An alley in the Grey’s Ferry section of Philly, just behind Naval Square. This is one of the neighborhood I think might be good for us sometime in the future.

Today was one of those days that made me remember just how nice my life is. A few weeks ago, we were invited to participate in a food crawl in New Hope, sponsored by Chevy. At 10 am, a collection of Philly area food bloggers gathered at the Frederick’s Chevy on the Boulevard. We spent a little while learning the features of the Cruze and Malibu vehicles we’d be driving (did you know that the Cruze Eco gets 42 MPH on the highway? That is AMAZING gas mileage) and then hit the road. Our destination was New Hope, PA and series of restaurants along Main Street.

Our first stop was the Logan Inn, a lovely boutique hotel and restaurant with an extensive covered outdoor dining area (that outdoor light made for beautiful food images. We sampled crab cakes (they were so bursting with meat that they barely held together), baked brie in phyllo dough (with tasty raspberry jam), two different salads, a pasta dish with broccoli, sun-dried tomato and mushrooms and a blooming onion (I hadn’t had one in years, so amazing).

Next up was Marsha Brown’s. It’s one part steak house, one part Creole kitchen, all built into an retired Methodist church. The space is gloriously appointed and the food is equally thoughtful. The one challenge of this meal for me is that much of what we were served contained shrimp, which is the one thing in the world to which I’m allergic. That meant that the lobster and shrimp bisque, etouffee, jambalaya and eggplant ophelia were off-limits to me. I have on good authority that they were fabulous, though. I can report that the crab cheesecake was the very best thing I’ve eaten in days and is something I’m hoping to eat again someday.

Our last stop was The Blue Tortilla. The food here was good, though I’m afraid that we were all too full to really do it justice. Had I had an emptier stomach, I could have eaten a great deal of their tomatillo salsa (I’m a fool for the stuff). I’m planning on making a batch soon or I would have bought one of the jars that lined their front window.

Finally, a few thoughts on the cars. On the way out to New Hope, I drove the Chevy Cruze. It’s a model that has recently been refreshed and so it features a large screen for the integrated navigation and radio (both regular and satellite), stereo controls on the steering wheel and easy-to-use cruise control. It offered a smooth ride and was easy to drive.

On the way home, we swapped with Bill, Patty and Tushar from Philly Food Guys and took their Malibu. While it was lacking the large screen for navigation, it was a more pleasant ride. Incredibly smooth and easy to drive, it reminded me why people are attracted to the mid-size sedan. Scott also commented that it was far more comfortable for him (all 6’4″ of him) as well.

My very first car was an American-made one. It was an 1986 Ford Tempo and was a terrible car. We owned it for just under a year and it spent more than four weeks total in the shop. Since then I’ve owned Subarus. That Ford left a terrible taste in my mouth for American cars and when Scott and I were shopping for our new car, I essentially dismissed anything made or designed by an American manufacturer because of this previous experience. However, after having this experience with two Chevy cars, I’m duly impressed. It’s a good thing they don’t make a station wagon, otherwise I might be feeling some regret in relation to our recent car purchase.

For more on these Chevy food blogger events, click here. For more details on exploring New Hope and the rest of Bucks County, click here. In addition to the folks from Philly Food Guys, the other bloggers on this adventure were Thad (and Preston) from Phillie Phoodie and Albert, one half of Messy and Picky.

Disclosure: Chevy provided the cars for the day and covered the cost of gas as well as the meals we sampled. However, my thoughts are all my own.

In line at the post office. As I was choosing my shipping options, I told the clerk, “I like cheap.” He looked at me with a gleam in his eye and said,”I’m cheap.” *Wink*

I’m 32 years old and I still don’t know what to do when random strangers flirt with me.

Homemade rhubarb seltzer. Not a bad way to end a day.

Primary election day in Philadelphia. Most of the candidates I cared about didn’t win. 🙁

Lunch at the Art Museum, as they presented the upcoming exhibitions for the next year. There are some decided perks to my job.

An iced coffee with condensed milk at Vietnam Palace for my birthday lunch.

Homemade granola for the blogger bake sale.

When I decided to do this 365 photography project last year, I didn’t know whether I’d make it through or whether it would add value to my already busy life. A year later, I’m so grateful to have done it. It’s forced me to look more closely at space and stuff. It’s kept me aware. And it’s given me a way to engage with this blog when it would have been easier to let it drift away.

So, I’m going to do it again. Stay tuned.

Chive blossoms from Taylor! I’m making chive blossom vinegar as I type.