Our Trip to Italy--Part 3

I wanted to share the last part of our trip, as well as some pictures of the incredible places we saw during our travels. I will tell you right now, you'll want to stick around to the end--I'm ending it with pictures of my nephew. *Warning*: you might get baby fever. I cannot be held responsible for any actions you may want to take regarding adding numbers to your family ;-) 

After getting back from Austria on Monday, Isaac and I spent the rest of our trip hanging out with Kate and Matt (my sister and brother-in-law) in their home city, Vicenza. We got to experience what living in Italy is really like. We visited the fresh markets on Tuesday and Thursday, bought groceries at the Eurospar, wandered around their streets, bought gelato one night, hung out in their apartment, and learned how to make gnocchi. We got to watch Luca a few times so that Matt and Kate could go on a date or workout together on base. We really enjoyed the slower pace while still getting to experience another place and culture. One of the days we took an afternoon trip to Venice, but since it was so cold, we cut the day short. Friday morning we headed out to fly back to the US. I was SO sad to leave. Until next time....

The first night we got into town, we went for a walk in the town my sister lives. Such a cute town, that was beautiful at night with all the Christmas decorations. 

A building designed by the famous architect, Palladio. The buildings in Italy just blow my mind.

This is what ALL of the streets look like there...NBD

We hiked up to the top of a hill that overlooks Vicenza. This church, Church of St. Mary of Mount Berico, was near the top. 

Oh hey there, Colosseum. This is well known, right??

The arch of Constantine right by the Colosseum. Thanks Rick Steves for telling us the history behind it, and thank you whoever left your city map on the rock we were sitting while we listened to it. That map saved us! 

This is the square in front of St. Peter's Basilica. So incredible. I wish this photo did it justice....

St. Peter's Basilica

Inside St. Peter's Basilica. Did you know they have embalmed popes in glass boxes that you can see? Creepy...

The famous Duomo in Florence, Italy. 

The view from Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge in Florence. 

The steps up to the Piazzale Michaelangelo, a lookout spot for Florence. 

We stopped for lunch at Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. So stunning...side note: I had a pizza here with smoked salmon, strawberries, and a balsamic glaze. Mmmmm

The Grand Canal in Venice. 

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. 

I really tried to limit my pictures. I didn't include like 15 that I originally planned on putting here. Hope you enjoyed experiencing a little bit of what we did while we were there.

And without further ado, the moment you all have been waiting for.....sweet baby LUCA!!

Adios Amigos!! Or as they would say in Italy, "caio!" or "arrivederci amici!"

Our Trip to Italy--Part 2

So I'm a little bit late on posting this, but what's new--it's the story of my blogging career. Why can't I get myself together?? After an INCREDIBLE day and a half in Rome (you guys seriously need to go someday, there is so much rich history), we had breakfast in the train station in Rome and then headed out for another day of adventure in Florence.

I got the broccoli, egg and cheese puff pastry and cappuccino and Isaac had the sammie. 

We arrived in Florence, got oriented (I had everything flipped in my mind!), and headed to our air bnb. How cute is this flat?! I felt like we were locals going to and from our flat on the third floor. It's funny, none of the places in Italy have built-in storage, so they all get IKEA storage and decorating items (my sister confirmed this--I'm not making it up!).

After settling in, we headed out to the main square, the Duomo, for another walking tour with good 'ol Rick Steves. Midway through, we found a lunch place nearby called Eataly, which had a super yummy pizza. It was definitely in my top 2 favorites, and I had a LOT of pizza while we were there. Isaac and I split a pizza with olive oil, actual sausage (they lie when they say it has "sausage"), spinach, and cherry tomatoes, and I also got a salad because I was missing my usual veggies.  

Afterwards, we finished the walking tour, which took us by several massive buildings, famous statues, and an iconic bridge that was the only one that wasn't destroyed during WWII. Florence is just so beautiful and quaint! It was way cleaner than Rome and Isaac and I liked the food better, but it was more of a shopping and museum place, so not quite as much to see (at least not for free!!). After we finished tour, we stopped and got gelato and a cappuccino. 

Second gelato stop: mint chocolate chip style

We then walked to our flat and took a nap and recuperated before dinner. For dinner we went to a restaurant that a friend had recommended, called Trattoria 4 Leoni. Nicely done, Hannah!! We really liked our waiter who also spoke great English, which was a really great thing because he had to explain the entire menu to us since it was all in Italian. Ironically, almost all of the couples around us spoke English, which was strange because we rarely heard native English speakers while we were in Italy. We split a pear stuffed fiochette (I'm sorry that I don't have a picture...but trust me, it was deliciousI It was a pasta stuffed with pears and cheese and was in a cream sauce with asparagus), massive steak (we're talking it was cool in the center), and a cheesecake. That cheesecake was oh so delicious and fluffy!

Funny little tidbit, on our way to dinner a man offered us weed 😂

The next day Isaac got some eggs at the grocery store next door and we made breakfast. That day we   walked to a fortress, hung out at a little park, and then hit up the central market. Talk about such a fun place! The first floor of the central market had various vendors selling fresh seafood, meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, pastas, etc and the second floor was a food court. We loved trying samples of all the fresh foods on the first floor and then ate lunch up top. We circled round and round and settled on focaccia pizza, a pastry, and a cappuccino. :-)

Afterwards, we hit the San Lorenzo market where I got talked into buying a scarf and purse and Isaac got a nice leather belt. I'm such a sucker for a good deal!! (or so I think, when they reduce the price by like 50%!!). We walked around the town some more, went into the Duomo cathedral, then hung out at a library cafe. That afternoon we took the train back to Vicenza and celebrated Kate's bday by going to dinner and opening gifts. 

