Butternut Squash Soup

This past weekend, Chris and I drove up to Madison, WI to visit our friends Dan and Jess and to meet their 6-week-old son, Reid. The weather was chilly and drizzly, so Jess and I decided to spend Saturday afternoon in the kitchen preparing a warm, comforting meal. We turned to Alton Brown for a recipe on homemade butternut squash soup. It was pretty easy to make and had layers of flavors that were so good! The finished meal consisted of butternut squash soup, fresh bread, roasted beet salad, grilled pork chops and a lemon tart brulee for dessert. Mmmmm.....


Ingredients

* 6 cups (about 2 large squash) seeded 2-inch wide chunks butternut squash
* Melted butter, for brushing
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
* 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
* 4 tablespoons honey
* 1 teaspoon minced ginger
* 4 ounces heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. On a sheet pan lay the squash flesh side up. Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is nice and soft.

Scoop the flesh from the skin into a pot and add the stock, honey, and ginger. Bring to a simmer and puree using a stick blender. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Since coming back home, I've been craving more soup but haven't had a three hour block of time to make a batch. So I swung into our local Trader Joe's and found this. It's what I like to think of as the next best thing. :) Bon Appetite!

The Woman in Black

Chris and I landed safely in Chicago this past weekend, after spending 2 weeks traveling around Ireland and England. The entire trip was amazing and there were so many sights we saw and people we met, I don't even know where to begin when explaining how wonderful the trip was. So I guess I will start first with the itinerary and a bit of theater.

The trip went a little something like this...
Land in Dublin and fly down to Cork - > drive to Kinsale (a charming fishing village on the southern tip of Ireland) for the night - > drive west along the coast, up through the Dingle Peninsula into Bunratty for the night (where the pubs are open late and the piano player is happy to have the girl from Iowa lead the crowd in songs) - > drive north to Doolin and take the afternoon to hike around the Cliffs of Moher (simply majestic) - > drive East to Dublin and catch a flight to Liverpool -> hang with Nick and Kris in Liverpool for a few days -> drive south through the Cotswold's (stopping for afternoon tea in a little town of Painswick) and on to Bath(dining at Jamie's Italian!) -> drive east to London to spend a few days seeing sights, taking in the theater, and enjoying all that London has to offer.

London's theater was amazing! We saw two shows while visiting: The Woman in Black (a 2 man staged play about a horror story) and Oliver! Because what's more British than Oliver!?

I wish Chicago offered half price theater tickets, I would go see more shows if they only cost $25! And with both shows we had excellent seats (front and center, about 10 rows back from the stage!)

Both shows were fantastic performances (I didn't expect to like Oliver! but was surprised at how fun the show was). Here's a bit of info about The Woman in Black:
Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house's sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black - and her terrible purpose. Years later, as an old man, he recounts his experiences to an actor in a desperate attempt to exorcise the ghosts of the past. The play unfolds around the conversations of these two characters as they act out the solicitor's experiences on Eel Marsh all those years ago.

Hooray for the theater!

Bakasana

This is the first week where I upped my yoga practice to 4 times a week. I've been doing yoga 3 times a week for about 3.5 months now and have seen great improvements in my flexibility and strength. Back in May, I couldn't even touch my toes without bending my knees. Now not only can I touch my toes, I can palm the floor!!

So when asked if I wanted to do a 4th class each week, I responded with an enthusiastic YES!!

Watch this video and see my instructor, Blanca, rock at yoga and you'll understand how easy it is to be inspired and motivated by her!

http://vimeo.com/9358141

So WEEK 1 of 4 classes per week and my arms want to fall off. Yesterday's class focused a lot on arm, shoulder and core strength building. I swear if we weren't in downward dog pose then we were in plank. Plus with push-ups, side plank and backbends, yeah let's just say my arms were jelly by the end of class.

Today Blanca decided to focus on Bakasana pose (crane pose - see photo). Which is great, when you have arm strength. Today, for me, it was more challenging than usual. I'm able to hold the pose for like 2 or 3 seconds which is far from where I want to be. Ideally, I would hold the pose for 5-10 slow breaths. I think when I reach that goal I will jump up and down for joy!

