Dining | Luv What You Do

Dealing with Dreary March 11, 2013

Filed under: Crock Pot,Life,Lunch,Soup,Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 6:06 pm
Tags: Beer, Chicago, chili, crockpot, CrossFit, Dining, eggplant, meal planning, mushrooms, rain, Restaurants, salad

The weather might be dark and dreary, but that didn’t keep the BOY and I indoors. Sunday Funday was SUPER fun yesterday because we went into the city to hang with my family!

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And had lunch at Revolution Brewery, where the BOY and I have never been, and my Mom has now declared her favorite place to go.

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Historically, spring day light savings can be rough, but not this year. This could be because after losing 3 hours coming home from Las Vegas last year, one hour doesn’t seem so bad. The good food, brew, and company didn’t hurt either.

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We had an awesome day and I was in bed early Sunday night with my book after an eventful weekend. I had no difficulty falling asleep and only woke up this morning when my alarm started beeping 10 hours later. This morning’s breakfast was a variation of this recipe smothered in almond butter before CrossFit. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this morning’s workout, but the Harlem shake picture definitely had me laughing. And I was excited to wear the new headband that I picked up at Athleta yesterday!

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This morning’s workout was 7 reps max weight of snatches with rest in between. We started off by breaking down the motion and then practicing on some light bars. I wasn’t sure what to expect or what I would be able to do, but I ended up in a group of three girls lifting weight, giving feedback on form, and working together to safely add more weight. I was able to lift 55-65-75-75-75-75-75. Not to shabby for my first attempt at snatches.

After CrossFit, I picked up the BOY for this week’s grocery store run and meal planning. I was starving and actually craving some protein with lunch on the brain. Let me tell you…if you are ever shopping at Mariano’s and hungry for lunch, swing by the meat counter and have them grill you up a chicken breast. I finished my shopping and on the way to check out, scooped up my lunch. The BOY did the same with a white arugula pizza.

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On the way home, I remembered that I had leftover salad from Saturday night (that my friend made and sent home with me). You can’t see it in the picture, but this salad also has goat cheese, cranberries, pine nuts, and I added chopped chicken and avocado.

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The BOY was right when he said that this is a restaurant quality lunch. I totally agree! Thanks to Mariano’s and Dana this is one of the best salads I’ve had in awhile! I only had a short amount of time to eat lunch before it was time to leave again. Although I didn’t know when I made the appointment that today would be rainy, a massage really is the BEST thing to do on a day like today. I had a $20 off coupon to use before the end of the month, and I basked in the 60 minutes of relaxation while hands firmly worked out the tension and knots in my back and neck. It was pure bliss and only afterwards did I return home to camp out indoors for the rest of the day. With such a busy weekend, I had a lot to do.

Some of which included getting my food prepared for the week ahead. Nothing says rainy days like chili. One of the things that I love about this new slow cooker book is that it has separate chapters on soup, stew, and chili. They are plenty of recipes to choose from!

I used the Mushroom Chili recipe but added in some eggplant since the beautiful purple veggies was on sale. I ended up with a thick batch of chili, so I decided to stir in a cup of vegetable broth before cooking.

I’m looking forward to digging into this thick and hearty chili soon!

This Week’s Meal Plan…

Monday: Breakfast for Dinner (the BOY’s request)

Featuring Challah French Toast, Eggs, and Potatoes

Tuesday: BBQ Turkey Meatballs

Wednesday: Chicken or Salmon with Veggies

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Trip to St. Louis!!!

Lunch: Portobello and Eggplant Chili (recipe below)

Portobello and Eggplant Chili

Adapted from The Big Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

Ingredients

3 Portobello mushrooms, cleaned well and cubed

1 small eggplant, cubed

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 28 ounce and 1 15 ounce canned tomatoes, drained lightly (or you can use chopped fresh tomatoes)

1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and minced

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

Directions

Place all ingredients into a slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray.

Stir well and cook on low for 8 hours.

How do you deal with dreary?

Me? I dream of SPRING!

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A Sick Staycation December 28, 2012

Filed under: Dinner,Life — Luv What You Do @ 5:05 pm
Tags: Chicago, Dining, restaurant, snow, Soup, wine

I guess it was inevitable…

Between working the kids, 2 airplane rides, and that temperature drop from Florida to Chicago that I would end up with a cold. And now, my cold has escalated into a lovely sinus infection.

I spent Wednesday night getting cozy with the Kleenex boy, sipping my green tea, and dressed in my favorite flannel jamies. ‘Flannel…’, the BOY said. ‘You must not be feeling well.’ He knows me so well. The saddest part about this illness, besides the fact that I get cranky when I don’t feel well, is that I have less than a week before I go back to work and big things planned. For example, Date Night at Joe’s downtown.

The BOY and I have been looking forward to this night for 2 months since I made the reservation. Since I wasn’t feeling great, we made a few modifications, heading into the city a little later yesterday so that I could rest. We took the train downtown and checked into our hotel room.

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I love this city!

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The streets were wet from a light snowfall, so my pictures picked up the glare.

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But, I wanted to share the beautiful city lights and decorations. The weather was mild, so I convinced the BOY that we should walk. Our first stop was POP’S for Champagne.

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We were so excited for dinner that we arrived at Joe’s early. Neither of us has ever eaten at Joe’s and it has been on our bucket list for awhile. We were not disappointed. Our meal was incredible! We had sea scallops for an appetizer and shared a mushroom mac n cheese with the main dish, some many-day-aged steak for the BOY and sea bass for me! I packed a pocket full of tissues and made it through the dinner despite my stuffed up sinuses. We had some plans to meet friends for a drink after dinner, but by 10:30pm, my head was heavy and I was ready for bed. It was another fantastic night in the city, and I gladly collapsed into the soft, fluffy bed!

We woke up this morning to find big snow flakes swirling right outside our window. We braved the cold and made our way to Michigan Avenue for breakfast (and a quick trip to the GAP) before heading home to the suburbs.

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Where I have changed back into my flannel and permanently attached myself to the couch. I am on Day 2 of an antibiotic and hoping that this feeling worse is what needs to happen before I am feeling better.

I had some homemade Mushroom Barley Soup for lunch. The BOY and I watched Rock of Ages (he was just as happy to lay low today as I was), and now I am moving on to a Law&Order marathon before the Indiana Basketball game tonight.

Law&Order always makes me feel better : )

So does looking at these adorable little cake balls (you may have seen them on my Christmas post) made by my close friend A! She is so amazing, talented, and creative, and these taste just as good as they look. Next time she is in town, I definitely want a decorating lesson!

Hopefully tomorrow I won’t be blogging but will instead be out and about, detached from my Kleenex box, enjoying the last weekend of the year! Optimism should work as medicine, right?

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My IT Band Tried to Sabotage my Run November 17, 2012

Filed under: Breakfast,Running — Luv What You Do @ 3:44 pm
Tags: Dining, half marathon, oatmeal, plank challenge, salad

Another no alarm Saturday, but this time it was planned! I started the day with a hearty breakfast who’s purpose was to propel me through this morning’s 8 mile run.

TJ’s oatmeal + Chia Seeds + Cinnamon and a Pear = Awesome!

Another plank (because I didn’t do it yesterday). Even with an Us Weekly in front of me, that was the toughest challenge of them all. But I did it! I have a feeling the jump form 3:30-4:00 minutes is going to be ~~impossible~~ a hard one!

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Another Larabar. You’d think I was advertising for their company (and if they’d like to send me some flavors to sample, I’d be happy to blog about them). This one is my favorite to date. It reminds me of the Smooth Caffeinator Picky Bar which I love…only Larabars are easily available at the grocery store. Now, I just have to figure out how to make this flavor at home!

And then yet another run. We are 1 week away from the half marathon and I can only hope for race day weather like today. I headed out with way too many layers, and came back in short sleeves covered in sweat.

