Forks Over Knives

The post holiday bloat started to hit the other night as I sat on the couch with my boyfriend.  All the yummy roasts, cookies, bread, dips, and other holiday delights started taking up residence in my body.  It's as thought I could feel the richness ooze through my veins.  Do I regret a moment of it?  Not in the least.  However, with the indulgences comes the consequential need to reevaluate your diet.


The day before Christmas Eve, a bunch of us had gone to Houlihans to catch up for a few hours.  While there, one of our friends mentioned that she had recently decided to go vegan after watching Forks Over Knives, a movie highlighting the absolute correlation between the food we eat and our health.


Now, having read the book, Skinny Bitch, I was already well acquainted with the nuances of the Vegan diet and one approach to trying to convert people.  Actually, after reading that book I bought their cookbook and went Vegan for six weeks.  I instantly felt healthier, more energized, and lost weight.  However, the lack of meat gave me headaches, so I readjusted slightly and went back to eating meat and cheese.


However, after having gorged myself on said meat and cheese over the holidays, watching Forks Over Knives was an excellent reminder about the effects of being conscious eaters.  What you eat truly matters.  It has extreme effects on health, on energy, on cancer, and just on your overall quality of life.  And, having been reminded, I found that my newfound plant appreciation has helped me instantly regain control over the holiday bloat.  Thank you, Forks Over Knives.


So, if you have not seen the movie, I highly recommend it.  It has wonderful research, incredible doctors and stories, and excellent insight on the importance of health.  I might even go so far as to say maybe health classes should start showing it.  


Happy New Year and healthy eating to all!

Holiday Movie Classics

Every year around the holidays, I love watching a slew of different Christmas movies to really get me into the spirit of things.  It's an old tradition back to when I was a kid, and one that also usually involved making chocolate chip cookies (happily, I'll admit to eating more cookie dough than actual cookies, but, alas, that was just part of the experience).


Some of the movies I love watching are old favorites from our family's tradition, and some are newfound favorites I've come to love over the years.  If you're looking for a few good movies to watch either on your own or with your family, here are the list of my favorites:


Old Traditions:
White Christmas
A Charlie Brown's Christmas
Garfield's Christmas
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
The Santa Clause
All the Claymation Movies


New Favorites:
Elf
The Holiday
Love Actually
A Muppet's Christmas Carol (no, this is not a new movie, but I was only recently introduced to it!)


Other Good Ones, but not necessarily favorites:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (both cartoon and Jim Carrey versions)
Miracle on 34th Street
It's a Wonderful Life
Four Christmases
Polar Express


So, happy watching, and maybe even family time...and may your chocolate chip cookies actually make it into the oven!

A Class Above the Rest

I attended an event last night at the Drake, Chicago.  It's a world-famous hotel located at the corner of North Michigan Ave and Lake Shore Drive, or 1000 N Michigan Ave.  (That's the corner with Chanel & Louis Vuitton, as well as the corner next to 900 N with Michael Kors, Gucci, etc)  So, we can safely say this is the "It places" of Michigan Avenue.


For those who may not understand the prestige following the Drake, it can look a little underwhelming from the outsides, at least by today's sky-scraper, modern everything standards.  It's a modest 10 floors (guest floors) or so, the outside is of the 1920s style, but the inside demands reverence.  It's stunning.  It's like the Chicago version of the Waldorf in New York.  It's gorgeous.  In fact, on of its banquet rooms is famous: the Gold Coast Room.  Yes, the "Gold Coast Room".  The ceiling and pillars are painted in gold flakes, and it's on the gold coast.  Gorgeous!  Breathtaking.  Hi, I want to be married there.


The night ended at the Coq d'Or, a dining room on the ground floor.  It's dark wooded, heavily paneled, smoke room lounge chairs, and it just gives you the feeling of being in a 1920s speakeasy.  The menu is unique but pricey, however, it affords the price as the company and atmosphere are great.  As are the french fries.  Wow.  They're also known for their bookbinder soup.  I haven't had it yet, but it's supposed to be yummy.


In all, this is a place you need to add to your list of Chicago attractions, even if it's just for a quick walk-through.  The Christmas decorations were impeccably done.  I'm just sorry I forgot to take pictures.  Next time, maybe even soon, I'll be sure to right that.  'Til then, it's just a fond memory.

Lulu.com Holiday Deal

For all you wonderful readers, Lulu.com is having a Free Ground Shipping event from now until December 6th!  Just enter:  "SLEIGHRIDES" and you'll get free ground shipping on your order!  How awesome!  Now all those books you wanted for Christmas can come right to your door.  How convenient.  :-)  Or you can even pick up my book, Living with B: A College Girl's Struggle with Bulimia and Everyday Life, because, hey, I know it's been your "books to read" list for quite some time now.


