Chicago

"My kind of town, Chicago is.." to quote the great Frank Sinatra.  That's just how I feel about the city.  I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago and my parents are still there.  I really prefer to live in Northeastern WI, however it is always fun to go into the city.  My middle daughter and I just went the other day for a quick overnight. This is a little tradition I started with my girls when they turned 16.  We drive into the city and arrive for lunch.  After a lovely lunch, of their choice, we spend the rest of the day however they want.  Usually we leave the city by 4-4:30 head back to my parents for cocktails and dinner and stay there overnight.  We're back by early afternoon the next day.  

This trip was no different except for what we did. My daughter planned everything.  We started with a lunch at Cafecito.  We shared yucca fries and I had a pressed tuna sandwich with a glass of wine.  We always choose a place where we can sit outside and people watch. Honestly that's half the fun of the trip. 

After lunch we walked a few blocks over to the Museum of Contemporary Art. When we got there we found this cute little farmers' market.  We could have had lunch here, but we didn't know it was taking place.

The museum was really interesting, if you have an open mind about what is "art."  If you only like the classics and impressionists skip this museum and head over to the Art Institute (which is fantastic). But, I found this a nice departure from the normal. 

Out in their courtyard they offer evening jazz on Tuesdays.  It would have been fun; if we were staying down later. 

We then decided to do some walking along Michigan Ave to the river and then up to Oak Street Beach.  Honestly I'd never been there before so that was a fun experience. Again I just love the energy the city gives off, and it was a beautiful day.  

We ended our day with this iconic view of the Hancock Building, the Drake and other Gold Coast buildings.  Just beautiful.  

If you haven't recently I highly recommend taking an overnight to this great city, especially if it is only a few hours away.  

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

What I ate Wednesday 24 (a little late)

Hello! I know this post is a little late for Wednesday's eats, but we had family staying with us and I like to spend time with them.  It's already August. Wow! I'm starting to think about back to school for myself and my kids, kind of sad.  Also the food at the farmers' markets is starting to turn to midsummer goodness for sure. I love seeing the seasonal changes.  So onto the eats.

Breakfast: Spinach and scrambled eggs, peaches, blueberries and black raspberries, sauerkraut, sourdough bread with cashew butter and apricot jelly, blue juice and coffee.

This was a great way to start the day.  Again all local fruits and veggies except for the very seasonal peaches.  If you haven't tried sauerkraut and eggs I really recommend it.  The mixture of tanginess and cream is delicious. 

Lunch: Salad Nicoise and a festive glass of wine (not pictured) 

My parents drove up and stayed overnight with us.  They love a large composed salad as much as I do.  I knew I had everything I needed on hand and local, except for the tuna.  A salad nicoise is really blanched green beans, boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, lettuce, tomatoes and tuna. The dressing is just a simple vinaigrette.  

Dinner: Dijon lemon baked salmon, peach chutney, quick ratatouille, and mashed potatoes.

I'm growing these Turkish orange eggplants in the garden this year and I finally had more than 2 in my fridge. I also had tomatoes, zucchini, onion and herbs so of course I needed to make a quick ratatouille by sauteing everything in a skillet.  I made the peach chutney earlier in the day to can and had some leftovers.  The recipe is in Marissa McClelans' Food in Jars Kitchen.  Wow is it good!

Dessert: Anzac cookie with a bit of vanilla ice cream. 

These are one of my son's favorite cookies.  I was in the mood to make dessert and they are quick and easy.  We both love coconut so it's a win. 

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I hope you have been enjoying local eats and time in your kitchen cooking up something delicious.

Bon Appétit!

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth

Recent Reads

Hello!  I've been reading a lot this summer, as I usually do.  There's nothing better in my mind to sit outside on a summer afternoon and read a book or to start my day off by reading a chapter or two.  I've read so many good books so I thought I'd share the titles and a very brief synopsis.  

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - A classic, this book is set in 1870's New York City.  My book club decided to read a classic for the summer.  This book took a little bit to get into, but it is a witty worthwhile read. 

The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin -  Two friends since medical school and a secret that comes out later in their lives. A simple summer/beach read.

Farewell, My Subaru by Doug Fine - I always like a local eating read. While this book was not all about eating local, Doug Fine does do that it is more about trying to create an off the grid life.

The Book of Summer by Michelle Gable - A mother and daughter conflict set in Nantucket and trying to save a family home.  Again another beach/summer read.

Becoming by Michelle Obama - I thought this book would be political and it was refreshingly not.  My college age daughter could identify with a college aged Michelle and I could definitely identify with the working mom. I would say all women should read this. 

The Lake House by Kate Morton - a murder took place 70 years ago and finally gets solved. I don't usually read mysteries but I really enjoyed this book.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate - This book is based on real life of  illegal adoption during the 1930s and also takes place present day. It was well written and interesting to learn about a  history I did not know. 

South of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey - This book is the final in the Peach Tree Bluff series.  As always this was a charming read while I was sitting on the Florida beach.  

I hope you find a few interesting reads from this list.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

What I ate Wednesday 23

Hello!  Another week has passed and it's been absolutely beautiful here.  The temperatures have been in the upper 70s to low 80s and the sky has been a beautiful shade of blue that one only gets in the Midwest away from a large city.  My garden has started to produce more than greens, it's late this year due to the rainy start.  I'm also getting great produce from my CSA and farmers' market.  Of course our meals reflect that for the most part.  

Breakfast: Soft boiled egg, avocado toast on sourdough bread, peaches and blueberries. 

I love eggs for breakfast, as I'm sure you've been able to tell. I did break my local rule yesterday in honor of national avocado day.  My daughter reminded me so of course we had to celebrate.

Lunch: Zucchini soup, hummus toasts with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. 

I have a lot of zucchini in my fridge now so I'm always trying to think of new ways to use it.  I found this soup recipe in Elizabeth Bard's Picnic in Provence.  It's really delicious, just some chicken stock, white wine and seasonings all pureed together.  I had some small pieces of sourdough left so I topped it with bits and pieces from the garden. I'm eating outside every chance I can get.

Dinner: Taco night, both ground beef and fish.

The beef, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and salad are all local.  I did cheat with the fish, but we can't be perfect. 

Dessert: Flourless chocolate cake. 

I didn't have too much going on so I tried this cake from Fine Cooking.  It's made in one bowl and is super easy. Everyone loved it and even my oldest who needs to be grain free can eat it.  It's a win. 

I hope you are enjoying some great local food at this time of year, and always.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

What I ate Wednesday 22

Hello again.  Well it's certainly more than 22 weeks into the year, but sometimes life gets in the way of taking pictures.  Actually I've spent most of July traveling, and it has been wonderful. I tend not to take too many pictures when we are away as a family or when I'm dining out.  (Although if you've read enough posts you know I break that rule too.)  We've had beautiful sunny hot weather lately and since I eat seasonally, for the most part, what I eat changes too.  All of the produce is locally grown except for the peaches and the blueberries are from lower Michigan (so within a 200 mile radius from Appleton). 

Breakfast: Buckwheat protein pancake, fruit, green juice and of course coffee.  

I love maple syrup and I was really craving it yesterday.  I whipped up a batch of this giant pancake, added some natural peanut butter and maple syrup and topped it with local berries.  We're on to raspberry season and blueberries and of course peaches.  The peaches aren't really local, but they are seasonal from Tree Ripe Citrus and so delicious. 

Lunch: Quinoa, tomato, cucumber and feta salad and cherry gazpacho.  

This cold salad and cold cherry soup are great on a hot day.  The cherries are from my favorite farm stand in Door County, Schartner's.  

Dinner: Roasted salmon with current sauce, salad from our garden and cherry tomatoes.  

This was my first time using fresh black currants which I picked up from our Saturday market.  The sauce/vinaigrette is a simple combination of chopped red onions, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and sugar, 2 T olive oil and 1 cup of fresh black currants or thawed frozen currants.  

Dessert (not pictured): A slice of cherry pie from Schartner's market.  Karen Schartner makes great pies so I always pick up a small one when I can.  

Bon Appétit!

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

There's Still Time

I love flowers.  I can't get enough of them. 

Hello readers.  You may be asking there's still time for what?  The answer is to enjoy the summer and get outside.  Recently my husband and I were talking about how we as a nation need to get outside and put away our technology.  

There have been many articles stating the benefits of fresh air and green space.  However for me I came up with a short list of why I like to get outside.  Here they are:

• I feel better when I spend sometime outside.  This could be only 15 minutes, but it really does help.  I won't lie though the more time out the better for me.  It does wonders for my body, mind and spirit.
• If I'm outside without my phone I have time to think.
• I love to hear the sounds of nature.  Recently I had the opportunity to listen to the night sounds of nature and morning sounds.  It is so different, the insects, birds and then no sound at all.

A view from my morning run in Door County this last Monday. 

There are plenty of ways to sneak in a little or a lot of time outdoors.  It doesn't have to be all at once if that isn't always your thing.  A couple of ideas include:

• cook - light the grill and maybe do a whole meal outdoors if you can
• read a book 
• knit
• stargaze 
• paint or sketch 
• have a picnic or eat a meal outside
• play with a child or a pet
• exercise - walk or run with a friend or do yoga or lift some weights in the grass
• hang laundry outside
• go for a hike 
• simply sit and do nothing and enjoy

Picnic in the park.  Pasta salad, water and kombucha

I hope this list encourages you to enjoy the summer weather and spend a bit more time outside.

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

Vacation

I love my summer vacation in Florida.  We are so blessed to be able to enjoy my in-laws home for 10 days in the warm summer. Actually summer on the Florida beaches is wonderful.  It's hot, but that's what I want after our cool June and very cold winter.  Also there aren't a lot of people so it's easy to get somewhere or go out to dinner or lunch.  There's also a laid back attitude which I so need and love.  I thought I'd just share a few of our pictures from this year's vacation.

I love how the scenery changes all the time at the beach. One day can be perfect and the next have a roll cloud coming in. There was a torrential downpour that day.  

I feel so lucky when I get to see the sunrise and I don't even set an alarm to get up and take a run.  

It's always fun to see the wildlife.  Our first morning we had this river otter scratching itself on the deck.  It  was so cute.

We did do some other things than sitting on the beach.  The Sarasota farmers' market is a fun Saturday activity.  The food is good and all the dogs are too cute.

The Grad Prix boat races are always around the 4th of July.  Our favorite restaurant for lunch, The Old Salty Dog, has great viewing for the boats going in and out of the Gulf.

Of course just sitting back and reading is always a great way to spend our day. 

Of course the food is always good to.  One day my middle daughter and I went to The Pride of the South for a BBQ lunch, brisket, collards and fried green tomatoes.  I was so full. 

Last day breakfast.  I know it's a little strange, but I had fresh crab from the day before and an almond croissant from C'est La Vie bakery.  Delish!

I hope you are able to get some relaxing time this summer.  

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth