518 S Alamo St
San Antonio, TX
78205
445 E Commercial St
Springfield, MO
65803
811 W 17th St
Kansas City, MO
64108
We’re still months away from New Year’s, but I’ve been thinking about my foodie goals for 2019—and this year, I think I want to cook through some cookbooks!
I have a bad habit of buying cookbooks because they’re so pretty, but never pulling them out to use them. So, I thought to myself ‘Why don’t I actually make it a goal to cook through some of these?’
These are the cookbooks I own and have never used:
Naturally, Delicious: 100 Recipes for Healthy Eats That Make You Happy by Danny Seo
Straight from the Earth: Irresistible Vegan Recipes for Everyone by Myra Goodman
The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts, and Other Homemade Adventures by Adrianna Adarme
Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines
I don’t think I can cook through five cookbooks over this next year, but heck, I want to have fun with it! So, these are what I’ll be working with—and you can expect me to refer back to them over and over again.
Of course, you can also expect food photography! Because you know, it’s my favorite, ever.
Have you guys tried any of these cookbooks? Let me know in the comments below or message me directly! Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jordan
Nearly a year ago, my best friend Morgan introduced me to one of my favorite coffee shops--well, to be fair, it was actually a coffee trailer! But, it was so good! I'm talking about Summer Moon, friends!
Summer Moon originated in Austin, but has new spread throughout Texas to San Antonio, Frisco, San Marcos, and others. This past July, a new location opened in South Austin, so Morgan and I gave them a visit!
I think what makes Summer Moon so crazy good is their moon milk: a secret milk that goes into their lattes that is truly wonderful! I order a Half Moon nearly every time, and it's so good!
You can order ahead of time, here.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Jordan
If you haven't heard the news, Dan and I are moving to Austin, TX! But, in the meantime, I've been taking trips back and forth to Austin to scout out potential homes and get a feel for Austin culture, and of course food!
My friends have been raving about one place in particular: Juliet Italian Kitchen. I've always loved Italian cuisine, especially after visiting Italy on numerous occasions and even taking a two week trip throughout Italy! To this day, Italian food remains one of my favorites.
And goodness, Juliet did not disappoint.
I ordered the grilled octopus as an appetizer for the table (but truly, it could easily be an entree), and it was pretty freaking amazing. Ashley ordered the olives for the table, and I will definitely be getting those every time. We also got calamari for the table, and though I've had calamari plenty of times, the lemon slices in this appetizer were just delicious. I ordered two cocktails: the Italian Sunrise and the Americano, and Ashley and Morgan ordered the Aperol Spritz. Caleb ordered the Italian Mule and that was great, too! For my entree, I ordered the Cioppino, Morgan and Caleb ordered the Veal Marsala, and Ashley ordered the Chicken Saltibocca.
It was such a fun dinner and drinks! I will totally be going again! Even as I write this, I'm turning to Dan and telling him about how great it was, haha.
Reserve your table at Juliet here.
Let me know what you guys try!
Sincerely,
Jordan
Just about every time I head to San Antonio, my sister-in-law and I explore a new place to eat--and it's so fun!! This last time, we visited 5 Points Local, a 100% gluten-free (and crazy delicious) restaurant that offers vegetarian, vegan, and paleo options! What's really cool about 5 Points Local is that it also has a yoga studio upstairs!
We both ordered the barbacoa bowl, and it was seriously amazing. It had spinach leaves, barbacoa, sweet potato, an egg, purple onion, and avocado dressing! I also ordered fresh pressed orange juice (which really hit the spot!), and my sister-in-law ordered a "ginger shot" which consisted of fresh pressed ginger root and cayenne pepper and it totally woke her up!
You can check out 5 Points Local's menu here, and their instagram here.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Jordan
I'm making it a habit of trying new places to eat and drink every time I head to Austin. This last trip, I stopped by Bougie's Donuts & Coffee and enjoyed one of their lemon and blueberry donuts! It was crazy good, guys.
