fill in the blank friday

I can't believe it's Friday already! This week has flown by. I'm off to see one of my friends for her birthday this weekend, eat some yummy barbecue, and *hopefully* find my phone (which I misplaced last night) before I go... anyway, on to the blanks:

.   If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go       Alaska, because I've never been there & it's probably going to change a lot (you know, glaciers melting, etc.), and plus it's supposed to be so beautiful in the spring   and I would bring      the hubs, who SO deserves a vacation, some binoculars to see some whales, and my my winter jacket, which has never been packed up. Stupid Chicago "spring"-- worst I can remember!   .

2.  Something I often rant about is    how messed up education is in this country, and how almost all you ever hear about it how much the teachers are to blame. Teachers seem to be the only professionals who are never given any input into decisions that are made about their lives, from curriculum to class size to length of school year to importance of standardized testing, to even their pensions (THEIR earned money), being cut, and yet it's always the teachers who "don't perform." I can't stand how few people de-value teachers, it's outrageous! (oh man, sorry, I could go all day.)

3.  One item I need to have in my fridge at all time is     milk-- the hubs and I drink tons of it, and I always need it for recipes (next week I'll share more of what I've been baking).

4.  My "life-saving" product is   sunscreen-- I've had a few bouts of skin cancer already (I'm not even thirty, people!), so I'm sort of obsessed with sunscreen. Luckily there are so many good kinds out there now; I don't have to choose between sunscreen and other face products, because it's usually built in.

5.  A friend is someone who     you can talk to after a long period of not talking, and it's like you pick up right where you left off, and it's not awkward at all. Also, if something uncomfortable needs to be said, a friend knows how to be honest with you without hurting your feelings.

6.  If I could write my own blank it would be       If I could have invented one thing, what would it be, and why?" My answer to this is odd, because I don't have one and don't think I ever will, but I'm going to say the e-reader. I think they're going to keep getting bigger and bigger, and even though they have disadvantages, they're doing a good job promoting reading as "cool." Also, I think being the sole inventor of the iPad would be pretty sweet, mostly because I would have one. :)

7.  My favorite kind of art is       hard to say. I love art a lot, even though the only kind I'm good at is the food kind, if that counts! I really love etchings and woodcuts, because their incredible detail makes up for the lack of color, and astound me with their technical complexity. What does one do when s/he makes a mistake? I also have illuminated manuscripts on the brain, because I just saw a bunch-- no one does that anymore, and they're so beautiful! I think anything made by hand is much more special and worthy of awe (and purchase-- I love etsy!)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and that the weather FINALLY gets warmer!

Blustery Day

It's been pouring here for hours. Someone on the news used the word "blustery," and for some reason Winnie the Pooh's Blustery Day and the big flood popped into my head. I wish I could channel Christopher Robin and  throw a "hero party" for everyone who has volunteered time, effort, and personal safety to help those whose homes are affected by the wind and floods, but I can only send good energy and gratitude their way.

 I hope you all stay dry and safe!
This clip is long, but worth it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbyO-iPb7xo

my staycation: or, i need to go on a veggie detox

I LOVE seeing friends that I haven't seen in a long time. My college roommate/best bud came to Chicago last week for four days (he called it my staycation-- I'll take that), and it was great to see him. When I see people I was close to in college or high school, we kind of revert back to our sillier, more care-free ways, you know? And also back to college eating and drinking (you know what I'm talking about): cheese, beer, and anything deep-fried are what's on the menu for the entire week. Having someone in town is a great excuse to visit all your favorite places, and try places that have been sitting on your list for ages (calories be damned). And as if blowing my diet and my, ahem, bank account, weren't enough, I had to bake too! Here's what we were up to:

In the middle of baking raspberry thumb-print sugar cookies with vanilla icing drizzle (if they didn't flatten out to hideous pancakes I would have taken a photo), I got a call that he was off the plane. Woohoo! I went to meet him at the train, and we had to grab some caffeine at Wormhole.

                                                                                  photos from Metromix

Why yes, that is a Delorean in their window. It's an 80's-themed coffee joint, and they have all kinds of paraphernalia from my childhood. Part of me would love to lend them my My Little Ponies lunchbox for their wall of lunchboxes, but I can't part with it...

Sufficiently caffeinated, it was on to Big Star for "lunch" (read: drinks, and if we felt like it, maybe a snack).

I live on this street, and trust me, Big Star never has this many tables open, especially at night-- this place has some of the best and most ridiculously strong margaritas in Chicago.

I got something strawberry-y (and then two more, which is why I don't remember what they were), and college buddy, who works in a Mexican restaurant in Manhattan and is a tequila snob aficionado got straight tequila with some lime juice. This is our tasty mess of cheese and chorizo. Oh my god do I love chorizo! Reason number one to eat straight veggies for a week.
After this I decided it was a good idea to drag him to my apartment so he could help me make this:

...a whole-wheat pizza dough with fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, and sausage. Can't have the hubs go hungry when I'm out all week ;)

I've been here a couple of times and it's pretty unremarkable, except that night was an important first for me, my friends-- it was the first time I had ever had friend pickles. They were so good, my life will never be the same!
On Wednesday we meandered around downtown Chicago, it being too late to go to the Art Institute.

                                                                (weird leggy statues)
...and ended up at Carmichael's steakhouse, a place hidden in a residential area of the Loop, where one of our other friends works. She went all out for us, giving us this seafood sampler of their appetizers-- lobster, crab cake, calimari, bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp... it was some of the best food I'd ever eaten.

We split a steak after this, but it was all I could do to finish only most of my half (I had no trouble with my own bottle of wine, though). If you live near Chicago, and you're in the mood for an mind-blowing meal, GO GO GO to this place!

On Thursday we made a half-hearted attempt to eat a bit better, so I took him to Handlebar, an all-vegetarian restaurant on North Ave. Now, I like my meals meat-tastic, mind you, but Handlebar is no salad joint (although their salads are actually quite hearty and delicious). You should go there too :)

If you at all like pickles, you should definitely eat here-- they make their own, and their pickles are so subtly spicy and outrageously good. College buddy got a bloody mary, and it came with a fried special pickle... I about told our server I was moving in. After Handlebar we stopped at Myopic Bookstore, a humongous used bookstore that is one of the best places to lose yourself for a few hours in the city (which we promptly did). I will be so sad when we move away from walking distance!

After Myopic, we stopped for some coffee at Killer Espresso, and then headed to Floyd's pub to meet some other buddies. We had hours of laughs over the Rapture (and this velocirapture). [btw, I'm glad the world did not in fact end!]

On Friday, I was pretty spent already-- I am definitely not used to eating and drinking out this much, and I was definitely feeling it. I made some brownies and toffee-chip and pecan cookies from scratch for the hubs' game night with the boys, and met up with college buddy for a rapid-fire tour of the Art Institute. He made it with 40 minutes left til closing, so I took him to some of my favorite exhibits, and to the Modern Wing so he could see some of his favorite stuff. I'm glad I had just been there last week so I remembered my way around! At 7 we headed to the Chicago Center for Performing Arts to see my friend in her show Passing Strange. It has one weekend left, and you should go! It's about finding yourself through art and travel, and the frustrations we think we can escape by running away. My description sounds a bit cliche, but it was fresh and funny, and everyone in the show is an unbelievable singer.

I had to be up early Saturday morning, so I didn't go to the after-party, and I'm pretty sure my liver thinks that was a wise choice! I came home hoping to find the hubs and his guys still around, but all I found was this:

Which ones do you think were the cookies that I asked him to take out of the oven? Sheesh, I even set the timer for him...

Anyway, that was my staycation. Sorry this is such a monstrous post, but I hope you all got some good recommendations for eats if you ever come to Chicago. I hope everyone has a great week! Now I'm off to make a veggie burger :)

fill in the blank friday

Happy Friday, everyone! I've had a whirlwind couple of days this week-- my roommate from college is here from New York, and we've had lots of (culinary) adventures so far. I'll post about that this weekend after he leaves, I promise! And now for some blank-filling:

1.   People always tell me I look like      Scully from the X-Files. I do have red hair, but I never really saw the connection.

2.  Friends don't let friends    miss out on great opportunities (even if they're scared), and friends don't let friends' significant others mistreat them .

3.  A sunny day is perfect for     being a tourist in your own city, and reading in a park by a fountain .

4.  My favorite accessory is   an Irish trinity necklace that I got a few years ago. I wear it every day. I'm also a big scarf girl.

