me + giada + ina + martha = bff.

When it comes to cooking, I like keeping things simple. I'll experiment with the occasional tricky or time consuming recipe, but they end up disasters more often then not. With Giada and Ina and even Martha, what you see is what you get. A few fresh, quality ingredients paired with a little tender loving care results in culinary magnificence every time. Case in point- my favorite summertime pasta sauce. I finely chop up 5 or 6 farmstand plum tomatoes and toss them with some olive oil, julienned basil, salt and 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves. Let the mixture sit at room temp for an hour or so to let the flavors meld and serve over hot angel hair pasta with lots of parmesan cheese. Perfection! And oh so easy!

Shrimp is one of my favorite things to cook. And now that we've perfected several methods of cooking them, I'm always on the lookout for great shrimp recipes. This one is a keeper. Healthy it's not, but it has a delicious, unique flavor that my husband and I crave. Logan's a shrimp lover too, so this is perfect for all of us!

recipe: nonna luna's rice
source: giada at home

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
2 cups parboiled long-grain rice, such as Uncle Ben's
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 cup whipping cream
Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat 1/2 of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a fork, fluff the rice and arrange on a platter. Spoon the shrimp cream sauce over the rice and serve.


So yesterday, I also had a couple of small zucchinis...perfect for zucchini pancakes!!

recipe: zucchini pancakes
source: barefoot contessa at home

2 medium zucchini
2 tbsp. grated red onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6-8 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tbsp. of the flour, the baking powder, salt and pepper. If the batter gets too thin from the liquid from the zucchini, add the additional 2 tbsp. of flour.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tbsp. butter and 1/2 tbsp. oil. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower heat to medium low and drop batter into pan by the large spoonful. Cook 2 minutes each side or until browned. Serve hot.

My husband isn't a fan of zucchini...but he LOVED these- in fact, all my boys did! A great way to get veggies into all 3 of them. :) But I'll tell you what he IS a fan of. Brownies. And since I almost never make brownies (not even the box kind), I decided to whip up a batch from scratch this morning. Ina has a recipe from one of her episodes for Outrageous Brownies. I tested the recipe out a few months back...not so outrageous. Way too rich of a brownie for my tastes. Plus the texture was off to me. I was disappointed because they were time-consuming and expensive...so continued the search for the perfect brownie. And I found it, thanks to Martha. Her Double Chocolate Brownies are easy to make and only consist of a 1/2 dozen ingredients. They taste better than they look. I sure hope my husband appreciates the results of my efforts!



recipe: double chocolate brownies
source: martha stewart living magazine, april 2010

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa and salt. Fold in flour until combined.
2.Pour batter into pan. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift brownies from pan using parchment. Remove parchment, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Cut into 9 squares.

catching up.

What another phenomenally fun weekend! Times like these will definitely be fondly remembered in the dead of winter when there's a foot of snow on the ground. Then we'll be looking forward to another fun summer! Summer and spring are my favorite seasons and I could bask in the warm weather all year round. But my husband loves the changing of the seasons...as I get older, I appreciate it more for sure.

Both boys participated in the summer reading program at the library these past few weeks. The theme was "Scare Up a Good Book!" and the children's area was decorated with creatures and scary ghouls which confused Logan a little bit at first- he thought it was Halloween time! It's a fun program. Each week, in reward for completing the required reading, the boys got treats like free ice cream cones or free meals at local restaurants. They also got to spin a wheel for a prize like candy or a pencil. The last day of the program was Friday and they each got to choose a book! Logan picked out a book about penguins and Meyer's choice (my choice) was "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" which of course Logan has been requesting at bedtime. We celebrated the end of the program with Happy Meals from McDonalds. Fun!

Friday night was dinner with our neighbors. Greek chicken and this to die for Orzo Salad. The company wasn't half bad either. ;) Delicious!! Yesterday was dinner with more friends. The hosts recently became engaged so there was lots of wedding talk. And my husband was asked to be a groomsman!! Woohoo...I get to see my hubs in a tux. Can't wait. I would also like to take this moment to sing the praises of a new favorite summer cocktail. Smirnoff Blueberry Vodka mixed with lemonade, poured over ice and garnished with fresh blueberries. Absolute heaven in a glass.
Because of my indulgence, it's a miracle I woke up bright and early to meet a friend for a 7 mile run this morning. I love having a running buddy. It really takes my mind off the distance and I think it builds up endurance too- gabbing the entire 7 miles. :) We were pretty quick too...1 hour and 3 minutes.

Then it was time to get ready for the highlight of the day...a trip to the city to visit my little sister and check out her apartment and her neighborhood. She lives in the Edgewater/Andersonville area of the city. Her building is vintage 1930s and has such character. Her living space is tiny, but very well organized and super cute. I expected nothing less. :) We walked down Sheridan and stopped for coffee at Metropolis Coffee Company. Love.

Then we headed to Berger Park with some pretty awesome cafe au laits in hand. The boys had tons of fun at the playground making friends and running around while the rest of us were in awe of the views. Incredible. It seemed like we were spending the day at the beach on the east coast, not at Lake Michigan.

