Making the biscuits

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Jennie

I’ve never been a baker and I wasn’t much of a cook until I started watching foodie television. I have always loved flaky biscuits but never really got the hang of them somehow. Until now.

I’ve had Ree Drummond’s drop biscuit recipe in my files for years so I pulled it out to make breakfast in the quarantine kitchen. Day 25 — OMG, I will be a great cook by the time this is over.

Since we don’t EVER have buttermilk in the house and we don’t actually have any real milk right now, I decided to try subbing Greek yogurt. I used 3/4 cup of yogurt and thinned it with 1/4 cup of chicken broth. And it worked perfectly! I will never go back to buying biscuits and by that I mean getting them in the McDonald’s drive-thru.

Since we were already doing the biscuits, we ended up with a travel theme to one of the places on our bucket list — Ireland. Voila, a full (ish) Irish with sausage for me and Beyond Beef sausages for Music Man. Continue reading →

Shadows and Reflections Photo Essay

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Jennie

I’ve got a new camera and I’m in love! More on that later, but today I’m sharing my photos from Fathers’ Day, with a theme of shadows and reflections in a photo essay.

As I’ve been learning about my camera and lenses, I’ve also learned that choosing a theme for the day helps to organize my creativity and my output. My relatives and friends will tell you that there’s only so many flower photos they can stand in one day!

My day started with church and the beautiful light that comes in through side windows in our altar area. That set my theme for the day.

We went to the Art Institute of Chicago in the afternoon specifically to see the exhibit America after the Fall: Painting in the 1930s. This collection will be shown until September 18, 2016, and I highly recommend it. The show includes well-known works by Grant Wood, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe, and Thomas Hart Benton. While resting on the chairs outside the exhibit, I noticed that the glass wall of the exhibition hall was reflecting both the outdoor garden and the people walking by.

After we viewed the exhibit, we visited some of the other art galleries in the Modern wing of the museum. There were some winners, but I have to admit, I don’t get a lot of what is called modern art. I wasn’t the only one; every now and then we would encounter another visitor laughing quietly at a piece of “art”. The following two pieces caught my eye due to their three-dimensional nature that caused shadows and reflections.

Five Blues (Punj Neelay) by Rasheed Araeen

We escaped to the cool basement rooms to see the treasures from Iran, and encountered beautiful tiles and artifacts.

After we had our fill of art, Music Man asked for a pint of dark beer for his special day, so our daughter chose the Beer Bistro for our dinner. The beer list was wide-ranging, and the food was fresh and well-prepared. Of course, the camera came out to pick up a few interesting images.

Mirrors make the best photos, and turning it into black and white highlighted all of the interesting architecture in this pub.

There was some sort of metal tower out in the courtyard between the buildings, and the late afternoon sun caught its shadow.

The metal tower again, framed by the barred window, a troll and a wine bottle inside the pub.

So what’s the new camera? It’s a 4/3 mirrorless Panasonic Lumix G7, and I bought a 14-140 zoom lens to use as my walking around lens. I am also borrowing a 100-300 zoom lens, which I’m pretty sure I have to buy from my friend. This camera fits in my purse, is lightweight, and takes lighting fast photos. I’m hooked!

Foodie Friday: Fabulous fresh fish at Boston Fish Market

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Jennie

People have been telling me about the extraordinary fresh fish at Boston Fish Market in Des Plaines, Illinois, but I had no idea what I was going to encounter when my friend and I went to lunch there recently.

A Chicago business that moved to the suburbs in search of a bigger facility, Boston Fish Market has been in business for a long time and are experienced fish processors. They claim to process hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish each week from around the globe.

Continue reading →

Foodie Friday: Via Roma in Des Plaines, Illinois

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Jennie

We have been frequent visitors at a little hideaway in Des Plaines for many years. It’s a small restaurant with big Italian flavors, and worth the wait on busy weekend nights.

Entrances are on both busy Lee Street (one-way north) and off the municipal parking lot at the rear of the restaurant. Image Credit

Chef Alessandro Forti (formerly of La Strada and La Donna) and his wife Lisa Leslie offer simple, uncomplicated Italian food in this BYOB gem.

Image Credit

Via Roma is open for lunch Monday through Saturday, with its 10:30 opening time perfect for an early lunch after a morning of coffee — to make room for the good food that awaits you. My friend and I arrived at 10:30 and were the first ones there. We benefited from fresh bread, wonderful aromas, and a welcoming staff. Chef Forti was very present — writing the specials on the board and greeting customers. Continue reading →

Appetizer Tray Using Grandma’s Silver

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Jennie

I’ve been thinking about rebranding my blog. A lot of thinking and rethinking. Then Kim at Curtain Queen Creates commented on the name of one of my former blogs and I went back to look at my posts there. It was like going through a closet full of old but beloved clothing. I really don’t want to throw out the old posts, so I decided to repost them here for the time being. Don’t be surprised by the various names on the photos — those are some of my older blog names.

And if there’s a name you really like, let me know. Maybe I’ll rebrand by using an old name — isn’t that the prerogative of a woman of a certain age?

Reblogged from February 20, 2013

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Slap some baby carrots and whatever veggies you have in the house in some bowls or ramekins and add some purchased guacamole. Put them on Grandma’s silver platter (or your thrift shop treasure) and Voila! You have a healthy appetizer for the family as they wait for dinner to be ready. Or a snack if a friend drops by. There is no end to what you can do to make a party with a piece of silver.

There’s no reason not to use your silver. Every day.

Getting Back My Blogging Mojo and Spring in My Step

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Jennie

I spent the morning wandering around Pier One, Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrel. I figured that if anything could perk up my dormant writing mojo, it would be Easter bunnies and pastel dishes.

Click into photo for source.

Maybe I have some sort of seasonal affective disorder. Or maybe I’m just sick of Chicago’s whiplash weather. One minute it is 60 degrees and my tulips are coming up and the next minute there’s seven inches of heavy snow to be shoveled. Welcome to winters in the Midwest, I hear you saying. Get over it. Continue reading →

Favorites of the Week

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Jennie

Sometimes I have things to share that are short and don’t really need a full blog post. My niece Jessie does a Saturday wrap-up post that I always enjoy, so I decided to try it myself. I hope you like my random thoughts. 🙂

Favorite photos

I joined a photography challenge called the 365 Project and have been posting photos daily. The point is to actually take photos every day and get some feedback to improve your photography. I have to admit that I’m not always perfect about posting that day’s photo. Sometimes I get nothing and resort to “filler” shots from previous days, but it’s my project and I can make my own rules. Right? Here’s a couple of my favorites from the last few weeks.

I have taken many photos of this little girl (with her parents’ permission, of course), and she’s always wary of the crazy camera lady. I thought this shot captured her wariness perfectly.

Click into photo to link to my 365 Project.

Continue reading →

Foodie Friday: Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Jennie

Here in Chicago we have many wonderful restaurants and it’s often hard to choose where to go for a special event. We had such a choice recently when our son and daughter-in-law were in town and we wanted to have a family dinner. When the Michelin Guide 2014 Recommended Union Sushi and Barbeque Bar popped up in the discussion, I was sold. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

Click into photo for source

Continue reading →

It’s Time for a Holiday Photo Op!

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Jennie

We’ve been really busy around here with holiday decorating, entertaining, and house guests. All that exciting activity meant that I didn’t have a whole lot of time for blogging, but I have a few photos to share as we go careening into 2015.