But for now, I just want to nap.

Jamie's Italian!

With one week until we fly to Europe, I'm getting more of the smaller details planned for our trip. After we spend 5 days driving around Ireland, Chris and I are taking a puddle jumper over to Liverpool to stay with his friend Nick for a couple of days. After which we are driving south through The Cottswolds to spend a night in Bath. Finally wrapping up our trip by driving east to London for a few days of sight-seeing, theater, and food.

While staying in Bath, Chris and I are making dinner plans at Jamie Oliver's new restaurant, Jamie's Italian! I'm very passionate about Jamie Oliver's mission of changing the food in our culture and school systems and I can't wait to dine on his menu!

Ireland!

In 5 weeks, we'll be driving around Ireland soaking in the views, the fresh air, and the endless pints of beer!
Our plan is to land in Dublin, head down to Cork/Kinsale for a day, drive on over to the Dingle Peninsula, drive on up to Doolin (Cliffs of Mohr) then head back to Dublin. 5 days of pure pastoral bliss. I can't wait!

Commute

There are so many things I love about our new home but I think one of the most surprising joys I've found is my new commute. When living in our last place (a condo in Logan Square), I drove 20 minutes to get to work. It was a fast commute but could be stressful with traffic and it didn't really encourage any physical activity since my car was usually parked just a few feet from my home and office.

With this new commute, it's just slightly longer and yet more refreshing! In the morning I bike to the train, which is about a mile's distance, take a quick 20 minute express train into Union Station and then a quick 4 block walk to work (half mile). So every day I start and end my day with a bit of exercise.

So on top of 3 yoga classes a week, I'm biking at least 2 miles a day and walking at least 1 mile a day. It feels great! Chris and I even bought new bikes to motor around town in! (Mine is the blue one pictured - a vintage Schwinn! His is a similar version only the men's bike in red.)

I love the morning bike ride to the train station. It helps wake me up, breathing in the fresh, morning air and hearing the birds chirp and such. A stranger actually waved to me this morning and shouted "Hello!" as I biked past his house.

I love our new home and our new neighborhood!

Water Management

When we did our house inspection, before closing on our home, our inspector Mike drilled two words into our brains over and over again. "Water Management". In order to maintain a property, shield it from serious harm and keep your pocket book filled with bills, you need to, above all else, have Water Management.

Chris and I knew one of our first projects moving into the house was going to be cleaning out the leaves from the gutters and the debris from the drain outside the back door (which leads into our mud room). But we thought first we should paint the basement, mow the lawn, get unpacked, have the electrician put in more outlets in the kitchen, hang artwork, grill out dinner, watch LOST, etc, etc.

Well, it thunderstormed last night and I woke up to small puddles of water in our downstairs bathroom and laundry room.

Mike would be so disappointed in us.

So tonight we're cleaning out the drain and on Saturday we'll clean out those gutters. And for as long as I'm a home-owner I will never lose sight again of those two, very important words: Water Management.

Flint Smoke

Chris and I are wrapping up week 2 of being homeowners and already I've learned so much just by trial and error. The family room, for instance, has been a journey in it's self. I started out painting one accent wall red (which took 3 coats of paint to cover properly) and then the other walls were going to be a neutral color.

Well the first "neutral" was too white. The second "neutral" was too flesh-toned. But the third "neutral" was perfect! Thank goodness!

Flint Smoke from Behr is a beautiful mix of blue-grey and works perfectly in the family room setting!

But once I got the Flint Smoke on the walls I decided that red wall had to go. So two coats of primer later and it should be set to take on some Flint Smoke.

So tonight, Jenn and I will tape and paint the last two walls of the family room. Flint Smoke all around with the beautiful white baseboards, trim and window sills.

Thank goodness....I'm so sick of painting this room. :)

Vinyasa

I'm going on my third week of yoga classes and so far I'm feeling strong, tired and stretched like taffy. Probably normal for the third week.

My company has begun offering 3 free yoga classes every week, over the lunch hour. Myself, along with about 10 other women, spend the hour breathing, stretching, stretching farther, posing, breathing and then stretching even farther before allowing ourselves to be still and quiet for a few minutes. It's a great practice.

I also really enjoy our instructors, two women who alternate leading the class. They're very patient and yet encouraging and already I can see and feel an improvement in my flexibility.

On Tuesdays, the yoga we're practicing is called Vinyasa. It's very rhythmic and active, with long sequences of movements timed with our breath. For instance we do a sun salutation sequence 3 or 4 times in a row, to warm up before class.

Some of the poses we're working on are:
Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana
Extended Side Angle Pose - Utthita Parsvakonasana
Garland Pose - Malasana
Raised Hands Pose - Urdhva Hastasana
Standing Forward Bend - Uttanasana
Triangle Pose - Trikonasana
Warrior II - Virabhadrasana II
Seated Forward Bend - Paschimottanasana
Child's Pose - Balasana
Happy Baby Pose - Ananda Balasana
Bridge Pose - Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Cat - Cow Stretch
Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana
Plank Pose


So far, Vinyasa is my favorite type of yoga. :)

Happy Birthday!

It's Chris' birthday today so I figured I should write a little post about him. :) First, to explain the photos: the windblown hair picture was taken during our wedding ceremony. Holy cow was it windy that day! But the setting was beautiful and it was amazing hearing the waves crash up on the beach. The second photo was taken at the top of Thira, an ancient Grecian city on the island of Santorini. It was windy and dry at the top of the hill, so we were grateful for the huge bottles of water we brought along.

Chris will be drinking like that at his party on Saturday but it won't be water in his hand. It will either be a beer or a glass of scotch (depending on what time of they day/evening it happens to be).

I've only known Chris a few of the years he's been alive but what I know about him is that he's a fantastic person, he's genuinely caring, he's brilliant (I mean really, flippin' brilliant), he's humble (he would never admit to be being brilliant), he's hilarious and he's tall. And now he's also middle-age.

Happy Birthday, babe!

In 2 Weeks...

...we will be sipping cocktails on a black sand beach in Costa Rica.

Between having to live through another Midwest winter and buying a house, Chris and I are both burnt out and so ready for this flippin' trip.

Gyros and Mythos

Chris and I got to enjoy some tasty foods while honeymooning in Greece and Italy. Here's a photo that Chris took of me in Santorini, Greece. We were grabbing lunch on a black sand beach on the Aegean Sea.
The gyros were tasty! And having a pint of the local brew, Mythos, was a perfect compliment to the fresh tomatoes, lamb, pita and Tzatziki sauce.
Here's a recipe on how to make a a yummy Tzatziki (yogurt) sauce:
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons pureed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, grated ( use large holes on grater)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

Drain yogurt for 1 hr. in cheesecloth lined strainer.

In bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt.

Sprinkle rest of salt on grated cucumbers, drain for 10-15 minutes.

Add drained cucumbers to yogurt.

Drizzle with olive oil, mix well.

Note: This is wonderful with salads, as a dip with crackers.

Mrs. Olivia Hein

Here is a photo of our wedding cake: vanilla with Italian Buttercream frosting and orange fondant ribbons with real roses cascading down the side.

I took one bite out of this cake, and it was the bite fed to me by my husband. It was the best bite ever. :)

White Peach Sangria

This cocktail was a hit at our engagement party!! It is also the reason why Chris and I had a headache all day Sunday. In total, the party went through 9 pitchers of Sangria (count that 9 bottles of white wine and 2 bottles of peach vodka). Coupled with a keg of beer and Prosecco for toasting. Cheers! Less than 1 month to go! :)

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine
* 3/4 cup peach flavored vodka
* 6 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 pound white peaches, pitted and sliced
* 3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
* 3/4 cup seedless green grapes, halved

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pitcher, combine dry white wine, peach vodka, lemonade concentrate and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add sliced peaches, red and green grapes.
2. Refrigerate sangria until well chilled, at least 2 hours, or overnight to blend flavors. Serve over ice, and use a slotted spoon to include sliced peaches and grapes with each serving.

