By looking at what is pinned on Pinterest from the blog lately, I can tell many people are discovering my mom’s healthy pumpkin dip recipe from years past.

But many people may not know there is also an unhealthy version too. Below I’ve shared both so you can pick your poison. Enjoy!

Linda’s Healthy Pumpkin Dip

• One 8oz cool whip
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg will work in a pinch)
• 15oz canned pumpkin
• Gingerbread men or graham crackers

1. Thaw cool whip. Mix pumpkin, dry vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Fold in thawed cool whip and serve.

The Less Healthy (But Very Yummy) Pumpkin Dip

• 4 C confectioners sugar
• 16 oz canned pumpkin
• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
• Gingerbread men or graham crackers

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Over the weekend Mr. Lively and I celebrated our marriage with our friends both near and far by throwing a rooftop party.

Our intention with the party was to make it beautiful and as stress-free as possible.

When creating a vision for the party, I imagined using our apartment building’s roof deck. For decor, I got color inspiration from the pops of blue in our wedding ceremony. We also agreed that we should incorporate all the foods we wanted to have at a traditional wedding reception: a build your own mini-slider bar, mac and cheese, my favorite cupcakes, a signature cocktail, and craft beer.

To help us keep things manageable, we decided to only cook the sliders and buy prepared foods for the rest of the meal. After a rather very stressful Fourth of July party earlier this year, we knew that it would be nice if we cooked everything ourselves… but definitely not necessary.

So we took a few trips to Cost Co and Binny’s and wound up with a fridge that looked like this.

Since we had over 50 friends to serve, this fridge is just a fraction of the goods we had to bring down the the roof deck. To help speed the process along, we borrowed the building’s moving cart to load up all the items we needed in batches.

We also we were extremely fortunate that my best friend and “maid of honor,” Maggie, and her fiance, Tony, were on hand to help us prepare. Due to their enormous help and enthusiasm, we were able to get the whole party prepped in about three or four hours.

Here’s a rundown of the party in photos.

photo via Cathy 

The night before the party, Maggie invited my girlfriends out to celebrate my marriage in a “bachelorette-like” party. But since I was already married and had no interest in a tiara or phallic-anything, we dubbed it a “Mrs. Party.” We met at my favorite swanky bar, The Bedford, and drank nice cocktails. It was the perfect low-key way to spend time with some of my closest friends.

The next morning I was so happy to discover we had the perfect warm-but-cool weather for the party. Our only weather related challenge was the wind in the afternoon, which made affixing tablecloths near impossible a challenge.

We purchased serving dishes for the event, which we will use forever-after as well. We decided on white dishes so we can evolve our collection over time. In fact, our bowls seen here are from my Grandpa’s collection and the rectangle dishes are from Crate and Barrel Outlet. Because the lines of all the dishes are clean and simple, we will be able to expand the collection endlessly into the future and still remain coordinated.

You will also notice the white table cloth. Those are actually three large white plastic table cloths purchased with the other party supplies. We used a liberal amount of clear packing tape to ensure that the granite table was covered and would not get blown away. At the end of the night all we needed to do for clean up was remove the tablecloths and throw them away – which definitely beat scrubbing down the giant granite bar by hand. The white covering also created a great backdrop for my color scheme as well. Had we just left the regular dark pink granite as-is, I don’t think the party would have felt as pulled together.

We also picked up a big metal wine bucket at Target earlier in the summer which worked perfectly with our white dishware. Under the table the beers were stashed in a cooler.

As I mentioned before, I also wanted to have a cocktail station. Mr. Lively and I are usually not cocktail people, but I thought it would be nice to serve the one cocktail I adore: the Classic St. Germain. Each of those beakers has marks which indicate how much St. Germain, soda water, and champagne should be added for a perfectly prepared drink.

Our blue napkins and gold(!) plastic silverware, plates, and silo cups were the major pops of color for the table. I ordered them online here. (As you can tell, Mr. Lively let me pick the decor for the event.)

We also lucked out on this caddy for about $7, which happened to be the exact same blue as the napkins, at the Crate and Barrel Outlet. It was a pure fluke.

Because we indulged in amazing cheese while at our cooking class in Paris, we decided to serve fancy French cheese to our party. Mr. Lively splurged on these incredible French cheeses found at Pastoral. Besides the cocktails, they were the biggest hit at the party.

We scored the white marble cheese plate for just $19.95 at Crate and Barrel the day before the party.

On the other side of the table we had an array of cheeses for the mini sliders. My favorite find for the party was the batch of chalkboard stickers  from World Market. They were super easy to label (they come with the chalk in the package), and because they stuck to the table cloth, we didn’t have to worry about them blowing away.

By 4:00 we were all set for guests. Here are the two fantastic people that helped us make the party such a hit, Maggie and Tony.

Our friend Ryan acted as bartender and mixed up the St. Germain cocktails.

Once the grilled veggies for the sliders were ready, Mr. Lively dished them out on disposable serving trays. Again, more easy clean up.

People had a great time mingling and hanging out.

Mr. Lively was Husband of the Year and made sure everyone had as many sliders as they pleased and made sure I didn’t get too stressed.

And he also took the time to hang out with his friends visiting from Kansas City.

I was lucky enough to have friends from my hometown, Rochester, Michigan, travel from all parts of the country. Thank you Maggie (New York), Catherine (Georgia), and Krista (Michigan).

It was a treat to also spend time with my girls from the University of Michigan, too. Marisa, Maggie, and I call ourselves The Tribunal.

A few hours into the party we served our cupcakes. My all time favorite, Magnolia.

By the time we ran out of beer (again), it was time to head over to Matilda’s for a 90′s dance party.

