Hello, I’m Katie! I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the contributor team at Detroit Moms Blog!
I’ve spent nearly my entire life in Farmington Hills, a slice of suburbia with no shortage of mature trees and neighbors who have lived in the same house for decades. I attended Michigan State (Go Green!) where I studied English and Secondary Education. MSU is also where I met my husband, Luis, through mutual friends at a party one Friday night at the start of my junior year.
After graduation, the job market took us both to Ohio, and we lived in a town that was surrounded by corn. There were actual horse and buggies clip clopping down the road on a regular basis. I was used to the convenience and fast pace of the city, and couldn’t understand why the closest Target was a half hour away! I missed living in a true suburb, but loved my then-boyfriend so much that I decided to stay with him in this small rural town, and we were married in 2012.
We lived in the cornfields for another 2 years after our wedding. During that time, I worked as a ninth grade English teacher at a school I really loved, and we had an incredible group of friends, but we knew it was time to seek greener pastures.
We sold our first home to move to Farmington Hills, just a few miles away from where I grew up. Luis got a job at General Motors and I started coaching for the Farmington Glen swim team during the summer.
Not long after our move, we found out that we would be adding a little girl to our family. Michelle was born on October 3, a Spartan football Saturday, and the day before Luis’ thirtieth birthday. She was a little peanut of a thing at 6 pounds, 6 ounces, but she sure did make labor and delivery excruciatingly painful.
I can’t believe she’s already two and a half, and starting preschool in the fall. She loves making art projects and sticker pictures, playing in the sandbox, and taking her Ferrari for a spin to get the mail.
Currently, I’m a stay at home mom, but I’ve been lucky to be able to continue swim coaching throughout the year as a part time job. When I’m not momming it up, you can find me whipping up a new recipe in the kitchen, checking books off my reading challenge, at the gym getting my sweat on, or binge watching TV like I’m getting paid to do it.
Down With Detroit
One of the things that I truly appreciate about being back in Metro Detroit is the up and coming restaurant scene. I love all things food related, so when I go out for date night or a mom’s night out, I want to try somewhere I haven’t been before. I know it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, so here are my favorite Metro Detroit restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:
Breakfast: The Breakfast Club – Farmington Hills
This restaurant just so happens to be in my hometown, BUT I had never been here until last year, and I regret not coming sooner. We always order off the weekly specials board, and share one of their eggs Benedict creations and one supped-up French toast. Just when you thought you couldn’t eat another bite, they bring chocolate covered strawberries as a sweet sendoff.
Lunch: Union Woodshop – Clarkston
I would ordinarily put this on the dinner list, but getting there early (think senior citizen early) to get a table in a timely fashion. At the Woodshop they are smoking all kinds of meats, making their own sauces (the white sauce is my personal fave), and they brought over their famous Most-Macked Mac & Cheese from the Union right down the street. Pro Tip: If you’re hitting up a show at DTE Music Theatre, there’s a mini Union Woodshop inside the venue with a limited menu of sandwiches and mac and cheese. Same food, no waiting.
Dinner: Toasted Oak Grill and Market – Novi
Situated in the Renaissance Baronette Hotel, Toasted Oak brings locally sourced food to the forefront of their seasonally rotating menu. This has been our go-to place for many special meals, and we never leave disappointed. Our favorite thing to do for date night is to get a few different appetizers along with a cheese and charcuterie board and a bottle of wine from their extensive wine list. They also happen to have a delicious brunch menu.
