Fat Skinny Girl

Today's afternoon plans

2012-03-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

After I finish morning Pilates and my husband returns from the office, we're going here:

We're going to the Art Institute. Our goal is to view all 1,000,000 sqft of gallery space by the end of the year! And so far, we've only viewed the Soviet propaganda gallery during their Communism-themed After Dark party. Bring on the American Gothic.

Yeah, bro.

2012-03-09T11:46:00.002-08:00

Luke Skywalker rocks it out.

2012-03-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

If my life were a movie right now, Heart's "Crazy on You" would be the soundtrack. Well, actually... it would be The Decemberists' cover of it. It was a hot summer night in St. Louis and the entire Pagaent roared as their female singers took the lead and rocked it out. We all remembered how intense that performance was, but there is absolutely no evidence on the Internet. It's as though it never happened...

But yeah, this crazy chick loves the fact that Luke Skywalker took time off from fighting against the Galatic Empire to rock it out with Heart:

Matzo ball soup, please?

2012-03-06T19:06:00.001-08:00

Again, I seem to have fallen off the edge of the earth. I have 1,000 emails I need to send and brunches to set up with new friends.

I just knew I was going to catch some sort of virus this weekend. You don't walk away unscathed after meeting 70,000 people from all over the world. At least I only have Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, and Long Beach to look forward to. Maybe I can rock a surgical mask with a pair of collagen-plumped lips silkscreened on it?

I stepped out of the office today to pick up matzo ball soup, but unfortunately the Jewish mainstay in Lincoln Square, What's Cooking?, is permanently closed.

I asked my husband to make me matzo ball soup with a kit I bought at the market. We just finished an argument whether or not he actually followed the directions because it was the grossest soup I've ever tasted.

"Do you want me to make another batch?" he asked after I showed him my unopened kit box. Yeah, I do. Except I don't want to wait up until 10 pm for a bowl of soup. If it weren't already past 8 pm, I could have just ordered it from Manny's Deli... Oh Manny's, catering to Chicago's politicos and 90 year old Jewish residents. Free valet parking during lunch.

I just want a cup of brothy matzo ball soup to help heal my painfully scratchy throat.

Camino Real

2012-03-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm so looking forward to seeing this later this month:

Review: Roots

2012-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Please excuse me for not having pictures or anything. We didn't eat dinner until 9:20 pm, so we inhaled our food as soon as it landed on the table.

Roots is a new pizzeria in the Ukrainian Village, and it is currently in the running for Best Pizza in Time Out Chicago. We didn't order the pizza but if it's as good as our entrees, I can see why the pizza is so popular.

We ordered the fried mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. They were more like fried mozzarella bricks-- they were so thick! The quality of the mozzarella was apparent... They are using the best!

For my entree, I ordered the caprese salad topped with crumbled bacon. It was incredibly filling with large hunks of artisan mozzarella and thick slices of tomatoes. The basil, bacon, and balsamic vinaigrette made the perfect salty and sweet combination.

My husband ordered the Italian beef sandwich and curly fries. The portion could feed four people! Seriously, because my husband was starving but could only take half. It was what you expect, except that the bread was a lot finer than other establishments serving Italian beef. Maybe it's from Bleeding Heart Bakery next door?

I can see why this Ukrainian Village pizzeria is so popular! And you know what? If you're in town this summer for the Pitchfork Music Festival in the West Loop's Union Park, it's totally worth walking a few extra blocks to go to Roots.

I love living so close to the Ukrainian Village. It's a pretty cool neighborhood just south of Bucktown/Wicker Park without the crowds and lack of parking. I'll be back... again and again. There's a western wear shop that reminds me of Lower Broad in Nashville!

If only dogs could text too...

2012-02-29T22:17:00.003-08:00

I just cannot stop laughing every time I see this picture. I hope it makes y'all laugh too!

Going to turn out a corkscrew at home.

2012-02-29T18:20:00.001-08:00

Anyone want to join me for Pilates next week?

The winter session at the Lou Conte studio ends in 18 days, and I still have five classes left on my (non-refundable) class card. I would have gone tonight, but I was unable to eat enough calories to make it through. On the bright side, maybe I won't feel like a troll while casting editorial models next week.

If I'm feeling better, I might be able to use four classes up in two weeks. I have nowhere near the stamina needed for Zumba at Lou Conte. Maybe I should jump into a modern dance class or two?

I am also missing my Saturday morning class to attend the big beauty show at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago. If you read my fashion and industry blog, Add Bubbles To Taste, get ready for the latest and greatest. I'll be amongst hundreds of beauty vendors!

I'm just going to download an easy Pilates video and roll like a seal in my library. I mean, what else do you do in a library? Read? Reading ain't rolling like a ball and clapping your feet above your head.

Why are people still dog fighting?

2012-02-27T19:59:00.001-08:00

Every time I see a former bait dog posted online for adoption, my throat gets that numb, yet hollow, feeling.

How can some people be so cruel?

That's it. I am officially an one-issue voter. I need to know where our politicians stand on this issue. If you are pro-life, you should be willing to endorse stricter sentences for those convicted of dog fighting and other malicious animal abuse. It truly is a despicable practice that needs to end in an American society.

Review: Grange Hall

2012-02-26T17:10:00.001-08:00

I mentioned in an earlier post about how amazing Grange Hall's peanut butter and jelly ice cream is, but only now do I have enough time to give this restaurant all the accolades it deserves.

We've been meaning to come by and check it out but since my husband hates communal dining, we've been waiting for a stormy night to try it for dinner. Our plan worked and we unintentially stopped by during restaurant week. We didn't do the prix fixe menu and came a little bit ahead.

Now about the prices... This restaurant has gotten slammed on Yelp for being "overpriced" and "expensive." Just remember that 98% of Yelpers are pretty unsophisticated. It's not that hard to look up a restaurant menu online to get an idea of the pricing... and if you want to eat at the trendy farm-to-table restaurant on RESTAURANT ROW, expect to pay a little extra.

So the ambiance of the restaurant is pretty hipster. There's no way to sugar coat it. It's the most hipstery hipster burger bar that has ever hipstered. Think $5 cans of PBR, Heileman's Old Style, and Schlitz. The wait staff are all decked out in distressed denim and plaid shirts. They play Ryan Adams. And the decor is as rustic as it comes:

My husband and I shared a fried farmer's vegetables basket for an appetizer. It came with a horseradish dip and was simple and delicious. The vegetables were fried in a very light tempura-like batter... I was addicted to the fried zucchini and mushrooms. My husband ate everything.

So we both ordered burgers and at Grange Hall there are only three options: grass-fed beef, turkey thigh ground with sage, and a homemade vegetarian option with wild rice. We both ordered beef burgers and I paid $2.00 extra for artisan Swiss cheese from a farm in Wisconsin and sauteed mushrooms.

Again, a lot of Yelpers knocked off stars for toppings (besides L,T,O, basic condiments, and picked cucumbers and onions) being $1.00 each. The basic burger starts at $8.95 ($11.95 for the bigger option), which falls in line with most restaurants in the neighborhood. And it is line with price of organic beef at the butcher. Most restaurants that offer specialty burgers charge $11-12 a burger and give it a cutesy name... if you don't want to spend $16 on a burger, don't order 5 extra toppings!

The burgers arrive on vintage kitchen platters:

I had to get a new bun, because I was unaware that the burger buns had seeds on them. I had to pay $2 for the gluten-free option, but not being in physical pain the entire night is worth the $2. The beef burgers were incredibly filling and even though mine was cooked well, it was still flavorful and juicy. Their mustard and pickled cucumbers/onions were outstanding. The Swiss cheese was probably the most flavorful Swiss I've ever had... And I used to work the cheese case at Provence!

We also ordered their steak fries and garlicky mac n' cheese. We both loved the thick and crispy steak fries. The mac n' cheese is not the creamy kind but rather very buttery/garlicky with a cheesy layer on it. I thought it was delicious, but my husband expressed that he wished it were creamier.

We ended dinner with a scoop of peanut butter and jelly ice cream, made with concord grapes from a farm in Michigan and jellied by Grange Hall's owner herself. It was incredible... and only $2.50 a scoop!

For two beers, one root beer, a fried vegetable basket, two beef burgers (one $11.95 big size, one with two extra toppings), two side dishes, and a scoop of ice cream... our total was $54. And that was without the restaurant week deal.

We'll be back! Especially for that ice cream!

Cowboys and indians bowling!

2012-02-26T16:43:00.002-08:00

I know that I whine on my blog about gaining weight (damn you, prescriptions) but it's really half-joking. I'm just a chubby size zero... meaning, I can no longer buy the smallest size in something that runs smaller in general. And that's the joke with being the "fat skinny girl."

Here I am on Friday night for our friend's cowboys and indians birthday party at Eskape:

For scale, I am holding the small child's size (3 lbs) bowling ball. The toddler two lanes over was using the same ball... and was knocking down more pins than Becky and me.

Our friend was born on Leap Day, so he only has a birthday once every four years. We celebrated his seventh birthday... and here's the Birthday Boy:

He reminds me of the TV obsessed kid in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Our friend David wore his old vest from being an Indian Guide as a kid. By an odd chance of fate, someone from his Indian Tribe or whatever recognized him at the karaoke bar later:

And back to work.

2012-02-23T20:18:00.001-08:00

I accepted a job offer and am going into the office tomorrow to begin transitioning into my new role.

I'm the new Marketing and Business Development Director for a beauty brand and hair product line. I believe this will be a good fit, as I have over seven years of experience in the industry in addition to my skills.

My poor husband. The "Cheesecake Factory" is closed... Especially since my new commute is 4x as long as his.

Speaking of sweets, I am rabidly obsessed with the new peanut butter and jelly ice cream at Grange Hall. I'll post a full review (with pictures of our fried vegetable basket, grass-fed beef burgers, and sides) later.

Just trust me on this: You can buy happiness. It's peanut butter and jelly ice cream, made with real concord grapes from Michigan and jellied by Grange Hall's owner... And it is only $2.50 a scoop!

I am really beginning to hate the Blogger app for iPad

2012-02-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

...Because it deletes my content and messes with my possessive nouns and verb contractions in post titles.

I'm not persnickety about grammar in my personal time but I did graduate from 4th grade, you know. Just don't make me prove it with a basic math equation.

What are the most reliable apps for blogging on an iPad?

Elegant balloons!

2012-02-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

So, I found this image while playing around on Pinterest:

And after being snobbishly appalled that someone would consider balloons suitable event decor (unless it's a child's birthday party), I broke into laughter. Tears rolling down my cheeks laughter.

Because then all I could think about was Paul F. Tompkin's comedy bit about a shop in his neighborhood named Elegant Balloons:

Just two more days until Lent!

2012-02-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras. I've been sick this entire past week, so it was like I was celebrating in spirit... complete with "I don't feel good" dizzy swaying.

But here's where life gets good: Lent time means that all of the fast food chains have specials on their fish sandwiches and veggie burgers. And I love a good McD Filet-o-Fish dunked into ketchup...

2-for-1 Filet-o-Fish sandwiches and Shamrock shakes at the same time? I'm lovin' it.

