tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51678364574340046672024-03-21T18:20:49.637-06:00 Here We Go Again!A travel lifestyle blogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-27219501217574820742017-01-19T07:03:00.001-07:002017-01-19T07:03:10.950-07:00The EndFor those of you who don't know, here's the story of Here We Go Again: I started it in 2011 as a way to keep in touch with family and friends back home when Ryan and I first moved to Cortina, Italy. I <b>never</b> thought I would write a blog, <b>ever</b> but at the time, it seemed to make sense. It was a good way to document everything, too.<br />
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When the blog first started, it was a private blog and couldn't even be found on search engines. The following year, I made it a little more accessible and the year after, it actually started to gain readership from around the world and people who I didn't know! I went from writing about what we were doing each day to writing recipes, travel advice, interviews, collaborating with a few small businesses and sharing pictures from our vacations, summers and every day lives. I'm so proud of the work that I put in to the blog and where it went and the contacts that I made through it and the people I met.<br />
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Now though, I feel like this is a great and natural place to end. I'm doing some freelance writing and that takes up all of whatever work time I have, which will be even less in a few months, once baby #2 comes along! I'm so happy to have this blog to look back on all of our adventures. And I'm so thankful to all of my readers, wherever you are, for your emails and comments and interest.<br />
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I get a lot of emails from readers asking about expat life or travels in Italy and Scotland and I'm still happy to answer any and all questions, so please don't hesitate to send me an email! (My email can be found in the contact section).<br />
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For now though.....a few of my favorite posts throughout the years:<br />
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<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/how-to-recycle.html">How to Recycle in Italy....</a><br />
<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/this-is-italy.html">"This is Italy"</a><br />
<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/how-to-have-thanksgiving-in-italy.html">How to Have Thanksgiving in Italy</a><br />
<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/favorite-travel-destinations.html">Favorite Travel Destinations</a><br />
Our entire <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/tour%20of%20italy">Tour of Italy</a>....<br />
On <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/reverse-culture-shock.html">reverse culture shock</a><br />
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It's crazy to me to think that when I started this blog, Ryan and I weren't even engaged yet. Since then we've gotten married, moved from Italy to Scotland, had our first child and are expecting our second and have had a million other adventures in between. Looking back on all of the posts throughout the years, I feel <b>so lucky</b>.<br />
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Thank you, thank you, thank you and this is <b>THE END.</b> <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-52752838421135336852017-01-17T00:26:00.002-07:002017-01-17T00:26:08.235-07:002017Happy 2017! We have some exciting news to start the new year which is that we're expecting another baby in June! We're so excited although we know it will be another big.change. But we're ready! (I think).<br />
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That being said, I've spent the last few weeks thinking about my timing and priorities and after a lot of thought, I've decided to say The End to Here We Go Again. At first I felt badly about it because it seems like just a few months ago, I was having this same debate and I decided to keep going, only to change my mind a few weeks later. But! I did change my mind and I feel like this is a natural ending to my blog. I'll be doing one more post in a few days to wrap everything up but in the meantime, I wanted to say thank you so much for reading. I've been writing this blog in some form for almost six years now and while it's been fun for me, it's definitely time for me to focus on other opportunities and....raising two children who will only be 15 months apart. Yikes! Anyway, stay tuned for the last post of Here We Go Again, coming soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-47008843934610098232016-12-22T07:58:00.001-07:002016-12-22T07:58:08.999-07:00Merry Almost Christmas!Christmas is getting close now! This year will be extra special because it's Everett's first Christmas and we're so excited. He loves to sit in front of our tree and shake the branches and play with the ribbons on the presents. We have family coming in to town to celebrate with us and we couldn't be happier.<br />
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2016 has been such an exciting year for us, full of lots of changes and adjustments and lots of laughs and more love than we thought possible. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Years and thanks so much for reading this past year. xoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-50983472033684648122016-12-08T13:07:00.002-07:002016-12-08T13:07:46.447-07:00The Lake DistrictA few weeks ago, Ryan had two days off, so we headed down to England to the Lake District.<br />
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It was beautiful and one of my favorite trips that we've taken since we've been in Scotland. Here are a few pictures, if you'd like to see....<br />
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<br />We rented an airbnb in a tiny town called Buttermere. The road to get there was the smallest little mountain pass we had ever seen. It was funny because when we were reading the directions, we were warned about the "narrow mountain pass" which we laughed off because living in Colorado, we're pretty used to narrow mountain passes....but this one definitely takes the cake.<br />
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<br />We stayed in the coziest cottage (<a href="https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/12354080?wl_source=list&wl_id=183739963&role=owner&guests=2&adults=2&children=0&infants=0">here</a>, if you're looking), which I would highly recommend. The weather was dreary, as it often is in November, but both evenings we lit a fire in the fireplace and played Monopoly while Everett slept upstairs.<br />
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There were sheep everywhere too....in the back yard, in all the fields, in town, walking down the street....<br />
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On our one full day there, we went for a hike around Buttermere Lake.<br />
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It was so beautiful, even in the gray weather...<br />
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Afterwards we ate fish and chips at the local pub and took long naps. It was such a fun and cozy two days and was one of our first family vacations! It would be so fun to go back to the Lake District in the summer...we would highly recommend!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-77575366226163758762016-11-23T03:37:00.001-07:002016-11-23T03:37:04.259-07:00Happy ThanksgivingSo now we're coming up on our <b>seventh</b> Thanksgiving away from home! We had one in Canada, four in Italy and almost two now, in Scotland. Being away from home on Thanksgiving is the worst but it also creates hysterical stories that we'll always remember from our years abroad. My favorite was from our first year in Italy....<br />
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As a disclaimer, I will say that I was not in charge of the turkey! There are no frozen turkeys in Italy and actually, they're quite hard to find in general, at least in Cortina, where we lived. That year, the turkey ended up having to be special ordered from a local butcher. When that was going on, the pounds to kilo ratio got mixed up and a few days later, a 40 pound turkey was delivered to the door. It then had to be taken back to the butcher to be sawed in half so that it could fit in two different ovens for cooking, which took several days.<br />