I am so incredibly grateful for such a fun-filled party with those we love. It definitely hit the refined and relaxed intention we were going for. I hope that some of our party decisions might come in handy for others planning big bashes.

Yep, that’s right. I’ve found a way to make chocolate intentional.

Though I will say right off the bat this is not your chocolate lover’s fantasy… this is more of a health intention turned more enjoyable.

Since I’m not that fond of dairy beyond cheese (I love me some cheese), I realize that my calcium intake is probably not that stellar on a regular basis.

Or at least it wasn’t that regular until my best friend Maggie let me in on a little secret:

There are Target brand chocolate calcium chews that taste almost like tootsie rolls which fulfill your daily dose of calcium and vitamin D in two little rolls of goodness.

Of course there are also brand name chews out there as well, but I’m frugal when it comes to items like this and always go generic when possible.

Here’s what they look like inside.

See? Just a tad bit tougher and less sweet than your average tootsie roll. And at 20 calories a pop, they are a great little treat after dinner or when I feel like eating something small.

Mr. Lively and I ate them plain for quite a while, but over time they started to get a teeny bit dull.

… Until Mr. Lively brought another player to the table.

Yum. Obviously any peanut butter will do, but Natural Jif happens to be for me the perfect mix of childhood Jif with a tad more sophisticated flavor and texture.

If there was such a thing as healthy food porn, this could be it. The peanut butter and calcium chew combo reminds me of Tagalong Girl Scout cookies, a candy bar, or some other delicious food memory that I can’t quite place.

All I know is that I’m much more likely to get my calcium if I’ve got these at home.

Two calcium chews a day keeps the osteoporosis away.

Though I don’t normally post many any recipes on MML, today I thought I’d share one that has been my new go-to meal for dinner and lunches lately. Admittedly this could easily be a tasty side dish, but I often end up re-heating it on it’s own when I need a light dinner after work.

I first tried the dish at Mr. Lively’s aunt’s home over Thanksgiving. I loved the dish so much I was determined to learn how to create it myself. Something that I don’t often do, which says a lot about this amazing couscous.

The ingredients can be seen above. The recipe that I’ve made very closely follows the recipe on the back of the purple Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous box. And for about $1.70 for the box, it can be a pretty cheap dish. But for those who don’t live near a TJ’s, you can also make it using non-TJ Israeli Couscous seen in the blue container on the right.

Here’s what you will need to make it the way that I do,

3 tbs butter

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous

1 pinch cinnamon

1 3/4 cup water or chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

First, chop your shallots.

Take 1 Tbs. of the butter and melt it in a large sauce pan on medium/low heat. Add pine nuts to the melted butter and stir occasionally. Once the nuts are browned, put them aside in a small bowl.

Then in the same pot, add the remaining 2 Tbs. butter to the pan and add the shallots. Let the shallots soften and sweat out for a few minutes.

Measure out 1 to 1.5 cups of dry Israeli couscous.

(Bird measuring cups from Urban Outfitters a few seasons ago.)

Add the dry couscous and cinnamon to the pan with the shallots and let them toast a bit until lightly browned.

Then add 1.75 cups of water or chicken broth to the pot. Bring the heat up so that the water or broth comes to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, reduce head to a simmer and cover with a lid.

When the water is mostly absorbed into the couscous, I add my raisins to get them nice and plump. Then, after the remaining liquid is absorbed by the couscous, I add the pine nuts back to the pot and serve.

I’m sure this would also be great with added herbs (TJ’s recipe calls for parsley) or protein like chicken or tofu. But for me, I like it just as it is.

There is a delicious pumpkin dip on AllRecipies.com. But if you are looking for a lighter option, my mom has a healthier version that has a very similar flavor.

• One 8oz cool whip
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg will work in a pinch)
• 15oz canned pumpkin
• Gingerbread men or graham crackers

1. Thaw cool whip. Mix pumpkin, dry vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Fold in thawed cool whip and serve.

The Art of the One-Dish Meal

I think there are a few things about cooking that intimidate people, but I’d guess one of the main things is the idea of putting together a meal. I get why it’s intimidating: you have to figure out what goes with what, find recipes for each dish, and then time everything correctly while cooking. It’s a lot to think about! And it’s why I love one-dish/one-pot meals. I love the idea of getting everything I want in a meal with one singular recipe. They also tend to pack lots of flavor! The most common one-dish meals are things like soups, stews, casseroles, crock-pot meals, stir-fries, etc.

The essential elements of a one-dish meal

• A satisfying protein. Some of my favorite easy proteins to use in one-dish meals like soups or stews are beans, pre-cooked chicken sausage, rotisserie chicken, and tofu. None of those need to be cooked, so it makes incorporating them into a recipe almost foolproof.
• A flavorful fat. For me, no meal is complete without some form of (unprocessed fat). In a one-dish meal, I recommend butter, cream, coconut milk, coconut oil, or olive oil.
• Lots and lots of veggies. You can really go nuts with the veggies, but a good place to start is always mire poix: celery, carrots, and onions. Trader Joe’s sells a pre-made version that’s so convenient when prepping soups, stews, or sauces.
• Herbs and spices! My best advice is to have a heavy hand with the seasoning when cooking a one-dish meal. Italian spices like basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc., are pretty safe, as are non-spicy flavors like paprika, pepper, and citrus zest. And though you don’t want to go overboard, you’ll probably want some salt, too.
• A dash of carbs. I tend to leave carbs (rice, pasta, potatoes etc.) out of my one-dish meals completely, but a little goes a long way if you can’t imagine living without them. Grains and starches don’t have much bang for your buck, and they tend to act as “filler” (big on bulk, small on flavor). However, as long as you tread lightly, adding a few potatoes or a small amount of rice, starches and grains can be a nice way to bulk up a one-dish meal.

