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Wedding Week Recap!

I know, I’ve been gone for a while… getting back to reality after the crazy and amazing week I had last week has been a little difficult, and that includes blogging. But I’m back, and ready with a week-long recap for you! Are you sitting down? Get comfortable, this is going to be a long one, and it may take some time to load, as it’s very photo-heavy…but worth it!

Monday, November 23

I worked a normal school day full of meetings and inservices, and got home to find my dad sitting on our couch! I hadn’t seen my dad since our engagement party in January, and I was so excited to see him! We sat and talked for a while, then headed out for dinner. We went to Sushi Station for a light dinner, and then to Yogen Früz since he’d never had it (with living in Oregon and all). Then, we went to Macy’s to find a tie for him for the wedding, and went our separate ways after that, at least for that day. I had a busy few days ahead of me!

Tuesday, November 24

At about 10 a.m. I left for my mom’s house. Why you might ask? Well, when my mom and dad got married, my mom and her mom spent a day baking a challah for their wedding. I wanted to do the same thing! My sister came over as well, and we got to work. After mixing and kneading the dough, letting it rise an hour, then punching it down and rising again, it was time to braid. In the end we came out with one HUGE challah, two smaller ones, and three mini ones:

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Wednesday, November 25
It was a hair day! I met my mom at our favorite hair place for highlights, an eyebrow wax (desperately needed) and a professional blow-dry. The result was fantastic, but of course, I forgot to take a picture! I then spent the remainder of the afternoon dodging “Blackout Wednesday” traffic to get our centerpieces and other supplies to our wedding venue, then picking up Lizz’s bridesmaid’s dress from the tailor. We had sandwiches from Boloney’s for dinner, and I believe I was asleep by 10 p.m.

Thursday, November 26
Thanksgiving day! I debated not being a food blogger and just enjoying the day, but I realized that, down the line, I’d be bummed if I didn’t document the meal. My mom’s best friend put out an amazing spread as usual, and no one was left with an empty stomach. Just a sampling of the eats:

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Friday, November 27
Rehearsal day! Adam had to work Black Friday morning at his part-time job, so I spent the morning getting last minute things together and packing my bag for two nights. When he got home, we went for lunch, and then drove down to our wedding venue for a quick rehearsal with everyone involved. The guys left after that, and the girls went to get manicures and pedicures.

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Afterwards, we drove like crazy people to the rehearsal dinner at Gino’s East Pizzeria for some Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, salad, and pasta. At that point, I said bye to Adam until the wedding! We still talked later in the night, but it was odd not seeing each other.

Saturday, November 28
Wedding day!!! I’ll let the pictures tell the story… it was truly the happiest and best day of my life so far.

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We spent the night dancing, celebrating, and well, it was the best wedding EVER! I’m beyond thrilled with how well it all went, and even MORE thrilled to be married to my amazing HUSBAND (I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying that!) We were beyond exhausted by the time the night was over, and made a rather surprising decision for:

Sunday, November 29
Rather than staying in a hotel for Sunday night, Adam and I opted to go home and sleep in our own bed. We had some friends in from out of town we wanted to see before they left, and the measly 4 hours of sleep Saturday night just weren’t cutting it! We both took long naps after brunch, and decided to spend our “hotel money” on a great dinner out to celebrate. We went to Shaw’s Crab House near our house for a fantastic meal.
(I know what you’re thinking…enough with the wedding stuff and get onto some food!)

We started with a spicy crab california roll:

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And shared a cup of the amazingly creamy clam chowder:


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We decided to really splurge and get what we REALLY wanted, so I got King crab legs, the best I’ve ever had:

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Adam (the HUSBAND! Notice his ring?!?!) got these Nantucket scallops with spinach:

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Rather than getting dessert at the restaurant, we opted instead to have dessert at home. On Saturday, we didn’t get ONE piece of our wedding cake! Well, we each got a tiny bite when we cut it, but that was IT! So what did we do? We had slices of our top tier! Instead of saving it for a full year, we had one piece Sunday, we’ll have another Saturday (to celebrate one week married) another at one month after the honeymoon, another at 6 months, and the rest at a year.
This cake was alternating chocolate and red velvet with milk chocolate buttercream and white icing:

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(Are you still here?)

Thank you for reading the recap of the BEST week of my life… here’s to a hundred more years! Adam, I love you more than anything!

Speaking of honeymoons: We leave for our honeymoon December 19, and obviously, I’ll need guest posters! Send me an email if you’re interested!

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Just a Tease

We‘re married!!!

I only have a few pictures so far, but I’ll share what I’ve got… and a full recap to come hopefully tomorrow! It was truly a perfect day, and the best of my life so far…Thanks to Bobby for the pictures I do have!


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First dance


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Awesome cake with Shrek and Fiona topper


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Cake cutting


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Married jewelry, made by my dad


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Me and my mom


I promise more later!!



   



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Guest Post: Laura from Hey, What’s For Dinner Mom?

Hi everybody! It’s Laura from “Hey What’s for Dinner, Mom?” I’m guest posting for Mara this week while she is busy getting hitched. Congratulations Mara and Adam I know you guys will have a wonderful life together and I can’t believe your big day is finally here. For my guest post I wanted to share some words of wisdom from Dear Abby that have hung on my fridge for 15 years.

Rules for a Happy Marriage

1. Never both be angry at the same time

2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire

3. If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate

4. If you must criticize, do it lovingly

5. Never bring up mistakes of the past

6. Neglect the whole world rather than each other

7. Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled

8. At least once every day say a kind or complimentary word to your life partner

9. When you have done something wrong, admit it and ask for forgiveness

10. Remember it takes two to make a quarrel and the one doing the most talking is probably the one who is wrong

These rules have served me well over the years with my real husband. May you have a blessed long and happy marriage and may we all continue to read about it! Cheers!

You might be reading it here first: I am hosting a Green White Elephant Gift Exchange! With the economy the way it is who can afford one more present for a blogger gift exchange? I can’t, but I sure do have some nice things that have been given to me that ‘aren’t quite me’ and that I’d love to give to someone else. And what’s more green than recycling a ‘not quite me’ present? Call it re-gifting. Call it recycling. Call it white elephant. Call it fun! Please join us as we celebrate a green earth friendly holiday season, re-gifters UNITE! To play along simply email me at jinxyjune@gmail.com and answer these questions:

name

blog name

email

mailing address

m/f

favorite color

5 things you love

5 things you despise

the best present you ever received

what are you most thankful for?

You have until December 1st to respond, then I’ll mix ‘em up and send everybody someone else. Please plan on shipping by December 10th so that they will arrive in time for Christmas. Also I need one or 2 little elves to help me spread the word and don’t tell anyone but elves get extra entries into my 1 year blogoversary chocolate extravaganza giveaway on December 5th, contact me for information. So what are you waiting for, send me info for the exchange and start looking around for something really cool in your house that just isn’t you.

Peace and Love,

Laura

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Guest Post: Colorhungry Comes Clean.

Hi there, everyone!  This is Jenny from Colorhungry and I am so honored to be posting on Mara’s blog!  It was actually Mara who got me involved in food blogging and I will be forever grateful to her.  We became friend about three years ago (Wow! Can’t believe it’s been that long!) and I cannot even tell you how excited I am for her big weekend! I’m so sad that I can’t be there, so like everyone who reads her blog, I really cannot wait to see all of her pictures and hear all about it.  Mazel Tov, my dear friend!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and that no one is getting trampled shopping today!  Last night I went to Michael’s craft store (that’s right- i’m HARDCORE) for some special preview Thanksgiving shopping and dude.  I am EXHAUSTED.  Maybe it was the tryptophan?  Needless to say, I won’t be shopping today.  I think i’ll just spend the day in recovery from the carb overload.

Anyway, on with my post.  I have a little secret.

Before Friends, Will and Grace and even Sex and the City burst onto the scene and taught us about what it meant to be “on a break,” what it might be like to have a gay best friend, and exactly what “having sex like a man” actually entails, there was the world of Blanche, Sophia, Dorothy and Rose.  That’s right- The Golden Girls.  As much as society (and my brother) might think this is completely shameful, I have no shame in confessing that I own seasons 1-8 on DVD and watch them quite often.  I love every episode.  I tried to find one that I could put up here, but alas, I couldn’t pick just one (Yes, I am a supreme nerd.  And yes, I am ok with that fact.).