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Lesson learned and in subsequent years, I would end up driving to Austria to buy frozen, normal sized turkeys. Thanksgiving is a little bit easier now that we're in Scotland, but of course, every year there are always fun stories that we'll remember for many years to come. Although, I should mention that I'm in charge of the turkey this year so hopefully no fun stories come of it.... Happy almost Thanksgiving! xo<br />
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PS - <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/how-to-have-thanksgiving-in-italy.html">How to have Thanksgiving in Italy</a> and <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/green-bean-casserole.html">Ryan's famous green bean casserole</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-49369687011677966352016-11-11T04:31:00.002-07:002016-11-11T04:31:14.478-07:00The Expat RefrigeratorI was writing an article the other day and I mentioned that we had been living abroad for six years now. SIX! I can't believe it. There are a lot of great things about life abroad, but for me, food has always been one of the best. I love cooking (and eating) and I love trying local dishes and poking around the grocery store to see what you can find and what you can't. For fun, the other day I made a list of things that are always in our fridge or pantry now that we live in Scotland, compared to what we always had on hand in Italy, and what we usually keep at home in the US. <br />
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<u><b>What We Have:</b></u><br />
<b>Tea</b>. Lots of it.<br />
<b>Cheddar cheese.</b> Again, lots of it. This is something we were missing in Italy and we're still overcompensating.<br />
<b>Curry packs.</b> Curry is huge in the UK and you can buy all sorts of different kinds. <br />
<b>Tunnock's Wafers.</b> You guys. These things are amazing. They're the perfect sweet and they've been around forever. I always see old ladies buying them in the grocery store.<br />
<b>The best salted butter.</b><br />
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<u><b>What We're Missing:</b></u><br />
Really good dill pickles. Can't find them anywhere.<br />
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<u><b>What We Had:</b></u><br />
<b>Dried pasta</b> (obviously) in about ten different shapes on any given day.<br />
<b>Stravecchio cheese.</b> My favorite cheese, from the deli counter.<br />
<b>Espresso.</b><br />
<b>Half empty jars of pesto.</b><br />
<b>Fennel. </b><br />
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<u><b>What We Missed:</b></u> <br />
Cheddar cheese, cumin and canned pumpkin.<br />
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<u><b>What We Have:</b></u><br />
<b>Green chilies! </b>We live in Colorado...<br />
<b>A variety of hot sauces</b>. Favorites include Cholula, Sriracha and our local favorite from the <a href="http://www.yvsauce.com/">Yampa Valley Sauce Company</a>, <a href="http://www.yvsauce.com/product-page/ce5cae65-6913-510d-5edf-97aba68c1a4f">Habacado</a>.<br />
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<u><b>What We Miss:</b></u><br />
That Stravecchio cheese and Tunnock's wafers! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-68789995688403026432016-11-02T10:17:00.001-06:002016-11-02T10:17:33.219-06:00The Jacobite Steam TrainMy parents have been visiting for the past ten days and while they were here, we planned a little side trip...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>One thing that's been on my Scotland bucket list is the <a href="http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/jacobite-steam-train-details.cfm">Jacobite Steam Train</a>. The train leaves Fort William and goes to Mallaig, a little seaside town on the west coast of Scotland. It takes about two hours to get there and the scenery is incredible....lakes, mountains, fields, and it goes right over the <a href="https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/glenfinnan-p236571">Glenfinnan viaduct</a> (this part of the trip was made famous from the first Harry Potter movie).<br />
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Anyway, Everett, my parents and I headed up to Fort William on Tuesday afternoon and spent two nights at <a href="http://www.myrtlebankguesthouse.co.uk/">a great little B&B</a> there and on Wednesday, we went on the steam train!<br />
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My dad loves trains and got us four first class seats which was thrilling....I was nervous about bringing a baby in first class, but Ev was perfect and slept both ways (it luckily coincided with his two nap times). The seats were super comfortable and we drank tea and ate shortbread while we gazed out the window at the Highlands going by.<br />
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When we got to Mallaig, we found a little spot where we ordered fish & chips for lunch and then explored the town a bit before getting back on the train and heading back to Fort William.<br />
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I would highly recommend this if you're in Scotland and the area during the months it runs (not in the winter - this past week was the last for the season). Also make sure to book your tickets early because it sells out really quickly.<br />
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And PS - <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/fort-william-loch-ness.html">our trip to Fort William last year</a>, if you'd like to see...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-3422390203450963062016-10-10T03:58:00.000-06:002016-10-10T03:58:04.076-06:00Funny Scotland ObservationsHave you seen <a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/american-tourist-s-25-observations-of-scotland-1-4231632">this list</a> of one visitor's observations on Scotland after a trip here? It made me laugh, especially numbers 10 and 14....<br />
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Also...<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/8-things-to-do-in-scotland.html">8 Things to do in Scotland</a> <b>and</b> we're currently working on a list of our favorite things to do in Fife! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-12081324792264307012016-10-04T04:38:00.002-06:002016-10-04T04:38:20.859-06:00Easy SalmonThis summer, my cousin gave me <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-All-Easy-Delicious-Super-Busy/dp/0751555495/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475576973&sr=1-1&keywords=gwyneth+paltrow">Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook</a> and all the recipes are so good! We discovered her salmon recipe in the book, which is served with a sauce made from herbs and yogurt. We try not to eat a lot of salmon in the summer because when we come back to Scotland, we know we're getting the best of the best. So lately, now that we're back, we've been eating salmon about once a week and this is one of our favorite, easy recipes.<br />
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For two servings, you need two boneless salmon fillets (I buy them with the skin on because I like when the skin gets really crispy during cooking, but if you don't like salmon skin, it's not necessary). Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper and heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Depending on the thickness of the fish, cook for about 5 minutes per side. If it still looks pink in the middle after the 10 minutes, flip it again and cook a little more. I like to cut up some lemon slices and throw them in the pan as well.<br />
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For the sauce, which is loosely based on the one we found in <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-All-Easy-Delicious-Super-Busy/dp/0751555495/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475576973&sr=1-1&keywords=gwyneth+paltrow">the cookbook</a>, combine 1/2 cup of cilantro, 1/2 cup of parsley, 1/4 cup of plain yogurt, one garlic clove and a pinch of cumin in a blender and blend until smooth.<br />
