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Dear Rachael, I love you. I love the adventure food has taken you on, the fact that you lived in Tokyo before and the fact that you share these amazing recipes with the world. Love.

You may recognize Rachael from her past adventure- I can’t wait to scroll through that blog to learn more about it, the food and the experience.

It’s true what she says you know… “Over the years, I’ve found that, no matter where I am or who I am with, gathering around the table to share a meal with family and friends makes me feel right at home.”

No matter where you are in life, people eat. They eat alone, experience their surroundings, get lost in their meals and get lost in their thoughts. People eat with their significant others, good friends, family, loved ones. They share their days, stories, ideas. All of these things in the presence of delicious food, drinks and dessert!

If you’d like to skim through great stories and even better food, pay a visit to Set the Table and prepare to enjoy loads of happiness!

Enjoy,

Came across the amazing Bow Truss Coffee Shop the other day. It was a warm sunny day and I went out for another round of exploring.

The shop is really cozy and the coffee is really delicious. I tried a cup of the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and it has some delicious berry and chocolate undertones that made drinking this coffee straight super pleasant. I’ve never actually had black coffee before, so I was excited and very surprised at how easy it was to drink.

This little place is beautiful- if you’re in the hood, be sure to pay them a visit, have a good cup of coffee and enjoy the vibe because it’s really lovely. Visit Bow Truss Coffee stat.

Enjoy

1. Summer Soda – Thyme, Grapefruit and Gin. 2. Honey Sage Gin Fiz. 3. Lavender Lemonade.. 4. Gin Daddy. 5. Gin Smash. 6. Gin Swizzle.

With summer approaching and my cleanse coming to an end. Gin is on my mind. I’ve had many great drinks here in Chicago and I’m not sure if it’s that the bars have better menu’s than Philly or I’m just getting more adventurous? Anyway, I’ve fallen in love with gin. It’s complex and can make tonic water and lime so pleasingly refreshing. I am super excited to continue trying many new cocktails.

In my search for new drinks, I’ve found some really fun cocktails on Pinterest and can’t wait to try them all!

What are some of your favorite cocktails?

Today I visited the doctor to chat about my poor foot. The verdict: It’s healing well, but there are still a few weeks left until das boot can come off. Sigh. But it’s good to hear that I’m healing up ok. After the bill for him staring at my foot for 5 minutes I was feeling down (and broke), so I decided instead of cabbing it back home to explore the hood I was in. It was mighty beautiful out today so it sure wouldn’t hurt. (Well, my foot hurt a little, but nothing some ice couldn’t fix!)

I immediately walked by a diner and decided I wanted a cup of coffee, but as soon as I walked in, the smell of breakfast had me craving bacon and toast. So I had breakfast and coffee and it was perfect. So if you’re near Danny’s Egghead Dine, stop in, the staff is sweet and the eggs are delicious.

After feeling hella full I def needed to walk so I journeyed on for about 1.5 hours. Yea, I walked (hobbled) for 1.5 hours. Then right as I was about to head home to do some work I came across Heritage.

I recently read about them in LIVING magazine, which I am so obsessed with. I was excited to read about such a cool shop in my new city, but I don’t really know where things are yet, so I never looked for it. AND BOOM! Just like that, I stumble across it. I walked in and instantly felt so cozy and warm that I had to nab a seat and just wander around. The barista was a total sweetheart and whipped up the best iced americano that I have ever had. I needed no sugar, no cream, nothing. It was perfect.

Here’s a tid-bit so that you can get the gist of this awesome little shop: “Whether you are here for a flat-fix or a latte, a new Yakkay helmet, or to try the latest seasonal options from Stumptown Coffee, or, as we hope you are, to do both at once, we are here to make you feel at home in Chicago’s original bike cafe. We have seen people who came here looking for a cup of coffee walk out with a vintage-inspired, hand-crafted, custom-built bicycle. And we’ve seen people looking for tubes leave with 12 oz of some of the world’s finest coffee beans.”

I had a really nice time just sitting here, taking in the sunshine, sipping on some coffee and answering emails. It was a real treat to come across and I can’t wait to come back with my laptop in tow and an appetite for pastries! Check out the amazing video below to learn more. If you live in Chicago and have not yet visited this sweet little gem, be sure to swing by. If you’re in Philly or anywhere else on this lovely planet, come visit me and I’ll take you to Heritage Bicycle Shop!

Enjoy!

“A food blog that celebrates simple food and graceful living.”

You don’t need anything else. This blog is simple, perfect and moving.

The kitchen is beautiful place. A place to create magic, induce happiness and a place where one simple smell can take you back to the best memories.

Plain and simple. Go check out Simple Provisions.

Enjoy!

You guys… I made cookies. I filled them with happiness and I packed them away for West to take to work. Well… not before I had like 6 sandwiches. NOM.

I love chewy cookies, but what’s great about these is that you can leave them in a bit longer for that yummy crunch. They’re super versatile. I originally tried to make a PB filling but only had natural peanut butter, which doesn’t make for a good filling for chewy cookies because it’s too hard.

But first, to the cookie. Let’s make it.

