stuffed green peppers

We made these a while ago, but they were simple enough that I could actually help make them (I'm not the best cook) and take pictures simultaneously.  Not to be confused with Chile rellenos which is a similar, but altogether different dish.  Maybe I'm was the only one with that confusion...?  I guess I couldn't rid myself of the association of green peppers and Mexican good.  This is an Italian style dish, but you could definitely tweak the recipe if you wanted it a lil hot n spicy.

Stuffed Green Peppers:

(full recipe can be found here)

-4 large bell peppers

-1 lb ground beef

-2 tbs. chopped onion

-1 cup cooked rice

-1 tsp. salt

-1 clove garlic, finely chopped

-1 can tomato sauce

1. Remove top of each bell pepper and its' innards.

2. Cook em for a bit to crisp them up. 350 degrees.

3. Brown beef, drain, and stir in garlic, rice, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Cook until hot.

4. Stuff peppers with beef and rice, stand them upright in an ungreased glass baking dish.

5. Bake for 10 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.  Add cheese as desired.

up on the rooftop

It's finally above 50 degrees in Chicago! Which—besides breaking out the skirts, sunglasses, and summer shandies—means picnics of epic proportions.  Last night, we had a brief one on our rooftop deck. Cut short by the incoming rain, we enjoyed paninis, Coronas, and root beer floats.

Maybe we'll get a grill and some rope lights this summer to have a proper 500 Days of Summer rooftop bash. 

And maybe Joseph Gordon-Levitt will show up.

BRUNCH

I'm sure it's clear to anyone that has passed by a restaurant serving brunch between the peak hours of 10am-2pm...aka the hungover rush or just-coming-back-from-church crowd...that people love brunch.  Perhaps the most blogged about meal, it seems that many—myself included—believe brunch to be THE best meal of any day.

The only problem I have with it is choosing to either go the sweet or salty route—do i pick apple cinnamon french toast or a breakfast burrito?  Red velvet pancakes (oh yes, that's a thing at Brunch) or the Denver omelette?

So when I went to Ann Sather Cafe off of Belmont with my high school theater teacher and her two lovely daughters (and friends of mine), my problems were solved.  I was able to order my go-to breakfast burrito AND get cinnamon rolls and fruit as sides.  (They had heard of the place based off only their reputation for great cinnamon rolls—a good sign, to begin with.)  A brunch dream, turned reality.

The only problem was, I was so enthralled to satisfy both my salty and sweet palettes, I didn't take any pictures.  I guess I'll have to go again...

The picture above is the aforementioned red velvet pancakes from Brunch.

veggie tales

Excuse the overtly geometrical presentation, but this colorful platter was my dinner the other night.  Baked zucchini, tomatoes, and breaded eggplant with mozzarella over orzo pasta...

This is a big deal for several reasons. One of them being that when I was little—among a multitude of other embarrassing occurrences throughout my childhood—I literally only ate chicken fingers with ranch dressing.  At every meal I possibly could I would order fried chicken strips with a side of ranch—I even included a small blob of ranch on a plate when our elementary art project was to sculpt our favorite food.  Hidden Valley's ranch and I have had a love affair that has lasted through the ages.  

While chicken fingers and I have since grown apart and my palette has expanded immensely.  So the amount of vegetables I consumed just the other night was probably more than I had my entire life up until about age thirteen.

Other reasons for this being a big deal are just that it was so unexpectedly delish—I underestimated the scrumptious-ness of a meal without meat—and not to mention pretty!  One of my roommates is a vegetarian and this came from her cookbook, 

Zucchini Casserole:

1. Slice zucchini lengthwise into four strips and brush with oil.

2. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and layer mozzarella, diced tomatoes, basil and/or oregano over it.

4. Bake for 5 more minutes.

Delightful, delicious, de-lovely—see what I did there!?

Uh-Oh Oreos

The two most popular dessert items to be classically paired with milk.  Combined.  I don't know what more there is to say than that.

"Uh-Oh" Oreos:

1. Make any old recipe for chocolate chip cookies

2. Put some flour on your hands to avoid super sticky fingers and mold dough around oreos.  Try not to put too much on them—only enough to cover the oreo because they turn out very large.  

3. Place on greased pan and bake 12-13 minutes.

Similar to what The Londoner writes about the 'slutty brownie', "They're oh so easy, and more than a little bit filthy".  So if you're ready to dip your Oreos in more than just milk, I would definitely give it a go.

mason jar mania

Whether acting as candle holders hung suspended from a lush tree, quirky table centerpieces, flower pots, or just as a drinking glass, mason jars are perhaps the item that best encompasses all things DIY.  This multi-purpose jar instantly makes the product handmade and crafty—no matter if you just pulled them out of an attic and threw sand and sea glass in them.  They exude casual and almost beg for you to know just how unplanned and organic an event is.

I'm not making fun—I honestly love the backyard patio-party/summer lemonade feel that I associate with these containers.  I feel I need to find some stash with an abundance of the jars in order to try every craft I've seen with them...

Enjoy some of my favorite incorporations of the mason jar into everyday life and events. Some of these were taken at Beau Jo's Colorado style pizza, which serves their drinks in a mason jar.  The rest can be found on StyleMePretty—an extremely fun and organized way to get wedding inspiration.

nom nom nom

It is a known fact that I cannot cook.  Or bake.  Or do anything domestic really other than knitting and crafting.  So thank god I have friends that do it for me while I take pictures.

Caprese sandwiches are pretty simple though—and you can't get much better than tomatoes, pesto, and mozzarella.  Especially when it's got a face like this!  Thanks to my roommate, Alonna, for dinner the other night.


These snarky cross-stitches are perfect for any cranky old woman...or me.

And these seashells are crocheted!!!!

Also, everyone in the world should Pandora Iron and Wine. Best. Station. Ever.

the b-pig

The Bourgeois Pig Cafe of Lincoln Park, Chicago is by far one of my favorite places within this zip code.  Pronounced "boor-ZWAH" (kind of), this french cafe is filled with antiques and other nostalgic items.  From the chairs you sit on, the rugs lining the staircase, the tuba on the mantle, and the old tins of candy, there is something unique in every corner.

To go with their rustic feel, each item on the menu is named after some sort of famous piece of literature—may I recommend The Great Gatsby. Hello avocado.

On a particularly memorable trip to what my friends and I have now termed the "B-Pig", there was a banjo player who sat behind us playing some seemingly flawless set tunes for almost an hour.  Then he started to chat with us about everything under the sun—from growing local produce to how he got his shirt from the dumpster.

It's not often you find a place where you can sit and eat your cappuccino chip ice cream for that long and feel at home.

guacamole and goodbyes

My dear friend Alonna left for three months to study abroad in London the other day.  I oh-so-conveiniently had a Nikon D40 checked out from school (for my photo project) in time for her going away dinner.  I am still playing and learning how to use it so these pictures are totally random and not all that great.  But we managed to be somewhat photogenic.