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The whole recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make, so it's perfect for a quick meal. And oddly enough, Everett <b>loves</b> salmon so I always make sure to save him some for lunch the next day. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-41329581430456331322016-09-29T06:01:00.001-06:002016-09-29T06:01:07.352-06:00How to Fly With a NewbornEverett was four and a half weeks old when we took him on the airplane for the first time - and it was a long trip - from Scotland back to Colorado for the summer. Prior to flying, I read a lot of blog posts with advice on flying with babies: what to do with them, what to pack for them, how to pop their ears....for the most part, it was helpful but the thing about babies is that they're always changing! I'm putting together my own set of tips for flying with babies, but at different stages. First up: newborns.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
As a new mom, the thought of flying with my tiny baby was incredibly nerve wracking. At four and a half weeks, we were still figuring each other out and I didn't quite feel back to normal yet. Luckily, it also turned out to be the easiest time to fly with a baby. Every flight we've taken with him since then has been a little more challenging than that first one. In my experience, if you can get your newborn on a long flight, you will be able to catch up on <b>hours</b> of lost sleep. The sound of the plane put Ev right to sleep and he slept the whole way except for waking up a few times to eat. A few tips:<br />
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<b>Before the Flight: </b><br />
Book the bassinet, if there's one available, which there usually is on most long-haul flights. They're in the front row of each section and come down from the wall. Everett slept in this for the whole flight from London to Denver and only woke up once to eat. It's a lifesaver to have your hands free. And you get more legroom, being in the front. Which is good because inevitably, you will have a million things scattered around for the baby.<br />
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Dress your baby is something that is easy to get on and off for changing him/her. Changing a diaper in the tiny airplane bathroom is hard enough - you don't want to be fiddling with socks, shoes, pants and a jacket on the baby as well. I always put Everett in pajamas, preferably with a zipper so there aren't a million snaps to do up. (Also, have you seen <a href="https://milkbarnkids.com/portfolio/newborn-gown-hat-set/">these little outfits</a>? My aunt gave Everett one - they're super easy for travel if you don't mind dressing your baby in a sack!)<br />
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<b>On Packing the Diaper Bag:</b><br />
I always struggle with trying to be prepared for everything but not bringing tons of stuff to dig through if you need to find a diaper. Usually what I do is have a larger carry on bag that I aim to not open but is there in case I need it. This bag has an extra change of clothes for me and usually two for Everett, plus extra diapers. In the actual diaper bag which I would always have close by is: diapers (I usually bring one diaper for every 4 hours of travel, plus two or three extra), wipes, a burp cloth, a blanket, pacifier (and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blulu-Dummy-Clips-Holders-Pieces/dp/B01E5FMTLI/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1475142510&sr=8-5&keywords=pacifier+clip">clip</a>, which is a lifesaver for planes), bottles if you are bottle feeding or nursing cover if you are breast feeding. And that's it. Really tiny babies don't need toys or things to keep them entertained (unless they have a little stuffed animal that they always sleep with) - they just need their parents. You will probably never have to bring so few things for a baby on a plane as you do for newborns, so enjoy it.<br />
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<b>In the Airport:</b><br />
Allow plenty of time. It's terrible to be rushed with a baby for one, and it also takes longer to get through security because you'll have to fold up the stroller, remove all the liquids from your carry on, do everything with one hand....Plus, families with babies and kids get to board early. Take advantage of this!!! I plan to for the next ten years because it's the best thing ever.<br />
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Consider wearing the baby. We found it easier (if we didn't need to bring his stroller wherever we were going) to have Everett in a carrier in the airport. This way you have two hands and you don't need to take them out of the carrier (as you do with the stroller) when going through security - plus, no stroller to collapse. <br />
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Rearrange everything in your bag so that it's accessible to you on the plane. I always buy water and snacks in the airport and then make sure that I can reach them with one hand.<br />
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Change the baby's diaper one last time before boarding. It's terrible to do it on the plane, in such close quarters.<br />
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<b>On the Plane:</b><br />
Feed during takeoff and landing. This is a tip I picked up from the internet world. When the baby is sucking and swallowing milk, it helps their ears pop. The only time I haven't done this for Everett is if he's sleeping during takeoff or landing.<br />
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Don't panic. Ryan and I were <b>so</b> worried that Everett would cry and bother someone. Which, looking back, is funny because his little newborn cry was so much quieter than his cry now! The truth is that babies cry and {usually/hopefully} people are patient and understanding. And if they aren't, there's nothing you can do anyway! In my experience though, people have been very nice and helpful. One time, when Everett was six weeks old, I didn't allow enough time at the airport and we were the last people to board the plane. Everett was starving because I hadn't had time to feed him prior to boarding and I was trying to wait until we got him on the plane (for his ears). As we walked down the aisle to our seats, Ev was SCREAMING. Of course, our row was close to the back and we had to keep stopping to wait for people to put their bags in the overhead bins. I was desperately trying to calm him down but nothing but milk would solve the problem. But the people we passed on the way to our seats were very sweet. They said "awww" or asked how old he was and one woman offered to help me carry the diaper bag. We finally collapsed into our seats, I fed him quickly and he immediately stopped crying and then slept for the rest of the flight. I didn't do this at the time, but my best advice in that situation is to stay calm. Babies can tell when their mothers are nervous and that just makes them cry harder.<br />
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<b>And a tip for mamas traveling alone:</b> take any help you can get. People will offer to help you, whether it's holding the baby or carrying a bag for you. Take them up on it. I first traveled alone with Everett when he was about three months and everyone - from the TSA agents at security to the flight attendants to the other passengers - were always helpful.<br />
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<b>Also -</b> the best advice I ever received on traveling with a baby is this: it will end. Even if it's the worst flight of your life, no matter how long it is - an hour or a whole day of travel - eventually it will be over.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-71455283313013450172016-09-27T12:26:00.002-06:002016-09-27T12:26:55.266-06:00StonehavenMondays are our days for adventuring so yesterday we headed up the coast to Stonehaven. Day trips are slightly different now that Everett is around. We try to leave right around his morning nap time (9 am) and hope that he sleeps the whole way to wherever we're going. He used to be a really good stroller sleeper and would fall asleep anywhere, but now he's way too interested in whatever is going on around him to sleep! We also try to plan our departure from wherever we are around his afternoon nap time....which means that we don't get tons of time anywhere, but it's better than a cranky baby. Here are a few pictures if you'd like to see....<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Stonehaven is a little seaside fishing village about an hour and a half away from Kirkcaldy. It's a cute town and has a sweet harbor with lots of pubs and restaurants with fresh seafood. We parked downtown and then walked on the boardwalk to the harbor.<br />
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We were walking around the harbor when someone stopped us to admire Everett who was grinning at everyone we passed, and she ended up recommending <a href="http://www.shipinnstonehaven.com/index.htm">The Ship Inn</a> for lunch, so we took her advice. SO good! We had mussels to start which were really fresh. In Scotland the mussels are usually served in a shallot/cream sauce and are really delicious. I had local haddock and Ryan had fish sliders which were a really fun twist.<br />
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After lunch we made our way over to <a href="http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/">Dunnottar Castle</a> which is one of the more famous castles in Scotland.<br />
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This was probably my favorite castle that we've been to in Scotland, and we've been to a lot. It wasn't preserved so much that it felt fake, but you could definitely get a feel for the rooms and what was where. Also, the rooms were labeled really well so we knew what we were looking at and there were little stories everywhere, including a story about multiple visitors who reported seeing a ghost in one of the rooms!<br />
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It was set up on these incredible cliffs and the landscape wasn't like anything we've seen around Scotland before. There was a beach down below that looked fun but sand + baby = disaster so we let Everett crawl around on the grass for a bit before getting back in the car. <br />
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We would definitely recommend visiting Stonehaven and especially Dunnottar Castle, if you're thinking about adding it to your itinerary!<br />
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As a side note - I'm starting to get into Snapchat a bit. I posted some pictures and videos from our trip yesterday and will be doing that for other trips as well. If you want to follow along, you can find me @ sophiedingle<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-30478285533058867122016-09-21T05:04:00.000-06:002016-09-21T05:04:41.450-06:00On BloggingSo, after <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/back.html">my first post in sixth months</a>, which I posted yesterday, I want to take some time to explain my intentions behind this blog and the direction that it will go in moving forward.<br />
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After Everett was born, I wanted to take some time off blogging to spend time with my baby, soak all that in, and adjust to our new life. That time ended up being almost seven months. During those months I did a <b>lot</b> of thinking about blogging - as a career, as a hobby, the direction I wanted my blog to go in...<br />
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I ended up deciding to stop blogging all together. I wanted to spend more time focusing on my freelance writing and finding new opportunities. There are a <b>lot</b> of things that I don't like about blogging. To name a few: social media - I don't like feeling like I need to be on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat constantly, to gain new readers. It's exhausting and I honestly don't like sharing every detail of my day or life. I don't really like promoting myself (or my "brand", as they say, because - ha! - I don't have a brand). I was worried about sharing too many pictures or details about my baby on the internet, to people who I don't know, because that seems weird. And I feel like the blogging market is very saturated. It seems like everyone has a blog and it's hard not to compare your blog to others - just as it's hard to find ways to stand out in the midst of it all.<br />
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I saw two options: grow my blog - which for me meant more collaborations, better pictures with a nicer camera and snazzy photo editing, getting sponsors and advertisers, daily content, etc. - <b>or</b> quit blogging all together. And I wasn't sure that, as a stay at home mom with a small baby, that I would have time to grow the blog properly or in a way that was beneficial to me. Building a blog into a business takes a <b>lot</b> of work, whether it's finding advertisers, creating content, managing an editorial schedule, exploring collaborations....and the dreaded social media aspect too. It was exhausting for me just to think about. So after a lot of back and forth all summer, I decided to stop blogging.<br />
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But then! I was putting together some clips for a potential freelance writing project, as examples of my work. And I started looking back on the blog and all the adventures we've had and everything we've done. And I thought, "I can't stop now!" So, while we're living abroad and have this lifestyle that I love to write about and share, I decided to keep it up.<br />
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The best realization came a few days later when I remembered that I don't have to do what other bloggers are doing. I can do my own thing and make my blog what I want it to be.<br />
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Do you know the history behind Here We Go Again? It started in 2011 under the name Italian Treats (we were living in Italy then, obviously). I started it so that I didn't have to write 10 long emails a day to our families and friends back home, telling them about our new Italian lifestyle and everything we were doing. It wasn't even a public blog - it didn't come up on search engines and you had to subscribe to read it. The next year, I decided to expand a little bit and <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/here-we-go-again.html">I changed the name to Here We Go Again</a>, made it more public and steered the content away from things that only our parents would be interested in. Since then, it's gone through a few makeovers and it's grown way more than I ever meant it to. I have actual readers who I don't know and people email me a lot asking for travel tips, which I love.<br />
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So it's <b>not</b> going to stop. Pre-Everett, I had a relatively strict editorial calendar that I stuck to, which will not be the case anymore because....life with a baby! The content will be mostly the same: recipes, travel pictures and stories, our everyday adventures. My goal is to take it one day at a time. And to make this blog into a very long story that we can look back on in ten or twenty years and remember all the incredible things we did and experiences we had. <b>Because for me, that's really always been the point of it.</b><br />
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So - thank you, thank you for reading, and....Here We Go Again!<b> </b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-87587736623182891852016-09-20T12:35:00.000-06:002016-09-20T12:35:12.196-06:00BACKYou guys, we are <b>back</b>! I can't believe <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/this-season.html">it's been six months since I wrote a blog post</a>. The time has flown by. Time to catch up!<br />
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Since we were last on here, we went home to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where we live in the summers. We had such a fun first summer with Everett. We went on hikes, took him swimming for the first time - actually there were a lot of firsts for him! - and just generally enjoyed <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/a-summer-weekend-in-steamboat.html">everything Steamboat has to offer in the summer</a>.<br />
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Last May, Ryan signed back with his team in Scotland, the <a href="http://fifeflyers.co.uk/">Fife Flyers</a>, for a second season. So! Now we're back in Scotland. We've been here for about a month and we're all settled in for this upcoming season <b>and</b> ready to get back to the blog.<br />
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More on that tomorrow. But for now, here are a few fun pictures from the summer, if you'd like to see...<br />
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We went on a <b>lot</b> of trips. By the time Everett was six months old, he had been on thirteen plane rides! But our families are spread out all over the US and everyone wanted to meet Everett (obviously). I also went to my cousin's wedding in Maine which I took Ev to. And a family reunion in Florida! We got around.<br />
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We did try to allow for a lot of pool time, hikes and sunset-watching....and the summer just flew by.<br />
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One funny story: when Everett was about three months old, we tried to take him camping in Moab which turned out to be a <b>disaster</b>. It was too long a drive (5 hours), it took us forever to find a good campsite with shade and Ev was really confused about sleeping in a tent. He usually goes to bed at 6:30 and he wouldn't settle down until past 9 pm, when it finally got dark. By the time he finally fell asleep, Ryan and I were so exhausted that we slugged a quick glass of wine by the campfire and went to bed ourselves. We were planning on staying two nights, but went on a hike in the morning and then drove back to Steamboat. We essentially drove 10 hours to go on a hike. That was the disaster story of the summer, ha.<br />
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I guess we'll try again next summer. In any case, it's great to be back in Scotland now <b>and</b> back on the blog. I'll be sharing my plans going forward tomorrow. xo<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-70534342756031873622016-04-06T02:26:00.000-06:002016-04-07T21:46:16.370-06:00This SeasonJust like we say every year, this season has flown by! It seems like just the other day that we were out exploring our new territory, searching for the best fish and chips, hiking in the Highlands and strolling on the beach.<br />
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We loved living in a different country and having new adventures - a few of our favorites from this season: our trips to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/oban.html">Oban</a>, <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/glasgow.html">Glasgow</a>, the Highlands, <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/fort-william-loch-ness.html">Fort Williams and Loch Ness</a>. We loved <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/anstruther-crail-and-elie.html">exploring coastal Fife</a> - it was so much fun to live by the sea after living in the mountains for the past four years in Cortina - it was a drastic change of scenery but a nice one too! And it was great to hang out in <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/edinburgh-favorites.html">Edinburgh</a> a bunch and become familiar with a new city.<br />
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We visited castles, tasted whiskey and tried haggis. We survived our first Scottish winter and we managed to learn some new words and phrases despite the fact that we're all speaking the same language!<br />
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Ryan's team made it to the final playoff weekend down in Nottingham, but of course the MOST exciting thing that happened this season was the birth of our son, Everett.<br />
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We can't believe he's already a month old! These past few weeks have flown by and have been the best, most fun, hardest, most rewarding weeks of our lives. We're so excited to take Ev home to Colorado to meet all of our family and friends.<br />
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Thanks to everyone who made this season in Fife so enjoyable - we had heard that the hockey fans here are incredible, and they absolutely are! We will definitely look back on this season with very fond memories.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-25904299489324645902016-03-24T15:56:00.001-06:002016-03-24T15:56:45.467-06:00EverettWe are so thrilled to announce that Everett Hayes Dingle was born on March 6 at 12:29 am.<br />
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We're so in love with this little guy! These past few weeks have flown by as we've gotten used to each other and adjusted to our new family. It's hard to believe that it's time to start packing up and heading back to Colorado for the spring and summer, but it is and we're heading back on April 7. In the next few weeks, I'll be sharing a look back on this season in Scotland, which has really been a great one. Thanks for all of the support this season and for the nice words on our baby boy! xoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-76853902645882231302016-02-17T03:07:00.000-07:002016-02-17T03:07:04.273-07:00In PreparationIt's baby month (hopefully!) and I'm going to be taking a few weeks off from blogging to a) prepare and b) spend every second with our newest family member once he or she arrives. We're so excited that we're talking in weeks now (or days!), rather than months, and we can't wait to meet our little one.<br />
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In the meantime, a few posts from this season in Scotland, in case you missed them:<br />
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<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/edinburgh-favorites.html">Our favorite things to do in Edinburgh.</a><br />
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<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/8-things-to-do-in-scotland.html">8 things to do in Scotland</a>, if you're planning a trip this summer.<br />
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<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-first-week-of-scotland.html">Our first week in Scotland!</a> This seems like forever ago... <br />
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<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/oban.html">This</a> was probably our favorite getaway this season.<br />
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And, <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/shepards-pie.html">this</a> was pretty much my go-to recipe all winter.<br />
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See you back here in a few weeks, xo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-52083550800737011982016-02-10T03:26:00.001-07:002016-02-10T03:26:28.364-07:00GlasgowEarlier this week we headed to Glasgow for a night which was a Christmas present from my aunt - a babymoon! Here are a few pictures, if you'd like to see...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>We stayed at <a href="http://www.grasshoppersglasgow.com/">Grasshoppers Hotel</a> which was right in the city center and was so convenient to everything. Plus, they had homemade cookies! This is silly, but the first thing I wanted to do when we got there was go to <a href="https://www.fiveguys.co.uk/">Five Guys</a> for a cheeseburger.<br />
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Cheeseburgers have been the only thing I've craved throughout my pregnancy but I can't find them in Scotland how I like them (I like thin patties, melt-y yellow cheese, pickles, mayo, etc.). Anyway, I knew they would have the right kind at Five Guys and there was one right by the hotel (!!!) so we headed there first and it hit the spot. Then we took a nap! It was a babymoon after all....<br />
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I'd heard - and read - that Glasgow was big for shopping, so we walked around in the early evening poking into some stores before dinner. I have a list of things to get before the baby comes and we were able to cross a few items off which felt very productive! We had dinner that night at <a href="https://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/restaurants/glasgow/">Jamie Oliver's restaurant</a> which we love (we'd been to the one in Edinburgh) and which we would highly recommend if you're in the mood for Italian - and try the orange blossom polenta cake for dessert which is amazing.<br />
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In the morning we walked up to the cathedral. It's funny, when we used to travel around Italy, we would go to cathedrals all the time, in every city, but in Scotland, not so much. But this one was beautiful, with amazing stained glass windows.<br />
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We also had a lot of museum recommendations - Glasgow has tons of great ones and most of them are free! - but we chose the <a href="http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/GoMA/Pages/default.aspx">Gallery of Modern Art</a> which was really fun. The iconic image of Glasgow is right outside - it's a statue of the Duke of Wellington and he has an orange traffic cone on his head (placed there for fun by residents of the city) - which is a nod to the artsy, funky vibe of the city and the humor of the people who live there.<br />