Lunchtime! Our options were brunch at Bananas Foster Cafe, which was tiny, crowded and didn't really accommodate out stroller, or burgers at Moody's Pub at their outside beer garden. Fantastic onion rings, fresh cut fries, 1/2 pound burgers...nothing wrong with that!

Moody Blue Burger and fresh cut fries

Then it was time to wrap it up and head home for naptime. Thanks again Lindsay! Pizza for dinner for an awesome end to a perfect weekend. :)

farmer's market escapades.

I just adore farmer's markets. I love checking out all the beautiful, fresh produce and talking with the farmers and learning a little bit about their lives. My town just started hosting markets this summer...there are only a few vendors so far, so when I was in Burr Ridge this past week, I made a point to stop by. It wasn't very crowded because of the rainy weather, but that didn't stop me!! My mom was with me and she picked up some basil olive oil from The Olive Tap...super tasty! If you haven't tasted plain olive oil, you're missing out. There's something about the smooth, buttery flavor that is super appealing. Hope you and Shawn enjoy it, Mom! A few booths later, I just about died. I've been wanting to pick up some fresh flowers to adorn my little house, but I do NOT have the knack of arranging. And of course the flowers that appeal most to me are the priciest. It turns out that 2 of the vendors at the market are from 1 farm- part is fruit and vegetables, and part is flowers. There were bucket after bucket of sunflowers, zinnias, azaleas, fillers...you name it. The best part? $5 for as many stems as you could fit in your hand. What a steal, I tell you! Sold. So here's the bouquet I came up with. Can't wait to head back next week- maybe I'll pick up flowers for a few rooms!

Another vendor had gorgeous Patty Pan squash and samples of yellow, red and orange cherry tomatoes that burst with bright, fresh flavor in your mouth. We got to talking and we even exchanged a few recipes! That's when the boys discovered the fountains and had such fun traipsing through them and soaking themselves. It had started to rain again by then anyhow so what's a little more water? Who knew my boys would turn out to be such water babies?

what a week!

Things have been so busy lately that my head is likely to explode! While the rest of me implodes from this muggy, disgusting heat. But if there's anything I love about summer, it's keeping me and my boys busy- preferably out and about. It's so much fun to catch up with friends and keep the boys occupied while doing it!

The week started with cooking class and playtime and was the beginning of Logan's current obsession with Zhu Zhu Pets. What is the deal with these things anyway? I don't get the appeal of a furry, battery-powered hamster...I must be missing something.

Then it was time for a dentist appointment for Logan! He did a great job...went straight back to the chair and even the dentist, who has been my dentist since I was 5 years old, commented that he was amazed Logan's my son since I had a terrible fear of the dentist. No cavities, which is pretty incredible considering the amount of candy Logan consumes. :) I also got to satisfy one of my cravings for dinner...a carnitas burrito bol from Chipotle. Delish, and I guess the cheese quesadilla Logan and Meyer shared wasn't half bad either since Logan polished off his portion.

We also headed to the zoo for some fun with friends and animals! Logan loves the zoo and again was asking all about the skulls of some of the animals. We met up with some friends and Logan loved hanging out with the older kids for sure! Logan slurped up an ICEE and splashed around a little bit at the splash pad to cool off on a hot day. I made some fresh tomato sauce and served it on pasta for a delicious warm weather dinner.

I just found out that the Ford Explorer is being redesigned for 2011. The new look hasn't been unveiled yet, but I'm so excited to check it out! Other cars on my wishlist- the new Subaru Outback crossover and the Subaru Forester. For some reason, I just love the look of Subarus. Sporty and stylish all in one.

fun with friends and family.

When my husband tells me this weekend was the most fun he's had in a long time, it must have been a pretty darn good weekend. And it was. The sickies have finally left our house and now we can enjoy the rest of our summer sickie-free. Crossing fingers.

We were supposed to have dinner...a wonderful, fun, KID-FREE dinner on Friday night with some friends, but they had to cancel. So we just laid low and enjoyed some family time and delicious BLTs. Saturday was cleaning day and then my mom, stepdad and grandma came over for an awesome dinner. We had so much fun talking and eating. Matt was able to show off his grilling skills and they were in full force for sure! Our menu was as follows:

Caesar Salad, with homemade croutons and dressing
Sweet Corn
Mushroom Parsley Salad
Herbed Basmati Rice
Grilled Asparagus
Garlic Herb Shrimp
Filet Mignon Kabobs
Peach Blueberry Crumble with vanilla ice cream

I also made my Watermelon Margaritas and they were a big hit. Such fun! I hope my parents know that I show love through my food and there was a lot of it so I love them lots! :)

This morning was awesome as well. Since becoming a stay at home mom, I'm really into trying to keep my mind sharp. Months and years of singing nursery rhymes and ABCs can really turn your brain to mush. So part of my Sunday morning routine is attempting to complete the crossword puzzles in the Sunday section of the paper. But this morning, I was deterred by a most interesting article about a week long culinary bootcamp at the Chopping Block here in Chicago. Aside from actually attending culinary school, a program like this would be a dream come true! Stocks, sauces and sautes, oh my! But at $1,750 for the week...I'm pretty sure it's a dream I shouldn't be having. ;)

To escape the heat and humidity, I was going to head to the gym and do today's run on the dreadmill, but Matt wanted to join me. So we took the boys in the jogger down to the trail and ran 3 miles. A 5K was on the training schedule, but 3 miles in 28:07 with the humidity at about 100% was good enough today. Nothing like a long, sweaty run to get rid of all the tequila toxins from the night before. :)

The boys took early naps so I used the time to escape for a little while to my happy place- Home Goods. I'm in another one of my obsessive decorative moods again, so this was just what I needed. I just wish I'd brought my camera to document all my ideas!

