Ready, Set, Summer!

adminChicago Blackhawks, Chicago Summer, Strawberry-Walnut Salad Recipe, summer, summer cooking, traffic, Uncategorized%s Comments

As far as I’m concerned, the official summer kick-off is Memorial Day and I couldn’t be happier to be diving head-first into that season.  After six and a half hour car ride back from a wedding in Detroit (accidents, thunderstorms, traffic, yuck), my man friend and I headed to a Memorial Day cookout hosted by one of his buddies from school.  We ate sliders, fresh strawberry-walnut salad, drank Corona and celebrated a birthday with ice cream cake.  We watched the sun go down from the rooftop deck and brought up a TV to watch the Blackhawks game.  All I ask is that the rest of my summer goes like that–time with friends, grilling out, ice cold drinks and spectacular views.

Here’s the recipe to my absolute favorite summer salad.  It’s nothing fancy, seriously–it took seconds to prepare and is an oh-so-perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Strawberry-Walnut Salad

1 bunch of Bibb or Romaine lettuce

1 container of Strawberries

Feta Cheese (we used to low-fat kind and it was fine)

red onion

Walnuts

dried cranberries or pomegranate seed (optional)

Poppyseed dressing

Cut up the strawberries, lettuce and slice half the onion into thin strips and toss with the crumbled up feta and walnuts.  Right before serving, add the poppyseed dressing and you’re golden.  See?  I told you it was simple.

Happy Summer, all!

High Five of the Day: The Chicago Blackhawks!  Up 2 in the series!

The Golden Arches

adminChicago, Father-Daughter, fountain Diet Coke, McDonald's, toddler, Uncategorized, weekend%s Comments

Popping in to Mickey D’s to get a fountain Diet Coke and a yogurt parfait this morning, I overheard this gem of a father-daughter conversation:

3-year-old girl with butterfly wings attached to her t-shirt: “I’m excited for my hamburger”.

Dad: “Well, I got pancakes–it’s 8am, they don’t have hamburgers this early.”

3-year-old:  “But this is McDonald’s!”

Dad: (Struggling between the fact that she’s a toddler and explaining the intricacies of McDonald’s dining schedule): “We’ll come back this afternoon.”

High Five of the Week

adminChicago Summer, lemonade, parks, philanthropy, tan, Uncategorized%s Comments

I was laying out at the park when this little girl ran up to me and asked if I wanted fresh squeezed lemonade.  I only had my credit card on me and, assuming she didn’t have a credit card machine in her wagon, respectfully declined.  But this persistent young businesswoman wouldn’t take no for an answer and said I didn’t even need money–she just wanted to give out her lemonade.  Luckily, my friend Laura is responsible and carries cash so we went over to partake in this lemonade stand with wheels.

It turns out that our new friend and her Dad go around to places like “Wiggleyville” and sell dog biscuits, giving their proceeds to a park in the area.  Lemonade was a new venture in their fundraising quest and she made it all herself–squeezed the lemons and everything.  To see a young girl with such a philanthropic spirit was inspiring.  I went to the park for a tan and to read the new Vogue. I came home with a renewed sense of hope in the way our world might turn out with people like her in it.  Regardless of how much money our new friend makes for that park, she is doing more than she knows for her community.

Thanks for the lemonade.  It was exactly what I needed, in more ways than one.

Volare

adminbaby cow, Italian, Man Friend, pasta, Signature Lounge on the 96th, Uncategorized, Volare, wine%s Comments

I haven’t done a restaurant review in awhile and after an amazing dinner at Volare last Saturday night, it is high time.

I’ve walked by Volare a dozen times but since it’s not much to look at from the outside (c’mon–you know we all judge books by their covers on occasion), I’ve never pushed to go there.  But after countless recommendations from my parents and from my man friend’s colleagues, we decided to make it the dinner portion of our old school Chicago date.  After drinks at the Signature Lounge on the 96th Floor of the Hancock Tower (best view of the city is out of the women’s restroom, btw), we went a few blocks south to Volare, located at 201 E. Grand Ave.

Walking in, we weren’t so much greeted by the hosts but by waiters running in and out of the busiest kitchen I’ve ever seen.  Waiting for our table was almost painful, watching dish after amazing smelling dish go by.  To say I struggle making decisions about ordering food is an understatement but even my man friend had a hard time at Volare because everything we had seen run by us was just mouth watering.  The veal medallion with porcini risotto (for him) and the frutti di mare (for me) were the final decisions and I’d say we hit the jackpot.  Well, you’ll have to take his word on the veal–even though I was bribed with lots of things I want in exchange for taking a bite, you will never catch me eating baby cow.  No way.  But the calamari was uber tender, the shrimp ginormous, the seabass perfection and the pasta was perfectly al dente (my big pet peeve with Italian restaurants) so we left very full and happy. Topped off with a bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and we were in love.  With Volare.

We always say we want to go back to places just for some wine and to maybe split a dish but with Volare, I know neither of us are going to be willing to share.

High Five of the Day:  http://smittenkitchen.com/ I follow them on Twitter (ninainthechi) and now that the Green City Market is up and going on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, I can’t wait to turn all the fabulous fresh things I buy there into the fabulous fresh recipes Smitten Kitchen gives me.  First on my list is absolutely Homemade Pop Tarts.  Go ahead, start salivating now.

Too Short

adminCaribou Coffee, Chicago weather, Family, gratitude, Uncategorized%s Comments

Reason #3498 why I love living in Chicago is that there is Caribou Coffee here.

Yes, I know–there are Caribou Coffees pretty much everywhere but there wasn’t one where I grew up and when I would visit friends in the Detroit area, I would beg them to go get a Light White Berry with me so I totally enjoy being able to get a $4 coffee now whenever I want.

Chicago’s temperature hit 73 degrees today, which is obviously deserving of an iced coffee.  I am the clumsiest person on the planet so I was in need of a napkin in case anything was spilled.  When I went to get one, I grabbed what I thought was a napkin that had been written on.  There was writing on it, albeit engineered by the Caribou thinktank most likely, and it was titled “Life’s Too Short For:” and then had a list.

“Life’s Too Short For: Grudges, fake anything, putting profits before people, crabby people, over-roasted coffe and waiting for change to happen.”

Spot on, right?  Every day, there are a million little (or big) things that jar us into remembering what life is too short for.  We might not always be fully present to notice them but they’re there.  For me, life’s too short to not be real with the people I love and the things in our lives that are important to us.  For me, life’s too short for every single person I love not to know it.  For me, life is to short not to belly laugh.  Or to notice giggly babies or dogs that are so freakin’ happy to be out on a walk.  And life is definitely too short for me to wear shoes that hurt my feet.

I’m grateful that it was a silly napkin from an overpriced coffee factory that reminded me of these things today but when events happen that make it all too clear what life is too short for, I thank God that I have a family and friends to weather those storms with.

Life is too short for _______ (fill in the blank).

Cubs Win!

adminbeer, Chicago Cubs, Friends, pretzels, Uncategorized%s Comments

I started Sunday out with plans to do laundry, apartment hunt and go to yoga.  I ended up at the Cubs vs. Pittsburgh game with 9 of my closest friends.  A soft pretzel, a few cold beers and a 8th inning comeback by the Cubbies and I had my first Cubs game of the 2010 season under my belt.

That is reason #2987 that I live in Chicago–at a moments notice, I can be gifted a Cub’s ticket and walk up to Wrigley Field to go to the game.  And enjoy the game alongside some of my best friends, who also happen to be there randomly.  Sure, I’m starting the week lacking clean sheets and no where to live come July 1st but when I look back on this season in my life, I willing to bet that I’ll remember the fun times with my city and my friends more than chores left undone.

Big Moments

adminbig moments, Cold Tangerines, hope, Shauna Niequist, Uncategorized%s Comments

“I don’t want to wait anymore. I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day.  I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold.  The big moments are the daily, tiny moments of courage and forgiveness and hope that we grab on to and extend to one another.  That’s the drama of life, swirling all around us, and generally I don’t even see if, because I’m too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become.  The big moments are in every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting.” from Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

Going Up?

adminbest practices, Cristiano Ronaldo, elevators, Evanston Alli, Holly the Herlein, Jillian, meetings, Perez Hilton, Rhoda Pitcher, Uncategorized%s Comments

I was in a meeting today (yes, a meeting, because apparently, I’m a grownup now) and when discussing best practices for hiring, the “elevator” factor came up.  “You know,” said Evanston Alli, “like, would you want to be stuck in an elevator with that person or not?”.