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Have you been to Glasgow or are you going? I'd love some more recommendations on things to see and do there. We probably won't make it back again this year since we're only in Scotland for about two more months (yikes, where did the time go?!) but if we come back for another season, I would definitely spend more time there.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-82214404213877704522016-02-03T03:02:00.001-07:002016-02-03T03:02:09.208-07:00Edinburgh Favorites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We live only about 30 minutes from Edinburgh by train so we go into the city quite a bit and by now we've accumulated a list of favorites there. Here are a few if you're planning a trip:<br />
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There are a <b>lot</b> of castles in Scotland but <a href="http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/">Edinburgh's</a> is by far the most extensive and best maintained. Perched above the city (you get a great view), you could easily spend a whole day sightseeing there, but our favorite stops are the prisons and the crown jewels.<br />
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<a href="https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse">Holyrood Palace</a>, where the queen still stays when she visits Edinburgh, is a working palace that you can tour. The audio tour is about an hour long and is great - very informative without being <i>too</i> much information. It's located at the opposite end of the castle on Edinburgh's famous street, the Royal Mile.<br />
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And, speaking of the royal family, the <a href="http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/">Royal Yacht Britannia</a>, is another fun tour. Permanently moored now in Edinburgh Harbour, this tour gives you a fun glimpse into royal life.<br />
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The best burger that I've had in Scotland was at <a href="http://www.theholyrood.co.uk/">9A Holyrood</a> - plus, located right near Arthur's Seat (see below), it makes a perfect lunch stop after a hike.<br />
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When my cousin was visiting, I met her for dinner one night at <a href="http://www.thedogsonline.co.uk/">The Dogs</a> which had the coolest ambiance and the best goat cheese and asparagus risotto.<br />
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One of my favorite areas in Edinburgh is Grassmarket which is lined with tons of traditional Scottish pubs, including <a href="http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/scotlandandnorthernireland/thelastdropgrassmarketedinburgh">The Last Drop</a> which is super cozy and has good food in addition to good drinks.<br />
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High tea at <a href="http://www.thedomeedinburgh.com/">The Dome</a> was one of my favorite experiences this year. The tea was the best I've ever had and their sandwiches are to die for. The best time to go is at Christmas, when they're decorated to the nines.<br />
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While we're not going out for drinks these days quite like we used to, we did venture into <a href="http://devilsadvocateedinburgh.co.uk/">The Devil's Advocate</a> with friends the other week, and I have to say, I would definitely go back post-pregnancy. There's a very cool vibe there and the bartenders make all sorts of specialty cocktails in fun glasses.<br />
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And, when we crave Mexican food - which in Ryan's case is quite a lot - we head to <a href="http://www.miroscantinamexicana.com/">Miros Cantina</a> on Rose St. which is tiny and has the best Mexican food we've had, outside of Colorado.<br />
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<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/arthurs-seat.html">Arthur's Seat </a>is a great little hike in the middle of a city (rare) and if you make it to the top, you'll be awarded great views of the city, the sea and beyond.<br />
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Of course my favorite thing to do in cities is to wander and in Edinburgh, my favorite area is <a href="http://www.greatergrassmarket.co.uk/">Grassmarket</a> which has lots of little shops and cafes that are fun.<br />
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Although if you want a more Scottish experience, wander the <a href="http://www.royal-mile.com/">Royal Mile</a> instead. While it can be a little touristy, it's also the perfect street for finding any souvenir you're looking for - many Christmas presents this year came from the Royal Mile!<br />
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And, for the ultimate whiskey experience, visit <a href="https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/">The Scotch Whisky Experience</a> which is on the Royal Mile, right next to the castle. You'll learn about the different regions that produce whiskey in Scotland, taste a few and visit the largest private whiskey collection in the world (!!). To be honest, we were a little skeptical at first because we had already been to several smaller distilleries and learned about whiskey making there, but this tour really summed everything up and turned out to be really interesting.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-76076697348229764342016-01-27T04:51:00.000-07:002016-01-27T04:51:07.427-07:00Shepard's PieScotland is all about comfort food and one of my favorites is Shepard's Pie, which I've made approximately 50 times in the six months that we've lived here. I use a recipe that I've adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-Irma-S-Rombauer/dp/0743246268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453655488&sr=8-1&keywords=the+joy+of+cooking">The Joy of Cooking</a> and it's the perfect dinner for a dark, rainy night - with enough left over for lunch the next day.<br />
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<u>Shepard's Pie</u><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Serves 4-6</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Traditional Shepard's Pie is made with ground lamb, however I usually use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork (technically, using ground beef turns it in to Cottage Pie). I make mine in a 9x13 inch pan (the recipe below is based on using a pan this size) but it's easily adapted to whatever size you prefer. </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">6-8 mashing potatoes for the topping, along with a bit of butter and cream to mash with</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">And for the meaty part: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1-2 tbsp olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 onion </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4 stalks of celery</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4 carrots</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1.5 lbs ground beef, pork or lamb - or a combination </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/4 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 cup beef broth</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp rosemary</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp thyme</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A pinch of nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Salt and pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Make the mashed potatoes first: peel the potatoes, dice them, and boil until fork tender. Mash with butter, cream, salt and pepper and set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, clean and chop all the vegetables. In a large pan, heat the oil and add the onion, celery and carrot, and saute until softened, about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When it's no longer pink, add the flour to thicken the mixture. Stir in the broth and let simmer for a few minutes, also adding the spices as well as salt and pepper. Transfer this mixture to your pan and add a layer of mashed potatoes to the top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.</span> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-29261979640476868082016-01-20T08:46:00.002-07:002016-01-20T08:46:50.805-07:008 Things to do in ScotlandWhile I wouldn't recommend visiting Scotland in January, if anyone is planning a trip for the summer months, here are a few things that we would recommend seeing and doing while you're here:<br />
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1. <b>Hike, walk or bike</b> - Scotland has great trails all over the country, but especially in the Highlands and up by Ben Nevis, its largest mountain. Wherever you go, there are trails for all levels and the views tend to be pretty incredible.<br />
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2. <b>Take a distillery tour</b> - There are distilleries all over Scotland, although the most concentrated region is the Highlands. Usually you can take a tour of the distillery and taste some of their whiskey. Even if you don't like whiskey, the process of making it is fascinating and it's a huge part of Scotland's culture.<br />
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3. <b>Try haggis</b> - We get asked constantly if we've tried haggis yet, and yes, we've tried it a few times, at a few different places and while we don't <b>love</b> it, we'd definitely recommend trying the food that Scotland seems to be most famous for. (And if you don't know what it is, maybe look it up <i>after</i> you've tried it....)<br />
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4. <b>Visit Edinburgh</b> - Scotland's capital is an amazing city with tons to see and do, and it's also filled with great restaurants and bars. Our top recommendations include <a href="http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/">Edinburgh Castle</a>, <a href="https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse">Holyrood Palace</a>, strolling up and down the <a href="http://www.royal-mile.com/">Royal Mile</a> and eating authentic Scottish food in a cozy pub in the Grassmarket area (I love <a href="http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/scotlandandnorthernireland/thelastdropgrassmarketedinburgh">The Last Drop</a>, but there are tons!).<br />
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5. <b>Search for the Loch Ness Monster</b> - One of the famous myths (or not?!) of Scotland, the Loch Ness Monster, remains a mystery to this day but Loch Ness is definitely worth a visit. You can do boat tours of the lake, or, if you prefer to stay on land, we visited the <a href="http://www.lochness.com/home.aspx">Loch Ness Exhibition Center</a> a few months ago, which laid out the fact and fiction about Nessie.<br />
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6. <b>Eat fish and chips</b> - This is best done in <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/in-search-of-fish-chips.html">Anstruther</a>, a coastal fishing village in Fife, at either Anstruther Fish Bar or The Wee Chippy. And as a bonus, Anstruther is a really cute town to walk around and is easy to take a boat trip from.<br />
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7. <b>See a few castles</b> - It seems like every town in Scotland has its own castle, in various states of ruin, but touring a few of the major ones are a great way to get a feel for the country's history. Our favorites were <a href="http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/">Edinburgh Castle</a>, <a href="http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/">Stirling Castle</a> and <a href="http://www.urquhart-castle.co.uk/">Urquhart Castle</a>.<br />
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8. Play golf - Or, if you're not a golfer, at least visit <a href="http://www.standrews.com/Play/Courses/Old-course">St. Andrew's Old Course</a> for the beautiful views. The course is closed to golfers on Sundays and is open to the public for walking on and picnics. The view of the sea is incredible and it's such a historic place that even a non-golfer has to appreciate it.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-79838678775820574752016-01-13T02:02:00.001-07:002016-01-13T02:02:22.969-07:00Scottish BordersLast week we went on a little adventure....<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For Christmas, my mom gave Ryan a little getaway to the Scottish Borders region which was perfect because it's only about an hour an a half away from us. We haven't done too much exploring lately so we were thrilled...<br />
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The first stop was Melrose, where we stayed at the <a href="http://www.georgeandabbotsford.co.uk/">George and Abbotsford Hotel</a>. The Borders region is best known for <a href="http://www.scottsabbotsford.com/">Abbotsford</a>, the home of Sir Walter Scott (which was unfortunately closed for the winter) and for the four famous abbeys located in different towns there. We went to Melrose Abbey first, where you're supposed to find the pig playing bagpipes (we did)...<br />
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The next morning, we continued on to Dryburgh Abbey which was way out in the countryside, right by the River Tweed:<br />
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Sir Walter Scott is buried at Dryburgh Abbey - the photo above is of his grave. Surprisingly, the gray weather made for the perfect backdrop and we had both abbeys completely to ourselves which was great. On the way home, we stopped in Peebles which was a really cute town and a recommended stop if you're ever in the area!<br />
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We're planning on one or two more getaways before the baby comes - next up: Glasgow!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-77391734429564841982016-01-06T10:54:00.001-07:002016-01-06T10:54:49.906-07:00A New YearHappy New Year! Hope everyone had a great one. We've been busy this holiday season and things are finally starting to fall back into a normal routine....here are a few pictures, if you'd like to see:<br />
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My parents were here for 10 days around Christmas, and we had lots of fun showing them around. We took them to the <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/edinburgh-christmas-market.html">Edinburgh Christmas Market</a> (above) and we also did a day trip to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/anstruther-crail-and-elie.html">Anstruther</a> for <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/in-search-of-fish-chips.html">fish and chips</a> and back to Edinburgh another day to see the <a href="http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/">Royal Yacht Britannia</a>, which was really fun.<br />
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Since it was Christmas, we also spent a lot of time at the grocery store, prepping, cooking, last minute gift shopping and RELAXING! Ryan had a few games too - we gave my dad a jersey to wear and he gave Ryan a Scotland bowtie for Christmas, so the two of them were very festive looking:<br />
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Then my parents flew back to Boston a few days after Christmas and Ryan and I spent the rest of 2015 taking long afternoon naps! I'm feeling pretty good at 32 weeks now, but I'm definitely tired - a lot. We were lucky to have a beautiful New Years Day (!!) so I went for a long walk on the beach to ring in 2016 which is a year we're very excited for!<br />
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So! I'm cutting back a bit in 2016 as we prepare for the baby's arrival. I'm going to be posting once per week until the middle of February when I'm going to take some time off blogging completely to focus on our newest family member.<br />
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Happy 2016!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-82058558242848584312015-12-30T03:03:00.001-07:002015-12-30T03:03:13.213-07:00The Best of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2015 has been a great year for us and while we're sad to see it go, we're so excited for all that next year has in store. One of the best things about having a blog is that we can look back on the year and see what we were up to....here are a few of our favorite moments from the past year:<br />
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<a name='more'></a>At the start of 2015, we were still in Cortina....(that seems like a loooong time ago!). We kicked off the year with <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/vienna.html">a weekend in Vienna</a> which was uncharted territory for us at the time and we <b>loved</b> the city. But by far our favorite thing there was the schnitzel at <a href="http://www.figlmueller.at/en/">Figlmuller</a>. If you are ever in Vienna, definitely check it out - we still talk about it a year later!<br />
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We also took trips to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/seven-things-to-do-in-bassano-del-grappa.html">Bassano del Grappa</a>, <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/venice-florence.html">Florence and Venice</a>, but one of our most adventurous trips was <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/an-igloo-adventure.html">the night we spent in an igloo</a>! Ryan's season had ended in February and we had a few weeks to explore, so one day we drove to Val Senales where we parked the car and then skied to the <a href="http://www.goldenerose.it/it/rifugio-bellavista">Bella Vista Mountain Rifugio</a> where the igloo was located. I remember it was snowing and gray and windy and we were completely lost until we came across a man who was able to show us where the rifugio was (on the top of the glacier). Literally <b>no one</b> was out skiing that day and he was the only person we saw. We recovered by playing backgammon by the fire and then had a long soak in the outdoor hot tub. At night we ate dinner in the rifugio and drank Montenegro with snow in it - rifugios never have ice - and then we went out and slept in the igloo for the night! It wasn't as cold as we thought it would be and we slept inside really warm sleeping bags. We actually didn't sleep <b>that</b> well but the whole experience was wild and we would highly recommend it.<br />
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And <b>then</b> the traveling got really serious and we took off on our "<a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/tour%20of%20italy">tour of Italy</a>". After living in Cortina for four years, we definitely had Northern Italy down, but we felt like we hadn't seen the rest of the country and we wanted to explore that too. So we spent four weeks in <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/cinque-terre.html">Cinque Terre</a>...<br />
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....then continued on to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/rome.html">Rome</a> for three days where we got invited on a <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/roman-food-tour.html">food tour</a> and spent a day in Orvieto....<br />
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...then off to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/bari.html">Bari</a>, where we fell in love with the food and the ceramics and which was also our base for exploring Matera, Alberobello and Castellana Grotte...<br />
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....on to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/sorrento.html">Sorrento</a> for five days where we lounged in Marina Grande, took a tour of a local farm, visited Capri and went to Pompeii.<br />
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We passed through Naples too, and had the best pizza of our lives at <a href="http://www.damichele.net/">L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele</a>....<br />
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....and then we were on the ferry to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/sicily.html">Sicily</a>, where we spent 10 days seaside, in Sciacca, a tiny fishing village on the southern coast. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and we both feel so fortunate that we were able to take that month to explore. It's something that we'll remember forever and always look back fondly on, and was really the highlight of 2015.<br />
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The other highlight was finding out that <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/news_5.html">we're expecting our first baby in February</a>!<br />
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We found out at the start of the summer and luckily I was feeling well, so we still took a few trips - to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/lake-placid-ny.html">Lake Placid</a>, Maine, Massachusetts to visit family, NYC and of course, <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/the-adventure-trip.html">our annual adventure trip</a>.<br />
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At the end of August we moved to Scotland for a new hockey season after <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/thank-you-cortina.html">four years in Cortina</a>, which was a big move for us, but one that has worked out well. We've loved exploring a new place and have found Scotland a friendly and wonderful place to live (and to have a baby!). Our travel is slowing down now that the baby is coming in a few weeks but we did get to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/fort-william-loch-ness.html">Fort Williams and Loch Ness</a>, <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/oban.html">Oban</a>, <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/anstruther-crail-and-elie.html">the many fishing villages of Fife</a> and we've taken tons of day trips in Edinburgh.<br />
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2015 has been such a wonderful year for us, so thank you for following along and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-20155386607985026442015-12-21T02:16:00.004-07:002015-12-21T02:16:43.133-07:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My parents are here for Christmas now and I'm taking this week off to spend time with family, do some sightseeing, eat lots of <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/pecan-pie-tarts.html">Christmas treats</a> and <b>relax</b>! We're planning on one more visit to the Edinburgh Christmas market, treating my parents to <a href="http://sophiedingle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/in-search-of-fish-chips.html">real fish & chips</a>
in Anstruther, and a day trip to St. Andrew's on Christmas Eve for a
candlelight carol sing. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, wherever
you are in the world! xo </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167836457434004667.post-86692271584117262802015-12-17T04:47:00.000-07:002016-12-23T08:52:16.762-07:00Beef StewMany Christmas traditions revolve around food and in our house, there's no exception. We started a tradition when we lived in Cortina of eating beef stew on Christmas night for dinner. I'm not quite sure how it came about - Ryan always had practice on Christmas evening because he always had a game the day after Christmas - and after our big Christmas Eve party, I guess I didn't want to cook another elaborate meal, so we settled on beef stew which is hearty, delicious and super easy to make.<br />
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<u><b>Ingredients</b></u><br />
1/4 cup olive oil <br />
1 pound of stew meat (check weight)<br />
1 large onion, diced<br />
1/4 cup flour<br />
2 cloves minced garlic<br />
1 cup red wine<br />
1 tbsp dried thyme<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
4 cups beef broth<br />
4 stalks of celery, chopped<br />
4 carrots, chopped<br />
3 potatoes, chopped<br />
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<u><b>Directions </b></u><br />
Heat the olive oil on medium high heat and add the stew meat. Sear until the outside is no longer pink, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion to the pot; cook until softened. Add the flour and stir to combine and cook for another minute. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute, being careful that you aren't burning anything. Add the red wine and stir to combine, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pot as well. Simmer the wine for two minutes, then add the thyme, bay leaves and beef broth, as well as a bit of salt and pepper. Also add the beef back in. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for one hour.<br />
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In the meantime, you can chop up your vegetables. After an hour, add the carrots, celery and potatoes to the stew, cover again, and simmer for another hour and a half.<br />
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Serve hot with chopped parsley on top and crusty bread on the side.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219763926067011342noreply@blogger.com0