I was scheduled for 8 miles and decided on an out and back along the forest preserve trail. The trail is similar the one I will be running on next weekend, but a town over. My trail is a lot hillier (relatively speaking, I do live in the Chicago suburbs so take hills with a grain of salt), therefore, perfect for training. From my first step out the door, I had my stride back (the cold stole it during Tuesday’s 6 mile run) and the morning had aligned for that perfect run! I made it to mile 1 in 7:59 feeling strong. Somewhere along mile 3, I started to get a little twinge in my left IT band. It is no secret that I have some of the tightest IT bands out there, but for the most part they don’t interfere with my run. I have sneaking suspicion that this pain was also related to my quads, specifically the rectus which crosses the hip, since I really tightened up after last weekend’s rainy run. I got stopped at a light between miles 3 and 4 and took that time to stretch, which totally did the trick. I got right back into my stride cruising along enjoying the day and saying ‘Good Morning’ to everyone that came my way. I hit the 6 mile mark at 49:25 which is more than 3 minutes faster than this week’s 6 mile run. For some reason, that last mile back to my house always stretches on forever. I wanted to finish quick with a sub 8:30 mile but came bounding in at 8:43. Certainly my slowest mile (I think I write that every time), but thrilled with my 8 mile time of 1:06:16. My runs have not been this fast or this strong recently and to complete my last long run at race pace (probably a little faster as I averaged 8:15 this morning) felt fantastic!

So did rolling out my legs on my foam roller after my run.

Especially that left ITB! My legs are definitely sore and tired. But never too tired for a trip to the grocery store. The BOY and I took a second go at meal planning for this holiday week. Then returned home, quickly unloaded the groceries, and got back in the car to head out for lunch at my favorite restaurant!

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This light was totally rocking my picture, but after an 8 mile run, I’m not sure there is anything better than pretzel bread, a glass of Cooper’s Hawk Barrel Reserve, and the Chef’s Special Blackened Tilapia Salad?!

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Would you judge me if I told you at the entire salad AND a chocolate covered strawberry for dessert? With exhausted legs and a full belly, it seems like the only thing left to do today is take a nap!

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11 Hours October 27, 2012

Filed under: Breakfast,Soup — Luv What You Do @ 2:34 pm
Tags: chili, Cooking Light, Dining, magazine, Restaurants, Tea

I am sick!

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Not the ‘I’m so sick that I can’t get out of bed’ sick, but the, ‘I have the worst sore throat, raspy voice, and more mucus than can be humanly possible’ type of sick. Yuck! Go figure…I spend 2 weeks on the go working like a crazy person and this is my first quiet day off and I wake up and I am sick. The worst part…I am supposed to run 11 miles today in prep for my Thanksgiving half marathon. Instead, I slept for a full 11 hours! As I’ve mentioned before, this is the consequence of working with kids. After 6 years in pediatrics, I have built up an immune system, but after an exhausting few weeks, fatigue and stress usually take its toll.

When I woke up this morning, I was in pretty bad shape (even after 11 hours of sleep). Not totally surprising as I started getting a sore throat and cough on Thursday night. I knew a run was not in the cards, which makes me sooo sad since it is a sunny 50 degree day. Perfect for a long run! The BOY suggested breakfast, and I was in for pumpkin pancakes. I started with some tea and the BOY ordered pumpkin hot chocolate.

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I know that yesterday was National Pumpkin Day, but we are a bit late in our celebrations. I brought along October’s Cooking Light where I found this good looking chili recipe. My thought was to pick up the ingredients on our way home.

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For breakfast, I ordered an omelet with figs, apples,and turkey sausage. It also came with goat cheese, but I got that on the side, and a side of pancakes (not surprisingly, the BOY and I both chose pumpkin).

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The pumpkin pancakes, topped with bananas and pecans were incredible! It was hard not to inhale them in a minute.

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But, I am working on slowing down while eating, so I took my time to enjoy every bite! And then had leftovers to take home with me.

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After lunch, we made a quick stop at the farmer’s market. This is the last weekend that it is open until spring, which is a bummer! Does your farmer’s market stay open year round? If so, I am jealous!

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Then it was on to Mariano’s for a few more chili ingredients.

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When we got home, it was partner chili cooking in the kitchen. The BOY got to work on some chopping and I browned the meat.

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Instead of following the preparation described in the recipe, we decided use our trusty crockpot, which always produces amazing chili!

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For now, I have settled with getting some fresh air by opening the back door. Perhaps, I will be able to get out for a walk later if my head stops spinning (not sure if this is the cold or the medicine), but for now, my medicine has kicked in and I think I am in need of a nap, perhaps another round with my netti-pot, and some serious hydration.

