Weekend Getaway- Philadelphia

Friday.

Those of you who have busy careers and/or little ones know how difficult it can be to have time alone. No early morning alarm, nap time, feeding schedule, moms group, or travel schedule for Matt almost seems foreign. It's hard to remember a time before it all. Spur of the moment weekend trips don't happen as often but we still want to make them a priority (even if its just once or twice a year). 

Matt travels frequently for work and I've gone away on a couple girls trips since Walter's arrival, but this was our first trip together, with out him. We really really missed him, but man, it was awesome. 

We try to plan our vacations somewhere we've never visited so we can look forward to exploring a new place together. It makes it so much easier to see the right sites and eat at the best restaurants when you know someone who lives in town. Matts cousin Sara and her boyfriend Nate live in downtown Philly, so we were able to spend time with them and took full advantage of their knowledge of the city. 

^^City Hall & Love Park

Our first evening was spent walking through downtown to the historic district for dinner.  It took us about an hour to get to the restaurant because we couldn't help but stop to look at every building. The combination of romantic architecture with post-modernism sky-scrapers was breathtaking.

We had dinner in the center of the historic district, just past The Liberty Bell, at a latin tapas restaurant called Amada. Course, after course, after course, this was possibly the best meal we've ever had. 

Saturday.

Saturday morning, we headed to Sabrina's for brunch, had a brief wait, and then consumed omelets that could have fed a family of four. We were fueled for the day. 

Bar at Sabrina's

^^ I have close to fifty different pictures of building murals. Every block I turned down had a new painting or a massive sculpture. Philly LOVES their art.

After brunch, we walked through Fairmont, and visited our cousins apartment. This neighborhood is lined with gorgeous hundred year old brownstones. Sara's home is the definition of character and charm (just like her)!

Just past Fairmont is the Eastern State Penitentiary which opened in 1829. This was our country's first true penitentiary and was designed to create genuine regret and penitence in the criminal's heart. Prior to this institution, criminals were held in large holding pens and expected to fend for themselves.  

This idea of solitary confinement was designed for reformation, but it proved to do the opposite- it made people crazy.

Cell Block 7, Eastern State Penitentiary. 

The Activity Yard, Eastern State Penitentiary. 

The Hospital Wing, Eastern State Penitentiary. 

Al Capone's (Scarface) cell during his stay at Eastern State. He was well taken care of.

Standard Cell, Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State was closed in the 1960's. It was a creepy, but architecturally beautiful place.  

The oldest and longest inhabited street in the US. Historic District. 

Locally brewed cordial tasting.

Independence Hall, Historic District. 

Foundation of George Washington's home, Historic District. 

The Liberty Bell, Historic District.

After a great day of soaking up the history that Philly had to offer us, we stopped by the Independence Beer Garden. This seasonal garden is placed in-between sky-scraper apartments and Independence Hall and it was the perfect place to warm up. 

Nate and I had the Yard Philidelphia Pale Ale, Matt had the Left Hand Milk Stout (Nitro), and Sara had Jacks Hard Cider. The fire pits, twinkling lights, and local beer could have kept us there all night, but we had dinner plans else where. 

Sazon, Venezuelan Restaurant.

After relaxing at the beer garden, we headed to West Philly to a hole in the wall eatery called Sazon. If you don't know this about me, now you know: I am Venezuelan-American, raised by my mom who was raised in Venezuela. I grew up consuming shredded beef, plantains, arepas, black beans, and rice, all in my moms kitchen. This food is like water to my soul. When Matt and I heard that Philadelphia was blessed with a Venezuelan restaurant, we had to go. 

Sazon is run by a Venezuelan woman and her husband who was born and raised in Philly. Her husband is chocolate connoisseur (he's known as the Chocolate Alchemist) and has created an entire menu of hand crafted organic Venezuelan hot chocolate. He hand grinds cocoa beans, makes his own chocolates, and melts them down into liquid gold. After inhaling our arepas, we ordered two very different cups of chocolate. Matt ordered la cuaima: dark chocolate, cinnamon, and chile peppers. I ordered calabaza king: milk chocolate, fresh pumpkin, pecans, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, with pumpkin cream and cacao nibs... amazing.

