Dear Chicago, I love you.

This past week was amazing. The weather? Amazing. My itinerary? Amazing! Chicagoans I spent the week with? Even more amazing. And with that, I will show you what exactly it was I did this week and why it was so … uhhh … amazing.

1. Locavore spiced pear pancakes.

Because pear season is coming to an end soon, I thought I would whip up a batch of pear pancakes using Mick Klug’s Bartlett pears, Burton’s maple syrup, Ellis Farm’s eggs, Ted’s whole wheat flour and Blue Marble milk. I made the batter as usual and then set it in the fridge while I prepared the pear. I cored a pear and then diced it (with the skin on!) into small cubes. Then I tossed the diced pear into a bowl with a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar and let it sit for about ten minutes. I heated up a frying pan with a tablespoon of butter and once the pan was good and hot, I sauteed the pear and brown sugar mix until they were nice and softened. Then they went into the batter and I cooked the pancakes as per usual.

They turned out heavenly!

2. I finally checked out the Tiffany Favrile Ceiling in the once Marshall Field’s department store

In 1907, Tiffany & Co. installed 1.6 million pieces of Tiffany Favrile glass in a domed ceiling on the fifth floor of the Marshall Fields on State Street. Over 100 years later not one piece has broken and it still remains as the largest example of glass mosaics of its kind. The mosaic is stunning. It glitters even in indirect sunlight and it is so intricate that it can rival even the most famous paintings in the Sistine Chapel.

3. Green City Market started their indoor market this weekend at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

It was my first time visiting the Notebaert and I was delighted to see that GCM moved to such a gorgeous spot! Above is a picture I took on the west side of the museum, providing spectacular views of North Pond. Bunny rabbits are everywhere and the tent is set up on the east side of the building, on Cannon Drive. There are new vendors, too, including Snooklefritz ice cream and Flora Confections.

4. I participated in a Silks Workshop at the Aloft Loft with teachers from El Circo Cheapo.

For an hour on Saturday, I headed over to the space at Aloft Loft and took a silks class. Yes, that’s me above! The class was really neat, taught by people who are (expectedly) waaaayyy better than myself! We learned how to stand in the silks, sit, suspend yourself, climb, pretty much all the basic stuff. It was challenging but totally rewarding when you were finally able to successfully recreate a silks position. Granted, in an hour you will not become a professional, but you can get a great work out and laugh at yourself, which is great, too! If you want more silks action you can sign up for discounted classes at the end of your session.

5. Da Bears

I saw the Bears get wolloped by the Cardinals on Sunday during my first trip to Soldier Field. Tailgating in the McCormick Place parking lot was fun because there are so many people getting their eat and drink on! The coolest part about SF is the first floor that contains a ton of history about Da Bears and Soldier Field itself.