Give them some love on instagram here, or go ahead and cater your next party here.
Let me know what donuts or coffees you try!
Sincerely,
Jordan
Few things are better than morning coffee, right? For those of you who are looking for interesting, unique, one-of-a-kind coffee shops with amazing an brew, Onyx Coffee Lab in Bentonville, AR should be on your bucket list. Living in Joplin (an hour away from Bentonville!) has given me the luxury of visiting Onyx and all their locations throughout Arkansas numerous times, but their Bentonville location is, in my opinion, the most spacious and aesthetically inviting.
Here are some of my favorite drinks from Onyx Coffee Lab:
1. Harvest Delight (fall season)
2. Thai Milk (summer season)
3. Matcha Lassi (spring season)
4. Caramel Latte (year round)
Another thing I love about Onyx is that their macarons are from Alchemy Macarons, and they're freaking delicious!
If you're wanting to purchase beans from Onyx Coffee, visit here.
Have fun, friends!
Sincerely,
Jordan
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Today, I wanted to share with you guys some photos from my favorite bar in Springfield, Missouri: The Golden Girl Rum Club. I am in love with this bar for many reasons, starting with that it is a tiki bar. Not only are the drinks and food amazing, but the atmosphere is great, too!
Give them a visit over on instagram, here.
Sincerely,
Jordan
Happy Tuesday!
I know, I know. It’s probably, like, twenty degrees where you’re at. It was negative one here in Joplin, yesterday!
But frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.
I think any day is a good day for thai iced tea. I actually have a sign hanging in my kitchen that states, “Thai Tea Every Damn Day.” Maybe I’m crazy. Oh well!
But, maybe I’m not alone after all, because I’ve had multiple people ask me for my thai tea recipe in the past couple weeks, despite this cold weather!
So, this is my gift to you all. Happy New Year!
Also, let me know what you think of it! A personal message or a comment would be great!
Thanks!
Also, the thai tea I use can be found here (although I purchase it at asian markets because it is significantly cheaper; I also like this brand), and the tea sock I use can be found here.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Jordan
A few months ago, I posted on instagram about our spontaneous trip to Kansas City and our adventures over that weekend, including our visit to Monarch Coffee. Thus, I thought I’d go ahead and follow up with a more thorough review of this beautiful coffee shop!
And that’s where I’ll start: this place is seriously gorgeous. Throw away your ideas of the hip and casual coffee shop, and embrace an entirely different experience that Monarch presents: one of formality met with friendly and fantastic service and a relaxing atmosphere.
I knew I was in for a treat when I saw fresh flowers on our table. The barista came to us and offered us water, and I was very pleased by this. The gesture immediately reminded me of Germany, of home, as this is what they do at nearly every restaurant there.
But, back to the aesthetics. Just look at this place! Monarch presents a beautiful, formal style, with a wonderful, classic black and white color scheme.
One of my favorite parts of our visit to Monarch was how pleasantly quiet it was that morning, which I found odd as it was a Sunday. As a family entered the shop and parked their stroller near the entrance, I also enjoyed the amount of space that Monarch provided for customers. The child of the family playfully ran among the tables with ease, and I felt that Monarch was not too formal to allow customers to enjoy this simple, sweet moment.
When I first arrived, I ordered the matcha latte, and it was magical; the perfect balance between the grassy and latte/milky taste. I greatly enjoyed it.
Yet, after finishing my matcha, I began to smell something truly wonderful, and I asked the barista what she was making, to which she informed me of a seasonal drink that Monarch offers: a sweet potato latte with a toasted marshmallow.
As odd as a sweet potato latte sounded (I had never heard of such!), I had to try one, as the smell of the marshmallow and drink was too wonderful to miss. I ordered it immediately, and to this day, it may be one of my favorite lattes I’ve ever ordered and had the pleasure to taste.
My only disappointment is that Monarch is not closer to home! BUT, I (and you!) can order coffee directly from Monarch, here.
I hope you guys enjoyed this review!
Sincerely,
Jordan