A Fabulous Farewell & Back to Basics Lunch

[Scroll down for "Back to Basics Roasted Veggie Scramble" - my favorite complete, easy lunch!]

Hope you've had a fantastic weekend! Mine was full of both play (too much play, ahem) and productivity (furniture, furniture, furniture!! More tomorrow.) 

This weekend we said "see you later" to a lovely and amazing new girly friend who is headed back to Texas. 

We will really miss this well dressed, classy-establisment-loving lady! 

For farewell dinner I had the immense pleasure of checking out Quartino. In the face of so much culinary hype, I've been meaning to hit this spot for quite some time. It really did not disappoint. Excellently priced menu items were a crowd pleaser for our wallet conscious crew, while still allowing us to feel a little fancypants, ordering wine by the 1/4 and 1/2 litre (love.) 

I enjoyed a sampling of mushroom, tomato & eggplant bruschette, followed by a perfectly portioned baked eggplant parmigiana. 

Ummmm yes, we will be back. 

After a joyous evening that may or may not have ended at late-night watering hole Hangge Uppe (shameful), and then actually ended at Wiener Circle with "everything" dogs and cheddar fries (beyond shameful), I woke up Saturday laughing at how much fun we'd had getting down and shaking our groove thangs, but also regretting my mega food hangover. A couple more meals out, and I was feeling totally off track. A weekend like this one - a special occassion - is totally permissible in my book if it's once in a while, but for me I've been a nutrition ninja during the week only to sabotage on weekends.

I think we've all been there, so I wanted to share some recent strategies for getting my gut back on track.

It all starts with ... 

  

VEGGIES!!

I've always wanted to laugh in the face of nutrition hopefuls who promise that we can re-wire our food cravings if we just behave long enough. Like there is magic dust laced in zucchini or something. 

I don't know about magic dust, but I DO know that even just 6 months ago I never would have gravitated towards colorful veggies in the super market, I didn't use to be able to eat tomatoes plain with goat cheese on top (or eat tomatoes at all without cringing), I wouldn't have dipped raw red pepper into hummus and enjoyed it, and I never would have preferred to eat meat only 1-2 times a week. I realized tonight I can't remember the last time I added salt to something. These things just happened to me after I focused myself on complete, fruit-and-veggie-centric meals, and though we all have our big slip-ups and late night hot dog devourings, it's nice to know our bodies are so trainable. 

Onto the easy lunches I've been enjoying recently:

Back to Basics Roasted Veggie Scramble

1 C. Sauteed Veggies, like onions, garlic, squash, carrots etc.

1/2 C. Lentils

1/2 C. Quinoa

2 T Annie's Ginger Sesame Dressing (Salsa works great as well)

I love lentils. Aside from being a kick in the pants source of protein, their rich nutty flavor is perf mcgerf.

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Not a gorgeous meal, but super tasty, simple, and a great way to reset. 

In the pic above I added some guac for a little extra plant based fat. Delish!

What's your go-to healthy lunch choice?

The walls are alive!!!

This is a ginormo week for us if you've been keeping tabs on our love nest situation. After barking up more trees than I care to count and many, many a sassypants email to our property manager, I walked in to our apartment to THIS the other day:

Those steely beams might not exude excitement at first blush, but they are the makings of dividing bedroom walls, advancing us one step closer towards having a real homey two bed two bath killer pad.

In the meantime though, I am just too much of a nester to settle for apartment chaos and the waiting game. Therefore, we dove right in with the pieces of our apartment that we can actually control - kitchen, kitchen, kitchen!

Here's a little glimpse. After a massive Target trip, it's starting to come together.

Side note: I spy with my little eye a wine problem. I'm ok with it. 

I'm really loving the RED all up in our kitchen. We even sprang for this festive silverware (Actually not the same but you get the gist):

from Target

But aside from looking fly, our kitchen has already become home to tasty concoctions and Crowdeman dinners together.

His & hers from earlier this week:

His: Sirloin steak & plain baked potato with butter. I'm not kidding, that's all this guy eats, and he's perfectly content with that. I'm considering an intervention.

Hers: Broiled wild Atlantic salmon, veggie kabob, & small sweet potato smothered with almond butter and cinnamon. MMM!

After bouncing around from state to state for the longer part of two weeks, it's amazeballz to have a great kitchen laboratory to help me get back on track. More on that tomorrow.

What do you guys think of the makings of our new home??

Music Monday: Lollapalooza Time Machine

Happy Monday friends, family, strangers & stalkers!

For me, this is kind of like Tuesday, because my team is now training on Sundays. How fun is that? About as fun as it sounds.

This weekend was mostly awesome with some pepperings of horrendous and obnoxious. I am talking of course about Lollapalooza-goers screwing up my schedule and taking over my 'hood with their shredded hippie tunics and war paint. Seriously, what's with the war paint. I don't get it. I waited 15 minutes for a southbound red line. Once on that red line, I had the unique privilege of listening to underage festival freaks ask each other, "Do you feel anything yet??" while filling my nostrils with pungent bathing suit concert sweat.

Delicious.

As discouraging as these encounters always are, I am a little sad that I missed this year's lolla. I think a little known fact about me is how much I love music, and how, as my fiance would say, I'm a little bit of a hippie. It's true. As a high school version of myself I spent all my spare change on concerts in Atlanta. It was awesome, and I miss it, and resent the fact that life gets in the way these days.

All of that being said, there weren't any acts at Lolla this year that I totally couldn't live without seeing (sorry Eminem.) I would have liked to check out MMJ & Two Door Cinema Club, but frankly it wasn't worth the price tag nor sweat smells.

Instead, I thought it would be fun to create my own little Lolla time machine, and visit all of the acts from years past that I'm bummed I missed and wish I could have seen. Let's get this party started.

2006: Death Cab for Cutie

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I always love these guys live. They are probably my #2 most seen band next to Modest Mouse, but it doesn't get old. 2006 was right when these dudes were on the cusp of discovery as well, so it would have been awesome to see them one more time in (what I believe was) their prime.

(Runners Up: Broken Social Scene, Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, Matisyahu, Umphrey's McGee)

2007 - TIE: Modest Mouse & Tokyo Police Club

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Enough said. I can't possibly be asked to choose between these two Godsends. Modest Mouse has the slight edge due to my obsession with every Isaac Brock brainchild, but I've never seen TPC, so, tie I say.

(Runners Up: Snow Patrol, Interpol, moe.)

2008: Radiohead

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I would shell out some serious cash to see my dudes in action, not to mention in my city. It breaks my musical heart that I've never been able to see them, so I hope (oh, I hope) they will come back to visit me. 

(Runners up: G. Love & Special Sauce, The John Butler Trio, Iron & Wine, Explosions in the Sky, Broken Social Scene, Wilco ... Man I would love my time machine right about now!)

2009: Andrew Bird (aka world's coolest whistler)

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(Runners up: Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Ke$ha)

As for 2010, I was in attendance and Phoenix took my #1 pick (no, not Arcade Fire, enough already.) Lady Gaga was a shocking (and trippy bordering on cracked out) second. 

Here's to hoping that Lolla 2012 looks anything like 2006 - 2009, because those years were for realsies.

Lolla goers - what was your favorite act this year?

I'm gettin' close to Portland town

So... I know I haven't blogged in a century. For this, I apologize. My life has been outrage with business trips, followed by pleasure trips. I started the below post before I left for vacation, so I thought I would finish it off before giving you guys some of my August goals. I'll post more about my travels after that. Enjoy!

I haven't had much downtime considering I am jetting across America for work and then for vacation next week. Or, as my father has decided, I'm running for president.

Even though it's a pain spending each day of one week in an airport (literally...), it's a nice change of pace to get myself out of the office and into the field. I am missing Chicago though, especially because our incomplete lovenest is still waiting for me to come home and unpack it. Another story...

So all three cities I have never been to before. I was pretty stoked when my boss decided I should go to ...

PORTLAND! 

I'm just going to come right out with it. Portland may or may not be the weirdest place I have ever been. 

I stayed here: 

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A lot of people describe the Jupiter Hotel and adjoining Doug Fir lounge as "retro", "fun", "edgy" and "an experience". It was an experience alright. Even though Doug Fir lounge is supposedly home to the most live shows in all of Oregon, this place just freaked me out a little. 

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You can't make this stuff up. 

The outside really made me nervous as the place is more like a motel - double decker action with doors opening to outside. 

Luckily the room itself was prettiness and clean, which helped me understand the hype a little more clearly.

Even though this was there. Waste-reducing soap. Seriously...

Oh and these. 

I have always heard that Portland is a hip place with an outdoorsy flare, but first impressions mean a lot and the only word I could think to describe this place was "rough". 

The hotel room doors were also giant chalkboards. This, I loved. But again, the roughness! The language! It was a little hard to take in. 

My first morning in Portland, I emerged at 9:30am, feeling like I was a sinner for waking up this late on a Monday. After all, 9:30am in Chicago and you've already missed all of the traffic and commuters. 

Apparently not so in Portland. I wonder if this "July" weather could have had anything to do with it?

Seriously, nothing was open until 11am. Except this lovely little coffee shop, which began the softening of my heart towards this little mountain city. 

They made me a yummy egg sandwich with avocado on wheat bread. Paired with a soy latte and part of a lara bar (which I brought from home because I'm a psycho), this breakfast was dynamite. 

I really enjoyed the fact the pierced ladies manning the coffee bar did not bat an eyelash at my healthy eating requests, which is very unlike Chicago, where the mere mention of "wheat bread" and "no meat please" is enough to earn some very offended stares. 

As I walked around the quiet east side of Portland, I started to realize this place was not half bad. In fact, it was kind of right up my alley in that it sort of resembles a giant outdoor Anthropologie store. And that, I can be very very okay with. 

Then I discovered this amazeballs hardware store that must have taken up a whole block. Since the 19 vintage clothing stores were not yet open, I wandered in and took in the views of hundreds of old and beautiful glass knobs, screws, gadgets....

And LIGHTS! They had a million bajillion old school lamps n'  stuff. At this point I'm thinking, touche Portland. You're not half bad. 

Joshua & Robin Berry's Children's Trust

Sorry I've been down and out this week. As you guys know it's moving week, on top of a really hectic and crazy work week. In other words my world has been turned upside down a little bit.

I've been stressing, freaking and otherwise terrorizing my fiance this week, so I thought today would be a good day to stop and put everything in perspective. To realize just how good I have it, and to chill and count my many, many (ultimately uncountable) blessings.

Bailey, author of one of my daily reads Peppermint Bliss, blogged about Joshua and Berry's Children's Trust and after reading I just can't help but follow in her footsteps.

Over the 4th of July holiday weekend, parents Joshua and Robin were driving through Texas with their children Peter (9), Aaron (8) and Willa (6) when another vehicle collided with theirs head on. Joshua and Robin were killed instantly, leaving their three little ones behind. Since then, Peter & Aaron have both undergone treatments for serious spinal injuries they have sustained. Willa was treated for broken bones.

The children's Aunt & Uncle have been named their legal guardians, and a trust fund has been set up for the kids. Anything you can give will help. Just click "Donate Now" on their Facebook page.

I hope you guys will join me in praying for these kids and for their aunt and uncle, who are the strongest people to step up to this massive calling.

Again, here is the link - please pass this on, and be sure to hug all the peeps you care about this weekend. Stay safe everyone <3

An ode to my old 'hood

Since today is obviously MOVING DAY (phase one), I thought my previous neighborhood deserved a little love. I love where I've spent the last year, and I love it in a completely different way from the love that I have for the new digs.

I guess when it comes to Chicago neighborhoods, I am not exactly monogamous...

So this isn't goodbye... it's just see you later, and maybe less frequently, because I can no longer throw a rock at you.

For anyone residing in the west lakeview area, here are my gems I keep nestled next to my heart!

For sushi (my favorite meal of course): Ukai 

Food is amazing, price is right, and its BYOB. I accept.

For Mexican: Mi Tierra 

Touting the town's tastiest (and most reasonably priced) margaritas, this joint is my dude's favorite spot in all of Chicago. Classy. Also they might have the fastest chip-and-salsa-replacement service on record. It kind of reminds us of Disneyworld in there. Take from that what you will.

For hanging out: Sheffield's

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Aside from having the most wicked John Daly a human could ask for, this place never disappoints. And let's not get started on the beer garden for summertime, and roaring fireplace for 9 months of winter. 

For breakfast: Ann Sather 

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I love it. I know I am the only one who loves it. But their cinnamon rolls are so good, I hardly even mind that the waiters always miss my coffee cup when they try to pour. Close runners-up: Clarke's on Belmont & Great American Bagel. 

For acquiring booze: Bel-Port Liquors 

You might be wondering why this place won, but probably not. They have a birdfriend greeter named Sasha who is free to roam over guests' shoulders. Can that be beat? Get real.

(Close runner-up for classier evenings: Galleria on Southport. My pony-tailed friend there never judges my obscure requests, and instead offers me tiny-sized samplings of wines I he recommends.)

Southport offers an endless amount of fine establishments I have long intended to try, but since I was often too busy keeping Ukai in business I didn't get to test drive all of the spots I'd like. Though I'm retiring my status as a west lakeview resident, I will most certainly be back to my old stomping grounds because quite frankly I can't live without these amazing gems!

What do you think makes a great local spot? Discuss.

A Crowdeman Place!

WE SIGNED!!!

Outside our funky new front door.

Eeeeee I am just bursting with excitement about this post, it's hard to pick a place to start! 

My 13 readers will recall my hopeful anticipatory post about the dream home we have been hoping to call OUR home for the past month. Or more.

Now I don't want to give too many visual morsels away because our buds haven't even checked out our pad yet and I wouldn't want to spoil any potential surprises. But because I love you stalkers, I'll give you a li'l something.

We fell in love with a ginormo studio that currently looks a little something like this: 

That is the view from the kitchen. (And I believe that is Johnnycakes practicing his jumping capabilities, testing out the space for his Insanity workouts.) The space extends quite a bit to the right and left of the photo.

 It's probably hard to tell what the sam hill is happening in this space, except you can tell it is cowabunga big. To help you out, it will soon like like thees:

You are probably wondering what a sexy bath is, and whether our bathrooms are in fact sexy. They are. I love. And you will just have to wait to see.

So how will studioland turn into homey, divided luxury city? The reason this whole process has taken so incredulously long is because we've been back and forth with management about the construction renovation project which will procure our home with bedroom walls and sliding glass bedroom doors. Spicy.

When will that be? That's another story. Less than a month, hopefully sooner. Fingers crossed! But the space itself, the final product, and the awesome deal we're getting on this lovely place is fantastic. Lucky sons o guns.

Alrighty so I snapped more pics of the inside but for the purposes of cliffhanger creation I am going to hold those hostage for now. 

One thing I can't help but share NOW, however, is the situation on the roof. 

Outdoor grill/dining/happy times section! John looks good up there.

Cozy spot for us two lovebirds.

My FAVORITE!

I can't really begin to describe how grateful and excited I am to have found this amazing place, and to be moving in with J. Crow for the first time!