The Chicago Marathon and Chocolate Chip Cookies

After a long weekend running and recovering from the Chicago Marathon, I decided to make some cookies to bring into school.  Now, I decided to make my "famous" Inception Cookies because you cut each cookie in half and you get double the cookies.  It makes baking for my advisory or other classes so much easier! I wanted to celebrate the marathon a little with them and we have a pizza party at the end of the day today and so I figured it was an excellent time to bake some cookies.

A few weeks ago, I decided to try out a new recipe and it was a huge success.  Now, this recipe doesn't have you putting oreos inside of cookies so it's not as cool looking, but it did turn into a really great chocolate chip cookie.  

I found the recipe over at Cook's Country.  I didn't do much to change it up except add a pinch of cinnamon to the dry ingredients.  However, the cookies came out really great! They were chewy with a bit of a crunch, flavorful, and stayed soft for a long time.  Everyone loved them!  Try it out! 

The Chicago Marathon was also a crazy success and a great reason to bake (and eat) some cookies.  It was my third Chicago Marathon and 4th marathon.  I finished with a PR of 4:18:39.  This is 12 minutes faster than my last best time!  I was so excited.  I finished with my best running buddy, Jana, and we were both so happy!  I celebrated with Brian and my family and it was a great day.  

Now, I need to recover and get ready for the New York City Marathon on November 6th!  I'll keep you posted on my ongoing training! 

We got married!

Alright, I am officially the worst.  I have been planning my big comeback to the blogging world for a while.  I have been cooking, baking, doing diy crafts, and creating draft after draft about everything.

And then, I don't publish anything.  I have been so crazy busy that I just haven't felt motivated to put all my creations into a completed post.

However, that is going to change today.  It is a beautiful Sunday, it is Rosh Hashanah, and I have decided to officially come back and share my latest and greatest news.

We got married! After a year and a half of Wedding Planning Wednesdays, our wedding finally arrived and it was spectacular.  Everything was simply perfect and I couldn't have imagined a better day.

We got ready at the McCormick Place Hyatt, took photos at Promontory Point and the Museum of Science and Industry and then had the ceremony and reception at the Bridgeport Art Center.  It was an amazing day in Chicago and a fantastic wedding.  And the best part? Now I'm a married lady to my best friend!!!

Over the next few weeks, I'll let you all know about some of the final details that we worked on in the last few weeks before the big day!  I'll also make sure to update you all on the amazing food I've been making with all my new wedding presents! Happy Sunday!!!

Enjoy :)

Marathon Training Monday: Eventbrite and my Favorite Races

So, something super cool happened recently.  Eventbrite inspired me to chat about some of my favorite races.  Eventbrite is the largest self-service ticketing platform.  You can use them to create your own events!  Just go to their Event Planning and Management page and sign up!  They help you get organized and get everything you need to get your event planned and make it happen!

Races are obviously some of my favorite events.  One of my favorite races of all time was the Chicago Marathon.  It is such a terrific event and although I was super nervous to be running a marathon, the event was so well run that it made a lot of my anxieties go away and I could just focus on being there and running well.  I felt like I just had to talk about this phenomenal race today because I was just accepted through the lottery system to run it for my THIRD time!

To prepare for a marathon, I start the week before.  I drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, I eat normally (I don't try anything new), and I wear comfortable footwear.  I start to lay out everything that I will need for race day a few days in advance.  This includes my running outfit, but also my energy gus, sunscreen, chapstick, advil and whatever else I feel like I may need.  Then, I make a reservation at an Italian restaurant for the night before so I can get that typical carb-loading dinner in.  Basically, I have everything planned out and ready to go.  The Chicago Marathon itself is very much the same way.  They have everything super organized and well planned.  When you get there crazy early in the morning and you are feeling nervous, there are plenty of volunteers and signs helping you find your way.  They also have tons of water and gatorade, supplies you may need, and tents for you to change in just in case you need that space.  They are playing music and the overall atmosphere is just inspiring.  This is what really gets me into running and makes me want to run more!

Eventbrite is really great because you can create your own events and they support you by helping with all the logistics as well as the web page.  If I were to create an event, I would want it to embody the same sort of spirit as well as organization as the Chicago Marathon.  Maybe one day I will host my own event!

Marathon Training Monday: The 20 Miler!

Ok, so it is Tuesday, but I was super lazy and didn't post yesterday.  I am feeling super lazy because this past weekend was moving weekend and the 20 miler.  Basically, I am super exhausted.  However, I am also super proud that I completed the 20 miler.

This past Saturday, I ran 20 miles along the Chicago Lake Shore Path.  It was the most difficult and most miserable run I have ever been apart of.  For 10 miles, we ran on ice (take a look at that pic above) and then for another 10 miles we ran into super strong/cold wind.  My face felt destroyed and my legs were hurting so much by the end.  I started the run nervous because I was already sore from moving.  Then, that ice just made me miserable.  You run differently on ice and you hold a lot of strain in your body.  Thus, I am still a little sore.  I also know that if I can do what I did on Saturday, I can definitely run a marathon.  AND, the plus side is now it is TAPER TIME!

Taper means we run less and less over the next few weeks in preparation for race day.  I am officially 18 days from race day and I couldn't be more excited to be at this point and finally tapering.  This week the mileage is 5, 8, 5 and 12.  I know this still sounds like a lot, but it is a far cry from last week's 6, 8, 6, 20.  So, I am very excited.

At this point in training, I am also hungry all of the time! It is sort of crazy.  So, I keep a lot of high protein snacks (like almonds or greek yogurt) nearby at all times.  I also celebrated the completion of the 20 miler with a bloody mary/brunch at Roots.  You even get a mozzarella stick on top of your bloody mary!

I am also stretching and resting as much as I can and I only wear comfy flats to school.  Overall, I am trying my best to take care of myself and get ready for the big day!

Clean Out Your Pantry Quinoa Enchilada Bake

IT'S MOVING DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARGH! I am so excited!  I have this ginormous container of Quinoa Enchilada Bake because I literally put everything I could from our pantry into a giant mixture of cooked quinoa and baked it.  We have been eating it for a week, but it is delicious and it is all we have left in our fridge!  Why? BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING TODAY!

We close on our condo this afternoon.  That's right!  WE ARE GOING TO BE HOMEOWNERS IN 4 HOURS!

I couldn't be more excited and I can't believe I am at this stage of my life.  This is amazing!  I feel so proud to have a career and the ability to do this and I can't wait to make a home with Bri.  Also, it is exactly 4 months until our wedding from today and that also makes me smile from ear to ear.

Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked quinoa
6 cups water
salt
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 onion, sliced
olive oil
4 tbsp cilantro
4 tsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 cup (or so...) shredded cheddar cheese
extra cheese (your choice) to sprinkle on top

Directions:
1. Place quinoa and water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork when you are done.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, place the onion slices in a pan with 2 tbsp of oilve oil and cook over medium heat until nice and caramelized.
3. Pour some enchilada sauce in a 13 by 9 inch pan and preheat oven to 350.
4. In a large bowl, place the beans, chickpeas, corn, cooked onion, cilantro, adobo sauce, and all the spices.  Toss with the shredded cheddar.  Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the mixture and toss to combine.  5. Once the quinoa is done, stir in the rest of the ingredients and pour into your prepared pan.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and cover with tinfoil.  Cook for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy :)

Wedding Planning Wednesday Part 9

We did our engagement photos!  Bri proposed back in December, but we decided we still wanted to do some engagement photos to get some nice pictures for a save the date.

We went with Dennis Lee as our photographer and he has been amazing!  If you are planning a Chicago wedding, he is great and I would definitely recommend him!  We walked around the Art Institute, part of Grant Park, near the Lakeshore Path, and along Foster Beach.  Here is a quick preview!

We had two different outfits and I am really glad we did because we ended up with a nice balance of different looking pictures.  It was really fun to have a photo shoot and I am so excited about all the great shots we ended up with!

Now, I can't wait to create our save the dates and send them out!

Marathon Training Monday: Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

Yesterday I ran the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.  It was probably the worst race I have ever run.  It was incredibly hot and humid and that is why I am incredibly proud of finishing in 2 hours and 17 minutes with a 10:29 pace.  I can't believe I did that considering how awful I felt for a lot of the race.

Working a half marathon into your marathon training is a great way to stay motivated and stay excited.  Races are so much fun!  While this one was hot, it was still fun to run with friends and get all the cool race gear including a new medal to add to my collection!

FIVE of my friends up there ran their first half and I was so proud of them and excited for them.  The race was a really difficult one.  Miles 1-4 weren't so bad and we were in the shade.  However, the humidity made it a really high effort portion.  By mike 5 I was tired and I was worried.  There is nothing worse than thinking you might not finish.  I did my best to power through and distract myself.  Miles 5-10 were just really difficult and the sun started to come out.  I needed to take a little breather.  So, I walked for a few minutes.  Then, from 10-13 there was music and I knew I was close enough that I could do it and I found new strength and motivation. It also helped that someone threw a cold and wet sponge at me! Finishing felt amazing and after some chocolate milk and lots of water. I felt great.

This week, the mileage for training is 3, 6, 3, and 12.  I am going to give myself a break by skipping the 6 and running 4 and 4.  Then, I'll be ready for 12 miles on Saturday!

Marathon Training Monday

Woah it is humid out there.  If you are ever training for a run or simply running in the summertime, watch out for the humidity.  I always thought it was crazy that it could be 80 degrees, but feel great because the humidity is low and then it could be 60 degrees, but feel horrible in high humidity.  They say you are not supposed to lose more than a couple pounds of water weight when you run.  So, if you notice you are sweating up a storm (like I was this morning), make sure you drink lots of water to replenish.

I guess this awful humidity and heat at 5 in the morning is a sign of a rainy day to come.  This summer has been so weird!  First, it was COLD.  Like no more than 60 degrees on a Chicago summer day.  Now, it is stormy.  Basically, my training runs have been a bit of a roller coaster and I never know what to wear.  Also, camp has been weird because of the weather.  I hope that we get a few weeks down the road of just true Chicago summer!

This week's mileage is 3, 5, 3, 7.  It is a taper week! However, I signed up to run the Rock and Roll Half Marathon.  So, instead of 7, I will be running 13.1.  Because I am missing out on the taper run and it is important to have those so that your body can recover, I am going to skip one of the longer mid-week runs next week.  That way, I can get a little more rest in.  I can't wait to tell you about my half marathon next week! Also, don't forget to check out my Marathon Webpage!

Baked Spinach Pesto Avocado with an Egg

So, I took a little vacation for the 4th because I was so busy! But, I'm back! And I have a great recipe for a baked avocado with an egg.  

Two of my best friends from the school of education at Wisconsin were in town for the 4th and we had a blast.  We visited the Bean in Millennium Park, went to the top of the John Hancock building, walked around Water Tower Place, brought in burgers to the Half Acre Tap Room, relaxed on North Avenue Beach, BBQ'd for the 4th and saw fireworks from North Avenue, and generally, had so much fun! 

After this crazy weekend, I am ready to settle down and relax.  I decided that since my first trip to a bridal salon for dress shopping is about 2 months away, I really want to kick my eating healthy trend into high gear.  This recipe today is totally going to help me with my plan.  It is crazy delicious, super quick to put together, and healthy!  I love avocados and they are full of good nutrients.  Then, the pesto is homemade where I controlled the amount of oil and used a ton of spinach!  Finally, the egg provides some good protein.  It's a great, well-rounded, meal idea.

Baked Spinach Pesto Avocado with an Egg

Ingredients:

1/2 avocado

1 egg

2 tbsp pesto (I used my Homemade Spinach Pesto)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

optional: dash of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Cut an avocado in half and scoop out enough of the center so that there is room to hold the egg.  

