'tis the season for CRAVINGS!!!

I haven't figured out what a true craving is yet. Truth be told, I have cravings all the time, whether I am pregnant or not. Constant Cravings. Teehee. Anyway, during my first 2 pregnancies, I had constant cravings for absolute junk. French fries, cheeseburgers, cream-of-anything soup with buttered bread...no wonder I gained so much weight with each of my pregnancies!!

This time around however...my cravings are so very different. Sure, I still want the occasional french fry or pizza puff, but for the most part, fried foods aren't appealing to me. Maybe because they have made me feel sicker. I don't know the exact science of this phenomenon, but I'm a bit relieved. Maybe that means I won't pack on the pounds this time. One can hope and pray.

So what am I craving, you ask? Sushi- perfect timing, huh? Just when I'm not supposed to have it. Freeze pops. You know, the perfect refreshment on a hot summer day? Yeah, I have things a little backwards considering the freezing temps outside. And citrus. Clementines, oranges, grapefruit...anything juicy and sweet and tart. So when I saw this salad recipe, I just knew I had to try it. Stay tuned for a review!

Recipe: Butter Lettuce with Avocado and Graperfruit
Source: Spry Magazine, December, 2010

Dressing
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. minced fresh tarragon or 1 tsp. dried
1 tbsp. minced shallot
1/4 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Salad
8 cups torn butter or bibb lettuce
1 medium avocado, sliced or diced
1 pink grapefruit, peeled & sectioned, juice reserved

To prepare dressing, combine all ingredients and whisk until well combined.
To prepare salad, place lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing and reserved grapefruit juice on top. Toss well. Divide among 6 salad plates. Top with avocado and grapefruit sections.

the first big snow of the season!

And of course, I had some amazingly fun plans scheduled with my sister Lindsay and one of my best friends Eunice. We were running the Santa Hustle 5K (complete with santa hats and beards!), taking a tour of the Intelligentsia Coffee Roasting Works in the West Loop, and finishing up with a yummy late lunch at Big Star in Bucktown. Running, coffee and food- 3 of my favorite things rolled up into a one great day! It's become kind of a running joke...almost every time I make plans that I look forward to, inclement weather hits. But this time, I was not going to let any kind of nasty weather get in my way!!

I left home early to start the drive into the city, just in case things got really nasty. It was snowing, but the plows had been out already so the roads weren't the worst I'd seen. I met my friend Eunice halfway and she piled into my car and we made it to my little sister Lindsay's in Edgewater in record time! We finished getting ready quickly and cabbed it to Montrose Harbor, where we were running the Santa Hustle 5K...in the snow!!

It was Lindsay's first 5K period, and mine and Eun's first race in the snow. If we were crazy for participating, then we weren't the only ones. The sea of Santas was impressive! Christmas music blaring, Santa hats and red shirts everywhere you looked...such a fun atmosphere!! As for the race itself, it was slow going. Running in the snow and slush made for some pretty awful conditions, but we made the most of it and even picked up some cookies and chocolate along the way! It was a pretty wonderful memory maker and I'm so glad I braved the elements to be there.

(l) the sea of santas en route to Montrose Harbor, (r) Lindsay, Eunice and I after the race

After a quick shower and clean-up at Lindsay's place, it was off to the west loop for a tour of the roasting facilities at Intelligentsia...one of my all time favorite cups of coffee! And what a great deal. For $15, you get unlimited samples of freshly roasted/brewed Intelligentsia coffee, a 90 minute tour of the building and a 1/2 pound of beans that are roasted right before your eyes. So if you're looking for something fun to do in Chicago sometime, check it out! We learned a lot about the entire coffee making process- from bean to brew.

(l) Eunice and I enjoying a cuppa coffee (r) some signage!

Then it was off to a late lunch of tacos at Big Star in Bucktown. I'd heard all about this place and wanted to give a try. Pork Belly Tacos? Sounds delicious to me!! We walked up and it's in an old service station. A big square bar is in the middle of the room with a few booths scattered so we snatched up the first opening at the bar we could find and ordered drinks. Horchatas (cinnamon-infused rice water) for Eun and I and a Chelada (beer with lots of lime and salt) for Linds. We were STARVING so our tacos, tostados and queso fundido tasted especially delicious. It was also fun people watching and seeing people get silly on $3 whiskey shots. A Big Hand to Big Star!

(l) queso fundido with chorizo and rajas with corn tortillas and vegetables en escabeche (r) queso fundido, tostado with chorizo and potatoes and the perfect pork belly taco- make sure to douse it with lots of fresh lime!

me and my stylin' little sis

It was a perfect day in the city, but by the end, of course I was missing my boys and was excited to get home to them. Can't wait to tell you all about my next little outing!