5.  If I could afford it I would     buy a house (or 3) in Europe-- one in London, because that's our favorite place to be, one in France, to work on my slipping language skills, and one in Italy (or maybe Greece) for the winter :) 

6.  The cure for boredom is       to bake!!  .

7.  I am currently "in like" with      Adele's music, especially when paired with a Blueberry Thrill (blueberries, gin, club soda and lemon twists-- the recipe is in June's Cooking Light magazine). 

Tonight I'm off to see my friend in a show called Passing Strange. It was written be Cee-Lo Green, and it won a bunch of awards on Broadway. My friend is an amazing singer and actress (and hilarious to boot), so I'm super excited! I hope everyone enjoys the beautiful spring weather today!

making the best of a gross "spring" weekend

If you're in the midwest, you know that the weather has been brutal the last few days-- blustery wind, rain/sleet/hail, and nearly freezing temps. I'm pretty sure Chicago only has two seasons-- we've alternated between air conditioning and heat probably four times this month. Outside activities were sort of out of the question!

On Friday, a few girls from my class and I went to the annual Northwestern University Library book sale. I love library discard sales, because I love the kinds of books people no longer want! I scored a book on textual studies and one on politics & culture in the 17th century. It's times like this that make being a huge nerd awfully convenient. :)

 And the campus is beautiful too (although it was really too cold to walk around).

Saturday was rainy and windy ALL day, but I went out to Wrigleyville to see some college friends (one of whom was my maid of honor) and have a drink before they went to the Cubs game. They were so brave, they even stayed until the game was called in the 7th inning! While they were freezing their butts off, I was busy tidying the apartment, since my father-in-law was coming. He had driven the hubs's sister and her fiance from Michigan to their new place in Memphis. They are so lucky to be in an area of Memphis that isn't flooded; my heart really goes out to everyone who has been affected by the Mississippi.

For dinner we went to Folklore, an Argentine steak house. I love Folklore and its owners' other restaurant, Tango Sur (although Folklore isn't BYO like Tango Sur). Argentinians know how to cook!

 Folklore has a beautiful interior, but the acoustics are terrible-- all you could hear was people shouting over each other. The hubs is from a small town, and his dad isn't too comfortable in the city. At one point he literally had to get up and stand outside for a minute, it was so loud! I felt pretty bad, but I'm pretty sure the bacon-wrapped scallops and meat-tastic para dos (a platter covered with 7 or 8 kinds of meat, including chorizo, steak, sweetbread, ribs, and black sausage-- my favorite) made up for the uncomfortable atmosphere.

                                                                 (photos from metromix)

On Sunday, the hubs and I saw his dad off, and headed off to the Art Institute of Chicago. I love that my teacher ID gets me into all the Chicago museums for free! I don't go as often as I'd like, but there was an exhibit I really wanted to see-- Kings, Queens & Courtiers: Art in Renaissance France. It was great-- statues, a video on chateau architecture, tapestries, and early books.

 

I learned that I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures inside the exhibit, but here are some of the photos I snapped before I got busted:

After seeing the main exhibit, we spotted another special exhibit that I didn't even know was there: Altered and Adorned: Using Renaissance Prints in Daily Life.

I was pretty excited-- they had prints from books of hours, woodcuts, bestiaries, and this really cool pop-up book!

 

It was for educational purposes; anatomy students could lift the flaps and explore the organs within.

After the exhibits, we walked around the rest of the museum for a bit....

...and after heading out to brave the sleet (again), we warmed up with oatmeal pancakes for dinner. I hope everyone has had a great weekend. Now it's time to be productive and find a summer job. Have a great Monday, and wish me luck on the job front!

fill in the blank friday

Thanks, My So Called Denver, for creating some blanks for today!

                                               (this is an old FITBF pic, but I like this one)

1.   If  I had to use 3 words to describe why I am undoubtedly a  Louis they would be  smart-alecky, hard-working, and a beer lover :)

2.  Something that happened to me in life that initially seemed bad but turned out to be good was  when I got placed in a pretty ghetto school in Lansing, MI for student teaching. I was convinced I'd be eaten alive and that I'd hate it. I was definitely chewed up and spit out a couple of times, but it was an amazing experience and helped me succeed as a teacher in Chicago big-time.