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Poblano-Turkey Sausage Chili

From Cooking Light October 2012

Makes 6 1-cup servings

Ingredients

1 cup prechopped onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 poblano chiles, seeded and finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons no-salt-added chicken stock (such as Swanson), divided

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Sliced radishes (optional)

Directions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove casings from sausage; add sausage to pan. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, poblanos, and bay leaf; cook 4 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble sausage.

2. Add 1 cup stock, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Combine flour and the remaining 2 tablespoons stock in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to form a slurry. Add slurry to chili, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and black pepper. Discard bay leaf. Serve with sour cream and sliced radishes, if desired.

In the mood for chili on this crisp, fall weekend, here are some other great chili recipes!

What is your favorite food to eat when you are sick?

Mine is my Dad’s homemade chicken soup. I usually have some stashed in the freezer, but sadly I am out. I’m not sure how that even happened…Hint, Hint, Dad!

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Will Hike for Pizza August 15, 2012

Filed under: Dessert,Exercise,Lunch — Luv What You Do @ 9:42 pm
Tags: Dining, Door County, Hiking, Pizza, Wisconsin

There were so many incredible Lake Michigan pictures that I felt they deserved their own post. Plus, the BOY and I came up with this title while we were hiking in Whitefish Dunes State Park on Friday. We came up with another alternative title, which you will see in Chapter 2. If you are not so into nature pictures, then just scroll on down to Chapter 2 for the food!

Chapter 1

Will Hike for Pizza

Chapter 2

The BOY and the ‘Fun Guy’

After a gorgeous hike, the BOY and I headed off to Wild Tomato for lunch. Warning: we were super hungry, so there is a lot of food in these pictures. Don’t judge us!

The Fun Guy
Definition: A mushroom pizza with five types of sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and caramelized onions on garlic cream cheese.

Chapter 3

We’re Baaack!

Embarrassing as this is to admit, we headed back to Wild Tomato for dinner after kayaking on Sunday. All I can tell you is that I discovered a new awesome beer which was suggested by our kayak guide (Alaskan White) and the Best Cheese Curds EVER! I went with the salmon sandwich and I all I can say is DELISH!

Epilogue

Somehow There Was Room for Dessert

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Door County Happiness Day 1 August 14, 2012

Filed under: Dinner,Lunch,Travel — Luv What You Do @ 9:04 pm
Tags: Dining, Door County, Hiking, lake, Pizza, Restaurants, Sunset, Wisconsin

I should warn you…this post required a whole lotta pictures to capture all the HAPPY that we packed into our first day in Door County. I think the first HAPPY of our trip was discovering this adorable room in a quaint Inn run by friendly staff right in the heart of Fish Creek.

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We stayed at the Cedar Court Inn. The room was bright and clean and captured that homey feel.

One of the highlights (along with the whirlpool tub and fireplace) was this back porch. Did I mention that they also have a pool??? And a safe place to store my bike in the courtyard!

When you book online, it is hard to know what to expect. The BOY and I were thrilled with our room, and I highly recommend the Cedar Court Inn! Because the weather was so amazing, we were able to keep the windows and porch door open most days and used the fire place when we wanted some warmth at night.

After a quiet night in town, we woke up Saturday morning with the sun streaming through the windows. I popped out of bed and started getting ready for HAPPY #2…a Bike Ride!

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The BOY hauled my bike all the way up to Door County in the rain and it was my goal to ride every day. With my broken toe, I am taking a short break from running, so it was easy to focus on biking, especially with Peninsula State Park less than a mile from my door! It was the perfect morning for a bike ride with the weather in the low 70’s and a strong wind. I headed north out of town along Route 42 towards the park.

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3/4 of a mile later, I arrived at the park entrance…

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And hopped on to the 9.6 mile Sunset Trail. I actually wasn’t sure how long the trail was when I began, but discovered that this loop, which begins and ends at the front of the park is a combination of two gravel and paved trails that take you through multiple areas of the park with spectacular views!

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2 minutes into the trail and I was feeling more relaxed than I have been in months. The forest preserve was quiet and still with only a few runners along the trail.

