recommendation: ideas for chicago themed out-of-town bags

I got a question at work today from a bride/groom that has a wedding room block with us... do I have any recommendations for Chicago Themed Out-Of-Town Gift bags? Do I?? Here's what I recommend:

- Wrigley Gum: Wrigley Building is a landmark of the Mag Mile, and Wrigley Field makes the name well known!

- Goose Island Soda: Root Beer and Orange Creme are my favorites! I would put two bottles per bag, for those who are traveling with a +1

- Chicago Map: Contact CCTB or the Concierge at the hotel

- Macy's Frango Mints: Get the 4 pack, and go to the Macy's on State Street or Michigan Ave in WaterTower to get boxes that have Chicago Skyline sketch on them. Hint: Macy's coupons can be used to purchase these chocolates!! Look in the newspaper for them.

- Jay's Potato Chips

- Garrets Popcorn: Cheddar/Carmel Mix

is the way to go, but you must buy this day of arrival, it goes stale quickly. Hint: If you go to the garrets at the Merch Mart, they have mini bags that are more affordable, under $5 each, and can be pre-ordered!

-Metropolis Coffee: As these are more expensive, maybe just give to closer relatives. Although I will tell you, limit how many bags you personalize - and do not put individual names on the bags, this makes it more complicated for the hotel handing them out! Its ok if there are a few for parents, Grandparents, or special Aunts & Uncles... but it makes the process much easier to hand out general bags. Especially if the hotel has multiple wedding blocks in one weekend!

- Third Coast Collection: Makes awesome Chicago-centric stationary and reuseable bags.

- Frontera Chips & Salsa: Rick Bayless is a Top Chef Master! If you don't want to give full bags, purchase smaller clear bags and stuff them with a twist tie and print a little sticker or tag with what kind of chips they are so people know.

- CTA Transit Card: If you are having your wedding over a holiday weekend or you think a lot of guests coming will come for the weekend and explore the sites of Chicago, include a CTA pass. Even just for $5, it will get them to and from a landmark

- Vosges Chocolate: Again, expensive but a box of these would be a great thank you gift to a friend or family member who has a special role in your big day. I love the 9 pack gift boxes!

Here are 2 articles with some ideas too:
- Chicago Now
- Brides Chicago

Companies that will Make the Bag for you!
- Bagable Gifts: Dana - 312.339.4059
- Kate Parker Weddings

recommendation: shake it...

...like a Polaroid picture! Love love love this WF discovery. Its called the “Three Grain Shaker” and contains wheatberries, quinoa, barley, edamame, carrots, squash, zucchini, tomato, and a container of dressing (thick, peanut citrus asian type thing). Technically because of its namesake, you are supposed to dump the dressing into the cup and shake it but I like to scoop half out into a bowl and hand mix. I love getting this for days I need to eat lunch at desk, and for days that I want to eat something uber healthy but satisfying too so that I don’t binge and dig around in my “snack” (chocolate/cookie/candy) drawer afterwards. The grains are so filling that I can split this little $4.99 shaker into two lunches but wouldn’t feel guilty eating the whole thing. So natural and fresh!

I hate this realization but all Whole Foods are not created equal and they all carry different items in their ‘ready-made’ section. I was at the Gold Coast location last Friday and was filled with jealousy at their long salad bar, their burger and panini counter, and these cute little falafel snack packs I found that I will have to go back and try sometime. But so far, I have seen these shakers at all whole foods that I have been to (which is only 3). So look for it at your local store, but if you can’t find it, travel ALL the way to the South Loop WF to pick one up. And holler at me since your in my ‘hood!

recommendation: sweet leaf ice tea

I am recently obsessed with this tea. my favorite flavor so far is the Organic Mint & Honey Green Tea. beware, the mint flavor is seriously strong, but when its ice cold, its just amazing. my co-worker even said that their teas are great as mixers with vodka, which i'll have to try. get some at the grocery store (jewel has them on sale right now, 10 for $10 or $1 each) or if you are lazy like, me, order it on Amazon.
I love their story that is on the label:

"Est 1998, Our Story
We found this great flavor while traveling through Morocco on bicycles. Our folks weren't very excited about the semster of class we missed, but at least we came home with the most delicious tea recipe ever... and a couple of kilim rugs for our college apartment.

When we first started, we brewed our tea in pillowcases and filled each bottle by hand. We've grown since then, but we' still inspired by Clayton's granny, "mimi", who taught us never to use ingredients we can't pronounce. We hope you have as much fun drinking our tea as we have making it.

Enjoy, Clayton & David"

recommendation: top five (x 3!) – social media/best of web edition

top5 sites I visit on a regular basis:
- Drugstore.com – reasons already stated, see previous post
- Celebritybabyscoop.com - to feed my celebrity obsession further, I am now obsessed with their babies
- Opentable.com – I heavily rely on this site to steer us in the right direction for our dining needs, what to try, what works best for groups, etc. Plus the app on my phone is so easy to use. They have it for Ann Arbor & Detroit too my Michigan peeps!
- Yelp.com – use site for feedback on local restaurants, companies, and stores
- Cookinglight.com – we *try* to eat healthy so I normally plan to make at least one recipe per week from Cooking Light magazine or online recipe box

top5 blogs:
- Vegonomics - my economical vegetarian sister full of helpful and healthful tips
- Peas in a Pod – my sister’s friend and her mom take turns posting, think this is such a cute idea
- Lauren Goes Shopping - my sister’s friend’s an expert at shopping and has great style
- Candice Kumai – Stiletto Chef- love this pretty site and just ordered her cookbook… reviews to come soon!
- Hostess Blog - I love to look at the pictures on this site to get ideas. Eye candy for event planners.

top5 email newsletters:
- Refinery 29 - this website has started fueling ideas for my blog posts – hip Chicago specific recommendations. Love the slideshows. A new favorite.
- Dailycandy– offers a ‘curated guide to Everywhere’ – has Chicago specific as well as other cities, sends daily deal with info, inside scoop, or special offer on restaurants, bars, fashion, shops, spas, events, etc.
- WhoWhatWear – celebrity style & fashion, love the ‘lookbook’ style pages
- Tastingtable– daily email for adventurous eaters
- Martha Stewart Crafts – daily email with a craft project. In true Martha style, the are normally overly involved but I like the ones aimed towards kids as they are easier, and there are some great basic ideas that come through on these

recommendation: peace, love and chocolate

Can I tell you how much fun this chocolate is? I received this 9 pack Milk Chocolate Truffles as a gift. Its an awesome gift because its amazing but expensive chocolate that you would never buy for yourself when you crave chocolate but is totally and completely worth the money. I knew to take my time with them as they are quite a specialty in the chocolate world. You can’t leave this box sitting around…not because they are that delicious but because they must be consumed in 2 weeks and kept cool. They are that special. My husband and I took turns picking which one to try and split them, here were our 3 favorites. (Descriptions below each are from the website):

Xocatyl
Mexican vanilla bean + milk chocolate. Xocatyl, a spicy, vanilla-flavored drink favored by the elite ruling classes of the Mayan and Aztec cultures, inspires this milk chocolate truffle. According to Aztec legend, the potent elixir bestowed power and wisdom upon those who drank it!

Woolloomooloo
Australian macadamia nut + coconut + deep milk chocolate. Macadamia nuts, native to Australia, were harvested by the Aboriginal people who occupied the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range. This truffle is named after a suburb in Sydney.

Naga
Sweet Indian curry powder + coconut + milk chocolate. Inspired by the tribes of Northeast India and the fertile landscapes. I naturally conjured up thoughts and dreams of curry. This truffle was my first Vosges creation a beautiful balance of spiciness, sweetness and color.

I think the Naga was our all time favorite, maybe because I'm Indian, but it is such an interesting flavor and the coconut balances it out from being too weird. Very creative. They even have chocolate with bacon! Luxury Chocolate - check them out!

recommendation: apple side dish

I have a confession to make, and its bold. Ready? I.don’t.like.apple.pie. There I said it. I know, call me un-american, but truth be told, I just really don’t care for pie in general. There are exceptions - my sister-in-law Hannah makes a mean coconut cream pie… really, any cream pies are good with me. I enjoy a French silk pie because I love anything chocolate. And fond memories of picking black berries at my grandmas cottage in Higgins Lake and baking a fresh blackberry pie with her help me appreciate berry pies. But the apple & cinnamon combo isn’t really a big deal for me….which is why it is so strange that I thought of making them as a side dish for dinner last night. I think the thought process started with what to make as a side for the peppercorn pork tenderloin. I already knew I was making brussels sprouts (peel off the leaves as much as you can, when you get to the core, slice thinly, toss it all in olive oil and S&P, put on baking sheet in oven at 350 on top rack for like 20 min – crispy and when they burn a little, its so good. Like burnt marshmallow good). Anyway - so I’m thinking applesauce, which I know my hub would like, and then I think…. I should homemade applesauce, but that seems like it will take too long, so I think quick & easy version would be cinnamon apples. I google a quick recipe at work and turns out I have all ingredients at home except for apples.

The apple aisle at trader joes had tons of apples but only 1 gala apple left. Instead of buying the organic version which was only 10 cents more and better for me, or ANY other kind of apple, I decide to buy a 2 pound bag of mini gala apples…which I then got to carry home on the bus with me along with all of my other groceries. Fun times. So I used about 4 or 5 to make half this recipe as a side dish and it was a huge hit. Besides the peeling part, that sucked. I need to work on my paring knife skills. But I highly recommend this as a quick and tasty side dish. My co-worker pointed out that it would be a great topping on ice cream too. That might be a little too close to apple pie a la mode for me. Check out the original recipe posting here.

Ingredients
4 McIntosh apples, peeled and sliced (about 2 lb.)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation
1. Toss together first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, tossing to coat apples.

2. Cook apple mixture, 2 Tbsp. water, and 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until apples are tender.

recommendation: products for sensitive skin

I have really sensitive skin and basically can’t use any lotion or bath products that have scents. This can make things kind of boring. In high school I always wished I could use the bath & body works cucumber melon and sweet pea lotions. My skin also changes. I used to be able to use jergens cherry almond lotion religiously in my teen years, and then in college it suddenly gave me hives. I then moved on to nutraderm which is pretty gentle and is supposed to be made for dry & sensitive skin, but alas, after some time, it too did me wrong. So now, in this stage of life, here are some things that treat me right, for my dry and sensitive skin:

Kiehls grapefruit lotion– we use this at the hotel I work at so I got to sample some and was very hesitant about doing so. Normally when I sample something I’m standing next to a sink with soap on standby to scrub it off instantly if my skin starts itching. Low and behold, no reaction but moisturized hands. And it works on my face too!

Cetaphil – I use this for my body and legs, the lotion is thick but not too thick like the cream they have, and has no scent or irritating ingredients.

Aveeno – Natural Colloidal Oatmeal Daily Moisturizing Body Wash, and their Positively Radiant face cleanser (and might I add I love the nourish leave-in conditioner as well). Feels healthy for your body.

Bobby Brown Hydrating Eye Cream - I don't know if I necessarily recommend this product as it feels amazing but costs an arm & leg... but...I really enjoy it so I'll put it out there. I got a sample for free in a goodie bag and have been using very sparingly in hopes it will last me longer. It feels so soothing and I like to put it on before I go to bed at night. Its a whopping $46 for a .5oz (no, I did not mean 5 oz) but is total and complete luxury.

Ponds Makeup Wipes - I'm a big fan of these, especially because they come in travel size packs. I'm a firm believer of 'washing' your face before bed but am actually too lazy to use soap and water so these come to the rescue. I buy one pack a month (in my ritual drugstore.com order!) and also get the smaller packs of 15 to take with me to the gym so I can remove my makeup before working out. I do think they are not necessarily moisturizing but they do not irritate my skin at all.

Softsoap – this one is the biggest surprise to me since its not made for sensitive skin, but their bodywashes actually don’t bother me at all. I like the orange/honeysuckle one, and the shea butter one. They leave you smelling lovely!

p.s. I know this may be stating the obvious but just in case - all of the turquoise words in my blogs are links for the things I'm recommending. So check them out so that I'm not wasting my time putting them in there! :)

recommendation: appreciate the mom’s out there

In celebration of today’s holiday, I’d like to honor two amazing mothers, my own, Carol, and my mother-in-law, Susan. These mom’s make such an impact on our lives and I couldn’t think of a better way to thank them than for Zach and I to declare our love for them to everyone I know (who reads my blog) by sharing some of our favorite things about them!


recipes growing up
Carol: Chicken Devon and Chicken Rice Casserole

Susan: Hamburger Pie (tastier than it sounds)
(all of the above are recommended and recipes will be coming soon!)

memory as a kid
Carol: Playing outside at Wembley Court and getting hurt and mom putting iodine on my boo-boo’s and drawing a smiley face too

Susan: Zachary outside playing with friends on Carver Street and hearing mom ringing a triangle dinner bell

things we do together
Carol:
- Singing in the car together: road trip back from Madison - beatles cd; me singing in the car using the old school car phone as a microphone and always trying to find a good song on the radio before I got out for school so that I would have a good day; headed back from dropping sister at Algonquin, we sang with our windows down in a traffic jam; coming back from 8th grade boat trip and being obsessed with ‘when I dip you dip we dip’ and my mom learning to do the butterfly with me; mom and I went to see keith urban and rocked out singing each song to each other
- picking lily of the valleys in our back yard

Susan:
- in warmer weather, getting front porch ready pulling out all of the furniture and setting it up so it is a place of relaxation and serenity – sitting together watching the neighbors go by, talking or reading and just enjoying each others’ company
- building a fire in the living room in the winter
- making popcorn in cast iron skillet and sitting down as a family on Friday nights to catch TGIF shows

funny mommys
Carol: Kahlua and Creams and Scattegories!

Susan: Ritual 10pm goofball attack

music they like that we like too
Carol: Keith Urban, Beatles

Susan: Rod Stewart (!!!), Beatles

collections I’m envious of
Carol: pottery collection – McCoy Vases and Christmas Dishes

Susan: her santa collection - zach would freak if I told him this as I have enough collections around the house and enough Christmas decorations but I just love Susan’s fireplace mantel, lined with every kind of santa you can imagine while a fire is going

traditions
Carol: buying the treats we gave up for lent to indulge in at midnight before easter day

Susan: the advent calendar growing up that she passed on to nate and made for zach so that we can continue the tradition

thankful for
Carol: always taking care of every last detail. She seriously thinks of EVERYTHING. She’s always prepared, on time, with a smile on her face. We always feel very taken care of and she is so very thoughtful. Good to those around her and committed to making people happy, which she is very successful in doing!

Susan: her attention to family – completely dedicated and devoted to each person in the family and to remembering those in our lives. She keeps everyone in touch and updated with each others lives so that we don’t lose touch with each other in these busy times. We know many stories of our relatives and predecessors because of her – you can’t know where you are going until you know where you have been!

Zach and I are so happy to have these moms in our lives and want to thank them for loving us like they do.

Also want to give a shout out to some other awesome mother’s – AJ, Grandma Dorothy, Grandma Marie and Grandma Lois (rest in peace), our Aunts and Cousins, and all my girlfriends – you all give your kids a lot to love you for, thank you for being you!

recommendation: hand crafted cocktails

I recently posted on the curious creations at The Violet Hour. This past Saturday (date night!) after dinner at Vivo , an amazing rustic italian restaurant in the West Loop, we wandered 5 blocks over to a new establishment, The Aviary. I had no idea that this place existed and probably would not have as there was no signage. Beware, it can get kind of confusing back there as this area is known as the 'meatpacking district' and is filled with warehouses and trucks. My co-worker Amy recommended to me a fantastic blog that she follows, Refinery 29 and after reading a post about date night ideas for the west loop, which was exactly what we had planned, I figured we should try to add The Aviary to our agenda! Here is what Refinery 29 had to say:

Cocktails at The Aviary
To set the mood, start things off right at a memorable cocktail spot. Grant Achatz, world-renowned chef and restauranteur, is the driving force behind The Aviary, a unique lounge featuring artisan cocktails and eighteen different types of ice (yes, really), all held in custom-designed glassware (yes, really) that will give you plenty to talk about. From the man that brought us Alinea, you can expect drinks that are nothing short of amazing. The Aviary, 955 West Fulton Market (at Morgan Street).

We arrived and after 15 minutes were able to get in to the standing room only area which worked out for the better as we had a front row view of the kitchen. This kitchen was filled not with chefs but mixologists, taking just as much care with each ingredient in their drinks. Peeling the rind off 5 oranges in a row with no mistakes, blowtorches, flowers and mixers, it was high energy. They gave us an amuse, a tequila based drink with an ice cube made of juice and chilies, that infused the tequila as it melted. I ordered a fruity drink that came in a volcano like glass and tasted sophisticated and floral (which feels like a weird way to describe a cocktail but that's what it was). My hubs got a carbonated version of a tom collins. Both of our drinks had great stories to them that our waitress enthusiastically shared.

We decided to try one more and went with the blueberry, a drink that we kept seeing and knew we had to try. This drink is a wheel, with strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, flowers and rinds and herbs. A combination of verjus, sweet vermouth, rye are poured in through a little spout when ordered and it slowly infuses, changing flavor over time. They give you tiny glasses so that you can taste the progression. We finally decided to call it quits (drinks are quite expensive there, wheel was $19), and were presented with one last treat! They blowtorch a strip from an old scotch barrel, cup the shotglass over to capture the smoke, mix in a milky scotch drink and serve it with the check!

Overall, worth the experience. It is fun to be at a place where people care so much about the product they are giving you. These cocktails each have a purpose. Check it out!

recommendation: nyc must eats

for my hubby's spring break in march, we headed off to the big apple for a little rest and a lot of eating. from the moment we arrived to the airport (in chicago! ha!) we started our adventure indulging in great food. here are the highlights!

Tortas Frontera at Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport (Terminal 1, by gate B11): if you are going to be stuck from delays at the airport, may as well enjoy the time there. we got the Chipotle Chicken, and Pepito Tortas and they were awesome, quality was the same as you would find at Xoco or any of Rick Bayless's other eateries. They serve margs too and don't skimp on the tequila. Small restaurant but worth the wait in the long line.

Boathouse in Central Park: eh on service and actual meal but loved it for the idea - 2pm late lunch in the park, glass of wine and sunny skies overlooking a (kinda swampy) pond. Great wine made it worth it - Grgich Hills Fume Blanc, 2003.

Jimmy at the James Hotel in Soho: our new sister hotel in NYC is stunning and is lucky to have Jimmy, a rooftop bar. Drinks are expensive but views are expansive. Lounge style, cool vibe, worth checking out for pre-cocktail hour cocktails or late night cozy couch cocktails

Stanton Social: saw it on Best Thing I Ever Ate, went for the French Onion Soup Dumplings (soup in pastry dumplings but on a stick covered with cheese in oven). Other items we ordered were good but this was the standout. Cheese is stinky but too yummy to care.

penalope for breakfast: i was hungover and unable to enjoy a real meal but we tried a carrot muffin and i was taken off guard when they asked if I wanted it toasted. I've never heard of toasting a muffin but it was a delicious new find! they split the muffin and after its toasted, it creates a more sturdy surface to spread your butter on to!

Eataly: unarguably one of the best parts of our trip. Still slightly hungover and exhausted from trekking around all day, we had a very late lunch at 4pm here. Cranky and famished we settled on each getting a panini to split, 1 sopressata and provolone, 1 fresh mozz/pesto/tomato. I don’t know how to explain what happened next. These sandwiches seemingly so simple were perhaps the best we’ve ever had. I don’t know if it is the quality, or excellent bread choice or love that goes into each of the few ingredients...but they were amazing and I still think about that sopressata. We also saw a reality celebrity there (Olivia P. from The City) and its this huge high-end food court and grocery store by Mario Bitalli, so you just feel cool being there. Separated into sections of fresh italian everything – gelato, cheese & meat, pasta, etc. I wish I lived nextdoor to this place, although I would be in true trouble. MUST VISIT.

Murry (Curry) Hill: neighborhood we were staying in had tons of indian restaurants, we decided to try DhaBa. great food and energy, and fun presentation - mango lassi in a mason jar! if only it was spiked...

Minetta Tavern: met my cousin and her bf here for lunch in Greenwich Village and what a treat - bloody mary's and famous burgers, classic and cool.

Standard Grill: went here for mid-afternoon drinks (why not?) and found ourselves in an adult playground - the Standard Grill Biergarten - family style picnic tables

filled to the brim with young, beautiful, happy people, all enjoying being out on a sunny afternoon drinking. you have to buy $8 tickets before you go in, and use the tickets to buy beer (or huge bavarian pretzels!) another MUST VISIT. Plus you can feel like you went sightseeing b/c the Highline Park (park built on a section of the former elevated freight railroad)

Carnegie Deli: nyc landmark, totally touristy, but as long as you acknowledge that, embrace it and enjoy a giant reuben the size of your head. Open faced and large enough to split!

Happy Eating!