Pumpkins in the Park 5K

A couple weeks ago I signed up for my second 5K, Pumpkins in the Park. This was definitely a race the entire family could take part in. It was so cute seeing the kids running around in their Halloween costumes and running in the CLIF Kid Spooky Sprints. There was also a tent where kids (and adults) could decorate a pumpkin to take home with them. Good times had by all!

The Run

This was a hard one for me for multiple reasons. We were running on a trail which I'm not used to and it was packed. The trail was not only packed by runner and walkers but strollers, double strollers and dogs.

I always wondered why a lot of the races didn't allow dogs to run and now I know why. About 8 minutes into the race an owner lost control of her dog and I tripped over him. Normally I wouldn't be upset but this owner didn't say sorry and gave me a look to suggest I did something wrong. I have 2 dogs and if I chose to take them on a 5K race I would make sure to stay to the side and not weave in and out of all the people like this owner was doing. Okay my bitch fest is over;)

I put the "tripping" episode behind me and ran on. I wasn't able to train prior to this race so my only goal was to beat my PR. Due to some of the race conditions I didn't think it would happen but I'm happy to say that I did beat my PR!!!

Sorry about the lack of pictures but I will make up for it in a couple weeks when I do my 3rd 5K race, Hot Chocolate!

Question:

Is anyone else going to be running or walking Hot Chocolate in Chicago? Did you do any running this weekend?

Flaming Orange Peel

Yesterday was much better than Tuesday. I still had a ton of stuff to do but I took a more relaxed approach to it and all was good.

This is a pretty long post so if you are only going to read one section I highly recommend the "Happy Hour" section. I'm just so impressed by the bartender!



Breakfast

I was determine to have a good morning so I stopped at Starbucks before I stepped foot in the office.

Can anyone translate the "chicken scratch" on my cup?

(answer: I ordered a grande half pump, skim milk, pumpkin spice latte)

I wasn't sure if the latte itself would start my day on a happy note so I paired it with a Pumpkin Scone. I really enjoy the combination of these two so it's no surprise that it totally hit the spot.




Lunch

Ceres was calling my name. The Wednesday's specials are drool worthy.

Chicken Tortilla Soup: no cilantro, cheddar cheese, crisply tortilla




Loaded Veggie Salad: broccoli, carrots, pea pod, cucumber, celery, cauliflower, red pepper, mixed greens with a raspberry vinaigrette

Happy Hour

I needed to do some shopping at Whole Foods after work. I could spend hours looking at all the goodness Whole Foods has to offer. However, my husband does not have the same enthusiasm when it comes to grocery shopping so I dropped him off at the Bar next door. I look forward to Whole Foods and P looks forward to reading his kindle while having a cocktail. It works for us;)

After I was done with my shopping I met him at the bar, Binny's. We ordered a cheese, almond and bread platter. I can't remember the name of the cheese but it was dreamy. I commented to the husband that it's been along time since we had some really good cheese!



I wasn't sure what to order for my cocktail so I asked the bartender to make me a cocktail of his choice. I knew I didn't have to worry what he would bring me because he is by far the most knowledgeable bartender I've ever met! He not only knows a lot about all kinds of alcohol but he takes pride in the drinks he makes.

He chose a vodka old fashioned using Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka. Once the drink was completed he brought it over to me and then lite an orange peel on fired and threw it in the drink.

It was so cool and I thought it was just for show until I took my first drink. The fired up orange peel gave the drink a bit of caramelized flavor. Another thing it did was give the cocktail an amazing aroma. This was the first cocktail in my life (and I've had a few;)) that stimulated multiple senses; taste and smell. I'm telling you this bartender is something special when it comes to making cocktails!




On the way home we spotted a TV show, titled Ride Along, being filmed in Manny's Deli.





Dinner

Quick, simple, cheap and tasty just how I like my dinners at home!

Steamed some baby carrots, asparagus and corn. Mixed the veggies in with rice and topped it with soy sauce and Cholula hot sauce.





Dessert

Yet again simple and tasty! Barney butter and Trappist Pomegranate Jelly on a hot dog bun.

I've been dehydrated lately so throughout the night I sipped on my big jar of water. Whenever I drink water out of this glass it reminds me of my dad. When I was little the only glass he would ever drink water out of was a big ball jar:)




Project Food Blog

Just a reminder that voting ends today. Even if you don't want to vote please check out my submission here. I think it sums up me and my blog perfectly!

Question:

Have you ever been really impressed with a bartender? Where were you and how did they impress you?

Chicago Food Tour

A couple weeks ago the folks over at Chicago Food Planet Food Tours asked if I would like to participate in one of their food tours. I jumped at the chance! I've been wanting to go on one of these tours for along time and I was super excited!


The concept is really cool. Basically you get a 3-hour guided walking tour through one of Chicago's neighborhoods. During the tour you will learn about the history of the neighborhood and get to try the delicious foods (which I think is the best part).


I chose the Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour.





First stop, George's Hot dogs.





Traditional Chicago hot dog which includes the dog, poppy seed bun, mustard, onions, relish, dill pickle, tomato, sport peppers and celery salt.




I'm not a fan of tomato so I pulled that off my dog and dug in. I would rank this up there with the top Chicago dog I've ever had!




Second stop, Hot Chocolate.








I was so excited to try this place because of all the rave reviews it's been getting. And it did not disappoint.




House made marshmallows:




With Medium Hot Chocolate - chocolate with a touch of dark chocolate and a hint of caramel. I can't believe how good this hot chocolate was and I can't wait to go back and try all the other flavors.




Third stop, Goddess & Grocer.





The interior of the grocer/deli was decorated perfectly.





The display case was filled with lots of goodies:




Lots of unique items to purchase and bring home.







I wanted to shove this cake in my mouth. Thankfully it was behind a case so I was saved from embarrassment;)




I sampled one of the pasta salads.



Fourth stop, Piece Brewery & Pizza.




Patrick and I really liked the rustic interior:




You could tell the brewer had fun naming some of the beers:




I sampled the Golden Arm. I'm not a beer drinker but I thought this was pretty decent. With that said I must admit I fell in love with the little glass but resisted the urge to shove it in my bag;)




Slice of pizza with cheese, basil and tomato:




Fifth stop, Sultan's Market.





Great decorations:








I wanted to dive into this fruit bar! A lot of variety and everything looked so fresh.





We were able to sample the Falafel Sandwich: A warm pita lined with hummus, stuffed with falafel, Tomatoes, Topped with Jerusalem Salad:





I had never had falafel but judging from this sandwich I will be having it again.


Sixth stop, iCream.


By far the coolest ice cream place ever! If you are in Chicago and love frozen treats you have to check this place out.

The process:

1. Select your base

2. Choose your flavor

3. Add a burst of color

These pipes are how the liquid nitrogen is put into the mixers:





Yeah, you read that right. Liquid nitrogen is used to turn your selections into ice cream, yogurt or sorbet. Check out the smoke:





I devoured my sample:





As mentioned previously we walked around the neighborhood and looked at some beautiful homes.










Does anyone recognize this building from a John Cusack movie?




Who doesn't have a canon in their yard?;)



A couple reasons why I liked this tour:

• Knowlegeable and personable guides
• Reserved spaces in popular restaurants
• A ton of food
• Learning the history of the neighborhood

This tour would be perfect for people who are visiting Chicago as well as those who live in the city. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon!