Chicago Botanic Gardens

This past weekend was PRIDE weekend in Chicago. Whoohoo! Happy pride to all. An exciting weekend all around especially because of this. New York is the 6th state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage. Being such a huge state it will hopefully open up the doors and influence other states to change laws and legalize same-sex marriages. It's an exciting step but there is still a lot more to fight for so show your pride and stand up for equality! Yes!

On a lighter note, Rob and I had decided we were going to go hiking on Saturday and enjoy the pride parade and festivities on Sunday. We decided to do some hiking in the Forest Preserve, then head to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Admission is free, unless you park in their lot which will cost you $20 dollars. We decided to cheat and we parked in the Forest Preserve parking lot and walked roughly 2.5 miles up the gardens. We were feeling very ambitious. I think we walked roughly 7 miles that day. Here are some pictures I took around the gardens. It's such a visually stimulating place!

I liked these but I forgot what they're called. Whoops.

More pretty flowers that I also do not know the name of.

Here's my little bee friend. Hello little bee friend!

I loved this sculpture.

These flowers were my favorite! Purple Alliums or "Onion Flowers"

Ahhh refreshing!

The Theodore C Butz Carillon.

One of my favorite parts of the gardens was the Rose Garden. "Stop and smell the roses", as they say. We literally did. This may sound cheesy but it was such a great moment. To admire and appreciate the beauty of nature that we sometimes take for granted. Each rose was so special and smelled completely different. I wanted to smell the roses all day! Any chance I get from now on I will definitely stop and smell the roses. :)

Ahhhhhh...

Amazing!

Homemade Arancini = Heaven

Arancini. The word itself just rolls off the tongue like buttah. Thanks to Rob's aunt, I was lucky enough to learn how to make homemade arancini. (Insert many exclamation points here). This was so exciting for me. For those that don't know, arancini originated in Sicily. They are fried rice balls coated with bread crumbs. The middle contains mozzarella cheese, peas and a meat sauce. How could you not love a deep fried ball of rice with cheese in the middle?! Yuuuum.

So, three weeks ago Rob's mom and aunt came to Chicago for a visit. We were lucky to have fantastic weather that weekend. Rob's aunt is an expert in the kitchen. The day they arrived she made homemade pizzas and arancini. It was delicious! Here's a pic of us happily making the arancini:

She's a great teacher!

What a process! Messy, but totally worth it. I have yet to try making them on my own but I will soon. And I may need to have Rob's aunt on speaker phone just to make sure I don't forget anything. Here she is posing with the yummy arancini:

It was a great visit and it was nice spending time with his mom and aunt. I'm so glad they came. And I'm so glad I still have some leftover arancini in the freezer. Mmmmm!

Salsa!

This is kind of boring. I mean, salsa is easy to make and I don't really need to do a post about it. But as you can see, I'm going to anyway! I'm not actually a big fan of this salsa recipe so I'm hoping you (yes you!) will share a good salsa recipe. Something different, something fun. Whoohooo.

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 tomatoes - diced
1/4 cup onion - chopped
1/4 cup cilantro - chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 clove of garlic - crushed

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together then eat it up.

Porch Garden Update

Up until this past weekend, the weather in Chicago has been completely inconsistent. There have been lots of cold days recently. But judging from the sudden warm weather and the extended weather forecast, it looks like it's going to stay warm. Finally. This makes me happy inside.

Rob and I got our porch together this past weekend and planted our little basil plants.

They grow up so fast. It seemed like yesterday they were itty bitty little sprouts.

We had a lot of little basil plants so we planted them in two containers. In the rectangular container we planted the parsley, three little basil plants and a full grown basil plant that we bought. We want to use basil right away so we bought the full grown one to use until the little guys grow up.

We planted a lot in the big round basket. We may have planted too many in there but if it gets out of control we'll pluck a few out.

Here are our impatiens:

We actually planted some a few weeks ago (thinking it was going to be warm) but unfortunately it got really cold and they basically died. So we had to buy new plants. They look much better than the original ones. Within a month they'll fill up the box.

Here's our big rosemary plant:

I love rosemary. I love touching rosemary so my hands smell like it. Ahhh...

Our landlord planted new grass. It's so green and perfect and suburban looking. Much nicer than the lawn last year. Actually, it wasn't much of a lawn last year. It was mostly weeds. After taking this picture I had a flashback of the 5 foot snow drift from the blizzard of the century. Yikes.

I love this building when it's covered in leaves. It's not fully covered yet, but it's close:

It's much better than this.

And here's a picture of our alley. Just because I like it.

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The Inconsistent Blogger

That should really be the title of my blog. I guess I go through phases. Sometimes I get busy and don’t have time to blog. Other times I get a little overwhelmed at the idea of sharing my personal life with anyone who has access to this endless universe known as the internet. The latter is more applicable in recent weeks. I realistically know that I’m the one who controls what is shared about my life, but sometimes I question whether I want to share anything at all to anyone out there who can turn on a computer. I’ve also been in a funk because of the weather. It may sound silly to some people but I’ve realized that the weather greatly affects me emotionally. This Chicago Spring is 100 times more inconsistent than my blogging. One day it’s hot, the next it’s cold. Mostly cold, actually. I love this city but I am really questioning things. I need heat and sun and at this rate I’m not sure if I’ll get that this summer in Chicago. Who knows, maybe I will. I’m just not feeling optimistic right now. I am also not feeling motivated to bake so who knows when my next blog post will be. It could be tomorrow or it could be next month. Either way, it will happen again…eventually.

I do love you Chicago. But your weather stinks lately.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is so easy to make. And it's healthy. The recipe I'm posting is exactly how I like my bruschetta. You can add or subtract ingredients depending on what you like.

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 medium sized plum tomatoes - diced
2 small garlic cloves - crushed
5-7 fresh basil leaves - chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Italian bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar in a bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour prior to serving.

2. Slice bread into equal 1/2 inch thick slices. Toast on a baking sheet in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before topping with the tomato mixture. Serve and enjoy!

This is such a great snack. Easy to make and healthy!

Note: This is an old post that got a bit of a makeover. I made some bruschetta for guests this past weekend and took a better picture than what I had previously posted. I also created a printable recipe link so I figured I'd post it again. Enjoy!

Spring Has Sprung

Finally!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

You may be saying to yourself, "But David, these do not look like carrot cake cupcakes!" I know, I know. They look more like rolls with melted Velveeta. But I promise you they are yummy carrot cake cupcakes. My decorating vision was not well executed. I've always decorated carrot cake with little carrots made of frosting but this time I wanted to do something different. I got a little carried away with the drizzling of the orange frosting. I blame the mimosa I was drinking! Oh well. They taste fantastic so that's all that matters.

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS for the CUPCAKE

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots

INGREDIENTS for the ICING

1/4 cup cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS for the CUPCAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together eggs and sugar with a mixer for 2 minutes or until it becomes lighter in color and a little frothy. Add the vegetable oil, vanilla and carrot and mix with a spoon.

4. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture and combine. Fill the 12 muffin cups to the top with the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

DIRECTIONS for the FROSTING

1. In a medium size bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter. Once combined, beat the vanilla in. Add the powdered sugar little by little until smooth.

2. Frost the cupcakes once they have cooled to room temperature.

3. Decorate them differently than I did. Ha!

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Natalie Merchant - Leave Your Sleep

Last week marked the one year anniversary of the release of Natalie Merchant's Leave Your Sleep album. Normally I don't think twice about an album's anniversary. However, Leave Your Sleep has become one of my absolute favorite albums. She turned other people's poetry into music, 26 songs to be exact. It contains a broad range of musical styles and somehow remains completely cohesive. I find some sort of comfort in this album, something I can't explain.

I was lucky enough to see her live two times last year. Once was an intimate show last April at the Poetry Center. Such an amazing show. I also saw her this past July at the Chicago Theatre which I briefly blogged about here.

Anyone who hasn't heard this album should have a listen. Get the full version with the 26 songs. In the booklet she explains each poem and gives the background of the original poet. I just love it! So there. Haha. I think this post got a little melodramatic. Oh well. Have a listen to The Peppery Man, one of my favorite songs off Leave Your Sleep:

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Goose Island Brewery Tour

I love going on brewery tours. I've decided I need to check out every brewery tour available in Chicago. I've been to a couple in Milwaukee including Lakefront Brewery and Sprecher's Brewing Company. Both were a lot of fun so if you're ever in Milwaukee, check 'em out.