So go for it.  Treat yourself, and enjoy some free shipping!

A Clothing Craving

I've determined that women have the same relationship with clothes shopping that they do with sweets:  A love / hate.  We love to do it, but hate when we either can't find what we're looking for or things just don't fit right.


Here's what I mean.  Tonight I went to return an item I had purchased on-line on Black Friday.  (and this is yet another reason why I don't like clothes shopping online.  Things always fit differently than you pictured.)  So, I was taking my clothes back to simply exchange them for new ones.  New whats exactly?  Sweaters.  I need more sweaters for the winter.  So, I was on a hunt for sweaters.


Tried on sweaters.  Nope.  Tried on more sweaters.  Nope.  Tried on even more sweaters.  Still nope.


Stupid sweaters.


So, I simply returned my item, pocketed some moolah and went to a different store hoping to try my luck.  This is the "love" part of the shopping.  We love to do it.  The "hate" part?  Still didn't find any sweaters.  They either fit funny, weren't flattering, or just looked plain God-awful once on.  You all know what I'm talking about.  It's the item that makes you make that atrocious face in the mirror and take the clothes off faster than you put them on.  That's the "God awful" one.  And yup, there were a few of those tonight.


In all, I ended up with a few extra $$ in my pocket, a defeated sense of accomplishment and style (because, let's face it, when nothing fits you feel defeated), and the question of when I might be able to go back and find something that fits.  And the circle begins.  Love it, hate it, love it, hate it.  But we keep going back.  


....now if only there were some chocolate cake...

Debate Anyone?

Up for a good little debate with some people?  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE and see if it doesn't make you want to debate the points in it with a few people.  Food for thought?  I think so.  Choose whichever side you like, but I'm certain it will get your wheels turning.

Brazzaz!

Tonight I was treated to a wonderfully amazing dinner at Brazzaz, a Brazilian Steakhouse.  I'd been to one before, about five years prior.  As an intern for a Chicago company, one luncheon all the interns attended was at a Fogo de Chao, another Brazilian steakhouse in Chicago.


Here is what I learned between visits 1 and 2, even though they were five years apart.  


1)  The salad bar is yummy, but remember you're paying for the meat, not the salad.  Don't Fill Up There!


2)  Ask yourself the following when eating something, "Is this good enough to take away stomach space for the other options?"  If the answer is "NO," STOP EATING and wait to enjoy something worthy of your remaining stomach space.  If the answer is "YES!", then SAVOR, SAVOR, SAVOR!


3)  Expect to take a good two hours to eat.  The slower you eat, the more you enjoy, the more patient you force yourself to become, and therefore the less likely you are to "scarf down" food.  No one likes meat-induced stomach pain.


4)  Picaña is AMAZING, at least at Brazzaz.  It was hands down my favorite, followed closely by the filet mignon.  It was like peppered, crispy, heaven, that melted like butter in your mouth.  I think I had fourths tonight.


Brazzaz is absolutely a better option.  Sorry Fogo, but I vote Brazzaz.  So on your next romantic getaway, dinner with your best friends, or simply a treat unto itself, a little "well done" reservations go a long way.

Label and Ingredient Education

it saddens me to know that people have become so good about reading labels on things like their food, understanding hormones and chemical additives in things like their milk or vegetables, but still have so little an idea on what impact their skin care products have on their bodies.


Think you know about your products?  Think you know about Cetaphil?  Read This and then take a look at your own product labels.  What you put on your skin is ingested into your blood stream in under 30 seconds.  Maybe it's time to rethink some of those bathroom faves.  Don't just be concerned with your edible health, be concerned with all of it.

Holiday Treats!

Admittedly, lie most other people, I'm a sucker for holiday treats.  However, they may not be the same treats you had in mind.  Don't get me wrong, I love a Reese's peanut butter cup or bag of M&Ms, but I'm more talking more about seasonal love, the things you only get during the fall holiday time.  


LIKE....PUMPKINS!!!!!  I LOVE PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!  Pumpkin bread, homemade pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes!  Yum Yum!  Even putting a little pumpkin pie filling (from the can) in greek yogurt with cinnamon!  Wow.  Haven't tried it?  Highly recommend it!  Plus, then you get to cook the pumpkin seeds and carve fun faces into the hollow shell.  Thanks so much to boyfriend's uncannay knack for taking photos on his iPad, these are some of the holiday photo fun.  Recognize this guy?  Jack Skeleton from Nightmare Before Christmas.  (Sad to admit, had never seen it before.  I'm a huge scardy cat.  That absolutely played a huge part in that decision.  And, also admittedly, Tom Burton is a little terrifying.  It's a wonderful produced movie, but absolutely horrifying.  As a little kid, I would have had nightmares!)....
...wait...as a big kid I still do.....hmmm.....oh well!

