Tex Mex May

Since I'll be spending a few days in Texas next week, I figured I would bring a little of that Tex Mex cuisine to Chicago after I return.  May Sunday Supper will be Sunday, May 16.  Food and margarita mix - homemade of course! - provided, BYOT (bring your own tequila) or beer.  See ya'll when I get back!

Brunch Wars & a Top 10 event

Today was about as perfect of a Sunday as a girl could imagine. I was out of bed before 7 am & out the door for a walk with Olive. Since I had no coffee in the house, we walked up to Peet's, the local coffeeshop, to enjoy a cup. This is where I admit that I LOVE sitting and enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee on Sunday mornings. Coffee tastes better on Sunday. I drink coffee daily, but Sunday should be different. Relaxed, maybe with a newspaper, but absolutely not rushed. This morning was even better. When Olive and I got to Peet's, we ran into a dear friend & began the day sipping coffee and catching up on the bench out front. Ok, fine, maybe I sound like I am 47 instead of 31, but really, there is nothing better than waking up on Sunday and enjoying the moment. Not hungover or groggy from a wild Saturday night.

On this fine Sunday, coffee was only the beginning. Megan and I went to Champagne Brunch at Bespoke, a group cooking "party" (or "brunch wars" depending on who you ask). There were approximately 20 people attending; you split into teams and prepare the dishes that will be enjoyed by all at the end. All the while, enjoying the BYOB of choice. As they pointed out before we got started, cooking is better with drinks. Who am I to argue?!

Megan and I chose the frittata station and had to chop a huge bowl of mushrooms. Such a large bowl that Meggo said she felt like this might be a little like prison.

Once we finished the mushrooms, we cracked many eggs into a bowl and whisked them, which we somehow turned into an event that dissolved us into fits of laughter. Maybe it was the champagne. Regardless, I highly suggest getting your hips into it the next time you are whisking.

Our station was also responsible for maple glazed bacon.  Heaven.  (Note this is bacon's second appearance in my blog.)  It wasn't a competition, there was no judging.  I'm pretty sure we all won when we got to sit down and eat!  The entire brunch was delish!  And I'm supremely envious of the women who run the company.

Capped off the day by icing my ankles with my "dream machine", a post-Boston marathon celebratory glass of wine with Beth, and a Top 10 event with Megan. Yep. April's Top 10 event - drink an expensive bottle of wine. We made a trip to the wine shop yesterday & picked up our chosen bottle. A 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Lewis Cellars in Napa Valley. It was a monumental moment. The most money I've ever spent on a single bottle of wine. When we got back from brunch, we ceremoniously uncorked and decanted the wine. About 3 hours later, we raised our glasses and took the first delightful sip. Ohhh, it was good. Velvety smooth. Perfect ending to an "enjoy the moment" kind of Sunday!

eat fabulous food, then run

This week, I came up with my full list of 26 reasons that I run. Of course, I'm at liberty to alter the list at any point, but now the toughest part is choosing a reason for the week. When my alarm went off at 6 am this morning and the view out over Chicago was foggy with a potential drizzle, I immediately told myself "ok, Angie, you have 26 reasons, pick one and get out of bed". It may sound silly, but this is a powerful list!

So this morning I got up, put my running clothes on, and made the 5 minute walk to Core Fitness (running group meeting point) because I ate a yummy dinner out last night and then went ahead and had several delicious bites of carrot cake! This morning, it is time to BURN off a few of those calories!

I run because 2 1/2 years in NYC turned me into a foodie and I lost all desire to turn down an amazing dish because of its calorie content!

Probably not a surprise given that my initial reason for this blog is food! Savor each bite, then run!

tapas and sangria

I love tapas. It's a marvelous concept, small plates shared with the table. Dining with friends and getting to choose many dishes off the menu to try instead of only 1, LOVE IT! My favorite Spanish restaurant is Casa Mono in New York. It's not traditional tapas like you see at many of the typical tapas-style restaurants, but it is just what I imagine a small plates restaurant to be in Spain. It's small - the restaurant is small, the tables are small, the space between tables is small, you can see the kitchen and conversation rises all around you. Yes, it's small, but the ambience and the food are amazing. I would argue that they can take you from NY to Spain in an instant. I was fortunate enough to share each of my meals there with people who are very special to my life. There are times when good company can make the meal, and other times they simply add to the already delectable experience and make it even more memorable. It makes me sigh thinking about it.