I always used to joke (We're not Catholic.) (Don't tell Grandma Violetta.) that I was giving up inhibitions for Lent. Funny, when I lived in New Orleans... none of my Catholic friends ever gave up alcohol for Lent. Or seafood. Or premarital sex. That's the foundation that the city of New Orleans was built upon.

That reminds me... I need to find some of my old beads from college. My husband totally does not read my blogs, so let me throw out my idea: I think it will be hilarious to catch him off guard and throw some beads his way when he comes home from work and strips out of his suit! Ow Ow!

I don't like this movie.

2012-02-20T16:12:00.001-08:00

I imagine this is what my father's afternoon looked like...

2012-02-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

For those that don't know my father, he loves his cats more than anything in the entire world. You could say that his three cats are his pride and joy. Yeah, puns.

I imagine this is what his weekend looked like:

Photography by Stefan Falke

2012-02-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

Photographer Stefan Falke is rising in the art world. I am becoming quite a fan of his work, because I feel he captures the human element so well: mischief, playfulness, desperation, and hope.

Here's some my favorites of his work:

Today was unlike any day.

2012-02-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

Because how often do you spot Michael Jackson staring at you as you cross the street?

And yes, I snapped these photos in Wicker Park...

Review: Sawtooth

2012-02-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

So last night, my husband told me to stop prepping dinner and that we were going out. Um, okay... don't have to ask me twice!

I scored a major deal a few days ago for Restaurant.com, where I was able to purchase $400 site credit for $40. So we searched our neighborhood and bought a $25 gift certificate (for only $10, woo!) to Sawtooth, a Vietnamese restaurant on Restaurant Row.

Besides my goal of trying every chop house in Chicago, I am also working toward's trying every Michelin recommended restaurant in Chicago. Michelin recommended Sawtooth two years in a row. It seems lofty, but I want to take advantage of living in Chicago. I'm from Nashville... we don't have those kinds of places.

So, if you've already checked out their website... then you know that the decor is just wow. A total showstopper. I love the rock garden and seating benches... it seems like the perfect place to enjoy your cucumber gin cocktail in the summer.

Okay, so the food... My husband ordered the watercress steak appetizer and I ordered the pho bo to start. He really enjoyed his appetizer but was suprised that it only had four bites (like the size of a truffle) of filet mignon... for $11 or so. My pho bo was really impressive... I ordered the small (only $6) and it had an entire filet mignon in it! Add in the yummy rice noodles, sprouts, lime and plum sauce... and you have a very delicious pho!

My husband ordered the sweet and spicy calamari for his entree, and I ordered the Vietnamese shrimp fried rice (was tempted to order the Empress rice with quail egg) both priced the same at $16. Our waitress was a total sweetheart and ensured that my rice was as mild as can be. It was peppery but not in an "aaaaaah" spicy way that might land me in the hospital. My husband thought the calamari was delicious despite being a bit rubbery since it wasn't fried.

I asked the waitress whether or not they stay busy and we happened to catch it on a slow night. She said that on the weekends, they are very very busy and the restaurant/bar comes alive when they open the night club upstairs. She mentioned that she serves bottle service upstairs during lounge hours. We left around 8 pm, and the bar was beginning to get busy.

I'm happy we tried it and we will be going back. In fact, Sawtooth is on my list of places to take people from out of town as I feel like the decor is very modern chic, the food is fantastic and the prices won't give them sticker shock like many local restaurants do.

Gang signs on winning Chicago city sticker design

2012-02-15T17:10:00.001-08:00

For some reason, I doubt this kid is cut out for gang life...

Two Tumblrs I am obsessed with

2012-02-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

Finally! I've discovered that thousands of other people are also annoyed with that contrived vintage-quirky-part Anthro- part antique market look... I sometimes felt like a lone ranger browsing through Apartment Therapy.

If you are like me and you can laugh at all the cliches like library card catalogues, rusty baskets and maps, you'll die reading Fuck Your Noguchi Coffee Table.

Everyone and their cousin now has this chair. It's sad to see such an icon become a cliche.

They jokingly say "Fuck your Eames Lounge Chair" but it stood out to me instantly that the chair is actually an older knock off. It has visible screws, the wrong plywood and the leather piping isn't the exact thickness of the plywood. In case anyone else comes across a vintage lounge chair in a shop, the leather piping and the thickness of the curved arm rests will tell you everything. The seat cushions on the ottoman and chair should also be interchangeable.

By the way, if your home resembles this Tumblr, please don't take offense at this post. It's not my taste (but it seems that every woman on Pinterest likes it) and I'm sure you would hate my Elsa Peretti bone candlesticks or my clear counter stools. You might consider my loft to be not cozy enough or too modern, so let's call it even.

Having worked in marketing for a museum, I am also obsessed with Ryan Gosling, Arts Administrator.

What are your favorite Tumblrs at the moment?

Lunch today: rigatoni al pastore

2012-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

My friend Jamie is in Italy for Valentine's Day/belated honeymoon. It was fun chatting with her today about Rome and Florence, two cities we both have visited now.

Last night, I had the next best thing: dinner on Taylor Street in Chicago's Little Italy! My husband and I shared some lobster risotto, and I also ordered the rigatoni al pastore and took half of it home. So lunch today was rigatoni al pastore from Francesca's, yum:

Hopefully, it will hold me over through pilates tonight!

The Ross Residence by Hulburd Design

2012-02-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

I am not really a house kind of girl (because a lawn isn't really my thing... If we're talking about an ultimate dream home, I would love to live in a penthouse with a view of the entire city and dozens of amentities) but this home designed by Hulburd Design in San Francisco, CA is exactly how my dream house would look if I had one. Does that make any sense?

Seriously though, I'm drooling like Pavlov's dog:

I love the sculptural landscaping. Even the bushes are exactly matched in height.

Light and airy entrance into the home.

A large, airy, minimalist bathroom with plenty of storage space.

Gorgeous!

Does this make any sense?

2012-02-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

Why would someone think it is a good idea to use the image of Martin Luther King, Jr. to sell Polish sausage?

Review: Bleeding Heart Bakery

2012-02-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

Can I just say wow? I mean, wow. The brunch at Bleeding Heart Bakery (we went to the W. Chicago location, which is less than 10 minutes away for us) is hands down the best brunch in Chicago.

We had a short wait at 9:30 am, but we were on the early side for the Sunday brunch crowd. This place does get very busy with families (expect to see lots of toodlers eating pancakes with their hands) and hipsters inbibing with their signature cocktail menu.

The atmosphere is fun and you can see the bakers producing the goods, all under a painted hot pink accent wall that reads, "SHUT UP AND BAKE"... It's very punk rock and very fun!

My husband ordered the microherb omelet stuffed with goat cheese. I ordered the eggs benedict (what a surprise) but with fried green tomatoes, toasted brioche, country ham and bacon hollandaise sauce:

It was so good. The fried green tomatoes had a hearty cornmeal batter. The country ham was cut thick and reminded me of the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, TN. The poached eggs were as expected and the bacon hollandaise sauce was smokey, creamy, and lemony good all at the same time. My only suggestion is that they might think about serving this with buttermilk biscuits instead of the toasted brioche.

We heard that their notorious cake balls are incredible, so after eating brunch we walked over to their pastry counter and picked up a sprinkled order for our friend Brandon, who is 3 years old. We also picked up red velvet, French toast, and chocolate peanut butter cake balls for ourselves.

And it's not like we don't have dessert at home... We still have half of the lemony white chocolate cheesecake with raspberries I made for our dinner party last night! Which was incredibly decadent... It rivaled my wine braised short ribs for the standout dish of the night.

I only had the red velvet cake ball, but it was awesome: crunchy on the outside and creamy smooth on the inside.

I highly recommend the brunch at Bleeding Heart Bakery. If you are unfamiliar with the restaurant scene in Chicago, save yourself some time and go straight here.

A love note for Andrew Jackson

2012-02-10T22:19:00.000-08:00

One last thing...

I'm a total history nerd (like major... snort) and this makes me incredibly happy; it's the "Smithsonian" art project I love but features my favorite American president:

How can I love the man responsible for ignoring Chief Justice John Marshall's orders to halt the Trail of Tears?

He defended New Orleans. And he's the reason why we have the best American pub song ever, "Battle of New Orleans."
A major road in Nashville is named after him, "Old Hickory."
He dueled over 100 times in order to defend his wife Rachel's honor... Supposedly, she really was sleeping with every man in Tennessee. But he still fought for her honor anyways.
He had a bullet in his chest through his presidency and when he had it removed, he mailed it back to the man that shot him.
He apparently threw parties on the White House lawn that would make Broadway in New Orleans look like a Bible study group. During his inauguration, the staffers put the liquor on the front lawn and locked the doors and windows to the White House so they wouldn't be disturbed by the wild partying.
He was the only president that ended his presidency with the nation's finances in the black... with no debt whatsoever.
And most importantly, he handled an assissination attempt against him, the first ever attempted murder towards a president, like a total badass. His assailant tried to shoot him but unfortunately both handguns he brought with him malfunctioned. Instead of fleeing or calling army officials to haul the assailant away, Andrew Jackson confronted him and beat him into a coma with his own cane. Don't get me wrong, I don't think a cane beating is a suitable Saturday afternoon activity but when someone tries to murder you twice... I think you have the right to show them that you are someone not to play with.

Am I missing anything?

Best email on a Friday night ever

2012-02-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

I genuinely love people, but I can be a bit of an intovert... I need my "me" time and I absolutely cherish those I consider to be my soul mates. Like one of my best friends, Sally. She's known me since our sophomore year in college... so for six years. And I think we really accept each other for who we are. With friendships, it is all about quality over quantity.

I love that my girlfriends no longer think it's weird that I am completely obsessed with animal behavior, and even joke about when I stayed an extra summer semester in college so I could take an animal behavior course (and a Brazilian telenovelas course)...

So imagine my delight to see this in my inbox, courtesy of my best friend Sally:

By the way, she was the same friend that clued me into the Nat Geo documentary about drunk monkeys in the Caribbean and the "baby monkey riding backwards on a pig" baby monkey. I admittedly do not search for monkey videos that often. My favorite videos are of remorseful Boston Terriers.

Dinner Party Menu

2012-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

I love entertaining. I mean, what newlywed doesn't love an excuse to use her bridal china? Our dinner party this weekend party is much smaller (I'm not cooking multiple courses for 15 guests...woo), and I know one of my guests loves short ribs so that takes some of the stress off menu planning. I make great ancho chile rubbed short ribs, but I am using a different recipe that complements my side dishes better.

One of my favorite tasks from planning our wedding was selecting our reception menus. It was my idea to have a savory salad with watermelon (we married Memorial Day weekend) and RIA did it. Now all of the trendy upscale restaurants are doing it. Other hits were the fried green tomatoes caprese salad with balsamic reduction, a soup and salad duet, deconstructed seared tuna nicoise spoons during the cocktail hour, and our wedding cake with a mint julep chocolate ganache (*completely invented by me, and major props to RIA for delivering). My husband and I met in New Orleans so while we didn't want to do a full creole menu, we still wanted to reference our connection to New Orleans through a sophisticated menu.