Then it was onto dinner with friends...fun, fajitas and yes, you guessed it...more margaritas! I love summer weekends!

the dog days of summer?

I don't think the dog days of summer officially start till August, but they might as well be here with the hot, humid, heavy weather we've been getting! Yesterday was one of those days you sweat buckets just standing still. I like warm weather, but this kind...not so much.

Luckily, I wasn't out in it very much yesterday. After Meyer's morning nap, we headed to the local police station for a stranger danger presentation by one of our police officers. I thought Logan would understand the concept a little better this year (we went to one last summer too), but he was kind of fidgety and I don't think he was paying much attention. I'm hoping once he starts getting used to a school setting, he will listen a bit better.

After the presentation, we walked with some friends to the park behind the station. Some local teenagers were having fights with water blasters and I'm sure we ruined some of their fun. As soon as Logan finished a frozen treat, he ran to the nearest group of teenagers to start talking their ears off. Of course you'd never guess he just finished learning about stranger danger. My kid- the social butterfly.

We grilled some tasty bratwurst for dinner and topped them with sauteed onions and mustard- delish! I also whipped up this salad that I'd been wanting to try for awhile. It was on a Giada At Home episode and sounded intriguing. While slicing the mushrooms, I also was surprised to learn I'm starting to perfect my chef knife skills. It's about time!

recipe: Mushroom Parsley Salad
source: Giada At Home, Food Network

Ingredients
1 pound large button mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-ounce piece Parmesan
Serving suggestion: assorted French cheeses and Poilane Bakery-style breads
Directions
In a medium salad bowl, mix together the mushrooms and parsley.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add the oil mixture to the salad bowl and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan on top and serve.

After dinner, we took a walk to Dairy Queen for some family time and an ice cream treat. Having a Dairy Queen within walking distance is way dangerous, but that's another post! We were in line behind a man and FIVE boys- all ordered ice cream cones. All those potential drips and mess = my worst nightmare!! But it did remind me of some fun I had recently taking care of FOUR boys!

I watched a friend's 2 boys a couple weeks ago for 2 hours or so. I was dreading it a tiny bit, because let's face it, 4 boys versus little old me was a little intimidating, not to mention the fact that it was my very first time being responsible for other children beside my own! But we had SO much fun reading, playing outside, taking a walk and having a snack. And those 2 hours went by super quickly and made me confident in my childcare abilities! Now I'll look forward to next time. :)

decor envy.

I have no talent when it comes to decorating. Zero, zip, nada. Then why am I so addicted to home decor websites and magazines? I love flipping the pages of Martha Stewart Living, Elle Decor and similar...trying to pinpoint a style of my own. I have come to the conclusion that I have no particular style...but when I see something I love, I lust after it, dream about it, etc.

For example, I was virtually flipping the pages of Lonny Magazine online when I came across these chairs. OMG. Love. They can be found at Somerset Bay Home.



I don't even want to know how much they cost. They are a far cry from the dining chairs I currently have from Ikea! I just think they are so gorgeous and soothing. Well, they are added to the list for the dining room I'll have- one of these days!

Other current favorites include these delightful pillowcases from reverie-daydream:



And this tote in my favorite colors from Saltbox:

fever friday and beyond!

So continues the week of the sickies! I probably started things off with my head congestion and post-nasal drip that has been going on for 2+ weeks. Then Matt had a fever and capped that week off with Poison Sumac...and then it was Meyer's turn. He woke up on Wednesday with a low-grade fever which I attributed to teething. A dropper of ibuprofen here and there seemed to help, so I thought nothing of it...until Friday came along and we had a couple sleepless nights.

By Friday, he still had the fever but it had risen, which got me thinking maybe it wasn't a teething fever after all! Why is it that my kids are ALWAYS sick on the days my pediatrician doesn't keep office hours? So off to immediate care we went...and so glad we did, as Meyer was diagnosed with a double ear infection. Poor thing. We have been so lucky so far...this was my first experience with an ear infection. One dose of antibiotic did the trick...Meyer slept through the night and was more himself. 9 more days to go!

Then at 3:00am on Saturday morning, it was Logan's turn for a fever. Another visit to the Take Care Clinic confirmed he has a virus so we have to let it run it's course. As for me, I'm finally feeling better, so let's hope today is the last day of the sickies!!!

a fun-filled fourth!