3.  Something I inherited from my mom is  the saying "for crying out loud" and my habit of getting high-pitched when I'm excited.

4.  Something I inherited from my dad is  an appreciation for puns and corny jokes (but don't tell him that, it will only encourage him).

5.  My goal for this summer is   to study like hell for both GREs (I'm re-taking them for better scores to improve my shot at PhD acceptance in the fall), to get more flexible (I can't even come close to touching my toes, it's ridiculous), and to spend a lot of quality time with family and friends before I fall of the face of the earth in September.

6.  The best thing about this week is     two things-- that I'm done with school, and that I got accepted for a paid grad assistant position in the burbs!

7.  Something I couldn't give up if I tried is  baking. making excuses. reading magazines from cover to cover, even if I couldn't care less about the particular article. facebook.

Done with the semester!

I haven't been able to access Blogger for a few days now, and based on the fact that Lauren hasn't posted her Friday blanks yet, I'm assuming this is a blogosphere-wide issue. Yuck. I'll play along with fill-in-the-blank-friday later then, but now....

I'm done with my class!!! A little background: I have wanted to earn a PhD in English lit since undergrad. Fear of a crappy academic market, as well as cute little monthly reminders that I owe (what feels like) a bajillion dollars in student loans made me hold off and get a high school teaching job. There have been so many things I loved about it-- it gave me strengths and skills I never thought I'd possess, I had the pleasure of influencing scores of young people, etc.

But I have worked with a LOT of assholes. And man, I don't know where all the money that goes into education ends up, because teachers do not see it, either in salary or resources (see exhibit A, a frighteningly regular sight).

Exhibit A

So, having the amazing and supportive partner I have, I applied in the fall of 09 for a master's degree... and chickened out of finishing the final steps. "It's too much money!" I moaned-- I didn't want to drag him into a life of debt, you know? Somehow, though, this past year, there was a computer glitch at University on the Lake, and I was reminded that my application (which should have automatically been discarded) was incomplete. I went in on a whim to meet with the director of graduate admissions, and she is so lovely. She was kind and realistic and reassuring, and she loved my letter of intent so much that she said she's be happy if I joined their program! On the spot like that! I couldn't *technically* start until the fall of '11, but I could get started as a non-degree students, and transfer my credits, so in January I began an early modern (Shakespeare-era) literature class.

It was HARD. Harder than anything I'd ever experienced. My new acquaintances said that it was 3x the work of any of their other classes. I was teaching full time, and was floundering. Sometime in the spring though, things got so awful at work that I was a depressed, angry, too-touchy monster all the time, and I left teaching in March. It was the new hardest thing I'd ever done, but it was so freeing. And I had time to devote everything to this class. (I still waited until the last minute to finish my 20-page final paper though. See pathetic post below). But it's done now! Tuesday the other 8 students and I went to my professor's apartment for dinner and drinks, and it was such a relief. We talked about our papers for a minute, but then just chatted for 5 HOURS. And played with his great dane puppy (one of my classmates said it was the smallest horse he'd ever seen, haha) and his monstrously huge cat. I'm sorry about the picture quality, but you had to see this cat. It weighs 31 pounds of solid muscle-- he felt like a basketball, I kid you not.

And then, after several bottles of wine disappeared, he got out his guitars. I was kind of laughing inside-- I don't think I've seen too many people whip out guitars and get their friends to jam since college. His partner even passed out CDs of his band to us! The hubs was like, "how cliche is that?" and I have to agree... but I had a great time. I am just so happy to be in an academic community again, and the people I'm around are really great.

(prof on the right, with hair just long enough to cover his face while he plays... i'm still kind of giggling.)

And to make this week even better, I scored an awesome PAID internship at a community college in the suburbs for the fall! I'm going to be crazy busy come September, but I am so excited for that! I won't forget to procrastinate though, I'm sure :)

See you soon for fitbf!

thank you, amp.

Also, I miiiiight be screwed.

That is all. Have a good day. :/

Busy Weekend!

This weekend was packed for me, but I haven't gotten to spend this much quality time with people I care about in awhile. I almost don't mind that I don't have a single full page written yet! Here's what I was up to:

Friday: End-of year party with the other English grad students at Poitin Stil (poitin, pronounced poo-chine, is Gaelic for moonshine). I love bars like these-- they have a juke box, Baggo outside, shuffleboard, and pool table. It was a good choice, because people moseyed between activities and had a good time dancing once the second beers kicked in!

The best part of the evening was the dessert-- they ordered delectable confections from Chimney Cake Island in Rogers Park. These are traditional Hungarian cakes, made by wrapping dough around a wooden dowel and then baking them over a fire. The end result is a hollow, cylindrical "cake," sort of like the consistency of a pretzel, but so sweet! You don't know me yet, but I am a huge sweets girl, and you better believe I tried all four kinds! I'm always intrigued by baked goods that I don't think I could bake at home, and I definitely dragged the hubs to CCI the very next day!

                                                    Chimney Cakes!

The next day (immediately preceding chimney cakes, take 2) we went to go check out an apartment, and liked it so much we signed on it right then! It has beautiful windows, a study room, and get this-- a bedroom big enough to get out of bed on either side! My dream is coming true, you guys (except for the dishwasher part... sigh). I'm so happy to have this taken care of 2 months before we need to move.

Saturday night was our secret anniversary, and like I said, we went to Webster's Wine Bar. I love Webster's because the atmosphere is so great. It's small, the staff is extremely knowledgeable, the flights are excellent, and it's not the least bit pretentious. Oh, and their food is amazing, and honestly one of the best deals in the whole city. To start with, we asked for bacon-wrapped dates, a sparkling white wine flight for me, and the spring white wine flight for the hubs. I got perfectly cooked duck, buttered orzo, and carrots, he ordered steak, fingerling potatoes, and asparagus, and we indulged in coffee creme brulee for dessert with a pinot noir flight for me, and the classic white wine flight for him. Amazing.

Webster's Wine Bar

Sunday morning, I meet Out-Of-Town-Best-Friend (henceforth OOTBF, until I decide to use names!) in the suburbs. Our parents live within a mile of each other, and she was in town for Mother's Day. We met for coffee & bagels at Panera, and had a great time reminiscing. We've been friends since high school, and I'm so happy that even though she lives in Manhattan, she comes home frequently, and always makes time for her friends.

After that I went to church and had brunch with my mama at Egg Harbor Cafe in Barrington. I've always loved Egg Harbor; their little square potatoes (I have a weird dislike for the term "home fries"-- it makes no sense, so please don't ask why) are incredible, and you always get yummy mints! I almost always get breakfast, but it's a hard decision, as their grilled cheese is inimitable.

                                                              Egg Harbor

Lastly, I met my book club to discuss Just Kids, Patti Smith's memoir of her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in New York. It was a great memoir, although I am completely unfamiliar with either of their work. One of my co-book-clubbers (is there a good term for this?) said she likes Patti Smith's music and the book was a good way to understand her more as an artist. I liked the book because one doesn't need to know their work to appreciate the story of two young adults trying to negotiate New York, find inspiration, figure out relationships, and create amazing art. I'm actually surprised that I'm not hearing about it all over the place, because Chicago Public Library -- ALL branches-- have not had any of their copies (except one in reference) available for months-- I had to have my mom get it for me at her library (thank goodness I asked her early, as she was put on a waiting list), and everyone else had to buy it. Did any of you read this? I'd be happy to hear what you thought!

Well, I've been putting off my marathon writing project for quite long enough.Tomorrow night I will arrive bleary-eyed from lack of sleep and hopped up on a case of Red Bull to my professor's apartment for our end-of-semester dinner (I love grad school-- there seems to be free food all over the place!), hand in this godforsaken paper, and try to get some sleep before an important interview on Wednesday! Wish me luck!

fill in the blank friday

Yay, it's my first official Fill in the Blank Friday! I wish I had more time to spend on this, but today is pretty packed. I need to research still more for this paper, I have a meeting on campus, and then there's the end-of-semester party at Poitin Still. I probably shouldn't go since my paper is in such bad shape, but I haven't had much of a chance to socialize with grad school people so far as a non-degree student taking only one class, and I'd really like to go out. Maybe I'll be really good and come home early... most likely I'll just be living on Amp energy drinks until Tuesday! Anyway, I hope everyone has a great day!

