Chicago Chef Week

I've learned that my palette and my inquisitivenss has made me a bit of a foodie.  Chef week allows me to try something new.  Last night I ventured with my friend to Blackbird (blackbird.com).  I've walked by plenty of times entranced by the appearance of the place itself. 

There is just something about the place that always drew me to walk by it.  As a high end restaurant, I knew I wasn't going there anytime soon.  Chef week allows people like me a chance to try a high end food restaurant at a fraction of the cost.  I started out with a warm spring noodle with avocado and pumpkin seeds followed by the entree of a squash and ricotta torte with mushrooms and arugala.  Our dessert was a dark chocolate ganache with parsnip ice cream.  It was all so delicious and the presentation was to die for.  The highlight of the dinner was the palatte cleanser of a green tea truffle.

So next time you hear of chef week here in Chicago, follow your instinct and try that restaurant you've always been drawn to or if you aren't daring enough, follow my recommendation and go to blackbird!

picture!

Here's the rollerskating picture!!!

Everyone needs a great girlfriend!

Sometimes there are those people that you meet and you instantly click with and become friends...that's what happened to Molly, Laura, and I. After meeting two years ago through big shoulders fund, Molly and I became instant friends.

As our lives have gotten busy, we decided to have a girls date for afternoon coffee. I took the girls to my nearby neighborhood of Noble Square to go to my favorite coffee shop in Chicago, Lovely (lovelybakeshop.com)!!

I discovered Lovely the first week I was in Chicago.  A lady I had babysat for in Columbus, had recommended this shop after reading about it in Domino magazine.  After eating their tuna salad sandwich, tomato basil soup, and their to die for macaroons, I was in love.  I had recommended we go there and now Molly and Laura also think the place is LOVELY :)

So next time you're in Chicago and you don't want to go to a Starbucks for afternoon coffee, stop by Lovely for their mini pies and amazing coffee!

I'm ROLLING Along!!

Sorry for my delay in posting, but I wanted to include a picture of this activity--You'll have to wait for it I guess.

I got lucky enough to go rollerskating this past weekend with 9 of my girlfriends all due to winning a silent auction!  So we packed into two cars and headed out to the suburbs of Chicago (a feat and adventure in itself) to attend rollerskating.

Now I had attended plenty of birthday parties in the past held at rollerrinks but I was never lucky enough to host one of my own. I should have known what a Saturday afternoon at a roller rink would have been like, but I was unprepared. We were greeted by yelling, laughing, crying, and rollerskating kids. Some parents had rollerskates on as others were too shy to try again.

For the next three hours we skated around the rink to today's top 40s as well as a few throw backs to the 80s, requested by me. There were a few falls along the way and plenty of laughs! We all concluded that it was definitely the best birthday party activity we had participated in in awhile!

So next time you're wondering what to do for your birthday, consider rollerskating as your next adventure!!