Need a good pumpkin seed recipe?  Parmesan Cheese, garlic salt, olive oil, and really good oven.  Watch out, they get crispy quickly, but they are absolutely worth the work!

And, of course, last but not least, mulled apple cider!  We paired ours with bacon cheesy mac (yes, I said cheesy mac!).  Trader Joe's Mac & Cheese with Rice pasta is phenomenal, whether you're gluten free or just looking for a yummy alternative.  And the combined flavors, plus the cinnamon apple cider:  an explosion of amazing flavors!  You feel a bit like Remy in Ratatouille when everything blacks out and all you see are colorful swirly things and hear music in the background.  Yes, it was that good.

Now....what's next.... :-)

Here Comes the (Lake Geneva) Bride

That's right, Lake Geneva bride.  This weekend I had the privilege of being invited to a good friend's wedding.  My boyfriend happened to be in the bridal party, which helped because we knew most of the people there, but even just the scenery was gorgeous.


The bride and groom chose Lake Geneva for their wedding.  It's their favorite place, as they make frequent trips during the year and also happened to get engaged at this lake...ergo making it extra special.  Having never been myself (at least not since I was 7 or 8 and therefore it not counting), I had no idea what to expect, and WOW....I was amazed.


Our accommodations, although not cheap, were great for the area.  We stayed at some Lodge on WI-50.  The rooms were huge and the bathrooms some of the nicest I've ever seen for a hotel of that price.  The even better part was that the reception, at Geneva National Golf Course, was just literally a half mile down the road, so the hotel was able to provide shuttle service between.  


With an outdoor wedding, the golf course was prime real estate.  Uncertain of the weather, we were all slightly weary for most of the morning, hoping it would be only mildly cold and not windy, and boy did we luck out.  It was perfect - a little on the chilly side, but perfect.  The view was phenomenal, and easily one of the best I've seen.  If we could just duplicate that for every wedding that would be great.


So, in all, great weekend, and I've discovered a great and cute little vacation spot only just outside the city!

Feast

...as in, the restaurant!  Yes, have a feast at Feast, the classy, nouveau riche restaurant on Damen, just north of Milwaulkee in Chicago's Wicker Park.  It's cute outdoor cafe is perfect for the summers and late spring / early fall weather, and the indoor decor is extremely inviting. 


And the food?  AMAZING!!  It was girls night last weekend, and a few friends and I met up for wine, good friends, and some really great food.  The drink menu is well rounded, from standard good wine to girly ___tinis and mixed fares, and all are average priced for the city.  The food is phenomenal, and we tried lots of things.  We're girls.  We dabble in each others' entrees.  


For starters, we had their guacamole and standard bread rolls (the bread rolls were free and had a delicious red pepper/butter spread with them!)  The guac came with homemade chips and they were, hands down, some of the best tortilla chips I've ever hand.  In the same vein, though, I love fresh, deep fried dough, so this was heaven on a plate.  We were initially a little worried by the size of the guacamole bowl, but the dip was dense and the bowl much deeper than it appeared.  It was plenty of food for a starter for 3 people.


Main courses included a black bean burger and sweet potato fries for one girl and a breaded chicken dish for the other.  Trust me, they don't skimp on the portions.  There were lots of leftovers and loads of sharing.  My dinner was a compilation of a side salad and appetizer.  The apple, pecan, and manchego cheese salad was awesome.  The textures and flavors were light and just fruity/ nutty enough to work together, and it was the perfect lead-in to my main dish:  chorizo stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates.  W-O-W!  


I fell in love with bacon-wrapped dates at a friend's dinner party a few months back.  I'd never had a date, on its own, before, let alone one wrapped in bacon.  Well, because bacon makes everything better and the bacon is countered by the sweetness of the date, it was a combination made in Ratatouille heaven.  Remy would have loved it!  And so did I, so when I saw this restaurant had them AND that they were stuffed, it was a no brainer.  I received four, plump, overstuffed, wonderful dates on the plate and savored every one of them.  They were magnificent, a "must" for all people who also love bacon.  


In short, a great find and wonderful twist on regular gastro fun.  

Book Recognition!

Yay!  Living with B: A College Girl's Struggle with Bulimia and Everyday Life has been recommended on another blog.  Click Here to See It!  It's about midway down on the right hand side!  Thanks so much to my wonderful readers!  May you remember your worth the best of everything!

