Entries Tagged as 'jen'

Limey’s Going Away Pub Crawl

November 8th, 2011 · No Comments


Bernie, Vickie, Limey :: Rockwood Place

After 18 years in America, Limey Dave is leaving. His work Visa has expired and without a sponsor he has to go. We have done a few things over the past few weeks as part of Limey’s going away period – cooking class, dinner and football – but this past weekend was the big blowout.


Limey & Kevin :: Bar Celona


Limey & Trent :: Bar Celona


Loden & Limey :: Bar Celona

Limes will still be here for a few more weeks and then he’s off to explore the world. I think he’s still unsure of where he’ll end up. I heard Australia and Asia are in the running, as well as England, of course. All nice places to visit, I hear, so I can’t wait to see where he lands.


Chad & Limey :: John Barleycorn


Limey & Rachelle :: John Barleycorn


Wrigley Field

Limey has lived in Wrigleyville the whole time he’s lived in Chicago, so for his going away party he coordinated a pub crawl around the neighborhood. As well, he’s always loved the Cubs so he chose to make the pub crawl baseball themed. Game time began at 1:20 p.m. with a celebratory shot and then we went to 9 bars around Wrigley Field, one bar for each “inning.”


Ted, Trent, Kevin, Chad, Danny :: Cubby Bear


Natalie, Limey, Annie :: Cubby Bear


Paulie & Limey :: Sports Corner

Dallas and I actually missed the first inning at Mullens, but made it for inning two at Rockwood Place. From there we went to Bar Celona from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Bar Celona opened the bar just for Limey, their most loyal customer, so we spent two hours here instead of one. From 5 – 6 p.m. we were at John Barleycorn, from 6 – 7 p.m. we were at Cubby Bear and from 7 – 8 p.m. we were at Sports Corner.


Ted, Dallas, Jen, Loden, Danny :: Yak-Zie’s


Ted, Dallas, Jen, Loden, Danny, Chen-Je :: Yak-Zie’s


Here’s a secret: Limey’s shot only had Monster energy drink in it! :: Yak-Zie’s


Somewhere between Yak-Zie’s and Guthrie’s we saw this snowmobile and Sara and Jess had to get on it.

We were supposed to go to Murphy’s Bleachers next, but it was too packed to get in. Limey’s entourage was about 50 people strong and there was just no way we could fit in there. So, we were going to go to an alternate, Bernie’s Tavern, but we ended up going right to the next inning at Yak-Zie’s. The final inning, beginning at 10 p.m., was at Guthrie’s, of course, and we stayed there til close.


Eric & Kevin :: Guthrie’s Tavern


Sara, Jess, Rachelle :: Guthrie’s Tavern


Limey, Maria, Jill :: Guthrie’s Tavern


Jill, Danny, Jamie, Fitz, Paulie, Kevin, Jen, Chad’s Hands, Dallas :: Guthrie’s Tavern


Dan, Limey, Maria, Jill, Danny :: Guthrie’s Tavern


Limey & Maria :: Guthrie’s Tavern


Chad, Ted, Danny :: Guthrie’s Tavern


Time to go!!!

It was a fun day and great to see all of Limey’s friends come together. He is a great guy, which is reflected in how many people made a point to be there. We were taking over whole entire bars and making them open for business when usually they’re closed. It was such a fun day. Bittersweet. I’ll miss The Limes, but I know this will not be the last we’ve seen of him. Maybe he’ll even move back one day, who knows. Hopefully we can get to see him a time or two more before his actual move date.

[Read more →]

Tags:······································

Midwest is Best Wine Tasting

November 7th, 2011 · 2 Comments

Earlier this year I noticed that I’d somehow acquired wines from Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin. I had this idea to have a local wine party, so I saved these bottles and added wines from from Illinois and Michigan. I’ve been trying to figure out how to schedule this party all summer, but it just got away on me. Finally, I figured out a day that several friends could get together and we did it. I got some cheese and snacks and we made a whole night of it.

For fun I also made up some wine tasting note sheets for each wine and had people fill in how the wine looked, smelled, tasted, and then an area to rate each wine.

Here’s what we thought of each of the wines:

Winery: Good Harbor Vineyards, Leeanau Peninsula, MI
Wine Name: Trillium Semi Dry White Table Wine
Variety: Reisling, Vignoles, Seyval Blanc
Story: I got this wine at Whole Foods to round out my collection of midwestern wines
Look: Pale; Smell: Fruity, Flowery; Taste: Fruity, Flowery, Light, Crisp, Floral;
Overall Rating: Most people seemed to like this wine, rating it between a 6-8 on a scale of 1-10. A solid white wine.

Winery: Oliver Winery, Bloomington, IN
Wine Name: Soft Red Wine
Variety: Concord
Story: Our upstairs neighbors who are from Indiana gave us this bottle a few years ago when their dogs jumped on Dallas. Dallas didn’t really care, their dogs are harmless little dachshunds. It was a nice gesture, though.
Look: Ruby, Rose; Smell: Fruity; Taste: Sweet, Grapey
Overall Rating: Just about everyone thought this wine was too sweet to drink. The overall rating was between 1-3 on a scale of 1-10. One noted “tastes like grape juice.” Several people poured this out and didn’t finish their serving.

Winery: Door Peninsula Winery, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Wine Name: Peninsula Red
Variety: Cherries, Grapes
Story: My cousin Kelly, who lives in Wisconsin, gave me this bottle of wine last year on my bachelorette weekend.
Look: Garnet, Ruby; Smell: Fruity, Spicy, Woodsy, Cherry; Taste: Spice, Complex, Sweet, Dry
Overall Rating: Everyone seemed to like this wine and were surprised that they liked it. I think everyone was suspicious that it was a cherry wine mixed with a grape wine. They thought it would be too sweet, but it was not. The overall rating was between 5-9 on a scale of 1-10.

Winery: Prairie State Winery, Genoa, IL
Wine Name: Recession Noir
Variety: Red Blend
Story: I had time to kill when the Jeep broke down between Chicago and Milwaukee over the summer. Luckily a Whole Foods was nearby. I bought this Illinois wine there.
Look: Garnet, Ruby, Rose; Smell: Fruity, Barnyard, Woodsy; Taste: Sweet, Light, Spice, Crisp, Dry
Overall Rating: This wine was universally disliked. Most did not finish their glass. The overall rating was between 1-4 on a scale of 1-10.

Winery: Wide River Winery, Clinton, IA
Wine Name: Dry Red Wine
Variety: Red Blend
Story: This guy Matt sat in the desk next to mine for a while. A family member or friend of his was involved with this winery in Iowa. His stint at my company was brief, but long enough for him to gift this bottle of wine to me!
Look: Garnet, Ruby; Smell: Woodsy, Spicy, Barnyard, Baby Diaper, Pigpen, Chocolate, Poo; Taste: Wood, Spice, Complex, Sweet, Velvety, Smoke, Heavy, World of Warcraft
Overall Rating: The things people were tasting and smelling in this wine varied greatly, but most people seemed to like it. Ratings came in between 6-8 on a scale of 1-10, with one lowball of a 4 rating.

Winery: Something in Holland?
Wine Name: Choco Vine Espresso
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Dutch Chocolate
Story: This is not local, but I kept seeing it in the store and got really interested in trying it, so this was a surprise tasting.
Look: Brown, How Now Brown Cow, Milky, Chocolate Milk; Smell: Chocolate, Coffee, White Russian; Taste: Sweet, Heavy, Velvety, Complex, Ovaltine,
Overall Rating: People really liked the Choco Vine. It must be served over ice or it’s too thick. Ratings came in between 8-9 on a scale of 1-10. One person wrote in 100!

After tasting the midwestern wines and the Choco Vine, I still had about 12 bottles of wine left in my case so we busted out a few of them. I had some generic wine tasting note sheets and as you can see, people were getting very… creative… filling them out:

The damage the next morning:

Only 8 bottles. I thought it would be worse, actually. Thanks to Emily, Jen, Jess, Jill, Kate, Loden, Sara and Stacy for coming over and drinking wine with me! I’m already thinking about how we can try to make this happen again!

[Read more →]

Tags:·························

Limey’s Going Away Dinner (That Danny Cooked)

October 26th, 2011 · No Comments

   
   
   
   
   
   

On Sunday Danny invited a bunch of friends over to his house for football and dinner. This was one of Limey’s going away events. We couldn’t just have one party for him when we heard he has to leave, we had to throw a whole series!

