Where I've Been Lately - Phoenix and New Orleans

It's been a week, so I think it's probably about time for a life update. You know those weeks when everything flies by and you don't really know what day it is? That's how it's been for me, actually pretty much the past two weeks have just flown by. So many good times have been happened in the past week, I can't wait to tell everyone about them! I visited family, drove across the country, ran a half marathon, ate delicious food, and listened to amazing music! This blog is partially dedicated to my travel experiences, so here are my most recent adventures around the country (honestly). 

Phoenix, AZ

A little over a week ago, my family and I all met in Phoenix, AZ at my grandma's house. Although the trip was a little sad, we all had great times sharing memories about my grandpa. My family lives all over the United States (North Dakota, Colorado, California, Nevada, etc.) so it's always nice when we are all able to get together.

New Orleans, LA

A few months ago my mom, sister, and I all agreed to run a half marathon together. When we saw the Rock N' Roll Marathon was going to NOLA (where my sister lives) we decided that was the perfect place. Zach and I decided to make it a road trip since he had never been there 13 hours later...we arrived in the Big Easy.

We drove. The trip was 13 hours long. I know we sound crazy, but I honestly think the best trips are the ones that take the longest to get to. We drove down basically all of the southern states. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

We ate...everything. Let's be real, half the reason anyone goes to New Orleans is for the food. Especially if you're a foodie like me. Here were some of my favorites from the weekend.

Baked P&J Oysters (don't mistake for PB&J...) at Lüke on St. Charles.

Beignets from Cafe du Monde at Jackson Square. This is a MUST. 

Oyster and portobello sliders from District Donuts on Magazine Street. You also have to try the donuts (obviously). The beignet is amazing!

Enjoyed a delicious meal at Elizabeth's in the Bywater. 

We listened to great music.

Bacchanal Wine in the Bywater. My absolute favorite place we visited. It's a wine bar with a beautiful courtyard and jazz-type bands every night. We went on Sunday and had an amazing cheese plate and clams and mussels! 

Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street. Great place to listen to local musicians. This girl was soulful!

I've never jammed more than at this moment. This is a brass band on Frenchmen Street. Photo is a little blurry, but I thought it was the best portrayal of New Orleans. If you don't jam out to a band while you're there, you didn't fully experience the city. 

We half marathoned.

My sister, mom, and I at the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans!

Has anyone been to New Orleans or wanted to visit? What are your favorite spots? 

Travel Tips for a Nervous Traveler 1.0 - Perfect Packing List

* This will be my first installment of the "Travel Tips for a Nervous Traveler" series - stay tuned for more!

If you know me, you know how much I hate packing. I love traveling, but dread whenever I have to pack for a trip. There have definitely been times where I've been tempted to hire a professional packer (does that even exist?). In the end, I usually end up overpacking, throwing things in last minute that I might need, and I always end up forgetting something important. 

I know there are a lot of people that stress about packing for trips because they don't know what to pack, how the weather will be (I don't always trust the weather apps), will you need something formal, or will you exercise? Anyway, there's a million factors to play in to packing for a trip. So I've put together a simple list of my staples for any trip.

Clothes

• Your favorite pair of jeans/pants
• Plain comfy tee
• 1-2 dressier shirts (I usually go for a button down and blouse)
• One pair of boots (that go with everything)
• Flats or oxfords
• Running shoes (when I bring them, I'm more inclined to actually run)
• Nike running shorts - I usually sleep in them, but useful to have if I decide to run

Toiletries

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste (Currently using Tom's toothpaste)
• Face wash - Received this in my recent Ipsy bag and love it
• Contacts/Glasses
• Makeup - I'm not a huge makeup person, but I don't go anywhere without mascara or chapstick (right now I am loving Benefit's mascara "They're Real")

Miscellaneous

• Phone and charger - this is a given, but you don't know how many times I forget my charger!
• A good book - I just finished Amy Poehler's "Yes Please"
• Headphones 
• Paper and pen for doodling - I think on the airplane is the best time to jot down things, I'm always so productive!
• Snack - I always bring trail mix or something to hold me over and the airport is so expensive!
• Purse and wallet (don't forget your ID!)
• Plane ticket!

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I'm sorry this post is coming out kind of late, I had a crisis yesterday with my laptop charger. But I'm currently in Phoenix, Arizona at my grandma's house for the weekend. I can say, this list definitely helped me (also, maybe because I wrote a blog about it too). Does anyone have any packing essentials for traveling? 

P.S. I would also love some fun places to see while I'm in Phoenix! Leave a comment if you have recommendations. 

First Juicing Experience

Before moving to Raleigh, my dad gave me a juicer that my parents weren't really using at home. Sidenote: my dad loves buying new appliances for the kitchen, so I probably have any and all kitchen gadgets one would need. Honestly, I was a little intimidated by "juicing" because of all the negative things I've heard (cost, mess, etc.) so I hadn't actually used it until recently.

Over the weekend, Zach and I broke out the juicer for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Our first juice we made was a green juice, so this time we tried an orange juice that I thought would be good to bring to work in the mornings. It was much easier than I expected and such a quick and easy clean up!

Carrot Pineapple Ginger Orange Juice - Makes enough for 2 people

What you'll need:

• Juicer
• 4 navel oranges
• 3/4 pineapple
• 4 large carrots
• 1-1.5 large pieces of ginger (depending on how much you like ginger)
• Lots of luvvv 

Step 1: Collect all ingredients for juice. Peel orange, chop pineapple in small pieces and cut off the skin of the pineapple. 

Step 2: Put ginger into the juicer first so that the rest of the ingredients will help juice the remainder of the ginger pieces stuck in the juicer. *TIP: If you have this same juicer, make sure you hold the top down...otherwise you'll have a ginger-filled kitchen in about 4 seconds...we learned this the hard way.