3. Place the avocado in an oven-safe dish and crack the egg into the center.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the top and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.   The time depends on how well done you like your eggs.

4. Spread some pesto over the top of the avocado and egg.  Sprinkle a dash of hot sauce over the creation if you are using it.

Enjoy :)

Happy Pride Parade Day! Celebrate with Rainbow Cake

With all the great news regarding marriage equality and with the Chicago Pride Parade today, I felt like I just had to make this cake.  I am so excited that this country finally decided to make this happen because everyone should have the right to marry someone they love.

This rainbow cake was so much fun to make and I have give a shout out to my bestie, Katie, for helping me put it together.  The first few layers didn't come out of the pan so well, but we trouble-shooted and the rest were great.  The frosted was phenomenal as well!  This cake is delicious and a great way to celebrate pride!

Rainbow Cake
(adapted from Divas Can Cook)

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
food coloring: red, yellow, green, blue, and purple (I found these colored gels at the grocery store, but you can also mix colors to create your colors)
Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
16 oz light cream cheese
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Then, add in the eggs and cream until well combined and mixture lightens in color.  Add in the vanilla, cream, and buttermilk and mix until just combined.
2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and the salt over the mixture and mix until just combined.  Then, sprinkle another 1 1/2 cups of flour over the mixture and mix until just combined.
3. Preheat oven to 325 and prepare 6, 9 inch cake pans.  For the cake pans, grease them and cut a circular piece of parchment paper to line the bottom.

4. Divide the cake batter into 6 bowls.  Start with about 1 cup per bowl and then divide the rest up as evenly as you can.  Use your food coloring to dye each bowl of batter for the colors of the rainbow.

5. Spread each bowl into a prepared cake pan.  I only had 2 so I had to do 3 batches.  Bake for about 12 minutes so that the center of the cake sets.  Let cool in the fridge.  Continue this with all the layers.
6.  While baking, make the frosting:  Beat the butter with the cream cheese until well combined.  Beat in the whipping cream and vanilla.  Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you have a desired taste and consistency.
7.  Place your first layer on a plate and spread a thin layer of frosting on top.  Place the second layer on top and repeat with the remaining layers and frosting.  Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting and serve!

Enjoy :)

Southwest Salad

Camp training is off to a great start.  We got to move into the schools yesterday and start decorating.  I'm really excited to see what this summer has in store!  

In general, this week has been really great.  Bri and I were in the Wicker Park area a few days ago and we decided to check out Mindy's Hot Chocolate for a special dessert.  Now, I know I'm trying to avoid desserts, but we had a special occasion to celebrate so I figured it didn't really count...that works right?  This place is super cute.  The atmosphere is great and although we didn't eat dinner there, the food that came out of that kitchen looked fantastic.  And then the desserts, wow.  I mean, we split a Chocolate Chip Cookie Tart and a Chai Hot Chocolate and both were just fantastic.  They even have these amazing homemade marshmallows!  If you are ever in the area, you gotta stop by.  

Chai Hot Chocolate 

I'm pretty excited to eat this for lunch today.  I have this goal of eating healthier this summer by watching my portions and avoiding desserts.  This salad was the springboard for the whole plan.  This salad is super delicious, full of nutrients, and it fills me up.  I found some Chili Spiced Chicken Breast at the grocery store which really inspired me to make a southwest style salad.  So here you go! 

Southwest Salad with Skinny Buttermilk Avocado Dressing

Southwest Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup whole kernel corn

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 Chili Chicken Breast, chopped

2 tbsp Skinny Buttermilk Avocado Dressing

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together and then toss with the dressing.  You can use any kind of chicken that you want and any kind of dressing, but this combination is really great! 

Cinnamon Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup!!!!! Oh my gosh, last night was so exciting! My buddy, Lauren, is also a huge hawks fan so she came over to watch the game with us.  We debated going out somewhere to be part of the festivities, but the weather was super horrible (like tornado warning, horrible) so we ended up staying in.  I think this was a good choice because we were able to see the game better and I got to wear comfy clothes :).  