Basically, I like taking ideas, adding a twist and making them uniquely my own. And I get excited about thinking about what I'm going to eat; I am truly my Sicilian father's daughter.

Tomorrow night's menu:

Cheese course and roasted tomatoes with crusty baguette bread and herbed foccacia for dipping
Grilled caesar salad with artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese and croutons
Wine braised short ribs with griddled polenta cakes topped with goat cheese, carmelized onions and honey
Lemony white chocolate cheesecake with homemade raspberry or blueberry sauce and fresh berries for garnish

I've put my husband in charge of finding a cocktail to pair with dessert. I'm assuming we will serve white wine during the cheese course and salad course, red wine during the meal and then a coordinating cocktail or espresso with dessert.

Cannot. wait. to. stuff. my. face.

Peach Portobello Burgers

2012-02-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

I made portobello burgers and roasted smashed red potatoes last night for dinner. My husband hates mushrooms with a passion, but after having a few mushroom dishes at The Catbird Seat in Nashville he was willing to try a portobello burger. I knew I had to talk up the health perks while grilling, and that I had to make the best portobello burger ever invented.

He loved it! And now I'm willing to take a risk and make these peach portobello burgers with this recipe from Design Sponge:

Can we say, "om nom nom nom?"

For a different flavor, you can try my knockoff Boot Portobello Burger. The Boot is a Tulane Bar in New Orleans known for its midday drunkenness, late night debauchery and greasy hangover-preventing pizza. But they make one of the best portobello burgers around:

Start with a Rosen burger bun. If this is not available in your local market, get yourself the biggest brioche rolls you can find.
Marinate your mushrooms in one half balsalmic vinegar (oddly missing from most recipes online), one half olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and a couple of teaspoons of Italian seasoning or fresh herbs.
Grill the mushrooms on the cap side first. After flipping them to gill side, add a slice of Swiss cheese to each cap.
Mix pesto (either homemade or store bought is fine) with equal parts mayonnaise. Alternatively, finely shred fresh basil to add to mayonaisse and finish with a fresh squeeze of lemon.
Top your burgers with your herbed mayonnaise, roasted red pepper slices, fresh roma tomatoes, spinach and fresh basil leaves.

As for the roasted smashed red potatoes... they are super easy! Just smash freshly boiled red potatoes on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh rosemary and paprika. They make a great alternative to fries for an upscale burger night at home!

I never lost the dream

2012-02-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Jess in San Francisco told me last night that she met another woman at a party with my dream job (well, besides kicking ass and taking names in the FBI Art Crime division): training helper monkeys as assistance pets.

So want. to. do. that. And I would name every helper monkey "Mojo":

Dance tunes

2012-02-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

I just came back from tonight's Zumba class.

One, I've discovered that lip-syncing is my coping mechanism to get through an entire class. I have thus named it "Britney Spears Syndrome." Without it, I don't know how I would get through Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie"... I hear an intro to a Shakira song and I know I'm going to lose 2 pounds of sweat from that dance alone.

Two, I really am awful at latin dancing. Fancy footwork is not my friend. Shaking T&A and slapping the floor? I got that. No shots of tequila needed.

Three, I cannot get Jessie J's "Domino" out of my head. This song is really great for working out:

Chicago Works: Laura Letinksy

2012-02-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Close up of Laura Letinsky's work taken with my iPhone

Did you know that on Tuesdays that Illinois residents can enjoy the Museum of Contemporary Art for free?

I came four days too early for the 1980s show, but I was happy to see the latest installation in the Chicago Works series, featuring artist Laura Letinsky. Her work centers around still life photography but then she produces these disorienting collages. Her work has a very feminine quality to it, and I'm slowly discovering how I am drawn to feminine delicacies in modern art. In the MCA's The Language of Less (Then and Now), my favorite artist on view is Carol Bove. Her works demonstrate the similarities between scupture and jewelry. I love it.

I am looking forward to seeing the new spring exhibitions with a fresh set of eyes and with my own interpretation. I became spoiled by the employees-only curated tours.

Review: Shaw's Crab House

2012-02-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

For an avant (before) theatre nosh Saturday night, we had reservations at Shaw's Crab House on Hubbard St. I made the reservations for 6:30, since the show began at 8 pm. We arrived early, but the hostess said she could not seat us until 6:30 pm... The table was obviously reserved, but what can you do? Take silly pictures of me and my new glasses.

For a starter, my husband and I shared a shrimp cocktail. Out of politeness, my husband opted out of a salad course since I cannot eat salad, and I didn't want to break my diet with a 2nd course of lobster bisque. The table next to us had two orders of Shaw's wedge salad and it looked incredible. Pro tip: if you are trying to watch what you eat, you cannot beat a good shrimp cocktail... It's only lean protein, lemon juice, and a touch of cocktail sauce. You add some extra horseradish if you want to ensure you don't eat very much of the caloric sauce.

For entrees, my husband ordered one of their daily fish selections and I ordered the lump crab cake. We shared orders of potatoes au gratin (my husband's pick) and creamed spinach (my pick). For his fish, I couldn't tell what he ordered because it was smothered in cheddar cheese. He said that it was tasty, but not the healthy filet he intended to consume. My crab cake was awesome. My only complaint about the crab cake was its accompanying sauce: I would have prefered either a mustard sauce or a true remoulade. The red pepper "remoulade" sauce just wasn't doing it for me, but it worked out that I saved calories by not eating it. (Can you tell I am sticking to my daily calories allowance?)

For the sides, the potatoes au gratin was very salty and the creamed spinach was kind of bland. I wish the creamed spinach had either more butter, wine or garlic... it just needed that extra "oomph." Even a wedge of fresh lemon would have improved it. I remarked to my husband that the potatoes au gratin was better at our friends' wedding a few months ago in Baltimore.

The service started out great, but once the food was dropped in front of us... our waiter never checked back with us. We waited about 30 minutes too long before I just gave the waiter my card and demanded he ring us out without seeing the bill. I allowed for 1.5 hours for dining before the play... We shouldn't have been cutting it close! And when dinner costs $150 for two people, you just expect more attentive service!

We fortunately made it in time to find our seats at the Goodman Theatre. I highly recommend purchasing tickets to Race, it's a very unexpected script and David Mamet did an excellent job at dissecting modern race relations in a professional environment. There are moments when you will laugh out loud (and feel slightly guilty for it) and times when the audience will give an unanimous groan in response to a jabbing racial comment. My only complaint is that the intermission was too short to finish our $8 drinks and was a bit unnecessary... it seemed like Act II was only 10 minutes long!

Becoming stronger.

2012-02-05T11:37:00.001-08:00

Why we need Planned Parenthood more than ever

2012-02-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

I cannot even express just how frustrated I am by the Susan G. Komen Foundation's intent to pull funding from Planned Parenthood... and even worse, the amount of public hate for Planned Parenthood in public forums (like my Facebook feed, ugh).

Here's why Planned Parenthood is good for America: They provide health services to women and families on a sliding income scale. Abortions are a very small percentage of what Planned Parenthood offers and it is not offered in all of its facilities/locations nor is it publically funded. What is offered in all of its facilities is cancer screenings, mammograms, women's wellness exams, STD testing and treatment, birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place, prenatal care and natal care for mothers that otherwise could not afford it. They also provide education on proper child care and general health, which is of great benefit to preventing epidemics like the spread of disease and child obesity.

Show me an organization that offers this many services and at a sliding scale too. Or an organization that is as dedicated to helping women with medical treatment, with no religious strings attached or discrimination.

It is incredibly infuriating when men choose to have an opinion on the matter, because in reality an American society puts the responsibility for birth control or abstinence on women. Here and there, you hear about lab research to develop a male birth control pill, but lets be honest--- what woman in her right mind would trust a man that says "don't worry, baby, I'm on the pill?"

For those that claim that teaching abstinence or lack of sex education is the answer, remember that abstinence does not work. And historically, in cultures that promoted abstinence until a women found her "most suitable" male resulted in harems, polgyamy and wife/several mistresses arrangements. Because here's the facts, guys, when sex is not treated as this absolutely great risk, women are more likely to settle for you. When women are told that their only option if they have sex is to likely get pregnant, they're going to choose only alpha males. Women concerned about the welfare of their potential offspring would rather share a rich (or handsome) man than have a poor (or ugly) man to herself.

I hope these Planned Parenthood opponents never lose their jobs and their cushy PPO/HMO group insurance. To break it down for you, the uninsured costs for a yearly women's exam is about $400, my generic Seasonique birth control is $275 every three months, diagnostic testing is in the thousands and delivering a baby costs tens of thousands of dollars. What do you want these women to do? The pro-life conservatives don't want to increase the minimum wage to a living wage, they want to protect the predatory insurance companies, support the private medical centers that greatly inflate costs to the insurance companies, and don't want to provide public financial support for the poor. They also don't want them having abortions and instead claim that they can successfully raise children on their non-existant income or give them up for adoption... But we know that most of those pro-lifers don't adopt children and if they did, would only want white blue-eyed babies or babies from whatever trendy foreign nation has lax adoption laws.

I cannot understand the hate directed towards women. What can we do to make America happy? We've tried getting our own sources of income so we wouldn't be financially dependent on the public when our men become sick, die, or leave us for an office receptionist with a shiny vagina. We're now the better educated sex and women are more likely (actually, this is the majority of dual income relationships now) than ever to earn more income than her partner. We've made giant strides from being considered property ("you give me 10 of your cattle and you can have, ugh... that daughter over there") to now holding leadership roles in our communities. So what gives with this hold on tradition to keep women imprisoned by their bodies?

Yes, I did take women's studies through Newcomb College at Tulane University. And you know what? They always gave us free condoms after class. Whether you were in a loving, monogamous relationship, chose to abstain from sex and gave them to your roommate, or screwing every ATO that weekend, it didn't matter. Planned Parenthood is like one big after-class condom bowl that serves to keep us all as safe and healthy as we can be.

I did it!

2012-02-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Last night, I went to Nicole's beginner class at the Lou Conte pilates studio through Hubbard Street Dance. I switched to the intermediate class a few weeks ago, but I struggled through Zumba and am afraid that I haven't fully recovered yet. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you're in the moment...), it was all advanced students that showed up for the Wednesday night class. So we were given different challenges!

I was able to do an even more advanced version of Jack Knife (after the traditional exercise, we flexed our feet above our heads and split our legs going up and pressed them going down) and Teaser 3!

I have been going twice a week for three months. I am rather excited by my progress, and my husband is thrilled that I wear Lululemon yoga pants more often. As far as he concerned, he's living the dream.

Roasted grape pizza, success!

2012-02-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

David Mamet at the Goodman

2012-02-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are so incredibly fortunate that we're now subscribers to the Goodman Theatre. We'll be seeing the entire 2012 season! And we have fantastic seats too!

My husband's favorite playwright is David Mamet (mine is Tennessee Williams, so this is a good season for us) and we're looking forward to seeing his legal drama, Race:

Before the show, we have dinner reservations at Shaw's Crab House & Oyster Bar. My husband wears a suit every day, but since I'm a housewife it is always fun to dress up and go out on the town. I am just so incredibly lucky that I found a straight man that loves seeing live theater as much as I do.

PSA: never underestimate a monkey

2012-01-31T21:23:00.000-08:00

Never give a primate, which has opposable thumbs, an AK47
Never taunt the primate you are giving an AK47
Never underestimate the intelligence of a primate, of whom you are teasing and giving an AK47

Someone once asked me why I was obsessed with the idea of having a pet monkey. And I'll tell you why: because they are smart. And I once saw a documentary with one that could bake apple pie from scratch and mix a martini. All she wanted in return was for you to do the clean up and give her some Skittles.

And yes, it was a real documentary and not just an episode of Mad Men.

The most eloquent "F You" letter you'll ever read

2012-01-31T21:14:00.000-08:00

In 1865, a freed Tennessee slave named Jourdan Anderson wrote to his master why he will not be reuniting with him back in Nashville.

I only wish I was half as gracious when dealing with people that severely hurt me. Read Jourdan's letter.

I can tolerate just about anything when it's coming from people I don't care about. I just don't see the point... I mean, in the end miserable people live miserable lives. Think "The People Going to Hell" by The Vandals. It will always catch up to them, so I rather just focus on what my goals are and what I'm doing to achieve them.

Now, those that have severely hurt or betrayed me? Scorch. the. earth. and. never. go. back. I wish, oh so wish, I could handle myself as Jourdan handled himself with logic, tact and biting politeness. I'm just too emotional. I have regrets for how I ended some things, but I won't be making the same mistakes again. They say forgiveness is more for you than it is for the other person. I believe in forgiveness. Still doesn't mean I don't get as angry as an old man trying to return soup in a deli.

The girl who stole my flute in school because I challenged her for principle chair and was to perform the solo at the winter concert? That nutcase's last name was Anderson too. I wonder if she's a direct descendent from Colonel P.H.Anderson?

*Revenge was served cold for that, by the way. And it was so worth it.

Flatbread with roasted grapes

2012-01-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when you come across a genuinely surprising idea?

Tomorrow night, I am making a flatbread pizza with roasted grapes, sprigs of rosemary, carmelized red onion, gorgonzola and brie.

I was inspired by this recipe for a brushetta-like appetizer created by Alexandra's Kitchen:

Tonight I am making skinny quesadillas with grilled vegetables. I mean, going to a 1.5 hour Zumba class would be such a waste if I were to just come home and make battered fish and chips.

I purchased a bean salad and will make a side salad for my husband, but unfortunately I cannot tolerate legumes or uncooked vegetables. My husband and I joked how I really should have my own "person that travels the country eating man-food" television show, since I am having to redefine "healthy eating." I was joking with my friend Chelsea yesterday that a bag of fresh spinach is more likely to land me in the hospital than the Baconator at Wendy's will. Oh well, Crohn's disease is forcing me to maintain my Fat Skinny Girl mantra: eat like a fat girl and look like a skinny girl!

Tonight's tunes: Leonard Cohen

2012-01-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

The closest thing to faith I have right now is listening to Leonard Cohen.

...Now to end my evening of a million distractions and focus on drawing schnoodles covered in semolina flour.

The Wicker Park Bandit is still on the loose

2012-01-29T19:05:00.000-08:00

I heard on the radio this evening that the Wicker Park Bandit robbed a ninth bank on the north side of Chicago today.

Whenever I hear "Wicker Park Bandit," this is the image I have in my head:

It's hard to take someone labeled a bandit seriously. Robbers and thieves sound so criminal. Bandits sound like free spirited scamps that have adventures. Or little boys playing in cowboy boots.

Our friend Jay was born on February 29, and so this year he is turning seven. We're looking forward to his birthday party next month-- the theme is cowboys and indians!

Proof that older siblings are only the trial run

2012-01-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today my sister posted this on Facebook. In 1986, her birth was announced in frickin' Billboard magazine, under "Lifelines."

My dad was rather successful in the music industry (Um, he worked at Electric Ladyland in New York and Motown's Los Angeles satellite before opening Master Controls in L.A...) before I was born in 1984. Did I get a fancy birth announcement? No.

This is just further proof that the oldest child is the "practice" kid. I'm adding this to the body of proof I already recorded, such as my mother's famous "When Nikki was a toddler, I didn't know what to feed her because she was my first one. So we went for Thai food every day, because that's what they feed their babies!"

I wonder how my life might have been different if my family stayed in Los Angeles instead of creating a home base in Nashville...

Move yourself where you want to be

2012-01-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

I had such a great experience today at this morning's pilates class. We had a different instructor, who usually teaches only advance students, and she really pushed us to do things that were different. I can usually roll like a ball, spread my legs and roll back for rocking chair, and clap my feet above my head for seal... but she had me place my forehead on my knees and it was such a struggle to do something as simple as rolling like a ball.

I'm really in awe for what the human body really can do... we are capable of manipulating and stretching our bodies beyond our wildest imagination once you lose your inhibitions and fears.

Tonight, the Mister and I have a date to see Hubbard Street Dance:

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago danc(e)volve: New Works Festival from MCA Chicago on Vimeo.

Speaking of stretching yourself out of what's easy or comfortable, now that I've taken care of some personal business... I'm taking on a pro bono project utilizing my professional talents for the Taproot Foundation.

If you are a professional in creative marketing, strategic HR, website-related design and IT, or strategy, you can donate your services to help various non-profit organizations and collaborate with sponsoring organizations like the Ad Council. Candidates must be able to meet once a month in New York, Chicago, D.C., Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay Area. The time commitment is about 100 hours over the course of six months.

This weekend, I challenge you: how are you going to extend yourself?

Decorating my husband's office

2012-01-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

My current decorating project: my husband's office. The challenge: work around the desk/chair provided by the firm and the weird pale grellow paint on the walls. I've named the color "depressed buttercup."

Fortunately, his office is huge and has one of the coolest views ever-- the Chicago skyline from the 30th floor and slivers of Lake Michigan between the skyscrapers. And of course, his office has a huge window and ledge to frame the view!

I ordered this print for my husband a few days ago:

And we're going to purchase some "potted botanicals" from Crate & Barrel to set along the window ledge:

Next up, possibly a desk lamp from the Frank Lloyd Wright House and Studio Museum gift shop and either two side chairs or two stools to place in front of my husband's desk.

What is for dinner tonight?

2012-01-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

This one goes out to my crohnies, a safe, delicious meal that is also far from boring:

tacos on flour tortillas with organic grass-fed beef seasoned with Rick Bayless's sauce, fresh avocado, organic pineapple-mango salsa, black olives, green onions, queso cheese and light sour cream
grilled pineapple skewers

I'm also serving a side salad and chips and salsa for my husband. With the exception of the fresh avocado (very mild) and the green onion (only need a small amount), all other fruits and vegetables are cooked!

Next week, I'm attempting a zucchini and squash galette and baked sweet potatoes topped with goat cheese, roasted grapes and honey!

If you have any interesting and healthy recipes (challenge: no whole grains, spicy foods, raw fruits and vegetables) don't be shy about emailing me!

Beautiful! A Malmo residence

2012-01-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

So lovely. You can view more images and the full story over at Apartment Therapy:

Earlier today, the sales associate at See Eyewear and I had a brief conversation about how there's so much wonderful modern design out there but it seems like the rest of the world just cannot appreciate it. I know that sounds random, but it started when I stated that a pair of cat eye frames were too retro for my tastes and seemed kind of cliche at this point. I live in the warehouse district... not Wicker Park.

I think people associate modern design with only intimidating European kitchens and mid-century quirkiness, but it entails so much that is forward-thinking. What makes this room in Malmo, Sweden so perfect is that it is modern and fresh in so many ways: tasteful color palette of washed pastels, a minimalist coffee table, the modern sofa, industrial lighting combined with a feminine draped lamp shade, the colorful flowers in a simple vase, the Bertoia sitting chairs in a powder coated white finish... all in perfect juxtaposition with the original architectural details of the building.

And yes, if I lived there I would still want a dog... I would just hire a cleaning lady to come three times a week!

Photo I took yesterday.

2012-01-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

Found it on State St., around Jackson or Monroe.

Oh, the crazy train.

2012-01-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

If you weren't already aware, the Blue Line train I take from home into the Loop has some of the craziest crazies that have ever crazied. That's why I've dubbed it "The Crazy Train."

Just when I become jaded and think I've seen it all, a new character enters stage left. While waiting in the La Salle station (pro tip: if you are unemployed or have a significant amount of free time, I highly recommend the Harold Washington Public Library), I encountered a man arguing with himself.

Okay, people arguing with themselves is the status quo on the Blue Line. But this guy was having a discussion in his Yosemite Sam voice. A reenactment:

I'm starting to wonder if Chicago train stations are where minor characters from Adam Sandler movies go to retire...

Love your cat? Act like it!

2012-01-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

Confession: when I was maybe 4 years old, our cat Rhiannon was stolen from our home in North Hollywood. My dad had the best audio equipment around (he owned a recording studio), fine art, modern furniture and she was the only thing taken... our guess was that she was in the front picture window and was incredibly trusting. Our other cat, Maggie, was found hiding under a bed. The cops were called and they told my parents that (insert ethnic group here) were stealing small animals for dog fighting.

I take kitty safety really seriously, and it makes me so sad when I see outdoor cats in public or hear about kitties being allowed in garages. It is really dangerous!

If you do not keep your pet safe and sound, you risk:

Diseases. Even casual contact can lead to FeLV and FIV contaminations. Much less the diseases an outdoor kitty can pick up after a fight with a stray.
Cars. Almost as many kitties are killed by cars as there are kitties euthanized in shelters. That's a significant amount of cats that could be saved through responsible pet ownership! For those allowing their cats to live in garages during the winter, be warned that there's a risk of both your cat being run over AND being shredded if trapped inside the car (for warmth). Basements/garages usually have toxins that could make a cat sick... Think about it, it's where people store things they don't want in their living space!
Predators. Besides dog packs, coyotes and foxes... you have to worry about eagles and hawks swooping down and picking up your small pet with their talons. My former co worker, Ricky, once witnessed this... and could hear the cat's screams as a hawk ripped it apart and ate it alive. Why risk your beloved pet dying like that?
Outdoor cats risk hanging themselves if they have a collar, and being picked up as strays if they don't.
Finally, even if your cat only goes as far as the front lawn... you still run the risk of your dear pet being stolen by "bunchers," low-lifes that steal pets to sell to labs, or to be used as bait for dog fighting. Nevermind psychopathic/sociopathic freaks that enjoy torturing animals as a hobby.

To really understand how brutally violent the act of pitbull baiting is, please read Oogy's story.

Warning: get a box of tissues handy. But it's worth it.

"The Butcher's Block," photography by Tim Roda

2012-01-20T15:04:00.000-08:00

I am currently obsessed with photographer Tim Roda's recent work, which centers around domesticity and mythology.

Or as my friends and colleagues like to joke, I'm just drawn to fucked up art. I swear, most people when they actually come into my loft and see how everything works together loves it. I promise that despite the mummies, bone sculptures, and photos of 1910 German bowling teams, my home doesn't give off some creepy Texas Chainsaw Massacre -vibe.

Tim Roda lives and shoots around NYC, but his work is currently on view in Galerie Anita Beckers until February 25, 2012.

Reason #234 I love Dolly Parton

2012-01-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

I love Dolly Parton. She's so inspirational and represents that women can be over the top, sexy, funny and still be wildly successful in the business world. I just pretend that I never watched that movie with Slyvester Stallone trying to become a country star. Repeatedly. Okay, I just admitted one of my shameful habits to the world wide web. Whatever. That film has its moments.

Today news broke out that she's partnered up with Gaylord Entertainment to build a theme park in my hometown Nashville, by Opryland, according to CMT.com.

I'm packing my best underwire bra and I am going!

In an ideal world...

2012-01-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

... I would be able to do pilates with my French bulldog:

I'm feeling slightly under the weather, but I am still going to intermediate pilates tonight. Last time, I was the only person that made it so I had a one-on-one session on the reformer.

Last Saturday I was able to perform Teaser with both legs suspended in the air. My abs are strong!

I'm leaving instructions for my husband to get a head start on dinner (I've already done the prep work). We're having Boca burgers with BBQ sauce, grilled red onions, tomato, avocado, colby jack cheese, pickles and a brioche bun. Served with baked sweet potato fries.

I really wanted to make Greek burgers, but I can't tolerate raw cucumbers or lettuces or sprouts. I wish I could! My weight is currently staying put at 102 lbs, and I know it's because in the past I ate a lot of vegetables. I used to eat salads all the time and would snack on cucumbers dipped in hummus or celery with Laughing Cow cheese.

Tomorrow we are having shrimp fajitas and rice. I am still struggling with finding a healthy diet despite having Crohn's disease.

Irish car bomb cupcakes!

2012-01-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know if we can wait until St. Patty's day to make Irish car bomb cupcakes!

I'm guessing we will be entertaining that day since we live only a 15 minute walk away from the Chicago river. You know, the one that gets dyed green each year.

Recipe courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker:

Another food blog I am currently loving is Stoner Food. I found that blog last night while I was in the middle of making dinner (curried rice with fruits and vegetables, samosas, and naan) and was searching for some quickie condiments I could throw together. I didn't find what I was looking for on that blog, but I did find a recipe for "cheeseburger samosas."

I gave Epic Burger the good ol' college try for lunch. It was a fantastic burger. In fact, it was probably the messiest burger I have had in a while. I might go back, but only to the W. Adams location closer to our loft. If I'm in the River North, Loop or Gold Coast area come lunch time... I'm going to M Burger. Because it's just as good, also has "special sauce", grass fed beef and is half the price. M Burger also has their secret code words and secret milkshake flavors... and that makes me feel like a member of an underground cult. You know, special.

James Brown teaching dance.

2012-01-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

True story: as we were leaving the Fox & Hound Saturday night, I was joking about how with all of my free time I needed to produce a short film. A short film about James Brown teaching a Zumba class.

Well, that was a short lived dream because I found this:

If only Hubbard Street Dance could have a class dedicated to Soul Train dance moves... I wouldn't miss a class!

Tech makeover.

2012-01-16T15:04:00.000-08:00

I have a black iPhone 4 and a white iPad 2. I bought them matching skins last night from Fab:

I also bought a new white and bright green bumper and white, turquoise and baby pink replicases from Amazon.com. Since I get free shipping as a Prime account holder, my total for the four bumper/cases was only $14!

Mexican lasagna: don't be judgy

2012-01-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

I normally do not make "Rachel Ray foods" at home. You know, foods that are a combination of unhealthy, American foods. Rachel's cheeseburger salad with ranch dressing, I am looking right at you. I keep it real.

But my husband somehow saw Mexican lasagna on the FoodNetwork's iPad app last month and has been begging for it ever since. It's basically a combination of tacos and lasagna, two things he likes.

Monday he had a bad day at work. And when attorneys have a bad day, trust me... it's a bad day. So the next day, I bought everything needed to make his Mexitalian delicacy and mudslide brownies a la mode.

I adapted my own recipe (since I have diet restrictions) from The Love of Cooking:

My husband's face when he came home from work reminded me of a little boy who just got a Happy Meal.

And you know what? It was really, really delicious. I intended to send him to work with a gigantic corn beef on rye sandwich, but he insisted on taking leftovers. We have those cool bento box lunch containers, so today he should have been able to enjoy it reheated with cool gaucamole and sour cream on the side.

If you want to impress your man with some man food, this recipe is it!

Software engineering... and cars?

2012-01-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

I listened to the most interesting segment on Chicago Public Radio this afternoon, ironically while driving in my car. Well, my husband's car. We both drive German built cars suitable for German-like weather, but his has heated leather seats. And if you didn't know, I'm part cat...

Anyways, Chicago Public Radio aired a discussion about the consumer electronics tradeshow as well as the main automotive tradeshow happening in Detroit. And interestingly enough, quite a few car manufacturer executives attended the consumer electronics tradeshow in Vegas instead. This demonstrates a trend in the industry for more gadgets in automobiles, from the lower end range to Tesla offering a 17" touch screen in the console.

Software engineers are highly in demand with car manufacturers, who are beginning to depend on millions of lines of code for their future car models. Today's consumer wants to be connected, able to download and upload new tunes, map locations, determine traffic/alternative routes, and read restaurant reviews while driving.

Alternatively, hackers are highly in demand to secure software. For obvious reasons, you don't want someone hijacking every Ford on the road.

An interesting argument was that the technology for self-driving cars is already here. The problem is having all cars on the road become self-driving and controlled by the same network (able to communicate with one another to avoid accidents). If becoming a "gearhead" became undesirable and Americans were willing to buy new cars on the network, then life for Americans would greatly improve. It would save massive amounts of fuel. Drivers would not need to pay attention to the road or even steer, and they could multi-task or enjoy free time during work commutes. It would make accidents nearly impossible. It would increase efficiency and decrease traffic. It would eliminate traffic violations. And it would increase the likelihood of road head, thus decreasing road rage. Okay, that last one was not broadcast on the radio. That was just courtesy of moi.

Would you trust a completely computerized car? Would you rather have the future or cling onto older cars and the act of driving?

Personally, I welcome the future.

I read only the most probing literature.

2012-01-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

I saw this in the front window at Jonathan Adler on Wabash and literally went in within seconds and bought a copy:

I know, right?

I'm pretty excited for my first Zumba class tonight. I mean, if I'm not bringing in much income I at least owe it to my husband to look pretty damn hot.

Reservations made!

2012-01-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are celebrating an anniversary next week: nine years since our first date!

A goal of mine is to try every steakhouse in Chicago. I still have some heavy-hitters to try: Carmichael's and N9NE in our neighborhood, Gibson's, Mastro's, Chicago Cut, the original Morton's... My husband keeps eating at Gibson's without me. Pouty face.

And yes, I get the irony that I was a vegetarian for almost 20 years. But I've grown a fondness for shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque, and a lady's filet with potatoes and vegetables. A good wedge salad is unfortunately left out, since I can only have cooked vegetables going forward. And dessert? I'm not picky. I've never met sugar I didn't like.

Well, next week we have reservations at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab:

And yes, I am ordering the stone crab claws!

Price check in aisle... well, we only have one aisle...

2012-01-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

Barcode decal from YLiving:

I actually think it would look really cool in the kitchen, like above the sink. (Though I don't know how to creatively put it on marble, since we're installing a backsplash this year.)

Want: Frank Lloyd Wright Legos kit

2012-01-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

Are you happy?

2012-01-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

It's the weekend. And the perfect opportunity to do what makes you happy.

Speaking of happiness, I thought we were going to Wildfire tonight but we're actually going to Pete Miller's. I'm looking forward to a perfectly cooked steak!

I'm also one more step closer to my goal: trying every chophouse in Chicago. It's good to have goals... tasty, tasty goals.

Let's get silly.

2012-01-06T15:37:00.001-08:00

Feist + Muppets:

I can do this. Life skillz.

2012-01-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

Why am I looking forward to stomach series tonight?

Though the worst is "seal." I always feel like a jackass when people walking down Racine can see me doing it through the studio windows.

It's a worthy Google search. Be prepared for the silliness.

"Across the Universe"

2012-01-05T13:05:00.001-08:00

Currently digging some very chill music while reorganizing my closet in the master bedroom. And allowing myself some distractions.

On pondering a life lesson: Yesterday, a good mutual friend of mine and my ex-best friend's posted on Facebook that she's going to Italy. Naturally, I reply with tips and whatnot since I've been to Italy before. Then the ex-best friend posts that him and his girlfriend are also going and suggested that our friend write a message in a bottle, hide it and given him and his girlfriend clues where to find it.

The temptation to make a joke about that horrible rom-com Letters to Juliet was pretty strong. Instead I joked, "B, I'm sure you'll find a hundred bottles in Rome." Instant block on Facebook!

What's with the thin skin? We were close friends for about seven years, he should know that I sometimes have a naughty sense of humor. He always talks about finding a "great little place" with some obscure liquor from an artisan distillery. I never thought someone who is drinking whiskey in his profile picture would be so highly offended by the suggestion that he'll be seeking alcohol on vacation! His profile picture didn't feature him and his girlfriend together, looking happy like most men would post when they are proud of the woman they love. No, it was of him drinking. It's not like I let out some big secret that he's always drinking. That's how he chooses to brand himself.

I will never give this person the benefit of the doubt again. I want to forgive his behavior at our mutual friend's wedding, but yesterday I saw just another example of how this person seeks offense and wants to be in some weird divorce like feud. I never could wrap my brain around his choice of partner, but now I can see why he's in a relationship with her: he never has to worry about her rejecting him. At first I was confused by the wedding incident because he was civil and fairly pleasant for several hours at the wedding, but then I thought back to our coffee in December... All blog posts, emails, etc. had been written and exchanged. He still suggested that we take a break and work on rebuilding our friendship after my wedding. I told him that I think I need more time than that to cool off. When we parted he passive-aggressively said, "Good luck." It was loaded with cynical connotations like "I hope your new marriage fails!" At our friend's wedding, between nasty outbursts he tried making me feel guilty with phrases like "I want to be that person for you but now I can't because of your actions." I think this all really stems from him feeling rejected by me. It stems from his belief that I could make him happy and by choosing to go after my own goals, he thinks I'm rejecting his happiness. And I've said time and time again, I'm not. Whatever will truly make him happy, I hope he finds it. This doesn't really have anything to do with me.

He needs to feel impressive. He fantasizes about becoming powerful. And when faced with negative feelings, his natural response is to be emotionally abusive and withholding. He does these mind-fucks to feel good about himself. His girlfriend must have really low self-esteem to continue to put up with it, and under her roof too. Our common friend reached out to me yesterday and said, "I know you hate each other..." I responded that I don't hate him. To hate him would be like hating a damaged child. I'm frustrated that someone so smart will not learn and build towards becoming a fulfilled person.

