Yesterday, CD stayed in Fife Lake to work, and I drove the 25 miles to Traverse City solo. First, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Sarah from Savoring Sarah for a delicious lunch at Old Town Coffee.
I took Sarah’s advice and ordered the Little Buddha Wrap made with Brownwood Farms Famous Kream Mustard, a locally produced mustard. We sat outside for over an hour soaking in the sunshine while enjoying great food and conversation.
Sarah is a northern Michigan native and filled me in on her home state. Honestly, I can’t get over how beautiful this area is, and I kept telling Sarah how much CD and I were enjoying our time here. In fact, we’re thinking of skipping out on Colorado and coming back to Michigan next summer. As much as I love the Colorado Rockies, Michigan has proven to be the perfect vacation spot. We love the weather, and I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy being so close to the water. Thanks again for a wonderful lunch Sarah. It was so nice to meet you, and hopefully, I’ll get to see you again next summer…Oh, and the hummus wrap was an excellent choice…must have been the mustard. 
I then walked up the street to Oryana, the health food coop CD and I visited last time we were in town. There I met up with Katie, founder and president of Naturally Nutty Foods Inc., for some more samples of her wonderful nut butters, and you can expect some giveaways when I return home to Nashville. Thanks Katie – I LOVE your products and can’t wait to spread the Naturally Nutty love…OK, that’s kind of a lie. Part of me really wants to keep all the samples for myself, but I promise to share.
It was then time to go home, and on the way out of town, I stopped by Morsels, recommended to me by reader Claudine…Actually, that would be another lie as I had to drive a few blocks out of my way to get there…but so worth it!
A bite-sized bakery? Brilliant concept, no?
I chose a carrot cake and a chocolate flourless cake morsel.
The little cakes were the perfect size and tasted so fresh. Thanks for the tip Claudine!
By the time I arrived back to our cottage in Fife Lake, it was late afternoon. CD was working from the library, and so I leashed up the pups for an hour long trail walk. When I got home, CD and I busted into the Naturally Nutty samples. I had a bowl of vanilla protein oats (I used a clean Naturally Nutty jar as my bowl since the place we’re staying only has plastic bowls, and I’m not a fan of putting hot food in plastic.) topped with Chocolate Butter Toffee Peanut Butter and Vanilla Almond Butter.
CD simply made a bowl of out of the Vanilla Almond Butter jar and topped it with a few chocolate chips…
How could I not love this boy?!? And no, he did not eat the whole jar.
Not sure what today holds, but I’m about to start it off with a walk. Have you ever been to northern Michigan? If not, I highly recommend it. The local nut butters and mustard are worth the drive alone. 
{ 101 comments }
Ah yeah Northern Michigan is so beautiful! Luckily it’s so close to me too!
WHAT A GREAT IDEA – bite sized desserts??? How has this not taken off! I, for one, love to have little bites of lots of things since I cannot decide what to order. Just brilliant. I’m glad you’re enjoying your time in Michigan! I looks beautiful with no shortage of delicious food
Never been to Michigan…or even driven through it! Looks like a gorgeous place. I’ll have to add Michigan to my “to-do” list
Looks like each day in Michigan is even better than the last! How wonderful for you guys!
I have been to northern Michigan several times.
YOU MUST MAKE IT TO MACKINAW ISLAND!!
Oh, that place is gorgeous. They don’t allow any motorized vehicles at all. It’s so clean and pretty. Lots of walking, biking (I’ve biked around the entire island), horse and buggies, etc.
Have fun, girl
Heather, Yes, we’ve heard good things about the island and were thinking about going. So many fun places to visit up here!
OMG, can’t wait for the nut butter giveaway! I’m salivating at the thought of Chocolate Butter Toffee Peanut Butter!
Oh, and those little morsels are so cute! Those are the perfect size for a dessert “fix”
I love Michigan so much. Words cannot describe.