After some sleep, I am ready to start CAMP TRAINING! Woo! Summer job officially starts today and I am pretty pumped.  

To celebrate, I have a yummy recipe for delicious cinnamon bars.  Plus, these cinnamon bars are topped with an amazing cream cheese frosting.  I adore a good cream cheese frosting, and this one has extra cinnamon in it to complement those bars.  Yum! 

Cinnamon Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

(adapted from Something Swanky)

Cinnamon Bars

Ingredients:
Bars:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Frosting:
16 oz light cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with foil.  Grease the foil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until well combined.  Beat in the egg and the molasses until well combined.  Beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and back for about 18 minutes.  Let cool for about 15 and then use the foil to remove the bars from the pan.  Let cool completely.
5. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and cinnamon until well combined.  Spread over the cooled bars.

Enjoy :)

New and Improved Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Happy Friday! Today I have a really fun recipe to share!  I made Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies a while back, but I changed up the recipe a bit this time and they came out even better than before! Last time, I had way too much cookie dough.  Now, I know that typically doesn't sound like a problem, but it actually overpowered the brownies and I love my brownies.  So this time, I cut the recipe in half and cut out a few other things and it was awesome.  I still had plenty cookie dough frosting to cover those brownies, but you got a good balance of brownie and cookie dough in every bite.  

In other news, I have also been having one great food week.  Last night, I went with my family and Bri to the Little Goat Diner.  This place is so good! If you are ever in Chicago and looking for a casual meal that is also incredibly delicious, this is a great place to go.  My mom and I split their Springy Veggie Quesidillas and the Chinese Chicken Sandwich.  Both items were great and it was one amazing meal.  Today, (after a much needed workout and zumba class) I am going to Budacki's Drive-In where I actually LOVE the veggie dogs.  Plus, if you really want to splurge, get cheese fries, do it.  And then, I am headed to Lizzie McNeill's for some drinks with a few of my teaching buddies.  School hasn't even been out for a week and I already miss them like crazy.  It should be a great day! 

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Ingredients:

1 batch of Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp light cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla

skim milk, as needed

pinch of salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Make the brownies according to directions and let cool.

2. Make the frosting by beating the melted butter, brown sugar, and powdered sugar together in a bowl.  Beat in the cream cheese and vanilla.  Add in 1 tbsp of milk if the mixture is too thick.  Mix in the salt and the chocolate chips.

3. Frost the cooled brownies with the cookie dough mixture.  Let set in the fridge.  When ready, cut into pieces and serve. 

Enjoy :)

Butternut Squash Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Last night I had a really great dinner at Crosby's Kitchen.  The food was delicious and it is a really cute place.  I went with my buddy, Katie.  She is leaving for a 10 day trip to Israel! I am quite jealous of this.  It was so nice to enjoy a nice meal together before she leaves.  We both ended up ordering the Wrightwood Salad which has their famous cornbread croutons in it!  Cornbread croutons!!!  It was pretty darn delicious and it made me want to figure out a way to make this incredible salad at home.  I'll see what I can do and get back to you guys.  

I also picked up their homemade veggie burger to bring back for Bri.  He is such a veggie burger fanatic and when I saw that they made a homemade one, I figured he would want to give it a try.  The reviews are in and he said it was a really great veggie burger!  I figure that in the spirit of this awesome meal, I would share one of my own veggie burger creations.  I love how you can basically throw a bunch of your favorite flavors/health ingredients into a food processor and make a really yummy burger.  We make a bunch and freeze them for easy weeknight meals.  I love how easy this makes dinner and the recipe I have today was incredibly yummy.  

Butternut Squash Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Butternut Squash Black Bean Veggie Burger

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 14.5 oz can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
Toppings:
slices of cheese (I used pepperjack)
sliced tomatoes
ketchup or mustard (Bri is a ketchup fan, and I love spicy dijon mustard)

Directions:1. Heat olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat.  Add in the squash, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Let cook, stirring occasionally, until squash can be pierced with a fork.  This took about 10 minutes.
2.  Place the squash mixture in your food processor and pulse until it becomes smooth.  Add in the black beans and pulse a few times to combine.
3. Place mixture in a bowl and stir in the beaten egg and the bread crumbs.  Place mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.  At this point, you can form your patties and freeze them for later use.  Otherwise, see number 4.
4. Once chilled, heat a skillet over medium and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Form burgers using your hands.  This mixture should make 6-8 burgers.  Place each burger on the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until burger starts to brown.  Flip the burger and repeat with the other side.  At this point, place cheese on top so that it melts.  Serve burgers with buns or bun-less and add whatever toppings you would like!

Enjoy :)

Wedding Planning Wednesday Part 4

My students are taking the PARCC test right now and I have a ton of time on my hands.  We are down to the last 7 days of teaching and I already have everything planned out, my copies are made, my finals are finished, and I am totally ready for summer.  With summer right around the corner, I am also ready to hard-core start wedding planning.  Here is my imminent to-do list:

1. Ask Bridesmaids/Maid of Honor to be in the wedding
2. Find a DJ
3. Work with venue to plan tastings with possible caterers
4. Schedule a few wedding dress shopping extravaganzas

Numbers 1 and 4 really go hand-in-hand because I want my girls to be there with me for advice and also so that we can find a bridesmaids dress as well! I have been researching like crazy and I wanted to ask: Does anyone have suggestions for bridal dress shopping venues?  I am on a budget so I can't go too crazy, but I also want to find the perfect dress.  I tried on a few styles at a David's Bridal out in Arizona and I have a good sense of what I want.  I would love an a-line gown with a Sweetheart neckline.  Like this one:

Wedding Dress

I have heard of Fifi's, Jasmine, 826, and a few others, but I need to narrow down the list.  I want something in/near Chicago.  Help!

I also have big plans for popping the "Will you be my bridesmaid/maid of honor?" question.  However, I am still working on that and I don't want to ruin the surprise!  I can't wait to show you what I've been doing, but we will have to wait for a future episode of Wedding Planning Wednesday!

Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Chocolate Ganache

It's Thirsty Thursday and the Scandal finale is on tonight!  What better way to celebrate than with a recipe for Red Wine Chocolate Cake!  I found this recipe over at Food & Wine and I adapted it slightly.  It was the perfect way to celebrate a recent birthday and it was an amazingly decadent chocolate cake!  

In other news, I went to my second Cubs game of the season last night.  My brother is in town and it was so fun to hang out with him.  Plus, the cubs won!  It was a pretty chilly night for a game, but we still had a great time.  It was a little weird to be out late on a Wednesday and I'm a little sleepy today, but I'm sure I'll be fine! I guess I should also mention that tonight there is a pretty big basketball game involving a Chicago team...if you're into that...I just can't wait for Scandal :).  I'm sure my sport-loving fiance will keep me updated on the sporting world anyways! 

I hope that you all enjoy this recipe!  Get out a good bottle of red wine, try not to drink too much while you bake, and have fun! 

Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Ganache

Ingredients:
Cake:

1 1/4 cups dry red wine (I used a Cabernet Sauvignon)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Ganache:1 cup chocolate chips (I used a mix of dark and milk)
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp red wine




Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a bundt cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
4. Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Then, add in 1/2 of the wine and mix until combined.  Continue with another 1/3 of the flour, then the rest of the wine, and finally the rest of the flour until just combined.  Pour the batter into your prepared pan and place in oven for 45 minutes.
5. While the cake is baking, make the ganache: In a heat-proof bowl, place the chocolate with the cream.  Let the bowl sit over a pot of boiling water and stir once the chocolate starts to soften.  If your mixture doesn't come together, you can add a little more cream.  Once smooth, stir in the red wine and remove from heat.
6. When your cake is done, let cool for 15 minutes and then frost with the ganache.  Let cake cook completely and ganache set.

