Things I've learned about this city

I've been in Chicago a little over six months now and I absolutely LOVE it here!!! I feel at home here and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. A couple weeks ago, I was looking for some shoes to wear with a dress and realized that there is TONS of shopping only a few blocks from my work. Score!!! That day, I said to Brian, "I don't see how anyone could come to Chicago and not fall in love with this city!" 

Here are a few things I've learned about Chicago so far: 

1. When walking around downtown, you can definitely tell who is going to work. 

People going to work are in a BIG hurry! They are rushing around the city, usually with a coffee in hand. I'm sad to admit that I'm one of those people. 

2. There's a Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks on EVERY corner. 

I saw this at DD the other day and it made me laugh. Brian is a Dunkin Donuts fan and I'm more of a Starbucks fan. To be honest, I'm pretty much just a fan of coffee in general. 

3. Chicago LOVES it's festivals. Music fests, beer fests, food fests, etc... 

There is at least one festival going on EVERY weekend during the summer. We went to the American Beer Classic in May and tried a lot a few beers. It was a blast!  There's a Burger festival in Roscoe Village this weekend that I'm gonna try to talk Brian into going to. 

4. The food here is AMAZING!!! 

There are so many great restaurants in Chicago. My favorite breakfast place is Little Goat. Fat Elvis Waffles, need I say more?! One of my favorite lunch places downtown is Jason's deli. The food is delicious and you get FREE ice cream!!! So far, my favorite place we've had dinner is Mercadito. Amazing food and yummy margaritas!!! 

5. Chicago LOVES its sports teams! 

The Bulls, the Bears, the Blackhawks, the Cubs, the White Sox.... and you must be a fan! We live about a mile from Wrigley, but Brian HATES the Cubs. He's a big Sox fan and is trying to make me one too. I'm going to my first Sox game in a little over a week and I'm super excited. I went to my first Bulls game last season and had a blast! Hopefully, I will get to go to a Blackhawks game next season. 

These are just a few of the things I've learned about the great city of Chicago so far. I'm sure I'll have many more discoveries to share the longer I live here. 

Do you live in/near Chicago?

Have you been to Chicago?

If so, what are some of your favorite things about the city? 

Happy Friday!!! 

Oh, How Pinteresting and a WINNER!!!

I am sooooo ready for Fall! I'm ready for sweaters, boots, scarves, fall decorations, anything pumpkin, etc... 

In honor of fall, I went pin crazy last night pinning everything fall fall fall! Here are some of my favorite upcoming fall things. 

Fall TV Shows

Source: deadline.com via: Mark on: pinterest

One of the funniest tv shows ever! Such a great cast and mix of characters. 

Source: deviantart via: Rod on: pinterest

I wasn't sure about this show for about the first four episodes and then I was hooked! It's definitely dark and different, but something about it just pulls you in. 

Source: media-cache via: Sareen on: pinterest

Revenge!!! Oh, how I love this show! The suspense, the drama, the love triangle... Daniel or Jack?!? Both are H-O-T HOT! 

Fall Food

Source: dreamydesserts via: Callie on: pinterest

Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese filling

Source: petitekitchenesse via: Helen on: pinterest

Chai-Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Source: babble via: Robyn on: pinterest

12 Fall Crockpot Recipes

Fall Fashion

Source: kikbird via: Rachel on: pinterest

Big, comfy oversized sweaters

Source: prepfection via: Charity on: pinterest

Shorts and tights... perfect fall transition

Source: prettylifeanonymous via: Melanie on: pinterest

Cardigan, skinnies, boots.... LOVE

What are some of your favorite fall shows, recipes and outfits?

 
And... announcing the winner of the Bitz & Pieces giveaway!!! 

Congratulations Judy Martin Wilber!!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Happy Hump Day!!!  

Sunday Social

Blogging on Sunday, whaaaaaat?!? I'm not sure I've ever blogged on the weekend before. But, I decided to hop on to blogger and do a little blog stalking reading. While stalking reading, I came across this lovely link-up, Sunday Social, and decided I might as well participate. 

This weeks questions: All about food!!!

1. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Cheese!!! I LOOOOVE cheese. It is the one food that I'm pretty sure I could not live without. There is no such thing as too much cheese.

2. What's your guilty pleasure/comfort food? Macaroni and cheese with hot dogs. I don't care if this is supposedly a kids meal, I love it! Part of me is still 5 years old.

3. What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten? Hmm... probably shark or alligator. I ate both on my senior trip to Panama City Beach, FL. We won't talk about how long ago that way. 

4. What foods do you avoid at all costs? Beans!!! I hate beans! Something about the texture....Blech!!! 

5. What meal reminds you of your childhood? Fish sticks and macaroni and cheese. My mom didn't cook much when I was growing up since it was usually just me and her, so our easy go to meal was always fish sticks and mac and cheese. 

5. Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it.  Spaghetti casserole. It was one of the first things I really made on my own that I considered a meal. It's easy peasy, but super delicious! 

Spaghetti Casserole

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 1/2 cans tomato soup

1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Spaghetti noodles

Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Boil spaghetti noodles as directed on package. Brown meat and drain. Add the tomato soup and cream of mushroom soup to the drained meat and mix well. Mix spaghetti noodles and meat mixture and put in a casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake until the cheese is melted. 

Serve with salad and bread and you have a complete meal. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!!  

 

Mmmm, mmmm good!!!

Three cheese tortellini alfredo with roasted red pepper chicken sausage and asparagus!!! Soooo delish! I wish I could say that it was all homemade, but at least I boiled the tortellini, grilled the sausage and baked the asparagus. Sometimes, I really wish I was more "domesticated". I wish I could say that I love cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, but who really does?! Definitely, not this girl! I don't mind separating the laundry and putting it in the washer and dryer, but then actually putting it away is a completely different story. I am sad to say that our guest bedroom has become the "laundry" room. Husband was saying the other day that it would be really nice if he could just open his drawers to get out the clothes he needs instead of having to go into the "laundry" room and search through the pile. I'm pretty sure I'm going to find clothes I totally forgot I had when I finally put the laundry away. Yes, that is how long it has been! At least the rest of the house is pretty clean! I think my New Years resolution this year will be to be a better housewife. That should be easy peasy right? Right?!?