Halloween House Party

I wasn’t going to do anything this year for Halloween because I knew that I had to go to Wisconsin that weekend to work on our wedding invitations. Also, I don’t usually do much for Halloween. It’s not really my thing. So, I got invited to a few parties and I turned them down. It figures then that Dallas came home Thursday night all excited to go to a friend’s Halloween party! When he showed me the emailled invitation it read as though the party was really just a pre-party and that they’d be going out to bars or other places later on. I bought a witch hat and figured I’d pre-party and when everyone left I’d go home at a nice and early time. Of course, everyone was still pre-partying at midnight when I hit a wall and had to leave! I had fun, but, luckily I was not drinking because we drove so I was not hungover the next day and we got all of the wedding invitation stuff done.

Sola Brunch


Malasadas, Sola, North Center, Chicago

On the last day of our weekend together we all went out to drink my favorite drink at Sola. (According to the bachelorette quiz, Dallas thinks my favorite drink is coffee.) I insisted that we start off by sharing a couple plates of malasadas, a Portuguese doughnut that is popular in Hawaii. At Sola the malasadas are served with raspberry coulis and hot fudge. Awesome way to start off the day.


Rachelle

Jess B and I decided to indulge in a couple more drinks. Sola has a wasabi bloody mary but when I asked the waiter about it, he said he preferred the classic bloody mary and the wasabi one was more of a gimmick. I took his recommendation and it was great. Jess B got one of the mimosas, I believe.


Jess B

All of the brunch entrees on the Sola menu looked so delicious. I was sitting by Jill and Amanda and we all flip-flopped so much. In the end I got the kalua pork hash (poached eggs, pico de gallo, guacamole). It was good, but I’ve had a ton of kalua pig in Hawaii and it wasn’t as good as there. Jeannette also got the kalua pork hash.


Kalua Pork Hash (poached eggs, pico de gallo, guacamole)

Kristin got the classic eggs benedict (poached eggs, house made canadian bacon, hollandaise, english muffin), Amanda got the short rib benedict (poached eggs, cheddar biscuits, pesto, hollandaise), Jill got the ham and cheese french toast (mustard honey, plum preserves), Jess G shocked her system with vegetables by ordering the chicken salad (napa cabbage, carrots, snow peas, bean sprouts, miso vinaigrette, crisp wontons), and Jess B got the wild mushroom omelet (leeks, asparagus, prairie fruits farm goat cheese).


Wild Mushroom Omelet (leeks, asparagus, prairie fruits farm goat cheese)

After brunch we were all outside chatting. It was such a nice day. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. For some reason flashbulbs started going off on Jill and I.


Rachelle & Jill

Another angle!


Rachelle & Jill

Then someone suggested we all take a photo together.


Jess B, Jess G, Rachelle, Jill, Jeannette, Kristin, Amanda

What a fun way to end the weekend! Thanks to everyone for the planning they did and for the out-of-town guests for coming to Chicago to help me celebrate!

Ricochet’s Tavern


Dallas’s side of the family – Caroline & Cory

After our cooking class at The Chopping Block we headed out to go to a bar in Lincoln Square. I’d sort of intended to go to Tiny Lounge in North Center, then someone suggested that we bar hop our way there. As we walked down Lincoln Avenue all of the bars were so packed that we could hardly walk in, let alone sit all 10 of us together. And then we walked past the dive bar, Ricochet’s Tavern. No one had really intended for Ricochet’s to be our after-party, but it wasn’t packed and there was plenty of space for us to all sit together. It did the trick.


Jessica & Kelly – Dangerous Duo!


Jess set up a game. Kelly kept score.


Jess G asking questions


Jeannette got me a vodka + lemon shot. She obviously wasn’t there during the vodka lemonade Summer of Rachelle!


Vodka & Lemon wedge. Blech!

Jess G surprised me with a game that she planned ahead of time. She asked Dallas 20 questions and got the answers. The game was for me to answer the questions and see if our answers matched. Or, more like, to answer the questions in the way I thought Dallas would have answered them. Each of my friends was to say how many answers they thought I’d get right. The winner got to do a celebratory shot with me. Oh. And? I had to drink a shot for every answer I got wrong.


Rachelle & Jess


Long distance apple pucker shots from Ted


More questions!


More shots!

Also? A bunch of the questions were really obscure. How old is Dallas’s oldest pair of underwear? And a bunch of the questions he answered “I don’t know.” Or said the answer then said, “She won’t know this.” Meaning I drank a lot of shots. At one point the bartender said “You’re going to kill that girl” because every 5 minutes my friends were up at the bar buying another shot.


Hilarious!


Something is hilarious!

Interspersed with the questions, I had to do a bachelorette scavenger hunt. First I had to find a guy in the bar named Phil. There weren’t any. I even asked the bouncer who was checking IDs. But funny thing…. right after we asked him, like the next guy coming in was named Phil!


Asking some dudes if anyone is named Phil. They lied and said YES.


Looking for a guy named Phil.


PHIL!!


Kelly made me drink Irish whiskey.

Then? I had to find a penny from the year that Dallas and I met: 2004. Funny thing… Phil had the penny! I found out later on he was set up. It was really Amanda that had the penny. What a let down! I thought Phil was my go-to guy.


Amanda setting up a trick!


Asking guys if they had a penny from 2004. The year Dallas and I met.


Penny from 2004?


No, but this guy had funny stories.


Everyone wants a photo with the bachelorette


See?


Jill made me drink butterscotch schnapps


And peach schnapps.


I think I had 7 shots total. The bartender told my friends they were going to kill me.

When I had to find an unused condom, guess who I asked? Phil, my go-to guy! But he didn’t have one. And get this, I talked to every guy in Ricochet’s. No one had a condom. We were not asking to take it… we just wanted to see one. Not one guy!! Shame, shame.


Help me find a condom


Sean? I put him to work trying to find a condom.


Do you have a condom?


Do you have a condom?


Do you have a condom? No, but I’m flattered you asked.

At the end of the night Kristin and Jill tied at guessing how many questions I’d get right: 7.


We asked Dallas 20 questions. How many do you think Rachelle will answer correctly?

Kristin couldn’t drink any more because of her medication so she somehow recruited Amanda to drink her celebratory shot for her. I have never seen Amanda drink before this night and I surely had never seen her do a shot. Luckily, Cory took a quick video of this momentous occasion:


Winning Shots. Jill and Kristin tied for the win. Amanda drank Kristin’s shot for her. Pigs flew.


Leftover shot!


Leftover shot for the game-leader

The Chopping Block Totally Hands-On Cooking Class

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do on Saturday night of my girls’ weekend. I knew what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to dress slutty and drink from penis straws and barhop around downtown. No way. So what do you do? I started researching a few alternate things and decided to do a cooking class at The Chopping Block.


Who could it be now?


Jess?


Jess?


Jeannette, Jessica, Rachelle


The recipes


Jessica, Jeannette & Amanda picking out a wine


This was really good! Gougenheim Malbec 2009


Pervy Jeannette


The first (of many) toasts!


Nothing like lots of wine then big knives!


Jessica B & Rachelle B


Jessica B & Rachelle B


Amanda & Rachelle


Rachelle, Amanda, Kelly


Allez cuisine!


Swiss chard is pretty!


Our instructor, Chef Paul


Cory, Rachelle, Caroline


Soup Fixins


All portioned and ready.


Chop! Chop!


Jeannette & Rachelle


Kristin & Jeannette


Jeannette making the soup.


Soup Base


Kelly making ribbons of swiss chard.


Kelly taking notes.


Amanda making soup and drinking wine.


Potatoes gratin ingredients.


Potatoes gratin ingredients.


Jess B, Jeannette, Rachelle


Chef Paul & Rachelle


Browning shallots.


Caroline getting ready to add rosemary.


Bread pudding ingredients.


Presenting: Bread pudding.


Buttering the pan.


Kelly & Amanda


Jess G.


Kristin


Group Effort: Jess B. & Cory


Cooking class.


Serving the soup.


Cutting up pork tenderloin.


White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup With Sage


Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fruit and Port Wine Reduction


Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin


Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin


Finished Meal: White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup With Sage, Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin, Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fruit and Port Wine Reduction, Spiced Apple Bread Pudding


Spiced Apple Bread Pudding


Sitting down for dinner.


Kelly, Amanda, Jeannette, Cory, Rachelle, Jess B, Jess G, Caroline, Kristin


Final Kitchen Shot: Back: Caroline, Jess G, Kristin, Rachelle, Kelly, Amanda, Cory. Front: Jeannette, Jess B


Kissy face!


Bread Pudding Face (we didn’t like it)

Cooking is something I’m really interested in and that I do a lot, so it was fun to do it with 8 of my closest friends. The class we took was actually supposed to be a couples cooking class, but we totally crashed that. The Chopping Block was awesome. They gave us two large tables in the class and pushed them together with 4 people working at each table. Kristin, Kelly, Amanda and Caroline were working at one table and Jessica B, Jeannette, Cory and I were at another table. Jessica G. brought the magic to both teams, helping out wherever needed.

For dinner we made:

  • White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup With Sage
  • Sweet Potato and Gruyere Cheese Gratin
  • Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Dried Fruit and Port Wine Reduction
  • Spiced Apple Bread Pudding

Here is a link to all of the recipes (PDF).

By “we,” I mean, most of the rest of my team! I did stuff, but Jess and Jeannette really held it together while I talked a lot, floated around and drank a lot of wine out of whatever glass was the nearest to my hand.

Luckily The Chopping Block made it easy by pre-measuring a lot of things and by having 3 instructors going around making sure everything goes smoothly. At the end we all got to sit down and eat the meal we prepared. I loved the potatoes we made. The soup and pork were very good too.

Most people did not really care for the bread pudding, though. I don’t know if we made it wrong or what. At the end of the night we were getting our group photo taken and Jess G said “bread pudding face!” and we all made a horrible face!
The Chopping Block class was a great time. Everyone was saying how much fun they had. I think it’s good for parties or couples or anyone. Any occasion .. or even just a random night. Check it out.

Saturday, Girls’ Day

On Saturday I was feeling kind of hung over. Not horribly, but definitely dragging a bit. I think that I drank about a bottle and a half, at least a bottle for sure, of wine the night before, which is a lot for me. I think we were all feeling a little sluggish, so we laid low at the house for the morning and early afternoon. Kelly arrived from her long drive from Green Bay and we had lunch at the house. Mostly leftover cheese and stuff from wine and cheese night. And then? It was off to the salon!


Kelly, Kristin, Amanda, Jeannette :: Pinky Nail Studio, Wicker Park


Rachelle :: Pinky Nail Studio, Wicker Park

Jess G. made us all appointments at Pinky Nail Studio. Some of us got manicures and some pedicures and some both. I got both. Amanda got her first pedicure ever, which I thought was exciting. My mom got her first pedicure with me and loved it. I think Amanda is converted, too.


g boutique, Bucktown

We had some time to kill between the salon and going out. We were inspired by the party the night before and decided to head over to g boutique. I thought this was going to be a nice quiet lingerie boutique, but it really runs the gamut from fashionable underthings, to practical undies, to sale-priced bras, to raunchy sex shop. Interesting. I guess that is appropriate for a bachelorette weekend! I will not reveal what anyone may or may not have purchased, including what someone may or may not have shoved into my purse after checking out!


Rachelle :: g boutique, Bucktown

After the salon and boutique we headed home to rest for a little bit more and then get ready to go out. Here we are ready to go. I was all set with my tiara on!


Kelly, Jeannette, Rachelle, Amanda, Jessica G. :: Logan Square

I realized that Jess B. hasn’t been in any of my photos so far. She was behind the camera a lot. Not to worry! Plenty of photos of her coming up!

Wine and Cheese and Lingerie

This past weekend Dallas went to Las Vegas for his bachelor party. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have a bachelorette party, but a while back I decided maybe just to have a girls weekend while Dallas was away. A couple of my friends flew in from New York and a couple of my family members drove down from Wisconsin. They all stayed at my house and we spent the weekend with my Chicago girlfriends.

Dallas had to fly from Las Vegas to Florida for a business trip, so I haven’t seen him yet, but while talking a bit, it seems like they all had a crazy time partying. That is what he wanted to do, so I’m glad that he did it. Vegas is not really my style, but I was so totally happy with everything we did over the weekend. I had so much fun and I think everyone else did too.

On Friday people were driving in and flying in, so we decided to have wine and cheese at my place. I provided the space, but Jessica G. and Kristin brought everything over.. all the food and wine. We had about 5 different kinds of cheese, a few different sausages, quince, nuts, mini Mediterranean pizzas, hummus, veggies, grapes, three kinds of olives, and crackers. It was all so delicious. Our s’mores dessert was provided by The Baked Escape.


The Spread

Jess B. flew in early in the afternoon. Kristin and Jessica G. came over at about 6:00 or so to set up. Amanda arrived shortly after that. We ate and ate and drank and drank. Jill couldn’t come over because she had previously plans. Later on we convinced her to stop over and bring Halle with her. They only stayed for about an hour, but it was fun to see Halle-girl. I wish I’d have gotten my photo with her!

At about 10:30 Jeannette’s flight came in. I was feeling kind of tipsy by then. Jeannette got something to eat and we quickly got a drink in her hand. Since everyone was assembled, it was time to open gifts. I didn’t know anything about this when we were planning the party, but Jessica G. planned to have everyone bring “boudoir gifts.” I was kind of frightened to open these, but the ladies got me some really nice, pretty things… which I will not get into detail on here!


Feeling a little scared


Aw! Pretty purple nightgown & robe


Jeannette & Kristin


Amanda & Jessica


Something was hilarious


I can’t remember what Kristin was describing, but it was IMPORTANT

Oh, and Jess G. got me a tiara, which came in handy later on in the weekend!


How do I look in a tiara?


Soy? Edible? Huh?