During the games Danny made dumplings and flatbreads. One of the dumplings was filled with short ribs and the other had potatoes and bacon and a side aioli that made it taste just like a loaded baked spud. So delicious! There were three kinds of flatbreads – a Mediterranean one with a kalamata olive tampanade and feta, one with roasted tomatoes and pesto, and one with sausage and caramelized onions. These were all delicious too, but I especially liked the Mediterranean one.

There were Bears fans, Packers fans and one lonely Cowboys fan at the party and everyone’s team won, so everyone was happy. Although, I would have been happier if the Bears had lost. The weather was nice enough, so we were outside for a while. Quinn and Halle provided the entertainment for the party. I’m not sure Danny and Caroline’s dogs, Maggie & Duff, knew what to make of them, but they better figure it out because they’ll have a baby in the house in just a few months!

For dinner Danny made shrimp and grits. This was the second time I’ve had his shrimp and grits and it’s so delicious. The grits are so rich and creamy. I don’t know how he does it. Actually, I do, but I don’t like to think about it (cream, cream, cream!). Danny also made macaroni and cheese for the kids, which was a big hit with both the kids and the adults.

For dessert, I brought over White Russian cupcakes. I thought they combined two of Limey’s loves: Booze & Sweets. They turned out alright, but not as awesome as I’d hoped. Not as awesome as the Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes I’ve made (here, here). Danny also made beignets with chocolate sauce.

Somehow we rolled ourselves out of there at the end of the night! I’m not sad about saying goodbye to Limey yet because he’ll be here for a while and we have at least one more goodbye party to go to.

It should also be noted that it took us 12 whole minutes to get to Danny & Caroline’s house in Oak Park from our house. I think their house seems far because it’s not even in Chicago, but we live so far west, it’s so fast and easy.

Finally, I almost forgot, Quinn made us this Halloween decoration. It’s a drawing of a scarecrow. I think he has glasses? What a nerdy scarecrow. He told me that I had to hang it by our stairs, but I have it on the fridge:

[Read more →]

Tags:····················

Chopping Block Totally Hands On Cooking Class :: La Cocina Mexicana

October 24th, 2011 · 4 Comments

A few friends had gift certificates for a hands-on class at the Chopping Block, so we set up a date to go. Limey was one of the people with a gift certificate, so it became one of his going away events, now that he’s leaving the country after his work visa expired. Jen had an extra class certificate, so she let me use it. Limey had one extra that he gave to his friend Natalie.

The class we took was La Cocina Mexicana taught by Chef Carrie Bradley. The menu was Wild Mushroom Queso Fundido; Taqueria-Style Tortas with Grilled Skirt Steak and Tomatillo Salsa; Pozole Rojo (Pork Braised with Red Chilies and Hominy); Mexican Flourless Chocolate Cake. (Recipes here.)

While Chef Carrie introduced herself and let us know how the class would go, she gave us each a little cup of fresh tomato, cucumber and herb gazpacho that she made earlier. It wasn’t on the menu, but anytime you want to give me bonus soup, I’ll take it. I have not eaten a ton of gazpacho, but I thought this was delicious. Light and fresh. I found this recipe for the soup on the Chopping Block’s website.

The first thing we started making was the pozole rojo because it was a soup that needed to cook for more than an hour. Limey volunteered to be pork hands in our group and to mix the raw pork with the seasoning.

While the soup was simmering we went ahead and worked on the rest of the meal. The Chopping block sets out pre-measured ingredients for each dish. Limes was super excited when he saw the bowl of chocolate for the flourless chocolate cake, so we let him do the chocolate melting. This was a mix of butter, bittersweet chocolate, Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, ancho chili powder and Kahlua.

Natalie learned how to crack eggs like a one-handed pro! At first she was muttering “what the %@$&” but once she got it, she got it and didn’t even break a yolk!

To make salsa verde, we roasted tomatillos, garlic, jalepenos, and onions then blended it in the food processor. Add a little salt and pepper, and that’s all there is to it. I normally make salsa fresca, but now I can’t wait to try this new recipe. This salsa was eaten with tortilla chips and also was part of the torta recipe.