GATHER:

+ 1-1/2 CUPS OF QUICK OATS
+ 1/2 CUP OF PB2
+ 1/2 CUP OF SPLENDA
+ 1/2 CUP OF SPLENDA BROWN SUGAR
+ 1/2 TEASPOON OF BAKING SODA
+ 1/2 TEASPOON OF BAKING POWDER
+ 1/2 TEASPOON OF SALT
+ 1/2 TEASPOON OF VANILLA EXTRACT
+ 1/2 CUP OF HONEY ROASTED PEANUT BUTTER
+ 1/2 CUP OF UNSALTED, SOFTENED BUTTER
+ 1/4 CUP OF EGG WHITES

DO THIS:

Pre-heat your oven to 350º and get ready to make magic happen. In a bowl mix together all the dry ingredients (expect for the two sugars). In another bowl (or your mixer) add your softened butter and sugar and cream it! Add your egg, peanut butter, vanilla. Add your flour mix slowly and refrain from eating all of the batter from the bowl.

Place a teaspoon-sized ball of dough onto an un-greased and lined baking sheet. Place them about half an inch to an apart. Bake for 8 minutes (or desired crispiness). 8 minutes is uber chewy. I’d do 10-12 next time, but no longer than that. Once they’re done let them cool completely on a cooling rack. The next time I make these I def won’t make a cream filling because it was a disaster. A disaster that I turned around and pretty much turned into kitchen wizardy joy.

I’ll tell you what I originally did and what you can do (that will work).

+ 1 CUP OF REGULAR PEANUT BUTTER (NOT NATURAL)
+ 1/2 CUP OF SIFTED POWDERED SUGAR

That’s all you need for the filling. Mix it and place desired amount onto cooled cookies. NOM.

BUT I didn’t have regular PB, so I added a 1/4 cup more of powdered sugar and a spoonful of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. It was still to hard. So I made a small amount of dark chocolate ganche with dark chocolate morsels and sweet cream creamer (shut up, I had no cream). I mixed in the ganache into the PB filling and I thought it was perfect, but no. I needed to add one more thing.

What goes with chocolate and peanut butter? 3/4 of a ripe banana. Yea that’s right. I smashed that baby into the mix and then we had sparkles. I swear a unicorn galloped through my kitchen.

Seriously people I just shared culinary genius with you.

The consistency was perfect for a cookie sandwich.

In the future I would make this cookie the same and just put some low sugar strawberry jam in-between them. This way they’d be a nutritious treat.

Enjoy!

Food is a blissful part of my life. I cook it, I eat it, I share it. It makes me so happy. To find food bloggers who share their recipes, their interpretations and their stories is always exciting and inspiring. I recently came across A Thought About Food on Pinterest when I came across the recipe for the Irish Whiskey Smash. I had a gin smash the other day at Maude’s and have been totally obsessed. So thanks Brian, I love you.

Brian does a great job with this blog. The recipes look tasty and thoughtful, the photos are beautiful and they are shared with a fun finesse that is exciting to read.

I love how interesting all of the recipes are. The above image will take you to a treat for baked grapefruit servered with meringue. I never would have put that combo together but it sounds awesome! Below are some of my favorite recipes!

Yum huh? Brian’s really got quite the gem over here. Be sure to visit his blog, make a few meals and get ready to get happy… Take a look at A Thought For Food and be sure to tell me what you think!

Enjoy!

This week started off well, we played an awesome soccer game on Monday that ended up with a hard-fought win.

Hard-fought is a good way to put it. I hurt my toe-area and was hoping that it wouldn’t be too bad.

But I had to take myself to the doctor to see why my foot was like 6 times puffier the next morning – he looked and said, “That’s a fracture.” haha- Great. I was sent off for x-rays and the verdict was confirmed.

We’ve got a fracture. This means I have to wear this sexy boot for 4 weeks. Funny I just made that post about shoes and now I can’t even wear a pair ’till who knows when.

So one can say this has not been the best week, it has definitely been an expensive one and all I want to do is have a regular, happy foot so I can get back to working out. But with all of that said, this weekend is St. Patty’s Day- and what better way to celebrate than by making some homemade Irish Potatoes. I used to make them when I was litte with the nuns at our grade-schools convent and it was awesome. So I made my own this year, of course with light cream cheese and light butter- They were yummy and they totally brightened up this lame week.

That was my fabulous week in pictures. Maybe next week will be better?

Have you seen this video? Watch it now. I promise you’ll be happy after watching it, or at least smile, because it’s true.

Ok, so now let’s chat. Are you guilty of buying shoes purely because they were beautiful? Like… you can’t walk in them, they are uber uncomfortable and they’re probably not even something you’d typically wear. They’re over-priced, they make your toes hurt but they are oh so perfect.

**raises hand** Yes. Totally guilty. They’re like little, perfect works of art that I love. With their perfect pops of color, sassy curves and gorgeous lines. God. I love it. I have quite a few Pretty Ponies in my closet that I just plain don’t wear but madly love.

Don’t judge me.

Do tell ladies: Have you ever dropped cash on shoes you had every intention of wearing (lol) but still have yet to?

Do you wear short shorts? And at what age should we stop baring our whole leg? I recently was out trying clothes on with a friend and a serious question was raised in the dressing room. When do we stop wearing short shorts? Is there an age that it becomes unacceptable? Mid-twenties? Early thirties? Ever?

See I’ve alway’s worn short shorts, I love my legs and loving baring them all, but I’ll be 27 soon… Do other people think about these things or am I just being weird?

What articles of clothing do you feel like you’ve grown out of?