Vintage Garage Chicago

It's been awhile. Today I went to something called Vintage Garage Chicago and died due to an antiques and uncommon treasures overdose. Seriously, I would recommend this to anyone who loves to go outside the box in relation to eclectic fashion and unique interior decor. Located inside a parking garage on North Broadway, admission is only $3 for 3 floors of a variety of different vendors, all with different prices and collections of items of the past. 

Anything you could ever want was at this venue. TONS of jewelry ranging from cheap to pricey, lots of vintage clothing (like even from the 20's), furniture, artwork, books, kitchenware, and any kind of nick-knacks you could imagine.

 

 These are just a few snapshots I took of some of the vendors. Now that you've got an idea of the set-up, I'll show you all what I got. Since the vendors came from all over the place, many of them were very willing to bargain on the prices. For instance this rose metal candle holder I got below was listed for $18 and she gave it to me for $10.

  

 

And then for these two throw pillows they were originally $9 a piece but she gave me the 2 for $15. 

 

 And then this last item that I bought, I didn't bargain at all because I JUST wanted it. Not quite sure yet what I'm going to put inside it or where I'm going to hang it, but I know I'm obsessed with it. Maybe I'll paint it who knows. You can't see it but it has a little door you can open too. $36 and well worth it.

  

After shopping, I hit up Ann Sather's for some cinnamon rolls, which are the best I think I've ever had, and ate lunch at Jerry's Sandwiches which was really good and had like a thousand sandwiches on the menu so that was difficult. Good way to spend a Sunday in northern Chicago.

Food Friday: God I Love Salmon

I needed to cook something other than soup and cookies. I love cookies. I love soup. But honestly, I haven't exactly been expanding my skills or taste buds recently, and I thought it would be nice to cook dinner for my mom. The menu: Baked Caesar salmon, rosemary roasted potatoes, and sauteed broccoli. The salmon was baked in a Caesar sauce, made from mayo, garlic, fresh parsley, anchovy paste, and lemon juice. The potatoes were tossed in freshly chopped rosemary, olive oil, and salt and pepper before roasted in the oven. And the broccoli was boiled, shocked, and then sauteed with garlic and lightly tossed with grated Parmesan.

 

I pulsed the sauce together in the blender.

I saved some sauce to be served on the side. 

Raw salmon looks so appealing to me for some reason.

 Then it gets slathered in the sauce, topped with scallions, and baked. 

Beautiful broccoli all cut up. I can't believe I used to hate this stuff.

Yukon Golds, before they're roasted.

And here's the final result! Glad I have leftovers.

A Poor Girl's Lolla Weekend

Over the weekend marked yet another Lollapalooza music festival, set right in the heart of Chicago in Grant Park. Some notable headliners this year included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Florence + The Machine, Black Sabbath, and Jack White. The 3 day festival is the experience of a lifetime, what with all the different stages, bands, people, food, vendors, and unexpected weather, one that I have been lucky enough to experience a few times. Unfortunately, I was not able to afford a 3 day pass this year, so I sulked in my own misery as the festival grew nearer and Facebook flooded my feed with Lolla updates and statuses. But, leave it to Lollapalooza, and Chicago, to make sure that even those who are not attending the actual festival, still get to experience part of the Lolla magic outside of the park. Not only was most of this Lolla magic cheap, most of it was free! Thursday through Sunday, all throughout the city, different venues hosted an array of Lolla after-parties and concerts for people to attend to their liking. My good friend Julia and I went to 2 of them. 

Lolla After Party #1: Thursday Night: Twin Shadow, Neon Indian, Passion Pit (DJ set) @ Logan Square Auditorium. Hosted by Filter Magazine.

