Hungry in Chicago

These last couple of weeks have been so busy and fun for me. My parents came all the way from Montana to visit me in Chicago. We had a blast...cubs games, theatre, boat rides, professional shopping, and EATING...so much EATING! I had an absolute blast showing them my favorite chicago spots and also sharing with them the restaurants that I love so much. Since I can't take everyone to these delicious food heavens, I am taking this opportunity to share a short list of my absolute faves. If I ever move from Chicago, I will be desperately craving the food from these places.
1)Uncle Julios Hacienda
http://www.unclejulios.com/
mmmmm....sooooo good. Endless baskets of chips and salsa, the most succulent chicken, and delicate, homemade tortillas. I want a margarita! Of course, my sweet tooth doesn't allow me to leave Julio's without an order of their melt-in-your-mouth sopapillas. Served warm with honey for dipping...AMAZING!
2)Pequods Pizza
http://www.pequodspizza.com/
Everyone in Chicago loves deep dish. Really, though, what's not to love? At this hole-in-the wall pizzeria, the crust is carmelized beautifully with golden, buttery, cheese. I find most pizzas in Chicago to be filled with way too much cheese, but at Pequods, the crust is a bit thicker on the bottom, and the pan pizza is filled with tantalizingly tangy sauce, the perfect amount of cheese, and an abundant amount of whatever toppings you choose. Usually I find about 20 pieces of pepperoni on an entire pizza...not at Pequods! There are about 20 pieces per slice! MMMM...so meaty! (I love you Joel McHale!). Another reason why I love this place? There is a guy who is always there greeting people and hanging out. I don't know if he is the manager, the owner, or just some random dude, but he is really friendly and makes you feel at home. I call him Pequod.
3) Hackney's
http://www.hackneysprintersrow.net/
I could really eat a cheeseburger everyday for just about every meal. I love burgers. A big, juicy, flavorful patty on a warm soft bun. Yum. I fantasize about this sort of thing (luckily, my boyfriend shares the same passion for the cheeseburger as I do, so this is not weird...really...is it?) Anyway, at Hackney's, not only is the burger delectable and delicious, their french fried onions are equally addicting. I advise ordering a full brick of these crispy onion strings and whatever you don't finish, throw 'em on your burger and behold a meal so indulgent and filling, you will wake up still smiling the next morning.

I never have to worry about a lack of good restaurants in Chicago...speaking of which...isn't it lunchtime? I'm hungry.

Sweet=Happy

Nothing brings me more joy than watching someone bite into one of my sweet desserts, close their eyes, and get lost in a wave of pure deliciousness. Spreading this happiness has become my new passion, which is why I have slowly started to develop my own business selling my delectable sweet treats. Everything is still in the early stages but one thing I know will make my cookies even more tasty is this fabulous kitchen aid mixer.( http://kitchenaid.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Stand+Mixers&cat=310&prod=486 ) What a beauty! To compliment this artisan mixer, these Calphalon measuring spoons (http://calphalon.com/calphalon/consumer/products/productGroup.jhtml?catId=CLCat150110&cat=bakeware ) are also a must-have for my devine kitchen set-up. Finally, the better I look, the better my treats will taste, hence my obsession with these sweet and sassy aprons from Carolyn's Kitchen ( http://www.carolynskitchenonline.com/.carolynskitchenonline.com/ ).

Time to start baking!!

I love my Mom!

In honor of mother's day this week, I wanted to do a little mom show and tell. My mom is not only the most unbelievable mother, she is also an amazing quilter. Her quilts are so beautiful and unique. She puts so much thought and love into her quilts and they just shine with so much personality. She made me this quilt for my birthday last year and I adore everything about it ( I am a nurse, in case you are wondering about the nurse theme). Every nurse I know wants this quilt but if you look closely, it is personalized by my name quilted throughout. This was the best present she ever could have gotten me and hopefully I can think of something equally as stellar for her, for mother's day!

My sister has turned me on to the fabulousness of chic nails. I must have this on, and when I do, I will be oh-so hip and stunning.