Province

For my birthday dinner, Chris surprised me with dinner at Province!
Province is an American restaurant with cuisine inspired by Central and South America and Spain. Located in Chicago’s West Loop in a gold-level LEED-certified building, the restaurant incorporates green building materials and equipment, farm-to-table cuisine from Executive Chef Randy Zweiban, and a true blending of old world and new world culinary sensibilities.
We dined on the following:
-goat cheese fondue
-crusty bread with diced radish, onion, other things and a dollop of mustard sauce on top.
-chris ordered the flat iron steak (medium rare) with buttermilk mashed potatoes.
-i had the crumbed chicken breast over green beans.
-for dessert he had a bittersweet chocolate brownie with coffee ice cream
-i had blueberry sorbet (with fresh blueberries!) over angel food cake with whipped cream

holy cow this place was incredible and the food was delicious!

Province:
6 out of 5 spoons!!

Sweet Mandy B's

I decided to wait to blog about Sweet Mandy B's until a very special occasion, like my birthday! Sweet Mandy B's is a dessert shop in Lincoln Park that Chris and I have visited a few times now. Their buttercream cup cakes are mouthwatering and Barrett has founded a national holiday based on their Double Doozie cookies (two cookies with frosting in the middle).
So if you've got a sweet tooth of any sorts, I recommend you check out Sweet Mandy B's!

Thomas Better Start English Muffins

I'm sick of oatmeal.

So thank goodness my co-worker Beth suggested these Thomas English Muffins; only 100 calories and full of fiber. I've been toasting one of these for breakfast this week, with just a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. It's filling and IT'S NOT OATMEAL!!!

Filippo's Ristorante

On Friday night, Barrett and Megan took Chris and out for dinner at Filippo's Ristorante to celebrate our engagement. Chris and I have wanted to check out this restaurant for months now and were so thrilled that we got to dine there with such great friends.
The service there was ify (we stood by the door for almost 5 minutes before being acknowledged and seated) but the food was INCREDIBLE! I'm so excited for our trip to Italy after dining here!

Our meal consisted of:
Appetizer: ASPARAGI DOSE'
asparagus rolled in eggplant and prosciutto topped with fontina and parmigiano, served with a lemon butter sauce

Chris' Entree: the day's special: sausage lasagna

Olivia and Megan's Entree: ROTOLO PRIMAVERA
Stuffed with ricotta, spinach and prosciutto, served in a light pink sauce

Barrett's Entree: RIGATONI NAPOLETANA
Backed rigatoni in tomato sauce with smocked mozzarella, ricotta and parmigiano cheese

Each plate looked fantastic and Chris and I both agreed we would have to come back to order what Barrett got, because it looked so flipping delicious!

We both highly recommend Filippo's Ristorante (at Webster and Clybourn) for a romantic dinner or a fun gathering of friends. Just be prepared to be there for awhile as the service is a bit slow but the food is definitely worth the wait!

Ethiopian Diamond

Last night Chris and I met up with some friends at Ethiopian Diamond in Edgewater. I've never had Ethiopian food before and was a bit skeptical about whether I would like it or not.
The evening was quite enjoyable and I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture. How you order and eat food in Ethiopia is by a system of sharing. Everyone eats off one giant plate (or three giant plates, in our case) of food. You use a flat bread (which was quite spongy and bland)to pick the food up and eat with. We played a bit of musical chairs last night, each wanting to try different foods off the other plates.