Limey didn’t know this was chorizo. It looks like poo! This was for the fundido.

Natalie still working on the chocolate cake. Aside from melting the chocolate, she did everything else to make these cakes.

This is a view of our class room from the opposite end of the room. There was a couple with their parents, a couple on a date, 2 friends and us. I think it was 14 total, plus Chef Carrie and her assistant.

Kristin digging into the fundido. This was one of our favorite dishes. It was so rich and delicious. Maybe because it had both beer and tequila in it!

Jill learned how to grill the skirt steak for the tortas and fell in love with the stovetop grill!

Mexican flourless chocolate cake that Natalie made. Later on we topped each one with a dallop of Mexican crema (sour cream, basically). So fudgy and rich. The sour cream helped to cut the richness and was a good contrast to the sweet and spicy cake.

Chef Carrie showing us how to cut skirt steak across the grain.

Jill was finding it hard to cut the steak for some reason!

Here’s me putting what I learned to good use.

I don’t think this is what the torta is supposed to turn out like, but this is what mine looked like. Inside the bread I stuffed steak, avocado, onions, salsa, refried beans, Mexican crema, and queso fresco. It was kind of hard to eat, but totally incredible.

The roja & pork posole soup. Probably my least favorite dish at our table, but others loved it.

Here we are as we sat down to eat everything we made. I should point out Kristin’s finger. She got a knife injury somewhere along the way. Totally expected, I guess, since the six of us went through six bottles of wine that night. It should also be noted that Kristin did not cut her own finger, someone else did!

Limey finishing off Jill’s cake. She was too stuffed to eat it all, but Limey is never too stuffed to eat more sweets! Notice we are the last people there.

As a side note, I took a hands-on cooking class at the Chopping Block just about one year ago as part of my Bachelorette celebration weekend.

[Read more →]

Tags:··········

Belated Birthday BBQ

September 20th, 2011 · No Comments


Ed, Cousin, Kristin, Jen


Brian, Limey, Rachelle, Mike (Brian’s dad)


Paul Baker, Rachelle, Kate


Rachelle & Richard (with Guinness, Jameson, and Bailey’s for Irish Car Bombs


Brett, Rachelle


Chad, Rachelle, Quinn


Dallas about to get kissed


Jen


Brett


Rachelle, Danny


Paul Baker, Kate, Rachelle, Alden


Jill, Halle, Rachelle


Todd, Rachelle, Larry, Marty, Josh


Anonymous Passer Outer. Note, he came that way, it didn’t happen at my party.


Rachelle, Trevor, Todd


Rachelle, Amy, Raiden, Steve


Irish Car Bombs!


Guess who won?


Damian, Rachelle, Derek


Rachelle, Derek


Trevor, Damian, Derek, Todd


Cory, Rachelle, Caroline


Marty, Josh, Trevor, Damian, Derek, Todd


Marty, Josh, Trevor, Dallas, Damian, Derek, Quinn, Todd


Chad, Mike (his dad)


Todd, Rachelle, Josh


Rachelle, Brett


Ed


Vanessa, Dylan, Rachelle


Dallas, Rachelle


Jeremiah Weed


Killian, Rachelle (Killian’s birthday gift was Shake Weight


Learning how to use the Shake Weight


Rachelle & Juan, a.k.a Kwan


Rachelle, Juan/Kwan, Cory


Watching the fight: Dallas, Kristin, Caroline, Danny, Cousin, Anonymous, Alden, Paul Baker, Kate, Juan/Kwan, Cory, Ed


See you in my nightmares!

I think the pictures tell the story! At first I was just trying to take photos of people at the party then somehow it evolved into me having to be in the photos.

Dallas and I prepped food for the barbecue for days ahead of time and it all turned out fabulous, if I do say so myself. We had kalbi ribs on the grill (marinated for 2 days) and braised short ribs that slow cooked for hours in the oven. To go with all this delicious meat, I made crack onion dip, bacon-wrapped pineapple, dill dip with veggies, Asian lettuce salad, pesto pasta salad, macadamia nut brownies, and a fruit plate.

It was a fun night. I acted like I was turning 26, not 36, though. Definitely was feeling my true age the next day! Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes, gifts, cards, and for coming to my party and making it a great time!

[Read more →]

Tags:·············································