Twitter is magical. It can bring together people with similar interests and with a lil bit of creativity, can generate some wonderful ideas. Hence the case for Pizza Rustica, Victorian Truffles, Gino Rocco, and me. What began as an innocent … Continue reading
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” ~Henry David Thoreau
You know that feeling of checking something off your bucket list and having a life long dream come true?
Yah, it is pretty magical!
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Europe. A friend of mine already had plans to go, and well, YOLO*. What began as a half-hearted ‘Let me look into it’ turned into a dream come true. All my life, I always dreamed of being spontaneous, booking a flight to Europe, wandering around, just because.
“Not all those who wander are lost.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
Check.
I flew into Dublin and had a 12 hour layover (Dublin was SUPER cheap to fly into). Having only 12 hours to enjoy, I stopped at a nearby pub, made friends with the locals where I learned that Garth Brooks is still popular and taught my newly made friends what an Irish Car bomb is and what *YOLO means.
Then the next day, hopped a flight to Prague to meet up with my friend.
Prague, you win.
It is like a fairy-tale. Very clean, preserved. It’s like walking back in time. I had heard it is a beautiful city. Words don’t do it justice. It’s like walking through a real-like Hansel and Gretel. Although it isn’t a very touristy city (as in comparing to Rome with so many things to see and do) it is a nice, relaxing, walkable city that transport you into a dream. Here are some pics to make you jealous:
Plus the most magical souvenir of all (because I love puns!)
After 2 days (and I do say, 2 days was just enough to dabble in the gloriousness of the city, although 1 more day would have been perfect), it was back on a plane to head to Amsterdam.
This was just as I had imagined. Canals lined with buildings. Bikes galore. Coffeeshops. A tad disappointed upon our late arrival, hardly ANY restaurants were open past 10pm. Why not eat some pizza then…after devouring pizza that would put any pizzeria in Italy to shame, back to the hotel to rest up for the next 2 days of touristy stuff!
From walking throughout the city to shopping to apple pie* to canal cruises to I Amsterdam to Heineken – I’ll be sure to make a trip back (I didn’t do the museums – I know SHAME!). Maybe you’ll understand why – look at this!
*this, THIS apple pie, looking all sweet and innocent. UNTIL I take a bite and boom, raisins. Lets just say, you all probably know how that ended up. Thank you @Chicagoista for rescuing me.
Exactly.
Next up – back to Dublin.
Sorry to report – Dublin is somewhat a dud. I even tried to make a fun pun at customs in Amsterdam…
Border Patrol: Where are you headed to?
Me: You can find me in the ‘Dub (you know, a play off of 50 Cent’s ‘You Can Find Me in the Club’ – note, puns do NOT translate well).
One positive aspect – Guinness.
Here’s a few photos to document our day in the Dub:
Notice a trend…beer in Prague. Heineken in Amsterdam. Guinness in Dublin. My kind of souvenirs.
And that, my dear friends, is a recap of my whirl-wind 1-week-Euro-adventure-to-check-off-my-bucket-list. Until my next trip…
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain
As many of my friends know, I’m a food aficionado. No. Joke. I’m a mix between a Food Network star and an 8 year old. From whipping up fun, new creative dinners to delicious desserts to eating Lucky Charms cereal, potato chips and a Bloody Mary…I cover it all.
That being said, I can also be quite picky and lazy when it comes to preparing food (reference the Lucky Charms for dinner comment above). Quick, easy, yummy meals – um, yes please!
**Blog Update: Relished Foods has been rebranded to Home Chef even better… now have a larger selection of meals than ever before (8 to choose from every week), with options to satisfy a range of dietary preferences like gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Check out their latest menu!
Enter Relished Foods. ***read through the entire post to receive a special offer!
As their website states: Fresh Ingredients and Recipes Delivered to Your Door. No confusion there, nope, none at all.Their Director of Product & Growth recently contacted me, offering me the opportunity to try it out! Sure thing.
I was impressed with his responsiveness and when I mentioned that I don’t eat red meat, they accommodated! Fast forward to last week, I find a box outside my door.
Opened to find (padding and ice packs) and 3 paper bags with clear labeling, 3 individual meats (vacuumed sealed and frozen), and 3 separate recipe cards.
Talk about making things easy! Literally, everything was pre-portioned/measured, garlic cloves were peeled, all ingredients were clearly labeled. Insert happy dance here!
The first night, I made the Panko Crusted Cod. Simple, fresh, delicious. Cod is usually not my first choice, but I was craving more!
A day later, I made the Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Pan Seared Chicken. Quinoa, you’ve won my heart.
I’m a checklist person by nature so here is a recap of the PROS and ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
PROS:
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Excuse me while I go prepare the Lamb Meatballs with Creamy Polenta and Tomato Ragout (who wants to join me?!)
Ok, so I’ll enjoy the yumminess by my lonesome, but that doesn’t mean you too can’t relish (see what I did there?!) in this. You can save 50% on your first order by using discount code ‘Wits&Pieces‘ at checkout (only valid for 1 week from today). Come on, get going…you know you want to. Guys and gals, easy way to impress your significant other!
If my blog doesn’t wet your palate, go ahead, check ’em out on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, or on their blog. Happy cooking and eating!
DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional photographer. The images were taken with my cell, very hastily, I might add, as I was starving!
Tuesdays are…blah. It’s the day after Monday blues yet still have 3 more days until the weekend. Sigh. I’m going to force myself to post every Tuesday – of my random thoughts. Without further ado….
And with that, my friends, are my Tuesday Thoughts
Strength – you never know how strong you are until strong is all that you can be.