Okay, so this party had a lot of hype surrounding it, since every article stated how awesome Filter parties were, and since the ads also stated that everything was free, including the booze, we knew we had to attend this one. This party required you to RSVP through e-mail, but when we got there they had already ditched the list of names since they received so many responses. Getting there around 8, when the doors opened at 9, the line was already backed up a block and around the corner. Luckily, another one of my good friends, Kelly, had been there for awhile and saved us a spot in line near the door. Chugging vodka in a hot stagnant line, getting our wristbands- I couldn't wait. Once inside, we rushed to the open bar. Free Coors light and Blue Moon bottles, tequila shots, and Saki bombs?? Um yes please! And they were really cool about letting you order a few drinks at a time to save you from another trip and wait in line to the bar. They were also giving away free non-alcoholic beverages (no thanks) and were taking free photos at either their Filter backdrop or through the Coors Light girls, who gave you a free print of the photo immediately. And then we stumbled upon the merchandise station. We were all like, "how much is this stuff?" and they were all like "it's free" and then I just started grabbing things. Posted above is everything I snatched, which started going pretty quickly, my favorite being the T-shirt in the middle. As far as the concerts went, I have to admit I have barely listened to Twin Shadow before and only knew a few Neon Indian Songs. The sound wasn't very good in the auditorium, but overall a fun experience to see each band. With the free bar, and the pressure to make the last purple line back to Julia's on a Thursday night, we left before Passion Pit's DJ set, ahem, somewhat intoxicated. 

Lolla After Party #2: Sunday Night: The Jezebels and Of Monsters and Men @ Double Door. Sponsored by Billboard and Starbucks Refreshers. 

Now Of Monsters and Men was one of the primary bands I wanted to see if I went to Lolla, so I just about spit out my diet coke when I found out they were doing a FREE show on Sunday night. Doors opened at 10 so we got down there around 8:30 and already a line was  starting to form, and it kept doing so very quickly after we got our spot. As is expected, we didn't actually enter the venue til almost 11, but as we made our way up the line we chatted with some interesting travelers and sipped free cans of Starbucks Refreshers that were being handed out. (This show took so long to get into because they were actually checking names on the list to verify RSVPing.) Inside, they had a projector screen in front of where the band played showing clips of Billboard music award shows set to some DJ French Horn Rebellion, who was pretty decent. The set opened with the band, The Jezebels, who I had never heard of before. They were alright and I might give them another listen. Then it seemed like it took for-fuckin-ever for them to set up for Of Monsters and Men, and the crowd was getting antsy too because I somehow kept getting shoved further and further to the stage (I guess I can't complain about that though). Finally, Of Monsters and Men comes onstage with no introduction they each go to their instruments and begin to play "Dirty Paws" and the crowd instantly erupts. Now this is hands down one of my favorite shows I have ever been to for a couple of reasons. First of all, this band sounds better live. With an array of instruments being utilized, like the accordion, the trumpet, and multiple forms percussion, not to mention the actual high number of band members and different voices the band has, their sound is powerful as it boasts the musical and emotional significance of a communal and collective effort. And yet not one member was ever left out of the spotlight. The band made an effort to allow each member its chance to work the crowd and show off their musical talents. Secondly, this band obviously has a blast when they play together live. Which makes you want to have a blast with them. They joked around with each other onstage and encouraged the audience to participate in their songs through clapping, stomping, or singing along. One of the lead singers, Nanna (who was adorable and all smiles), said she liked the size of this particular venue because it reminded her of playing in their pubs back home when they first started playing. Of Monsters and Men blew me away and kept me smiling the whole night, with their genuine audience connection, their playful energy ("Little Talks" and "Mountain Sound" felt like a party), and their overall unique quality of musical talent. Oh yeah, and I caught one of the drumsticks that the drummer threw into the crowd at the end of the set, leaving me with an awesome souvenir from one unforgettable show!

Sunday Soupday: Creamy Potato

Now that I've finally settled in, with the family away at a Cubs game, and with my bank account slowly disappearing, today seemed like the perfect day to continue my tradition of Soup Sunday. Living in a new place is exciting for me; I like learning where places are, how to get around, the transit system, the best places to eat, to shop, and to drink. Making mistakes and being familiar with failure is humbling but every once in a while I just miss my friends and places in Iowa City. So for this edition of Soup Sunday I thought a comforting soup full of cream, butter, bacon, and carbs was only necessary for a day spent alone in the apartment. 


To prep this soup, I cube 5 medium to large sized russet potatoes and boil them til soft. I save 3 of the potatoes for chunks to put in the soup and I shock those with cold water to stop them from cooking when added to the soup. With the other 2 potatoes, I mash them up with a little bit of broth til they are a mashed potato consistency. This will be added to the soup later to serve as a thickener for the broth. 


To start off with, a medium sized onion, chopped, and about a cup of sliced carrots thrown into a soup pot with around 6 tablespoons of butter at medium heat. After a few minutes, I also toss in about 4 cloves of minced garlic and 4 sliced green onions. Finally to this mixture, I add around a tablespoon of fresh thyme, a bay leaf, and however much bacon you like. So like, a lot of bacon right, and then I let it all cook for a few minutes. After the bacon is cooked, I added 6 tablespoons of flour, or the equivalent to how much butter you put in earlier. After the flour is cooked for a few minutes, I add 4-6 cups of chicken broth, depending upon how much broth you like in your soup. Once the broth is all in, I add 2 cans of corn, and the mashed potatoes from earlier. Once those potatoes are melted into the chicken broth, then I will add the potato chunks. Then I add the magic ingredient, a pint of half and half, so that it is good for me. I also toss in a few handfuls of cheddar cheese, but not a lot because I don't go crazy for it. I might add some seasoning salt after this to taste but for the most part all that's left to do is cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour until it is ready to eat. To garnish, I chopped up a slice of bacon and some more green onion and sprinkled it on top. You could also add more cheese here if you like. With a beer, a warm puppy, and The Rock on TV, my lazy Sunday is better than yours.

One Last Hurrah

Alright so today I started throwing all my crap away so I can pack up and move out of Iowa City after 5 long years so today I thought I'd do a post recapping the last couple of days before the move on Saturday.



First, I'm soooo sad I'm moving in with my mom because I really just want my own place that I can decorate and organize the way I want. Every time I go to antique stores/ thrift shops I get annoyed because I can't buy anything! I saw all of these cool antique mirrors that I wanted to hang up collage style to accent my living room, but I don't have a living room....so...no. But, a couple posts back I went to that store in Kalona and mentioned I had bought something. It was a blue torn up shelf for 10 bucks. Before I started packing I arranged some knick-knacks on it to see how it would look. Old books, antique blocks, GE clock, trading cards....kinda cute. Looks a little too neat though. Eh?

Second, I have spent the past 2 weekends in the Chicago area trying to get a job. Got the job and I start Monday. (!) In the mean time, I still had to have some fun while I was there. I stayed for most of the weekend with my friend Julia in Evanston. On Friday, Kuma's Corner was a must for a rainy day. Got the mac n' cheese with da bacon. For some reason, I thought I also needed a burger. Most certainly did not, but ordered one anyway called the King Bong. It was topped with garlic pork, mustard braised onions, white cheddar, and deep fried prosciutto. I could only eat a fourth of the food we ordered but eating it over the next day and a half was satisfying enough. 

