Cookies, Wine, Love, and Girlfriends

adminbaking, chocolate covered pretzels, cookie baking, girlfriends, love, Oreo Balls, tofu lasagna, Uncategorized, wine%s Comments

Last night was one of those “I don’t want to be anywhere else or with anyone else in the world right now” kind of nights.

I’ve been feeling lately like my female friendships are the things that go by the wayside when work/life gets hectic and busy, which is way super lame, I know.  But last night, we made being together a priority and I can truly say that I haven’t felt that whole, that content in quite a while.

Tofu lasagna, 6 bottles of wine, 6 different kinds of cookies and the girls that definitely make up a part of my “home team”…I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday night.

Cooking Lesson Learned: melt chocolate in the microwave.  Doing it on the store without a double boiler makes for chocolate that closely resembles hummus.  Super gross and inedible.

Life Lesson Learned:  girlfriends are one of the best gifts in the world, not only just at Christmas.  Get together, drink wine, and bake more often.

Cookie Roundup:

Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Peanut Butter cookies w/ Kisses, Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls, Wreaths, Almond Balls, and Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

On Baking: Cookie Exchange Edition

adminbaking, Christmas Cookies, Friends, Lincoln Park, tradition, Uncategorized%s Comments

Tomorrow, a group of girlfriends will convene at my friend Amanda’s darling Lincoln Park apartment for a cookie baking party and exchange.  From my understanding, her grandmother does this with the family every year and now Amanda is bringing the tradition Chicago-side.  We’ve been instructed to bring the ingredients for our favorite cookie to so we can spend the evening baking together and then trade up at the end so we each go home with a taste of everything.  We were also told to bring wine.  I don’t think that has anything to do with cookies.

After much (internal) debate, I have decided to make Chocolate-Covered Oreo Balls.  A co-worker’s Mom made them for a work event once and for as decadent as they tasted, I was so surprised to learn how simple they were to make.  With any luck, my contribution to the cookie exchange will look like this:

Oreo Ball Recipe Ingredients

  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese or whipped cream cheese
  • 18 ounces package of Oreo cookies, crushed (crush the entire cookie- don’t remove the filling!)
  • 2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon shortening

Oreo Balls Recipe Instructions

Mix cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add the crushed Oreos and beat on high until well mixed. Chill for at least 2 hours in the freezer. Then roll Oreo cookie mix into one inch Oreo Balls.

Next, melt the chocolate chips and shortening with a double boiler or in the microwave.

Dip the Oreo balls completely into the melted chocolate using tongs or a toothpick.

Put on wax paper. After the Oreo balls harden, keep them in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 or 4 dozen Oreo Balls, depending on the size.

 

What about you?  I’d love to hear what your favorite holiday recipes are!

 

High-Five Thursday

adminDance!, Equinox, GLEE, High-Five, Karim Tonsy, playlist, Teenage Dream, Uncategorized%s Comments

I don’t know how they did it but Glee turned a terrible song like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” into something extremely likable the second they covered it (the adorable Darren Criss didn’t hurt the cause either).  Wanna know how that turns into “High-Five Thursday”?

When the fabulous Karim Tonsy decided Glee’s version of Teenage Dream needed to make an appearance on his playlist for Dance! at Equinox this morning.

Ohhh, man.  The high-fives were a-flyin’.  My first time at Dance! in 2 months- HIGH FIVE!  Leslie, Gary, Jake, Erika… the gang’s all here- HIGH FIVE!  Karim can shake it like nothing I’ve ever seen- HIGH FIVE!  I’m working out before noon- HIGH FIVE!

It was a good morning.

Yes, Indeed.

adminfaith, Family, historical chicago, love, Macy's, Marshall Field's, State Street, State Street windows, tradition, Uncategorized%s Comments

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.  He exists as certainly as love, generosity and devotion exist.”

No “G Family Christmas Kickoff” would be complete without heading to State Street to check out the holiday windows at Marshall Field’s, errr, Macy’s so Papa G, my step-mom, Ryan and I bundled up on Sunday morning to see what the theme was this year.

The theme this year is the famous editorial that appeared in The Sun in 1987 answering a letter titled “Is There a Santa Claus?”.  I have always loved the “Yes, Virginia…” response because it speaks so beautifully to the necessity of belief in the unseen, in faith.