It's not in my nature to pretend that someone doesn't even exist. But I was right about him when I originally blogged about it in September. If he even reads this, he no doubt will only take away from it the part where I'm evil. I was wrong to be so nasty too this past fall, but my instincts were right that we could never become friends again. I was right in December. And you know what, I was right about his behavior at our friend's wedding. That's what I get for keeping an open mind. And really, the joke yesterday was dumb on my part. I should have known that even acknowledging his existence with a "hello" would have come across as offensive if it came from me.

Life lesson: When someone shows who they are believe them!

Last night's kitchen failure

2012-01-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

So last night I attempted to make a silky pea and aspargus soup with our new Kitchenaid blender:

It was a total failure... The soup was no where near the texture I wanted with the Kitchenaid. I got better results with my Cuisinart immersion blender over the stove top! My husband loved the soup, but I think it was missing that je ne sais quoi.Or butter. I'm usually not a fan of vegan recipes, because they often taste unbalanced to me. This was no exception. It tasted more like baby food, so going forward I think I'll trust my instincts to add some more complexity through herbs, fats, wines and vinegars.

Now the panini sandwiches were awesome: freshly carved French country loaf bread, herbed brie, roasted red peppers, artichokes, kalamata olives, and basil leaves!

Tonight, I'm roasted cod and gold potatoes with homemade aioli. I have a few nights off from dinner duty, since we have dinner plans at Wildfire tomorrow and the Capital Grille on Saturday. Gotta love that! I hope the swordfish is still available at the Capital Grille... I'm more of a Ruth's Chris girl for steak, but the Capital Grille has the best fish steaks in my opinion.

In other "malfunctioning appliances" news, we're getting our heater fixed tomorrow morning! We've been fortunate so far in that it's been a relatively mild winter (as in, so far no negative windchill) here in Chicago and that we live on a high floor in a converted factory. All of our neighbors' heat rises to us... Still, I'm excited to get the heat fixed!

Now I need to find a dependable, honest chimney sweep. With modern child labor laws, how does one find an upstanding chimney sweep? Do I just stroll the orphanages? (No, seriously... I did check Yelp, but every chimney sweep had scary reviews. Do not want.)

We are Goodman Theater subscribers!

2012-01-02T20:20:00.001-08:00

We can't wait. We received our season's tickets and we're seeing Race, Camino Real, The Iceman Cometh, and Crowns. We missed our tickets for Red, but actually saw the dress rehearsal/press preview a few months ago. And those seats were amazing... second row and center!

Race is a legal drama (perfect for holding Mr. Hot Sexy Lawyerz's attention). I'm thrilled to see Camino Real live since I'm a huge Tennessee Williams fan. The Iceman Cometh will feature Nathan Lane. And Crowns is written by Regina Taylor, whom I met a few months ago and found to be incredibly interesting and gracious.

Before seeing Race in February (note: must make dinner reservations for 6pm on theater nights), we're also seeing my friend's comedy troupe in Sketchfest, Hubbard Street Dance's Danc(evolution), and Second City's Southside of Heaven.

We keep talking about seeing Pimprov. It's an improv troupe. Dressed as pimps.

And speaking of culture, this coming Monday... The CSO should be performing their free concert during the lunch hours at the Chicago Cultural Center. It's really wonderful... Performed under the largest Louis Comfort Tiffany dome in the world!

There's also Community Free Days at most of the city museums, like the Art Institute and the MCA.

My husband also reminds me that I still have my Chicago card until the end of the month, so I can just sleep on the trains all day like the other unemployed people do.

It's already so cold... I'm not leaving my home unless it is for something important. I'm hibernating!

Tear it up!

2011-12-31T12:26:00.001-08:00

For the second time in a row, I started crying while listening to "Filmspotting" on Chicago Public Radio. I burst into tears listening to the beginning of Sunset Boulevard and yesterday listening to the scene from E.T. when E.T. hugs Elliot before going back into the spaceship.

Ask anyone who took a film class with me. I cry during EVERYTHING. Blade Runner. Fire of the Furnaces. The Devil's Backbone. Clueless. Babe: Pig in the City.

You know, sometimes you just release a lot of stress and tension with a good cry.

In honor of the top five countdown, I'm supplying my top five best films for a good cry.

5. Coco Before Chanel or Les Enfants du Paradis for a good French cry. Granted, I read quite a bit about Gabrielle Chanel's personal life before seeing the film and I was familiar with how the death of her long time lover and financial supporter affected her work. There's no doubt that Boy was really the love of her life and she really did grieve as a widow (she was his mistress) would. If you saw the film, you know which scene just twisted my heart in two. Les Enfants is one of my favorite films ever. Period. It's a very painful and bitter love story. Four men are in love with a courtesan named Garance, but the mime Baptiste painfully loves her the most. You're cheering him on, but each time he's rejected your heart breaks along with his. Beautiful film.

Adding Life is Beautiful into my "foreign cry" film category.

4. E.T. I will cry through the entire film but especially during the biology dissection scene and when E.T. says goodbye and his little bloated tummy lights up.

3. Gran Torino. I cannot even think about this film without crying. I've requested it be turned off in public places. I cried for a week after seeing it. The scene when the old man gives the neighbor he hates his dog to take care of? I'm done.

2. Pixote and Slumdog Millionaire. Pixote, a Brazilian film, begins with a very brutal and graphic rape scene in an all-boys juvenile detention center. The rapist is an older teen and the victim is a very young child, who dies from the sodomy. Pixote is only 7 years old himself and so he has to learn survival not only in the boys school but on the streets as well. While Slumdog Millionaire has a happy ending, the storyline of growing up as a street kid is unfortunately too real. My friend Zach was shocked by the recruitment scene, but unfortunately Slumdog was not the first time I was exposed to seeing it. It really goes on and it is awful.

1. Bambi. Really, any Disney movie will do but Bambi will undoubtedly deliver a good cry. Bambi is just frolicking in the forest with his mom oh-so-much and loving it when someone just goes and kills her. And if that's not bad enough, a forest fire breaks out killing most if not all of his forest friends. Terrible. Here's a cheap assessment test whether or not someone is a sociopath: screen Bambi and if they don't tear up, they're a heartless sociopath. I'm pretty sure that every kid under five years old that saw it in the theater was clinging to his mom's leg for two weeks after.

Do you have your own list? Post in the comments!

Currently loving: "Born to Die"

2011-12-29T11:22:00.001-08:00

Try this: orzo with lemon zest, asparagus and cherry tomatoes

2011-12-29T08:51:00.001-08:00

Last night I made A Big Mouthful's recipe for a lemony orzo with asparagus, cherry tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese:

My husband loved it... and I'm excited to have a small portion as a side to a cup of soup. This is a total must-have for weeknight dinners, because not only is it quick and easy (about 20 minutes to prep, steam the asparagus and boil/strain the orzo) but it also chills wonderfully to have later on!

I finally bought batteries for my new scale. I think I might hate it. Last night, it read 105.4 and I instantly just screamed at it, "You're just a stupid scale!" This morning it read 102.8, which is a little better but I really prefer to be in the 94-96 lbs range for my frame and height.

In positive news, my pilates instructor thinks I can go up to the intermediate level already!

I went to the grocer yesterday and I have plenty of meals to carry us until the New Year's festivities this weekend. Either comment or email me if you want any of these recipes:

Sandwiches with goat cheese, avocados, walnut pesto, celery and bitter greens for my husband
Sicilian tuna sandwiches with fennel, olives and lemon for me
Balsamic grilled flank steak with baked sweet potatoes and steamed edamame
Blackberry glazed salmon filets with saffron rice and steamed broccoli florets
Homemade apple caramel crisp cheesecake bars (with reduced fat cream cheese)
Grilled cod with lemons, garlic sauteed spinach and a small side of penne marinara
Tomato bisque soup (bought prepared from the market), fresh baguette, Manchego cheese and greens

I also made sure to keep tons of healthy snacks around for me while I'm home and to pack in my husband's lunches. Things like fresh fruits, applesauce (no sugar added), yogurts, snap peas to dip in light ranch, hard candy, pickles and Odwalla smoothies. I can't have the raw fruits and vegetables but the pureed kind means I can have a healthy snack!

So cheers for being home and controlling every calorie that comes out of the kitchen!

What Saturday Night Fever taught us about history

2011-12-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

For some reason, my family had a 1970s fest today. If I told you that we had some weird stuffed Swedish donut hole breakfast, a pizza buffet and Indian food for dinner all while watching The Rockford Files and Saturday Night Fever, you would probably assume that I was raised by hippies. Not really, but to say that my family is a little eccentric would be the understatement of the century.

So what can we learn about the 1970s from the cinema classic Saturday Night Fever?

People were just raping everybody. So hide yo kids... hide yo wife... his yo husband...
Everyone was really skinny. Especially John Travolta.
It was completely socially acceptable for shorter men to wear 3"-4" heel platform shoes and to fluff their hair. You know what they say in the South, "The higher the heels and the higher the hair, the closer to God."
Groups of guys would just start rivalries with other groups of guys. I asked my dad, "So this is how you people wasted your time before the Internet?" His answer was "Pretty much."
All it took was typing skills to land a job and nice apartment in New York City.
White Castle has not changed since the 1970s. Except for the addition of the creepy "chicken rings."
Everyone hemmed their flare leg pants too short.
Did I mention that everyone was really skinny?
You could find street parking fairly easily in New York City.
According to my dad, they didn't use a sound stage to create the night club. They filmed in a popular disco in Brooklyn. He lived in Brooklyn and talked nostalgically about all of the shooting locales.
Fran Drescher looks GOOD. She's barely changed since the 1970s!
Men used to wear suits. Even if they worked in a grocery store or whatever.

On the topic of retro entertainment, I also watched an episode of The Andy Griffith Show and completely remembered how much I adore him. In this episode, Andy runs into Annabelle's husband... which is surprising because she had a funeral for him four years prior. He finds out that she's too proud to admit that her husband left her, so instead she told everyone he died and had a funeral for him. I'm keeping that idea in the ol' memory bank for after my husband leaves me.

If you didn't know that Andy Griffith was a brilliant stand-up comedian, I highly suggest downloading his set where he explains Shakespeare's Hamlet. Make it a Christmas gift to yourself.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T10:51:00.001-08:00

"Please stop taking photos of me, Aunt Nikki!!!"

Hello, 2011

2011-12-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be posting from my new iPad 2. My husband surprised me with a white one!

I'm sad to share that today will be my last day with the Museum of Contemporary Art. Or at least for a while.

I'm looking forward to taking care of some things around the condo, focusing on wellness and dedicating some time each day to finish my first children's book. My husband loves that I'm back home for the time being since I can run all errands during the day, and we can both relax together when he gets home from work.

Tomorrow I'm going wedding dress shopping with my sister in law. I'm spending the weekend in Nashville. And the day after I get back, I have a spa day booked at the ritzy Red Door Spa (thanks to a gift certificate I haven't had time to redeem yet). I'm feeling good about everything.

