Things I Would Give Up Lent For

So I gave up sweets for lent.  I'm not even Catholic but I figured, why not??  I should not be eating sweets daily anyway.  How hard can 40 days in a row be?

Scott joined me in the sweets boycott.  We decided it includes chocolate, candy, cakes, cookies and ice cream.  Anything that you think "ehhh... this is going to require a whole helluva lot of squats to burn off" and is loaded or topped with sugar counts.

But now, I'm a week plus one day in and this is totally lame.  The first three days were like "okay, cool.  I can do this.  I don't even miss sweets."  Then day four I thought "man I would love a piece of chocolate."  Now I'm dreaming about ice cream covered donuts swimming in whipped cream.  WTF???

However, it's not worth breaking this goal for a little piece of chocolate or a bite of ice cream.  It would take something really good and special to break me now!  I'm not quitting (yet), but here's a little list of what I would quit for if these things just happened to be put in front of me.

Things I Would Give Up Lent For

1. Cookie Butter and/or Nutella - these don't need an explanation they just need a spoon.

2. Cookie Butter Ben & Jerry's - if I find this all bets are off.

3. Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Dough Ben & Jerry's - see above.

4. Shamrock Shake with a side of Irish Potaotes - why is all the good stuff coming out this time of year??

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So.... yep.  That's where my mind is at today!  Lent ends while I'm in New Orleans so I'm going crazy for all the beignets I can get my hands on!

Maybe some of you are suffering with whatever you gave up.  Let's not suffer in silence, y'all!  Good luck... only 37 days to go.  Also, I thought this whole thing was only 40 days - what gives??

P.S. - If you're a true lenter, more power to ya.  Sorry if this post offends you.

Rachel's Cafe & Creperie

Way back in the eighth grade I went on a trip to Quebec, Canada with my french class.  On that trip I had my first ever crêpe and fell in amour.  For any débutants to the crêpe world, they are basically big thin pancakes filled with either sweet or savory ingredients.

Lancaster is home to Rachel's Cafe & Creperie, a lovely cafe that serves up a wide assortment of crêpes, salads, coffee, smoothies and hot chocolate.  The cafe was originally located on Queen Street, but moved onto Walnut Street in late 2012.

My first experience at Rachel's was with Scott when we met our wedding photographers.  Then I went with my mom, after another wedding appointment.  This past weekend, I got to visit Rachel's again with my old roomie (to chat about her upcoming wedding!) and it was so enjoyable!  What is it about Rachel's Cafe and weddings??  I couldn't believe that Caitie, who lives in Lancaster, had never been to Rachel's, but I was excited to enjoy her first time there together!  The cafe looked lovely all decorated for Valentine's Day.

We started our meal with two specialty drinks.  I tried (and loved) the Spicy Mexican Nutella Hot Chocolate and Caitie ordered the Frozen Nutella Hot Chocolate.  If I haven't mentioned, I am a huge Nutella fan so a place that uses it in so many dishes is right up my alley.  The hot chocolate wasn't overly sweet; I first tasted the kick of spice followed by the smooth hazelnut of the Nutella and creamy whipped cream.  It was deee-lish!

The best way to experience Rachel's is ordering one savory and one sweet crêpe to share.  Caitie and I decided on the savory Capri and sweet Fresh Berry Cheesecake.  While the Capri Crêpe doesn't make for a very exciting picture, it was delicious!  The traditional Italian elements of fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes and olive oil joined perfectly with the light and airy french crêpe.  This one was Caitie's favorite choice!

The star of our meal (in my eyes) was the Fresh Berry Cheesecake crêpe, Ali style.  This dessert crêpe has a sweet cream cheese layer, fresh blueberries and sliced bananas, graham cracker crumbs, Nutella and whipped cream.  The slight tartness from the cream cheese with the sweet Nutella and fruit was just an awesome combination!

While we were chatting I noticed a little paper on our table that mentioned "Suspended Coffee."  The way it works is you can buy a cup of coffee, and when someone less fortunate comes in, their coffee is already paid for.  I loved the idea of paying it forward in an anonymous way so I made sure to take past before we left.  With that and a couple other little things I'm keeping private, I can cross off #10 on my list, a random act of kindness.

I had such a lovely time (again) at Rachel's Cafe & Creperie.  Each time I go I love it more and this time was extra special with my wonderful friend, Caitie!  If you happen to visit Lancaster around breakfast time, or just want to make the totally worth it trip, check Rachel's out- you'll be in les paradis!

Valentine's Day Inspiration

Ahh, Valentine's Day.  The day of filled with red and pink hearts, cherry-filled chocolate and, occasionally, eye-rolling.  Valentine's Day gets a bad rap.  I understand what people are saying when they call it a "Hallmark holiday", but I really believe it’s whatever you make of it! I think V-Day is more than celebrating with someone you love romantically, it's about celebrating everyone you love.  Yes, the gifts and dinners tend to lean toward romance, but why not spread the love and tell your family and friends how much they mean to you?

My favorite part of Valentine's Day growing up was decorating an old shoe box to act as a mailbox in Elementary School.  I remember opening the box and going through all the cards with excitement and curiosity of how a crush would sign off.  Although the Spice Girls, Power Rangers and Hello Kitty adorned cards are long gone from my life, the memory of feeling special remains.  Continuing the heart, pink and red trends, here are some (grown up) Valentine's finds to help get you in the mood!

necklace | nail polish | pillow | socks | clutch | chocolates

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Sending you all lots of love this Valentine's Day!  Whether you spending the day with a friend, a significant other, or yourself, remember to love fully and take the opportunity to tell those around you how important they are.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!  I'm visiting a cafe this weekend that I plan on posting about - stay tuned :)

Advice to My 18-Year-Old Self

This past weekend Scott and I went out for sushi and I experienced some serious déjà vu. While we were waiting to be seated, we stood next to a table of 12 high schoolers- 4 guys and 8 girls.  They were getting ready to head out when we watched their check get returned because there wasn't enough cash.  Cue instant flashback to the times that would happen to my friends and me, clearly we were still learning our math.  It was always a little embarrassing when the waitress would bring the check back, filled with fives and ones thrown in from slowly dwindling allowances and paychecks from Dairy Queen.

Anyway, the kids (am I old enough to call them kids?) laughed it off and threw in more money; the poor waitress knew what that meant for her tip.  As I watched them talk a little more and eventually head out, I started to think about what my advice would have been to them.  I was in their shoes not too long ago and, now that I'm a little wiser, I feel like I could give them some tips.  Without further ado, here is....

Advice to My 18-Year-Old Self

1. The sooner you learn (and accept) who you are, the sooner you'll learn to be happy.
2. Don't get sucked into the drama of high school, it will not matter to you at all. Ever.
3. If you go, take your time to declare a major in college; don't rush into picking the thing your going to do everyday for the next 35 years.
4. Use a light hand when applying bronzer and get your foundation matched ;)
5. Start making healthy habits now, it's surprising how much harder it gets.
6. Unless you've met the one, stay single.  You'll (probably) spend your life with someone, enjoy the time by yourself now.
7. Spend quality time with your family; when you move out you'll miss them more than you think.
8. Set goals for yourself.  If you're always working toward a new goal and accomplishing tasks you set for yourself, it's incredible for your confidence and overall happiness.
9. Focus on the friendships that mean the most to you and put a real effort into strengthening them.
10. Try new things!

Once I started thinking about the advice I would give someone at 18, I started wondering what someone ten years older than me would tell me now.  Any takers?

Meet me back here Friday to get in the mood.... for Valentine's Day!