Celebrating with Kind Stranger Kitchen

Our wedding anniversary was creeping up on us, and we were at a real loss as to how to celebrate during a pandemic safely but still feel like a special day. Only about a week out did things start to click into place.

First, the day already started off well as Urban Orchid (our wedding florist) delivered a replica of my bouquet. Mr. H gifts this to me each year, and it always earns him big husband points!

Just a few days earlier, I had learned about the new catering business, Kind Stranger Kitchen, that is specializing in curated small party dining experiences. Caroline is no stranger in the food and events world of Cleveland, and she's passionate about creating experiences for people to feel like guests in their own home. This can be curated dinner parties, drop-off dinners, or delivered baked goods. 

A drop-off dinner with reheating and plating instructions sounded perfect for the night we had planned. For $75 per person, it includes a customized 3-course meal with the option to add on courses, wine pairings, or pre-made cocktails. We worked together over a couple of days to create a menu, and she was so responsive and flexible that it was a breeze.

We decided to not do a dessert (because of the other fun activity we had planned that evening), so we settled on a Roasted Cauliflower Soup to start the meal. We both loved it.

We sat down to eat that before jumping on Zoom for a private virtual Cookie Class with Chef Adam Bostwick. We joined our family and friends for a class creating a Mint Oreo Smash cocktail, Kitchen Sink Cookies, and Italian Christmas Cookies. We had a blast, learned some new things, and felt connected during this weird holiday season. 

After the class (and a couple "test" cookies), we were able to reheat and plate the entrée course from Kind Stranger Kitchen, a Citrus Roasted White Fish with Buttered Turmeric Rice. It was so delicious, and ready in just about 15 minutes!

Now, we were a little too full that night to enjoy the Arugula Salad, but we whipped it all together the next day and it was just as fresh and tasty. I highly recommend checking out this new business for your in-home catering needs. 

This is a really difficult year, and it's hard to find ways to celebrate with the health precautions, stress, and limits we're all dealing with. But life is worth celebrating, and we can continue to make the best of it. These local companies helped us do just that. The evening felt special, we felt loved and supported, and of course it included delicious food and drink. A must in this household!

How have you found ways to celebrate those moments that need recognizing this year?

Weekend Bites: Anniversary Edition

Well, it's Friday, but I'm still going to fill you in on our past weekend because it was a good one! Mr. H and I celebrated our five-year wedding anniversary, and there was no shortage of celebratory moments.

On Friday evening (our actual anniversary), I surprised him by picking up Salted Caramel cupcakes (our wedding cake) from A Cookie and a Cupcake in Tremont. I topped them with our original cake topper (a joke about how he made me wait almost 8 years before we "finally" married). And I arrived home to a surprise of my own, a floral arrangement made to mimic my wedding bouquet from Urban Orchid. Mr. H is incredibly thoughtful. I'll keep him.

Then we headed out the door to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for their new Wild Winter Lights event.

Not only is the zoo the site of our "first date" in Cleveland the first weekend I visited him from NY...

...but we also got engaged there. So it's a special place for us, and this new event was a perfect way to celebrate. The lights were beautiful, there were a lot of activities, and the weather was great that evening.

However, we were ready to warm up and fill our bellies after walking around outside. So we headed to Urban Farmer Cleveland in downtown. We hosted our rehearsal dinner there five years ago, and that experience is still one of my favorite moments of the wedding weekend.

Any meal at Urban Farmer must start with their signature Cornbread cooked in a tin can. It's some of the best I've had.

We also shared their Calamari before Mr. H enjoyed their Trout and I dove into a 21-day dry-aged Filet with tallow butter and blue cheese. It was a really lovely meal.

The celebrating wasn't over, and we jumped in the car the next morning to head to Gervasi Vineyard in Canton. More on that later!

After a wonderful night away, it was great to get back home and have Mr. H back in the kitchen whipping up amazing meals like these Pork Chops from Saucisson and a roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, pecans, and dried cherries mix that makes a great side dish for these colder months.

Having an anniversary smack in the middle of holiday season can sometimes feel overwhelming or not ideal, but I always appreciate taking the time to slow down and focus on celebrating with each other. This year was special--- our first big milestone, so we did it up!