And after all, isn’t that what this time of year is about?  Faith in love, faith in family, faith that a Savior was going to arrive in Bethlehem, just as promised?

I’m so happy I was able to share this holiday tradition with my family, people I always have faith in.

 

Tradition

adminDao Thai, Family, Filene's Basement, Michigan Avenue, new bed, shopping, The Omni Hotel, tradition, Uncategorized%s Comments

I don’t know if I told you but this weekend is the “4th Annual G Family Christmas Kickoff”, also known as one of my favorite weekends of the entire year.  My parents arrived this morning and already, lots of traditional festivities have taken place (like eating at Dao Thai, shopping on Michigan Ave), as well as some new events (like bed building- they got Ryan and I a lovely bed for Christmas!).  Still on the agenda?  Filene’s (my step-mom is an expert shopper- she does not take prisoners when it comes to Filene’s and finding great stuff at a great price), drinks at the Omni and dinner at somewhere Italian; anywhere Italian was the request, actually.

This time of year makes me feel so nostalgic, so aware of the importance of ritual and tradition.  I love making new memories but there’s a lot to be said for the comfort of old ones.  Maybe that’s why I love creating new traditions with the people who hold the old ones.  Comfort and creation.  I can’t think of anything better.

Mark Your Calendar- K.Amato Holiday Trunk Show

adminfavorite things, holiday trunk show, k. amato, Lincoln Park, Southport, trunk show, Uncategorized%s Comments

As I mentioned in Just a Chi Town Girl’s Favorite Things, I have a huge crush on K.Amato Jewelry.  I went to put on my Wabash necklace today and realized I didn’t know when her holiday sale was!  Her studio is in Lincoln Park but a few times a year, K.Amato takes her show on the road.  Next Wednesday, December 8th at the Omni Hotel from 5-8pm will be the one I’ll be hitting up but there are a few more dates, including this Friday up on Southport and then another in Lincoln Park later next week.  Seriously great jewelry dreamed up by one of Chicago’s own.  I’m so excited to see what’s new.

Cold and Crisp

adminChicago weather, cold and crisp, G Family Christmas Kickoff, holiday'ing, holidays, impending winter, snow, Uncategorized, walking%s Comments

I bundled up and went for a little walk this morning.  It is crisp and cold and absolutely December.  It’s the kind of cold that flirts with the edge of snow, the below 30 degree cold that could turn into flakes at any second.  I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t the least bit excited for snow.  The city is so beautiful and bright with a fresh layer of snow.  It makes holiday’ing official.  Which it totally is, and this upcoming weekend solidifies it even more…with or without snow.  My parents are coming into town for the 4th Annual  “G Family Christmas Kickoff” and I couldn’t be more excited.

Ellen, Snow and Sweaters

admin12 Days of Giveaways, Caribou Coffee, Cloud Gate, Ellen, Festive Chicagoans, First Snow, Flag Sweater, Freezing, Ryan, The Bean, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Toes, Uncategorized%s Comments

Since last April, I have been an avid Tweeter (Twitterer?  Twittist?).  I follow my friends, random Broadway stars and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Today, Ellen tweeted this:

Ellen DeGeneres 

@TheEllenShow Ellen DeGeneres
“It’s on Chicago! Get over to The Bean with your most creative holiday sweater and Jeannie might have a huge surprise for you!”
I love Ellen, I love Chicago, I love that Ellen was showing Chicago some love and  I remembered that Ryan has an American Flag sweater shoved in a bin in our storage closet…why not go down to the Bean to see what was up?  So, I grabbed the sweater and my camera and headed to The Bean to see what was to be seen:

About 100 people, decked out in their holiday, err, finest.  Let’s just say that as fetching as I looked in a flag sweater that I pulled over the top of my winter coat, these people came stronger with their holiday sweaters.  And battery packs that powered actual lights strung on their bodies.  Ellen was taping her show in LA and came on to deliver a message to us about the contest she was holding:

Long story short, I did not win $10,000 tonight but I did see snow for the first time this year and I did get a Lite White Berry at Caribou when I could no longer feel my toes.  Oh and I got to hang out with some festive Chicagoans.  An entirely successful evening.

When these things go on in your backyard, you simply can’t not go see what the Ellen is going on.