Cold Weather Weekending

adminCHicago winter, cold, cooking, Country Strong, Gwyneth Paltrow, movies, pasta, Seafood Linguine, Uncategorized, Williams Sonoma, Winter%s Comments

I was craving two things this weekend: cooking and movies.  With temperatures in Chicago not rising above 20 degrees, satisfying my cravings was an easy feat because they both involved staying inside and being warm.

On the menu?  Linguine with shrimp and crab in a clam sauce and crusty sourdough bread perfect for sauce dipping.

Sidebar: I popped in Williams Sonoma on my way home from work on Friday.  Lo and behold, the universe rewarded me for my stressful (but successful) work week with the serving dish and salad plates I had been eying that matches the pasta bowls I got for Christmas…ON SALE.  Like, seriously on sale.  As in, I got the serving dish, salad plates, a sauce and pink cupcakes holders all for the original price of the serving dish. AND it happened to be pay day too!  A Friday Miracle, I say!

FYI:  Life’s too short to use garlic that comes from a jar.

After chopping, sautee’ing, and simmering tomatoes, onion, fresh parsley, fresh basil, clams and Prosecco, then tossing in shrimp and crab, Ryan and I feasted on this:

I didn’t overcook the shrimp (which usually happens), the pasta was perfectly al dente, and we got to spend the evening together.  It was exactly the date night we needed AND exactly what I needed to give me my cooking fix.  Cooking makes me feel like myself; it’s another way to be creative and productive and do something for people I love.  Plus, I love wine and jazz and cooking usually ends up involving both when I’m at the helm.

The movie portion of the weekend?  Country Strong.  I’m not a huge country music fan and I really, really enjoyed it.  Gwyneth Paltrow was fantastic and the music is great.  Totally worth seeing.

 

 

Snow Running and Shuffling

adminChicago Races, Chicago running, cold, frigid, running season, Shamrock Shuffle 2011, Uncategorized%s Comments

I bundled up and went for a run outside this afternoon.  I’ve never been one to run in the snow so there’s this novelty to it right now.  “I’m running outside, I’m running outside and there is snow and I may fall on ice but I’m running outside!” sort of deal that totally makes the miles fly by.  The 5 shirts I was wearing and I knocked out 5 miles today and when I got home, this announcement was on my Blackberry, via email:

Registration for the Shamrock Shuffle 8k Opens January 1st.

This race signals the start of Chicago run season!  Last year, I swear it was negative a million degrees outside.  The kind of cold layers can’t touch.  Interestingly enough, the race has been moved from the 3rd week in March to April 10th.  I mean, I would have run it anyways but the chance of it being a little warmer while running those 5 miles through the Loop is fine by me.  The race is capped at 40,000 people and it sells out every year so you better mark your calendars for January 1st!

High Five Thursday

admincold, High-Five, little peanut, Luna Bell, Uncategorized, Winter%s Comments

As winter takes its firm hold on Chicago and I put on at least 3 layers every time I step foot outside, I forget that Luna Bell doesn’t have that option and, while she does not go outside, she gets cold too! 

Exhibit A: My little peanut snuggled under an inside-out sweatshirt that I pulled over her when she was looking cold and trying to burrow into the bedspread. 

So, high-five to LB and her efforts to stay warm… you do the same when you head out for the day!

New Boot Monday

adminCHicago winter, cold, Joan of Arc boots, Nordstrom, slush, Sorel, Uncategorized%s Comments

Today is a “I-can’t-wait-to-go-outside-because-I-have-new-boots!” kind of day!

The truth of the matter is, I live in Chicago and it sure isn’t getting any warmer here for the next 3-6 months.  With my Uggs from college having officially bit the dust, it was time to find something new to keep my tootsies warm (and dry!) in the frigid months to come.

After polling some girlfriends and co-workers, Boss Lady Julie gave the most glowing recommendation about Sorel’s.  Since Julie usually has the answers to all of my questions, I figured she couldn’t be wrong about boots and, sure enough, the second I slipped on a pair at Nordstom, I was in love (well, as in love as you can be with a pair of winter boots).

There’s usually not much to love about utility (believe me, I wish these were a pair of 4-inch heels) but the little touch of fur makes me feel the slightest bit cute and girly.

I’m going to go kick the crap out of these in the slush, wind, snow and city streets now.

Shamrock Shuffle 2010

adminbeer, Chicago, cold, Shamrock Shuffle, Uncategorized%s Comments

This past Sunday, I ran the Shamrock Shuffle, an 8k that starts in Grant Park and weaves its way around the loop.  The Shamrock Shuffle is the kick-off to running reason in Chicago and the annual rite of spring.  The “rite of spring” part I don’t believe because last year, it snowed on the day of the Shuffle and this year, it was 34 degrees.  In any case, Ryan and I dragged our behinds out of bed in time to get to the Blackstone Hotel to meet up with the Imerman Angel folks (the charity we were running for–check them out, it is an amazing organization) before heading to the start line for a brisk 5 mile run.  I snapped this pic a few seconds before the race began.

I was too cold to be nervous for running a distance I haven’t even come close to in nearly 6 months but I was pleasantly surprised to see that I still had it.  We made great time!  Ryan and I made a fun game out of weaving in and out of the crowd of 25,000 + people and before I knew it, I had 5 miles under my belt and a beer in my hand.  Ahhhh, running season in Chicago…

I kind of feel like signing up for the marathon wasn’t a terrible idea now.  I had so much fun on Sunday, despite the frigid temperature, that I think I want to run at least a 5k race every month leading up to the marathon to remind me of how fun it is to have my feet pounding the pavement with several thousand other people.  Plus, I’ll get a bunch of free shirts.

What are your recommendations? Any favorites that I NEED to sign up for?

High Five of the Day: Trader Joe’s Chocolatey Cat Cookies.  I am usually a sucker for the vegan, organic animal crackers but I veered of the path of security and tried the Chocolate Cat Cookies.  They are my favorite thing of the week and I can’t help but smile and feel like I’m 7 when I pull one out and see a little cat smiling back at me…before I chomp its head off.

Good as Gold

adminCGSE, cold, Liz, Olympics, Team USA, Uncategorized%s Comments

I am loving the Olympics this year.  All of these athletes who have geared their entire lives to 30+ seconds of performance…unreal.  Yesterday was the biggest day in Winter Olympic history for Team USA.  They won 6 medals, 3 gold.  I love hearing all the background, heart string pulling stories NBC loves giving me (I definitely cried when Alexandre Bilodeau won the gold for Canada) and seeing all the pretty outfits these athletes at the top of their game choose to make their world statement in.

But what I really love is how quickly I become an expert on every single Olympic event I happen to catch on tv.  I watched about 3 minutes of the men’s mogul event on Sunday before I was able to point out where mistakes were made, cheer along with the athletes when they completed what was obviously a successful run and discuss why the sport is so amazing.  To be clear: I know nothing about moguls–I keep to the blue and green hills when I am skiing.  But there’s something about the Olympics that make the events so accessible to people even thousands of miles away.  Same with Men’s Snowboarding last night–the closest I have gotten to snowboarding is looking at my friend Liz’s board that she helped design.  But even I could appreciate that Team USA is badass.  Now I can’t wait to watch to watch Women’s Figure Skating and impress Ryan with my expertise gained from rollerblading in my basement as a kid, coming up with “programs” I forced my mom to watch and then score.  To the soundtrack of “Evita”.

High Five of the Day: The nice man at Trader Joe’s who pointed me to “the best” almond butter at Trader Joe’s.  Without him, I would have gone home with the same Almond Butter that always goes on my sandwiches but now, I saves a buck and have Almond Butter with FLAXSEED in it.  Thank you, informed grocery shopper.

Still snowing…

adminChicago, cold, Diet Coke, love, Luna Bell, snow, Uncategorized%s Comments

It’s still snowing.  While it isn’t what the East Coast is getting slammed with, for a city with bare sidewalks yesterday, it is still something.  I took this picture while I was walking to 7/11.  I felt it was too snowy to venture to the gym but felt it was completely necessary to walk almost the same distance to get this:

I love Diet Coke and am perfectly willing to go out in a snowstorm for it.  And look!  Valentine’s cans!  Love and Diet Coke–a match made in heaven.

Here’s how Luna Bell feels about the snow:

She doesn’t want to talk about it.

Snow Plows, Wind and CTA Cuts

adminChicago, cold, commuting, CTA, snow, Uncategorized%s Comments

I can’t really complain about the snowstorm that is quickly and quietly enveloping the city right now because, well, it’s February in Chicago.  Having grown up in the Midwest, this sort of thing shouldn’t even phase me.  But there was a part of me that went to bed last night that thought “Ha, they say we’re supposed to get 12-15 inches starting at 9pm and it’s 11pm…suckers.  My sidewalks are staying dry and I’m wearing tennis shoes tomorrow.” 

 7:30am: The sound of snow shovels scraping the pavement.  Dangit.

The snow is being pretty polite as of right now.  Kind of like “Hi, I’m here, it’s Winter so please don’t be angry but I’m going to stick around for awhile and I might get super into this and bring tons of my snowflake friends with me to make going outside the last thing you want to do.” 

Also going on right now in Chicago is the CTA making cuts to the buss and train routes.  That coupled with snow should be interesting.  I haven’t noticed any delays in my commute but I really feel for people who have to be in the snow for longer that usual.

Stay tuned.