Bringing it all together

Slow and low heat is the method for a successful one-dish meal. The longer and slower you cook it, the more flavorful the dish will be. In fact, many one-dish meals (again, think soups, stews, casseroles, etc.) taste progressively better as the flavors have time to marry. Crock pots make wonderful one-dish meals! Baking at a low temperature, simmering, or slow-cooking are all good methods of cooking one-dish meals. Don’t forget: one-dish meals tend to freeze well, so these types of dishes make for perfect make-ahead lunches and dinners.

All-star one-dish meals

Some of my favorite one-dish meals include:

• Polenta, Sausage, and Zucchini Casserole
• Korean-Style BBQ Beef with Broccoli
• Real Deal Chicken Soup
• Big-Batch Turkey Chili
• Green Curry Tofu
• Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Ricotta and Spinach
• Spicy Dumpling Soup with Shrimp
• Signature Vegetable Soup
• Cauliflower and Ham Gratin
• Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew
• Chicken Pesto Soup
• Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup

Do you prefer one-dish or multiple-dish meals? Either way, share your favorite soup, stew, or casserole recipe!

While looking at the MML stats I’ve noticed that my mom’s Pumpkin Dip has been getting quite a bit of hits through Google (people are probably searching “healthy pumpkin dessert”). So I thought it might be a good idea to re-share the dessert since Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

What I personally love about this dip is that it’s pretty low-cal – which in my book means I can eat more of it.

Enjoy!

Linda’s Pumpkin Dip

• One 8oz cool whip
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg will work in a pinch)
• 15oz canned pumpkin
• Gingerbread men or graham crackers

1. Thaw cool whip. Mix pumpkin, dry vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Fold in thawed cool whip and serve.

Good morning! I’m launching the Diversey collection on Jess LC tomorrow and have plenty of work ahead of me (lookbook, programming the online pages, uploading product shots, drafting an email blast, MML posts, and so on) so I have my little hands full of things to do. But in the meantime, I thought I’d re-share this recipe for mac and cheese via my mom, from my Grandma Constable. It. Is. So. Good. And easy, oh so easy. I made it last night for my friend Cathy and her husband.

Judging by the (lack of) leftovers, I’d say it was a huge hit! Try it yourself. I promise there will be no regrets!

Yum. This wonderfulness is my dinner tonight. I got the recipe from my mom, but the cheese sauce is actually from my Grandma’s Cheesy Onion recipe. Since I had all the ingredients on hand except for the cheese, this was a logical, delicious, and inexpensive dish to make. I used to be intimidated by the homemade cheese sauce, but it is really easy since it requires the microwave(!). Try it and let me know what you think.

Macaroni and Cheese

• 2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 box pasta (I used whole wheat), cooked and drained
• 2 C milk
• 4 T flour
• 4 T butter
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/4 t paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350* and cook pasta.
2. Melt butter and stir in flour, pepper, and paprika. Whisk in milk. Cook in microwave for 8 minutes on power level 8 (stir 2-3 times during cooking).
3. Stir in shredded cheese until melted.
4. Add sauce and noodles to greased casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Let stand for 10 minutes and enjoy!

For those who like a softer, unbaked mac and cheese you can call it quits at this stage like my brother, Mikey C.

Good morning! After being gone last Thursday and Friday at the trunk show, being out of the office over the weekend, and taping our March Spring video yesterday, I have a lot of work to do today. One of those “I’ve-been-out-of-the-loop-the-mountain-of-work-seems-pretty-big-and-I-don’t-quite-know-where-to-start” kind of days. I think a well planned to-do list and a good sense of humor will help me gain some traction.

That said, I’d like to share my friend, Stephanie’s favorite sweet potato recipe. She’s kindly taken pictures of the process below and above you’ll find her video explaining the process in person. It’s such a great recipe I’m making it for the third time later this week.

Yum! Keep these potatoes in their foil wrappers in your fridge and grab as you need throughout the week. They are super sweet with their own caramelized skins and can be heated or eaten cold. The perfect afternoon “sweet” snack.

Happy Friday! This week’s End of the Week Exfoliation will be up tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to this weekend as I have a coffee chat with a very dear blog friend on Saturday and dinner tonight with a close Chicago buddy. I hope your weekend is dry, sunny, and relatively warm!

It’s been a looong time since I’ve posted any food recipes. Mostly because I don’t generally cook that much (hello, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, turkey wraps, and Chicago restaurants). But today’s recipe is a new favorite and so simple to prepare.

While dining at Piece in Bucktown a few months ago, Erwin and I discovered the joys of garlic as a topping on pizza. It was incredible. And now we are recreating a knock-off version every week or two. We’ve started to cook frozen pizzas while simultaneously roasting two heads of garlic. Once the pizza and garlic are finished cooking, we add the garlic cloves on top of the pizza slices. It’s that easy.

Take a look.

Cook the garlic on 425* for 20-30 minutes, until golden and soft. Cook pizza as directed.

Once the pizza and garlic are done, carefully pull each garlic clove out of the shell and place as much as desired on the pizza.

(We add Parmesan and red pepper flakes for extra flavor.)

There you have it. Such a simple twist on a no-brainer dinner.

Good morning! I’m feeling quite relaxed after a “long” weekend starting semi-formally on Wednesday. Though I did a trunk show on Friday, the break from regular studio hours was nice.

