Food

August 15, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Funny signs, Honda, New York, Photos

33

Today is my birthday and the beginning of 5 weeks of mega-adventure. You could say that I am feeling like a million bucks. YIPPEE!!!

I woke up from the best sleep I have had in weeks and in a most special spot after 12 hours on the road yesterday. In birthday tradition when I am here, we love finding the local diner breakfast spots, which we did this morning:

We had stuffed ourselves silly, but couldn’t resist an offered on the house birthday treat hot out of the oven from the super sweet staff:

I was so full they packed this to go for me, but the test bite I took was so good, and the staff was so nice, I had to stay for a 3rd cup of coffee and to finish off this red raspberry crumb cake deliciousness. How could I not after the owner came out to sing to me with the manager? (Thanks for everything Matt!)

We stopped at Finger Lakes Distilling on the way home:

A little tasting of Vintner’s Wild Berry Vodka:

…and some Blackcurrant/Cassis:

…was fun just because you can do that at 1pm on a Monday when it’s your birthday and not feel guilty about it.

They even had a Canine Tasting Bar- how funny!

Off for a run and patio dinner and wine with good friends. Thank you everyone for all the Birthday messages, calls, cards, packages, wishes and love. I am one lucky woman!

Coming up this week:
*The Big Apple. (Rooftop decks, exploring, old friend reunions, celebrations of life, chocolate restaurant revisit, and more.)
*Catching up here on the BLR, as I sit on the dock. (What a great office!)
*Honda trip mania. (Voting tally, a few announcements, and some surprises.)

Year 33- here I come!

August 10, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Honda, Illinois

never stop exploring

Yesterday was a short work day for me. As I have on most of those short days, I exited, looked left, right and just started walking. I think one of the best treats about living in a city (especially in summer) is the ability to to be able to walk everywhere. To me this provides continuous, fantastic free entertainment, and a great way to get extra exercise too! People watching, talking to strangers, wandering in and out of shops, taking photos, sitting on a random bench to write or daydream for a while, stopping for a treat like Garrett’s Popcorn because you can’t resist the enticing fresh-popped smell:

…accompanied by truthful napkins:

I nibbled and walked and nibbled and walked and still had this much left when I got home:

(and that was the smallest size they had!)

…ahhh. A perfect afternoon.

I have put some serious miles on my flip flops these past few months. In 4 days I take off to start putting some more serious miles on the BLR-Mobile, and my loaned 2012 Hybrid Civic for a while. I can’t wait! By foot or by car, exploring is what gets my heart racing, especially when there is no plan. That’s always when the best stuff happens.

I wonder if I will go left or right (north, south, east, west?) on this trip. Which way do you think I should go?

August 9, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Photos, Wisconsin

a delicious loop around

***(Continued from can you believe i didn’t get the nutella one…)

After our Bradbury’s crepes, we continued up the hill to the packed Capital Square of Madison and made out way through the crowd. There were all kinds of fruits, veggies, flowers and baked goods to be bought. My favorite; Fresh corn:

…pretty flowers making me wish I had my own cute little apartment, so I could buy them and have them on my cute little dreamed of balcony table:

…cherries at their peak of perfection:

…and of course we had to do a repeat visit to get the Stella’s fresh, warm, spicy cheese bread:

(The only way to do it is buy, take a seat on the Capital steps, tear, and eat as the cheese oozes out. Mmmm…)

The Gord Man was having fun freaking the kids out:

…and I couldn’t resist one of the huge cinnamon buns at one of the bakery tents:

I ate the whole thing. Yes, alone and did not feel very good after. The portion size could’ve fed 6 people, but it was so good I kept eating and eating! Lets just say my run later that afternoon was shorter than usual and a bit painful. What can I say?- I get excited when there are delectable treats around. I’m an easy sell on sugar, and clearly I was trying to make up for not getting that Nutella crepe. (Laughing at myself as I type this.)

Wouldn’t it be great if every town could have a Saturday market as large and as accessible as the one in Madison? I’m already looking forward to my promised annual visit back to my friends there next summer!

August 9, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Photos, Wisconsin

can you believe i didn’t get the nutella one?

I know right? I can’t believe it either. It probably won’t ever happen again. The thing is, I had some life-changing fresh peaches last week when I made some red sangria, so when I saw the option for a peach and blackberry crepe:

…at Bradbury’s:

…on Saturday morning, I just had to have it. I made a good choice:

I gobbled this thing up in a second. It was the perfect fresh and all-organic breakfast to fuel me for the mac-daddy of all farmer’s markets; the Dane Country Farmers MarketÂ on Capital Square in Madison.