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings

It was my school mentor's birthday last weekend and therefore chicken wings are on my mind.  I know that sounds a little crazy, but both of us love chicken wings so there you go!  I got to see her on her birthday weekend since we both live in the city and she had a really nice dinner!  

We went to Piccolo Sogno, which is this amazing Italian place that I have heard all about, but I had never been.  I was pretty pumped about going and it did not let me down.  This place is in the heart of the West Loop in Chicago and has unbelievable food.  We tried things such as seafood pasta, kale salad, spaghetti bolognese, and of course, molten lava cake for dessert.  It is a great place to have a special event at and it was awesome for a birthday dinner.  

This Friday, in honor of the birthday festivities,  I wanted to share this recipe for real chicken wings.  I had never cooked with chicken wings before and they were really yummy.  After a dip in the crock pot, these wings were incredibly tasty and the chicken fell right off the bone.  This is a great recipe for an easy dinner option.  Just make sure you leave yourself enough time to let the chicken cook!  I was inspired by Creme de la Crumb who used homemade chicken bites instead of wings.  If that interest you head on over! 

Crock Pot Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings

Ingredients:2 lbs Chicken Wings (or really any chicken part!)

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 heaping tsp of adobo sauce (Just the sauce that Chipotle peppers are in)

1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tbsp white vinegar

2/3 cup water with 4 tbsp of cornstarch 

Directions:

1. Wash and pat dry your chicken.

2. Whisk all the ingredients from honey to white vinegar in your crock pot.  

3. Place chicken in the sauce and cook on low for 6 hours.  Start checking the chicken around 5 hours to see if it is done.  

4. Once cooked, mix the water and cornstarch together and mix into your crock pot so that the sauce thickens.  

5. Serve with any dipping sauce that you want!

Enjoy :)

Brewery Tours in Chicago

Oy vey! I fell behind!  I assigned a project for my Geometry kiddos to work on last week and this week I had to grade all their work!  Therefore, I fell a little behind.  Also, I have finals for my online graduate level classes so I have been working on those as well.  The good news is that I finished most of my work for the finals and I finished grading all the projects so now I am in a very happy place.  On top of all that productivity, Scandal and Grey's Anatomy are on tonight! Yay!  

In honor of this happy Thursday, I have to tell you all about some great breweries Bri and I looked at recently.  We did a mini Chicago Brewery Tour and tasted beers at Vice District Brewery and Haymarket.  Both places were great.  

Vice District Brewery

Vice District does not do food, so we went there first, and then we had dinner and drinks at Haymarket.  The food there is so yummy so you have to eat while you are there.  Basically, I think we had a great plan and I highly recommend doing something similar.  It was so great to pretend to be tourist in the city where we live! If you search for breweries in Chicago, the top three are Half Acre (been there), Revolution (been there a few times), and Haymarket.   We just had to go :) 

Haymarket

Any suggestions to widen our brewery search?  We are big fans of trying new things and finding good food along the way! 

Hot Chocolate Run

A while back, I did a series called "Half Marathon Mondays."  I was training for a half marathon and decided to log my progress as well as any other work out shenanigans I was up to.  Ever since running the Chicago Marathon back in October, I have continued to keep up my running and I want to share with you all my amazing experiences.  Reading running stories continues to motivate me to stay healthy and strong and I hope that people out there find that here!  The best way to keep up my running and stay motivated, has been signing up for other races with friends.  The Hot Chocolate Run was one of those races.

This race was incredible.  There were two options, the 5K or the 15K.  I don't think I've ever heard of any other 15K so I decided to do it.  Plus, after running 26.2 miles, 9.3 didn't seem so bad.  In fact, I barely trained.  This was not my brightest idea, but it ended up working out ok.  I ran the race with two other friends and we all finished with about a 10 minute mile pace.  Plus, along the way, the water stations also had treats like marshmallows, tootsie rolls, and pieces of chocolate!  At the finish, we got medals as well as a chocolate fondue goody bag with, of course, hot chocolate.  It was pretty darn adorable.