What is so striking to me is that although this show was produced mostly in the 80’s (It started in 1985- One year after I was born!), these older women were on the cutting edge- doing shows about AIDS, STD’s, weight, homosexuality, safe sex, the importance of women being able to stand on their own two feet, and showed how vitally significant a woman’s friendships are in her life.  They talked openly about sex and their sex lives and embraced their sexuality, with Blanche Deveraux leading the charge as a slutty southern belle who wasn’t afraid to play with “toys.”  They were the Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda of their day, except more witty and with a little more Bengay and dentucreme.

I don’t know what it is that I like so much, but they make me laugh, they make me cry, and they cheer me up when i’m down.  Maybe it’s the wit.  Maybe it’s the humor. Maybe it’s the cheesecake.  For those of you that are reading with scorn and have never seen this show, the secret to all of their problem solving prowess was a good cheesecake to share while they talked it all out.

Dorothy: Ohhh, do you know how many great, late night talks we’ve had at this kitchen table over cheesecake?
Rose: No. How many?
Dorothy (sarcastically): One hundred and forty-six, Rose!

I learned a lot from watching these gals (particularly about the importance of friendships.  You can’t pick your family, but you can pick your friends) and I have to say that when I get older, I really hope I can be half as cool as these ladies.  Any other GG fans out there?  What nostalgic shows do you watch? I’ll leave you with a link to my favorite recipe in the world: Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake.  And the pecans?  It’s praline…need I say more?

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Laying Low

Hey strangers!

Adam and I are laying low tonight after a hectic couple of days finishing up last minute wedding stuff… he had his bachelor party last night, and I spent the afternoon with Lizz and her daughter Skylar at my final wedding dress fitting, and erranding and DIY-ing for the wedding. Then I met up with Kristin at IKEA for some last minute supply-buying. I managed to sleep until *gasp* 9 a.m. today and then I was out on the run again! I bought ribbon for our card box, gift bags, shoes for the reception… I’m getting tired of spending money!

Adam offered to take us out for a “Linner” or “Dunch” meal… you know, lunch and dinner in one meal? We went to Claim Jumper. I went with total comfort food: meatloaf with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and an incredibly rich (and mostly uneaten) biscuit.

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I promptly moved the meatloaf aside and ate the delicious roasted veggies, and thoroughly enjoyed the meatloaf. I wish I’d asked for the gravy on the side, as I’m currently blowing up like a balloon from all the sodium. The mashed potatoes were under the meatloaf and as good as any I’ve ever had! I brought a good portion home for the inevitable hunger monster later tonight, or maybe for lunch tomorrow…

Speaking of which, tomorrow is my last day of work before the wedding! Our district has an exceptionally long Thanksgiving break, and I’m lucky that I don’t need to take more than one day off for wedding-related stuff. I’m still looking for guest posts for this week, as I’m not going to have the free time to cook, let alone post except for Thanksgiving day…

OH and I bet you want to know who won the Red Gold Tomato giveaway, right? You’ll have to click here to find out!

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Souped Up

TEN MORE DAYS!!!! Only TEN days until our wedding!!!

Needless to say, cooking and blogging haven’t been in the forefront of my mind… though the wheels are definitely spinning for meals.

When I left work today, there was a chill in the air. Not the “oh its 40* and it’s going to get warmer” kind of chill, but one of those where, when the wind blows, it feels like a layer of my skin is frozen off, and that snow is going to come down any minute.

This kind of weather calls for one of three dinners: stew, chili, or soup. Tonight, I opted for soup.

This soup to be exact:

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I made an even healthier version of last winter’s Zuppa Toscana alla Mara. Rather than using the fat free half and half, I omitted it all together. I skimmed the fat off the soup as it cooked, and used double the amount of greens. Tonight it was spinach because my lame grocery store didn’t have kale!

I definitely didn’t miss the creaminess of the soup, and the flavor of the spinach was just enough to contrast the sausage and bacon. I’m just hoping Adam likes it as much as I do… he has class tonight!

I was contacted a couple weeks ago by Deborah from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which is based here in Chicago. Do you know what UL is? Well, have you ever seen those videos of men in white coats smashing toasters into the wall? Or perhaps you’ve seen this logo: 200911171921.jpg
Usually that logo is on your electronics, indicating that they’ve been safety tested. UL is the “gold standard” in safety, and when Deborah offered to send me UL’s full list of Thanksgiving cooking safety tips, I jumped at the chance!

I hope this list of safety tips will be helpful in your kitchen this Thanksgiving season!

Underwriters Laboratories

Thanksgiving Safety Tip Sheet

Thanksgiving dinner is the most anticipated meal of the year for Americans and an ideal opportunity for cooks to show off their culinary expertise. However, for Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the leading product safety testing organization, Thanksgiving has a different significance. It’s considered the peak day for preventable cooking fires. Regardless of cooking style – be it a multi-tasking master, first-time chef or ambitious culinary artist – UL’s simple cooking safety tips can help keep families safe in the kitchen.

Safety Tips for the Multi-Tasking Master Chef

Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended. If you must leave the kitchen briefly, carry an oven mitt with you as a reminder that something is cooking.

Do not try to hold your child in one arm while cooking with the other. Holding a child while cooking is an invitation for a burn. It’s best, if possible, to keep your child out of the kitchen altogether while you’re cooking. Keep them occupied in another room by having them do their homework or offer them allowance if they do their chores outside of the kitchen.

Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking. Long, open sleeves could ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.

Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy while cooking. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on a flame-resistant oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until the food has cooled.

When removing lids on hot pans, tilt them away from you to protect your face and hands from steam. If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.

Do not pour water on a grease fire. Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread.

Safety Tips for the Cautious Chef

Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. Smoke alarms can save lives. Make sure smoke alarms are installed and working.

Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it. Make sure the fire extinguisher is rated for grease fires and electrical fires and read the directions carefully. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.

Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.

Evaluate appliances wisely and look for the UL Mark. When purchasing electric cooking products such as electric knives, slow cookers and food processors, look for the UL Mark. The UL Mark is one of the most widely recognized and trusted safety symbols among consumers, and confirms a product has been tested and certified to meet specific safety standards.

Safety Tips for the Ambitious Cook

Be extremely cautious if using a turkey fryer. Because turkey fryers pose a number of distinct safety concerns, including burn and fire hazards, UL has decided not to certify any turkey fryers. If a family decides they must use a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, UL urges them to be extremely cautious read its turkey fryer safety tips at www.UL.com/Consumers.

Keep the stove free of clutter. Don’t overload a stove top with too many pots and pans. Trying to cook all dishes at once could cause grease to accidentally spill onto a stove top and cause a fire. Only cook with as many pots and pans as there are burners.

Never put a glass casserole or lid on the stove or over a burner. If the glass gets hot and explodes, it will send shards of glass in all directions causing harm to anything in its path.

I think these tips will be helpful even when cooking an average, everyday meal! Thanks for the tips!

*CALL FOR GUEST POSTS!!* With all the wedding stuff coming together, people coming in from out of town, and well, because I’m going to be preoccupied, I’m looking for guest posters! I’d love to feature one guest post a night, preferably a dinner or dessert. If you’d be interested, please send me an email with your guest post and photos by this Sunday, November 22!

Have a great Hump Day tomorrow!

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Bachelorette Party Recap!

Only a food blogger… I swear, only a food blogger would do what I did at her bachelorette party.

There was much drinking (as was expected) and a great time was had by all… There were quite a few embarrassing pictures taken of me, mostly involving odd facial expressions and looks of shock while opening gifts. There was one photo, actually, that one Meghan said she’d give me $100 if I put it on the blog. I deleted it. I guess I can share one goofy one with you…

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I should rewind a bit. My sister Leigh(my Maid of Honor) did a fantastic job planning a very “Mara” night out. Thanks to some cool chef people my sister knows, she was able to get reservations at The Bristol, a restaurant that does not take reservations. It’s a very cool restaurant with interesting food and a focus on sustainable ingredients.
Lizz and I got there early (a RARE occurrence for us) and went up to the upstairs bar while we waited for the rest of the party to arrive.

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While we waited, we ordered drinks. Little did I know that the drinks we ordered would be some of the best I’ve ever had, EVER.

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This was called a Dardanian Cocktail. It contained gin, muddled pear, elderflower and sour. It was un-freaking-believable. I drank oh… 4 of these.

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This was called a Cu-Cui, which had pear vodka, cucumber puree, and something else I don’t remember. Lizz kept saying it was like someone took a salad and put it in a drink. It was also amazing.

Before we sat down at the table, I made it a point to get a picture with Leigh and Lizz

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The rest of the party finally arrived, and we headed downstairs to the table

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We perused the menus and decided to share a bunch of appetizers and each get our own entrees. Now, you all knew that I’d take pictures of my food. I actually debated blogging about the night, but then Lizz reminded me that if I didn’t, I’d probably regret it… so, here goes (some of the pics are blurry…I did my best!):

I ordered another pear cocktail, and my friend Erin proceeded to order me drinks.


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Another pear cocktail as well as a cocktail with Patrón silver tequila and citrus

Then the appetizers came… duck fat fries (the BEST I’ve ever had, hands down)


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These came with homemade ketchup and horseradish cream sauce… SO AMAZING!

And, there was savory monkey bread with dill butter… which luckily, Leigh remembered to take a picture of with one piece remaining while I scolded myself… bad food blogger!

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There was an apple and manchengo cheese salad

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And Leigh and I split fresh radishes with butter and salt. An amazing combo if you’ve never tried it!

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Then the entrees came out. Not only did I take pictures of MY food, but I passed my camera around and made everyone else take pictures of THEIR food. I’m really not positive of what all this stuff was… I’ll label the ones I’m sure of.

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Half chicken with mustard spaetzle and apple salad (there were about 5 of these at the table)


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Goat meat ravioli type things. Thanks for the great picture Meghan!

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Raviolo. A HUGE ravioli filled with fresh ricotta cheese and egg yolk. Still smacking myself for not ordering this myself!


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Fresh noodles with something called mojama. It’s a Spanish delicacy of cured tuna, grated over the top


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Organic grass-fed beef with sweet potatoes (they’re in the background!)


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No idea… greens of some sort?


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Leigh and I split this whole roasted Pompano fish. I’ve never had more buttery fish, ever!

There were also desserts that were devoured before a picture could be taken, but I assure you, they were FANTASTIC!

After dinner, the group split up and a bunch of us headed north to a quasi-improv show called Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. I say quasi-improv because while true improv isn’t rehearsed, this is… it’s 30 plays in 60 minutes, the cost of admission is $9 plus whatever is rolled on a 6-sided die, and if they sell out, they order pizza. We’ve been going to this show for the better part of the last 15 years, and it was the PERFECT thing for us to do. The doors didn’t open for another 45 minutes when we got there, so we went around the corner to a favorite bar, Hopleaf, for another drink. I got a raspberry Lambic.

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We then went back, got in line, and took a final group picture.

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From Left: Me, Lizz, Leigh, Leah, Mom, Anna, and Kristin

It was an amazingly fun and perfect night out! Thank you SO MUCH to Leigh,, all who came, and everyone who helped make it a night I’ll never forget! I love you all!

I spent the night at Lizz’s house, and we had the luxury of going to IHOP for brunch… there’s something about breakfast food cooked by someone else that’s just so great! Dinner has yet to be decided…





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A Wedding Feast

Tonight was a very exciting night!

Adam and I went to our wedding venue to finalize numbers, the menu, and make a payment and all of a sudden, its REAL… we’re getting married 2 weeks from tomorrow!!!

One of the best things about our venue (besides the fact that its GORGEOUS) is that their food is stellar. In fact, last year when we booked, we were asked to have our food tasting before we even signed a contract because they pride themselves on how wonderful the food is. Even at the wedding reception, each dinner is cooked to order, and guests get a choice THAT NIGHT of what they want to eat. There’s a restaurant attached to our venue as well, and we decided tonight to treat ourselves to a wedding feast (since we hear that the bride and groom don’t really get to eat much the night of their wedding!)

Each and every item at the restaurant is house made from the bread, to the pasta, to all the soups, salad dressings, and sauces. There was tomato-topped focaccia and fresh Italian bread on the table, set to be enjoyed with herb-infused olive oil and parmesan cheese:


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Then, we got steamed crab claws in a basil-white wine broth


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Next was a mixed greens salad with a white balsamic viniagrette


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My entree was quite possibly the best steak I’ve ever had. It was a bone-in filet with an herb sauce, potato croquettes, and steamed baby bok choy:


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Adam got a bowl of house-made rigatoni with tomato-vodka sauce, topped with some absolutely enormous, lobsteresque shrimp… unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good picture of it… Last, but certainly not least, we got coffee and shared a piece of carrot cake. It came out with a surprise on it!


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The ambiance made for a very romantic (albeit early) evening


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We took a romantic stroll around Best Buy after dinner where I searched for a new camera case (any suggestions???) and we’re now home relaxing. Tomorrow night is my bachelorette party, but never fear! It will still be Cute Food Saturday!

Have a wonderful Friday night everyone!



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Epic Food

*This post was written last night at about 9:30 p.m, but my blog host was down and it wouldn’t publish! So… pretend it’s last night!*

I left work today excited for two main reasons: one, I was going for my next to last wedding dress fitting, and two, my BFF Lizz was coming with me, and we were going to a new favorite place for an early dinner.

The dress fitting went swimmingly, and I really can’t wait to share pictures with you… but you’ll have to wait a couple weeks!

Afterward, we headed up the street to a place that my friend Heidi (you know, Quin’s mom?) had been bugging me to go for months. Adam and I went not too long ago, and fell in love… what is this place?


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Baloney’s is a Barrington, IL landmark, attached to the Catlow Theater, an old-style movie theater. They are famous for their kitschy decor


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And even more famous for their remarkably huge and delicious sandwiches. The first couple times we went, I got a Dagwood sandwich, and I only got a phone picture of it.


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Yes, it was delicious…and yes, I ate the whole thing! Tonight though, the girl behind the counter was making suggestions to Lizz and I decided to take her advice. I got a Reuben. Usually, Reubens disappoint me, as the corned beef isn’t as good as I think it should be, or there’s not enough cheese, or the sauerkraut is too sour… but not this Reuben. Oh no. This…well, this was epic.

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Oh, but you can’t see how HUGE this was… let me help you out:


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It was, quite possibly, the BEST sandwich I’ve ever had. Seriously. I’ll never be able to eat a Reuben again without comparing it to this one. Lizz agreed with me that they were amazing sandwiches. She got a beef and cheddar sandwich:


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She kept saying “I’m never going to Arby’s again!” We both agreed that these were truly epic sandwiches. I got Adam a Dagwood sandwich, and if you don’t know why it’s called a Dagwood, this is why:

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This is Dagwood Bumstead, of the “Blondie” comic strip, and he was famous for eating enormous sandwiches!

What made my evening of food even more epic?

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Oh yes. That would be Früz. But more specifically, one of their Nü Naturals mixes which was (get this, are you sitting down?) Key Lime Pie with graham cracker crumbs! It was the BEST Früz I’ve ever had! Lizz and I shopped a little bit, and once I got home, I was about ready to crash… but I had to share this evening with you all!

I’ll be cooking again tomorrow, and I’m determined to try a new recipe! Do you have any ideas for me?



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Thai-ed Up

I had my 2nd of 4 dress fittings today, and I was lucky enough to have my mom join me for this one. It’s a good thing too, because I can’t get into my dress by myself!!! It went well with only a few moments of feeling bad about myself, but those were squashed quickly.

My mom wanted to go somewhere for dinner, and suggested the Thai food place we went to almost a year and a half ago. I love Thai food, and we haven’t gotten it in a long time… so I was in!

We started with some fresh spring rolls and chicken satay with the BEST peanut sauce EVER. I thought of Miss GC with all the peanut sauce!

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Then I got my favorite: Pad Si-Ew for my dinner. I ordered it with extra vegetables and easy oil, and they actualy listened to me!


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My mom got larb kai, which is a slightly spicy ground chicken dish with cilantro…another favorite of mine!


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We got to sit and chat for a while, which was really nice… with all the wedding stuff going on, it was great to have some “mom time”.

Some of my favorite shows are on tonight, and I think I’m going to use up some of my weekly Points® (yes, I’m back to that now) on some light pumpkin ice cream and some tea. Weird I know, hot and cold… but its a great combo!

TGIFFF!!! (Thank Goodness Its Finally Freaking Friday!)



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