It’s a pretty bold move to name a restaurant after one of  your menu items. Can you imagine if the streets were lined with WIENER SCHNITZELs or CAESAR SALADs? You’d go in pretty much expecting the best damn schnitzel or salads of your life, right? That’s why it was so exciting for me to finally try Honey Butter Fried Chicken, a joint situated on a sharp corner smack dab in the middle of Avondale.

I took my dad there this past weekend for a late lunch and after snagging some free parking out front (a rarity in Chicago) we were inside and ready to feast.

HBFC is counter service so they don’t take reservations. I can only imagine the fights that happen when finding seating during peak hours, because even at 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon the dining room was nearly full. We had both already looked at the menu online (like father like daughter) and were both set on our meal choices: The OG sandwich for me + the four piece meal for him. We also grabbed a few sides, of course, because we’re not savages: cornbread and mashed potatoes+gravy. I also got a diet coke for the first time in god knows how long because clearly this was a diet kind of day.

We took our seats and looked at the menu again, almost silently debating if we’d consider getting more meals to go. They have so many options at HBFC that I was having serious food FOMO about potentially missing out on other deliciousness. Thankfully our food was out in less than ten minutes and we were off.

Let’s just get this right out in the open. The fried chicken with their signature honey butter slathered on top of it is better than Christmas morning meets your first frat party meets the day you got your driver’s license meets your wedding day (something I have yet to experience but I promise this was better). It was so many descriptive words that I’ll just leave it at that so I don’t drown in a sea of my own hyperboles. The chicken came out piping hot and fresh (they use local, antibiotic-free chicken) with crispy-as-sin skin and juicy meat. The honey butter melted on top of it like a symphony of sweet+salty flavor and we just kept looking at each other in disbelief for how freaking stellar it was.

Honestly — you could put that honey butter on a gas station bathroom doorknob and it would be an outstanding culinary experience.

Next up was the OG sandwich: fried chicken strips, candied jalapeno mayo and crunchy slaw. I’m pretty sure the slaw was pickled vegetables which isn’t my jam normally but after taking some of it off to make the punch less packed, this was a bomb sandwich. Plus it was very photogenic which is really what it’s all about, right?

The whole meal was as close to perfection as it gets, and we even sat back and reflected for a few minutes after we were done. The vibe there is like a hipster Buffalo Wild Wings, with the addition of cool artwork and awesome sunlight that comes from being on such a prominent street corner.

To sum it all up, the people are cool, the chicken is fab, the place itself is eclectic without sacrificing class and cleanliness, and I am one day further from being a supermodel. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there, from the patrons to the employees. I instantly felt part of some kind of “club,” one that doesn’t think twice about combining honey, butter, and fried chicken (and why would they? It’s genius!)

HBFC is closed on Monday and Tuesday (understandably to give those poor chickens a break) but every other day they stay open until 9 or 10 pm, leaving no excuse for anyone not to try it. They accept cash and credit but not reservations. Walk in, order, and fight for a seat Hunger Games-style. Check out their menu or Instagram and get in there if you can!

PS I just found out they deliver and are also hiring. To say I’m overstimulated and overwhelmed with the beauty of life right now is an understatement.

 

Chicago locals, if you’ve been walking around River North lately (maybe headed to Portillo’s? You’ve got my full support), you may have seen construction going up around Clark and Erie.

I’ve been hearing about Studio Three for months now, and just about all I could gather was that it was a boutique fitness studio comprised of three workouts in one: HIIT, yoga, and peloton cycling. But when I found out that my good friend would be managing there, I was more excited than ever to check it out for its soft opening.

I stopped over last night for media night and was met with a bright, vibrant studio oozing energy in only a way that a brand new studio can. There was something particularly exciting about this opening. As you can probably assume from its classification as a “boutique” studio, this event wasn’t frizzy-haired college grads handing out Kind bars. The space was filled to the brim with heel-wearing, LBD-clad, Chicago 20 and 30-somethings all ready to see the new “it” place “on the scene.” I felt 200% underdressed and underprepared for the chicness of this event, but at the same time it struck a chord of excitement in me. Chicago fitness includes pretty much everything you can imagine, so it takes a lot to get people excited. Having one location for three types of workouts (plus a juice bar) is unlike anything I’ve seen and as a huge community buff, it excites me to know that there’s now a place in our big city where you can get it all in, and still only pay one membership fee. Everyone wants a Cheers-type relationship with their gym, right? Where everybody knows your name…

The most appealing part of this fitness conglomerate is that it’s comprised of three floors with three distinct fitness adventures. The top floor is home to a beautiful yoga studio and underground there is a HIIT studio. On the main floor is their Peloton cycling studio.

 

I have yet to try all three spaces but was lucky enough to get a preview spin class on Monday night with Erin, one of our lululemon ambassadors, and it. was. tough. I don’t know why I had the idea that spin was an “easy” workout. This class was a wake-up call. The room is heated and the bikes are able to go up to an insane amount of resistance (something Erin was sure to hit throughout class). I left covered in sweat and definitely did my share of huffing and puffing (but don’t worry, there was plenty of towel-waving, cheering, and dancing to balance it out). The coolest part was the Peloton technology: every Peloton class is live-streamed and at-home Peloton users can log in and take the class too. So as you’re looking at your stats, you’ll see everyone in the room who has logged on as well as everyone at home playing along. It’s like a live-action video game!

Since I’ve reviewd both Flywheel and SoulCycle here, I think it’s only fair to compare the three. I have to say I liked Studio Three much better than SoulCycle because it felt like less of an emotional experience/dance party and more of a hardcore workout. That’s just the kind of experience I except when I pay to workout. It was not much different than Flywheel except for the lighting and music, which felt sexier and more fun. Flywheel feels like you’re biking in an underground rave in Amsterdam at 3am and you’re not really sure if the sun is about to rise or if a meteor has hit the earth. Studio Three feels like you’re cycling with Arianna Grande at her favorite club at 11pm but will definitely be out by midnight to stop for frozen yogurt (not doughnuts though, am I right Ari?)

No judgment, girl. I too have been tempted to lick donuts on the shelf I just can’t imagine how short that counter must have been for you to reach it.

In other words, cycling at Studio Three is the sweet, sweet lovechild of Flywheel + SoulCycle. The best of both worlds.

I still have to try out the other two studios but I was able to meander around the place on media night and pretend like I was supposed to be there (I spotted a Chicago news anchor from across the room and just about had a heart attack. This is proof I shouldn’t be allowed in nice places).

First of all, the space is gorgeous. Along with the three studios, Studio Three is home to the new Real Good Juice Co. location. I’ll be honest — I cannot afford juice. I can afford good meals, but not juice. But I LOVE Real Good Juice. They have the nicest staff, the most delicious juice options, and awesome offerings like dried coconut jerky. The day I win the lottery I’ll be hanging out at Real Good much more often. Until then, I hoard samples like the penny-pincher I am.

The rest of the building was filled to the brim with fitness bloggers, media hustlers, and many of Chicago’s top trainers, all excited to see what the buzz was about.

Opening day is today, 11/18, and needless to say I will definitely be back to try out their HIIT workout. I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to lift dumbbells in a blacklight-laden room (hello, Destiny’s Child music video!) and you can’t help but feel sexy in that kind of atmosphere.

Drop-ins for your first class are $13 (after that it’s $26 with free towels and shoe rental for spin). I’m not even going to say the monthly membership rate because I fear many of you may have a heart attack at your desk, so just drop in with me every now and then. Or use the code GRANDOPEN2015 for an additional 20% off all monthly unlimited and series/packages. I’m down to feel like one of the cool kids again ASAP.

Studio Three

648 N Clark Street Chicago IL 60654

(312) 944-3333

Info@studiothree.com

If anyone has been following me on social media, you’ve probably noticed a drastic change in what I’ve been posting. Normally I’m all about trying that monstrous sandwich, sampling every cookie on the menu, savoring a sweet latte on a blustery afternoon, and enjoying a sugary margarita on a Friday night. Food brings me so much pleasure, and I’m proud of the relationship I have with it. That  being said, things have been getting a little bit out of control.

It all started with marathon training, during which I absolutely gained a bit of weight (they say you either lose weight or gain it when training). Now, I am in no way diminishing the accomplishment of running a marathon or insinuating that I was expecting to lose weight during training. It was my first marathon and I didn’t really know what I was doing in many senses of training. That included fuel. I clearly did something right because I ran the damn thing in way better time than I was planning, but once I crossed that finish line I didn’t know how to go back to my old eating habits. You know, the ones where cheese isn’t the center of the universe.

So there I was, entering November, and I just felt…well…pudgy. I had taken some time off from really working out and was still eating pretty good portions of my favorite comfort food, as if another 26.2 was on the horizon. The thing is, there isn’t. I knew that if I didn’t want to completely lose control of my eating habits come holiday season (get at me, Bailey’s and hot chocolate!) I needed to reset my taste buds and get used to cooking beautiful dishes again.

Luckily, my coworkers at Sweat Chicago had similar thoughts and put together a challenge for us called the “21 Day Shred.”  So, starting November 1st, my eating habits changed drastically.

• No dairy
• No gluten
• No alcohol
• No added sugars

Whoa nelly.

So here I am, 14 days into it and it feels like nothing much has changed, which is crazy because the cuts I made were drastic. That makes me smile because it goes to show how I really want to eat 80% of the time. Sure, I lovvvve indulgence. But I love vegetables, protein, and healthy fats too. And those things should be making up most of my diet.

So what have I been eating a lot of?

• Eggs
• Potatoes
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Hummus
• Carrots and celery
• Nuts
• Snap Pea Snacks

I was expecting the “no dairy” part of this diet to be the hardest, but it’s the SUGAR.

You guys. There’s sugar in EVERYTHING. Things that say 0g sugar still have sugar in them. Salsa, vegetable stock, every sauce you can imagine is filled to the brim with the sweet stuff. I’m not going to lie…I spent close to two hours in the grocery store last Sunday reeling over how much shit had sugar in it. It kept ruining all my recipe ideas and I was NOT happy about it.

Aside from the extra effort, I’ve loved (almost) every minute of it.

What have I noticed since cutting out dairy, gluten, added sugars, and alcohol?

• I LOVE to cook. I don’t just like it, I love it.
• I don’t crave food at night as much
• I have pretty good willpower
• I don’t need to put cheese on everything
• I’m actually more fun sober than I am after a few cocktails (this is arguable, but man I’ve been having fun going out and getting “hydrated” instead of “wasted”)

These are just a few things I’ve noticed since starting, and even though I’m definitely looking forward to a celebratory meal next Sunday (get at me, crab mac and cheese!), I’ll probably keep incorporating this diet during the week. It has really held me accountable to the “balance” that I claim to have but up until two weeks ago was completely losing control of.

Plus I’ve been killing it…and I mean killing it…in the kitchen.

Eating out hasn’t been too tricky either. Sure it takes more effort and is a bit more expensive to eat this way when you’re not prepared, but there is GOOD FOOD out there.

So there’s that! I know a lot of other people have been trying new ways of eating this month (I’ve seen a lot of first-time Whole30-ers!) so I’m interested to hear your takes on changing it up like this. What have your experiences been with cutting out certain food groups and then reintroducing them back into your diet?

I know, I know. You were soooo worried that ihabl was over, done with, kaput. But not to worry, it’s just another case of broken laptop, busy life, the usual excuses. How is everyone? I feel like I’ve missed A LOT. And I’m excited to wake up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and catch up on each and every one of your lives. Because believe it or not, this little space of the internet that I call my own has really created a community for me, and I feel invested in all of your lives. Some of you got married, moved, got injured, took vacations, accomplished crazy fitness feats, and I don’t even know about it! Not cool! So just know that I’ll be around now. Especially for the holidays. There’s just too much goodness to share this time of year 🙂

That being said, what’s been happening since I ran the marathon, oh, a MONTH ago? The day still feels like a dream sometimes and I often forget that it even happened. As many of you remember I became a NASM certified personal trainer this past summer. Well, now I’m going to be putting that to use! In early September I joined the training staff at Sweat Chicago, a HIIT studio in the Gold Coast of Chicago. I am just about done with their internship program, learning the programming of the workouts, proper form, techniques, how to use the mic during class, etc. so soon I’ll be teaching classes #likeaboss. It’s exciting, especially because I had gotten so used to straight cardio and now I’m blowing up like the hulk (or at least it feels that way after Monday’s arm workouts!)

Another new development is that I was promoted at lululemon and am now part of the management team. There are no words to describe how ready and excited I am for this change. When I look back to my first few weeks at lululemon I thought I’d never want to leave my role on the floor because, to put it simply, it’s just too much fun! But now that I know our store like the back of my hand, it just feels right that I’ll now be part of the business on a logistical level. It also means that I get to help all the newbies with their personal development in the same way that I was helped. And that is one of the greatest things about lululemon: they invest in and love on their people.

Needless to say, these two new job opportunities + a spontaneous trip to DC made for an eventful October. Luckily November settled down a bit and now my days are just a little more filled. Filled with management meethings, time on the floor, emails emails emails, Sweat shadow sessions, and of course my own workouts. Thank goodness for a planner, that’s all I’m gonna say.

I’ll just end here for today to give me a chance to catch up with all of you! Tomorrow I’ll share a fun thing I’ve been experimenting with thanks to Sweat (although if you follow me on social media, which you should, you already know exactly what I’m up to!).

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Well hello there!

How have you been? It’s been awhile, eh?

I can think of no better time to hop back into the driver’s seat of IHABL than today. Why? Because yesterday I accomplished a goal of mine that six months ago seemed impossible. That’s right, I ran a marathon.

I don’t even know where to begin. I started training in June with the Chicago Area Runners Association. I followed Hal Higdon’s training plan which usually involves running three days a week plus a long run on the weekends. I took training semi-seriously but most weeks I only ran three days a week total (two runs on my own + the long run on Saturday mornings). I’m lucky that I’m involved in other workouts because I think that’s what kept me in shape as well, so even though I technically wasn’t logging as many miles as I could be for optimal training, I felt like I was in great cardiovascular shape.

The excitement all began to feel real on Friday when I headed to the expo with Brigitte (my incredible running partner/twin). We arrived early around 11am and even though there were already thousands of people there, I bumped into running legend Susie (yeah I said it) and got a quick hug before heading in.

The expo was every ounce of wonderful that you’d expect. I spent an hour or so walking around and stress eating every free sample I could get my hands on. The highlight was of course all the customized Nike gear, and even though I’ll probably have to sell my blood to pay next month’s rent I had to get my hands on this bomb sweatshirt.

I mean how badass do we look? (We look so legit, in fact, that Brigitte and I spent the next ten minutes taking pictures in front of this background for people because everyone assumed we worked for Nike. It was hilarious).

We  headed home with our gear and I ran to the grocery store to grab an eight pack of Gatorade to drink over the next two days. The next 24 hours before the marathon included eating the exact same foods I had before the 20-miler a few weeks ago (since that was such a good race) plus guzzling Gatorade diluted with water allllllllll day. I went to bed Saturday night feeling pretty good, but I definitely had a few stress dreams about not waking up for the race (which I’ve heard is expected). Before I knew it it was 4:55 and my alarm was buzzing.

I had packed my backpack the night before and filled it to the brim with all the essentials: bananas, magazines, a change of clothes, deodorant, phone charger, extra hair ties, etc. etc. I headed out the door around 5:30am and headed downtown to the CARA headquarters for the day at the Radisson Blu (just a few blocks from the start line!)

I met Brigitte at the Radisson and we started to get everything in order. We layered up with the clothes we planned on ditching at the start, put on sunscreen, and checked our bags. Now here comes the funny part: the plumbing at the hotel didn’t work. There we were, all  hundreds of us members of CARA, and we broke the hotel. But we’re runners, so we weren’t about to NOT use the restroom pre-race! So….we essentially got to use indoor portapotties. I was deliriously excited at that point so I just laughed about it, but man I feel bad for the staff that had to deal with that situation after all the runners left…

New marathoner mistake #1: I brought a short sleeved shirt instead of a long sleeved one to hang out in before we started, so I had to T-Rex my arms for awhile. At least it brought some more laughs!

Once all our gear was checked in the hotel Brigitte and I headed to the starting line! It was still early and absolutely beautiful out so we got to bask in the excitement with all the other runners for a few minutes as we ventured to our corral.

We took our sweet time to get to our corral and almost missed it! It was the most casual beginning to a race that I’ve ever had because we were in our corral and running all within ten minutes, so it didn’t even hit me that I was ABOUT TO RUN A MARATHON until we were just about to start. I can’t even begin to describe that feeling of excitement to you. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced before.

And then we were off!

The race takes you all over the city. We ran through all my favorite spots: Wells Street in Old Town, Sedgwick in Lincoln Park, Broadway in Boystown, Clark Street in Lakeview, Hubbard in River North. I wish I had gotten more pictures but I was, you know, running a marathon. We ran through Greektown, past the United Center where the Bulls and the Blackhawks play, through Little Italy, Chinatown, Pilsen…it was all a blur. The moments I do remember? Seeing all my friends and family! I had friends at miles 8, 10, and 23 and I can’t even tell you how much of a burst of energy that brought me. Every time I saw someone I loved cheering me on it was like a breath of new life in me. The best part was seeing my family at mile 17 though! The minute I saw my mom, dad, and brother, I sprinted towards them and grabbed my mom in a big hug.

Brigitte paced me so well up until mile 18 — we held a consistent 10:00-10:40 pace until that point, which I was astonished with. This was her second marathon and she wanted to really push herself so we split up at mile 18. That meant I ran the last eight miles alone — no music, nothing. The crowds were enough! It was such a magnificent experience to have people screaming and cheering for you for over four hours. I can’t think of a time when I’ve had more fun. So much so that I didn’t walk once. I was expecting to hit a wall and try a run-walk combo but aside from some tiny bumps along the way, I felt great consistently. I just kept running.

The few miles after I saw my friends at mile 23 were the hardest, but once I turned onto the final stretch of Michigan Avenue I knew that I couldn’t start walking then. I felt like a machine! One foot in the front of the other. The last 800m are up a hill (how rude, right?) but even that didn’t phase me. A guy ran by me screaming “LET’S DO THIS!” and it was like I hadn’t run a mile. I watched as he sprinted for the finish line and I followed his lead with a huge smile on my face.

The minute I crossed the finish line and started to walk my legs turned to jello. I almost fell! Luckily I held it together and let the tears roll down my face. I am so proud of myself. I have never accomplished something so tough in my life. I trained for me, I sacrificed for me, I fueled for me, I ran for me, and I finished for me. No one else could help me for even a millisecond of this goal. That’s the best thing about running: it’s all about what YOU put into it.

I went into the marathon hoping to run it in less than 5 hours, and I crushed that goal with a time of 4:47. To say that I’m nervous to run another one (yes, I want to run another one!) is an understatement considering I set my PR bar pretty high! But now I know that I have the talent and drive to be a real runner, to keep shaving time off that goal. I know that I am capable of better and better times over the next few years and it makes me want to train even harder and smarter!

My family met me at the post-race party and led me (quite literally) to a chair they had set up for me. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stand back up, but I wasn’t about to pass up sitting after almost five hours of running. Seeing how excited they were for me was one of the highlights of my day, even though my brother kept Snapchatting my “laziness” 🙂

After changing and saying goodbye to my family at the hotel Brigitte and I met up with my friends who were at mile 23 for some lunch and beer at Bub City. I hugged each and every one of them and thanked them from the bottom of my heart for being there for me. I have a pretty incredible group of friends! They stood outside for over an hour just to see me run by in ten seconds. You can’t find more loyal friends than that!

Running a marathon truly takes over your life. For the past three weeks it was literally all I could think about. The time spent running, the nerves, the fueling questions and anxiety (What do I eat? Am I eating too much? Too little?) completely took over my brain. Today as I write this my knees hurt, my IT band is tight, my shoulders are tight, I’m one pint of Ben and Jerry’s deep, and headed out the door for a massage in a few hours. But I am now a marathoner. Oftentimes you have these high expectations of events in your life and then not much feels different afterwards and it’s a bit of a letdown. But let me tell you — life feels different today. I feel more capable as a person, more validated as a runner, more confident in myself, and more honored by the love of the people in my life. This year has been all about accomplishing the things I’ve always wished I could, and running the Chicago Marathon was my #1 goal for 2015. I can’t believe it’s over but it couldn’t have gone more perfectly.

Congratulations to all the other runners yesterday! I’m looking forward to reading about everyone else’s experience!

Why didn’t anyone tell me that being an adult is a full-time job? Remember when you were younger and you thought being an adult meant that people leave you the hell alone and you can do whatever you want? Turns out that when you’re an adult you are never left alone. Sallie Mae, Comcast, ComEd, they all knock on my door the same time every month, and every time I just want to crawl in a fort and yell “Go away! There isn’t an adult here right now! Come back later!”

Like we talked about recently, it is really easy to get overwhelmed by all the tasks and responsibilities that come with living on your own. But if I chose to focus on all the bills I have to pay, I’d forget all the amazing opportunities I have by living in Chicago. So let’s just breeze past the bills and get to the meat of the weekend.

THE MARATHON IS ALMOST HERE!

Ever since last weekend’s 20-miler my confidence has been at an all-time high. That’s probably a bad thing since I’ve once again been skipping runs in favor of other workouts but now that we’re in crunch time I’ll be sure to spend the next two weeks running short distances frequently to get my legs ready for the big 26.2. Speaking of training, I hosted an event on Saturday night to raise money for the charitable organization that I am running for, Girls On The Run. My Lulu crew showed up as well as all my close friends from college — I was so grateful to see such a wonderful turnout and am excited to see how much we raised!

The rest of the weekend I spent making sure my fridge was stocked for the carb-loading week I know I have ahead of me. I’ve had lasagna on the brain for over a week now so I bit the bullet and threw it together.

And of course the best part of any weekend is Saturday morning, when you have the whole weekend ahead of you. I spent the morning sitting on my back porch sipping pumpkin spice coffee and soaking up the sunshine before  heading to brunch with old friends from college. We ended up spending the day bar-hopping throughout Lakeview and even though I had grand, adult-like plans that I had put together, I quickly pushed those aside to spend the time with my friends. Because being an adult can wait until Monday.

Aside from extreme circumstances, the way your day goes is directly related to how you approach it. If you don’t make time to do the little things that make you happy every day, if you don’t wake up appreciative of an exciting new day to live, if you don’t decide to be in a good mood, you won’t have a good day. That’s just science (Remember, I am not a scientist. I am a blogger. Which is like a writer, except I don’t get paid. So you really shouldn’t take what I say seriously).

I believe that you attract the kind of energy that you put out in the world (no I haven’t downed some kind of Kool Aid). So if you aren’t taking care of yourself on a day-to-day basis and are instead looking forward to that event, that vacation, that weekend, you’re going to waste a whole lot of time looking for happiness. Because happiness is right in front of you, today.

So what do I do to make myself happy, genuinely happy, every day?

I spend the first hour of my day making breakfast + stovetop coffee

I don’t mess around with breakfast. It’s my time to wake up slowly and enjoy an hour or so alone before I head out for the day. I have a small moka pot that is my little treasure and I use it every single day. I bought it at a market in France when I lived there and now every time I hear the bubbles of coffee squealing from the stove I’m transported back to that adventure. I always take the extra time to make my coffee that way because it starts my day off on the right foot. My coffee is almost always followed by a pretty big breakfast production of eggs, veggies, cheese, and toast. The extra time it takes me to make my first meal is one of my favorite parts of the day so I never compromise on that unless I’m out the door for a run. And if I don’t cook my own breakfast, you can bet I’m on a patio eating someone else’s.

I never turn down an invitation to work out with my friends.

I work out a lot on my own, but lately I’ve been so focused on running that it would be easy to put group workouts on the back burner. Luckily I work with people who are always excited to get together and sweat so when I need a good yoga workout to stretch out my tree trunks, I know I have a crew right beside me.

I call my Mom!

In college I used to see my Mom was calling and would usually put it aside until I “had time.” Nowadays we talk almost every day and I can’t imagine that not being part of my routine. The cool thing about talking so much is that you don’t even have to have anything specific to talk about…you get to a level where you’re just talking about nonsense and randomness, and who doesn’t need more of that in your day. Plus look how cute she is!

When I’m home, I’m on the couch; remote in hand, reality TV blaring

Between running and working on my feet all day, when I’m home I am the definition of a sloth. I don’t hang out in my room because I like being around my roommates and socializing, so I’m always on the couch. While maintaining my horizontal position there is a 75% chance that either Chopped, Diners Drive Ins & Dives, or E! reality TV is on. WAGS is my current favorite. There’s just something about reality TV after a long day of, well, reality, that makes me so happy.

The Food Network Snapchat Story

I always end my night watching the Discover section of Snapchat, specifically Food Network. It always gives me so many ideas for cooking!

So there you have it: the key to my daily happiness is breakfast, socializing, reality TV, my mom, and food. This should come as a surprise to no one. And because I make time every day for these things, I’m almost always in a good mood. It’s like a weird math equation that many people have missed. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that people forget.

Have a great weekend!

Questions:

• How do you make yourself happy on a daily basis?
• Do you see the importance of every day or are you a “big picture” person?

I have a very lame reason for why I don’t write on a regularly scheduled basis.

A few months back my keyboard started acting funky (think, typing “L” instead of “P” and nonsense like that), and at one point it just completely stopped working. Since I’m an idiot and keep buying PCs (read: not taking good care of my PCs), this is my second laptop in two years. And since I’m not really an idiot, I’m not going to buy another one. So until I find someone willing to pay me two grand on the black market for either my kidney or my Crockpot skills, I have to save for a Mac. The temporary solution is that I have an old desktop keyboard plugged into my laptop. So I have a laptop, a dead keyboard, and a giant keyboard + cord that have to lay in front of said laptop. And while I know it seems like it wouldn’t have much effect on anything, it really makes doing anything on the laptop a chore. You don’t realize how much you move your laptop around until you’re forced to do any and all typing, googling, and social media stalking at your kitchen table. This must be what jail feels like.

Since I used to do most of my blogging in bed at the end of the day, having to sit down at the kitchen table at 11pm is pretty torturous. So that, my friends, is why I have zero discipline and will probably continue to not follow any sort of schedule.

Anyway…..

Things have been pretty fun around these parts lately. Lots going on on the writing/running/eating front, and since those are all of my favorite things I’ve been a pretty happy camper.

The Laughing Cow hosted a phenomenal blogger event at River Roast downtown. I spent a few hours tasting wonderful appetizers, downing dessert shots, creating snack plates using The Laughing Cow cheeses, watching professional foodies take advantage of the Instagram “stages” and phone charging stations (only at a blogger event), and catching up with two of my favorites, Susie and Sara.

I left with SO MUCH CHEESE. They really don’t have a cheese you can’t create snacks out of.

Over the weekend I organized a wine tasting hosted by Russ the Extraordinary (otherwise known as Dad). He came to the city and pulled out all the stops to teach us so many things about red wine now that the weather is (supposedly) getting chillier. It was one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time with ten of my closest friends and my biggest fan.

Some of the cool things we learned?

• Shiraz and Syrah are the same thing, just from different countries
• The more “legs” you can see on the glass just after swirling the wine around, the more alcohol that wine contains
• If you put champagne open in the fridge it will maintain the carbonation for longer
• You should take the cover completely off the cork and bottle before you pour the wine. It contains lead!

As something that will come as a surprise to no one, I’ve been spending way too much money on restaurants and takeout and having zero regrets about it:

Oh and running. Lots. Apparently I’m running a marathon in a month. Who knew?

I’m still too embarrassed to ask how to change the TV at Equinox but luckily The Food Network is usually on one of them.

I have some big news on the “I’m finally becoming a professional adult” front that I can’t wait to share with you soon! Hopefully the keyboard situation doesn’t keep me away 🙂

Questions:

• What’s your favorite channel to have on TV when you work out?
• What’s the best restaurant dish you’ve had in the past two weeks?
• Does your city have blogger events?

French toast and I haven’t always had the best relationship. Once upon a time I refused sweet breakfasts, not because I don’t have a sweet tooth (catch me in the pantry at midnight every night for proof), but because eating something so sweet first thing in the morning always made me nauseas. Why swoon over Oreo pancakes or berry crepes when there are always Denver omelets and buttery hash browns on the menu?

The only exception to this rule is when my mom makes breakfast. The big hullabaloo-type family breakfasts don’t happen too often, but when they do, she knocks it out of the park. And nine out of ten times she’s coming up with a new, upgraded version of French toast.

Fast forward to this last weekend when the whole family was under one roof and we had a fridge full of in-season produce to kill before fall comes (we’re hoarders, but that’s another story for another time). In case you’ve been living under a rock, we are in the midst of peach season. Living so close to Michigan I’ve had a few incredible peaches over the past month and have been trying to incorporate them into tons of my food, especially breakfast. So my taste buds jumped for joy when my mom made an out-of-this-world peach french toast. So much so that I just had to share so you can get your peach fix in before it’s too late! I’m thoughtful like that.

Mom’s French Toast (Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)

• 8 slices Italian bread, left out until dry
• 6 tbl unsalted butter (3/4) stick
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbl sugar (plus extra for the peaches)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup flour
• Peaches (however many you want on top!)

Slice peaches and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, cover, and allow to sit in the fridge for a bit (preferably overnight) to get all syrupy and delicious (only the best technical terms for you folks).

When you’re ready for breakfast, melt two tablespoons of the butter and whisk it together with the milk, egg, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Slowly whisk in the flour until smooth.

Soak each side of the bread in the liquid for at least 30 seconds. Meanwhile, melt one tablespoon of the butter in a skillet on medium heat until melted and beginning to brown. Remove bread and put in pan. Cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread and butter.

Eat it! Eat it now!