The next morning (Friday), we packed up their car and drove to Austria for Christmas markets and skiing. Want to know something funny/sad? The Christmas markets were closed and there wasn't any snow. Wah wah. 😂 When we got there, we just walked around Innsbruck and had lunch. 

Apparently I chose a really common dish there because I saw it at several other restaurants. Fried potatoes, pork and a fried egg. 

After walking around, we needed to warm up and to get our daily dose of espresso.  

That afternoon we went to our airbnb cabin, which was the cutest thing ever. It was basically a tiny home, which I thought was super fun. That night we just got stuff for dinner at the store and made it at the airbnb--appetizers were various cheeses and proscuittos, and dinner was roasted Brussels, rotisserie chicken, and two differed ravioli's. I've never been a big pasta person before, but after experiencing real Italian pasta, I hope to make it fairly regular. I'm gonna start perfecting my pasta making skills. :-D

Saturday we woke up and had a slow morning, complete with breakfast. 

We then headed to a castle in Innsbruck that had a bunch of museum artifacts. It didn't look like your typical castle, but it was cool to look at everything and see things from the 1300s! For lunch we headed to the city and tried various sausages, apple strudels, and fried dough balls. I ended up getting fresh berries and yogurt at a convenience store, which was just what my body needed. We walked around the only Christmas market left and then headed back to the cabin for the evening.

That night was New Year's Eve and since we didn't plan well, we realized we wouldn't be able to get into a restaurant anywhere. Sooooo, we drove a few miles over into Germany, to get pizza to-go, to eat in Austria 😂. We just ate pizza, played cards, and went to bed early. Partay animals!!

Sunday we drove 30 minutes to Garmisch, Germany and the boys skied while the girls hung out around the town. Monday morning we packed up, got lunch at the largest lake in Italy (talk about gorgeous) on the way home, and then just chilled at their apartment when we got back. 

Phew! Sorry for NOT making that short. One last recap is on its way, along with some pictures of actual Italian buildings and such. Hope you all are enjoying these recap posts and your week!

Cold Brew Coffee...the best start to your day

So...I'm about to share with you how to make cold brew...You're welcome.

If you follow me on instagram (@donuteatingdietitian), you know that I drink a cold brew latte every single day. Seriously, every day. Sometimes, I drink it in the afternoon too. I've been asked several times about how to make it, so I decided I should just share here on the blog.

Making your own cold brew is suuuper simple. And way cheaper than buying the bottled stuff. I mean, have you seen how outrageous it is to buy it?? No thanks. Besides, I like getting to try different flavors based on the roast I buy. 

Cold brew is different than simply putting ice in coffee. It has it's own method of being made and it has a different taste profile as well. I find cold brew to be less bitter and far more flavorful. I have to add a bunch of sugar to regular brewed coffee to like it (caramel macchiato? Yes, puhlease), but I only add milk to my cold brew and it is ssooooo delicious! I highly recommend buying lighter roasts. I don't know how to describe how the dark roast cold brew tastes, but I'm not a fan.

Sorry to get off subject, but I have yet to catch you all up on my most recent employment status! Last time I posted, I mentioned that I had decided to go the private practice route. Welp, that changed. But it was a GOOD change. I am so stinking excited that it did and about my future....I received a job with a Christian counseling company in the area to do one-on-one nutritional counseling for those with eating disorders, disordered eating, and weight management issues. You guys, this is exactly in-line with my heart and passions and in the kind of environment I longed for!! I didn't think getting a job this perfect for me was possible, but God was good to provide it for me! In addition, I am also doing some part-time nutritional counseling for a physician group in the area. Holy moly, getting to do what you're passionate about is so exciting and rewarding. 

So lately I have been spending a lot of time researching and learning, networking with providers in the area, and getting my feet wet. It is going to take awhile to build up a solid clientele since it is a new service they are offering, but I am perfectly fine with that. And as I learn more about eating disorders and intuitive eating, the more mad I get at the dieting industry and the messages that the media sends us. Our views of food and our bodies and the language we so commonly use with each other is so detrimental! But that's for an entirely different post...

Back to making this cold brew concentrate. Pick a light coffee roast of your liking, place 1 cup of ground coffee in a large bowl with a pouring spout (or else you'll end up with water ALL over your counter), add 4 cups of water (always a 4:1 ratio), cover it, and leave it sitting on your counter for the next 12-24 hours. I normally start mine in the evening and then strain it at the same time the next morning. To strain the coffee, put a coffee filter into a colander placed over a medium bowl and pour the mixture into the strainer. Once it has strained completely, pour it into a resealable glass or plastic container and store in the fridge for up to a week...if it lasts that long. 

Lastly, to drink your delicious cold brew: fill a glass with ice, pour your coffee to about the halfway mark, and then top with milk! Beware, cold brew has more caffeine than brewed hot coffee, so if you get jittery easily, you may want to start out with smaller amounts than you normally drink! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!