, ETON on Chagrin.

Between the brand new Tiffany & Co. store and the Anthropologie, there is plenty of window shopping to be done. Of course, I could also spend an entire afternoon at Barnes and Nobles. Especially when they have chess sets outside the store. If you are a Harry Potter fanatic, you might enjoy the almost life size chess set on the ground. I don't even know how to play chess, but I would like to learn just so I could try it out

For the grocery shopping haters out there: TRADER JOE'S WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Never again will you dread going to the grocery store. I can (almost) guarantee it.

The food is unlike anything you'll find at a typical grocery store. Some of my favorite buys at Trader Joe's are the Coconut Chips, Sea Salt Butterscotch Chocolate Covered Caramels (I know right?), organic creamer, Healthy 8 Chopped Veggies and Kerrygold Irish butter. I have a personal rule that there must be something new in my basket every time I visit. Easiest challenge ever.

Finally, the pastries. The Stone Oven has a great little cafe at ETON. After a morning of shopping, I have no problem sitting outside and enjoying a scrambled egg and feta panini.

Now I hope you can see why I wrote a song about this place. 

farm to burrito.

You've heard the expression farm-to-table, but Chipotle really brought this movement to the forefront in celebration of National Farmers Market Week.

Chipotle is an awesome company. Ok nothing revolutionary there. Most of you reading this probably have had one or two or 60 burritos in your day. But the things you may not know are what makes Chipotle one of my favorite restaurants.

To start, Chipotle buys over 15 million pounds of produce from Ohio farmers. 15 million pounds.
That delicious sour cream that you know you shouldn't get - but do every time - was from pasture raised, hormone free cows. (makes you feel a little bit less guilty, right?) Of course, the same is true for the meat. No hormones.

On top of all of this, Chipotle decided to donate $20,000, $10,000 goes to farmers market customers (that's me!), and another $10,000 supports a food educational program for children.

This past Saturday, Chris and I enjoyed the sunshine and clear skies by biking to the North Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square. The bike ride from John Carroll to Shaker Square is just under four miles. There are plenty of sidewalks/bike paths to make the ride easy. While biking down Fairmount, we admired all the beautiful old homes and the tree lined boulevard. After turning down North Woodland Road, there were plenty of great places to stop and explore the Shaker Lakes Park.

After arriving at the farmers market, we were able to pick up our $10 tokens from Chipotle and shop away!

We had limited space to carry our produce home, so we scoped out some of our next purchases which include Cocoa Honey and an amazing salsa from the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. 

The rest of my day was spent making summery treats like sun tea and chocolate covered bananas (Inspired by Joy the Baker). I do love summer. 

Thank you Chipotle for everything you do to promote sustainability and organic foods in our community!

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brunch is a verb.

The best meal of the day is brunch. It’s a fact. Not to be confused with breakfast or lunch, brunch is more than eating the same type of food around the same time. Brunch is elegant and classy, or it is relaxed and comfy. There is no need to wake up at some ungodly hour on the weekend to be sure you don’t miss the designated time slot of breakfast. No, brunch is better than that. Channel the Sex & the City ladies by wearing your favorite dress and gossiping, mimosa in hand. Other times, your only requirement is to don pajamas and sip on coffee until the early afternoon.

Brunch is simply enjoying the company of others over warm, delicious, sticky cinnamon buns and a savory quiche. What is not to love about that.

Needless to say, when I had my friends, Lindsay and Hagan coming to visit this past weekend, I knew brunch was in order. I made a reservation for us at Le Petit Triangle Café in Ohio City. I chose this Parisian café because I believe the French do brunch right.

It was a drizzly morning and we welcomed the warm, rich food. Lindsay and I ordered my favorite, Croque Madame with a latte. If you are not familiar, the menu description says it all: “ham, Gruyere and béchamel sauce served warm on grilled challah topped with a fried egg and served with potatoes.” Hagan ordered a savory crepe filled with egg, tomato and melty brie cheese.

The girls and I enjoyed our food and conversation over the chatter of the small café and the steady rain. The food was delicious, every bite took me back to my weekend in Paris!

I am IN LOVE with this place.

After finishing up brunch, we headed over to the West Side Market. If you haven’t been, it is a Cleveland must. The market is busiest on the weekends though, so be forewarned. Parking can be tough at noon on a Saturday. I would be interested to try coming back early in the morning or during the week.

Despite our challenges in parking, it was fun to visit the market. The vendors have the most unique and artisan foods. Adjacent to the main market is the produce section, full of colorful fruits and vegetables. It is a great place to pick up lunch or ingredients for a special dinner.

On our way back, we stopped at Luna’s to warm up with some coffee and a few macaroons. I tried raspberry with a chocolate crème and strawberry basil with a sweet, fluffy filling.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon between Legacy Village and Beachwood Place window shopping at stores like Lilly Pulitzer and the brand new Kate Spade. I also enjoy going into Lush at Beachwood to smell all the fun soaps. 

Of course, the only way to end such a great weekend is to light a few candles and read a book.

I guess what I am trying to say is go brunching this weekend and spend quality time with people you care about.

(yes, brunch is a verb.)

home is where the butler is.

When I was little, I would design and draw my dream house over and over. Every time I read our Martha Stewart Living magazine or watched an episode of Trading Spaces, I would add a new room or feature to my house. In fact, I loved doing this so much that I wanted to be an interior designer for the longest time. While my career path has changed slightly, my love and admiration for beautiful homes hasn’t changed one bit.

My childhood obsession brought me to Akron this past weekend to tour the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Built in 1912, this Tudor style Manor was built for F. A. Seiberling. (Goodyear Tires anyone?)

The beautiful gardens surrounding the manor contain numerous paths to view the variety of flowers and trees. Mid-July was a great time to visit, or have a wedding! Two couples said their vows on the grounds this past Saturday. They couldn't have picked a more romantic place.

 

 

After wandering around a fraction of the 70 acre estate (whittled down from the original 3,000 acres), we headed inside the manor. While pictures are not permitted inside the manor, I can tell you that my pictures wouldn't have done those 65 rooms justice. It is something you really have to see for yourself.

We visited Stan Hywet on a "Living History Day" which is a self-guided tour. We really enjoyed exploring the gardens and hall at our own pace. There were individuals throughout the manor dressed in costumes of the period. They were all friendly and were happy to answer our questions.

Admission for adults is $14. However, for ages 6-17 or students with a valid University ID, admission is only $6. Visit the Tours & Pricing page for additional information.

One last thing...
If you love fall as much as I do, mark your calendars! Stan Hywet is holding their fourth annual Ohio Mart this year on the grounds. My aunt recommended we go back October 3-6 for this awesome outdoor show filled with vendors of bakers and artisan crafts. She told me they have the best homemade gingerbread. I’m so there.

home grown.

I was raised in a household that did not have Oreos. My first Taco Bell experience was in high school. The only time I had Gushers was when my friends at lunch (by some act of God) traded me for my pretzels. My morning cereal rarely had more than 11 grams of sugar per serving. This "forbidden foods" list goes on and on. Some of my friends think I was deprived as a child. Sometimes I think I was deprived. However, I have to say I am very grateful for the way I was raised. Eating healthy has really made a difference in my life and I have my mom to thank. As a registered dietitian, she taught me everything from reading a nutrition label to how many servings of dairy I should get in a day. The more she taught me, the hungrier I got: Hungry for more good food, but also hungry to learn more.

Needless to say, I have continued to educate myself on the benefits of eating healthy. I am far from eating completely organic and I could never completely give up a few delicious morsels of terribly processed and artificial foods, but it does help to try. It's good for you. It's good for the environment. It's good for the future.

Shaker Square, Cleveland Ohio

In Cleveland, we have a wide variety of farmer's markets each week. Shaker Square hosts the North Union Farmer's Market every Saturday from 8am- noon. I went for the first time this past weekend and I can't wait to go next Saturday! The farmers are friendly, the food is beautiful, and it feels great to support such a good cause. I bought local honey which I am hoping helps my allergies (Discovery Health would know!)








 For breakfast, I was planning on making waffles with a strawberry syrup and scrambled eggs. What better time to buy fresh, local strawberries and free range eggs? I know a lot of people don't believe in organic food or maybe you've read this far and already said "hippy" in your brain. don't knock it til you've tried it.

And maybe, just maybe you should watch a free documentary on Netflix to learn more and educate yourself.
My two favorites so far are Ingredients and Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution.
I know the second one sounds harsh...haha it's really not as aggressive of a documentary as the title makes it out to be. I PROMISE you will learn a lot by watching either of these!