Remember me?

Hello! Remember me, your long lost gluten-free blogger friend? I know, it's been a while. The past six months have been incredibly busy, with lots of change. So I thought long and hard and decided that if I wasn't able to really focus on the blog and give it 110%, I should take a break. I don't want to post content that I'm not proud of, or feel like I haven't given my all. But not to worry, that's all in the past. I'm back and ready to blog!

So... the changes. Where to begin? I started a new job in November as a PR manager at a branding firm. It couldn't be more different from the book publishing industry, where I spent the better part of four years. But it's a new challenge, which is exactly what I wanted, and I'm learning a ton and finally feeling settled.

In early April I moved into my very first, very own apartment! A big step. I have to say, I love living alone. I've lived with roommates for the better part of nine years, first in college, then when I moved to New York. And don't get me wrong, there's nothing better than living with your best friends. But I there comes a point (or at least there was for me) where you just want your own space to come home to. And decorate! Of course I miss my roommates, but they're only a 10-minute walk away. Now we have the perfect excuse to meet up for a drink, get our nails done, or go to the new SoulCycle studio that's opening right around the corner from my apartment in Williamsburg. (My poor, poor bank account.)

I've also been traveling a ton. Between weddings, bachelorette parties, bridal showers and holidays, I've been away almost every weekend since March. Oh, and there's that trip to Europe I took with my boyfriend. That was fun.

We spent three days in London with one of his best friends. He had a lovely apartment right near Buckingham Palace with the most amazing views of London. Which proved particularly enjoyable when I was stuck in bed with food poisoning for an entire day. Yep. I loved London, and I didn't expect to fall for it the way I did.

Then we flew to Barcelona, where we spent two days. My boyfriend studied abroad there, so he was my trusty tour guide. We had perfect weather, went to the beach, ate delicious tapas and of course drank lots of sangria (some good, some not so good).

Finally we made our way to Rome, where I spent my junior year abroad. It was my second time back, but this time felt so relaxed. We had no agenda and barely did any sightseeing (well, our apartment was right around the corner from the Trevi Fountain, and we walked by the Pantheon and Piazza Navona pretty much every day). We rented an apartment with another couple, two of our best friends from NYC, and had the best time. I pretty much subsisted on gelato, mozzarella and red wine for three days straight.

My two favorite meals were at Salumeria Riscoli (see Burrata Mozzarella above) right off of Campo de Fiori (not quite the area I'd expect to have such an amazing restaurant, since it's generally pretty touristy), and Taverna Trilussa in Trastevere. Oh, and I have something to admit. I ate pasta. Regular pasta. An entire bowl of it. At Taverna Trilussa. I had to. The Bucatini dall'Amatriciana was calling my name. And the weirdest part is, I felt totally fine! I really think there's something to be said about how processed U.S. foods are compared to other counties. I could never eat a bowl of pasta here without doubling over in pain and feeling dreadful for an entire day. I'm not recommending you do this, and this is by far the most gluten I've eaten in the past three years. Normally I am always super diligent about what I eat.

So there! You have an update on my life. And you can trust that I will be back here posting recipes on the regular. I've set a minimum goal of three per week, and I'm hoping to stick to that. I've been cooking a ton in my new apartment (so much counter space!) and have a number of delicious new gluten-free recipes to share with you. Stay tuned!