The tapas style Sunday Supper in my home last night probably didn't transport anyone to a different country, but there were certainly plenty of tapas-style foods on hand to sample. I was a bit lazy this month on cooking and only made baked goat cheese with marinara. Not exactly difficult or requiring any culinary skill. We also had olives, spanish cheese, smoked trout spread, gazpacho, fried plantains, and cucumber-peach salsa. Can't forget the yummy kiwi sangria and cava sangria I whipped up at the last minute!

Thanks to all of my friends who stopped by to enjoy another Sunday Supper and brought so many yummy dishes to share!

I run ...

Yesterday was the official start of training for the Chicago marathon. I am both excited and nervous about the training. Excited because it's my first full marathon and because getting back into training over the past few months has made me really happy. Nervous because I'm already in physical therapy for ankle/calf injuries and now my knee has started bothering me again. Frustrating. Getting old (or older than 8 years ago when I trained for my first half marathon anyway!) is not fun; this is going to take a lot of time, effort, dedication. I might start logging the number of hours I spend doing things other than running -- ie. stretching and icing -- that will be necessary components of my "training" in order to cross the finish line. It won't be insignificant. Oh well. Most rewarding and satisfying things in life don't come without hard work and determination.

Of course, motivation can be a big help, and I know I will need a LOT of it during the next 26 weeks! I'm training with Chicago Fit and a recent weekly newsletter inspired me. Our coaches were asked to complete the sentence "I run ...." and their quotes/responses were shared in the newsletter. I started thinking about the many reasons I have chosen to run over the past 18 years. I'm actually a little alarmed that it has been 18 years. Freshman year of high school was a long time ago! Over those years, there have been long stretches when I didn't run at all; periods when I ran very leisurely, never running more than 5 miles at a time or entering a race; and periods where running/training was a main focus. Most aspects of my life today are very different than 18 years ago, and there aren't many things that were constant over those years. But I still run. Which is ironic because when I started, I didn't like it, and over the past 8-10 years, it as landed me in physical therapy every time I have decided to train for a race of longer distance than a 10k. So why DO I run?

Each week for the next 26 weeks of training, I'll post a reason. Some reasons will be simple and funny, and some will be introspective. Something to think about for the week and provide extra motivation when I need it during training runs (ummm .. or to get me up and out of bed at 5 am for a workout!). Join me for my journey & please add comments about why you run/workout/etc. I would love to hear from you!


I run ...

I run because I have never NOT felt better - physically, mentally, emotionally - after a run.

coloring eggs

Who doesn't have fond memories of coloring eggs as a kid for Easter?! A week ago today at about this time, Megan and I were discussing this very question. And decided that coloring eggs was an absolute MUST for the Easter brunch I was hosting on Sunday. Everyone colored an egg, except for Megan who colored somewhere in the neighborhood of 5!

Another wonderful Sunday, a buffet of great food, candy-filled eggs "hidden" throughout my home, some old friends, some new friends, and the grand opening of the patio to welcome Spring! (Even if Chicago weather hasn't fully welcomed it yet, at least Easter Sunday was a beautiful day)

As I cracked and ate hard boiled eggs all week, I kept wondering - is it safe to eat egg dye? In our attempt to have the most vibrantly colored eggs possible, we might have gone overboard. The insides were, at times, more than slightly colored. The impatience we have as children might not be such a bad thing when it comes to coloring eggs!

I hope everyone was as blessed as I and able to enjoy the holiday amongst family and friends. Happy Spring!

brush up on your flamenco ...

April Sunday Supper will feature Spanish Tapas. And a night of tapas would certainly not be complete without a pitcher or two of sangria! Sunday, April 18. Patio will be open for business, weather permitting. Stop by and help me celebrate my return to work-free weekends!