On Saturday, we had both purchased tickets to go to the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park. We headed there around 3:00 to catch Cults play only to head into at least a 20 minute down pour. I can assure you I was pretty sour, but eventually I dried off and Cults played. Cults was...ehhhh. They started off with one of their better songs, "Abducted" which was a mistake because Madeline's voice was not warmed up yet. And then their transitions were kind of bad, her mic went out for like 2 whole songs, and Brian's voice sounded like Fred Armisen. But it's nice to say I've seen them live. After Cults I immediately headed to the beer tent where my only option was to choke down $5 Heinekens. Beer is better than no beer, but c'mon, we all know tall boys is where it's at. We caught most of Flying Lotus and then stayed by that stage for the Sleigh Bells show that was scheduled next to play. I had seen Sleigh Bells earlier here in Iowa City a few months ago so I was excited to see them again. Just a few feet away from the stage, the energy from this show was unforgettable. Easily one of my favorites, mostly due to the fact that Alexis is a genuine badass who knows how to lead a set in a mean leather jacket. Crowd surfing, mosh pits, water bottles, mud, and sweat. Exhausted from that show, we caught most of Hot Chip probably sitting in a pile of mud while watching funny looking white people dance. Moving onto the Blue stage where Grimes was set to play, the crowd had already moved in and I was stuck behind a tree. Then I was stuck behind someone taller than me. I mean, I could still hear and have to admit, I was blown away with how well Claire sounded live. Backed by Blood Diamonds and 2 backup dancers, an overall decent show that was interrupted by a mixture of high pitched grunts and good vocals. We had planned on trying to get into a Father John Misty show afterwards but honestly we were beat and didn't make. 

The next day however was spent drinking bud light on the beach in Evanston. 

Better things to come!

Okay so I know it's been a hot minute since I've had a new post. I have been busy working, slash watching Dawson's Creek, and I haven't had a lot of money to blow on cooking, eating out, and such. Also I am moving at the end of the month and crafting just doesn't seem like the right idea for now (clean up old messes don't make new ones). I hope to make some crafts once I've finally moved in with my mom (yikes). I also have a few soups, recipes, and nail ideas. Also, I'm going to a day of Pitchfork Music Festival in a week so I will probably post about that. I will be living in Shaumburg so hopefully that means I will be going into the city a lot, exploring some new places, and will have better, more exciting posts for you all to read. Today I started the moving process by throwing away some things in my room I don't need anymore. Here is a picture of all the boots I have worn out since the two years I've lived here. 

Goodbye Colorado, Hello Humidity...

I know I've been home since yesterday but I needed to add some closure to my trip before I start working again, in like 3 hours. After driving back into Denver from the mountains we decided we needed to go out with a bang for our last night. We looked at an assortment of different menus from around the area, all looked promising but were a little on the pricey side. Kelsey finally found a place downtown we could all agree upon called Euclid Hall. 

I was most attracted to this place because of the interesting ingredients to be found in most of their dishes and because of the modern twist they added to some of everyone's favorite classics. Skip to the background info: The restaurant is the third place to be opened by the team of Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch, owner's of Denver's award winning restaurants Rioja and Bistro Vendome. It is set in a historic building in Larimer Square dated from 1883 that once housed Soapy Smith's bar, the Mason's, The Cootie Club, Maudie's Flea Market, and maybe even was rumored to host a brothel used to cater to government officials and members of the media. Enough about the building right? On to the food. The restaurant's staple would have to be the hand-cranked sausage, the schnitzel, and poutines. For those of you unfamiliar with poutine, and pay attention, it's a dish made of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Gaaahhhh. I'm skipping ahead to the duck poutine we ordered as an appetizer with duck, duck gravy, cheddar curds. Pictured above, it was gone 2 minutes after I took this. 

Part of the reason we chose this restaurant was because it served bone marrow. I have always wanted to try this and knew I had to at $6 dollars a bone! Worried that it wouldn't be enough to fill me up, and due to the fact that I had to try more things on the menu I also decided to try my taste buds at pad Thai pig ears. Both came out at the same time but my spoon rushed to the bone marrow first as it glistened in the sunlight. The marrow was sugared and browned on the top and served with bread and a delicious sweet dipping sauce. The texture was buttery and the flavor was rich and fatty, kind of like a fancy, thick, gravy (drooling right now). 




Now for the pig ears...alright I guess I didn't know what I was getting into. My mouth was on fire the first bite and my vision started to blur. Red pepper flakes overpowered this dish for me, which was disappointing because otherwise I think I would have liked it. The pig ears were crispy and the greens and peanuts added a fresh crunch to the dish but I just couldn't finish it. It looked beautiful though. I was downing my water because of it along with my pint of delicious Avery White Rascal I paired along with my meal. 