We’ve all dealt with unfortunate situations (and trust me, I’ve had my fair share in 2009 – that’s a separate blog post to come). One of my best friends growing up – from preschool through high school graduation – Ashley, had to endure the pain that comes with losing a child. In January 2013, her precious sweet baby Aden passed away.
Flash forward to October 5th, 2013 and her strength helped co-planned the area’s first annual 5k run and walk for SIDS Awareness with the help of SIDS of Illinois. About 300 supporters showed up to participate, raise awareness and honor the memory of those who are no longer with us due to SIDS. Here is an article, from the area newspaper recapping the event.
I urge you all to:
On a lighter note, there was this mini car that as a grown woman decided to try to fit in…yes, that would be me. My only question was “where are the cup holders”!
Also, it was held at my high school. I probably haven’t been back since I graduated. Shhhh, let’s just keep that year a secret for now! Shout out to Hall High School.
Here is a photo of Ashley with her husband, her son Owen, and baby on-the-way 🙂
Always in our hearts, in memory of Aden.
I make friends easily. Quick backstory on this post, last year I volunteered for an episode of Restaurant Impossible (RI) on Food Network. It. Was. Amazing. Needless to say, I became friends with 2 of the crew guys (Gabe and Angelo – they are brothers). Awesome dudes.
Here is a photo of me with the talented, fabulous, hilarious, nice, etc…dudes from the shoot last year:
That’s Gabe on the left, me in the middle and Angelo on the right.
Flash-forward over a year later and RI is shooting just over an hour away in Indiana. Unfortunately, I was unable to volunteer again. The next shoot was scheduled in Wisconsin just a few days after. The guys then planned on driving through the great city of Chicago. Over the course of a few Facebook messages and texts…what I thought was going to be a quick dinner on Friday turned into a 24 hour adventure!
First up: Dinner at Rockit Bar and Grill. If you haven’t been there, I’m telling you to go now. And get the truffle tots. Trust me. You can also follow Amanda on Twitter. She’s the executive chef/partner/Truffle tot master. My friend (made on the set – she was another volunteer!) Lisa and her sister Bernadette met up with us for dinner – before they head off to the theater.
While Lisa and Bernadette were at the theater, I took the boys to Sears (yes, it will ALWAYS bee Sears tower. None of this Willis stuff). Granted I am a life-long native of Illinois and have been to Chicago plenty of times whether for fun, visiting friends or family or other. This, this was only my second time going up the tower. Please take a moment and enjoy the views…
After that, we met back up with Lisa and Bernadette, hit up a few bars in River North and returned to my condo for an exhilarating night of games. That’s right, I’m talking Jenga, Operation, Taboo. Drinks, food, games…welcome to a Friday night with me!
Everyone left then and had decided to meet up for brunch. Apparently the boys couldn’t handle it, so that 10am brunch turned into a 12pm lunch/brunch at Grand Lux Cafe.
Next up: a river tour! The Chicago Architecture Foundation tour was all booked up so we took the Wendella River Architecture Tour. It was awesome! 75 minutes of some Chicago history mixed with architecture, a trip out onto Lake Michigan and some of the cheapest drinks 🙂 Highly recommend it. Enjoy the photos below (yes, yes Chicago is an amazing city!)
After the boat tour, we stopped by Chuck’s Manufacturing bar attached to the Hard Rock Hotel. Enjoyed a few drinks there and then…
…headed off to the bean! Or formally known as the Cloud Gate. Perfect weather for some photo ops
We then walked to Navy Pier to finish out the night. Had to ride the Ferris Wheel. And riding it right after sunset…awesome.
And that’s all folks! Until next time
Last weekend, a dear friend of mine got married at a local state park/lodge outside of Chicago. Being that it was Labor Day weekend – you can imagine there were all sorts of folks around. Wedding guests, vacationers, campers, hikers, bikers (as in motorcyles…not a cyclist). Obviously, I was one of the wedding guests. Sporting my cute black strappy shoes, brand new flowing one-strap Vince Camuto dress, perfectly curled hair, red lips and sunglasses on. I thought I was rockin’ it…as did a ‘gentleman’. Let me just transcribe the scene which took place as I was walking from my car in the parking lot (carrying a wedding gift) to the lodge.
Me: walking hastily through the parking lot to avoid the heat/sweating I hear someone in the background, which I determine is directed at me.
Dude: “dddddddddaaaaayyyyyyymmmmmmm girl. You need a date to that wedding?!”
Me: (stops. turns around to see its a biker – leather chaps, leather vest, bandana…muy authentico) “ha, um no.”
Dude: “oh well, can’t blame a guy for trying!” (as 2 of the 5 companions in the biker group are ladies who are now laughing hysterically)
Me: “yah, A for effort”
Dude: “have fun”
Me…walking even faster, cursing under my breath as I breeze past a mother and child.
And that, my fellow dude readers….is NOT how you pick up a lady. ACCESS DENIED.
…and in particular, Nick! See my fancy-schmancy new header image? Yah, I did NOT create that. However, this awesome friend did 🙂 Now I owe him a bottle of Dom Perignon but he’ll have to settle for a Cook’s Brut.
Seriously though, find him on Twitter (@nickmoutvic) or head on over to his blog Chispired and while you are stalking, I mean checking out his awesomeness, just go to Facebook and like his page too (do it, I said DO IT!)
**See that handsome fella – that’s Nick. He designed my header. He’s awesome.
Is it a problem that my wine cups are bigger than my bra cups? On the left is the giant wine glass that holds an entire bottle of wine. That’s right folks, an ENTIRE 750 ml bottle of wine (Ok, … Continue reading
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