Your Future Home

Well known to most of us, the world is changing.  Expectations are changing, paradigms are shifting, and reality is throwing many of those "norms" for a loop.  One such "norm" is the standard house.  Maybe you love your house, maybe it's more than you happen to be able to afford anymore, or maybe you're longing to move out of your current home situation into a place of your very own.  Regardless of your standing, there is projected truth to what your future home will look like.  And I'm not talking 2056.  I'm talking as early as 2015.


Yes, that's right.  In a mere three years that lovely place you call home will shift.  Okay, so it's a bit of a lie; your current house is not going anywhere.  However, should you look to new construction, expect to see some varying standards.  Certain things will increase while others slowly vanish.  Who needs a "mud room" anymore?  Let's just make the laundry room bigger!  And living rooms?  Do you really use yours?  (honestly, do you?)  People are looking to "great rooms", where multiple areas are connected to things like the kitchen.  And, ladies, expect more walk in closets (yay!), and the probably still standard 2-car garage.


Overall, however, expect home sizes to be shrinking and to enjoy more things like ceiling fans.  People are starting to look at going green and saving money.  Small houses and less square footage allow for such savings.  Why pay to heat a room you don't use?  And in the same vein, why pay for an obnoxious AC bill when turning on the fans might do just the trick?  See, these things are catching wind in the architecture and real estate worlds.  Those things that are a concern might just be the catalyst for those changes we are so likely to see.


So, I ask, what does your future "dream home" look like?

A Touch of Southern Breakfast

There's nothing quite like brunch out with family.  This morning we made our way to a new venue.  Well, it's only "new" by time slot I guess.  The Southern is one of our favorite places for dinner when we're in the mood for good 'ole Southern cooking.  What we hadn't yet tried was their Sunday brunch menu. 


And we were absolutely missing out on something spectacular.  Open at 11, Sunday brunch is everything you would imagine, and all with a delicious and aromatic Southern twist.  The menu is anything from "normal", at least, "normal" according to midwestern "bacon and eggs" standard.  Oh, they have them, but general, "bacon, eggs, and a side of biscuits" is all a "pick a side" compilation dish.  Most menu options are more intricate, more flavorful, and way more Southern.  One of our party goers had Shrimp and Cheese grits which was superbly yummy and with just a kick of heat and red pepper topping.  My boyfriend had the "messy" breakfast, or french fries, egg, cheese, bacon, and gravy all in one big bowl.  I chose the "all sides" option of scrambled eggs and fruit and the last person in our party also did an "all sides" meal of bacon, eggs, cheese grits and homemade biscuits.  Wow.  


But even more than that, their donuts are incredible, dipped in sugar and surrounded by a coffee glaze dipping sauce.  The banana's foster french toast is humongous and thick, and the bloody mary's put other drinks to shame.  Everything was perfect, and everything screamed "Southern, homecooked goodness."  Now, who's up for next Sunday?

THEE

Tonight's dinner delight?  Asian fare.  We tried this new Asian restaurant behind my boyfriend's place in the city.  It's on North Avenue just a block or so east of Milwaukee in Wicker Park.  Previously a different restaurant, this new restaurant just opened, boasting 15% off.  Discounted food?  DONE!


What a great choice!  I love Asian food because it's healthy, spiced really well, fresh, and has some of my favorite flavors.  I knew, however, that I wanted something a little out of the ordinary.  I usually just go for Tom Yum soup, Thai Basil fried rice, and Pad Thai.  This time, however, I twisted my norms just a little.  I ordered Seaweed Salad (which was, hands down, one of my favorite seaweed salads EVER!!!) and Eel and Shrimp fried rice.  To my pleasure, the fried rice was topped with roe, but the eel was a little "squishier" than I would have liked.  I was hoping it would be crispier, but it was at least still yummy.  


My boyfriend ordered Crab Rangoons and Scallops in fried rice.  YUM!  I hate cream cheese, but I loved the fried dough part of the rangoons, and he said that they were beyond perfection:  hot and steamy on the outside and cold cream cheese on the inside.  The rice dish was great and just spicy enough without being super hot.  Again 100% perfection.


The decor and feel of the place is also wonderful.  It's light and calming, the sage and black decor adds to the experience and it's very spacious inside, from ceiling to floor at least.  I really hope it does well because I would absolutely return.  It's also BYOB so you can bring whatever tickles your fancy, but that also helps keep the cost of the food to a reasonable amount.  I absolutely and completely recommend it.  I'd love to see them stay in business!