Some of the other interesting dishes on the menu included their version of surf n'turf, made of pork belly and octopus, which Kelsey tried, and their hops infused home made pickles which were spicy and delicious. The one dish that no one ordered that sounded amazing was their version of chicken and waffles with crispy chicken mousseline, sourdough waffle, black pepper Bechamel and maple gastrique. I have no idea what that means but it sounds awesome! For dessert we were lucky enough to be treated with a free dish because Kelsey knew the hostess. We were like vultures when they brought out the s'mores pot de creme and 8 spoons. 



After dinner we went down the street to Lodo's Bar and Grill to drink on their amazing patio. We snatched a table that had its own fireplace attached to it with a roaring fire. Many drinks later, eventually the whole patio turned into a crowded dance party. Overall, a great last night and a very unforgettable trip! And here I am, back in Iowa, and it is humid as hell...gross, but oh well! 

A day in the mountains!

So after the Rockies game, the sun and the beer made us so tired that we decided to stay in that night. But the next day, Kelsey suggested that we visit the Denver Greek Festival. Greek food? Yes please. It was a little rainy that day but the gyros and saginaki seemed more important to us than getting rained on. Decently priced, I got 20 coins for $20 and had a lamb sandwich, pastitsio (layered meat and pasta dish with nutmeg and cinnamon), dolmadakia (grape leaves filled with meat and rice with a lemon sauce), galaktoboureko (a custard dessert layered with phyllo dough), and loukoumades (fried doughnuts). Here's a picture of the adorable children performing traditional Greek dances. 

After the Greek Fest it was time to head into the Rocky Mountains! I had visited the mountains several times before when I was younger to visit my aunt and her family. She lived in Keystone but we were going to Silverthorne which wasn't too far from there. Anyways, back to driving into the mountains. Seriously, one of my favorite things to do. Every piece of scenery just seems unreal to me. I love the way the sun and the clouds shadow and brighten the different curves and angles. I love the pine trees against the rocky cliffs. The small rivers and creeks that twist and turn in the valleys. The wildlife. You don't forget those views. 

The condo we were staying in was right next to a mountain I remembered from when I was younger called Buffalo Mountain. 

For our morning of hiking, we might have chosen a bit of an easier path, (we passed a lot of toddlers) but it was still beautiful none the less. And of course I'm out of shape so it still felt sort of challenging. Did I mention I was hungover? Oh, just look at the views.

 These aspen trees were probably my favorite things to look at on the trail. They were so tall and the way that they were colored almost white made them appear to be painted into the green scenery. All along the trail the trees had been scarred from people who carved initials and figures into the bark. Here I am below standing in the middle of an aspen tree archway. Seriously I have never been so impressed by trees, lol.

After thirty minutes into hiking, you eventually reach what is called Lily-pad Lake. It looks pretty much as good as it sounds. I was pretty proud of the picture I snapped of it below. The way that the clouds are seen reflected perfectly in the water against the green and yellow lily-pads floating peacefully on the lake-heaven!

Not a whole lot of talking on this hike. 

First night in denver!

On vacation in the beautiful Denver, Colorado with some of my closest friends and I couldn't be happier as I write this with a mimosa in hand. We drove all night through to get here and napped most of the day but in the evening we explored some of the popular places our friends here like to go. The first place we went to was one of Denver's best new restaurants called Pinche Tacos. It used to be a taco stand but has developed into a sit down place.

You buy your tacos a la carte, but there's also an impressive drink menu and appetizer list. We got guacamole (amazing) and some happy hour margaritas to start off with. I ordered 4 tacos (i am a pig), a steak taco, a fish taco, a shrimp taco, and a tongue taco. The tongue taco, lengua I think, was my absolute favorite with a honey chipotle sauce, I would go back for like 5 more. The tacos ranged from $3 to $4 so overall very decently priced.

 After we stuffed ourselves with tacos we visited a bar called The Thin Man. This bar featured different flavored vodkas they infused themselves. With flavors like basil, cucumber, apricot, and iced tea, I chose a mango mint vodka paired with soda that was awesome and only $5. It was a really cute ans intimate bar that was decorated in what I like to call "jesus art".

After a drink we went back to our friends' townhouse to drink, ahem, more. We learned that on wednesday nights, Denver has this bicycle bar crawl where bicyclists visit different bars and eventually end up at the amphitheater where they ride bikes in a huge circle with music and costumes. Like nothing I had ever seen before. By midnight though we were pretty exhausted and ready for sleep. This morning I cooked breakfast for the gang and today we're headed to a Rockies game. Can't wait to see what other shenanigans we get ourselves into!

Sunday Soupday: Santa Fe Chicken Soup

Ever since I requested my Sundays off of work, the end of the work week has evolved into a day of soup madness in my apartment. Soup has always been a hobby of mine, if that even is a real hobby, and I enjoy creating new kinds and experimenting with new ingredients. My favorite item in my kitchen is my steel soup pot I found one day for only $10 dollars at a thrift store. I don't know what it is about soup that I particularly enjoy, maybe it's the endless possibilities, the melting together of ingredients, the comfort, or the fact that every pot has the capability to become something completely unique and original. Some of my favorites have been sausage butternut squash, spicy crab corn chowder, and mushroom bisque. Today I made Santa Fe Chicken! 

I was craving a soup that had a Mexican style feel to it, but one that was also still home-style. The spices I used were not hot, but rather smoky with a little spice. I guess I would call it a chipotle flavor. I don't know. Who cares? It's yummy. Oh and creamy too. But anyways, on to the recipe! It's a huge pot of soup!

So to begin with, I chopped an onion (almost always my first step in any soup). I prefer white onions in almost all of my soups because they never overpower the color or flavor. Then I diced my raw chicken into tiny bite size pieces and seasoned them heavily with salt, pepper, and tex-mex seasoning. The tex-mex seasoning I use is made of dehydrated pepers, garlic, onion, and cumin and has a built in grinder. 

I just had to shove my raw chicken picture in here. Doesn't it look good all shiny and pink? I used chicken breast tenders, about a pound and a half. I think using pulled chicken from a whole roasted chicken would be best, but that is more of a time and effort thing and I had neither today. 

So in my soup pot, I melted some butter on medium-high heat and then added the onions. I sauteed those for a bit and then added my chicken. After getting a bit of color added to that, I added some chopped garlic to it as well. If you like spice, a jalapeno pepper would be good here as well. When the chicken was mostly cooked, I added 6 tablespoons of flour. This makes the mixture thick and kind of weird, but it has to cook for at least 5 minutes to get rid of icky raw flour taste.

After the flour is cooked, the next steps are easy and pretty much all at once. First, I slowly add about 10 cups of chicken broth/stock/whatever you like. Then I added a bay leaf, 2 cans of corn (white or sweet corn is best, in fact fresh corn from the cob would be even better) and 2 cans of black beans. I was DUMB and forgot to rinse the beans before adding them to the soup so my broth was colored slightly black because of it. I also added 2 cans of ro*tel diced tomatoes and chilies, with added cilantro and lime juice. After that I added 3 cups of milk, the more whole, the better. Finally the last ingredient I added was a bag of shredded mexican quesadilla cheese and a bag of shredded pepper jack cheese. After everything is stirred together, I get a quick taste and add seasoning (salt, pepper, tex-mex) as needed. Then I popped the lid on the pot and let that baby simmer for 45 minutes to an hour over low heat. 

Now the soup is ready to eat!! You can top it off with some tortilla chips or avocado if you like or just eat it how it is. Pretty successful soupday I would say!