The Art of Saying Nope with Girl Dinner

Now, the art of saying nope has reappeared in my life in the form of saying no to anyone or anything that isn’t supporting me, uplifting me, and showing up for me in the way I do for them. I match energy. A guy I was dating hit me with this gem: “That’s your problem;…

I Feel It All Again

August is here. Tomatoes are in season. The garden is overflowing, and my restlessness is at an all-time high. You see, my birthday is this week, and this is my reflection month. It’s my New Year’s Day. I ruminate over all I’ve accomplished, the pending tasks, and on a broader, more stressful thought—what exactly am…

I am the protagonist of this story…

Our dark winter tundra is starting to lighten our space and minds with the anticipation of bocce ball, a cold Miller High Life, rompers, straw hats, and seeing people’s smiling faces vs. cringing winter frost frowns. This was my second winter here, and I will say the month of January was bleak with a side…

A Reintroduction to Romance

Many, many moons ago, a man I was seeing burned me a 311 CD because I hated them. I was loud about not liking them, and he wanted to expose me to the whole vibe. And he did. I had just moved from a very small town in Michigan to a relatively medium-sized college town…

One Second

Location: PigLatin Cocina in Colorado Springs, CO

Nature’s Bounty

With community gardens & farmer’s markets bustling all over the city, my picture roll was flooded with flowers, fruits, and veggies for consumption & discussion. Now, don’t be ridiculous; I didn’t forget the libations. There are so many fizzy margaritas out in Chicago! I’ve never seen so much club soda being mixed with it before,…

A Midwest Bayou

I’ve been a long-time researcher of vampire origins. I have no idea when this happened, maybe Kristy Swanson in Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Maybe Anne Rice’s “The Vampire Chronicles”? I made my friends play the Twilight DVD strategy game – Team Edward. My very favorite movie(s) is the Underworld series, and it led me down…

Nordic Nibbles

Nordic traditions are not on my radar nor am I even familiar with any eats or recipes.  But, smørrebrød sandwiches (Danish, for bread & butter) popped up in my quest to learn more about a new Scandanavian restaurant opening, with bright salmon, pickled herring, and cured meats.  What is special about this adventure is that…

Sweet & Savory Decisions

This hidden gem came on the radar months ago on Instagram. Interestingly enough, I am not a huge sweets fan in the slightest. I typically eat so much beforehand that the top button of my jeans is undone, and dessert seems exhausting. But when I came across the word SAVORY on the menu, I piped…

A StreetEats Quest to Piglatin Cocina

When Guy Fieri tore through town in his red Chevy Camaro on Season 24 of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I wasn’t sure where he would end up. It was all very mysterious, and yet how did we question it? Piglatin had been a staple food truck downtown for some time. When the episode premiered, it…