thekittchen

[thekittchen]

Carrot Cake Muffins

These Carrot Cake Muffins make it acceptable to have carrot cake for breakfast! Just in time for Easter (I hear bunnies like carrots) I am sharing a recipe for moist homemade carrot cake muffins with a cream cheese swirl. Spring is in the air and I have been seeing cake cake all over the interwebs. Instead of making carrot cake, I transformed carrot cake into carrot cake muffins. These carrot…

[thekittchen]

250+ Things to Do in New York City

250+ Things to Do in New York City

There are so many things to do in New York City! I have rounded up over 250+ of the best things to do in New York City to help you plan your trip. There is no place like New York. The energy of the city is electrifying. It is both filled with history, and the birthplace of trends. It has been home to Eloise, Holly Golightly, Carrie Bradshaw, Blair Waldrof, and Ross and Rachel. Even if you haven’t…

[thekittchen]

Where to Eat in Tallinn, Estonia

Where to Eat in Tallinn, Estonia --->

We were incredibly impressed by the food in Tallinn. Estonia’s capital city is filled diverse mix of restaurants, cafes, and bars. We ate a wide range of foods including a medieval meal, savory pancakes, and a garlic themed dinner. Overall, the food in Tallinn draws influence from hearty Nordic food and Russian cuisine while incorporating current culinary trends. Tallinn’s restaurants are…

[thekittchen]

What to do in Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn just oozes charm. These photos will convince you to add #Estonia to your travel plans.

Charles and I were charmed by Tallinn. We didn’t know what to expect. We had seen photos and knew that it is a gorgeous city, but none of our friends had been. A simple Google search for Estonia was all it took on convince me to add Tallinn to our winter travel itinerary. Our 2017 New Years resolution was to see the northern lights, and we decided to make good on the resolution with a trip to…

[thekittchen]

What to do in Helsinki in Winter

#Helsinki is BOOMING - so much changed since my last trip 18 months ago. Read more here:

Helsinki is booming. I first went to Helsinki on a press trip in 2016, and I was surprised to see how much the city had changed in just 18 months. Even in the dead of winter, the city was full of life. Locals weren’t hibernating and hygging at home, the bars and restaurants were packed. I have always been a fly by the seat of my pants traveler. I end up meeting people along the way and using…

[thekittchen]

Best Places to Honeymoon

I am sharing 35+ destinations for a honeymoon or romantic vacation today -> #travel #valentines

It’s Valentine’s Day so it seemed fitting to share a list of the best places to honeymoon – or to just take a romantic vacation. A few of these destinations on my list of best places to honeymoon are high up on my list of places to visit, the others are places that I have visited and loved. Classic Honeymoon Destinations Paris Is there a more romantic city? Paris is certainly one of the best…

[thekittchen]

Seeing the Northern Lights

Seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland was one of the most amazing travel experiences I've had!

Getting to see the aurora borealis (the Northern Lights) in Finland was one of my most spectacular travel experiences. It looked as if someone had brushed glowing green paint across the sky and then set it on fire. It danced through the dark sky and in less than a minute it was gone. Seeing the northern lights takes lots of luck and a little planning – here is what you need to know about the…

[thekittchen]

Arctic Circle Packing List

My Arctic Circle Packing List might be handy in Chicago given how cold this winter had been.

Packing for the arctic circle is tricky, it is a remote area so you can’t just run to the store to buy anything you forgot. I did a bunch of research before we headed to northern Lapland to make sure that we packed everything we needed. Here is a comprehensive arctic circle packing list. My Arctic Circle Packing List A Canada Goose Parka Oh my goodness are these jackets amazing! It truly kept me…

[thekittchen]

Chicken Bacon Cheddar Ranch Stuffed Potatoes

Meet my new favorite weeknight dinner #recipe: Chicken Bacon Cheddar Ranch Stuffed Potatoes

These Chicken Bacon Cheddar Ranch Stuffed Potatoes are an easy to prepare meal that your family will love. Charles loves baked potatoes. I think it is a British thing? I love it because baked potatoes are so easy to make, and I often turn them into a full meal by stuffing them with all of the toppings that I can think of. Stuffed baked potatoes are one of the meals that Charles gets the most…

[thekittchen]

Taramosalata

The other day my husband, Charles, came home with two large bags of groceries.  Usually I do all of the grocery shopping and cooking so this was a surprise.  Charles and I had already discussed hosting an Olympic themed Sunday Night Dinner where all of our friends would bring food from different countries.  Charles said that he wanted to make Taramosalata and Tzatziki, which are both Greek dips.…

[thekittchen]

The Life We Share

The Life We Share -

It didn’t occur to me that my marriage is a little unusual until a tour guide in Sarajevo told me. Somehow it had come up that I was traveling in Bosnia alone, while Charles was in London. Sometimes it feels like we are playing a global game of tag, meeting up in foreign countries after weeks apart. We are two extremely independent people who happened to get married. And I think that if we…

[thekittchen]

Taste of Cayman

I spent last Saturday night at Taste of Cayman and I am so excited to tell you about it! -

I spent last Saturday night at the Taste of Cayman and I am so excited to tell you all about the event! Taste of Cayman is a celebration of food and culture that brings everyone on the island together – locals, expats, tourists, families – everyone is there. Don’t confuse Taste of Cayman with the high priced Cayman Cookout, Taste of Cayman is affordable, accessible, and fun. General admission…

[thekittchen]

What to Do in Grand Cayman

What to Do in Grand Cayman - it is a perfect warm weather getaway!

Last weekend I escaped the cold of Chicago and flew down to the Grand Cayman. The primary reason for my trip was to attend the Taste of Cayman, but I discovered so much more do to on the small island. Let me tell you what to do in Grand Cayman. Grand Cayman is the ideal place for people who want a warm weather vacation without flying too far. The island is small enough that you can see and do…

[thekittchen]

3 Easy Mac & Cheese Recipes for Game Day with SAFE + FAIR

Just in time for game day, I have teamed up with @SafeandFair to make 3 Easy Mac & Cheese Recipes #ad

Football fans know that the big game is just around the corner. Today, I am teaming up with The Safe + Fair Food Company to share three super easy and scalable recipes perfect for your game day celebrations (or for any comforting lunch or dinner). Chorizo and Jalapeño Mac & Cheese, Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli Mac & Cheese, and Italian Sausage, Kale, and Peppers Mac & Cheese are quick meals that…

[thekittchen]

What to Know about Taking the Eurostar

If you are starting your European vacation in London, you need to know about the Eurostar! The Eurostar is the high speed train line that runs from London through the chunnel to Paris and Brussels. It takes just over 2 hours to get to Paris and just under two hours to get to Brussels. From Paris and Brussels, you can easily connect to trains that will take you to a wide range of destinations…

[thekittchen]

How to Make Crepes

How to Make Crepes -

I am sharing how to make crepes, and just in time for Valentine’s Day. You can add sweet or savory filling to this basic crepe recipe. Is there a food more European than crepes? Snacking on a sweet Nutella filled crepe is always on my to-do list when I am on the other side of the pond. Recently my sister sent me a basic crepe recipe and insisted that I try it myself, promising that they were…

[thekittchen]

One Day in Paris

Paris is always a good idea. I'm taking you there over on the blog today.

Thanks to the chunnel and high speed trains, Paris is only a 2 hour 15-minute train ride from London. On my last trip to London, I took a day-long side trip to Paris. Yes, Londoners thought that I was insane, apparently hopping on the Eurostar and heading to Paris isn’t something they do on the regular. For me, the trip made perfect sense. Charles was working all day, and he isn’t a fan of Paris…