Accenture has this huge touchscreen display. I tried to get a photo of someone interacting with it, but every time someone saw me with my camera they walked away. Basically you can choose to view news, weather, sports, etc and it displays on the big screen. I think you could touch anything on the screen and interact with it.

And this was even crazier -

I was in the bathroom and noticed that there were ads being displayed in the mirror. I don’t know how this works, but they were opaque enough that you could read them but transparent enough that you could still see yourself in the mirror. Is this the future? Ads on mirrors?

For yuppies who think they’re hipsters.

Walking around outside before the tour. This is the house:

And this is the studio:

The first room we saw (not counting the entryway/foyer) was the living room.

Next we walked through this hallway. When the house was built, they built around a tree that already existed. You can see the original tree in the black and white photo. The branches in the hallway now are just props.

The hallway lead to the dining room. Check out that custom ceiling light.

I loved the windows throughout the house. They were really pretty in the dining room.

Next we went upstairs and visited the children’s bedrooms (no photos) and the master bedroom.

And the master bathroom:

This was a room for Wright’s wife.

Down the hall was the children’s playroom.

With more pretty windows.

And a beautiful skylight.

True fact: Frank Lloyd Wright’s son invented Lincoln Logs.

Check out this piano that is recessed into the wall in the playroom.

It sticks out into the stairway behind it!

At the bottom of the steps was the kitchen.

Next we went over to the studio. The home was built in 1889 and the studio in 1898.

Inside there was a large balconied room with drafting tables and a fireplace, where Wright and his associates would work.

This is where Wright’s secretary worked.

And, finally, this was a meeting room.

My parents were in Alabama several months ago and brought back some Daddy Bucks cane syrup for me. When I was young we would visit Florida and Alabama every year or every other year and cane syrup was one of my favorites. I also remember loving canned figs that my great Aunt Juanita made. If you’ve never had it, cane syrup is made from sugar cane and is more golden with a carmel-y verging on molasses taste. Much different from maple syrup.

I saw this recipe for Potato Chip Cookies on Smitten Kitchen and could not get it out of my mind! So, for Paul Baker’s birthday, I made a batch and boxed them up for him for a gift. This was way back in February, but I’m just getting to the photos now. (Sorry!) To kick it up a notch, after the cookies were baked and cooled, I dipped them in bittersweet chocolate. I loved the savory sweet combination in this cookie. So good.

Potato chip cookie ingredients.

Potato chips in the food processor. Fun!

Mixing everything up.

Roll the cookies out and dip them in sugar.

Flatten the cookies with a glass.

Sprinkle with a mixture of crushed potato chips and salt.

Baked cookies.

Dip in chocolate.

Let the chocolate dry.

Boxed up cookies.

Potato Chip Cookies
From: Smitted Kitchen

Cookie
1 cup (2 sticks or 225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt (optional, see note above)
1/2 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1/2 cup finely crushed potato chips
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

Potato chip salt finish (optional)
1 tablespoon crushed potato chips
1 1/2 teaspoons flaked sea salt

Chocolate dip finish (optional)
4 ounces (115 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon butter, canola oil or vegetable shortening

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar until lightly and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and table salt, if using, until smooth. Add the pecans, 1/2 cup crushed potato chips and flour together and mix until just combined.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoon-sized mound of dough and form it into a small ball with the palms of your hands. Roll the ball in the remaining sugar until coated. Place on prepared baking sheet and using the bottom of a drinking glass (or, in my case, a kitchen tool I’m unhealthily obsessed with) to slightly flatten the cookies. Cookies only need to be an inch apart; they only spread a little. Sprinkle with a few flakes of the potato chip salt, if using. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake cookies until lightly golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer to cool on a wire rack.

If dipping in chocolate, melt chocolate with butter, oil or shortening in a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Dip half of each fully cooled cookie in the chocolate, and let dry and harden on a wire rack.

Welcome Roundarch Isobar!

Getting ready for a toast.

Geoff making a toast.

More toasting

Each employee got a Roundarch Isobar cup and candybar.

Roundarch Isobar Cup

Roundarch Isobar Candybar

Inside our space.

Candy dispensers are a favorite feature of the new kitchen.

Views of Millennium Park and Grant Park to the south.

Views of The Loop (and The Bean!) to the southwest.

Views of Navy Pier to the northeast.

Views to the north. View larger.

Views to the south. I sit about 6 feet away from this view! View larger.

Last Friday Roundarch moved on up, to the east side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky! That is… our office moved from the 12th floor of 350 N. LaSalle to the 40th floor of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower in the neighborhood of Lakeshore East. On Friday we headed over incrementally to get our security badges and have a building and office tour. Then we all celebrated in the new space for the rest of the day.

On Monday we moved into our space. It’s going to take a while to get used to this new commute and these fancy new digs. Right now it doesn’t feel very Roundarch-y, but I’m sure as we start to go there every day it will start to settle in. For now, I will try not to sit and stare out the window all day!! The views are amazing!

Vodka and a glass jar to store the homemade vanilla extract.

Getting the vanilla beans ready. (I did not use all of these!)

Cut the beans…

…then scrape the pulp and seeds out.

Put the beans in the jar along with the pulp and seeds.

Pour in the vodka.

Shake it up and then let it sit in a cool, dark place. Occasionally give the jar another shake.

I got really interested in trying to make my own vanilla extract, so I read up on how to do it and found out that you really only need three things: A glass bottle with a stopper, some booze (vodka, rum or bourbon will do), and vanilla beans. I got my bottle and my beans from Beanilla.com and used up some vodka that we’ve had here at the house for quite some time. The ratio of vanilla beans to liquor is 2:1 according to Martha Stewart. I’ve also seen others suggest a 3:1 ratio. Basically, all you do is put the beans in the vanilla, place it in a cool dark place, and let it sit for 3-5 months or more. You can slice the bean and scrape the seeds if you’d like too, but not everyone says to do this. I’m coming up the 3-5 months of sitting now and will have to report back when I start using my homemade vanilla extract!

I think this is the 7th year I’ve posted this song on this day.

I have been staying at the W Hotel a lot. I like it, their customer service is great, and it’s not too far from my Boston office. Both of these weeks I had non-standard, oversized rooms. The first room was oddly shaped and next to the elevator bank. It wasn’t loud and it was nice to have the extra room. Too bad the view was so crappy!

The second time I also stayed at the W and had a big room. It was on a corner and had almost 3 full walls of windows. The view over there was much better!

And here’s how you know you’re staying in a hip, trendy hotel:

The W Hotel has a packet with condoms, lubricant and mints in the mini bar.

One day my coworker Ranee and I were walking to work and we happened upon the Paris Creperie food truck. We decided we just had to try a crepe.

We split the La Vie en Raclette crepe which was an oregano-infused crepe with Yukon gold potatoes, garlic sauteed mushrooms and onions, raclette and guyere cheeses and ham. Half a crepe was plenty, as you can see from this photo. On another trip to Boston I passed by the truck again and got the same thing, but ate the whole thing. It was so filling I didn’t eat lunch that day! So so so so delicious, though. This was the best crepe I’ve ever had (both times!) If you see this truck, you have to stop. Or, they have a storefront you can visit too!

One night I went out with some of my coworkers for happy hour at Kingston Station. I worked later and got there late and they seemed a bit tipsy when I arrived. To point, they decided that drinking this absinthe would be awesome.

I passed and focused on these truffle fries instead. Gruyere cheese, scallion, truffle oil and aioli? Yes, please! I also had some mussels there. All really good. This seems like a popular spot after work, but by 8 p.m. I think we were the only ones still in there.

Finally, FINALLY!, I was able to finally meet up with friends on one of my Boston trips. For dinner one night I met Ross and Chelsea at Bistro Du Midi, a restaurant nearby the W Hotel that they had been wanting to visit. This place was great. I found the ambiance to be really relaxing and with interesting design details. And the food was great. We split some fried artichokes and olive tepenades. For my entree I got a roasted monkfish with grilled and roasted eggplant, tomato, capers and olive oil. Super good. For dessert Chelsea and I split a hazelnut milk chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream. Also very good. But, more importantly, I got to catch up with Ross and Chelsea, who I haven’t seen since July of 2011. So nice to see them again!

Mark V. Ferrante was running for judge during this past election season. At the California blue line, he handed me this schwag. A nail file? I thought that was kind of strange!