Ahh, lunch was SO great! I have no doubts we could have talked all afternoon
it was soooo so nice to meet ya! And now that I see what morsels is all about, I’m gonna have to get down there to try it out. That cloudless chocolate confection looks straight up my alley!!! I will be emailing you Dunes info later this afternoon 
Sarah, Yes, go to Morsels – oh my gosh, those little cakes were divine. Honestly, I’m so glad I LEFT the shop before trying them, or I would have probably ordered about 5 more.
Thanks for sending the info – I think Chris and I are going to try and drive up to Glen Arbor today or tomorrow. Can’t wait!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying your baby moon. I love Michigan too. I spent two weeks every summer up in N. Michigan at my grandparents’ cottage. It’s beautiful and peaceful, one of my favorite places to be. Except for winter. Winter around here is not so much fun unless you really like snow.
We live about 40 minutes south of Ann Arbor, and I am almost positive I’ve seen Naturally Nutty at the Whole Foods there. I need to check that out tomorrow.
Beth, Yes, Katie said she in some of the Whole Foods in Michigan. Hope you find her nut butter soon. If not, I know that the Ann Arbor Great Harvest stocks them.
My family and my husband’s family each have cottages in Northern Michigan (not too far from where you’re staying) in Lewiston and on Grand Traverse Bay. It’s been really neat to read all your going-ons Up North because I’m familiar with a ton of the places you’re hitting!
I’m glad to see someone else fall in love with Michigan. A trip Up North is a summer time staple for our family (and for my sanity). Once you’re there, you just understand why.
Have a wonderful rest of your trip.
Thanks Bethany, and how cool you have the options of two cottages! I have to admit I’m a tad jealous. Really is such a beautiful place!
I live in Michigan and love that it’s getting some love on your blog! While I’m not sure you would feel the same way in the winter months, right now is the perfect time to explore
If you ever make it back, you should go in the fall for a color tour. You can drive anywhere and everywhere and be absolutely amazed by nature’s beauty!
Not to mention all the local food favorites, of course…
Abby, I’ve seen photos of the fall here, and I must say, it’s looks absolutely gorgeous!
CD rocks. ‘Nuff said.
I can’t wait for the NN giveaways
I do what CD does: I throw a few choc chips in the nut butter jar and spoon them out with big hunks of nut butter — I have “my” jar in the fridge that gets used for that purpose and then we have the “clean” nut butters for everything else.
I’m glad you are enjoying your time in MI — it looks like you are having a great time.
Couchpotatoathlete, Haha – I love it…your own little “dirty” nut butter jar. That’s great!
that dessert place looks perfect! i have a sweet tooth but only for little bits or else it just gets sickly sweet waaaaayyy too quickly. all the food on your trip looks so good!
That bakery sounds lovely – and the two mini cakes you chose look delicious!
Looks like you are having a great time in Michigan– keep up the good eats
That jar looks amazing; it makes my oats look sorta sad!
I was born and raised in Michigan. Although I now live on the other side of the country, it continues to be my favorite place in the world.
As if I need another reason to constantly read HEAB! I’m so excited for the Naturally Nutty give-away. Yay!
Puppy Dog Tales, I thought you might be.
I LOVE that there’s a bite sized desserts cafe! How cool is that?! What a great way to try a few flavors and not leave overstufffed.
Nut butter + chocolate chips is fabulous. Eaten right out of the jar? Even better!
Wow, Michigan sounds like a really fun and beautiful place – definitely better than NYC;)
Sylvia, Definitely more relaxing, but I do LOVE NYC!
My husband’s family is from TC and I LOVE visiting. It’s beautiful and one of my favorite places ! Cherry festival during 4th of July is so fun and Cherry Republic has the best cherry products … love .. love the Cherry BBQ!
Teisha, Yes, we went into the Cherry Republic store. I tried some samples but made no purchases…could not bring myself to pay $8 for jam…but I might be willing to fork over that much for some cherry BBQ.