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The bay views left me speechless!

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Which ya’ll know is hard to do!

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Each morning, I took plenty of pictures of all these spectacular views as I explored different areas of the park. There are way too many to put into this post, but if you love nature photos (like I do), then I promise you more to come!

When I made my way back to the Inn, the BOY was waiting for me outside.

It was on to HAPPY #3…a hike through Whitefish Dunes State Park.

We discovered the Cave Point trail last summer and decided to try something a little different by hiking here this year.

We started on the beach and walked our way north along the rocks.

The wind was strong and the waves were high and harsh. It wasn’t a great day for swimming, but a beautiful day for hiking.

We loved the views of the water and playing around in the park!

We worked up quite an appetite leading us to lunch at Wild Tomato aka HAPPY #4.

This is our favorite restaurant in Door County and it serves some amazing farm fresh pizza with local Wisconsin cheese. And their beer selection is the best!

We made it home with enough time for a 2 and a half hour nap (enter HAPPY #5), a little time to start a new book (HAPPY #6) before heading off to Gordon’s Lodge for HAPPY #7 Dinner.

We have never been to Gordon’s Lodge before, and I was super excited to check out the sunset. Sadly, it was too windy to sit outside, but we had a seat by the window with the perfect view of the sun setting over the water.

I snuck out to the deck to grab a few shots of the sun in between bites of a tasty seafood dinner!

Dinner was capped off with 2 delicious mini desserts (crème brulee for the BOY and a fresh cherry cobbler for me).

We managed to make the most of our first day in Door County, packing a lot of my favorite things into one awesome day. This is why Door County is one of my favorite places to visit and why these trips always leave me feeling so HAPPY!

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A Rainy Arrival August 13, 2012

Filed under: Dinner,Drinks,Travel — Luv What You Do @ 7:13 pm
Tags: Dining, Door County, rain, Restaurants, Wisconsin

We are home safe and sound after another incredible weekend in Door County! Despite arriving in quite the rain storm, we had three perfectly gorgeous 70 something degree days sandwiched in between the rain.

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We arrived in Fish Creek around 7pm on Thursday night.

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We checked into our Inn (more details HERE) and went out in search of food.

Despite the rain, the town was pretty busy. One of the benefits of staying in Fish Creek is that there is an awesome downtown area with plenty of shopping and food within walking distance.

We decided on Cooper’s Corner, which is an upscale bar with a covered outdoor seating area.

We ordered some drinks and sat back enjoying the feeling of vacation!!!

The BOY ordered the meatloaf which looked impressive, but was REALLY disappointing!

I ordered the Jambalaya, which was much better. It was loaded with spicy flavor and full of chicken and shrimp. According to the waitress, the secret ingredient is bloody mary mix.

The BOY and I split the Jambalaya and I had a glass of Door County Pinot Noir.

After dinner, we walked back to our hotel room and spent our first night in front of the fire with the Olympic games. It was the perfect end to the day.

I fell asleep immediately after my head hit the pillow feeling happy, relaxed, and looking forward to the days ahead!

Now that I am back home, car unpacked, first load of laundry in the dryer, and computer rebooted, I am working on taking that feeling of calm with me throughout the week (while I fill you in on all of our fun of course)!

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Full Friday August 13, 2011

Filed under: Lunch,Races,Triathlon — Luv What You Do @ 7:23 pm
Tags: Chicago, Dining, Pizza, Restaurants

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to make that dreaded trek to the DMV…

Unfortunately for me, that time was now.

I have had the same driver’s license for 9 years. As a newly 21 year old, a close friend and I went together to get our new license’s on Halloween in Peoria, IL. I was never particularly attached to the photo, but when I got the ‘good driver’ sticker for the back, I was happy not to have to revisit the DMV.

With my 30th birthday approaching, it was time to exchange my old friend for the new updated IL license. It was also time to change my address. In the 14 years since turning 16, I have moved numerous times (Peoria, Memphis, Evanston), yet I have always kept my parent’s address. Now that the BOY and I are living together and paying a mortgage, it was time to officially change my address. Ironically, it was hard to find mail (besides my Us Weekly Magazine) with my new address on it (and I’ve been living here a years and a half).