1.   What I love most about my home is       being with the hubs. I know it's cheesy, but we have a really great relationship. I also love all my books. I've been better this year about going to the library, but there's just something about owning them, marking them up, and all that. Yes, I am totally a printed word devotee!

2.  I'm excited because,    tomorrow is my secret anniversary with the hubs! It's kind of a long story, and I'll spare it, but we're going to one of my favorite restaurants, Webster's Wine Bar. Their bacon-wrapped dates and creme brulee are perfect!

3.  My preferred method for blowing  off steam when I'm frustrated is     I have to talk it out! Explaining my frustrations (even really quickly) helps me make sense of why I'm frustrated. It helps me clear my head, and then I can get re-organized and deal with whatever's bothering me.

4.  Currently I am craving   tomorrow night's bacon-wrapped dates and a champagne flight! I am really full from a too-big breakfast though, so it's kind of hard to think about food right now

5.  The thing I love most about my mom is     that she will drop anything to help me out, and that she is so crazy selfless. When I was younger (even in my young twenties), I didn't think I was anything like her at all. Now at 27 I find more and more things that I do/say are uncannily similar (the hubs even points out how I get all high-pitched when I'm excited) to her, which is so funny-- I guess you can't help sort of becoming your mother! I'm lucky though, because she's awesome!

6.  If I was going to write a book about my life, the title would be       "Well, I was going to write that book, but I had all these cakes to bake..." I bake a lot when I procrastinate. Someday (I'd like to think) I'll have a few books under my name, but someday seems pretty far off as a beginning grad student! In the meantime, though, you should come over for some blueberry muffins, I baked them yesterday.

7.  If I were to eat one thing for the rest of eternity it would be    omg this is too hard!I would need something that's both salty and sweet, so I could alternate between tastes and still be satisfied... it's a toss-up between garlic bread and a brownie sundae. I guess as long as I could still have wine I'd be okay :)

Have a great weekend with your mom!

Paper due Tuesday... It's Crunch Time!

...and when I say "crunch time," I clearly mean obsessively check the internet for new apartment listings and decorating tips. Isn't that what you mean too?

The hubs and I currently live in Trendy Inland Neighborhood, but wish to move to Neighborhood on the Lake, as the water, the gorgeous parks, the bike paths, etc. are, more uplifting than the noiser, dirtier streets (and occasional noisy, dirty former students) we see now. This is, unfortunately, proving to be logistically difficult. I want to be able to walk to my classes at University on the Lake (read: not pay for train tickets-- I'd rather spend the money on beer!), but the hubs will be working WAY down south come fall. He HATES commuting, and this move will mean countless hours of him sitting in traffic, possibly thinking not-so-nice thoughts as he imagines me skipping around on the beach and making flower chains with the wind in my hair, as everyone not bogged down by traffic does every day.

While the bickering over a 6-block radius and the ever-present guilt about not actually doing anything for this assignment (did I mention it's due in 5 days?) are fun and all, I thought I'd post a bit about my dream apartment. Here's what I envision:

Library (with fireplace, naturally):

 We'd need at least a 2-bedroom, so one room could function as an office/library/daydreaming space. (image: flikr)

Kitchen:

Requirements include tons of cabinet and counter space for my millions of kitchen supplies, and a dishwasher-- when you bake as much as me, you think about tallying up all the time spent doing dishes, but it's too painful (also painful: math).

Our bedroom:
I'm loving clean lines and greys lately. Our bedrooms for 3 years have not had the space for us to get out of bed on either side, and it's always me that has to climb up and over the hubs (and inevitably trip on the laundry basket at the foot of the bed) to go to the bathroom. Boo.

This room from C&B would be perfect if the duvet wasn't so garish busy.

Living Room:

Since most of our books will be in the library, our living room will feel more decorated than cluttered, as it feels now (replace austere-looking dude with too-big TV).

 
I also love how comfortable this room looks, from Design*Sponge 

Outside space for coffee or a cocktail w/a view:

Neighborhood by the Lake was meant to be enjoyed like this!

I guess we won't be enjoying anything if I don't get into this master's program, though, and for that I need to begin this paper before the hardworking hubs comes home and finds out I've been fantasizing about apartments for hours instead of working (again). le sigh...