Guest Post: Valentine's Day -- The Look, The Locale

Alison Lucas and Melissa Mitchell of inPSYCHful Living share their Valentine's Day looks and a suggestion for a special night out in the Lehigh Valley.    

I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing bloggers through Taste As You Go, some in real life and some online. In an attempt to introduce my readers to some bloggers they may not know about, I'll be featuring guest posts here from time to time.

Today's Guest Post was written by Alison Lucas and Melissa Mitchell, new blogging friends that I met through the powers of Instagram. Ali and Mel are fellow residents of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and I love reading their take on what's happening in the Lehigh Valley!

When you're finished reading Ali and Mel's Guest Post, you should check out their blog, inPSYCHful Living. I guarantee you'll enjoy what you see.

Take it away, ladies!

Menu Plan: January 25 - January 31

Sharing our Menu Plan for January 25 - January 31, 2015

via Instagram

I know what you're going to say. It seems as if I'm only posting menu plans these days. I've noticed it, too.

Ever since I went back to work full-time last month, the time I've had to devote to blogging and pushing new content has diminished exponentially. Thankfully, I have some fun posts planned for the next few weeks -- posts that I'm really looking forward to sharing with you -- so I'm hoping that excitement will fuel my motivation to publish more than just menu plans.

One of those upcoming posts involves sharing the recipe for the Valentine's Day cookies you see in the photo above. I posted this teaser on Instagram yesterday to give you guys a sneak peek at what's to come. If you stick with me, then you'll get to read all about them. I promise. :)

For now, though, it's all about our menu plan. Keep reading to see what's on deck for dinner for us this week!

Menu Plan: January 18 - January 24

Sharing our Menu Plan for January 18 - January 24, 2015

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, then you may have seen that Stephen and I spent this past weekend away on our babymoon. The time away was much-needed, as we've both been working hard keeping up with our day-to-day responsibilities and making preparations for Baby Rittler's arrival.

Now we're home again, spending quality snuggling time with Monty and getting back into the swing of our regular routines. In the spirit of "business as usual", it's time to share our menu plan.

Keep reading to see what's on deck for dinner for us this week!

Vinoteca di Monica - Boston, MA

This quaint trattoria and wine bar in Boston's North End offers regional Italian specialties, including rustic house-made pasta.

Gnocchi con Ragú di Salsiccia - Vinoteca di Monica - Boston, MA

Normally, at this time of year, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of an email notification alerting me that the Red Sox tickets I purchased for my birthday baseball game at Fenway Park are ready for printing. This year, however, Stephen and I won't be heading to Boston in May as we usually do. We decided to postpone our annual pilgrimage to my favorite city until later in the year since we'll likely still be adjusting to our life as new parents.

Thankfully, writing today's blog post not only helps me knock off one of the posts in my "to blog" queue, but it also helps me relive the trip that Stephen and I took last May. We originally intended to check into our hotel and go straight to Neptune Oyster for a round of lobster rolls, but the wait for a table was longer than we were willing to devote, so we explored the North End for another option.

And that's how we wound up at a table by the window at Vinoteca di Monica on Richmond Street. Keep reading to find out more about our meal!