Fun week ahead!

2011-12-19T20:53:00.001-08:00

I got my hair done tonight (Nioxin dermabrasion treatment and a new color glaze) in a sassy red.

Yeah, sassy.

Tomorrow night I have a pick-up pilates class while the Lou Conte Studio (Hubbard Street Dance) is on winter break. To paraphrase an exchange my friend Jamie Susan and I shared on Facebook today, "Yay for being super bendy!"

Wednesday night, we have tickets to see Andrew Bird perform his "Sonic Arboretum" live at the MCA. You might have read about the upcoming concert in Details, The New York Times, AV Club, all major Chicago publications, Pitchfork and Consequences of Sound... It's so insane that scalpers are selling $28 tickets for $150 each!

Thursday, I need to get ready to go to Nashville for the weekend. We're talking about baking a coconut cake I found on Pinterest.

Friday, we're celebrating Hanukah with my husband's family.

Then all weekend, we'll be in Nashville to see my new niece, Isabella Marie! She already looks like a knock out in photos... Less than a week old and she already has enviable thick hair!
Happy holidays, y'all!

Sent from my iPhone

Even Instagrm can't make my wrapping look good. Hilarious.

2011-12-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

Accomplished a lot this weekend!

2011-12-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

I have to brag: I finished all of our holiday shopping this weekend.

Yesterday was so nice: my husband made breakfast, morning pilates, took the train downtown for holiday shopping (and found unique gifts for everyone), met my husband for lunch and coffee, took a nap, cleaned up the loft and went to sleep to the documentary Jedi Junkies.

We finally checked out La Colombe on Randolph St. and it really is fantastic. I love the minimalist loft atmosphere, especially the skylights between the timber beams:

La Colombe is not a "relax on a vintage couch and sketch in your moleskin" kind of coffee shop. There are no soft surfaces, only gorgeously carved reclaimed wood low stools and cafe tables. The walls are impeccably white and sterile. The quality of the coffee shines here and they do not offer flavor syrups or anything to mask the taste of their coffee.

I ordered a hot chocolate and they informed me that their hot chocolate (their atelier chocolate is made in house) is served unsweetened. They have a sugar bowl if you want to make it more traditional, but I figured I could try the lower-calorie, no sugar version. It was definitely a different and unexpected taste... very bitter. But it wasn't bad, just different.

The total for two drinks (a hot chocolate and a macchiato) was only $4.50. I highly recommend trying the cafe yourself.

I'm still unable to control the home shopping... I just keep buying stuff on Fab. It's gotten to the point that I feel guilty telling my husband that I placed an order for something, not because he really cares... but because it means admitting that I purchase something from them almost every day.

On Friday, I bought a rug for the library.

I went into my ultimate danger zones yesterday while shopping in the city: the separate Bloomingdales Home store on Wabash and the Jonathan Adler boutique.

I had been meaning to pick this little guy up for a year but was too lazy to go buy him:

He's the Alessi paper clip magnet. I love, love, love him!

Speaking of laziness, this morning I didn't feel like griddling or pan frying eggs since I was cooking for just me. So I grabbed my personal mini Le Creuset mini pot and put it on the stovetop to cook two eggs.

I thought I was a genius... until my Le Creuset pot literally cracked in half?! What's the deal... I thought you would use Le Creuset on the stove top and in the oven... I thought that was the appeal. I'm kind of scared I will ruin my new pot now...

And now the weekend ends with some relaxation. We have some Lou Malnati's pizza in the fridge from watching the Bears game at my sister in law's earlier today. I bought Lush bath bombs earlier this week and am planning on taking a bright pink bubble bath. Life's good.

This morning's cuteness

2011-12-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

French bulldog puppy.

Cannot wait until spring!

Holiday decorations

2011-12-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

Our building's holiday decorations are simple but festive enough:

Today my niece, Isabella Marie, was born! She's healthy at 6 lbs and 12 oz... She already has a pretty head of hair and long eyelashes.

I cannot wait to meet her next week!

The coolest children's book this holiday season

2011-12-12T21:14:00.000-08:00

I bought three copies.

Critic's Pick

2011-12-12T21:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've decided on this week's Critic's Pick.

By the way, I did snap a picture... but I'm too lazy to Instagrm it and post it. Tonight is Monday night, which means it's my Real Housewives of Beverly Hills night. I made a comforting dinner (meatloaf, sweet potato fries baked with sunflower oil, and skinny creamed spinach) before my show came on... after that, I'm on strike with a big bowl of blackberry cabernet sorbet and a mocktail consisting of pineapple coconut juice and Sprite Zero.

This no alcohol thing is so sad... What can I even drink in New Orleans? I don't think it is actually possible to buy water without everclear in it down there.

Anyways... This week's Critic's Pick goes to...

Flautist performing John William's Star Wars score.

Besides the fact that it's just so cool, he won over the competition because it takes a lot of balls to be an older man and still playing the flute. I'm a 27 year old woman and even my husband gives me shit about it. Seriously, if you don't think the flute is cool... your loss. Besides a few slavic dances I still have memorized, I do a fierce rendition of "Killing Me Softly."

Random question: is anyone else working on their "resolutions" early so that by January you're more likely to be successful?

Eating healthier, working out more, taking hot baths with magazines to reduce stress... You know Shape magazine suggests this so that way you don't suffer a "holiday hangover."

I'm usually not one for quantitative goals (instead working towards the lifestyle you rather be living or growing into the person you want to be), but this year is different. This year, I want to be an investor. Not just investing in a 401k, Roth IRA and generalized funds. And while "girls just wanna have funds," my husband and I met our startup goal this year to start really building our stock/investment portfolio together. I want to hit a certain numerical goal. Can you help me out with that, General Mills?

The most amazing dining table ever.

2011-12-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

We found our solution to our dining table issue (as in we don't really have space for one full time, but want an option for dinner parties and holidays). Check out the Goliath console/table by Resource Furniture:

This is what I'm talking about! And it's priced as you would assume for a custom built table made out of solid oak. But if it's high quality and will last us, then it's worth saving for.

I found it via Pinterest, by the way. So happy pinning, indeed!

J Alexander's

2011-12-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

Last night, we went to J Alexander's with my sister in law and her fiance. Check out this mountain of onion rings:

I love that Nashville-based J Alexander's has made it up to Chicago. We all shared the spinach queso, onion rings and some mac n' cheese (they have the best)... I ordered their cheeseburger and signature blue cheese slaw, knowing I really can only tolerate two bites worth. Still worth it.

This afternoon was dedicated to being a "wife"... Running errands, cleaning, laundering, making groceries (I have New Orleans on my mind... we may be returning in March!), and putting together a bouquet of tulips.

For dinner tonight, I'm making boiled lobster tails (perfect excuse to use my All-Clad butter warming pan), baked potatoes, steamed green beans and a pear side salad for my husband. I picked up a pint of blackberry cabernet sorbet for dessert.

After dinner... I'm dedicating the rest of the night to being "me." I'm lighting some scented candles, making myself some rose tea with honey, painting my nails, and catching up on my back copies of Vogue and Architectural Digest.

I love weekends.

Is the Vitamix worth it?

2011-12-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

I've come to terms that raw vegetables and me are breaking up.

This is honestly the most painful breakup I've ever felt.

I'm trying to creatively think of vegetable dishes that are easier to digest and still relatively healthy. I can have vegetables as long as they are cooked, I think.

My parents gave me a Le Creuset oval Dutch oven for Christmas, so that will work for gratins and vegetarian stews... But I'm wondering if pureeing vegetables with a Vitamix is something I might do often. I'm thinking of dinners like glazed salmon over pureed carrot. Or a silky broccoli soup. Or ravioli in a pumpkin sauce.

Here's my qualms with the Vitamix:

1. It is tall and takes up space. I already struggle for space for our Margaritaville mixer, food processor, rice cooker, slow cooker, Kitchenaid stand mixer, and Griddler.

2. It looks so dated and ugly. There's no way I would let that 1970s-ugly hang out on our counter. For $600... You expect that the appliance will at least be well designed.

So Vitamix owners, besides smoothies (no citrus juice or high in potassium fruits for me) how often do you REALLY use your blender for cooked vegetables?

I need to figure this out, pronto. Getting my white skinny jeans on this morning was like a highly orchestrated Moussad mission.

The Most Interesting Man in Tennessee

2011-12-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

It seems lately that my Facebook feed is filled with babies. And I don't mind the pictures of babies being forced to wear funny hats. Keep those pictures coming.

But I randomly found this picture of my dad (courtesy of one of his friends) and MY GOD IT IS EPIC:

About the Lewis Black thing... I actually DID meet Lewis Black, after my co worker Carol saw him on the street thinking that he was my dad!

We chatted about comedy life for a bit, and I mentioned that "my dad is basically your stage persona." He earnestly said, "that's terrifying." I joked that yeah, well imagine going to Disneyland with him as a kid... the fucking happiest place on earth!

Actually, I was the terror at Disneyland. My dad raised VERY assertive little girls (you mean a business owner in the music industry in L.A. in the 1980s might be an asshole...) and all hell would break loose if I didn't get what I wanted: to ride the Dumbo with the pink hat. Multiple times with no waiting.

My parents actually have a home movie of my sister trying to walk to the Dumbo ride and in the background is me... literally pulling another kid out of MY Dumbo with the PINK hat! My mom then starts running after me to "be nice!" and my dad is just holding the camera laughing while encouraging it.

And about the electric chair: yes, he really does ride it up and down the stairs. With a cat in his lap and a bourbon in his hand.

I need to write a memoir about my childhood.

Home buys.

2011-12-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Minus the artwork, everything was a pre-talked about purchase. The illustrations were impulse buys... because they are awesome.

I picked up the Loop Fruit Basket for our kitchen island on Monday from the MCA Store:

I picked up some other awesome stuff from the MCA Store too, but I'm not posting since they are holiday gifts. I seriously do love the selection... they have the best wedding and greeting cards!

Yesterday, I bought these handcrafted illustrations from Berkley Illustration through Fab.com:

We're planning on hanging the anthromorphic portraits in our library. They'll fit right it with our President Van Buren above the desk.

My husband and I discussed wanting a scale so we can weight ourselves daily. Since I'm taking so many pills and switching my doses, I think it will be really beneficial if I weighed myself every morning. It's much healthier to monitor and adjust to small changes than to be caught off guard by a missing or extra 10 pounds.

I ordered this scale by Kalorik today, also off Fab.com:

Giving coconut water a try.

2011-12-04T13:36:00.000-08:00

I read on the web that coconut water is supposedly great for those of us suffering from autoimmune diseases, since it reduces inflammation, is high in electrolytes and potassium. I'm hopeful that I can continue on my path of trying to be healthy- healthy diet, exercise and reduced stress.

It's not the tastiest, but I will give drinking it every day for two weeks an honest try.