I have a love/hate relationship with the Fourth of July. It's a perfect summer holiday, but it also means it's the last holiday of the summer. Well, not technically, because there's still Labor Day, but that means summer is over...so the Fourth signifies that there is not much of summer left...because 2 months flies by, at least in our house!

The weekend would have been perfection if we didn't have to deal with Matt's first (and hopefully only) case of Poison Sumac. Yuck. He'd been sick the week before with a fever and when his fever breaks, he gets a hive-y looking rash all over his body and when the rash didn't go away, he didn't think much of it. Until he started itching.

My dad and his girlfriend took Matt, me, my sister Laura and the boys out to a delicious breakfast and after breakfast Matt couldn't stand the discomfort anymore so he headed to the Take Care Clinic at Walgreens where a diagnosis of Poison Sumac was made. Turns out there is a row of it that backs up to the chain link fence dividing our yard from our next door neighbors and Matt brushed up against it when he was doing some yardwork. Ugh.

But he made the best of it and we celebrated the Fourth at a cookout with friends. Logan had so much fun with his friends running around, splashing in the pool and playing with army guys. There was a little rainstorm after we ate and we got to see a double rainbow! He was so cute during the fireworks display, oooh-ing and ahhh-ing and jumping around with the excitement of it all. Meyer liked them too but preferred the comfort of my lap. :)

busy, busier, busiest!

Things have been super busy for us and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon! But that's cool with me...when winter rears it's ugly head, that's when I'll slow things down and stay nice and cozy at home or close to it. :) Summer is the season for fun in our house!

The week kicked off with another cooking class for Logan. PBJ roll-ups, anyone? I created my own super special recipe for the kids loosely based on this.

recipe: PBH roll-ups
source: my friend R

1 slice whole wheat bread
1 tbsp. favorite peanut butter
honey

Roll the slice of bread out flat with a rolling pin. Spread on peanut butter and then drizzle the top with honey. Roll up and serve.

My boys both LOVED this. And then I found out that Meyer isn't supposed to have honey before age 2 because of a botulism risk. Funny- I thought he could have it after 1? He didn't start foaming at the mouth though, so that is a good thing. ;)

We were invited to celebrate a special little girl's birthday party at Coldstone Creamery also. What a great idea and what fun for the kids! They got tours of the freezers and how the ice cream was made, and then they got to make their own ice cream treat with a mix-in. Of course, Logan's mix-in was marshmallows...and I was surprised that most the other kids chose marshmallows also!

It has been hot. Super duper hot. I've been keeping up with my runs for the most part in order to get used to hot weather running, but I am super careful running in the heat. And doing speedwork in hot weather is no fun! I'm supposed to run 5 bouts of 400 meters (just under 1/4 mile) with recovery time in between. Let's just say that for my first speedwork exercise, I cheated. :) My next speedwork exercise is a tempo run...I like these much better!

The week of the fourth of July just isn't complete without a trip to city for the Taste of Chicago!!!! I promised myself I'd squeeze it in somehow and I was able to today. I thought I'd make a full day of it, so I got ready to go bright and early to try to catch the 7:50a train to the city. My plan was to take my jogging stroller and I was kind of worried how I was going to get the stroller and both kids up on the train. Turns out the handicapped car is equipped to store my honker of a stroller so I had nothing to worry about! Except the delays. 3 delays totaling 20+ minutes are no fun, especially with 2 little kidlets to keep occupied. But they did great and we were at the station and up on the street in record time. I'm really starting to navigate the city well from a stroller perspective. :)

Goal #1: a run by the lake. I walked up Jackson St. but it was closed off before Columbus so I had to turn around and go to Monroe for lakefront access. I took off running north just a bit, then turned around, circled the Shedd Aquarium, headed back to Balbo and ended up right in front of the Field Museum. Just short of 3 miles. In 26:22. Holy Quickness!

Goal #2: pool time with friends. After a little break in the shade, we walked to my friend B's where we were going to be indulging in some pool time. Her pool looks out onto LSD and has a great view of the lake, Museum Campus and Soldier Field. My boys and her girl had such fun splashing around together. Meyer has no fear of the water and Logan actually put his face in the water!! I have a feeling this is the start of many fun pool adventures to come for my little fishies. Thanks to B for making it possible!

Goal #3: lunch at the Taste. Both boys fell fast asleep on the long walk back to the Taste. Which was good for me because that meant I could browse and eat in peace! Or so I thought. The Taste was a madhouse...and the crowds were insane. I had lots of difficulty navigating said honker of a stroller through them and didn't get to enjoy the fest as much as I wanted to. I'm also sad to say I didn't eat anything particularly exciting other than a cold cube of goat accompanied by cold jollof rice from VeeVee's. Quite a disappointment! But the White Berry Cooler from Caribou Coffee on the way back to Union made it all better. Note to self: bring Matt next time!!

My city trip solo was a success. The train ride home was also delayed but both boys were on their best behavior. I'm such a lucky mama!

our seventh anniversary.

Wow. 7 years. I can't believe that 7 years ago we were newlyweds on a high from one of the best weeks of our lives. The few days leading up to our union, our perfect wedding day and amazing honeymoon reminded us that although a short night away was definitely needed, we SO need a vacation, just the 2 of us. Maybe one of these years we'll get around to it!

Matt and I enjoyed ourselves immensely. Many thanks to my sisters and my mom for helping us out with the boys! That was very much appreciated. It was so nice to have an enjoyable dinner out and a few drinks! My favorite of the evening was a cocktail called "Tickled Pink", which was made with X Rated Fusion Liqueur. YUM. If you like sweet, then this is for you. Matt even liked it and ordered one for himself! A little tipsy, we headed to a cool hotel where we played a few rounds of pool. Fun times!



Our anniversary also happened to fall on Meyer's 15 month birthday! Happy 15 months to our big boy...who is really just a peanut at 19 pounds, 15 ounces and 31 inches tall. When I was at the zoo last week, a woman actually thought he was 9 months old...just goes to show what a little guy we have!

taking a ride on the crazy train!

Why is it that the most fun happens when it comes from an idea that is spur of the moment? At least that's how my life rolls, anyway.

After a (sleepless) night of wicked rain and storms, I woke up to beautiful blue skies and a grouchy husband. :) So I gave him some time to snap out of it and took the boys for a 3 mile run. What a perfect morning for a run- very little humidity and a nice cool breeze...Logan even fell asleep! So I decided we'd pack a lunch and head to the Brookfield Zoo for the day! Apparently I wasn't the only one with that idea. When we pulled into the lot it was crazy crowded, but I got lucky and scored a parking space right in front of the entrance. Love when that happens!

There were some zoo volunteers teaching kids all about the big cats using lion and tiger skulls and of course Logan was right in front, asking questions and telling the volunteers about his latest Batman toy. ;) He is so curious and inquisitive...I hope he always stays this way.

We had lunch in the park and the kids expended some energy and then it was off to see the new Great Bear Wilderness exhibit. It was wall-to-wall people, but we got through it. Maybe next time we can explore it further! The boys had more park time until Logan had an accident (the poop-in-the-pants kind). It was time to head home after that, but Logan's repeatedly assured me that next time, his poop will go in the potty. I think he was a little embarrassed. But we had such a fun day, just me and my little guys. I love hanging out with them and they are such good boys for me. Makes me feel like I'm doing okay job at this mom thing. ;)

So you are probably wondering what's so crazy about that? Well, after we left the zoo, both boys zonked out on the car ride home. And it's times like those that I do lots of thinking. And I started thinking about my running and how it's been seriously lacking lately. At the peak of my half-marathon training, I was running upwards of 20 miles a week. The week after the race was over? I accumulated 5 miles. A measly 5 miles! So not happy with that. I feel the effects of running so little all over my life...my sanity, my patience, my waistline... I need to step it up a bit. So I've decided to train for another half marathon- this time, in mid-September. My motivation virtually disappears if I'm not training and I can't have that, so Hal Higdon, here I come (again) but this time, I'm tackling your intermediate program and I'm going to bring it.

car show mondays!!

During the summer, Mondays become one of my favorite days of the week. That's because my town hosts the cool car show on Monday evenings!! It happens in the town square and there are food vendors, live music, free snowcones and popcorn, and a bounce house for the kids. Not to mention a fountain that keeps my kids occupied for hours and lots of open space so they can run around and tire themselves out. :) In addition, this year they also added a Farmer's Market! So we walk up to town, have some dinner and spend quality family time together. It's also pretty social, as we inevitably meet several friends who are doing the same. Fun times.

I have a local friend whose 3 boys are close in age to my boys and sometimes we head to the cool car show together. 2 adults versus 5 boys...it's always crazy when we get together!! Last week, we brought dinner over and the boys played and ate before the show. This recipe is always a hit with the kidlets!

recipe: Cheeseburger Meatloaf
source: my friend K

2 pounds ground beef (you can also use ground turkey)
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons ground black pepper
2.5 cups shredded heddar cheese
ketchup (or tomato sauce) and mustard to drizzle on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the meat, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, eggs, salt and pepper, and mix well. Pat out meat mixture into a rectangle on a piece of wax paper. Spread cheese over the meat, leaving a 3/4 inch border around the edges. Roll up jelly roll fashion to enclose the filling and form a pinwheel loaf. Press meat in on both ends to enclose the cheese. Place in a 10x15 inch baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). You can drizzle ketchup and mustard on top for the last 10-15 minutes of baking, or serve it on the side for dipping. My kids love this!

Here's to the cool car show making summer Mondays memorable!

potty training...conquered!

So many life changing events have been happening in our household lately! First, Meyer starts walking and then Logan finally is ready for the potty!

Logan is almost 4 years old and has a heart of gold, a sweet disposition and is stubborn as a mule. Which explains a lot about why it took FOREVER to talk him out of wearing diapers and into wearing big boy underwear. Potty boot camp started one week ago with a vengeance. And a bit of refusal, a few tears and 1 or 2 accidents. But I tried to stay firm with the plan and with the rewards and 3 days into training, we started to see results! Of course we had to promise the world (or in Logan's case, buckets of candy, a boatload of stickers and a Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet) in exchange for the toilet, but in the end, it was worth it. Now all the worry and frustration regarding potty training can be transferred to something else until it comes back when it's Meyer's turn. Which hopefully will go smoother since he'll want to be just like his big brother.

Let's hear it for my boys!

summer in the city.

Summertime and the living is busy!!!! I stole that line from my little sister Lindsay's blog because it's oh so true. :) And I've spent some time with my sisters this week so it's perfect!!



I'm the oldest of 3 girls. Laura is 2 years younger than me, and Lindsay is 9.5 years younger than me. My sisters are so much fun and I have a ball occasionally living vicariously through their lives as single ladies. Kind of like I did last week. One of our favorite things to do together is eat. All 3 of us LOVE food. I'm the cook out of the 3 of us, though I've inspired Lindsay to cook more often and she's learning the tricks of the trade. Laura can hold her own and we've cooked together a number of times. But I know her favorites and trade meals for haircuts or her babysitting services. It's a great system. ;)

So earlier in the week we made plans to head to the city for dinner. It was a beautiful evening to spend in downtown Chicago. As we headed down LSD, there were so many people out enjoying the weather. I saw countless runners along the lakefront and kind of wished I was one of them...what a gorgeous night for a run! Along with loving to eat, we also love to try new restaurants and different cuisines. Which brought us to a place called Bolat, which is African and a Sub-Saharan culinary excursion. The service was painfully slow (we got there at 8, were seated at 9, and didn't leave till after 10) but the food was great!



Our appetizer was Fried Yams with a trio of dipping sauces- black pepper, spicy tomato and spicy peanut. We were eating the sauces with our spoons, partly from hunger and partly because they were very tasty. The yams were fried perfect.

We split 2 entrees. First up was goat and steamed rice in a fried pepper sauce called Ayumashe. It was Nigerian. Delicious, but super spicy. I had one cube of goat and it was tasty, but I wasn't sure what part of the goat the rest of the meat was from so I stayed away!



We also had a dish from Liberia- an okra and bitterleaf stew served up with fufu, which is a spongy yam starch you pull apart with your fingers, roll, and flatten out to pick up the food. It was decent- the texture was off because okra is kind of slimy, but it was tasty. We also had coconut rice and that was delicious also.



All in all, the experience made me want to try Ethiopian food sometime soon!

Then it was off to Duffy's for $1 drafts and to rock out to some 80s music courtesy of the Spazmatics. My sisters have been loyal followers of this band for awhile now and I was finally introduced to a few of the members. The lead singer totally reminds me of Matt's best friend Kevin...too funny! They are actually pretty good and even let Laura sing one of their songs- Your Love by The Outfield- which totally brought back lots of 80s memories for me. What a fun night with my sisters. Lots of laughs and love. Awwww. :)

13.1 chicago half marathon race report.

My 3rd half marathon has come and gone. It's funny- when I register for a race, it always seems so far away and when I'm officially training, it feels like I'm training for weeks on end! But it's over now and in a weird way, I wish it had just begun! Maybe that's my way of telling myself that it's time to register for another half. Hmmmm. ;)

In the few days leading up to the race I was worried. The weather was forecasted to be humid and hot- up to 90 degrees. Ugh. That is the worst weather for running- especially considering I am not acclimated to hot weather running and try to pick the coolest part of the day to get my run in. So on Saturday, my husband headed to the local running store and picked up an Amphipod handheld water bottle for me. Just in case.

Turned out I had absolutely nothing to worry about! I woke up at 4:45 on race day morning to overcast skies and sub-60 degree temps. I was actually cold as I stepped outside! First stop- ATM. I needed some cash for the parking garage. My bank was doing a conversion that weekend but we had new debit/atm cards that were fully activated. I inserted my card...and nothing happened. With each passing second, my panic started rising. I was going to be late for the race!!! Finally, after 3 minutes, the screen changed and allowed me to access my account. PHEW. I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed my receipt, card and moolah and headed to the expressway.

I pulled into the parking garage right at 6:00 am and hopped on a shuttle that would take me to the start of the race. The south shore area near the lake is so beautiful and peaceful...I definitely need to check it out sometime when I have a chance. The grounds were open on race day, but the building was closed to maintain historic integrity. I followed the crowds and headed to my corral, but first I had to stop for a potty break. Badly. That's when I saw the line...but I had to go, so I waited. And waited and waited and waited. It felt like I was making zero headway to the port-a-potty (and I still had to drop my bag at gear check!) so I ducked out of line and found another shorter one. I did spot my friend Mandi while I was in line, but she was making a beeline for the potty too!