What I ate was:
Doro Tibs: chicken breast meat cubes marinated in lemon juice and garlic sauteed with onion and green pepper
Shrimp Tibs: shrimp marinated in lemon juice and garlic sauteed with onion and green pepper
Yebeg Tibs: lamb meat cubes marinated in lemon juice and garlic sauteed with onion and green pepper
Yemisir Azifa: cooked whole lentils mixed with chopped onions and green peppers, seasoned with garlic, white pepper and lemon
South African Beer: Castle (yum!)
a sifter of honey wine (super sweet)
and Ethiopian coffee (incredibly strong, with the consistency of melted chocolate)

There were some vegetarian foods down at the other end of the table but I opted to stay with the food in front of me. :)

I enjoyed the food but I don't think I would ever seek out Ethiopian food. I can't imagine craving it, but it was fun to try!

Waterfront Bristro

I found another fantastic fish I love cooking! Dominicks sells this brand called Waterfront Bistro and I bought the Pacific Cod with a Tuscan marinade (tomatoes, garlic, herbs, etc)
I put it on the grill for about 20-25 minutes, till it was opaque and flaky, and holy cow it was delicious!
And only 220 calories for a really large filet!

I'm excited to try out some of their other flavors now! I love this sort of food for weeknight cooking: delicious, reasonably priced, healthy, and super easy to make!

Grilled Potatoes

Over the weekend, Chris and I went to Waterloo, Iowa for our friends' Lindsay and Alans' wedding. On our drive back on Sunday we passed an Amish farmstand. What luck, since we missed our regular weekly farmer's market here in Chicago!
At the farmstand we picked up some onions, apples, potatoes and green beans.

Last night we decided to grill hamburgers (for Chris) and fish (for me) with grilled potatoes and sauteed green beans. It was delicious!

Here's how we grilled the potatoes:

chop up the baby potatoes into chunks
chop up half a sweet onion into chunks
smash up about 4-6 cloves of garlic

mix all that into a bowl

take some rosemary (from our herb garden!) and add it to the mix
add salt and pepper to taste
pour in some olive oil and mix everything together

wrap it all up in some aluminum foil and then lay that on the grill for 25 minutes. Turn over and grill for another 25 minutes.

The potatoes were delicious! the garlic, onion and rosemary had seeped into the potatoes for a rich, full flavor. Yum!!!

Kraft Fat Free Ranch Dressing

I'm still watching my waistline as we get closer and closer to the wedding date. I wish I was able to just avoid snacking throughout the day but I get pretty hungry so I've had to come up with healthy snacks to help tie me over to the next meal.

For instance, every afternoon at 3pm I eat 2 cups of organic spinach with 10 slices of cucumber and 1 Tbsp of Kraft Fat Free Ranch dressing. (total calories: 45) I had tried my share of dressings and this one tastes the best to me. The fat free Italian dressings were too strong in flavor and the raspberry vinagrettes were still pretty loaded with sugar (and calories).

So I recommend Kraft Fat Free Ranch dressing if you're looking for a light alternative to top your healthy salad!

Grilled Pizza

Last night, after Chris and I returned from our weekend in St. Louis, we decided to try grilling a pizza for dinner. It turned out really well! Here's how we did it:

Roll out pizza dough and then brush vegetable oil on both sides of the dough. *You must use vegetable oil, not olive oil, because it will cook at a higher temperature and can handle the heat of the grill.
Put dough on grill for a few minutes and then flip it onto the other side to cook the other side of the dough. This part you just have to eyeball until you think the crust is cooked pretty well through. While grilling the crust, heat up pizza sauce in a pan on a stove.
When the crust is pretty much done, lay a sheet of tin foil on the grill and put the crust on top of the foil (this will keep it from being over-cooked/burnt). Spoon on the pizza sauce and then add a layer of mozzarella cheese on top. I also clipped some fresh oregano from our herb garden and chopped it up and sprinkled it on top of the cheese.

Let that grill for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

And dinner is served!

Less Than 3 Months to Go

So there is less than 3 months to the wedding and I finally bought my dress last Saturday. (Thank you Michi and Sarah for all of your help with that!!)