***(To be continued in part 2…)

August 4, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Illinois

never ending food porn

I might be borderline obsessed with delicious and pretty food. Even this, my simple veggie quesadilla from a patio dinner at Moonshine a couple weeks ago was beautiful to me:

Good food coupled by good company is like the best thing ever.

July 29, 2011 In De-lish, Food, People, Photos, Virginia

annual cheese and friend weekend? i like it

This weekend last year I was hanging out in Madison, Wisconsin with old friends who are my besties who never fail to crack me up:

We did things like wandered the biggest farmers market in the country:

…to participate in a classic Wisconsin cheese-fest fun, like trying fresh cheese curds:

(The squeaking totally freaked me out!)

…and fresh-baked spicy cheese bread:

Mmm…

We were essentially on repeat that whole weekend cracking up and eating a ton of cheese. Delish.Â Lucky me, I get to head to madison next weekend and do it all over again. Yeah! Who knew this girl would love the Midwest so much.

Ian’s Pizza~

Yes, I think I should see you annually too! You had me at Mac n’ cheese pizza…

July 25, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Illinois

how do you gear up for a cubs game?

With free double dark chocolate cupcakes of course!

Meet Ellen and Morgan:

We passed by them on the way to the game Saturday as they were enticing the crowd with: “Would you guys like a free cupcake?”

Heck yes we would!

These friendly cupcake gifters said they drove all the way from California:

…in their nifty little van with their fresh-baked salt caramel, red velvet, and double dark chocolate sweets- to treat Saturday morning baseball fans. People swarmed them:

What a fun job. Cheers to Sprinkles!

(Why do I look like a kid who stole candy and hid behind the truck anyway? They gave the cupcakes to us!)

The only and best place fit for a photo of me noshing on the goodness, was of course right in front of the famous Wrigley Field sign:

Mmm…chocolate.

Who knew one little cupcake could make a girl so happy?

July 8, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Illinois, Photos

girls just wanna have fu-un

I had dinner with girlfriends last night at Mon Ami Gabi. I have always had more guy friends than girl friends, but for whatever reason recently, life has delivered me some of the most hilarious, fun, smart, sassy, accomplished and interesting women to hang with and I am loving it. We were all too busy chatting and being “that table” laughing too loudly to take photos of our first 54 courses of food, but I finally grabbed my camera when dessert came:

Do you know how hard it is to wait even 10 seconds to dig in with stuff like this in front of you and 3 other women with forks and spoons? These plates didn’t stand a chance against us:

Fruits, crepes, puff pastries, chocolate cakes, creme brulee’-oh my! Indeed like a pack of wherewolves attacked. I am all about those times the chef decides to just send out every dessert on the menu.

Here’s to French themed patio summer nights, never ending food-porn photos and falling asleep stuffed and smiling.

July 6, 2011 In Food, Photos, Wisconsin

all-american weekend

What do you get besides fantastic company, a great tan, and lots of laughs during a stay at the lake for a holiday weekend? Skis and boats and lots of fun stuff to play with:

Lunch pot-luck feasts with all the neighbors, complete with taco salads:

…that give funny olive boobs:

…fresh fruit and veggie salads with patriotic colors:

…chairs to sit in and relax over the water:

…and clouds to gaze at while daydreaming:

Gee, and I wonder why I didn’t want to leave.

Thank you to my Mid-West family that has taken me in as if I were their own. I’m counting minutes until I can come back and actually jump in that gorgeous water!

June 25, 2011 In De-lish, Food, Illinois, Photos

to market to market

This gorgeous Saturday morning got me up and out to explore the Green City Market. This Farmers Market is located on the south end of Lincoln Park in Chicago and it was packed:

I wandered through fruits and veggies:

…fresh-baked loaves of bread that made me want to bite right into them:

…and pretty pink flowers for sale:

I love that each vendor had a tag attached to their space with personal notes about them and information on miles traveled from farm to market:

I opted for a strawberry fruit smoothie for my treat from Seedling Farms:

Gorgeous color and totally delicious.

The good old American Saturday morning in the summer at the Farmer’s Market; Crowds noshing on fresh fruits right out of the baskets, chef’s stocking up on supplies for weekend dinners, and kids running around in the grass screeching with delight.

Simple things, happy places.