I have put off getting a new license for 2 reasons…#1) I hate the DMV and #2) I didn’t want to do my hair. It has been a lazy summer hair-wise with lots of air-dried waves. Yesterday began with a quick 20 minute run and a little baking. I was moving slowly, but wanted to attempt to do something to my hair. I did the quick straightening job (that I’ve judged others for) where I just straighten the front half of my hair figuring that I wasn’t going to like my picture anyways…does anybody like their drives license picture?

With an hour to sit and wait, at least the DMV is good for people watching. I’m just sad that I missed getting a picture of the 16 year old girl in the feather headband. When it was finally my turn, the lady politely asked me if I still had blonde hair (obviously not!) and I slightly adjusted my weight (that was never accurate even when I was 16 years old). A quick picture (not the best, not the worst) and I was on my way to the city.

The BOY drove me down to Lincoln Park for my Bang’s Lake packet pickup. We drove down on a clear and beautiful day without hitting traffic…Love Chicago!!!

We found the Running Away Multisport (RAM) store and I ran in to get my packet while the BOY drove around the block. I have never been to the store before (in the city or in Deerfield) and definitely would have stopped to browse had the BOY not been waiting for me.

Afterwards, we headed north to our favorite pizza place in the city, Spacca Napoli. I am not a big fan of the typical Chicago-style thick crust pizza, but this wood oven Italian pizza is pure perfection. It is an adorable restaurant with tons of personality.

We started the meal with one of the best appetizers I have ever had…the Burrata. This is fresh stuffed buffalo mozzarella cheese drizzled with the best olive oil I have ever tasted and sea salt. We had this the first time we were here (over a year ago) and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

We ordered a glass of Prosecco and enjoyed two delicious pizzas!

And took one pizza to go back downtown for a quick stop to say Hello to baby Lily!

At 1 week, Lily is looking cuter than ever!!!

Unfortunately, we hit some more traffic on the way home, but it was definitely a productive day. We had some down time and then headed out for dinner and drinks with some friends. What a crazy fun and full Friday!

Let the Eating Begin… July 27, 2011

Filed under: Dinner,Drinks,Lunch,Travel — Luv What You Do @ 10:01 pm
Tags: Dining, Pizza, Restaurants, Wisconsin

RECAP:

The BOY and I packed up, hopped into the car and drove up to Door County Wisconsin where we checked into a rustic coach house on the water with a beautiful view of Green Bay…

And then decided it was time to eat. A new tapas place recently opened in May 2011 in downtown Egg Harbor and we were eager to try it. Eating is always a huge part of any trip to Door County and it usually revolves around cheese. I was excited to try something a little lighter and even more impressed when I learned that many of the restaurants (including Parador where we went for Wednesday night’s dinner) support local farmers and businesses.

Never one to shy away from the local brew, the BOY ordered a Cherry Wheat beer

And I began my evening with a crisp white sangria…perfect after a long drive on a hot and steamy night.

Continuing on with Beer Tour 2011, the BOY ordered another local beer made from wheat on Washington Island. I liked this beer so much, that I picked up a case on the way home.

I countered with the red sangira. It’s always good to know which tastes better. It was a tough call, but I was leaning towards the white, especially on such a hot day.

Our dinner that followed was nothing shy of amazing, especially the pork meatball.

Throughout our trip we ate at many unique places, and I chose not to take pictures of the food, but instead to enjoy my dining experience. I did however get some shots from our favorite place from last year, Wild Tomatoes, because the pizza is that good, I had to share it with you! Some places (like Parador) had great food while others had quirky appeal or beautiful views. Here is the recap. WARNING…I wouldn’t read this post on an empty stomach!

The Village Café

An adorable and eclectic café in Egg Harbor where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast (a veggie and feta omelet for me and a chili omelet fro the BOY). BTW, I recommend the coffee cake…they make a fresh flavor daily.

Mojo Rosa’s

A local Egg Harbor Mexican restaurant that has an expanded menu and the best mojito that I’ve had since Grand Cayman. They also make a mean guacamole.

Pink Bakery

Right next door to Mojo Rosa’s and since they are owned by the same person, you can bring your cupcake into Mojo Rosa’s to enjoy with you mojito.

Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse

The BOY’s pick…surprise surprise!

Wild Tomato

Our favorite place from last year…we have been eagerly awaiting all year to return. This amazing pizza place is right outside of Peninsula State Park and perfect after a hike (we did the Eagle trail). The salads are fresh and made from local ingredients and the wood oven pizzas are some of the best I’ve ever had. We ordered the mushroom pizza called ‘The Fun Guy’. The BOY bought a T-shirt so they gave us a gluten-free peanut butter cookie.

Harbor Fish Market and Grill

A nice restaurant in Baily’s Harbor where we went for lunch after our second hike in Jacksonport. The lunch menu had some unique sandwiches and quiches. I had a shrimp and spinach quiche that was delicious!

The Carrington

A decent bar menu with a spectacular view overlooking Green Bay.

Good Eggs

I saved one of the best for last!!! A one of a kind breakfast place where you are greeted with a smile and an offer of coffee or a fresh fruit smoothie. This ‘one trick pony’ makes egg wraps. You have three options and each wrap is made to order. Let me tell you…they are phenomenal! I suggest going early or on a week day because this place is popular (and for good reason)! We stopped by Sunday on our way out of town. I got a standard wrap with Wisconsin cheddar, spinach, black bean salsa, and of course taters.

A (mostly) Vegan Night Out June 18, 2011

Filed under: Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 8:34 pm
Tags: Chicago, Dining, Green Zebra, Vegan

This is how I spent most of my weekend…sitting in traffic heading into and out of the city. I think I could have biked faster!

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BUT, it was totally worth it to spend some quality time with a close friend!

She is a new vegan, so I thought it would be fun to try a vegetarian restaurant in the city. We went to the Green Zebra in Noble Square. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had heard great reviews. The restaurant serves small plates, perfect for sharing and there are many vegan options available. Check out their green Philosophy of Taste HERE.

The restaurant is small and modernly decorated. Our service was amazing! Luckily, my friend is a blog reader and totally understood my desire to capture our meal in food photography.

We started dinner with a chef’s tasting of Moroccan hummus.

And a bottle of red wine.

We also had whole wheat bread dipped in the best olive oil that I have ever tasted.

The plates came out separately, beginning with the lighter dishes and salads.

This cauliflower salad below was atop tasty pearled couscous.

Our next dish was a mushroom wrap in a warm soy sauce.

Followed by a chickpea tajine with dates and fresh pita. It was so delicious that we dug right in (before I remembered to take a picture).

And fresh sesame noodles with carrots and radishes.

Everything we had was sooo good! The flavors and textures were amazing, and I certainly didn’t miss having meat, eggs or cheese. The food was spaced nicely and it gave us time to enjoy our wine and conversation. We even had some room at the end for dessert.

We ordered a vegan chocolate cupcake with a ganache frosting. I think this picture says it all!

We had a fabulous dinner followed by some fun girl time (with a little more wine) and new friends. We were raving about our dinner the whole night. Now that was definitely worth the drive into the city!

Luv What You Do

Balancing a Busy Life with a Healthy Lifestyle

Dealing with Dreary March 11, 2013

A Sick Staycation December 28, 2012

My IT Band Tried to Sabotage my Run November 17, 2012

11 Hours October 27, 2012

Will Hike for Pizza August 15, 2012

Door County Happiness Day 1 August 14, 2012

A Rainy Arrival August 13, 2012

Full Friday August 13, 2011

Let the Eating Begin… July 27, 2011

A (mostly) Vegan Night Out June 18, 2011

Being Me

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Luv What You Do

Balancing a Busy Life with a Healthy Lifestyle

Dealing with Dreary March 11, 2013

A Sick Staycation December 28, 2012

My IT Band Tried to Sabotage my Run November 17, 2012

11 Hours October 27, 2012

Will Hike for Pizza August 15, 2012

Door County Happiness Day 1 August 14, 2012

A Rainy Arrival August 13, 2012

Full Friday August 13, 2011

Let the Eating Begin… July 27, 2011

A (mostly) Vegan Night Out June 18, 2011

Being Me

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Recent Posts

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Follow “Luv What You Do”