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“Date night” took a backseat this summer, as my guy’s busy gig/triathlon schedule and my cheerleader/work schedule filled almost every evening. On the evenings we were both free, we just wanted to relax and veg on the couch – a date, yes, but not the most exciting one, and certainly not taking advantage of all that this amazing city has to offer!
Totally ready for a Date Night Marathon!
Now that it’s autumn and our schedules are back to normal, we decided to make up for our date drought by going on a Date-a-Palooza: A three night date bender that would give us the bonding time we missed out on over the summer.
After much thought, we chose the following schedule:
Friday: Dinner at home, a night at iO Improv to see the Improvisational Shakespeare troupe
I’ve only been to iO Improv a couple of times, and have never been disappointed by the comedic talent there. What better way to end the week than laughing out loud to the musings of the Improvised Shakespeare troupe? I had no idea what to expect, and my guy was a little afraid that comedy in iambic pentameter would not only be confusing, but just wouldn’t work. After much debate, we bought tickets, took a shot of whiskey (Okay, maybe two…cheers!) and made our way to Wrigleyville.
At the theatre, the IS troupe asked the crowd to shout a title for a play that they would make up on the spot. “Julius Pizza” was the title most shouted and then we witnessed the world premier of a brilliant Shakespeare play, complete with the best prologue with pizza references that was funnier than anything Shakespeare has written. Watching the all-male troupe play female parts and giggle at their own jokes as they materialised made the whole night thoroughly enjoyable. I was amazed how in sync the men were, never cutting each other off and always having the perfectly timed aside that both jived with the current event, and set up the next scene brilliantly. There ended up being, as I expected, a lot of jokes about the male member, but nothing too eye-rolling. We left in good spirits, wishing that we remembered all of the lines we laughed at, and agreed that it was one of the best improv shows we’d ever been to!
Saturday: Green City Market and an extended dinner/drinks at Hopleaf
A visit to Green City Market makes a great day date (just don’t ask your guy/gal to meet you at 7am) because there’s endless amounts of people/dog watching, ready-made delicious food (Sunday Dinner’s burgers….yum!), live music, chef demos/tastings, and it gives you a great excuse to invite someone to come back to your place…for a local, seasonal home-cooked meal, of course! We hung out and picked up some local fare to make homemade peach jam and a delish lunch.
Dinner at the Hopleaf is a great date for anyone who likes great craft beer and the bar’s specialty…mussels and fries! The side of stilton mac-n-cheese is the best, ever(!) and the venison meatballs…well, they were tender and earthy without being even a bit gamey. We agreed that the vibe of Hopleaf (there’s no blaring music, the lighting is soft, and if you score a table on the upstairs Mezzanine, you can look over the restaurant and people watch while feeling like it’s just the two of you. Romantic? Not quite…but it is intimate and the food is to-die-for!!!!
Sunday: A 6 1/2 hour movie marathon: Brew and View at The Vic.
A TOTAL GEM! How I walked by The Vic every day and DIDN’T partake in Brew and View is ridiculous!!! You MUST go here! The catch? You pay $5 or $6 (depending if they’re offering two or three movies, respectively, that week) per person to watch two or three movies back-to-back(-to-back). The movies are either cult classics (think Grease or Rocky Horror Picture Show), or second- and third- run movies, but if you’re like me, you probably didn’t get around to seeing them the first time they were out.
I took a survey on their website and got a 2-for-1 admission, which made TWO tickets…$6. To top it off, there were drink specials, a concession stand and you can order in food from their list of delivery spots. There’s no shortage of good delivery in Lakeview, so it’s totally worth it to order something. Talk about a cheap date! Brew and View is totally casual, you can talk during the movies, make fun of them (not in a hushed voice!), eat and drink a beer while enjoying someone’s company. We watched all three movies (a 6 1/2 hour affair!), but it was perfect for the dreary weather we had on Sunday.
