Entries Tagged as 'hixx'

CHIRP Presents The First Time: First Record

February 3rd, 2012 · No Comments

A few months ago Jess and I attended a CHIRP event, The First Time: First Date at Beat Kitchen. It was so much fun, we decided to go again and this time drag Sara and Loden along with us. (They actually wanted to attend the first time, but couldn’t.) The theme this time was first record. I knew one reader very well, Chuck, and a few others were friends of friends. There were several Chicagoists that I got to see and catch up with a bit. I missed the Hixx though! Oh well. Next time! (You better attend the next time, Margaret!).

Here’s a lineup of everyone who read essays about their first record:

John Morrison of Subism
Shawn Campbell of CHIRP Radio
Sabrina Harper of Second City
Whet Moser of Chicago Magazine
Jessica Galliart of Red Eye
Chuck Sudo of Chicagoist

Unlike last time when we were sitting front and center, this time we were in the back of the room. Not a bad view, but not great for taking photos, so I just concentrated on getting a good one of Chuck :) His essay was hilarious, one of the best of the night, I think.

Again, after each essay, the band played a song of the writer/reader’s choosing. Again, the band was fabulous. Gerald Dowd sang a version of Huey Lewis and the News’ Power of Love that I want to buy and listen to 10 more times. It was awesome!

I guess I have to settle for this version, by Huey Lews and the News!

The event was $10 and all proceeds went to benefit CHIRP. The next event is going to be in April. Follow CHIRP’s Facebook page to make sure you get alerted as to the exact date! You won’t want to miss it.

Hey, and the reason we were late and had to stand in the back? Super slow service at the Village Tap. Our favorite waitress, Carolyn, made sure to say hi to us and even remembered the exact last date we were there. But we weren’t in her section.

And the reason we went to The Tap? We meant to go to Kitsch’n and use a Groupon, but they were randomly closed on a Wednesday night? What the heck?

I got to Roscoe Village early and strolled a bit, on the streets and down memory lane.

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CHIRP Launch Party

February 1st, 2010 · 2 Comments

After dinner at Buona Terra, Jess and I headed up to the Lillstreet Art Center in Ravenswood for the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP) launch party. CHIRP launched this past fall as a truly indpendent music- and arts-focused community radio station. Right now they only broadcast online, but they are hoping to someday broadcast on a low power FM station someday.

Jocelyn, a writer I know from back in my Chicagoist days, is the CHIRP events coordinator and DJs at noon on Fridays. So, she invited me to come to the party and it was nice to see her again and hear about her new venture. The party was fun. There was a live band, great beer and a ton of food, as well. We didn’t eat because we’d just eaten dinner, but we certainly did partake in the beer. And the band. I also got to see The Hixx, who I also know from Chicagoist. I still talk to her a lot online, but, man.. it’s probably been years since we’ve seen each other, so it was great catching up.

CHIRP is a cool project going on here in Chicago… but since they’re online, no matter where you live you can tune in and give them a listen at CHIRPradio.org. Tune in!

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Second City Walking Tours

July 16th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Hey, Margaret’s Second City walking tours start this weekend! I’m so psyched for her and can’t wait to go on one myself. I’ve done a downtown architecture boat tour twice, so I’m excited that this tour is in another part of town.

If you live in Chicago or are visiting, check out the Second City walking tours. Margaret an experienced guide, is so knowledgeable about Chicago and architecture, and is funny, to boot. I know these tours are going to be awesome!

You can get tickets on the Second City site. I also found this article about the new tours and thought I’d post it:

the_second_city_walking_tour_hicks

Update Jul 30, 2009:The Chicago Tribune attended Margaret’s first tour and published this video and article.

 

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Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

January 11th, 2008 · 8 Comments

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

I knew that Hixx’s bars looked and tasted familiar to me when she brought them over for the cookie party. Turns out, I have the same recipe. I made it back in November for Ed’s housewarming party in Logan Square, but never posted on it. So, here’s our recipe now -

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

1 c. peanut butter
3/4 stick butter
1 1/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 c. chocolate chips
Chopped peanuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the peanut butter with the butter til smooth. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat until creamy. Blend in the flour and salt. Stir in 1/4 c. chocolate chips.

Spead the dough in an ungreased 13×9-inch pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. After baking, immediately sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes until shiny and soft. Spread evenly over top. Sprinkle with nuts. Cool completely. Cut.

Note: This recipe first appeared on Chicagoist last week.

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First Annual Cookie and Tree Trimming Party

December 10th, 2007 · 13 Comments


Erin & Hixx (photo by Erin)

Erin’s Peanut Butter Kisses
Erin’s Peanut Butter Kisses

Rachelle’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzels
Rachelle’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzels

On Saturday I hosted a cookie party. My mom, sister-in-law, cousin, nieces, Dallas’ aunts, and some of my girlfriends all came over. Each brought several dozen cookies, which we laid out and sampled over the course of a few hours.


Hixx, Laura, Olivia (Photo by Erin)


Olivia, Stephanie (Photo by Erin)

Stephanie & Jessica
Stephanie & Jessica

I served some baba ganoush (Dallas and I love the Whole Foods brand of it and surprisingly, so did my niece Stephanie who’d never had baba ganoush before), sun-dried tomato hummus, veggies, crackers, pretzels and cheeses to try to counter-balance the sweets. We all, especially my niece Jess, enjoyed spiced cider (spiked or not) that my mom helped make from a Chicagoist recipe.

Mary’s Bacon ~n~ Eggs
Mary’s Bacon ~n~ Eggs


Hixx (Photo by Erin)


Frosty! (Photo by Erin)

We passed the time talking and eating and listening to holiday music and trimming the tree and watching Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns on TV. After a couple hours of sampling all the cookies and candies, we each voted on the one we liked best.


Margaret (Photo by Erin)

Margaret’s Cookies
Margaret’s Cookies

These are all the tasty treats we sampled:

  • Rachelle’s Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels (pictured above)
  • Rachelle’s Seven Layer Bars
  • Rachelle’s Lemon Spritz Cookies
  • Hixx‘s Cookie Bars
  • Mary’s White Cranberries
  • Mary’s Christmas Rings
  • Mary’s Bacon ~n~ Eggs (pictured above)
  • Mary’s Special K Bars
  • Erin‘s Peanut Butter Kisses (pictured above)
  • Naoko’s Half-Dipped Cookies
  • Naoko’s Japanese Cookies
  • Laura H.’s Peanut Butter Blossoms
  • Gail’s Oatmeal Cookies
  • Kelly’s Almond Spritz
  • Kelly’s Jelly Rolls
  • Kelly’s Peanut Butters
  • Olivia‘s Jammy Pecan Thumbprints
  • Olivia‘s Coco-Nutella Nuggets
  • Laura O.‘s Cranberry Bars with Struesel Topping
  • Amanda’s Peanut Butter Balls
  • Amanda, Stephanie, & Jessica’s Frosted Cut Out Cookies
  • Margaret‘s Oatmeal-Chocolate-Dried Cherry-Pecan Awesomes (pictured above)


Rachelle (Photo by Erin)

Cookie Votes
Cookie Votes

Tied for second place were Kelly’s Jelly Rolls, Olivia’s Jammy Pecan Thumbprints and Mary’s White Chocolate Cranberries. Laura O. won the top prize (a holiday spatula and Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book) with her Cranberry Bars with Struesel Topping.


Laura (Photo by Erin)


Hixx, Laura, Olivia, Kelly (Photo by Erin)

Laura, the winner
Laura, the winner!

I didn’t take too many photos, and the ones I did weren’t of the people at the party.. I need to get better at that sometimes.. but Erin has some photos of friends who attended.

Cookies
Cookies!

Cookies
More Cookies!

Between this party and my company holiday party, I’m getting into the spirit now. I think my cookie party was a success. Everyone said they had a great time, so I’ll probably try to do it again next year, with a few modifications. Namely, you MUST take home as many cookies as you bring. I have about 500 cookies in my kitchen right now because everyone was being all polite about not taking too much home. Also, I think each person should just make one thing. There were several of us who made more than one candy or cookie and it did turn out to be a bit overwhelming to try to sample everything.

Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree 2007

Note: In 2010 I finally got around to updating this post with some of Erin’s photos from the party. She had more photos of the people who attended.

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