Goose Island Brewery is the biggest in Chicago so I was really excited to see what they had to offer. It's $10 for a the tour plus beer tasting and a souvenir glass. Per usual, you get a fashionable wristband:

Sleek! 

You're allowed to take a beer on the tour...bonus! It's not included in the cost of the tour but you can buy one at the bar before the tour starts. The tour takes place in one room where the tour guide explains extensively their process of brewing, along with a lot of Goose Island facts.

There's the obligatory Q & A but at that point I think we were all ready to chug (I mean try) some samples, so not a single question was asked. Ha!

The tasting was my favorite part of the tour. You're probably thinking I'm a lush but, no...it was just fun. I swear! The tasting was set-up in a communal style. Very different than any other tasting I've experienced. As you can see in the above picture, you get to try 6 different beers. The samples were not as generous as I thought they would be. However, the guide went into detail about each one; color, smell and taste. Other tours I've been on are not nearly as detailed when it comes to the tasting. We also got a souvenir glass. Another bonus...

....and totally worth it!

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Gloomy Weather

I'm really considering moving to a warmer climate. Someplace where there's more sun than clouds, more warmth than cold. This Chicago spring gets 2 thumbs down. With the exception of a couple warm days, it's been cold and cloudy. Yuck. This was the view from my front window yesterday:

Cold, cloudy and barely any growth on the trees. Yuck.

At least the 7 foot snow pile is gone:

But, I need warm weather...and sun. Now.

An Impostor In My Garden

My little basil seedlings are growing up so fast:

The second set of leaves are starting to emerge:

Just a couple of weeks ago they were tiny little sprouts. As long as the weather warms up in the next few weeks, they'll be ready to go outside. I took advice from Natalie and I've been gently blowing air on them each day to toughen them up a bit and get them ready for the windy outdoors.

However, there is an impostor in the garden:

That's definitely not basil! Maybe mint? Hmm...I think I'll let it grow just a little and transplant it and see what happens. But it's probably just a weed....

Grilled Tilapia with Cilantro and Lime

First of all HAPPY EARTH DAY! Do something today (and everyday!) that is earth-friendly.

Secondly, Happy Belated Anniversary (yesterday) to me and Rob. Whooohooo! 8 years and counting! We celebrated last night by going to our favorite BYOB Mexican restaurant in the city of Chicago: Los Nopales. They have the best chorizo. I could literally bathe myself in it. YUM. One of these days I'm going to devote a whole post to my Los Nopales adventures.

Last but not least, let's talk about grilled tilapia. My new favorite thing to grill. We've been having a few warm-ish days here and there so Rob and I try our best to take advantage and grill. The great thing about tilapia is that it's a mild tasting fish and will easily absorb the flavors you marinate it in. You can really be creative and mix up whatever flavors you like. Here's my recipe. If you're not a fan of cilantro, you can substitute it with fresh basil or parsley.

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
The juice of 2 fresh limes
The zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

4 fresh tilapia fillets (roughly 1 pound)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large baking dish that will fit the four fillets, combine the above ingredients (but not the tilapia) and mix well.

2. Once mixed, add the tilapia fillets and evenly coat them in the mixture. Marinate the fillets in the mixture for 1 hour in the fridge.

Swim in the marinade little fishes!

3. Coat a non-stick grilling tray with a light coating of oil. Set the tray on the grill and heat grill to medium high.

4. Once heated, add the fillets and cook for 3-4 minutes each side.

Rob, the Grill Master!

PS...be sure to 'like' Baking Boy on Facebook or follow Baking Boy on Twitter!

PPS...I'm going on a Goose Island brewery tour tomorrow. I can't wait! Look for a post about it soon!

The City of Fake People

A few weeks back Rob and I took a little road trip to Carmel Indiana. Why Carmel you ask? Well, for his birthday this past December I bought him tickets to a jazz show. It was a trio of performers: Nikki Yanofsky, Jane Monheit and Diane Reeves. We had 2nd row seats (which was amazing) and it was held at the brand new Center for the Performing Arts. A beautiful venue and an amazing show. I loved all three performers. Jane has always been a favorite (her voice is like buttah, just like Lizz) but I have to say Diane's performance was spectacular. She's a seasoned jazz singer and it shows.

So I was hoping that Carmel would have a fountain of caramel in the town square. I know that's very Willy Wonka-ish of me to think but I was hoping. Alas, they did not. But they did have sculptures of people all over the little town. They are all in various positions, doing various things. Frozen in time. They were creepy, seriously. We were walking around the town on Sunday and there were no 'real' people around, just these fake people. It reminded me of the movie Return to Oz where all the people were turned to stone. Eerie....

Yes I'd love to ...ummm...dance with you...?

 Really deep thoughts...

 Would you like to water my basil? uhhh...nevermind...

 Hey! get a room!

Why the stern face? Here, let's have a photo shoot...say, "cheese!"

Turkey Chili Yum Yum Yum

I officially love my Crock-Pot! Rob made turkey chili last week and it turned out so good. This picture was after we had a couple helpings so he made a full 6 quarts. We've had plenty left over for lunches and enough to freeze. I'm not going to post the recipe because he loosely followed a recipe he found online. There were a lot of changes and additions to it and I didn't keep track of all of them. Whoops! But, I've been given a lot of great recipes from people so there will be more Crock-Potting soon!

I love you little red Crock-Pot!

City Porch Garden 2011

So Rob and I have started the planting for our porch garden. Through trial and error we have found that certain things grow well on our porch and certain things do not. We are limited as far as sun goes so it's a little tricky. However...Mint, oregano, rosemary and basil all grow fairly well so that's what we're sticking to this year. We use a lot of basil when cooking so we planted lots of seeds this year. Right now we have the seedlings in our front window since there is abundant sunshine:

It's so exciting seeing the little seedlings sprout!

Last year we planted parsley from seed. This is what it looked like last summer (scroll down to the end of the post). I had no hope for it. But, at the end of summer, Rob brought it in the house and kept it in the front window. Now it looks like this:

It's suddenly doing really well. It only took A YEAR! But now I have high hopes for it.

I can't wait until it's warm enough to move the plants outside and plant flowers. I love flowers! I also can't wait to enjoy my porch, herbs and flowers while drinking some mojitos. Yum!

Illustrations

Long gone are the days of my little Post it note drawings. I am now using Adobe Illustrator. My old way of doing illustrations was, well, backwards. I love working in Illustrator and I'm slowly teaching myself how to use it (with a little help from Rob). Here are a couple I did recently. I didn't spend a lot of time on them so they aren't perfect but I'm pretty happy with them. And I'm excited to make new illustrations!

 

Blueberry Scones with Streusel Topping

I found this recipe online and have to say it’s one of my least favorite scones I’ve made. It's not a bad recipe by any means it's just not a favorite (like this one). And not because of taste, but because of texture. No offense to Joy of Baking where I found the recipe. There are a lot of great recipes on that site! I just found this to be too cake-like. And the streusel topping made it seem more like a muffin then a scone. Regardless, give it a try. It was tasty!

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS for SCONES

1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut up into little chunks)
1 cup fresh blueberries

INGREDIENTS for STRUESEL TOPPING

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut up into little chunks)

DIRECTIONS for SCONES

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl whisk together milk, egg and vanilla.

3. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add butter to flour mixture and combine using a pastry blender. When the consistency is course and 'crumb-like' fold in the blueberries.

4. Pour milk/egg mixture into flour mixture and stir only until it clumps together. Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover your hands with flour and knead the dough lightly-only once or twice. Re-flour surface if needed then flatten dough into a circle until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces.

5. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and evenly spread out the scones. Brush them with a light coat of milk then prepare the streusel topping.

DIRECTIONS for STRUESEL TOPPING

1. Whisk together flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and using a pastry blender, mix until the consistency is course and 'crumb-like'. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons on to the coated scones.

Note: This makes more streusel topping then you need. Save it and sprinkle it on vanilla ice cream. It’s delicious!

2. Bake the scones 18- 20 minutes until they are lightly browned. Remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. These are best the day you make them.

I Have a Crock-Pot!

Finally. It's kind of shocking that I didn't own one. My Mom (thanks Mom!!) bought me one:

Mine is red, not silver. Red is my favorite color and when I finally get my red KitchenAid mixer (hint, hint Santa) I will have a matching set of red appliances. Whoohooo. I'll be doing some Crock-Pot cooking this week. Stay tuned!