I attempted to keep my exercise output as high as my food intake over the past week. I was reasonably successful, however this recipe is one of the major causes of my workouts. It. Is. Amazing. And now, it’s also gone. I gobbled the majority of this wonderful treat myself with some help from Erwin and my cousin, Danny.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving as well! And if you have any holiday parties coming up where you need to bring a treat- this cheesecake is an excellent choice.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

You know those memories you have from when you are a small child that stick with you decades later? Well, I remember my mom making a chocolate chip cheesecake for my dad’s birthday when I was less than six-years-old. Though my culinary tastes at the time were (somewhat) less refined back then, I was right on the money about this dessert. It was then, and is now, simply incredible.

So good in fact, I believe it to be tastier than even my favorite flavors of The Cheesecake Factory or Eli’s Cheesecake. Below is the easy recipe in photos followed by the directions. I even made it slightly less fattening by using 1/3 Less Fat Philly Cream Cheese and Non-Fat Condensed Milk. You can’t tell the difference.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

18 crushed Oreos                           14 oz. Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

¼ c. melted margarine                     3 eggs

3- 8 oz. cream cheese                       2 t. vanilla

1 c. mini chocolate chips                 1 t. flour
Combine crumbs and margarine.  Pat in bottom of 9″ spring form pan.  Beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Add eagle brand.  Beat until smooth.  Adds eggs and vanilla.  Mix.  Toss ½ c. chocolate chips with flour.  Stir into cheese mixture.  Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top.  Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Cool.  Chill.

Ohmygoodness. I am so excited to share this project! I have had this idea floating in my head for months and now I get to share the results. The concept of painted chevron first came to mind after reading Kelly + Olive’s post about DIY Chevron. I followed their instructions and used the pattern linked to their post.

Here is how it works.

Materials Used:

• 3 22×28″ stretched canvases (each one cost about $22)
• Bronze gold acrylic paint ($10)
• Large, soft bristled brush ($10)
• 1 roll blue painters tape ($4)
• Chevron pattern stencil found on Sunset.com via Kelly and Olive (free)
  

First, I printed out the stencil three times to get the right length for my canvases. I carefully trimmed the paper to include just the zig-zag and then taped them together to get the correct width.

Do these canvases look familiar? I decided I can always recreate the string art look on new canvases, and in the meantime save some $$ by reusing the two I already had.

To transfer the zig-zag pattern from the paper stencil to the canvas, I used a thumb tack to mark each of the points on the zig zags. I did this for both stripes on the stencil and then used blue painters tape to fill in where the white zig-zag was on the stencil. The thumb tack prints helped me know where to start and stop the tape.

I found lining up a whole bunch of tape makes the process quicker.

Once canvas was complete with the zig-zag, I taped the sides as well to keep them white. I also used a credit card to smooth down all the lines and make sure there wouldn’t be any paint leaking into the stripe pattern.

A few people have mentioned they have had trouble with the paint not seeping into the tape. As I mentioned, I used a credit card to smooth down the lines pretty well before painting. Also, my paint was pretty thick, not runny, so it didn’t seep through very much. Of course there is a bit of bleed on mine, but not too noticeable from far away. I hope you find a method that works for you!

After that, I just needed to paint the canvases with a solid coat of paint. It didn’t take nearly as much paint as I thought it would. I got all three canvases painted with one tube of paint, and I still have paint left over. The canvases needed about 20 minutes to dry and then I removed the painters tape.

I love how the metallic bronze paint shines against the solid white stripe.

Voila! The finished product. Courtney and Lauren came over and helped me hang the art - with thumb tacks! Who knew.

As far as most frequently eaten meals go, I think oatmeal has been topping my charts for the last six months. Ever since I discovered the joys of Cheesy Oatmeal (don’t judge until you’ve tried it), I’ve been eating oats for breakfast. And as my old coach on the Michigan Men’s Crew Team (I was a female coxswain my freshman year of college) would say “Oats move boats.”

Which pretty much just means they are good for you and give you energy for long, hard workouts.

Anyways, back to today’s new oatmeal recipe. I came up with this yesterday morning and it was so good I decided to repeat it today as well. The recipe is simple and uses seasonal ingredients I have in my house right now: apples and caramel.

I don’t know about you, but enjoying caramel for breakfast in something “healthy” just seems… awesome.

Here’s how it works in photos, and I’ll explain the process in writing at the end of the post.

Look at all that fiber!

Caramel Apple Oatmeal

Ingredients

Oatmeal

1-2 apples (any kind), chopped

Dollop of caramel dip

Drizzle of Agave syrup (optional)

Cinnamon

1. Chop apples into small pieces and saute with non-stick spray for 4-6 minutes until soft and sweet. Drizzle agave syrup on the apples mid-way through for extra sweetness.
2. While apples saute, cook oatmeal as directed. Steel cut oats rather than instant oatmeal works best, in my opinion. Use a large-ish bowl to make room for the apples.
3. Once apples are softened, transfer them to the oatmeal bowl. Mix caramel (as desired) and cinnamon into mixture.
4. Serve and enjoy!

PS- I believe the photo of the “softened apples” is actually apples just chopped, pre-saute. Opps.

I’ve been meaning to write about this topic for quite some time. In fact, I have a little memo in my Blackberry where I keep ideas for future posts, and this topic has been sitting there since May. The idea came from an article I read in Body + Soul written by Cheryl Richardson (one of my favorite contributors). The article was called “Your Feel Good Plan” and talked about how we take suppliments for our health but we don’t take time to do things we enjoy and make us happy. She believes by carving out specific time for the things we enjoy, we will decrease our stress and improve our health. It’s not necessarily a groundbreaking idea, but I liked the concept of making joy a ritual to honor daily.

Her suggestion in the article was to seek out at least one thing that makes you happy and do it everyday. She also recommended making a list of several things you enjoy and picking among them each week. We go out of our way to eat vitamins each morning, but somehow these small acts of joy can slip by in a busy schedule.

My New Happy Vitamin

I thought about the idea quite a bit. I contemplated what I would do as my “happy vitamin.” I wanted to choose things I don’t already do. Cooking came to mind, but I cook pretty regularly and it seemed a bit too utilitarian. I wanted to do something that had no “practical use” or social aspect, since those actions were already incorporated in my life.

What has become my new happy vitamin is the simple act of coloring. A few weeks ago my Prismacolor colored pencils resurfaced among a sea of boxes. They had only been used two times since high school, but for some reason I kept them tucked away. Recently I decided to sharpen them and put them in a vintage glass near the tv – hoping that I would one day begin sketching again.

They sat there for two weeks, untouched.

Then finally, after staring at them between episodes of Chopped and Greek, I decided to try to sketch some flowers in a vase on the counter. I found myself being pretty critical of my work and frustrated that I wasn’t automatically as good as my high school ability. And that wasn’t relieving stress. I was creating another pressure on myself. The thought “I must now improve at drawing” was not a recipe for fun and relaxation.

So I took a step back. I thought about why I still had these color pencils despite countless exfoliations.

Quietly, a memory of my first experience in middle school with Prismacolor pencils came to mind. I used to be fascinated with Prismacolor pencils in art class. I loved how smoothly they colored inside ink drawings and how awesomely the white pencil (my favorite) blended two different hues. That was what I found joy in.

With that realization, I decided to print out coloring pages found online and color them in. No pressure, no inner critic telling me my perspective is off or proportions are wrong. Just the simple act of making the colors as bold and blended as possible.

Sometimes I don’t get around to coloring, but more often than not I color for at least a few minutes (or petals). I’ve even noticed on my runs near flowerbeds, that I take a closer look at the shading and naturally occurring color combinations for future coloring pages.

So what about you? Any coloring fans out there? Any other Prismacolor addicts? Other “happy vitamin” suggestions?

UPDATE (10/3): I find the coloing pages by Google Image searching the term “flower coloring pages” – and I print the ones I like.

The Bongo Room on 50 S. Roosevelt St. (within walking distance of Museum Campus) was not easy to find. But they also have one on Milwaukee Ave. in Bucktown as well. It took Erwin and I about twenty minutes to find it due to road construction right outside the front door.

Check out their helpful sign during the road work.

Once we finally got inside and seated, I began to get anxious. The menu is one of those where I want to try just about every item. The burrito and croissant sandwiches really had me second guessing my pancake obsession, er decision. Check out the descriptions. I wouldn’t normally post a menu, but this one is worth it.

The most innovative brunch menu I’ve seen since Orange.

Erwin got the Eggs Benedict. It was pretty tasty and those potatoes were awesome.

And not to disappoint, here is the pancake dish that stole my heart. I enjoyed every bit of two of the three pancakes. But I recommend splitting one sweet and one savory meal meal with someone else.

So for those who live in Chicago, I definitely suggest visiting the Bongo Room as a fresh alternative to the popular Ann Sathers, Orange, or Stella’s. And to those visiting the Windy City, try this place out if you are planning on visiting the Field Museum or Shedd Aquarium. It’s just a walk or short taxi ride away from them both.

While shopping, they handed out Ultimate Pretzel Rolls with melted cheese and ham. It was divine. I promptly bought a bag of rolls and decided to make them for dinner. But then I got to the frozen section and their BBQ Chicken Pizza called my name. With reluctance, I caved to the pizza, vowing to eat the pretzel in all it’s glory today for lunch.

I almost gave in and ate my midday meal at 10:26am.

But with perseverance, I survived until my normal noon lunch time and promptly devoured this roll seconds after photographing it.  Dabs of Dijon mustard on some bites, slivers of butter on others, this baby is good both ways. Or, it can be sliced and used as a sandwich roll as they presented it at the store. Any which way, the pretzel bread is soft without being mushy and surprisingly subtle.

This guy is going to be a great go-to during the rest of my marathon training. I can already tell.

Fabulous Blog Award

Speaking of obsessions, I found out this morning that Rebecca of The Pink Orange and Ella Minnow Pea tagged me in her Fabulous Blog Award winners. And as such, I am responsible for recounting 5 things I’m obsessed with. Well, the first was shared above in my ode to the Ultimate Pretzel Rolls. The rest can be seen below.

Emails

Sounds strange to have an obsession over an inbox, but in my case it is true. I love getting mail for the business (aka: orders) or comments and emails from the blog. Either way, I get excited when I check my inbox.

Westies

Not going to lie. I already have my future puppy’s name picked out; it’s Elsie. I like Westies (and Frenchies, too) so much that my running partner, Bernard will text me how many Westies he saw on a run without me. My family has a Westie named Mackenzie (photographed) who started my love affair with the breed.

One day Erwin’s going to get me one, I just know it…. right hun?

Chevron

Zig zags have my attention right now. I love how they look in bold alternating colors. So much so that I have a future project for my studio waiting to be completed incorporating lots of chevron.

My New Apartment

Yes, if you can’t tell by the recent posts, I moved to a new apartment last week which is currently taking up much of my thoughts, time, and money. It’s a labor of love that is coming together, ever so slowly.

(note: blue couch waiting patiently to be replaced by sectional)

Enjoy!

The New Whole Foods (AKA): “Date Night”

I’ll start off this morning with a photo tour of the new Whole Foods on N. Kingsbury (conveniently located around the corner from the J. Crew on North Ave.). I heard it was the third largest Whole Foods in the world, and decided to check it out for date night before seeing Funny People with Erwin.

Friday morning when I told E my plan, he asked, “are you sure there is going to be enough food for me to be satisfied?”

This is (a small fraction of) what we saw:

Needless to say, we didn’t leave hungry.

For those that are still reading (hi, Mom!), I have a confession to make. Erwin and I spent 37 minutes of our Sunday afternoon watching an infomercial about The Magic Bullet. What can I say? I was mentally exhausted and the British guy, perky lady, and actress with the housecoat and cigarette were too good to be true. So was the actual product. We began contemplating a purchase after a half hour.

So we headed over to Bed Bath & Beyond to scope out the product. Though we didn’t buy it (yet), I am wondering… is it really worth it? From the infomercial, it looks like it could be a great tool, for garlic chopping, smoothies, omelet making, and margaritas. But before I plunk down $50 (minus the 20% off BB&B coupon), I want your highly esteemed opinions.

What do you think? Bite or dodge the bullet?

[photo found here]

I’m having an affair.

My indiscretion with Stanley began a few months ago when Kaitlyn of Eat My Blog introduced me to this fruit and veggie all-star. Until that point I was in a monogamous relationship with a man called Trader Joe. But once I met Stanley, everything changed. Stanley lives at 1558 N. Elston. He’s not super easy to find, but the good guys never are.

So what does Stanley have to offer that leaves T. Joe falling short? Two words. Cheap Produce!

I have begun include more fruits and veggies in my diet, but while shopping solely at Trader’s, I felt restricted in the F+V department. Not the case at Stanley’s. I don’t know how they do it, but the produce is (almost always) super affordable.

They also have a limited selection of other food staples like dairy, grains, and meats. Those prices are usually cheaper than ol’ Joe’s also (I now get my sour cream and eggs at Stan’s as well).

The only discernible drawback to Stanley’s is the fact that often the produce can be on the ripe side, and consuming within the week is usually advisable. But other than that, I think this produce palace is a gift from Mother Nature.

Sorry Joe, I love you so,

but your for fruits and veggies,

Stanley’s is the place to go.

To start the weekend, I ran my long run with my friends, Kristin and Dave. It was a fun run, and I was ecstatic to have two full days of rest ahead of me. After a quick recovery I went downtown to La Madia (my favorite restaurant in the loop) to have dinner with Patricia of PVE Designs. Let me just say that meeting wonderful people like Patricia is one of my favorite aspects of blogging. We shared a dinner of roasted grape and taleggiio pizza and stuffed artichokes.

Saturday was spent at a reused bike shop looking for Erwin’s next new ‘ride.’ He’s determined to find a lighter road bike to commute to work and trade in his hefty suburban mountain bike.

Later we went to Treats for some ice cream (twisted blizzard of cookie dough and Heath bar) and then visited the Lincoln Park Conservatory. Since the Conservatory is right next to the zoo, we wandered in and found Erwin’s favorite animals, the giraffes. My favorite exhibit is usually the gorillas, but they were asleep when we visited.

Saturday night was spent at Elizabeth and Eric’s rooftop barbecue. After a day of wandering around Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park, we arrived at the bbq and promptly inhaled burgers, chips, and Molly’s Cupcakes.

As for Sunday’s agenda, I will be debuting my favorite (and relatively unknown) cheap fruit and veggie market later today in more detail.

So how about you? How was your weekend?

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my good college friend, Marisa came to visit armed with awesome scones and I have finally gotten around to posting the recipe. My apologies for keeping you from this delicious breakfast food for so long. My favorite part about the recipe, besides the fact that it was pretty light, was that it is round rather than cut into small individual triangles.

Marisa has become somewhat of a cooking all-star in my mind, and one day I just might attempt her delicious cinnamon roll recipe. One day.

Marisa’s Cherry and Vanilla Scones

• 3/4 c. dried cherries
• 1/4 c. boiling water
• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 1/3 c. white sugar
• 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 T. butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 c. plain, nonfat yogurt
• 1/4 c. evaporated milk
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 t. butter extract (*editor’s note, had no clue this food existed!)
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 t. sugar

1. Pour boiling water into small bowl with dried cherries, cover and let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Mix flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture is coarse.
3. Combine cherries, yogurt, milk and extracts and add to dry ingredients, stirring just until dough is sticky.
4. Pat the dough with floured hands into an 8″ round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Brush egg white over surface and sprinkle with 2t. sugar.
5. Bake at 425* for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Good morning! Today is the start of my first full week of work in the past three weeks. And I’m looking forward to it. As much as I love traveling, I enjoy returning to my routine.

This weekend Erwin and I hosted our college friends Marisa and Pat. It was great to catch up with them and Marisa came armed with a small bathtubs’ worth of chocolate chip cookies and a delicious cherry scone recipe (which will debut later this week). Which begs the question, how did the Modified Quantum Wellness Cleanse go?

June’s PBA: [Modified] Quantum Wellness Cleanse Summary

Now that the first two weeks of my June Personal Bank Account is over, it’s time to reflect on how well I adhered to my intention of eating a healthier, more natural foods. Below is a summary of how well I did.

Modified-Quantum-Wellness-Cleanse Summary

Week 1 and 2

I ate plenty of:

• Fruits and vegetables – I did eat quite a bit of fruits and vegetables. And I actually ordered salads and soups at restaurants (gasp!).
• Whole grains – Yep, I usually eat mostly whole wheat products so this step was easy.
• Soy and beans – Not so good with cooking beans so didn’t really eat many of these guys.
• Healthy oils – Sure, I guess so. I didn’t really think about this goal too much.

I avoided the following foods:

• Dairy (trace amounts in bread allowed) – I did avoid dairy except for when at home eating my mom’s dinners. I decided it wasn’t worth changing my mom’s menu.
• Meat – Besides a few dishes while visiting my family, I didn’t eat meat.
• White flour – Besides baked goods, I didn’t eat white flour.
• Added sugar – Here is where I slipped (majorly). Erwin baked me cookies (pictured above) while I was visiting my family and I had (and wanted) to eat them. Didn’t you know boyfriend cookies don’t have sugar? Oh, the same goes for Marisa’s cookies. I think something about the love counteracts the sugar… not sure Kathy Freston would agree, but this is my modified cleanse.
• Caffeine (except tea) – I did avoid pop (or ‘soda’ for all of you readers outside the Midwest). But I did drink an occasional sugar-free latte.
• Alcohol (limited to twice a week) – Vacation and hostessing in the city was not conducive to this intention. I didn’t drink more than a few glasses at one time.

Week 3

Follow week 1 and 2 and add dairy (CHEESE!) into the mix. – This is where I am now. So far, so good.

So… when I look at the cleanse I can say that though I didn’t follow through 100%, I was flexible and worked with the intentions as best I could, adapting to vacation and visitors. And overall, I did curb a lot of the poorer eating habits I had been picking up in recent months. Going forward, I intend to keep most of these guidelines in mind. But there will definitely be cheesy oatmeal in my future. No questions asked!

One of the highlights of my family visit was this modified version of my mom’s awesome pumpkin dip. Traditionally the recipe is filled with powdered sugar and is not quite the most health friendly treat. But with a few simple new tweaks, the dip is practically calorie free and though it is not for the organically inclined, it is swimsuit friendly.

Linda’s Pumpkin Dip

• One 8oz cool whip
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg will work in a pinch)
• 15oz canned pumpkin
• Gingerbread men or graham crackers

1. Thaw cool whip. Mix pumpkin, dry vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Fold in thawed cool whip and serve.

Reviewing May’s PBA Intention

First, let me take a moment to review last month’s Personal Bank Account [revised] intention of eating four salads a week. Though I didn’t keep official count, I think I hit the mark a few weeks and probably fell two salads short during the final week of May. So I wasn’t perfect, but it’s a good thing that I’m back in the habit of eating salad. How did your PBA go?

June’s PBA Intention

This June I decided to kick the PBA challenge up a notch. In February, my friend Kaitlyn of Eat My Blog and I followed Kathy Freston’s Quantum Wellness Cleanse for three weeks. We were pretty true to her outline but made modifications as we went along [she suggests avoiding dairy, gluten, meat, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine for 21 days]. Once we were finished, I decided I would continue to follow many of her principals in moderation. But fast forward to June of 2009, and many of those good habits have drifted, and it’s time to make some adjustments.

So for the remainder of June, Kaitlyn and I have decided to review the cleanse with some of our own modifications. Here’s the plan:

Modified-Quantum-Wellness-Cleanse

Week 1 and 2

Eat plenty of:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Soy and beans
• Healthy oils

Avoid the following foods:

• Dairy (trace amounts in bread allowed)
• Meat
• White flour
• Added sugar
• Caffeine (except tea)
• Alcohol (limited to twice a week)

Week 3

Follow week 1 and 2 and add dairy (CHEESE!) into the mix.

So there you have it. Its not a diet, but a general refresher course on healthy eating. Anyone interested in following along?

Don’t be intimidated by the list, feel free to add your own modifications. I suggest reading Freston’s book if you are interested in learning about the health and spiritual benefits of the cleanse. I know I’ll be re-reading the book to keep myself inspired as I go through cheese withdrawal.

Two weeks ago, my friend Kristin and I cooked a special dinner for our friend Bernard’s birthday in his awesome kitchen. Kristin found a recipe for stuffed artichokes which was so simple and easy to make, I did most of the prep for the dish, while she tackled the more complicated risotto recipe.

At first I was a bit intimidated by the raw artichokes themselves. They looked so “gourmet magazine cover” that I didn’t think I’d be able to make the dish successfully. But I was surprised at how simple and delicious the mighty greens really were.

Stuffed Artichokes

by The Italian Chef

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano Cheese
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 artichokes
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced

Serves 4

1. Combine bread crumbs, Pecorino-Romano Cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium bowl. Mix together well.

2. Cut stems off artichokes, flush with bottom. Cut pointy leaves off the top of the artichokes. Spread leaves of each artichoke out and push stuffing in between them.

3. In a pot just large enough to fit the artichokes, add the sliced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the artichokes. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the artichokes.

4. Turn heat on to medium and cook until sizzling about 1-2 minutes.  Add water to reach half way up the sides of the artichokes.

5. Cover and cook until the artichokes are tender and a leaf is easily pulled out, about 45 minutes.  If liquid is evaporating too quickly add a little more water.

6. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle a little of the liquid from the pot over the artichokes and serve.

So the new PBA of eating salads four times a week has been way easier to accomplish thanks to this bag of vegetable sunshine. It costs about $4.50 from Trader Joe’s and has three servings of baby spinach with dried cranberries, blue cheese, candied pecans, and raspberry vinaigrette (three lunches for just $1.50!*).

If anyone has been salad-phobic like I have the last year, this is the easy fail-safe way to get back in the habit. Now I’ve also graduated to making my own salads with the Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing and I can’t wait to try out the Poppy Seed flavor later this week.

Salad as my new food crush to replace cheesy oatmeal? This is a dream (and intention) come true!

In other news, Jena at Modish BIZtips asked me to answer a few (ok, many) more questions about wholesaling to stores. If you want the full scoop check out the interview here.

* Though the salad is great and satisfying, I usually pair it with other sides to feel satiated. So the $1.50 price is slightly misleading. A piece of baguette would be great, but I usually make do with popcorn.

Today I want to recap two developments. The first is a slight change in my Personal Bank Account intention for May, and the second is a Jess LC update regarding the Macy*s on State St.

Houston, we have a problem

Last night’s salad: mixed greens, tomatoes, chopped cilantro, alfalfa sprouts, herbed Chevre (goat cheese), cucumbers, and Cilantro dressing from T.Joe’s.

Despite my good intention for this month’s Personal Bank Account (PBA) deposit, I am changing course and heading in a new direction. Originally I mentioned I wanted to eat my vitamins everyday like a good little girl. But about a week into the month, it became obvious that I should find a new intention unconnected to supplements (don’t ask).

So for the remainder of May I intend to consume my vitamins and minerals in their natural state, specifically via four salads a week. I chose to eat four salads a week because it is healthy and requires me to eat slightly more veggies than I normally eat. To put things in perspective, the number of salads I consumed in 2009 before May could be counted on… one finger. So here I am on May 18th armed with bags of Arugula, baby spinach and more salad dressings than shoes in my closet. Above is a photo of last night’s salad- fresh and tasty, but I should have added croutons, nuts, or some other crunchy addition.

How has everyone else done with their PBA’s? Smooth sailing? Any snafus like mine?

Fingers crossed…

Last Friday I spent most of the afternoon debuting Astor St. and the rest of the Jess LC line to Macy*s buyers for consideration in the Chicago Designer section of the State St. Macy*s. Each year they carry four to six Chicago jewelry lines in a special jewelry case and host a handful of trunk shows for local designers.

Last year I attended this event and was asked to participate in the trunk shows, but they did not place a wholesale order. Not sure what they will decide this year, but my fingers are crossed and I will update you in the next few weeks if the outcome is positive.

This has been a very busy week at work… but I was not going to let that stop me from doing my end of the week exfoliation!  I might not have had lots of time to exfoliate, but I was sure if I took ONE minute to look around I was going to find something…and I did!  Here is this candle…the remains of a candle.  My BF gave it to me to relax me at this busy time of the month…and boy did I put it to use!  It’s almost done…so I figured I would toss it and maybe that would give him the hint to get me a new one   If that doesn’t work…well then I’ll just send him this link! Adios candle!

-Eva

This week I decided to exfoliate my hair.  I have had long hair for the past 5 or so years and I decided that it was time for a new summer do!  It was taking me FOREVER for blow dry and style my long hair so I had it chopped!  Bye bye long hair, hello summer!!!

- Sarah

Here is my exfoliation!  A salad spinner from IKEA…  I bought this in college, haven’t used it in probably 6+ years, but have some how still “moved” it along with me over the past 10 years six or seven times!  Why am I holding on to this?!?!

-Jill

My exfoliation are six water bottles — some brand new! — that have been sitting in my cabinet, unused, for months.

- Tamara

I’ve had these shoes for three years. I wore them nearly every day. And when I wasn’t wearing them, my roommate was. They’ve done plenty of dancing and plenty of lounging. But lately, they’d gotten so awfully beaten up that they received regular commentary from friends and strangers alike. Finally, they ripped apart to the point where they were no longer functional as shoes. It’s time to say goodbye, visit Zappos, find the exact same pair and start the process once again.

-Tim

So these shoes are cute, but over time the leather has stretched and now they repeatedly flip off my feet – causing some precious moments on the sidewalk. Plus, I went to Nine West today and replaced these puppies with a new pair, so they are outta here!

Anyways, back to the point of this post: cheesecake. I love cheesecake. And I love my good friend, Amy. So combining the two last Thursday for my ‘treat of the week’ was extra special. I found the recipe via Food Gawker which lead me to One Ordinary Day’s Mini Tie-Dyed Cheesecakes. Though the food coloring looked fun, it reminded me a bit too much of the “Garcia” Beanie Baby from middle school, so we left the cake au naturale. The result was delicious. As you can see, I was so excited to eat the little guy that I forgot to take a photo pre-bite. It was worth it.

Tie Dyed Cheesecake

From One Ordinary Day

Cookie Crust

• 3/4 c. vanilla wafers, crushed into fine crumbs in food processor (photo below)
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 – 2 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter (enough to bring cookie crumbs and sugar together)

Cheesecake Filling

• 16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract (we skipped this)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• food coloring (we skipped this)

Sour Cream Topping

• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 4 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Line muffin tin with paper liners.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cookie crumbs and sugar and add enough melted butter to bring mixture together.  Press a spoonful into the bottom of each muffin liner.  Bake for 5-6 minutes or until just golden.  Remove from oven to cool while you make the filling.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add sour cream.  Divide filling into 4 bowls and add desired amount of food coloring to each bowl to give you 4 different colors of batter.  Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie crust in muffin liners.  You can use a toothpick to swirl the colors together or just leave them in dollops.  Do not over swirl or the colors will combine.  Tap the tin on the counter top to make sure the filling spreads to the sides.  Return to 350 degree oven and bake until center is almost set but still jiggling a little.  Start checking at 15 minutes.  They will bake between 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your muffin tin and varying oven temps.

Combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.  Spread over surface of warm cheesecakes and return to oven for about 5-6 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Chill.

While Amy “processed” our vanilla wafers, I proceeded to eat about 26 wafers dipped in cream cheese. It was deceptively awesome.

Though I am not normally a “crust person,” this recipe was one of my favorites.