We left the theatre with sore butts and limbs that had only recently “woke up”, but we also left laughing as we recapped silly movie moments and patting ourselves on the backs that we had found such an awesome date place. We’ll definitely be back before too long – hopefully bringing a crew along to brew and view with us!
If you have other great date ideas, let me know! In the mean time, Trev and I are booked for a tandem kayaking experience down the river….I’ll let ya know how it goes!!!
Yay for Chicago! Until next time…
Dev :o) xx
I used to think that the best thing about Valentine’s Day was that boxes of Godiva chocolates would go 1/2 price the day after. That was until I moved to Chicago.
The Windy City and its diverse inhabitants are great at making special days into special weekends and having something available for everyone.
This is what I am doing for V-day weekend:
FRIDAY:
8 pm, “Schtick With Us: A Vaudeville Burlesque” at Skokie Theatre
Photo by Peter leGrand
Question: What is sexier than celebrating a weekend of love by watching a burlesque show?
Answer: Absolutely. nothing. :o)
Chicago-hot-dog-vendor-turned-burlesque-force-of-nature, Red Hot Annie leads an all-burlesque-star cast in this Vaudeville-inspired burlesque show. You can watch boys and girls shake their tail feathers while laughing along with the titillating performance!
Bonus points: Take your sweetie to Duffy’s Cocktail Lounge (aka Skokie’s oldest bar!) for drinks before the show.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. Lucky for us Chicagoans we have a village, and a darn good one at that, who really cares about the children.
Sunday I had the pleasure of meeting the good people who dedicate their time, energy and resources to making sure young Chicagoans eat delicious, wholesome food; learn about nutrition, sustainability, and seasonality; and engage in environmental stewardship.
Melissa Graham and Purple Asparagus spearheaded (pun intended) this Chicago Sustainable/Educational Meet & Greet held at the Logan Square Kitchen.
After being introduced to all of the organisations and individuals making a difference in our community, Chartwells served up the winning winning school lunch from Healthy Schools Campaign’s 2009 Cooking Up Change event, seen below:
This meal cost less than a dollar per person to produce and comprises a chicken and veggie jambalaya, spicy cornbread and a cucumber and tomato salad. None of the school lunches in my high school looked like this!
As 2009 winds down, I’d like to reflect on how the year has been for Making Chicago Home. As you may or may not know, this baby blog was born on the 19th of February when the first post was proudly displayed.
Since then, MCH has covered everything from ballets to bad pizza, cat circuses, spaghetti wrestling, butchering, fashion and Chicago parades. It has been quite a ride.
One great find of 2009: Frushi from Orange
In the new year MCH hopes to grow and mature, and we hope you will be around to see the good things we find.
Alas, there are still things that I did not get to do in Chicago during 2009 that I hope to do in 2010. Please take the time to read over the list and let me know which things you think would be cool. I am going to keep readers updated about the items on the checklist.
1. High-five Mayor Daley. I know this one is a long shot, but can’t a girl dream? :-)
2. Indulge in a cupcake three-course meal. Meatloaf cupcakes for dinner, Swirlz cupcakes for dessert. Cupcakes are all the rage and I think it might be possible to make a whole meal out of it. I want an appetiser, entree and dessert three-ring cupcake circus.
3. Go to a show at TimeLine theatre. What’s cooler than the theatre? How about a theatre that “presents stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues”? Ever since I had the pleasure of Artistic Director PJ Powers speak about the creation of this theatre company, I kicked myself for not going sooner.
4. Take the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour. I know, I know. Everyone and their brother has done this tour. But I still haven’t and I love architecture. Shame on me.
5. Adopt a cat from Felines, Inc. I was a proud older sister to a handsome cat named Tiger for 17 years until he passed away last January. He died soon after I arrived in Chicago. It was tough but I think I am now ready to open my heart up to a new kitty-in-need. Felines Inc. has done remarkable work since 1977, and Executive Director Abby Smith cares so much about the fur balls that it will make your heart melt.
It is winter in Chicago which means the blueberry days of summer are long behind us and the first shoots of rhubarb seem forever away (sigh). So how does one satisfy their sweet tooth when it’s cold outside and produce is lacking?
Your local farmers to the rescue!
I whipped up this sweet, crumbly and tart dessert while dinner was being prepared, and it was a crowd pleaser! Made with almost all local ingredients, it was easy to make, fun to eat and helped support my local farmers! Three hoorays!
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.
Not gonna lie: I was ridiculously excited Wednesday about Green City Market’s Apple Fest, which featured over seven different uncommon varieties to taste as well as delicious prepared foods from well-known chefs in Chicago! But moreso than just apples, I was thrilled to find some unique products at the market that I am sure you will love!
1. Oscar’s Hairy Balls. I thought the name was a joke, too, but it isn’t. Oscar’s Hairy Balls are the catalogue name for the above seed pods on a stick that actually produce a lovely near-white bloom. Of course, once news broke of my discovery, many a joke was made.
2. Cherry preserves from Seedling Farms. Sweet and tangy with whole cherries in it. It’s like pie without the crust…on a croissant!
3. Peppers from Leaning Shed Farm. You can see Serrano, Jalapeno and Banana peppers in the picture above, as well as a big, shiny candy red onion! Cannot wait to fry it up! Mmmm-mmm!
4. Bosc pears, with a sweet, gritty flesh, from Mick Klug are just gorgeous. Honey Crisp apples are MASSIVE from Ellis Farms and the little red apples are a gift from Gabe, so I could make caramel covered apples with his perfect caramel sauce!
5. Hugging carrots and curly-q eggplant from Granor Farm. Jesse and Tim were kind enough to let me bring tons of little school children to their tent to show off their deep violet eggplants! Thanks, guys!
More to come…
Dev xx
Tonight, I made myself the. most. delicious little dinner. Although I was out all day shopping for my Halloween outfit with Ruthie (I am going to be Little Bo Peep!), I was not very hungry when I got back to my flat. Thank goodness for the cherry bomb peppers I received from David and Denise at Leaning Shed Farm and Denise’s idea to stuff them. Cherry bombs are pretty small (about twice the size of a cherry), but they stuff well and can be filling!
I made 4 cherry bombs stuffed with local sauteed cabbage, rice and smoked ham.
- Cut a circle around the top of the pepper, pull the top off by the stem then make sure all the seeds are out! Set aside.
- Chop up one cabbage leaf into small pieces and sauteed it in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for about 30 seconds.
- Threw in one handful of cold, pre-cooked rice and let it heat for about 20 seconds.
- Dice up some smoked ham and tossed it in, too, just until it was heated through.
- Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture. I pushed the filling in with a chopstick to make sure it was packed!
- Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Please, please be aware that cherry bombs are HOT! I made the huge mistake by gutting them and then touching my face and ouch! – it burned! And it is still kinda burning! Haha. Such a blonde!
For dessert I chopped up a Seedling’s apple and drizzled it with warm caramel, courtesy of Gabriel, who is my knight in shining chef’s hat! Then I topped them with nuts, again courtesy of Gabriel (ain’t he amazing?!). The result was heavenly.
Which brings me to my lesson on how (not) to eat like a lady: Lesson one: Your hand should always be covered in caramel if you are eating caramel covered apples with nuts. Always. Your mouth and chin should also have caramel on them. No exceptions! You should also have a spoon handy so you can ladle up as much gooey, buttery caramel off your plate as possible and shovel it right into your mouth!
Dev xx
Do you like apples? How about apple butter, apple cider, hot caramel apple drinks, caramel covered apples and other apple-related recipes?
Courtesy of The Sun Blog
Then you will LOVE Green City Market’s Apple Fest being held tomorrow at Clark and Menomonee.
The event will start at 9.30 am and will also feature chef tastings with Patrick Sheerin (Signature Room), Alex Cheswick (May Street Market) and Sarah Levy (Sarah’s Pastries & Candies).
See you there!!
