What’s Up At IZEA??
By The Chef | July 5, 2008
My favorite thing in the world is to get something new to try out and review. In the past I’ve gotten toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, a Denim jacket and even some amazing photos that have been printed on canvas and stretched. One of my favorites that one!! All of this has been made possible through social media and IZEA! From blog sponsorship and paid blog posts, to marketing tools and product samples…they’ve really gone all out to become a well rounded company that is expanding daily. Their growth brings out the best that the internet has to offer.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with this great company for the past 18 months or so, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. As I mentioned above, there is something for everyone! I’ve gotten friends, my aunt, my uncle and my sister all involved and they’ve enjoyed their associations with this great company as well. My sister, Aunt and I all met up in Vegas last fall for PostieCon, and had an amazing time. Not just because it was Vegas, but because this company took the time to put together a very well thought out and knowledge-filled convention. We learned and laughed so much, because that is the type of company this is!
Even if you are just looking for a community of bloggers, they’ve got you covered there too! Head on over and see what you find for yourself!
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The Rules
By The Chef | June 30, 2008
With the 4th of July coming up here this week, I thought this was the MOST appropriate time to share…The Rules!!
BBQ RULES
We are about to enter the summer and BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh you memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity, as it’s the only type of cooking that a ‘real’ man will do, probably because there is an element of danger involved.
When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion;
Routine…
1-The woman buys the food
2-The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
3-The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill-beverage in hand.
Here comes the important part:
4-THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
More routine…
5-The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
6-The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beverage while he deals with the situation.
Important again:
7-THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF OF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
More routine…
8-The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
9-After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
And most important of all:
10-Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
11-The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ‘her night off’. And upon seeing her annoyed reation, concludes that there’s just no pleasing some women!
Is this not an exact recreation of this most cherished summer rituals? I thought it was very well written!
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Summer Is Here
By The Chef | June 24, 2008
At least the summer vacation portion of it. Today the kids had to go to school to make up the last of the snow days they got this winter. Kind of funny, they were so excited to get them back in January. But come time to pay the piper they weren’t too thrilled about not getting out of school last Friday! Poor, Silly kids!
We have a summer of fun planned. All close to home because of the rising gas prices, but we’re excited to get it kicked off!
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Car Needs
By The Chef | June 3, 2008
Like most people, a couple of years ago we got caught in the credit card trap. Spending whatever we wanted, only paying the minimum payment and then after a layoff at work, nothing. At the time we were just getting by and had little thought of the need for credit later on so it took a backseat to the stress of the time. However, 18 months later we were on firmer ground with work and credit, and desperately in need of a mini van to carry our family of 6. Sadly, it was at that moment that our past credit history reared it’s ugly head! No one would give us a Car Loan and we were getting desperate.
That is when we turned to the internet. I didn’t know that there were financing options available from several different online companies like BasicCarLoans.com. They have a national financing service to help people with good or bad credit. Because of services like this one, we were able to get a Used Car Loan and picked out a mini van that carries our family comfortably.
Hopefully now our credit is getting back into shape, but I will always be happy for this type of service. They really came through for us in our time of need!
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Brookfield Zoo
By The Chef | May 29, 2008
Have you been to the Brookfield Zoo? They have this amazing “family fun center” that is well worth paying for the membership just to get access to. There are crafts and games and dress up and best of all…it’s air conditioned!
We signed up for the yearly family membership to help get us through the summer, and I can’t wait to find a seat and let my kids run, having the time of their life. What a great idea!
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Heart Health
By The Chef | May 15, 2008
We are getting our ride on lawn mower this weekend. My husband called his dad to see if he would enjoy it because his yard is much bigger than ours, and he has some heart problems. He turned it down because mowing the lawn is the only exercise that he has been cleared for by his heart doctor.
When it comes to heart health, my father in law has no luck! 12 years ago he had a quintuple bypass and has many heart procedures in the years since. He was recently diagnosed with COPD due to his lifelong smoking and poor heart health. We’ve learned if the man goes in for a stress test, most likely he will be in the hospital later that day for a procedure. This is to help keep his arteries clear to keep him from having a heart attack. But what is frightening is the fact that he is a prime candidate for SCA, Sudden Cardiac Arrest. This is something that has nothing to do with the arteries themselves, but rather with the fibrillation itself. SCA is not brought on by plaque in the arteries, nor is the chance of it lessened by the lack thereof. Yet it affects over 325,000 people per year, and there is only a 7-9% chance of survival! I’m sorry, those are scary odds in my mind!
His brother in law recently underwent a procedure to get an ICD implant and honestly, I would love it if my father in law would do the same. However, with the state of his fragile heart, it really may not be an option for him at all. There is so much information out there, and heart health has come so far over the last 15-20 years, that I’m hoping we’ll have him around for years to come.
Find out if you are at risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest and do what you can to protect yourself and your family!
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Dinner By Design
By The Chef | May 9, 2008
Have you heard of Dinner By Design? I’ve heard of it a few times, but was amazed to see one near me! Even though I live in the Chicago area, nothing is nearby! Dinner By Design is the shop you go to and come out with meals to put in your freezer to feed your family.
I’ve wanted to check it out since I heard about it, and now that I find one close, I’ve been worried about the price. You know, the rising cost of feeding the family can’t have stopped at the grocery store. But, I have found a great way to enjoy this great shop at a fraction of the cost! If you go to the WLS A.M. insider store you can buy a $50.00 gift card for $25.00! That means I can buy 4 gift cards, $200 worth of food, for $100! Now that would help the family food budget really well. Plus, you make all the food there and bring it home. That cuts down on my evening prep time.
I think this is what I will be asking for for Mother’s Day!
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Top Chef Sudoku–Enjoy!!
By The Chef | May 4, 2008
This has been one of my favorite shows since the beginning. Harold from season 1 still reigns supreme as Top Chef in my mind. This season, I’m voting for either Stephanie or Richard. Funny how Richard won the Elimination challenge and he gave it to Steph. They ended up sharing it, but it was cool. I want them to be the top 2.
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Chocolate Hazelnut Ravioli
By The Chef | May 1, 2008
Ok–I thought I would share a recipe I watched the other night on the Food Network. Giada De Laurentiis (not my favorite) shared it, and honestly I was passing right through until she said the word, Nutella, at which point I stopped. I had seen this stuff in the grocery store, but never thought of trying it, until I read about it’s fabulousness on my sister in laws blog. I made a point to purchase it after that, and have enjoyed it’s chocolaty goodness ever since. But this recipe also used a staple in this house–wonton skins! I keep these on hand for Chinese Chicken Salad–and still have half a container in the fridge–so this will be dessert tonight!!
Chocolate-Hazelnut Ravioli
16 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten to blend
1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
Vegetable oil, for frying
16 fresh mint leaves
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Granulated sugar, for dredging
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)
Giada covered hers with sugared mint leaves, and if you would like that portion of the recipe–click HERE. My kids would sooooooooo not dig this portion of the dessert–so why bother in this house, eh!
EDIT!!!!!
I just made these. The recipe called for 16 I only had 14 wonton wrappers left–so lah ti dah–it doesn’t really matter how many you cook. I also swapped out the egg around the edges for plain water–it worked just as good and it lost the ‘raw egg’ ewwww factor for me! All in all it took about 15 minutes to make them and they were really quite good!!
This photo has a bite taken out of it so that you can see the oooey goooey chocolate filling!!!
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More Great Radio Deals!!
By The Chef | April 25, 2008
Are you in the Chicago area?? If so, I have more of those fabulous deals from the local talk radio station! You can find gift cards, many worth $50.00 for only $25 dollars–and some as low as $10! What’s nice about this is that you can buy more than one. This week Cafe La Cave is one of the featured restaurants with a $50/$25 offer going, which means WHEN I buy 2 for $50.00 I’m really walking into this trendy (read expensive), French restaurant for $50.00 and getting $100 worth of food. That’s pretty much a buy one get one free dinner for the Chef and I–and that is amazing. We attended a wedding at this very restaurant last September, and it was amazing and the food was DELISH!
If you are interested, click on the link above and it will take you to all of the items available. Whether it’s Cafe La Cave, Le Titi de Paris, or even other great deals at some of the pricier restaurants–they are all listed. Happy Shopping!!
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It’s Like A BOGO Everyday!!
By The Chef | April 20, 2008
The day I started this blog I always wanted to have a little button in my sidebar where I could sell Entertainment books for the Chicago area. It just seemed like a perfect fit for a Chicago restaurant blog. I never really figured out how I could manage this; would I need to buy a couple of books and carry them as inventory? Could I work with the company to direct sales through them? That would save me the hassle of purchasing and carrying inventory–and I have to say, I FINALLY figured it out! So without further ado—I give you the opportunity to purchase Entertainment/Happenings books right here on this site!
Have you seen the Entertainment coupon books? They are sometimes sold as fund raisers for schools, I’ve seen them in the grocery store. What makes this book so great is that it literally gives you a “Buy One Get One” free on every coupon! I’m listing it on this site because honestly–if you are coming to visit the Windy City–you are going to want one of these books. Coupons for fine dining, museums and attractions all over the Chicagoland area. Even if you are in town for only a few days, the use of two or three coupons more than pays for the book itself! Also—if you look at the box in the sidebar, you can put in your zip code, or the zip code of your trip destination (if it’s not here in Chicago) and you can get the book specifically created for your trip locale.
I will be doing this for our next vacation. Especially with four kids, who wouldn’t want to save 50% on every activity you do. Even if you aren’t going anywhere–why not click over and find the book for your area–Buy the Entertainment Book and get 50% off! Each book contains incredible savings!
You never know just how much you can be saving!!
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Chicago Catering
By The Chef | April 19, 2008
Chicago Catering has a new player with the addition of Sweet Baby Ray’s! Check out their new catering menu!
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A Little More “Baby Rays”
By The Chef | April 14, 2008
Ok–so I couldn’t get you the actual video to the restaurant on 190 North–so I thought this little beauty from YouTube would take care of that. It made us laugh, and the star barbecue sauce on deck…Sweet Baby Rays!
Enjoy!
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Redneck Art!!
By The Chef | April 9, 2008
You know how I have to promote any and all things dealing with my husbands barbecue restaurant. I’ve seen this on a few sites, and was excited to see it. This video is AWESOME–and made completely with, you guessed it…Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue sauce!! As they say…”The Sauce Is The Boss!! Enjoy!
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What A Difference A TV Appearance Makes!!
By The Chef | April 5, 2008
This weekend has been amazing to watch. Ever since the restaurant appeared on the Chicago television show, 190 North, it has been mayhem! They spent most of Friday and Saturday night on a wait list of over an hour. And people waited. Those who didn’t want the wait, went up the street to the first restaurant. They had people in from all over the Chicagoland area and from as far away as Hammond, Indiana–all because of this TV spot.
My husband comes home exhausted, but also shocked, amazed and exhilarated all at the same time! Hopefully this will keep up–it really is a GREAT restaurant!
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