Chocolate Cherry Valentine’s Day Cookies

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I’ve recently starting crushing on the blog Ramshackle Glam– it’s stylish, smart, domestic goddess-y and super, super creative in a way that doesn’t make me feel bad about myself on days when I’m not wearing matching socks, I lost the keys, I ate takeout yet again or I can’t drum up a creative thought to save my life (hey, happens to the best of us).  She’s super relate-able and her posts are just delightful and inspiring.

Sidebar: I read a to-be-unnamed post on a to-be-unnamed blog the other day where the author made her own graham crackers from scratch.  After a post showing me how to “beach curl” my hair.   What the wha?!  Um, I buy my graham crackers at the grocery store because the fine people at the graham cracker factory do a very nice job themselves and since it’s -6 degrees outside, I just pray my hair doesn’t freeze off my head.

Anyways.

When Ramshackle Glam posted a recipe for Chocolate Cherry Valentine’s Day Cookies, I couldn’t wait to make them for this weekend.  True to her word, they are soooooo good!

Click here for the recipe and glorious little photo guide to this Heart Day keeper!  Enjoy and please share any recipes you are loving on these days- I’m looking to whip up a feast this weekend!

Sub-Zero Temperature Dreaming

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Hopped the Red Line to the Addison stop today for a meeting.

I must say, my adventures north to Wrigleyville have been primarily for baseball, brats and adult beverages to be enjoyed while wearing red, blue and white.

But even with snow on the ground and even though I was heading to a decidedly work-related round of caffeine, I couldn’t help but look at the above scene, subtract the snow and add in thousands of people milling around on an equally sunny day and multiply it by the buzz that is always in the air right before a Cubs game.  Which equals me starting to get very, very excited for spring.

How’s that for a sub-zero temperature distraction?

Pequod’s Pizza

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A Saturday night post-blizzard and 4 friends.

Que the revival of Chicago Magazine’s July 2010 issue: Best Pizza.

It’s no secret that Chicago has a wealth of delicious pizza joints.  We’ve all had Giordano’s and Gino’s and Lou Malnati’s (in fact, if you’ve gotten married in the last year, chances are that you’ve received Lou’s deep dish in the mail from Ryan and I) but what about the lesser known purveyors of ooe-y, gooe-y, cheese-y goodness?

#10 on Chi Mag’s list was our Saturday night choice- the infamous Pequod’s up on North Clybourn.

Thick, golden crust melded perfectly with the cheese (none of that hunk ‘o cheese meets cornmeal business you get from Gino’s) and the sauce was chunky and sweet.  And plenty of it, which is no small feat considering that Ryan is endlessly complaining about the lack of ample sauce on pizza.

A few bottles of wine, a few hours of catching up about job searches, ski trips, being snowbound and how the heck we’re going to make it through the rest of this winter was exactly what that frosty Saturday night called for.

So grateful.  For good pizza and even better friends.

Next up on our Chicago Pizza Tour: Castel Gandolpho

(photo via CBS)

Football Food: Turkey Meatball Sub Edition

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The MVP at my house this Super Bowl Sunday was the (semi) homemade Turkey Meatball Subs.  Brainstorming a menu on the way to the store usually doesn’t drum up creativity but we definitely surprised ourselves!  For as easy and delicious these subs were, it was a totally culinary touchdown.

Turkey Meatball Subs

1 bag frozen turkey meatballs (Trader Joe’s are my fav)

1 green pepper

1/2 white onion

Rolls

Tomato Sauce

Red Pepper flakes

Basil

Mozzarella Cheese

Saute a clove of garlic in extra virgin olive oil; add green peppers and basil.  Cook until peppers are well covered and starting to soften.  Add thawed meatballs, tomato sauce and onion.  Add some red pepper seed to give the dish a kick.  Toss until everything is covered in sauce; reduce heat and simmer for as long as you like but at least 20 minutes (or like we did it, until we were done with our bbq chicken wings and queso).  Spoon onto fresh, soft rolls and top with mozzarella cheese.

XLV

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Luna Bell, knocking back a few cold ones.

Some people plan weeks in advance for today.   We planned minutes in advance…seriously, 5 minutes before kick-off, Ryan and I decided we wanted to dash to Trader Joe’s as a last minute attempt to put together a little Super Bowl party for 2.

Well, 3 if you include LB’s new found love of chicken wings:

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Blizzard Update #3: Aftermath

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I ran into work for a bit today and to be honest, I am so glad I had an excuse to get out and see the aftermath of the blizzard- my walk was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

The streets were just beginning to get cleared and the only people attempting to claw their way over the mounds of snow on the sidewalks were exactly like me: camera in hand.  With no good reason to be outside, you could find any reason.  Mine?  Having downtown Chicago to myself to appreciate the stillness and the fine folks working to make it safe for us again.

Supporting Chicago in more ways than one.

Photo snapping mid-Ave while the bells chimed noon

Ferragamo and the Snow Bunny

18 inches of snow on Michigan Avenue

Eventually, the snow will be clear, Lake Shore Drive will reopen and the roof on Wrigley will be repaired.  But until then, we get to live in a different Chicago.  A dressed down, imperfect, perfectly still, it-is-what-it-is Chicago.

And I quite like it like that.

Blizzard Update #2

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I made it through the night and am happy to report that 70 mph winds (!!!) did not break my windows as I feared and that I did not, in fact, get sucked out.

Annnnnd it’s still snowing.  19 inches and counting….

Blizzard Update

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View of a blizzard from 40+ floors

We are getting pummeled.  Blizzard: 100, Chicago: 0.

I’ve never seen anything like it.  Lake Shore Drive has been completely closed since 7pm, Wrigley Field had part of its roof blow off and I have seen not one, but two window screens pop off buildings and then twirl and twirl and smash into windows before being cast out into Lake Michigan.  I have the blinds closed but every once in awhile, I can’t help but peak out and see if the sights match what I am hearing.  Which is a whole lot of wind and the walls in my apartment creaking.

The Trib is telling me to get used to it, that the weather is only going to get worse and stay that way until tomorrow afternoon.  So, I have an extra blanket on the bed, a nightcap (Bailey’s) on the nightstand and Luna Bell curled at my feet; I know that’s all I can really do at this point but wow- this storm is truly epic and, if I’m being honest, a little lot bit scary.

Cheers to my windows staying intact and me not being sucked out of my apartment overnight!