Welcome to My Corner of the Internet
If you're new here, welcome.
Over the past few weeks, a lot of new faces have found their way here, so I thought this week's Monday Moodboard would be a good opportunity to properly introduce myself.
I'm Ali, a Southwest Florida native born and raised in Cape Coral. By day, I'm the founder of Grazing Haus, a charcuterie company I started in 2019. Outside of work, you'll usually find me exploring local restaurants, planning our next trip, working on projects around our home, spending time on the water with my husband Jeremy, or spoiling our dogs, Kona and Tortuga.
Monday Moodboard has become my weekly place to share everything I'm eating, loving, wearing, planning, and doing both here in Southwest Florida and wherever life happens to take us.
This week, that happened to be North Carolina.
New here? Every Monday I share a weekly roundup of what I'm eating, loving, wearing, planning, and doing in Southwest Florida and beyond.
Life Lately
Last week we traded salt air for mountain air and headed to North Carolina for a family trip.
The older I get, the more I appreciate trips like this. Not because of packed itineraries or checking off attractions, but because they give us the opportunity to slow down. We spent the week chasing waterfalls, picking blackberries, exploring small towns, visiting a local winery, and simply enjoying time together.
Bald River Falls Hike Lake Cherokee Trail
UPick Blackberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries at Morris Vineyard
One of my favorite parts of the trip was watching Kona and Tortuga run free on the farm. There is something so special about seeing dogs experience that kind of freedom and space.
Kona, Brown 4 YO Malinois Shepherd Mix, Tortuga 5 YO boxer pit lab mix
We also made a stop at Poor Parson's Pub in Murphy, one of those local places that ends up becoming part of the memory of the trip. Between good food, mountain views, and family time, it was exactly the reset I didn't realize I needed.
How it works: write your name on the chalkboard and wait to be seated! The first seating is at 5 pm, but arrive at 4 pm to get your name at the top of the list. Beer, Wine, Cocktails, and Prime Steaks.
What I'm Eating, Loving & Looking Forward To
As always, food played a leading role in the week.
Before we left, I packed a batch of breakfast burritos and snack boxes for the road trip, a habit that makes travel mornings so much easier. Chenin Blanc continued its streak as my wine of choice, even in the mountains.
Snack Box: Everything Bagel Goat Cheese, turkey, salami, peppadews, cheddar & berries. (box from dollar tree)
Wine: Protea South African Chenin Blanc (trader joes $14)
Style-wise, this trip was all about easy summer staples: denim shorts, tank tops, activewear, and my On Clouds that barely left my feet all week.
Back home, I'm looking forward to getting back into a few projects around the house, including painting the office and giving the jasmine wall a much-needed trim.
I'm also counting down to a few exciting events on the calendar. We have our DIY Charcuterie Workshop at Keep Boutique on July 1 (tickets HERE), our Wine, Cheese & Dessert Pairing at Anarchy Ale Works on July 25 (tickets HERE), and later this month I'll be heading to California wine country with my best friend Emily for our annual wine trip—including a dinner at Robert Sinskey Farms with Outstanding in the Field that we're especially excited about.
Make a Charcuterie Board (July 1) Wine, Cheese, Dessert Pairing (July 25)
Summer is officially in full swing, and I have a feeling the next few months are going to be filled with plenty of adventures, good meals, and stories worth sharing.
New Here? Start Here
- Born & raised in Fort Myers
- Founder of Grazing Haus
- Married to Jeremy
- Dog mom to Kona & Tortuga
- Wine lover
- Frequent trip planner
- Currently renovating our home one project at a time
Thanks for being here :)
1 comment
What is the jasmine wall? Do you have any pictures?