When we first began planning our wedding, I was on the fence about going on a honeymoon.
I was just about to begin a travel-heavy new career, and the thought of taking off right after the wedding (and right before a super busy travel month in May) wasn’t appealing.
But the more we thought about it, and the more we talked about it, we realized that going on a honeymoon meant something to us.
Your honeymoon tells the world, and maybe you, who you are. -Ginger Strand
We had a beautiful 5 years of dating, 
A beautiful engagement,
A beautiful wedding,
And a beautiful honeymoon.
Going on a honeymoon gave us a chance to connect and provided us with our first memorable moments together as a couple. There is something so special about spending those days after you’ve said “I do” to the love of your life without having to worry about going back to work or the routines and obligations of the day-to-day.
A honeymoon allowed us to take the time to discover what it feels like to be married and enjoy uninterrupted time together.
We kept it traditional and hopped on a plane the morning after our big day. We dedicated a week to exploring two of our favorite cities: New York and Boston! Here are some of our highlights (and don’t miss a honeymoon-inspired recipe below!):
While we were in Boston, we were strongly encouraged to pay a visit to Mike’s Pastry in the North End. As we walked in we were taken aback by the the selection of house-made treats and delectables perfectly perched behind the rows upon rows of glass displays. My eyes immediately zoomed in on the gorgeous (and giant!) cannolis and we left with a box containing a hazelnut cannoli, a cherry almond cannoli, a slice of cheesecake and a traditional napoleon!
You guys, I have dreams about those cannolis (the napoleon was out of this world too!). But those cannolis? Heaven. When I head back to Boston, Mike’s will be my first stop, hands down.
Since we don’t have Mikes at our disposal, I decided to whip up something reminiscent of those amazing treats to curb my craving until we meet again.
These cannoli parfaits made with my homemade granola, fresh cherries, and slightly sweetened whipped ricotta are SO good and have a nostalgic hint of that cannoli I’ve been dreaming about!
I’m SO happy to see cherries making their seasonal comeback. I love love love cherries and this gorgeous batch from Sprouts did not disappoint. I’ve also been on a homemade granola kick lately, and pairing the light and fluffy cannoli cream with the crunchy and sweet granola reminded me of that delicious fried pastry shell of the cannoli. The cherries just sent this parfait over the top with added juiciness and sweetness that will be curbing my Mikes Pastry craving for weeks to come!
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 15oz container of ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. rum extract
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- To make the granola: Preheat oven to 300ºF. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour the granola onto a jelly roll pan and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking process.
- To make the cannoli cream: Whip all ingredients together until the ricotta is light and fluffy.
- To build the parfait: In a wine class (or small ramekin or bowl), start with pitted cherries at the bottom of the glass, then sprinkle granola over the cherries, and place a dollop of the ricotta mixture over the cherries. Repeat layers as desired! Enjoy!
