1. A Chicago-style hotdog makes you happy. Two make you even happier.
2. A burger patty stuffed with bacon, chorizo, and gouda not only sounds amazing but tastes amazing too. If all burger patties were stuffed with yummy things like this, the world would be a happier place.
3. Do NOT eat a whole mess of leftovers right before sleeping. Not only will you feel tired as heck the next morning (because your poor body was too busy trying to digest the junk you ate to let you sleep properly), but you WILL have very disturbing dreams about mosquito rats.
4. Mosquito rats do, in fact, look as bad as they sound. Pray they never revisit your dreams. *shudder*
Eatery Info I: Vienna Beef Factory Store, 2501 N. Damen St, Chicago, IL 60647
Eatery Info II: Rustik Restaurant, 2515 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
I love the creativity that arises when people are hanging out together and they don’t quite know what to eat—whether they should dine in at a restaurant, pick up carryout, or throw together whatever ingredients are available at home. Friday night, I was invading A & J’s place again and we ran into that exact dilemma and came up with a hodgepodge solution of A’s cooking and my random impulsive craving for Hawaiian bbq. While A threw together an aromatic onion, Spam, and chili stew for our macaroni (don't ask), J drove me to pick up our Hawaiian carryout order. Mmm. We had way too much food, but ‘twas a darn good meal. :]
I had been wearing heels all day, so I borrowed A's gold toes and flip flops. Haha. I didn't realize how abnormally large the flip flops were till I walked into a small, crowded restaurant and felt all eyes on my feet. Awkward...
This was our yummy spread. Mmm...
This week, I had my “first” tastes of the following:
McD’s sausage burritos
ham omelette
beef and chicken kabobs
chef’s Italian salad (with salami)
skirt steak
braised short ribs
“black and blue” burger
It was all . . . really good, but it appears my stomach isn’t used to these deliciously foreign substances. The belly has felt really tight and heavy all week. Not surprisingly, I’ve been craving fresh fruits and vegetables like crazy because of it. I like imagining the fruit and veggie juices trying their best to break up the meat—like it’s a produce vs. meat battle. I had feta and spinach stuffed chicken (mmm) for lunch earlier, and I just now finished devouring a delicious but extremely overpriced orange from 7-Eleven. May the best man win . . .
Looking through the pictures in my cell phone, I realize that I have a ton of random food shots that I never got around to posting. Either the picture didn’t come out too well or I didn’t really know what to write, but it still makes me a bit sad that I have all these undocumented eating memories. There are two particular pictures in my phone that I am quite fond of. It was a random Tuesday evening over the summer, I think, that a friend and I decided to check out one downtown restaurant’s utter bougieness and gorgeous view—and we were not disappointed.
we sat right up there in that protruding section-- looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows into the horizon (seriously, where Lake Michigan met the sky)
this is what we had for dessert-- and you can't get any bougier than beautiful, edible "dirt" (really, you can't-- haha)
There's just something about eating with a beautiful view. It's perfect for the sappy romantic. Not so perfect for the wallet or for the friend who gets dragged along. ;)
Eatery Info: Nomi Restaurant, 800 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
So I had a ton of meat yesterday: a hot dog, a few pieces of skirt steak, a chicken drumstick, and a piece of ham . . . and, honestly, it was just alright. I actually felt a little sick after eating it all. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet, but I've come to the initial conclusion that the best part of eating meat is having options. Other than that, "it's not that all." (<-- phrase coined by my fobbish but endearing aunt)
In other news, this weekend was very eventful. I don't think I really had any downtime, but I guess that's expected. The highlight of my weekend was probably Friday night when I decorated eggs and cookies with my godkids. Those brats tire me out, but gosh do I love them.
our carton of pretty easter eggs (one day, we're gonna be able to buy these in stores)
our chubby easter bunny cookie (don't hate-- there's just more to love)
my godson Tristin (in the striped shirt) with his best bud T.J. (who thinks sprinkle bottles are toys)
As Lent nears its end, here are some random thoughts:
- Apparently, I ate a lot more when meat was an option. Several coworkers have told me I lost weight. Weird considering my main form of sustenance has been carbs and cheese, but pretty nice as an added bonus.
- Not being able to eat hotdogs at a campfire last weekend broke my heart a little. The vegan hotdog I had two days after was a sad, but decent, consolation prize.
- It makes me feel so touched (and also so troublesome) when people cater to my meatlessness. I went to a dinner the other night and the hostess had set aside a bowl of spaghetti sauce with mushrooms (no ground beef) and a bowl of salad (no bacon bits) specifically for me. :\
- Tuna salad still hasn't grown on me all that much.
- Fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil are still my favorite non-meat combination.
- Fresh fruit rocks. Especially grapefruit, strawberries, and grapes as of late.
- I plan on limiting my meat consumption in the future. But only after I fulfill all my cravings next week (ha).
- What is consumed is directly related to what is eliminated. *awkward, shifty eyes*
That is all. ;) Happy Easter.
That's what I've started thinking more and more since this weekend. I went to a church retreat (which was really awesome) and I pretty much ate bread and cheese, a pancake, bread and cheese, salad, bread and cheese, a bit of pasta, a mini cheese pizza, salad, and more bread and cheese. I couldn't really eat anything more than that, but I actually didn't mind the simplicity. And today, I have no feelings of hunger whatsoever. I can't be depressed, because that usually leads to food. And I can't be happy, because that usually leads to food too. So I must be indifferent. Could it be possible that I'm no longer in love with food? :\ Scary thought. It must just be an off day.
