Ugh. These Black and Bolyard boys are killing me with their recipes! First it was the bay leaf brown butter penne with pancetta, asparagus, and mushrooms, and now this ridiculous dish. 

I admit- looking at the ingredients, I may not have picked it off a restaurant menu for myself. Lime and basil aren't usually my thing, combining those sweeter flavors in a savory dish. But I would have sorely missed out, because ...

Confession: I barely turned on my oven all summer. 

Granted, I wasn't home very much to cook at all this summer with all that happened, but still. NYC is enough of an oven outdoors that I don't need to turn my apartment into an oven too!

But now autumn is rolling around, and I'm feeling the urges to cuddle up in cozier layers and nest a bit in my...

Happy September!

I am kind of in shock that it is somehow already September. How has this year flown by so fast?

Although, I do have to say that I am very happy this month is here. I am such a sucker for all things autumn- foliage, upcoming holidays, my favorite weather, and a general sense of renewal in the air as people head back to school and work after a relaxing summer. 

Yesterday I had a meeting with...

Soooo I posted a shorter blurb of this on my Instagram a few months ago, but I wanted to give you guys some (literal) food for thought this Wellness Wednesday!

I overheard an interesting conversation at a coffeeshop one day. A man was telling his friend how his trainer told him that coffee/caffeine is horrible for you and it was off limits. He then proceeded...

Shit Happens.

Sorry, Mom! 

But seriously. Life is full of hardships, and undeserved obstacles that can come without explanation. Sometimes there is no rhyme and reason. And it's really, really not fair. But no question about it- it's not a matter of "if" they'll happen to you. It's "when."

And guys?

How many of you guys feel like you're working really hard in the gym, but your progress is stalling? It can be extremely frustrating to put in the work and not reap the rewards you're supposed to be getting. What if you’re forgetting about the one really important thing here that could kickstart your progress again? Recovery is as important (if not more so) than working out and your time in the gym— here’s how to maximize recovery:

Happy Monday, my dears!

Today, I'm going to share with you guys a little drink that I've been making for myself every morning for the past several months. Iced matcha lattes have become all the rage lately, replacing the usual morning coffee for many people, but mine has a little extra twist to it to amp up the health factor: collagen.

But before I dive into that...

Happy Friday my dears!

Is anyone else looking forward to the start of Autumn and the end of this humid heat? 

I cannot WAIT for the fall breeze, foliage, and cozying up in sweaters. It's unequivocally my favorite season, and I'm really looking forward to the change of weather and...

After departing San Francisco to begin our California Coast roadtrip, our first major stop on our way down south was Carmel by the Sea and the surrounding Monterey area.

Today I'll be sharing a bit about our short and sweet getaway in this quaintly charming little town, and the beautiful new Hotel Carmel that we got to experience.

Carmel is an adorable little area with the...

Today I want to talk about a fear that scares us and holds us all back. 

It's something that makes us scared of even trying for what we want.
It's something that hampers us from being our best selves because we get hung up on it.
It's something that makes us scared of looking in the mirror and acknowledging truths.
It's something that keeps us from embracing and working on our weaknesses.

What is this fact? We ALL inevitably fail. 

Hey guys. I've missed you all! It's been awhile. 

I'll be back to usual posting next week, but today I want to share some updates and something special to me today. 

My dad passed away 1 week ago, today, and it's been a whirlwind of every emotion in the book. Experiencing a loss like this is hard to describe accurately, and every...

I've thought several times about when and how I would write this post, and the timing just didn't feel right. Not only the timing, but I didn't even know where to begin describing the situation.

Even though I share a decent amount of my personal life on here and on Instagram, when things involve other people like my family or friends, I try to respect their privacy to not overshare things and I need to keep certain things private and cherished for myself. But it's finally time to let you guys in on the very difficult thing affecting my heart these past few months, as it is the reason I am taking a hiatus from this blog here for at least this week and perhaps the next...

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

Last week, I shared a bit of my personal experience on why I was hesitant to begin practicing meditation, and how I reluctantly started to meditate. This week, I want to talk about the factual reasons why I commit myself to this practice and hopefully inspire you to think about how it can benefit you and your life too...

Happy Friday, everyone! 

Things have been overwhelming and lots of heavy stuff happening around here, but a bright light is here that we've all been so excited for: my sister is getting MARRIED tomorrow! We are headed up there to the...

In the midst of all the craziness in my life lately, I can't remember how long it had been since I simply followed and cooked a recipe for myself with no intention of photographing it. 

When things are overwhelming and there is a lot happening in life threatening to make me feel like I'm drowning, I always go back to the drawing board of what makes me feel grounded. My daily non-negotiables become even more important to adhere to, and making...

I know what some of you guys may be thinking: Minna, a cynic? 

I've always been a bit of a walking juxtaposition. While I do think that I am a generally positive person with quite an open mind, I do have my limits on being able to tolerate a certain level of "hokey" without at least an eyebrow raise or a slight eye-roll. 

This especially becomes apparent in...

The sticky and humid days of NYC make me just want ice cream. And loads of fresh greens and summery salads. They're kind of the same thing, right?

Truth be told, NYC humid summer days are just like anywhere else that gets hot in the summer in the U.S.-- the only reason that we residents yap on and on about it is the fact that...

It's here! A giant photo of my face to welcome you to Monday! Just kidding.

In all seriousness, I am really excited to share the updates happening on Living Minnaly with you guys today. We are just a month shy of our TWO-year anniversary (whaaat?!), and both the blog and myself have gone through quite a bit of changes. 

So today, I'm sharing with you all what exactly Living Minnaly means, where it started, and where it's headed...