In positive news, we discovered a great restaurant that's open past 10 pm (well, besides Girl and the Goat). Tavern on Rush. It's still a meat market in the bar area, but we had no problem getting a table in the much more peaceful upstairs dining room. I had a work event until 10ish and my husband was working on a big case until then as well, so we were both starving for dinner. We were both actually a bit dressed up in our work clothes: I was wearing a teal silk DvF dress and he was still in his suit. It worked out well that way, since people really dress up for a Friday or Saturday night in the Viagra Triangle.

I ordered a bowl of the lobster bisque and a baked potato (low-residual diet) and my husband ordered a salad with a salmon filet. The waiter forgot that I ordered a baked potato, which ended up being fine since the soup filled me up. Not bad for only $4.95! My husband's salad was around $18, and seemed like a great value. The salmon atop the pile of greens and vegetables looked amazing.

We need a few late night stand-bys. Especially ones that aren't the "Mr. Gyros 24-7 gyros" variety.

Things I have in common with The Hamburglars

2011-12-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

I also like McDonald's cheeseburgers.

I wear black and white stripes.

I will also be rocking out at First Fridays tomorrow night.

Whenever I see a giant purple pear shaped creature, I also have the urge to steal his food while giggling, "Robble Robble."

Does this creep anyone else out?

2011-12-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else creeped out by this outside of the Daley Center?

It's a Christmas village, with an omnipresent winged Picasso god. Like it sees every move and judges you if you dare buy a funnel cake.

Is this Picasso god a merciful or vengeful god? Does he smite?

I always assumed this sculpture was a baboon but thanks to WTTW's programming on the Chicago Loop, I now know that it's up to interpretation. But I will tell you this: when I went to Monkey Jungle (bucket list: complete) in Miami, a baboon acted like it wanted to rip my face off. I'm guessing because it sensed that I'm an alpha female.

My point is, I don't like the idea of a baboon ruining a good Christmas village.

Good eating was had in Nashville...

2011-11-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

I'm always overwhelmed when we go back to Nashville, mostly because there are just too many places and dishes that I miss. Like the shrimp quesadilla relena at Las Palmas, the fries at Sportsman's Grill, the Montecito sandwich and raspberry filled cookies at Provence, and the pizza and my (*special) eggplant parmesan sandwich at Porte Via. I'd add some J. Alexander's items to the list, but they opened up two locations here in Chicago.

So we flew in Thanksgiving morning (highly recommend as the airports are nearly empty) and didn't have to wait long to eat: bacon wrapped steak (appetizers), curried deviled eggs (appetizers), creole seared scallops with remoulade sauce, homemade rigatoni with a homemade marinara, braised short ribs atop gruyere cheese grits, turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans almondine salad in a tarragon vinaigrette, cranberry sauce (and the trashy stuff that comes out of the can for me, yum), no-sugar added apple pie and sweet potato pie. To feed only six people.

The next day, we got together with some of my high school friends to catch up over lunch. We went to Rusan's... I wouldn't recommend it. Sushi really shouldn't cost under $10. I prefer Shintomi in Green Hills instead... or that newish place that opened off Charlotte that The Tennesseean's food critic frequents. For dinner, we joined my sister and brother in law in Hendersonville's Tilted Kilt restaurant. The food was actually pretty good!

Oh, Saturday... I was no longer afraid to go near the Green Hills mall for some shopping and that meant I was making my pilgrimage to Cheeseburger Charlie's. The chain is definitely slipping, but man was I craving my usual veggie burger with pepperjack cheese. Over the last 12 or so years, I developed the perfect veggie burger to an exact science: ketchup under the patty, patty, pepperjack cheese, leafy lettuce, two slices of tomato, as many crispy pickle chips I can fit on it, and topped with mayo. Heaven!

Saturday night, we tried a new restaurant: The Catbird Seat. When I made the reservations, I assumed that it was a seven course tasting menu for $130 per person. It ended up being a nine course tasting menu for $100 a person! My husband was happy when the bill arrived!

My husband ordered the alcoholic pairings and I ordered the non-alcoholic, which were incredibly inventive. Our favorite dishes were the mushroom soup (creamy with granola, a Washington State apple, hibiscus leaf), the hen's egg and caviar, the duck course (they substituted tofu for me), the wagyu short ribs in a pine syrup, St. Andre cheese course, and the deconstructed pineapple upside down cake. I couldn't eat the octopus course... I just can't eat an animal that's given toys to play with in captivity. For the experience, I think the prices were more than fair (we also enjoyed chatting with the chefs from Chicago) and would highly recommend it.

Added bonus: The Catbird Seat is next door to my friend Bobby's new recording studio. That made meeting up after dinner incredibly easy!

That only leaves Sunday... We joined my parents for lunch at the Bread & Co. in Belle Meade. I decided to "build my own" sandwich and it was awesome: roast beef, swiss, muenster cheese, sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, artichoke spread, and mayo on sourdough bread. Try this. Trust me.

And that was that. We cannot wait to return for Christmas weekend!

Beagles experience sunlight and grass for the first time.

2011-11-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

This video will make you cry, but it is totally worth it:

So question, what is your cage and what is your grass?

... and back to bed.

2011-11-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to blog about Thanksgiving, Nashville and The Catbird Seat.

But I'm currently experiencing a relapse. Of course, once I recover from oral surgery... I just get really sick again.

I thought about not going into work at all today, but I had a meeting with an area hotel this afternoon. And I still have a newsletter that needs to be ready to publish on the first of the month. I was incredibly exhausted, so I tried taking a quick five minute refresher on my desk (yeah, second grade style) before trying to tackle the newsletter for another two hours. My coworker Alicia tapped me on the shoulder and suggested I go home for bed rest.

I don't want to sound completely judgy but I just cannot fathom how anyone who has this disease could plan on having children (and possibly passing this chronic disease to them)? Besides the pain, fatigue, controlled diet and no alcohol (trust me, I have a bottle of a nice cava just taunting me)... there's the paranoia that you can never be self-sufficient. It remains in the back of your head that one really bad relapse could mean that you have to quit your job or that you might be let go, if you require a series of surgeries or cannot physically work. I have a mild case and I'm incredibly protective about keeping it that way-- I will not take on extra stress (so no aggressive career-climbing for me), exhaustive hours, a poor diet... I love my job at the museum, but I'm the only person responsible for my health. Beyond an employee, I'm a wife, sister, aunt, daughter and friend-- my health comes first.

I am going to make an appointment to begin therapy after the holidays. Besides some major life changes (getting married, moving, new job), I really think that dealing with my illness has made me um... more "sensitive" than usual. In some ways, coping with everything has definitely opened my eyes to a new perspective and I think I am a more empathetic and compassionate person for it. But days like these are hard and I've developed a new anger ("Why me?") that I think some counseling might be beneficial. I'm at least willing to try it, and I'm not ashamed to publicly announce that.

I'm wishing everyone that stumbles upon this post a healthy and happy holiday season!

Mazel Tov!

2011-11-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

My friend from high school, Monique, came out. She discovered that she's Jewish!

She has an aunt that lives in Chicago's South Side, and she became obsessed with learning more about their African heritage. So she paid one of those genealogy labs to research and trace her DNA. Her matrimonial blood line went through to her Great Grandmother, who was not only white but Jewish!

Rachel and I instantly cheered,"Mazel!" and "Welcome to the Tribe!"

No wonder she's always been so witty and hilarious! She's "good for the Jews!"

Okay, everyone can go home now.

2011-11-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

I am so over this Occupy movement.

The police need to stop acting like cadet academy misfits (where's Blooms when you need him?) and by acting like cadet academy misfits, I mean pepper spraying students and pregnant women... Arresting people for minor offenses looks petty. It doesn't make people respect them. It just makes everyone think that they have issues stemming from a botched circumcision.

And the protestors are not accomplishing anything nor will they. Because even though they scream that they are the 99%, it's not 99% supporting them. Because who they are protesting never cared for what they think, nor are they their client base. Wall Street doesn't run on unemployed college graduates and the underemployed. Wall Street depends on individuals able to invest at least 5 figures a year. People that are financially comfortable enough to risk a sum of money in hopes of a better return, and were likely in a position to put at least a 20% down payment (thus saving on PMI) and are not at risk of losing their homes.

Did you know that there is an Occupy Museums movement? Because after Wall Street, they're the next "most elitist." There's a lot more to be angry about: high medical costs, lack of efficient immigration legalization, poor child protection services and an education system turning out students so dumb that the only clever thing they can think of is to pay an adult to take the SAT for them. No,museums are so elitist because they give the public access to works that normally would be unavailable, because only the 1% can afford to acquire them in their personal collections. I read an article in the NY Times, where their lead organizer called for protestors to "take back" museums. You know who else called to storm museums? His last name rhymed with Ditler.

Complaining about being underemployed accomplishes nothing. Trust me, I understand how frustrating it is to earn a degree and find no jobs available for your area of expertise. It took me five years post-bachelors to land my first full time job in communications/media. Who cares if people are telling you to flip burgers or work retail?

How do I think you survive in this economy?

Work your way up or marry well, like our transient society has always worked. Now thanks to the Internet (where your first impression is based on your ideas/writing/interests), it's actually easier to move up the social ladder than in past generations. And let your dollars be your voice. Or I may be showing my L.A. roots here, but really... if you want something done, rioting is always an option. Start flipping cars and throwing molotov cocktails... That'll scare the 1% into actually caring what a bunch of strangers think they should be doing.

Seriously. Everyone go home, take a hot bath, reassess how to become an inventive or productive member of our society and move on.

This morning's soundtrack: Dvorak "Slavonic Dance No. 2"

2011-11-22T05:56:00.001-08:00

Portlandia Live! tour

2011-11-22T05:09:00.000-08:00

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein from Portlandia are taking the show on the road, to only a few selected (and hipster infested cities). I already set an alarm on my Outlook calendar at work to alert me when tickets become available for their Chicago show at The Hideout.

One of my favorite sketches is the feminist bookstore:

We're going to some great performances in late Decemeber/January: Andrew Bird and Ian Schneller's (sold out both nights) Sonic Arboretum, Hubbard Street Dance, and Portlandia Live. I also want to attend the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's performance of Dvorak's 8th in late January.

On my radar this spring is the Goodman Theatre's production of Tennessee William's Camino Real.

Pottery Barn-- for lighting fixtures.

2011-11-22T04:53:00.000-08:00

I'm usually not one to shop at Pottery Barn, since it tends to be a little traditional (and vintage) for my tastes. But if I like something or think it will work in our space, I'm open to shopping anywhere. We've decorated our home with goods from Anthropologie to Bloomingdales to West Elm to CB2 to Design Within Reach and Y Living.

I was flipping through a Pottery Barn catalogue at my in laws' home and was pleasantly surprised to find that they sell awesome track lighting (we are wired for track lighting since we have a restored timber beam ceiling).Check out this industrial exposed bulb lighting, $299 for a 60" track with three pendants:

I thought this industrial/offbeat chandelier with pickling jars looked interesting too:

My husband also liked the "photographer" can track lights too. After our bathroom makeover, he's now a believer in the power of upgraded fixtures!

Being Elmo

2011-11-20T15:38:00.001-08:00

I cannot wait for Being Elmo to screen at the Gene Siskel Film Center next week: