Flacos Tacos

After I was here in Chicago for a few weeks, I finally got to eat downtown.  Crazy right, living 20 minutes from downtown and it took about 2 weeks before I ate in town!  I was cruising around town, met up with a friend and decided I was hungry.  So, I found this local joint around the corner and thought with a name like Flacos Tacos, how could I go wrong... I decided to just order the nightly special, Chicken Fajitas!!  You just almost can't go wrong with something so simple.  Sauteed peppers and onion, mexican rice and re-fried beans, warm tortilla shells, yeah that's good.  All I needed was an ice cold Goose Island root beer and I'd have been set!

Meat and Cheese Plate

I attended a thanksgiving dinner and last minute had to decide what to bring.  Without making the same thing that anyone else might have made, I decided to make a quick meat and cheese plate.  I figured I would be there a little early so why not make an appetizer for everyone to munch on while everything is finishing up!  (Imagine me being late, ok, so I was late to the party)  But my meat and cheese plate disappeared!  It had black peppered salami, prosciutto, sharp white cheddar, fresh mozzarella & some brie cheese.  Also some green grapes and apple slices.  Not too shabby for last minute.

Goose Island Root Beer

I am a huge fan of root beer.  Always looking for something different, local and new to me.  Now, my constant is IBC root beer, you can't go wrong with a root beer company born out of prohibition!  Since living in Chicago, I have come across Goose Island root beer.  Chicago's answer to root beer, and its pretty good, has a hint of vanilla and is pretty mellow!  Not too shabby.

Texas Roadhouse

Those of you that know me well, know that I am a locavore (some one who eats locally, local restaurants and such).  So a big challenge is having to eat at a chain restaurant.  Not that they don't serve good food, but I find better food is home made or cooked at a local restaurant.  Every now and then you can have some pretty descent food at these places.  On my trip to Chicago, I stopped in Memphis, Tn to see my twin sister Heidi.  I was hungry, and nothing but chain restaurants around!  How unfortunate, but I figured a steak is simple and at a place like Texas Roadhouse they probably cut their steaks in house, which is a good sign... So I ordered steak and fries, and I tried to get my somewhat vegetarian sister to eat some steak, she pretended but it didn't happen.  Maybe some other time.

Picke Juice Sports Drink?

That's right, a pickle juice sports drink... what will they think of next!  the story... John Paul and I were at the grocery store (buying healthy snacks!  Ok, Molly knows better..) probably getting a 2 liter of Coke and a bag of chips, when low and behold, we see this abomination of a sports drink.  Of course we take some pictures because we just thought this was sooo odd... and of course we needed to send our mother a picture because, well, don't get mad mom, for me spilling one of our family secrets... she has been known to drink pickle juice on the odd occasion or two (I do it too, my mouth is watery thinking about it, yum!)  Well the next day I just had to call and tell her about this crazy sports drink.  She proceeds to inform me that my uncle Charles (her brother) for years made his football teams drink pickle juice before practice!  WHAT!!!  Crazy I know, so apparently its nothing new, you just don't get the delicious, salty, mouth-watering dill pickles.  I was told it does something good for you when you work out (like make you throw up after running... just saying).  So the next time your thinking of the next 5K race your going to do, pick up a mouth-watering, vomit inducing bottle of Pickle Juice sports drink!

Artisan White Bread

Well, I'm in Chicago, still with no job, and I have gotten behind on some of my blogging!  Sorry!  Anyway, before I left Texas, and while I was living at my brother's house (John Paul's palace of crazy kids, lol) I wanted to try my hand at some home-made artisan bread.  Found a recipe in Food & Wine magazine, thought it sounded good... and don't forget I had nothing better to do!  Well, so far it has been my experience that I'm not really good with home-made bread... I can make pretzels, biscuits, scones, muffins and pie crust, but not bread.  It always looks pretty and delicious, and smells fantastic (if I may say so...) but it never turns out right.  So... so far, baking bread and cakes from scratch are not my expertise.... Guess I just have to keep trying.

... So I was going to post a picture of the bread (because it does look good) but the computer is having trouble loading the picture... maybe its a sign that I should give up on bread baking, haha... maybe I can post it later.   Got it...

Jakob... grilling

As an uncle (the favorite uncle) I am ecstatic to see my nephew Jakob, take after my own heart.  He decided to jump in and help me grill the pork loin... Awesome!  And the best part is, he cooks like me... mess with the food a little, then sample, hahaha.