It was finally my turn and then I made a mad dash for gear check, dropped my bag and headed to find corral L. L for is for Lucky! The race hadn't started yet! So we spent another 20 minutes or so herded like cattle as we moved up to the start line. Ready, set, GO!

mile 1: 10:03, right on pace. I figured if I spent the first couple of miles right at a 10 minute pace, I could acclimate. The weather was perfect- cool and overcast.

mile 2: 10:09. Still right on track!! Most of the course was right on the lakefront path, which was good and bad. It was super narrow, and didn't allow for much passing room- which I wasn't doing much of. Yet. :)

mile 3: 9:14. Well, things were starting to move quicker!! It was around this time I was running on some uneven pavement and twisted my foot slightly. No harm done, but I needed to watch my step a bit more carefully!

mile 4: 9:02. I was starting to pass people, and came very close to having a serious run in with an orange traffic cone. They might as well have been hurdles! I was so tempted to jump over one! But then I thought better of it. :) And this was when I saw the first elite runner making his return trip. Absolutely incredible!!

mile 5: 8:52. Starting to find my stride. I was feeling good! Popped a blok around this time with a water chaser. I didn't feel depleted, but a jolt of energy now would come in handy later! It seemed like there were lots of aid stations available!!

mile 6: 9:32. I must have slowed down a bit. Weird.

turnaround/mile 7: 7:13/1:31. Halfway point!! My time was about 1:04 at this point. I was feeling good, but not sure if I would be able to keep up this pace for the rest of the race...and I was going to have to shave off some time if I wanted to come in under 2 hours which was a goal of mine.

mile 8: 9:13. I was starting to feel it in my thighs, but just a tad. Still feeling strong!

mile 9: 9:19. Keeping a steady pace now.

mile 10: 9:29. The Museum of Science & Industry was back in view! I was imagining the spectators with the faces of all my friends and family cheering me on and it definitely helped my motivation!!

mile 11: 9:09. Home stretch now! My thighs were on fire, but mind over matter!!

mile 12: 9:25. Right around La Rabida Children's Hospital. I was running behind 2 girls who were also having leg muscle issues, but I kept going strong!! I headed back onto the SSCC property to lots of hoots and hollers. I tried rousing the crowd a little to cheer for the runners- it does wonders for me, so I wanted to pay it forward a little. Random shouts of "Go Lisa!" made me run faster!!

mile 13/finish: 9:31/:13. As soon as I crossed the 13 mile marker, I sprinted toward the finish chute and finished strong! Yay! Official time was 2:02:02. Not too bad, if I do say so myself! Even though I was hoping to stay under 2 hours, there is always next time. I picked up my bag and a slice of yummy Lou Malnati's deep dish and headed home for brunch with my family.

first steps, etc.

It feels like a lifetime has passed since I last updated my blog! So many things have been going on, it's been hard to keep up!



First off, Meyer is officially walking!!! I thought he'd be on the move a bit earlier than 14.5 months, but it's just another milestone he and his big brother have in common...late walker. He's only walking about 65% of the time, but he's doing a pretty good job practicing! I'm 100% sure he'll be giving Evel Knievel a run for his money one of these days. The kid has no fear and has already had more faceplants than I can count. So let's hear a big hooray for Meyer!

I lost my camera. We were looking at getting a new one anyway, but I'm still so bummed about it. The boys and I went to Touch a Truck on Friday. We go every year. There is a great park close to us that hosts this annual event. Since Logan loves trucks of all shapes and sizes, he has a blast. He can pretend he's Fireman Sam off to save the world, or that he's Bob the Builder helping to construct our new house. Teehee. Anyway, my mind was on something else as usual and next thing I know, my camera is missing. Thanks to my friend Renee for dealing with my freak-out.

This weekend was so, so busy! Dinner at my parents', a visit from my dad and carbing up for my big race on Sunday was on the agenda. I always try to eat a big pasta dinner before a race and so I decided to make my famous Penne alla Vodka. I got this recipe years ago and it's actually from a Lidia Bastianich cookbook. It's delicious and has that "restaurant quality at home" vibe going on. Enjoy!

recipe: Penne Alla Vodka
source: Lidia Bastianich

Salt
35 oz. can San Marzano plum tomatoes (I've been using Racconto crushed tomatoes lately)
1 lb. penne
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled
crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c. vodka
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter or olive oil for finishing the sauce (optional)
2-3 tbsp. fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
grated parmesan cheese

Bring water to boil for pasta, add salt, and cook pasta till done.

Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into the bowl of a food processor. Using pulses, process the tomatoes just until they are finely chopped. Don't process any longer- this will aerate the tomatoes and turn them pink.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic loves w/the side of a knive and add them to the hot oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, till the garlic is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Lower the bowl of tomatoes close to the skillet and carefully slide the tomatoes into the pan. Bring to a boil, season lightly with salt and generously with crushed red pepper, and boil 2 minutes. Pour in the vodka, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and simmer till the pasta is ready.

Just before the pasta is done, fish the garlic cloves out of the sauce and pour in the cream. Add the 2 tbsp. of butter or oil, if using, and swirl the skillet to incorporate into the sauce. If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta w/sauce. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and red pepper if needed. Sprinkle the parsley over the pasta and boil till the sauce is reduced enough to cling to the pasta. Serve immediately, passing the cheese.

here's the plan, stan.