^^ Casitas (little homes) lined the walls of the restaurant. My mom has a small wall in her kitchen dedicated to these tiny clay casa's from Venezuela that are customary to hang in your home. I grew up these little casitas and arepas stuffed with cheese; it was comforting to see it all in this little dive. 

SUNDAY. 

We came across this man on our walk to brunch on Sunday. Most homeless people were sleeping on the concrete around man holes, inches away from the softer grass. These man holes produce heat from the subways, almost like standing around a space heater. I spent the rest of our walk praying for him to find a warmer, safer bed. 

We brunched at Cafe Lift in The Loft District. Many restaurants in Philadelphia have a BYOB (bring your own bottle) policy- which is amazing. So, for our final brunch in the city, we brought a bottle of bubbly and asked for a carafe of orange juice for the table to make mimosas. Cheers! 

After brunch, we enjoyed a chilly walk through down-town on our way to "The Oval". The light was just making it's way through the high-rise buildings. 

We visited The Philadelphia Fall Fair which was being held at The Oval, a seasonal outdoor public space located in front of The Philadelphia Art Museum  

 This hay ride was led around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway by a police escort. The ride was surrounded by double-decker tour buses and yellow taxi cabs- it was a funny site to see.

There was a pop-up cider garden at the Fall Fair where we sampled cider made from three different types of apples. I had only ever had hard cider from a bottle, so it was extra delicious on tap! This cider garden was hosted by Frecon's Cidery located in Berks County, Pennsylvania. 

^^ Linvilla Orchards (located just outside of Philly) had an amazing station set up for fresh pressed apple juice. Kids were able to pick their own apples, then peel, core, grind, and press them into fresh apple juice! 

Philadelphia truly caters to families of all ages, especially those with young children. I LOVED how Philly brought the country to the city for his event. It was so special how families had the opportunity to have the true "pumpkin patch experience" without having to leave the city. 

We had an amazing weekend visiting family and exploring the beautiful city of Philidelphia. We will be back soon!

Hearty Spiced Pumpkin Granola

It's safe to say my husband and I have developed an obsession for granola. We usually pair it with almond milk or greek yogurt for quick and easy breakfast. With a busy baby and a hectic work/school schedule, Matt and I are always eating on the go. Having granola in our pantry is mandatory... at all times.

 After trying various types of pre-packaged granola, we both found them to be too sweet, over-priced, high in processed sugar, and overall unhealthy. I made it my goal to create a recipe with whole  ingredients while being naturally sweetened. I spent some serious time earlier this year testing and perfecting our staple recipe. October has finally arrived (my favorite month!), and I now have an excuse to create a new recipe centered around my love for PUMPKIN and warm spices.   

Yes, I am that person who integrates pumpkin into all possible recipes once Autumn arrives. Luckily, both Matt & Walter share my obsession, so they happily accept the role as my guinea pigs. 

Pumpkin is incredibly flavorful and loaded with health benefits:

1. It is full of vitamin A, vitamin E, and iron which work together to support a strong immune system, maintain healthy eyes, and keep bones strong. 
2. It is a great source of fiber which keeps you feeling full longer and keeps your digestive system working effeciently. 
3. It is full of the antioxidant beta-carotene which is known to prevent cancer. 

^^ As you can see, the ingredients involved in this recipe are extremely minimal and easily found at the grocery store... or they might already be in your pantry. If you can't find the "roasted & salted" pumpkin seeds, you can use raw pumpkin seeds and bake them with your granola by adding another 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I just find these to be perfectly roasted, so I just add them in once the granola has finished baking and cooling. 

Another ingredient that can be store bought is the apple sauce. I make homemade apple sauce in large batches for Walter, so since I have it on hand, I use it for this recipe. I started doing this because it's much cheaper than the organic store bought alternative! Peel and core organic gala apples, simmer them on the stove until soft, drain the water, then blend them in a food processor with cinnamon and lemon juice. 

Lastly, I chose organic canned pumpkin for this recipe. It is simple to roast and mash your own pumpkin, but it can be time consuming. If you're feeling adventurous or have a little extra time on your hands, here is a great link that can teach you how to roast a pumpkin . 

