It is c-c-cold here in Chicago. We woke up this morning to snow! After a very mild November, winter has decided to finally settle upon our busy city. With all the excitement surrounding the holidays, it only seems fitting that we should be bundling up to go outside. Weather like this calls for warm and [...]

A few weeks ago Chris and I watched the documentary “Food, Inc.” While it reaffirmed many beliefs I have held about American food processing for years, it also brought up several new insights I hadn’t before considered. It was a very informative yet entertaining film, and I think it should be required viewing for all [...]

Veteran’s Day is a very special day in our household. My husband was a captain in the Army and deployed to Iraq. Although he is no longer active duty military, I treat November 11 as another birthday. He worked hard to serve our country with honor, and during his deployment he never complained once. He [...]

I love summer. Especially the food that accompanies this time of the year! I found this recipe in the Williams Sonoma catalog, and any time a recipe has in-season, local ingredients I tend to get pretty excited. I found the corn at our neighborhood farmer’s market, and everything else was waiting in my pantry. Easy [...]

We took Evelyn to her first concert the other night! The show was at an outdoor venue that encourages concertgoers to bring along picnics. I asked my mom and sisters for some picnic menu ideas, and my mom’s suggestion was the winner. It all came together and we had a great time! Fried Chicken I [...]

Evelyn and I ran to a nearby farmers market yesterday. During the summer months, Chicago has farmers markets everyday of the week, so there’s never a shortage of tasty produce. The colorful displays of fresh vegetables inspired last night’s meal. This recipe started with something I saw in this month’s issue of Martha Stewart Living [...]

We spent the weekend in Washington DC for a friend’s wedding, and by the time we made it back to Chicago we were exhausted. Late nights with friends and eating out at restaurants for every meal since Friday morning left us feeling lethargic and icky. The perfect solution? A BIG salad for dinner. As I’ve [...]

We went to three parties this weekend — quite a busy schedule for our one year old! But, the best part of summer is hanging out with friends while the weather is nice, so we were happy to let her stay up past her bedtime. She really seemed to enjoy all the festivities and attention. [...]

Came up with a good dinner recipe tonight. Just like salad, its easy to create new and unique pasta recipes using whatever you have in the pantry and fridge. As long as I have a few key ingredients on hand, I can almost always put something together. Here’s my list of kitchen must-haves: Wedge of [...]

Chris has been out of town on a business trip all week, and Evelyn and I have really missed him. So, I want to welcome him home tonight! First thing on the agenda? Homemade oatmeal raisin cookies: 1 stick room temperature butter 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 [...]