Why is it that the week before a big race I stress out about the tiniest details? Well, maybe my concerns are valid, because it's supposed to be muggy, hot and rainy the day of my race...and one of my concerns is proper hydration. I haven't been able to acclimate myself to hot weather running as much as I'd like, so I'm going to take my friend Missy's advice and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!! I just hope I can keep my potty breaks to a minimum.

It looks like I'm driving into the city for the race. I was trying to avoid that by taking public transportation, but all the trains from the burbs to the city won't get me to the south shore until AFTER the race has begun. My best bet is to park in the south loop and take the Metra Electric line to the South Shore stop. The problem with this scenario? I have to be in the city by 5:00 in the morning. Which means I'll be over an hour and a half early for the race. No fun if I have to hang out in the rain!

Speaking of Stan...the Chicago Blackhawks brought the Stanley Cup home to Chicago!! How awesome for our city. So the Cup has been making it's way around the city...pretty cool!

fuel belt, schmuel belt.

The boys and I spent a lovely afternoon with Grandma (my mom) and Gigi (my grandma) today! Gigi's company was a nice surprise...she has problems with her knee and walking long distances is difficult for her. But she did great today! Sunshine, burgers and beer outside, girl talk...what more could you ask for?

The plan was to stop off at the running store for a fuel belt for my race on Sunday. I definitely need to carry water to keep myself hydrated in case the temps soar like they are supposed to. In Chicago, you never know. We walked in, I tried one on, liked the fit, and then I looked at the price tag. Um, $50 for a velcro belt and 4 attached water bottles? A bit too pricy for me! So I inconspicuously put it back right where I found it.

The other plan was to play at the park after lunch, but the weather started to look dicey so we headed into the bookstore so Logan could play with the train table. He could spend hours with a train table and gladly would have...as you can probably guess, the inevitable meltdown occurred as we were leaving. No park after that and we headed back home.



Then I did a little bit of research on fuel belts. See, this information would have helped BEFORE I went to the store, as I found that Amphipod makes an ergonomic hand held water bottle/strap that also has a pocket. I'm used to carrying my uncomfortable water bottle in my hand, so this would be fine for me. And at under $20- cost-efficient too. Lesson learned!

sunday, sunday.

Normally, Sundays are lazy days in our house. Today is an exception though- my husband left before 7 this morning for "his" day...drag races with his brother. He's been looking forward to this for weeks! I hope he has a great time. The weather is gorgeous...and I'm sure the cars will be racing great!

After the super busy Saturday we had, Matt deserves a day to himself! We headed out early to catch the 64th Annual Pet Parade in downtown LaGrange. I grew up going to this parade. It was definitely something I looked forward to every year because the parade took place the first weekend in June, and that meant that the school year was almost over. This year was a bit of a bust though thanks to the torrential downpours that continued through the entire duration of the parade. Waterlogged tootsie rolls, anyone? Maybe next year will be dry.

Onto a lunchtime BBQ at my cousin's house, where Logan learned all about Spiderman costumes and Stormtrooper helmets. Of course, the helmet is his new obsession and he will be the proud owner of one once he's potty-trained. If anything, we will always look back on the Pet Parade, 2010 fondly, because that's the day that Meyer started being more confident in his walking abilities.

Anyway...I've been up since 4, tossing and turning and thinking. I hate when I wake up way early and can't get back to sleep because my mind is going full speed ahead! So I headed out for a 4.5 mile run at 6 to get my day off to the right start. I was really stressing about not having time to run a total of 15 miles this weekend. But I was able to switch my schedule around so I did 10 miles on Friday, and the remainder this morning. I really should start ALL my days off with a run- gets it out of the way and lets me enjoy the rest of my day!!

Dinner is done. I started prepping this delicious casserole a few days ago and now it's in the fridge ready to be popped in the oven for dinner! I've made this recipe several times and I always forget one step...so I switched it up a bit and maybe it will be better than usual. Or worse...you never know. :)

Recipe: Cowboy Chicken Casserole
Source: Emeril Lagasse

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound white button mushrooms, wiped clean and stems trimmed, quartered
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
12 cups tortilla chips
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped, optional
8 ounces grated Pepper Jack
8 ounces grated Cheddar
1 tablespoon Emeril's Southwest Seasoning, recipe follows
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

Directions
Combine the chicken, chicken stock, wine, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the oregano, and bay leaves in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and tear or cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve the chicken. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over high heat until foamy. Add the mushrooms, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and all the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the flour, stir to blend, and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken cooking liquid, stir, and cook until very thick and flavorful, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place the tortilla chips in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass casserole. Crush the chips with your hands so they form a thin layer on the bottom of the dish. Pour 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid over the tortilla chips and allow them to soak up the liquid. Scatter the chicken over the top of the tortilla layer. Spread the chopped onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos evenly over the chicken. Top with half of the grated cheeses. Sprinkle with the Southwest Seasoning, chili powder and ground cumin. Spoon the reserved mushroom mixture evenly over the top of the spices, then top with the tomatoes and green chiles. Cover with the remainder of the cheeses. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the casserole is heated through. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Tip: This casserole may be prepared in advance and frozen until ready to use. Simply allow it to thaw 1 day in the refrigerator and come to room temperature before baking.