There is zero wiggle room in this FANTASTICLY awesome dress I bought which means super healthy eating for the next three months. Which also means, no more Goat Cheese Medallions. :(

Luckily the Logan Square Farmer's Market is open every Sunday to supply me with fresh fruits and veggies. I enjoy organic strawberries in my morning bowl of Oatmeal and a fresh spinach or mixed greens salad as an afternoon snack. This week I was able to slice up a cucumber to go on top!

So I mostly eat the same thing day in and day out, which makes my blog a bit boring, but I will try to post some light, tasty treats for those who are also watching their waistline this summer.

First up, the beer had to go. My drink of choice is now an Arnold Palmer. I make my own sun tea (no calories and full of good anti-oxidants) and I mix in a bit of lemonade. 3/4 part tea, 1/4 part lemonade. serve on ice. :)

Goat Cheese Medallions

Yesterday was the first day the farmers market was open in Logan Square. Summer is officially here! Chris and I took our puppy Fred over and did our weekly shopping. Last night we dined on 99% local, organic foods: grilled pork chops, arugula salad with cucumber, cherry tomatoes and feta, and goat cheese medallions dipped in a warm marinara sauce.

Chris and I have ordered this goat cheese appetizer at a couple of restaurants and LOVE how they taste! So I decided to try it out myself and they turned out fantastic! We used chive goat cheese which we bought at the market. Yum!

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Divide the coat goat cheese into 8 rounds.
3. Wisk together in one bowl an egg white, salt and pepper.
4. Pour bread crumbs into a second bowl (I used oat bread which I tore into small pieces with my hands)
5. Bread the cheese by first dipping each round into the egg and then into the crumb mixture, dusting off the excess between each step.
5. Arrange the 8 breaded goat cheese rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with just a touch of olive oil over the top. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is crisp, and the cheese oozing.

Super easy and amazingly delicious!

Goat Cheese Medallions 5 out of 5 Spoons

Low Fat Ranch Chicken

Thanks to Sarah for passing along this recipe to me! Chris and I made this last night, along with a side salad of mixed greens and blueberry shortcake for dessert. Yum!

¼ cup fat free ranch dressing
½ cup corn flakes – crushed (we used Special K, b/c that's all we had)
spices of choice (parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.)
salt (optional)
PAM

Preheat oven to 350°

Mix spices, salt and corn flakes in a bowl and set aside.

Spray cooling rack with PAM. Put chicken on rack on a cookie sheet.

Dip chicken in FF ranch dressing.

Roll chicken in corn flake mixture.

Lay chicken on cooling rack (on cookie sheet)
Cook until chicken is done, about 45 minutes.

Makes 4 portion
4.5 WW points each.

Low Fat Ranch Chicken: 5 out of 5 spoons

Cherries!

It's the of May which means we've officially hit Cherry Season! Last week I noticed bags of cherries at the grocery store and couldn't help but by buy two bags full! They make such a great mid-afternoon snack.

Here's some info on this tasty fruit:
The cherry is generally understood to have been brought to Rome from northeastern Anatolia, historically known as the Pontus region, in 72 BC.[1] The city of Giresun in present-day Turkey was known to the ancient Greeks as Kerasous or Cerasus.
By the Middle Ages, however, cherries had disappeared in England. They were reestablished at Tyneham, near Sittingbourne in Kent by order of Henry VIII, who had tasted them in Flanders.
Cherries contain anthocyanins, the red pigment in berries. Cherry anthocyanins have been shown to reduce pain and inflammation in rats.[6] Anthocyanins are also potent antioxidants under active research for a variety of potential health benefits. According to a study funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute presented at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting in San Diego, rats that received whole tart cherry powder mixed into a high-fat diet did not gain as much weight or build up as much body fat, and their blood showed much lower levels of inflammation indicators that have been linked to heart disease and diabetes. In addition, they had significantly lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides than the other rats.
Cherries have a very short growing season and can grow anywhere, including the great cold of the tundra.[citation needed] In Australia they are usually at their peak around Christmas time, in southern Europe in June, in North America in June, in south British Colombia (Canada) in July-mid August and in the UK in mid July, always in the summer season. In many parts of North America they are among the first tree fruits to ripen.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Jenn originally introduced Chris and I to these cookies, and we couldn't be more grateful! Trader Joe's has these Cranberry Oatmeal cookies in their freezer section. It only takes 14 minutes in the oven and you have fresh baked, warm cookies. And they're pre-rolled, so you can bake just 2 or 3 cookies if you want.
The tartness of the cranberries is a perfect compliment to the sweetness of the brown sugar. I highly recommend these cookies for an easy late night snack.

