Fete Chicago

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Fete is the new Dose. Apparently.

City gossip (and interviews with a bit of snark given by the self proclaimed sole founder) laid out that several original curators of Dose Market severed their ties with the once monthly foodie and clothing market and had a new project in the works. That project is Fete, a weekend long celebration of food and design that debuted in December and is back in action this weekend. April 4-7 will bring a night market, tastings, discussions, panels with the goal of starting a dialogue, learning and connecting; a behind the scenes look at some of the most innovative minds in Chicago.

I am actually glad to hear that Fete has been created. I loved Dose Market at the beginning; I raved about it that first summer and even Holidose. But after that, it got stale and less exciting. And while I appreciate that they turned me on to Bittercube and Lezzett Spices, I think Fete is going to bring authentic, community driven, hyper-local Chicago love.

And besides- who doesn’t love a Fete?

Giving Thanks Week 13

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84. Fresh air in my lungs. I got out for a run every day this weekend and I don’t know if it was the warmer temps or the extra miles but man…every deep breath felt so good.

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85. Saturday mornings. Finishing up work that’s spilling over into the weekend, drinking coffee (out of real cups!), people watching, reading the news…getting up and out on Saturday mornings has sort of become our thing and I love that time.

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86. Signs of Spring. Finally.

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87. Game night.

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88. Holiday tradition. We went to Wave at The W for brunch but I couldn’t help it- it isn’t Easter without making deviled eggs!

89. A new month. It’s minor but I super love seeing my Outlook calendar flip to a fresh new month.

90. Vacation time. I haven’t taken any yet but just knowing my yearly reserve is there and available for, well, anything really, is for me both representative of security and possibility

Howells & Hood

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Howell and Hood opened a few months ago in the base of the Trib Tower so last night, we headed over there to check out what was supposed to be a gazillion beers on tap and watch more of my bracket go down in flames. This place is massive and it was nice to be able to grab a seat at an uncrowded bar in front of 2 Flatscreens to catch the game- like my apartment but with lobster rolls and wine on tap. It was pretty empty but the outdoor patio on Pioneer Court is going to be great this summer- a front row seat to Michigan Avenue and a beer flight sounds like perfect summer afternoon.

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Magic and a Giveaway

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Like I said yesterday, Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table has some really wonderful recipes in it (the Gaia cookies are change-your-life good) and also, the recipe for magic. Really. Magic.

Flour plus salt plus water makes bread.

That’s right folks- the same ingredients that also make paper mâché also make fresh, crusty, fluffy bread. I took the bait a few weeks ago, mixed said ingredients in a bowl with yeast, it sat in my kitchen overnight, I mixed it with my bare hands once and after some time in the oven in my beloved blue le creuset, I had bread. Carbs, in my world, are always magic and this just proves it.

So that you can have this recipe for magic (and many others) in your hot little hands, I am doing a giveaway of Bread & Wine! Simply leave a comment below about your favorite recipe, a food you absolutely love or something you would love to learn to make and I will select a winner at random to receive a copy of the book!

The giveaway will close at noon on Saturday and the winner will be announced shortly after!

Just Jump In

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I spent a few hours today turning a jump rope for a youth play day and have come to the conclusion that for as much as I love running/spinning/yoga, I am not terribly athletic. It was all I could do to keep my hands turning in coordination (often with a girl literally holding them, trying to guide me) and I am confident that I gave everyone the laugh of their weeks when I tried to jump in. Standing back, watching the double Dutch ropes, um, double Dutch, trying to figure out how to get in between them without a rope smacking me in the head. Bopping forward, taking a big step back, repeatedly. “Just jump in; stop thinkin’ and just jump!” they shouted.

And they were right. So I did.

Kids…

Bread & Wine: A Review

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I loved author Shauna Niequist’s Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet because reading them felt like sitting down with a girlfriend over coffee and digging into those things in life that we celebrate, those that we mourn, the lessons we’ve learned and the faith that holds it all together. In reading Shauna’s third literary gem, we’re switching from coffee to wine and shifting the conversation to the relationships that make up a life and the meals that happen along the way.

To be clear: transitioning from coffee to wine is always fine by me.

Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes explores through a collection of essays what it means to be nourished on the inside and out and how through our relationship with God, we end up nourishing those around us. They say that life is what happens while you’re making other plans and through Shauna’s incredibly relatable writing, she shares the life that happens while you’re sitting around your table. While filled with some seriously delicious recipes, this is not a cookbook. The recipes act as place markers almost- the food made meaningful by the experience surrounding it. And the experiences surrounding the food are beautiful opportunities to celebrate the way God teaches and feeds us as we, in turn, teach and feed, figuratively and otherwise, those around us.

Bread & Wine feels very full circle to me. With Cold Tangerines, I shamelessly said “Me too!” to Shauna’s quest for celebrating the joy in everyday life. By Bittersweet, I needed the voice that gently reminded me that there are two side of the joy coin and I could sit with the side that hurt without having to pretty anything up; that God’s grace was more present than ever. Bread & Wine opened me up to the possibility that simply showing up and starting where I am is exactly what God created me for and how I will best serve my community, around my table and otherwise.

So, cheers and bon appetit- Bread & Wine is sure to fill you up, in more ways than one.

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Bread & Wine in 3 Parts

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I’ve been in a season of “enough”. Strong enough, good enough, enough time, enough energy, enough sleep, you name it. I travel frequently for work and when packing for a trip a few weeks ago, the idea of not having enough room in my bag was, oddly, more than I could handle and I forfeited my usual small cross-body bag for a new, much larger one. With this cavernous bag now at my disposable, I could cast off some of my “enough” worries and bring in more of what I needed. Like my advance copy of Bread & Wine..

I planned on waiting until I was situated on the balcony of my hotel room at the base of the gorgeous Catalina foothills to crack open the cover but it turns out that 3 hours on a plane sandwiched between 2 people with no regard for personal space was the perfect time to read Bread and Wine. This book would have been perfection had I read it on the moon. Peanuts for lunch was a far cry from the incredible recipes author Shauna Niequist shares in the book but what really filled me up was her words, the stories of the community she has cultivated through time around her table. She is deeply passionate about connection and the life that happens around food and around our tables. After reading the last chapter, all feelings of “enough” had disappeared and been replaced with some serious inspiration. Creating community is about showing up as you are, finding your people and nurturing those relationships. There’s no room for enough when you’re talking about love. I feel the most whole, the most at home around a table with people I love and to read a book that speaks to that made me feel deeply heard and connected to communities around tables I have never seen.

Bread & Wine comes out in a few weeks and to celebrate its release, I am doing a 3-part series this week. You’re looking at the intro, tomorrow is the review and on Wednesday, we’re making some magic happen in my kitchen (seriously, magic).

It’s worth saying that all opinions are 100% my own and my wholehearted support of Bread & Wine is just that. Shauna’s books have made a big difference in my life over the last 5 years and I am thrilled to share Bread & Wine with you!

Giving Thanks Week 12

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77. Naps. Nothing like a nap to make you feel like a brand new person.

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78. Organization. Call it spring cleaning or whatever but not being able to find anything is the pits. A trip to the Triple B and $16 (!?!) later, our closets are in tip top shape.

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79. A game of pick-up I passed this group of kids in the park last week and they were having so much fun. Like, out of their minds, high-fiving, laughing, hugging fun. It just reminds you that all you need to have a blast is a ball, your friends and ability to be 100% in the moment.

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80. A fresh manicure and bubbles. My favorite Friday treat.

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81. Tournament Food. Turkey & chicken meatball subs, homemade sauce and roasted sweet potato, quinoa and arugula salad. My bracket may be busted but I won in the kitchen this weekend.

82. 10 day forecasts. We’re breaking the 50 degree mark!

83. Grace.