Step 3: Put the rest of the ingredients in the juicer (pineapple, orange, and carrots).

Step 4: Store in an air tight container (I used a medium sized mason jar) and enjoy!

Has anyone else tried juicing? What are some of your favorite types of juices?

5 Step Flourless PB&J Cookies

Do you ever have that craving after dinner when you want something sweet? But, wait...who ate the last piece of dark chocolate? Then, you contemplate running to the grocery store to grab a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. Yes, we have all had these cravings. Before you go and grab your keys to run to the store, I have something you might want to try first. Five step flourless peanut butter and jelly cookies.

I came upon this recipe on multiple blogs, but ended up using one of my favorite baking blogs, Joy of Baking, for the recipe. I chose it because it was short and there was only four necessary ingredients (that I actually already had in my kitchen). 

What you'll need:

• All Natural (Chunky or Smooth) Peanut Butter 
• Brown and white sugars
• Baking soda
• Egg
• Jelly (optional, but highly recommended)

See, I told you this would be easy! 

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet with butter.

2. Mix together 1 cup of peanut butter with 1 cup sugars (1/2 cup brown, 1/2 cup white). Mix for about 2 minutes until combined.

3. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 egg to mixture. Mix for another 2 minutes.

4. Roll the cookies into walnut sized balls and place on baking sheet, then using a fork, flatten the cookies. If making PB&J version, use a spoon to create a small crater in the middle of the cookie and add a tiny spoonful of jelly.

5. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, or until brown.

6. Let cool and enjoy! 

Do you have any simple dessert recipes? 

Raleigh, you say?

Yes, it's official. I am now living in the "Oak City" or otherwise known as Raleigh. I was hired full-time from my internship in Virginia and asked to make the move. Naturally, I was excited for a change. As a child, I had always moved, so it was almost expected that I would go somewhere new after college. Although I never really researched North Carolina as a destination - I ended up here and absolutely love it (only two months later). So you all may be interested in what I've been up to...since not blogging...here are some of my Raleigh highlights so far.

1. The Greenway

I've always loved being outside, so of course I was PUMPED when I found out that our apartment was less than a mile from one of the entrances to the Raleigh Greenway. Since Zach and I got our bikes tuned-up, we have been going on a lot more bikes rides.

2. All the breweries...and coffee.

On top of all Raleigh's other wonderful nicknames, some people call Raleigh the "Hop City". There is a brewery on almost every corner (okay, not that many, but you get it). Anyway, Zach and I have really enjoyed that we can get a local craft beer almost anywhere in the city. Not only that, the coffee is amazing - there a roasters all over the city - Counter Culture over in Durham and Raleigh Coffee Company in Raleigh. One of my favorite coffee shops is Jubala Coffee in north Raleigh.

3. North Carolina Museum of Art

Another one of my favorite spots in Raleigh is the North Carolina Museum of Art. The exhibits are amazing- but the best part is the outdoor sculpture park and amphitheater, where we recently saw Wilco play. We can even ride our bikes all the way there on the Greenway!

4. My Own Apartment

Last but not least, I am really loving having my own place. After living in a dorm for three years and a basement for the past six months, nothing is better than having my own space. I can now sit on the couch after work (I don't think I have done this since high school) and watch non-stop episodes of Portalandia with no judgement. We've started with some decor, which is why I chose this photo, but we still have a long way to go and lots of DIY projects to come!

Has anyone been to Raleigh? What are you favorite places to visit?

This weekend is First Friday in Raleigh, so I think we are going to check that out downtown!

Gabby

High tea on High Street Kinsington

So, since I was WAY behind on blogging while I was abroad, I'm going to go back and reflect on the places I visited while I was in Spain. My first trip was to London. 
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One of my favorite places I visited while I was abroad was London. Yes, I know, it's not very eclectic compared to Morocco or something. But, I went with my sister who was also in Spain, and we decided to focus on going to the cute local spots instead of the big touristy ones which we had already visited anyway so it made it different than your average London trip to see Big Ben or the Eye of London (which are extremely cool too).

My favorite area was definitely High Street Kinsington. I could live there and drink high tea everyday. We found a TINY place called Candela's and it was perfect for an afternoon tea and scones!

My sister at Candela's, bring on the clotted cream!

Tea sandwiches (cucumber feta & mint, smoked salmon & cream cheese with dill and lemon), scones, clotted cream, and lemon curd...

A few of my other favorite parts of London:

Okay, who can't say they don't love Harrod's. Especially during Christmas time. 

Surprise! Opening of JCrew in London on Regent's Street. 

Annnnd... this one is obvious. Izzy's off to Hogwart's! (She was Slytherine, I was Gryffindor) 

Victoria & Albert Museum. Must go in London! 

Current Obsessions: March Edition

Here are a few things that I'm currently obsessing over the past few weeks.

1. Smart Barre! 

It's an amazing workout if you're not big weight lifting. I'm a runner, so I always get way too much cardio compared to weight lifting.

2. Green Smoothies- actually, I'm addicted. 

Maybe they are always the HEALTHIEST...I made one the other day with chocolate peanut butter in it...definitely recommend it if you are giving up desserts for lent ;)

3. Paperless Post

















Okay, if anyone is as in love with cards as I am, they will also be obsessed with Paperless Post. An eco-friendly way to send super cute cards. 

4. Chemex

I just got one for my birthday this year and can't go back. Even a French Press doesn't do the trick. Sidenote: Has anyone tried MADCAP coffee? The Ardi blend is my favorite. 

5. The Levo League

Great advice for young women professionals on interviewing, networking, powerful women to follow, etc. There is also job listings and Local Levo where you can connect with other women in your area! 

Check out their March Check List to know what things are going on this month!

Images: Google & Personal (Chemex)