Blog

Learn the Difference Between Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano

I grew up in Wisconsin and have lived there my entire life, so basically you could call me a cheese expert. My palate has changed over the years turning from classic American cheese to more refined flavors like Pecorino, feta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Don’t get me wrong, American cheese is still the only cheese I’ll eat on a good grilled cheese sandwich. And I still won’t touch anything with blue marbling involved. BUT on top of my cheese list now is Parmigiano-Reggiano and if you’re not familiar with this amazing cheese and how it is different than classic Parmesan, I’m here… Read More

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Does anyone else avoid chicken wings because they hate having dirty fingers? Ladies? I love buffalo chicken but hate the mess that it makes so I have come up with the perfect solution: Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip. You can enjoy all of spicy buffalo taste that you enjoy without the messy fingers! This recipe features flavorful rotisserie chicken which cuts your prep time in half! It also features delicious Chunky Blue Cheese dressing AND Blue Cheese Crumbles from my friends at Litehouse! You can whip up this dip in under 30 minutes and please your football-loving crowd this weekend during… Read More

10 Amazing Super Bowl Appetizer Recipes

My husband and I just finished having a spat over what day the Super Bowl would be happening. I was convinced it was a Monday and he insisted that the Super Bowl was always on a Sunday. Then I realized that being on European time was throwing off my research. He. Was. Correct. There, I said it. At any rate, thinking about buffalo chicken and nacho cheese dip had me wishing that I could get all of my favorite football snacks this coming Sunday for the big game. Not that I care too much about the game, I’m more interested… Read More

Tuscan Wine and Olive Oil Tour

One of the goals that I had for myself during my time in Europe was to learn more about wine throughout the different regions. I’ve been more than happy to do the research too! It really has been interesting to learn more about what makes a bottle of Chianti Classico a ‘Classico’ and which combination of grapes make up each of the different wines. Another thing that seems to be popular here in this region of Italy is olive oil and many of the wineries here also grow their own olives for production so when you visit a winery you… Read More

Prague Secret Food Tour

It is crazy to me how quickly these days and months have been flying by since I set out on my European adventure! In fact, it has already been 1 month since I was up in chilly Prague celebrating the holiday season with Christmas markets, beer and plenty of sausage. One of the other things that we did during our time in Prague was a food tour! I know that I have talked before about how much I love a good food tour and how I love that you can get a really great understanding about the culture of a… Read More

Chianti Wine Tour – Learn About How To Taste Wine

One of the things that I was really excited about while planning our trip to Europe was learning more about wine. I wanted to immerse myself in not only learning about the different varieties but how to properly taste and appreciate wines from different regions. Given that I currently am calling Florence my home, now was the best time to learn more about Tuscan wines, specifically those from the Chianti region. Of course the best way to learn more about wine is with a wine tour group which is why I signed on with Italy on a Budget Tours to… Read More

Easy Ginger Martini

It’s so crazy to think that we are on the cusp of 2019! Where on earth has this year gone. My husband and I were just talking about how it has nearly been 1 year since we were in Tokyo and how much has changed over the past year. I’m excited for another year of adventure in 2019 and if you’re planning to ring in the new year in a big way then you can toast with my Easy Ginger Martini recipe. Making flavorful simple syrups for cocktails is really quite simple. I used the Instantly Fresh Ginger from Litehouse’s… Read More

Traditional Czech Cooking Class Featuring Paprika Chicken and Dumplings

One of my other favorite things to do when I visit a new city is take a cooking course to learn more about the local cuisine. Even when traveling around America you can find a lot of great cooking courses that highlight regional cooking. European travel is even more exciting because the food and flavors can vary so much between the countries. I was excited to team up with Chefparade Cooking School while I was in Prague and enjoyed one of their courses that included a market tour and a cooking class. The Chefparade school is located right next to… Read More

Marinated Feta Holiday Platter

Ciao friends! Is everyone in the Christmas spirit, and possibly thinking how crazy it is that in only 10 days we’ll be celebrating?! This year has flown by and I can’t believe that we are already at Christmas and nearly to 2019! This certainly has been a big year for me and this Christmas is going to be a little different given that I’m living in Europe and away from my family. It makes me a little sad but I’m very grateful for the wonderful experience. For those of you back home celebrating with family and friends I have a… Read More

Prague Walking Brewery Tour with Beer Prague

Coming from Milwaukee I’ve been surrounded by brewery tours and beer tastings my entire adult life. As I researched things to do in Prague it became obvious to me that there was an entire country out there that rivaled our beer production and citizens that had a taste for beer even more than we do in Milwaukee. Prague and the entire Czech know their beer so it only made sense to join in on a walking brewery tour to get a better understanding of the brewing and beer culture in this region. I teamed up with Beer Prague and joined… Read More

Beef Bourguignon

I hope that everyone had a lovely holiday weekend and that you all had your fill of turkey and stuffing. After saying that I haven’t seen turkey here in France I was getting groceries over the weekend and spotted two of the largest turkeys you have every seen at the meat counter in my local grocery store. Seriously, it looked to be about the size of a toddler. Not that my husband and I would have every been able to finish something like that off, but it’s good to know that they do exist around here. Perhaps they had to… Read More

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta

How did we end up at Thanksgiving week already?! Just like that we’re going into the holiday season and before you know it we’ll be celebrating the welcome of 2019. Too much? It is a little weird that I’m in a country that doesn’t even celebrate Thanksgiving but I certainly plan to enjoy all of the fixings on Thursday….complete with my roasted chicken. Turkey seems like it’s hard to come by here in France. At least where I’m living. I think that’s alright because I’m not really sure how two people could eat through an entire turkey. I do know… Read More

2 Days in London: The Perfect Itinerary

For a long time I’ve had London on my list of places that I’ve wanted to visit and I was finally able to make a quick trip on my way back from the United States last week. And just like that, I fell in love with London much like I did on my first visit to New York City. London is a town filled with lively neighborhoods, busting restaurants and plenty of sights to keep you busy. Since I only had about 48 hours in London I thought that it would be a good idea to put together a first-timers… Read More

BBQ Chicken Ranch Pizza

It certainly has been a whirlwind start to the month for me as last week I spent the week in Dallas, I was in London over the weekend and now I’m back HOME in France. It feels weird to say that my ‘home’ is France! I was really looking forward to my trip back home so that I could enjoy some American food and I certainly had my fill of cheeseburgers, tacos and walking around without hills. The only other thing that I missed was a tasty pizza, much like this BBQ Chicken Ranch Pizza. It was strange to go… Read More

Celebrate the Holiday Season with World Market’s Golden Bell Scavenger Hunt

This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market. All opinions expressed are my own. I’m almost in disbelief to be sitting here writing about Christmas and the holiday season. Where has this year gone?! My holiday season will certainly be a little bit different this year since I’m spending it abroad, in Florence to be exact. I’ll actually be traveling to various cities prior to Christmas including Prague, Vienna and Venice before setting in Florence to experience the magical Christmas markets that I’ve heard so much about! But for those of you back in America you can fulfill all… Read More

Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Shallots

Even though the temperatures where I’m at have remained in the mid-70s and it seems like summer, everyone that I follow on Instagram has been posting comfort food like crazy! I finally decided to give in this week and made a French dessert with apples that will be in my upcoming CUISINE e-book and it made my apartment smell pretty amazing. Just like fall in Wisconsin! I also thought that now would be a good time to share a recipe from last fall’s edition: Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Shallots. Before we get to that, let’s talk about what has… Read More

Parmesan Caesar Tortellini Salad

Another week and another weekend has passed here in the French Riviera and it certainly is starting to feel more like home here. The weather is still warm enough to enjoy an afternoon at the beach but elements of fall are starting to set in during the morning and evening hours. I’ve spent my years since college in the hustle and bustle of adult life learning and growing and working hard to get to where I’m at in life. I never really imagined that I’d be taking a little life-break so early in my life but it certainly has been… Read More

Mandarin Pomegranate Chopped Kale Salad

One of the things that I find exciting about living in a foreign country are my visits to the grocery store. Don’t get me wrong, there are also frustrations. It took me over a month to figure out where they kept the breadcrumbs at my grocery store. On the flip side I really find it fun to see all of the different food items and try to understand what the labels say. One of the other items that I have not seen in France is kale. Seriously! They love their mesclun greens here and their arugula but I have not… Read More

Braised Chicken with Kale and White Beans

Fall comfort food season is in full effect and with everyone posting about making chili I’ve really been in the mood to cozy up with a bowl myself! Chili doesn’t seem to be a popular thing here in France, especially in the south where the temperatures are still in the 70s but that doesn’t mean I’m not craving a hearty bowl. My in-laws were here to visit last week and I had them bring along a couple of boxes of my favorite chili mix so that we could get in on the fall chili action! But if you need a… Read More

Inland French Riviera Driving Tour

I’m sitting here wondering how an entire month has already past since I arrived in France! The past month was all about learning to live in a foreign country and also some adventure outside of our little town. We rented a car for a few days and drove to a few locations inland here in the Riviera and I just wanted to point out a few spots to check out if you ever visit. This inland Riviera driving tour is perfect to do in an afternoon and will allow for an entirely new perspective of this region. First things first,… Read More