{creative soul}

Mojo Monday: The Coffee Bean!

Good Monday Morning to you! I hope wherever you are, it is a bright, beautiful day! Here in Michigan, it is cool, crisp and the leaves are beginning to change color. It's hands-down my favorite time of the year. I always feel re-inspired and energized by the brisk temperature and the changing of the season.

This year is especially energizing for me, as I've moved into a little studio space in Old Village, which is part of my hometown of Plymouth, Michigan, but has it's own unique charm. Most of the buildings in Old Villiage are from the early 1800's (this will be a future Mojo Monday post!) . Anyway, Plymouth has a cute little downtown and on it's main street, Penniman, it has a lovely coffeeshop, The Coffee Bean. The Bean is in a big old white house, with creaking wooden floors and comfy furniture.

Penniman Street

{The Bean}

The charm of this place cannot be overstated. Out front are little wrought iron chairs on a big porch, and in front of the door, is a chalkboard where people can leave each other little love notes, like this one...

Don't you love it already!?!

Once inside, the aroma of Pumpkin Spice Latte's and Cranberry Scones (my two favorites) envelope you... Donna, the sweet manager, takes her time with each drink, lovingly making each one as if you were a special friend who came over to her house for coffee. I think that is why I love this place so much...their motto is "friends don't let friends drink Starbucks!" LOL!

 Donna

Today's trivia question was "What is the First Day of Autumn Called?" I got it right! The Autumnal Equinox... :) I felt pretty proud.

Here are just a few of the reasons I love this place so much! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and perhaps it will spark some creativity in you somehow?

Hugs!
N

Look what came yesterday!

I went out to shake my kitchen rug and found a box containing these on my front porch this morning!

I am so excited and happy!

I can't wait to try some new recipes. I am in a rut with my cooking and hoping that this will infuse me with ideas.

I am for sure going to make the Otsu from Heidi's book but both cookbooks have recipes for marinara sauces that I can't wait to try — to put over some fresh pasta or even a homemade pizza. 

Will keep you posted!

Happy & Blessed Sunday to you!

N.

Good food

Jan 06 09, originally uploaded by nrjanitz.

Happy Tuesday! Well, new year...new quest for better health... here is my shot for Day 6 of Project 365. I can't believe it's been six days and I'm still doing it! Me and my little attention span. What was I writing about anyway? Oh yeah...

Today I steamed some cauliflower and put it with brown rice and lentils with a bit of leftover spaghetti sauce from last night. It was so good!

I feel really inspired by my lastest guilty pleasure... food blogs! Oh my! Lisa Cohen has gotten me hooked on surfing these and the food, inspiration and esp. the photography is amazing. It's like looking at Food Porn! LOL! So far, my two new favorites are:

101 Cookbooks
Smitten Kitchen

But my all time favorite food inspiration has to be Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. I have all her cookbooks (except the French one) and have never been disappointed in a single recipe. I got her new one today, Back to Basics, and can't wait to try a few of the recipes. Her food is so delicious and amazingly simple—each recipe seems to have no more than a handful of ingredients, yet it is always so yummy.

Last month when Ellie was so sick I wanted to make her some chicken soup but couldn't find a recipe in any of my books or online. Then I remembered that Ina had one in one of her books. I made it and it was perfection! It just goes to show you that sometimes simple is the best.

xoxo
N.