Northern Michigan does look absolutely amazing and beautiful, but giving up a summer in the CO Rockies for it??? That makes my little Coloradan heart sad.
Lol…I guess this means I really must head to Michigan sometime soon! The ice cream alone does look like it might be able to steal someone away from the beauty of the West.
Lindsay, I know…the first week we were here, I kept missing Colorado, but now I’ve fallen in love with this place. HOWEVER, Colorado will always hold a very special place in my heart. Your winters are cold, but at least there is lots of sunshine!!!
i may have to take a trip to michigan now. i’m trying to decide on where to go for my birthday weekend…hrm….the thought is there; especially if i can get nn samples!
Bite-size is perfect–but what looked especially awesome about them was that they didn’t DROWN them in frosting, it was just an accent to the main event. And now I’m thinking about flourless chocolate cake for breakfast…
S, Sounds like a good breakfast to me.
I lived in Ann Arbor for the past 9 years and I love the nut butters there!!! and the farmer’s markets.
BETH… Whole Foods Ann Arbor does carry Naturally Nutty but make the little extra drive up to Great Harvest at Ann Arbor Saline Road and Maple (Around the corner from Buschs)… They have a ton of Nat Nut flavors…not to mention free bread samples… AND if you go a little bit later in the morning they will have the famous Heather Pie Raisin Walnut bread as samples… it’s a featured bread on the menu Saturday…
Never been to Michigan at all. I’m excited for nutbutter giveaways!!
hahaha, i LOVE the look of CD’s snack. that is what i would eat if i had a male metabolism!!
- Beth @ http://www.DiningAndDishing.com
Until you started posting about your trip, I really never thought that Michigan would be a state that I would travel to, but now? Everything just looks so beautiful, and with the water and nice weather, it might be the perfect destination!
Sarah, I thought the same thing. Being from the South, we always headed to Florida if we wanted to be on the beach. To me, Michigan = Detroit, but this state has so much more to offer!
What brought you to Michigan in the first place? Family there? I never would have thought of it as a “holiday” spot…but I’m not from the States, and really know nothing about it
With that said – now that I know Naturally Nutty is there – well, that’s reason enough to go there!!!
Amazing. Oh God – I can’t WAIT for the Give-aways LOL…I finished the jar of Naturally Nutty I had last week (Cashew Butter) and none of the stores sell it here at all
(again small town thing – I won’t go there)…
Love the bite-sized treats. Carrot cake is my OBSESSION. The cake, not just a bite…;) (and therein lies the problem!).
Eatmovelove, We usually spend our summers in Colorado, but my doctor was concerned with the altitude. She said I might be fine or out of breath and miserable the entire time. So, we decided not to risk it and headed up to Michigan. We were looking for a place with cooler weather, not in the mountains, and within a 1 day drive since we bring our dogs. Chris did the research, and we just happen to end up here. So glad we did!
I’ve got a jar of the NN cashew butter, and I can’t wait to try it!
I love the idea of a bite-size bakery!! Most places only sell HUGE pastries..I’d *like* to be able to eat something that big that’s so sweet but just can’t stomach it. Bite size is the way to go
Plus you can try more things!
I know Mary. More places need to serve “morsels” – I love that concept!
So glad you’re having such a fun weekend!
I am loving HEAB! I discovered it a month or two ago and have been reading faithfully ever since. I even went back to the beginning and read every post I had missed!
You have changed the way I look at food. I used to be terrified of fats, and now I am loving on the nut butters (I have a spoonful of White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter in my hand right now
), avocados, etc. I also find myself craving veggies after reading about all your good eats.
After I complete my Pilates certification, I may even try me some yoga.
Thank you so much, Heather!
Lindsey, Oh gosh…every post?!? Hehe, please excuse some of those bowls of veggies + oat bran.
I’m so glad you discovered me, and thanks so much for reading!
So cool you’re getting certified in Pilates – I have friends who swear by it, and I really do want to try some reformer classes one of these days as I’ve only done mat work. Also very excited to hear you are loving on some fats! Hope you enjoy some veggies + avocado soon…perhaps with a little White Chocolate Wonderful for dessert? That PB makes great frozen “PB cups”. Just spoon it in a cupcake liner and freeze. So simple. So yummy.
Oh, I’m hoping for some Nutty giveaways! I can’t seem to find her products out here but I’d love to try them…
I always think Colorado, for all it’s beauty, really is missing water. There’s just something about being around water that’s good for the soul in a way mountains alone cannot provide.
LesleyG, You are so right. I’ve always thought of myself as a mountain girl, but there is just something so wonderful about being close to the water.
Ah, nut butter and chocolate chips! CD knows what’s up, haha
I have never been to Michigan but I’m kind of curious now. I usually avoid going North because I hate cold weather but that’s not an excuse in the summer time 
I love Morsels! They should come to NY.
Yummy wrap!!I might have gone with the Sham-a-lamma wrap…thank God it’s almost lunchtime.hehe…I’m loving your Michigan recaps:-)cc
Claire, I thought about the Sham-a-lamma as well. Everything on the menu sounded so good!
Are you sure that CD isn’t the one who’s pregnant?
Michigan is really beautiful- midwest love!
Megan, Haha – sometimes I wonder. When I sent CD to the grocery store to fulfill my Pop-Tart craving, he ended up eating most of the box!
I love that CD ate nut butter with chocolate chips for dinner. And I love the bite sized desserts.
I’ve never been to northern Michegan but it reminds me of upstate NY from what you’ve described. I could be wrong though…
Happy Friday!!
I am from Traverse City and have traveled a lot…but I still think Traverse is the most beautiful place. If you really want to see something BEAUTIFUL, you should check out Leland and Glen Lake. You can climb the sleeping bear dunes and hike up a trail to a place called pyramid point…awesome views of Lake Michigan!!
Emily, Yes, we went to Leland last weekend – I loved Fishtown, and we’re planning on heading up to Glen Lake this weekend. I can’t wait to go do Sleeping Bear Dunes and Empire as I’ve only heard great things about the area. Thanks for the tips!
At 10:38am, I am already hungry looking at that picture of your wrap- Yummy!!! I’m so in love with your blog! I signed my mom up for it too and we’re becoming creative HEABsters in the kitchen
AND, I blogged about my recent HEAB breakfast: http://jflofashion.blogspot.com/2010/08/almond-butter.html
Thank you for being so Awesome!
We went to Michigan over the 4th and stayed in Holland. We loved it and plan to make plenty of trips back. I’m glad you guys are having such a great time!
As a native midwesterner, we get a lot of flack, undeservedly. Yes, the winters are torture, but the summers more than make up for them. The proximity of water CANNOT be beat in my opinion. That might be my desert-dwelling bias though.
I just checked out the mustard site, being a mustard lover. I am so making BBQ mustard this weekend!
Katie, You must get your hands on some of that mustard someday…it was so good! I want to buy a jar before we leave. Hope you enjoy some BBQ mustard this weekend!
I’m from Northern MI (Cheboygan…near the Straits) but I didn’t even know about the yummy nut butters. I will have to seek them out when I go home to visit family. Ps…love all your MI posts, it’s definitely making me a bit homesick:) I used to go to Traverse City a lot…it’s even more gorgeous in the fall!!!
I have never had naturally nutty! I’ve only seen it a WF, but I don’t go there often.
Michigan rocks! I grew up spending 2 weeks each summer in the New Buffalo/Union Pier area and they are -by far- my best childhood memories. My family still heads up to our lake house during the first week in August, even though we are all grown up
Lake Michigan is surprisingly majestic. Family vacations to Michigan would be perfect for the HEABlet! Sandcastles, sunsets, bbq’s, smore’s. Ugh. I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it.
Oh, cute story, my grandmother used to “nap us” on inner tubes when we were kids. She would sing to us, we’d pass out and she would just stand in the lake and hold on to our tubes while we slept. At night, we could always “feel the waves” before we went to bed.
Amy, I love the “tube naps”. Made me smile.
When Scott and I were first dating and living in Chicago, we took a few trips to Mich to some bed & breakfasts and it was so quaint! Artsy/fartsy LOL but downhome and not pretentious,the weather is glorious (Well not in the winter!), friendly people, eco/holistic minded (nice score of the local health food store and the bite-sized bakery…OMG swoon!)…I should be working for the Mich board of tourism ….haha! But no, I totally agree. You would NEVER think it was a nice place but yes, it’s awesome.
As a kid growing up in MN and IL we would take trips to WI and MI and it sounds pretty awful and hideous but there are some hidden gems in those states. Quaint awesome places. And if you plan, a lot more budget friendly than a summer in the hamptons or something
TGIF baby..enjoy your weekend!
Averie, CD grew up in Chicago and went to summer camp in WI – he says it beautiful there as well. Hope you enjoy your weekend as well.
Michigan is a beautiful state… I’ve visited because my Mom and oldest brother lived there before I was born. I think it’s definitely underrated
I’m dying to visit Michigan! Those little cake bites look so cute!!
My best friend is finishing up her Master’s degree in Ann Arbor, so I think I need to visit her before she’s done! Good excuse to go, right?! I think I’ll have to make a nut butter stop when I’m there, too!
Megan, Yes as I hear Ann Arbor is the coolest little town. would love to visit it myself someday. Here is some info. on where to find NN in Ann Arbor left in another comment:
Whole Foods Ann Arbor does carry Naturally Nutty but make the little extra drive up to Great Harvest at Ann Arbor Saline Road and Maple (Around the corner from Buschs)… They have a ton of Nat Nut flavors…not to mention free bread samples… AND if you go a little bit later in the morning they will have the famous Heather Pie Raisin Walnut bread as samples… it’s a featured bread on the menu Saturday…
Bite sized desserts look so good….although i’d probably want about 10 of them to make up the size of a normal cake!! xx
Laura, I know! Thanks goodness I got them to go, or else I would have eaten them and then ordered at least 5 more. So yummy!
That Little Buddha wrap sounds like it was made just for you…and your Little Buddha. The HEABlet is going to have so many nicknames
Mama Pea, Little Buddha – I love it.
Bite Sized Bakery?? I want to drive to Michigan right now!
You are really making Michigan seem like a great place to visit Heather!
And that wrap looks so good. Can’t wait for the NN giveaway, never tried their nut butters. Went to whole foods today and they don’t carry it here in NC… make I should make a request for it at my local WF, the NN nut butters you have been showing and talking about seems truly good.
(Lately Justin’s ruined the plain almond butter for me, I always only used to eat the plain AB but now I crave Justin’s chocolate almond butter, it is the best!)
Ana
Ana, Unfortunately, the only Whole Foods that carry NN nut butters are in Michigan. Try your local Great Harvest Bakery or a local health food store, and if neither carry it, then I think you should put in a request!
I’m the same way – I go through my plain nut butter phases and my flavored/sweetened phases. Right now, I’m loving on both!
It sounds to me like you are falling in love with a new area! I am truly jealous of your Naturally Nutty stash! It all sounds delicious. Enjoy you weekend on the lake!
Whenever I think of Michigan, I think of one of my good friends who is fromt there and always would do that hand diagram to show the different parts and lakes around Michigan haha. Happy Friday!
http://www.joelygolightly.wordpress.com
Pancake Girl, Haha – yes, EVERYONE does that hand thing up here. Too funny.
Oo I can’t wait for giveaways! I’ve never tried Naturally Nutty. That’s so sweet of you too! I think if I were a food blogger I’d be really selfish and keep everything to myself….but tempt everyone with pictures of me eating it :X
Michigan does look beautiful! I’ve never been but now I really want to visit.
Love the idea of the Morsels bakery…I’d be a happy camper if they had red velvet:)
BroccoliHut, They did. It’s called the Velvet and Satin morsel, and if I go back, I promise to eat one in your honor.
haha your baby is totes gonna come out ALREADY a naturally nutty fan. i’m pretty sure he/she should be the sponsor!
glad you’re having such a great time in michigan girl!
Julie, Hehe – I can see it now…the HEABlet’s face on every jar. I love it!
YUMMY! I have to get some of that mustard!!!
PS:
Headbands are on the way to you next week
Amy, Yes, you must try that mustard – amazing! And so excited about the headbands. Thank you. I can’t wait to see them.
I just checked out the Morsels website, holy moly their creations are genius, and they ship! Oh this could be dangerous.
I was born in southeastern Michigan and lived there until I was 15. My mom’s family still lives there, and my Dad’s family goes to the Traverse City area every summer for 2-3 weeks (usually around the Cherry Festival at the end of June). I LOVE it up there!! every year we climb the sand dunes and go to Cherry Republic. My husband hasn’t been yet, and I keep telling him we’re going to make a trip to Traverse City and Mackinaw Island pretty soon!
Glad you’re enjoying it up there!
MM, Yes, get your husband up here – it really is an amazing place, and I’m glad you’re able to get back and visit. CD and I are hoping to do some dune climbing this weekend.
I was considering schools in Michigan for a hot second… I bet sometime in my future I’ll be able to convince someone to take a visit with me. I’m so glad I get to see it all vicariously through your photos!! Your baby-moon does seem like it’s just what the doctor ordered.
I’m so glad you heart MI. I do too. I also heart NN’s vanilla almond butter. I just might need to order myself online as a little treat.
I love NYC so much, and am in love with it, but MI has a certain je ne sais qua, a certain wildness.
Traverse City has an amazing downtown farmer’s market every Saturday (nicer than anything we have in Nashville!) http://community.mynorth.com/events?page=3
They also have “Friday Night Live” downtown on Front Street every Fri. night with lots of live music!
My hubby and I are coming to TC next weekend for a week- I’m so excited!!
BTW, Heather, I’ve met you at several get togethers over the years at Stephanie and Greg’s house (I used to work w/ Steph @ Wild Oats:-)
Erin, Oh gosh, yes, I totally know who you are, and I remember you being from Michigan. I think we talked about that night we had the southern style pot luck at Stephanie’s and you brought the Park Cafe mac and cheese…which I still dream about by the way. Such a small world! If we got back to Traverse City next week, I’ll email you. Also, I’ve heard great things about that Farmer’s Mkt. on Saturday morning and hoping to check it out before we leave. So fun to put an email address with a familiar face!
Well I’m certainly falling in love with Northern Michigan via your posts! It really does look beautiful. And yummy
CAROLYN, thanks so much! We made it up to Ann Arbor today and I was reading comments on my phone while we were driving, so I got your comment just in time. We went to Great Harvest and I have a nice stash of bread and Naturally Nutty in my kitchen thanks to you and Heather. Breakfast tomorrow is going to be GOOD.
Beth, So glad you found the Naturally Nutty. Enjoy your breakfast tomorrow!
-Heather
just went to northern michigan this summer! we visited traverse city since I’ll be going to interlochen arts academy in the fall. Did you try any fresh cherries? they’re some of the best I’ve ever tasted.
Tori, No, can you believe we have not had any local cherries?!? The one bag I bought turned out to be from Washington state. They were really good, but I was so disappointed. All I can find around here is cherry jam, cherry salsa, cherry butter, etc.,…but no fresh cherries. I need to get myself to a farmer’s mkt!
Love the bite sized cakes.
Never been to Michigan, now I want to go. ; )
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