Well hello there and Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of “Friday Five.” This is my time to step away from all things food and recipes and share a glimpse into real life stuff.

Today I’m sharing all about saying goodbye to our sweet dog Lila, the 13th anniversary of my website, a trip to NYC with my boyfriend, and a few of my favorite things.

1. Saying Goodbye to Lila

In November we had to say goodbye to our sweet Lila girl, almost six months to the day that we had to say goodbye to her sister Mali. If you have lost a furry member of your family, you know how difficult it is. Losing both of our girls in the same year has been so hard and challenging, especially for Miles who grew up calling our dogs his “sissies.” 

Lila was a sassy little girl who loved to cuddle, and knew how to make us laugh and smile. 

While Miles is already asking for another dog, I think it’s going to take some time before I can even consider that.  Lila and Mali were Biewer Terriers, the first dogs I’ve ever owned, and truly the sweetest most perfect addition to our family. We will miss them so much.

2. 13th Anniversary!

A few weeks ago was the 13 year anniversary of when I started CenterCutCook.com. It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that my little corner of the Internet is now a teenager. A teenager!

I can’t possibly thank you enough for your loyalty, the comments, emails, messages, shares, and the way you have supported me over the years. Especially through all of the ups and downs and curveballs that life threw my way.

I have been able to earn a full-time living and support my little family with your support and it means the world. 

Thank you, thank you for making and sharing my recipes with those that you love. I appreciate you!

3. NYC

I just got back from an amazing trip to New York City with my boyfriend (more on that in a minute..) where we saw two incredible shows on Broadway. The first show that we saw was The Outsiders which won a Tony Award for the best musical last year. We followed it up the next night with Book of Mormon. Both shows were incredible!

Seeing musicals on Broadway is an experience like no other. Between the energy, the lights, the music and dancing plus the simple fact that it’s Broadway — it all felt so iconic. Music has been a huge part of my life since the time I was 4 and began piano/organ lessons, so this experience was special.

And of course our trip to NYC also involved delicious food and drinks. Bocca di Bacco in the theater district was memorable because of the warm and inviting ambiance, and the way the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to my boyfriend. Gallagher’s was memorable for the creamy New York Style cheesecake, and Rosevale Cocktail Room was the perfect cozy spot for an after dinner drink.

The New York style pizza was just “meh” but perhaps that’s because we stopped at a random pizza joint around the corner from Joe’s Pizza on Broadway where we decided against waiting in a *very* long line for a slice of their infamous pie.

Wandering the streets of New York and taking in all of the iconic sights was the perfect way to spend our mornings. While New York City was *insanely* busy this time of year, the city was beautifully decorated for the holidays and it was such a fun adventure that I’ll remember forever!

(A special thank you to the most wonderful grandparents that took good care of Miles while I was gone!).

4. Boyfriend…

Yes, the aforementioned adventures in online dating (here and here) led me to an incredible man, and a boyfriend for the first time in my adult life! I got married when I was 20, and became a widow when I was 34 (nearly 7 years ago), so the thought of online dating felt overwhelming, intimidating, and scary.

I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard to put myself out there. But, it was all worth it. Dating required patience, a bunch of surface-level conversation, and a fair amount of one-and done-dates, however…..

I knew what I was looking for, dated intentionally, never settled but still tried to have fun and enjoy the process, and it all worked out.

All of that to say…. Yes, online dating is an adventure and it can be hard, but it can also lead to something really great too. I’m pretty lucky! :)

5. Lately…

Here are a few of my favorites lately:

• What I am reading: This memoir is so good! I’m about 70 pages in. I’m also reading and loving this book as well and the perspective it is giving me on America and its unsung heroes.
• Valentino Born in Roma – still loving this fragrance!
• What I am listening to: Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce has been my favorite podcast the last few weeks!
• This was a fun date-night dress in NYC!
• A matching two-piece set that you’ll love for lounging or travel from Amazon!
• Pentatonix– I took Miles to their concert before Christmas and it was incredible! He loved it, as did I (photo of us at the concert together below!).

That’s all for this week! Please feel free to leave a comment on Facebook or send me an email. I love to hear from you!

Have a great weekend.

❤️Ashley