After the race, we celebrated with brunch at D4.  If you are ever in Chicago and staying in the downtown area, you should try this place for brunch.  It is a huge space and I have never had to wait very long and the food is just amazing!  We also had their signature bloody mary and it was fantastic. I can't think of a better way to celebrate a long run then an amazing meal!

Since that race, I have kept up a consistent running schedule.  During the week, I run three times.  I'll do two shorter runs (3 or 4 miles) and one longer run (5 or 6).  Then, on Saturdays, I always try to run at least 8 miles.  I am also going to a Zumba class once a week and trying to incorporate more strength training into my life.  This is where I am struggling because I just don't enjoy it as much while I'm doing it.  If anyone out there has any suggestions it would be much appreciated! After all, my wedding is on its way and I want to be in tip top shape :)

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Yesterday was the St. Patrick's Day celebration in Chicago.  It was also buddy, Lauren's, birthday and some of my best friends from college are in town as well! In fact, one of my friends is named Patrick so I was pretty pumped to celebrate St. Patty's day with my very own Patrick.  Last year, we went and saw the dyed green river and all of that so this year we decided to just hang out.

I started the day off with a nice 8 mile run outside!  I am so excited that spring weather is here and it no longer hurts to be outdoors.  It was fantastic.  After a much needed shower, my friends all got together and kicked off the day with green mimosas and cinnamon rolls!  We ended up hanging out on the porch enjoying the beautiful weather and it was just awesome.  After some pizza for lunch, we walked to a nearby Irish bar and saw some Irish step dancers.  This is something that I've always wanted to be able to do and I just can't figure out.  I mean, I am a decent dancer, but I just can't get my feet to do anything that resembles Irish step dancing and so I give those girls a lot of credit and I think it's crazy cool.  For dinner, we went to Cheesie's by the Belmont Red Line stop.  That place is so bad, but so good.  If you are ever in the area and respect a great grilled cheese sandwich, you have to go.  And then, we ended our night at Cesar's having some "killer" margaritas along with some delicious nachos.  Overall, it was a really fun day.  It's days like these where I am so grateful for the fantastic friends I have and the great city I live in.

Because it was the St. Patricks Day celebration and because it was a birthday celebration.  I decided to make Irish Car Bomb cupcakes.  I have tried a similar cupcake before and it was really yummy.  So, I wanted to make my own.  I was inspired by the Brown Eyed Baker and I made some adjustments to the recipe.  Here is what I came up with!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup Guinness beer
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
Filling:
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Irish whiskey
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

Directions:
1. Make the cupcakes: preheat oven to 350 and line 24 cupcake wells with liners.  Or, if you want, I made 6 giant cupcakes in my silicon cupcake holders and 24 mini cupcakes in a mini cupcake pan.  Then, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  In a small saucepan, place butter, canola oil, Guinness, and cocoa powder.  Heat until butter melts and stir to combine.  Let cool while you beat the eggs and greek yogurt in a large bowl.  Beat in the chocolate mixture until well combined.  Beat in the flour mixture until just combined and fill your cupcake wells so that they are about 3/4 full.  For mini cupcakes, bake for about 12 minutes, for regular, bake for about 17 minutes, and for giant, bake for about 19 minutes.  Let cool completely.
2. Make the filling: chop the chocolate and place in a microwave safe bowl.  In a separate, microwave safe bowl, pour the cream and heat for about 30-45 seconds.  You want it to be warm, but not boiling.  Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate completely melts.  Stir in the whiskey and the butter and then let sit so that the ganache starts to set.
3. Make the frosting: beat the butter in a large bowl until it is light and fluffy.  Beat in the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until it is well combined.  Beat in the Bailey's and continue to beat until your frosting because light and fluffy.  Add in more powdered sugar as needed.
4. To assemble: using a knife or a cupcake corer, cut out the centers of your cupcakes.  Spoon in the ganache to fill the centers.  Then, using a piping bag or an offset spatula, frost your cupcakes.  Serve immediately, or store in the fridge in a container.  Before serving, let the cupcakes sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy :)