Nov 20, 2013

life lately: according to instagram

At the end of October, my wonderful friend Allie came for a visit. We talked over cheese dip and coffee and visited Central Market. We also may or may not have become OBSESSED with Scandal, watching lots and lots (and lots) of episodes late into the night. Catching up was too good, and I am still missing her. 


When we dropped Allie off, we took a quick detour and visited D.C. We went to the National History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the National Archives. All in four hours. It was wonderful.

the capitol is behind us.

Fall from our apartment building.


 Work.
And our lovely new rug from Josiah's grandparents!


Nov 3, 2013

Some Lancaster Favorites.

Josiah and I have been here for almost three months. We have had our ups and downs living in this little city, but I think it is safe to say that we've settled in and are calling Lancaster "home."

Before moving to Lancaster, I had only been to a farmer's market a couple of times. I liked the idea of them, but didn't know much about why it was better to buy local or organic. Once we came here, It didn't take long to make the switch. Living three blocks from Central Market, the oldest operating farmer's market in the country, was the perfect incentive to make changes in how we eat. I look forward to my Tuesday afternoons, when I grab some grocery bags and walk to market.






Despite our switch to clean eating, my sweet tooth is alive and well. Whoopie pies, a Pennsylvania original, have a special place in my heart. Shady Maple's Shoofly Pie whoopie pie (pictured above, with a red velvet whoopie pie) was the first one I tried, and it seems to have become my go-to.

I have this thing about food where I decide I want something and I can't. stop. thinking. about. it. until I get it. Chick-fil-A, scones, and chocolate chip cookies fit into this category. While I was living in Scotland, Indian food was added to this list. I would get Indian carry-out probably too often. On my first trip to Lancaster, I spotted Himalayan Curry and Grill. The word "curry" on their sign called my name. We went there for our first Lancaster date. And then I fell in love. Their curry has been quickly climbed to the top of my list of "I want this NOW" foods. They are a straight shot from our apartment, and you'd better believe that whenever we go out for dinner, Himalayan Curry and Grill is my top choice. I'm married to a man who likes variety, and thankfully this restaurant has a menu full of Indian and Nepali choices. He tries something different every time. I, on the other hand, tend to stick to Chicken Tikka Masala or Chicken Korma. They're just too good.

After talking to some Lancaster natives about my new favorite restaurant, Josiah and I learned that there is a large Nepali refugee community in Lancaster. There are multiple non-profit organizations that work alongside our government to place refugees in cities around the country, and Lancaster is home to at least two of these organizations. From what we understand, this little fave of ours is owned and operated by Nepalis. Lancaster is far more diverse than we expected, and we love it.

So. If you're ever in Lancaster City and you see this little blue sign, stop in for your curry fix.