I’ve been thinking about it all day.  Who would I want to be stuck in an elevator with (even outside of work/hiring)?There are so many things you have to weigh–what would you do with this person?   Do they have enough good stories?  Do they have advice/wisdom to impart to me during this time?  How long are we talking here?  If you don’t know them, what are the chances that 5 hours later you would want to claw their eyes out?  If you do know them, would 5 hours in a confined space make you not want to know them?  Lots of push/pull with a decision like this.

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

1) Perez Hilton.  He has something to say about everything and everyone.  5 hours could go by so quickly.  First part–salacious gossip.  Second part–world issues.  As much as I love me some good gossip, I feel like there could be some amazing conversation about social injustice, world affairs and politics.  And he could probably give me some good fashion and man advice.

2) Holly Herlein.  We have been friends for 10 years and have yet to run out of things to talk about.  Between our European travels, dating disasters, nicknaming our dating disasters and our shared love of politics, literature, Europe and dating disasters, 5 hours would not be enough to get through recapping our shared history (things happen to us that just don’t happen to other people, I swear), let alone touch on new hopes, dreams, goals and shoes.

3) Rhoda Pitcher.  She sits on the board of directors for my company and is, hands down, one of the most amazing, inspiring and motivating people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  The way she gets real with people from the get-go is just incredible and I would love to pick her brain.  Oh and she’s a hugger.  I love huggers.

4) Robert Gardner.  My grandfather has been gone for nearly ten years now but living in Chicago, I think about him often.  He grew up on the South Side (his mother used to sell newspapers to Hugh Hefner!) and I would love to hear about what the Chi was like in his day.  I think he would get such a kick out of me living here, going to the same Wrigley Field that his father took him to on special occasions, swimming at the same beaches in the summer, walking the same Michigan Avenue.

5) Cristiano Ronaldo.  No explanation necessary–google him and you’ll get it.

In a quick survey, responses I got from friends were Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Jude Law and Barack Obama.  Why 2 Chicago Blackhawks?   I was told it was because they were “relevant and sexy.”  Good enough reason for me.

Who would you want to be stuck in an elevator with?

Softball Saturday

adminbeer, Chicago, Chicago Rec Sports, Corcoran's, Linda, Married Mike, Saturday Morning, softball, Team Get In The Van We Have Candy, Uncategorized%s Comments

My friends are a very well rounded group.  In addition to their 9-5s, they are actors, volunteers, singers, writers, video gamera and now, every Saturday morning at 10am, recreational softball league players.  Team “Get In The Van, We Have Candy” no longer partakes in consuming (too many) adult beverages on Friday nights because they have to be ready for “the game” the next morning.  They are dedicated.  They are committed.  They go to sleep with their Corcoran’s t-shirts freshly pressed and their mits polished, dreaming of a victory that will put them in the Chicago Recreational Sports Hall of Fame.

Never mind that both teams they have played consisted of middle aged co-workers who have finely tuned their game over the course of the last 20 years.  Never mind that the girls on the team don’t know how to play their positions.  Never mind that my friend Linda was heckled into striking out by her own boyfriend.  This is a team with their eye on the prize because they have already won an award so prestigious, so elusive, so surprising because no one even knew this award was up for grabs.

Team “Get In The Van We Have Candy” was awarded “Best Team Name in All of Chicago Rec League Sports”.  Before the season even started.

I mean, really–it’s all how we measure success.  Those old folk opponents of “Team Get In The Van We Have Candy” might measure it by getting so far ahead that the mercy rule is invoked within 45 minutes.  But “Team Get In The Van We Have Candy” knows the true accolades are those felt in the heart, not seen with the eye.

Besides, Coach Matt came up with a game plan for today, at the request of players looking for more direction: Drink more beer sooner.  The game may be at noon, but drinking starts at 10am.

High five team, high five.