Trader Joe's Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies: 5 out of 5 spoons!

Doggie Biscuits

Here's a great recipe for homeade doggie biscuits. The yeast will keep their pee from killing your grass. The garlic will keep the fleas away.

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. cornmeal
2/3 c. Brewer's yeast
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks
3 beef or chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 and 1/2 c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix well. Working with half the dough at a time, roll dough to 3/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Turn oven off but leave biscuits in oven until crunchy. Makes about 1 pound of dog biscuits that you dog is sure to love.

*You can substitute slow-cook oatmeal for cornmeal

Feed a Cold, Starve the Flu?

I have a very sick fiance at home. He either has a severe case of the stomach flu or he has food poisoning.

For once, I don't know what to feed him.

Anyone have any suggestions??

Grill

Last night Chris and I bought a new grill for our apartment. It's a Weber Spirit E-210. I don't know much about grilling but I'm sure Chris will put this to a lot of use this summer. In a couple of weeks our farmer's market opens up for the summer and we'll start buying great cuts of meat from our local farmers, Beth and Jody. I'm looking forward to my first smokey brat, hot off the grill!

Twirl and Swirl

Last night, BK offered Chris and 2 complimentary tickets to the Joffrey Ballet's spring performance. I have never been to the ballet before and wasn't sure what to expect but Chris and I both LOVED the show. The evening consisted of 4 performances and we both truly enjoyed each one. Those women are so tiny, muscular and flexible!!!
I just watched them amazed as they stretched their bodies into long, lean poses. And how they floated across stage, with such grace, it was truly breathtaking.

After the show, we headed to Swirl Winebar on Hubbard St. (downtown Chicago). BK's wife, Stephanie, is a flaminco dancer there.

Swirl is the type of place I typically would not visit, as it appears pretty swank and trendy from the outside. But Chris and I were both impressed with their menu. We shared a bottle of Malbec wine and nibbled on empinadas and toasted goat cheese and pesto on crisp flat bread.

Swirl Wine Bar food: 5 out of 5 spoons

Nothing to do with Food, but Inspiring None the Less

Mrs. Obama's speech at last night's New York gala:
"Our success was made possible with the encouragement of a diligent parent or teacher, a grandparent who told us we had real talent, an older sibling who paved the way and set a good example, a scholarship or grant that created an unexpected opportunity, or a neighbor or community leader who told us to dream big. That's certainly been the case in my own life...As global leaders, let's not underestimate the power each of us has to change the world for someone -– and let us not be afraid to try."

Morey's Seafood

For the life of me I can't remember if I've blogged about Morey's Seafood before. So I figured I would risk the double-blog and write on it today.

I discovered Morey's Seafood last summer and can't suggest this enough for a fast, flavorful and healthy meal! I often serve the Salmon with dill sauce when I have company over (Sarah can attest to the number of times we've dined on that fish). It's incredibly easy: 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. They even provide the dish to cook the fillets in so there is little-to-no clean-up! And with each package you get 2 separately sealed fish fillets, perfect for those nights where you are only cooking for 1 person.

Tonight Michi is coming over for dinner and I'm cooking us up the lemon pepper tilapia. I'll be sure to post on how the food tasted.

You can find Morey's in the seafood section of your local grocery store. Jewel has them in the refrigerated section while Dominicks has it in their frozen fish section. A package of 2 fillets will run you about $8.00. You can see all of Morey's fish on their website: http://www.moreys.com/products

Morey's Seafood: 5 out of 5 spooons