Things That I'm Into

Things That I'm Into: Ending at an Even Number

2011-04-21T20:05:00.000-05:00

Soooo, I haven't posted in a month not for want of things to be into (I have lots of those, promise), but because I've been thinking about this bloogggg a lot and how it probably isn't the best idea for me to have on the internetz. Even though my subject matter is highly uncontroversial (rutabagas! cats! gardens!), it is public and because of my job I really shouldn't be espousing on any subject matter this publicly. Which leaves me a couple options: a) make my blog private or b) shut it on down. I would be all about making it private except that I read all of my blogs in google reader, and if it is private then it can't be in a google reader feed, and if I can never remember to read any blogs that don't come directly into my google reader, how can I expect any of you faithful readers to do so?

Long story short - one year and exactly one hundred posts later, I am going to shut this blog down. I'll leave this post up for a couple weeks in case any straggler readers want to come say there tearful goodbyes. It's been real, folks. Sorry I was a bad blogger recently, but this blog has been awesome in that it helped me fill my funemployment time with fun things and always helped me remember to carry my camera around. So, good things all around. Instead of leaving on a sad note, I'll leave with some of my recent things that I've been into:

Hawaii!

Lots of homemade pasta.

Hot Dougs vegetarian hot dogs (OMG SO GOOD).

Matt building awesome benches for our NewAwesomeDeck2011.

And, obviously, a hilarious picture of Elizabeth Lemon.

Later gators!

Things That I'm Into: Rutabagas!

2011-03-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

I've never cooked w/ rutabagas before because a) their name sounds gross and b) there are so many other delicious winter root vegetables that I figured it wasn't worth the risk. BUT then I saw this recipe for "Cornish Pasties" (I know..) in Vegetarian Times (someone more patient than I wrote it out on the internetz here). So I tried them out. And guess what?! Not scary, and, in fact, delicious.

Only a few more weeks of winter root vegetable eating... I can't wait for spring vegetables!

Things That I'm Into: Dancing Thom

2011-03-07T16:25:00.001-06:00

This makes me laugh. A lot.

(via Paste magazine, via the Dancing Thom blog)

Things That I'm Into: Fritz Pastry Macarons

2011-03-07T11:42:00.001-06:00

Perfect saturday afternoon errand break.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Things That I'm Into: Hangover Cures

2011-03-06T20:37:00.001-06:00

Dangerous, but necessary.

Things That I'm Into: Sultan's Market

2011-02-22T21:10:00.001-06:00

My VERY FAVORITE lunch in the entire city of chicago. I love the crap out of Sultan's. I can't believe its taken me this long to declare my love strong and loud on this blog. The proper order is a falafil sandwich extra spicy. If you are especially hungry then add a cup of lentil soup. The end.

http://chicagofalafel.com/
There is one in wicker park and in lincoln park. Booyah.

Also, the dudes that work there are rad.

Things That I'm Into: Pop Up Dinners

2011-02-21T20:23:00.000-06:00

Deets and I went to Fritz Pastry for a valentines-themed vegetarian "pop up restaurant."* It had seven courses, five of which were dessert. Yup. The menu was as followed:

Course One: Fennel Soup and Salad Sandwich

Entree: Creamy Polenta and Veggie Ragout

Dessert Amuse: Lemon

Fruit One: Dreamsicle Vacherin

Fruit Two: Tropical Fruit Tapioca

Chocolate One: Black Forest

Chocolate Two: Chocolate Cereal

Mingardises: Four bite-size reminders of the flavors we had above.

All in all, it was amazing, and I really liked the pop-up dinner experience. It wasn't too expensive ($40) for how much food it was and how good it was, it was BYOB, and it had a fun experimental-ish vibe. Plus, it was the day before valentine's day, so on the actual day we could make a HEART SHAPED PIZZA.

Cause what says love more than a heart shaped pizza?

* A pop up restaurant, according to Mr. Howard Portney of NY Restaurant Examiner, is explained on the interwebs as: "So far as I know, the term pop-up originated in San Francisco, with the restaurant Lung Shan, in the city's Mission District. Most days, Lung Shan is a nondescript Chinese restaurant that does a hum-drum business, but two days a week it metamorphoses into Mission Street Food, a serious restaurant with serious chefs cooking for serious customers. Such an arrangement creates a venue for aspiring young chefs, who can ply their trade without the monumental investment that starting up a restaurant normally entails. Pop-ups not only provide a stage for talented chefs but inject needed lifeblood into struggling restaurants whose kitchens are underused much of the time." Link here.

Things That I'm Into: Valentine's Day by Kiddos

2011-02-14T10:38:00.002-06:00

Done by the lovely nettlehorst kids. Love the shout out to the dentist. Happy Valentine's Day!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Things That I'm Into: Snowboarding in Chicago

2011-02-04T10:09:00.000-06:00

How cool/terrifying is this?

SNOW-SHREDA-MAGEDDON from RUBBISH on Vimeo.

Amazing.

(via TOC)

Things That I'm Into: After the Blizzard

2011-02-03T21:04:00.000-06:00

The next morning, after receiving word that it was a SNOW DAY at work (hallelujah!), Deets and I set out doing some post-storm exploration. Unfortunately, Blisstal did not bring us any cinnamon rolls before we set out. Totally unfair.

Our street.

Our car.

More street.

Some brave souls had shoveled narrow walk ways out to the main streets.

Reporters were on the scene!

The lake looked otherworldly.

Some poor - but lucky- folks crashed right before heading into the lake.

Lake Shore Drive was closed, so Matt got to pose in the middle.

Kids got to ride on sleds.

And we finished out the day with some card games and beers at a bar with a fireplace.

Definitely into blizzards.

Things That I'm Into: During the Blizzard

2011-02-03T20:05:00.000-06:00

After a harrowing commute home where I had to dart from restaurant vestibule to restaurant vestibule, we settled and watched the crazy blizzard/thundersnow occur. Right before bed, about 11:30pm, we decide to go out to see how things were shaping up in Blizzard Land.

Completely silent, save for the screeching wind. Made us very thankful to have a cozy apartment to be safe and sound in for the remainder of the night.

Things That I'm Into: Lemon!

2011-02-01T08:00:00.003-06:00

I have two adorable and perfect cats, and I love them equally. That being said, one is cuter than the other. I know, that makes me a horrible cat mom. But it's true.

While Liz Lemon may have an edge in cuteness, Katniss has the edge in cuddle. But cuddle doesn't photograph as well. As such, here is some Lemon for your viewing pleasure:

Look at those little paws under there! Gah.

Also, in case you didn't get enough cat in this post, I have an awesome cat makeout video to share once I get the patience to upload it. Get ready for some awesome cat makeout action.

Things That I'm Into: Awaiting a Blizzard

2011-01-31T22:12:00.000-06:00

We are hunkering down and preparing for almost TWO FEET of snow with a) cinnamon tea, b) furry slippers, and c) multiple episodes of the first season of "The Wire." Could be worse.

(the wire image from here)

Things That I'm Into: Sports Mascot-Shaped Cookies

2011-01-27T16:13:00.000-06:00

The Bears lost anyway. Oh well. Viva los Packers!

Things That I'm Into: Raclette

2011-01-24T20:21:00.001-06:00

Okay, so imagine a deliciously creamy and salty cheese with the perfect amount of flavor. Then imagine that it was slow cooked over a camp fire so it got all deliciously melty and some of the bits got wonderfully crispy. Then imagine this cooked cheese was put on a sandwich with fresh baked bread and served with a stone ground mustard and pickles.

Pastoral Cheese shop in Chicago makes this sandwich, which they dub the "Raclette N Roll." This is how their blog describes the cheese making process:

Raclette has its origins in the southern part of Switzerland, but the name is based on the French word racleur which means “to scrape.” The first people to discover the deliciousness of this cheese in melty form were the cow herders who worked high on the mountains. For dinner they would take some Raclette and warm it by the fire until it turned soft and gooey. Then they would scrape the cheese on to foods like potatoes, pickles, or charcuterie. See http://pastoralartisanblog.com/2011/01/19/raclette-week-is-here/.

Here are some pics of the sandwich before it was devoured:

You probably can't even imagine how delicious it is, so I'll just tell you. AMAZING. This is definitely the best new sandwich I've been introduced to since 2004 when I was introduced to the Bay Cities Caprese in Santa Monica, CA. Best sandwich in SEVEN YEARS, people!

You can get it at Pastoral, on Broadway and in the Loop and at Union Station through March 31st. (If I was a better blogger, I would link, but you guys all know how to use google.)

Viva la Fromage!

Things That I'm Into: Home State Pride

2011-01-22T00:40:00.001-06:00

Even when we are in the midwest, we like to represent, particularly when the ducks are playing in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

A sad game, but a good time. I'd still way rather be from Oregon then be from Alabama. Though the war eagle is pretty sweet.

Things That I'm Into: My Street in Winter

2011-01-19T22:23:00.000-06:00

It's so peaceful, I love walking out in the morning on the way to work after it snows.

Plus, if it snowed that means it is relatively warm, not like the nightmare weather we are getting at the end of this week. (High of 8 DEGREES on Friday. SRSLY.)

Things That I'm Into: Commuting Anthems

2011-01-11T21:55:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I go through phrases with "commuting anthems." I usually rotate them in and out every two or three weeks. My commute is about a five or six song commute. Here are three that have firmly been in the commuting anthem rotation for the last weeks:

Arcade Fire, We Used to Wait

Passion Pit, Sleepyhead

Black Keys, Next Girl

Listen away, peeps.

Things That I'm Into: Sunny and Cold

2011-01-09T09:51:00.001-06:00

15 degrees: Kewaunee, Wisconsin.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Things That I'm Into: 2011!

2011-01-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

It's a new year! First, apparently I kind of gave up on blogging 74 days ago. Sorry world. I bet you were all VERY upset that you haven't been updated as to what I've been into. I know. I'm sorry.

Since 2011 is obviously THE FUTURE it's probably a good time to pick up this blog since I'm sure there will be lots of things that I will be into. I can already foresee some now: hoverboards, astronaut ice cream, jetpacks. I can't wait to write those posts.

Before we get there though I want to give one final shout out to 2010, cause I was really into it, even if I neglected to document how into the last 72 days of the year I was. I will always remember 2010 as the year I became a pet parent, got a job I like, traveled to rad places and ate a lot of delicious food. I hope I can be just as into 2011, but I doubt it because I always like even years better than odd years.

L'Chaim!

Things That I'm Into: Thinking about Egypt

2010-10-20T20:52:00.003-05:00

Our honeymoon was a year ago, which has me thinking about Egypt, and vacations, and travelling, and sand, and heat, and spicy food, and outdoor showers, and the call to prayer, and pyramids, and bright fish, and afternoon naps, and road blocks, and adventure.

Deets was always firmly on team traditional-right-after-wedding honeymoon from the beginning while I was in team "we can take a vacation whenever and call it a honeymoon." I am happy I was wrong about this one!

Things That I'm Into: The Future

2010-10-20T13:13:00.001-05:00

Omg I am LIVEblogging right from my favorite lunch locale, erie park. This is totally the future. The future says....there are a lot of geese here.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

Things That I'm Into: Coffee & Tea Exchange

2010-10-19T21:40:00.002-05:00

Since we've been back in Chicago I've been trying to buy our spices in bulk. They are way cheaper and that way you don't have the waste a glass or plastic container each time you get new spices.

It helps that we have this really cute spice/tea/coffee store right in our hood called the "Coffee & Tea Exchange." It smells amazing and the people who work there are really nice about crawling up to the top shelves to get you a spice.

Buying spices in bulk is also awesome because you can buy a small amount. You aren't supposed to keep spices for that long (< year), so if you are like me and know you will never use an entire jar of "mace" in a year, you can just get a little.

I have this sinking feeling that maybe the people at the shop don't follow the less than a year spice rule, but I'm just going to live in a happy oblivion about that...

Anyway, into it.

Things That I'm Into: Lego Men on Michigan Avenue

2010-10-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

Lego Indiana Jones is totally my favorite.

Things That I'm Into: Favorite Fall Recipes

2010-10-17T21:21:00.000-05:00

I've been trying out lots of recipes to cook fall veggies from our CSA. There have been some serious hits and some serious misses. Here are some of the hits:

Acorn Squash stuffed with Wild Rice.

Braised pumpkin with tomato sauce. (Bittman, How to Cook Everything)

Butternut Squash Gratin w/ Rosemary Breadcrumbs.

Then lots of pumpkin baked goods with the fresh pumpkin puree made from pie pumpkins. Did you know that Illinois is the pie pumpkin capital of the world? Now you know.

Fav Pumpkin Bread recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Pumpkin-Bread-840

And this DELICIOUS Butternut Squash soup recipe. It has cider and tart apples. We don't keep sour cream around these parts, but we used yogurt and it was really good. I make a lot of butternut squash soups, and I think this is my favorite I've ever made. It's really similar to the vegetarian times recipe from this month, which is from the Greens in SF, but with less fancy ingredients.

I've also been making Duffy's Yuxiang Eggplant recipe which is amazing and I'm sure she'll share if you ask her nicely.

I love fall flavors!