 ^^ 100% pure maple syrup is essential in baking to naturally sweeten while keeping the raw taste of maple. I use both grades of syrup, but Grade B has a richer flavor, is more nutrient-dense, and is usually produced later in the season.

Maple syrup is a great sweetener that I often use as an alternative to refined sugar. It contains manganese and zinc which are essential minerals to help build strong bones, support immune function, and maintain blood health.

 ^^ Mix all dry ingredients together

^^ Then mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl

^^ Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix them together until it reaches this consistency. You will probably need to get your hands dirty in order to get the oats covered evenly! 

^^It is important to arrange the mixture in a thin even layer so that it can bake properly. Leave some space so you can still see the 'white' of the parchament paper. 

*** If you like your granola on the sweeter side, sprinkle a layer of light brown sugar on top of the mixture before baking.***

^^While the granola is cooling, add 1 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds, and one cup of dried cranberries, dried cherries, or raisins to the mixture.

^^ Store the granola at room temperature in air-tight containers. It will stay fresh for 2 weeks, but it doesn't last more than a week in our house!

I literally cannot stop eating this stuff. 

I'm embarrassed to tell you how many days (lets be honest - hours) this batch lasted...   

 ^^ My favorite way to eat this hearty granola is with plain or tart pomegranate greek yogurt.

Hearty Spiced Pumpkin Granola

Created by: Monica Turley

Ingredients:

• 4 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup Grade B pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla 
• 1 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisens, dried cherries, or dried cranberries)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line two 9x13 baking pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.
• In a seperate and smaller bowl, whisk all wet ingredients together. 
• Add the wet ingredients to the wet and combine them. This may require your hands!
• Spread the mixture evenly onto the two lined pans
• ** Sprinkle brown sugar on top of the mixture if you want a sweeter granola**
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes
• Remove the pans and and toss the granola with a wooden spoon.
• Place the pans back into the oven to bake for another 18-20 minutes or until the granola comes out golden and crispy. 
• Let the granola cool completely (about 20 minutes), store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

** Granola will stay fresh for 2 weeks**

Almost.. One Year.

This time, exactly one year ago, I was washing, folding, and re-folding tiny newborn sleepers. I remember packing my hospital bag (with the entire house) and making sure that we had all the "necessities" for our new baby. And Matt was constantly sent out for midnight fro-yo or early morning cinnamon bagels. I spent countless hours sitting in the glider in Walter's nursery praying for God to prepare us to be the parents that Walter needs. And I listened. During those nine (more like ten) months, I heard more from God than I had in my entire lifetime. 

Walter-

Before becoming your momma, God told me what a pure and gentle heart you would have. He told me all about your strong spirit and how your kindness and compassion will change peoples lives. I learned how much you would love music and how gifted you'll become. I learned about your determination and how you will always refuse to give up with out finishing what you started. He told me how much you would love the ocean, so I promised to raise you by it. I spent time listening and learning every day, and he carefully prepared my heart for yours. Because of this constant conversation, when I met you, it was as if I had known you my whole life. 

I hope you know that this constant conversation will never stop. With each new phase of your life we  will also change and stretch ourselves to become what you need in that moment. The week you were born your Dad and I prayed to never lose sight of the miracle that you are. That we speak to you in all circumstances with respect and understanding. That we show you how to love unconditionally through our marriage to each other. That we walk with faith so that you come to know God through our actions. And that we follow the dreams that God has placed in our own hearts so you can do the same.

You have taught me that nothing in this world is perfect except for the unconditional love that was given to us from above. The love that I have for you will always be unconditionally perfect and it will always be enough.

Watching your daily passion to explore and your amazement with life inspires me deeply. You make me dream bigger, live larger, and love harder. You make me brave. 

Because of you I am pursuing my dreams in ways I never thought I could. I pray with out fear of the future, I believe with out limitations, I stand taller, and my trust in God is more firm than I knew possible.

Watching you grow this past (almost) year has been the biggest gift and I still cannot believe we get to raise you. Our prayer is and always will be for selfless love and God given guidance as parents, to help you fulfill every dream in your heart.