Action!

Not that kind of action, although that kind of action has been known to bring lots of smiles to lots of people....no, I'm talking movies!! What is better than getting lost in a made-up story, where for the most part, everyone is good-looking, and the ending is usually happy? I love going to the theater and enjoy making it a true picture show experience. I'm talking giant popcorn, chocolate candy, and a ginormous diet coke. I usually go with the meal deal where you get an enormous bucket of popcorn and two sodas each about 2 liters big (2 sodas?...usually date night, you know...). I proceed directly towards the liquid butter (or whatever that is) dispenser and saturate my kernels with buttery goodness. One trick I learned from an old friend was to take a straw, insert one end around the tip of the dispenser, and direct the other end into the middle of your bucket. Voila! An instant shot of butter into the depths of the yellowy corn! YUM! With all of the saltiness, usually I start craving a little bit something sweet (of course!) halfway through the movie. This is where I have learned to sneak in maybe a box of raisinettes, or perhaps a bag of M&M's (yes, I know this is probably against all theater rules, but I am already paying $20 for the tickets and another $10 for the popcorn and soda!). Some people have tried to tell me that "the mix" of the popcorn and M&M's is the way to go...but I find that I just start picking out all kernels or all chocolate, so why not just keep them separate? I like going with raisinettes as my sweet choice because mentally I am eating raisins, which are quite healthy for you. I did find out that raisinettes have almost 400 calories in the mega-box I usually get, but luckily, I am still in denial--and I'm drinking DIET coke! My ideal theater seats are located middle back to back. I get a little nauseous if I sit too close to the screen (or maybe its all that butter I loaded on the popcorn...) and the middle is usually packed full. If too many people are sitting in rows behind me, I start to get self-conscious of the hand to mouth, to popcorn, to mouth, to popcorn continuous motion that I have throughout the movie. I am always tempted to sit in the "love seat", but usually cannot convince my date to be "those people". Oh well--I discovered that some theaters have arm rests that can be lifted so that there is no barrier between you and your date, so its pretty much like sitting in the love seat.
The last movie I went to was Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It was pretty hilarious and I would definitely recommend a theater trip to see it. I like looking at http://www.rottentomatoes.com to read about movies and other film news. But, I usually don't pay too much attention to reviews, if I want to see it, I want to see it.
Now, for the list of my all-time favorite movies. First, the athlete in me absolutely adores Hoosiers and Rudy. Some people may find these a little cheesy, but I can watch these inspirational films over and over! Will Ferrell is awesome and Old School and Anchorman are two of my top flicks to watch. Shawshank Redemption is an amazing movie and one that I find myself watching again and again is Overboard, with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell--I love it! Caddyshack is a classic and I tend to question anyone who doesn't find that movie funny. A good friend of mine passed his love for Ladder 49 onto me. That movie gets me everytime! I have to admit that especially as I've gotten older, (27!), I tend to gravitate towards romantic comedies versus straight up action...I know, I am such a girl! It usually takes a lot to convince me to watch a war movie as well. Am I the only person who spends the entire film wondering how uncomfortable all that mud and dirt must be on the actor? I find it very distracting.
It is supposed to be rainy in Chicago this weekend, a perfect excuse to head to the theater, find the perfect seat, indulge in some buttery popcorn and fizzy fountain soda, sit back and enjoy the show.

New Beginning

I am writing my first blog entry and I couldn't possibly be more excited. I cannot wait to share with everyone my sweetest secrets and indulgences. There are so many things that bring happiness into my life that I feel selfish not divulging some of these wonderful delectables! For my first post, I want to aknowledge one of my favorite sites to go to, where I can just lose myself in all the sweet goodness, whether it's celebrity gossip, beauty advice, delicious recipes, or fitness tips. It's the Sugar Blogs!! Check out http://popsugar.com/
It will take you away from the chaos of reality and you will dive headfirst into a world of beautiful celebrities and fabulous fashion. Get a little Sugar fix, and soon, like me, you will need some everyday!