Here is a list of my favorite things to do in Chicago, in no particular order.

1. Run/walk down Michigan Ave

Some people think I’m crazy for doing this, but even as a Chicago resident I absolutely love running up the Magnificent Mile.  Yeah, the stoplights mean you will have to occasionally stop, but then you will have even more occasion to appreciate the sights and sounds around you (and who doesn’t want an extra minute to catch their breathe during a hot summer run?)

I love the opportunity to people watch, to enjoy the gorgeous flowers in the sidewalk planters, and to take in Chicago’s world-famous architecture and the Chicago River.

If you are staying at the Congress Hotel for the HLS, according to my calculations it’s exactly 1.5 miles to run north up Michigan Ave to Water Tower Place and back.  If you are curious about other distances, try MapMyRun.com.

2. Shop State Street, Gold Coast, Watertower

Speaking of Water Tower Place, located at 835 N. Michigan, this is a great spot to do some major shopping damage.  Its many stores are indoors, so if it’s a hot day, this may be a good bet.  The stores along State Street (the only Macy’s, etc) are closer to the Congress Hotel – here you can find stores from Old Navy to Anthropologie to Urban Outfitters.  If you crave a more high-end shopping experience, hit up the stores in the Gold Coast (around Stake and Oak Streets) for stores such as Prada, Barney’s, and some smaller upscale boutiques, many of whom are famous for supplying clothing to Michelle Obama.

3. See The Bean and the face sculpture at Millennium Park

“The Bean” is a spot you can’t miss for some fun, quintessentially Chicago-style photos.  I don’t know what the proper name for the “face sculpture” is (I don’t think anyone does!) but basically, it’s comprised of two tall towers that have changing faces of Chicago residents on it.  From time to time, the faces “spit” water and turn into a fountain.  And bonus, the park is close to the Congress Hotel.

4. Buckingham Fountain

Even closer to the hotel, walk east on Congress to Columbus Street to see the famous Buckingham Fountain.  It’s stunning!

5. Walk/run down the lakefront path

Every day I feel immensely lucky that I have the ability to run on this path.  Unless you happen to live on the ocean (in which case I want your life), this is pretty much The Best Place To Run in the world.  The lakefront path is labeled with mile markers and has numerous water fountains, known as “bubblers”.  I do have to warn you that the bathrooms are pretty dirty though, and rarely have soap (sorry, tourists, you can’t win ‘em all!)

Running along the lake is truly one of the best parts about living in Chicago, if not the very best.  I love to run north to take in the skyline and to see more people, and I also love to run south where the beach becomes rocky and always reminds me of the central coast of California with it’s big rocks and crashing waves;  it’s also less crowded running south.

6. SummerDance in Grant Park

Every Thursday through Sunday evening in Grant Park, right by the Congress Hotel, various bands play music and give dance lessons.  Sometimes polka, sometimes salsa, sometimes African dance… and all are free!  Check out this website for the schedule.

7. Navy Pier

Now, Navy Pier has a lot of kitschy, silly touristy stuff and a lot of it is geared toward kids.  But a lot of it is also geared toward adults!   It’s fun to walk down the pier, stop at a restaurant or beer garden, enjoy a movie at the enormous IMAX theatre, or ride the ferris wheel.  They recently added a hot air balloon that goes up a few stories into the air but remains tethered to the ground at all times – this is definitely on my to-do-list this summer!

Also, Navy Pier sets off fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday – I love timing my lakefront runs around the fireworks displays!

8. Signature Lounge

There’s really nothing like the views from The Signature Lounge – especially at night.  You don’t even have to buy a drink here, but stopping off at the classy Signature Lounge is free instead of paying money at the observation deck at the top… and why you are there, why not have a drink to celebrate your vacation in Chicago?

9. Hancock Building, Sears Tower

If you don’t want to go to the Signature Lounge, it’s definitely worth a trip up either to the top of the Hancock Building or the Sears Tower.  I’ve done the stair climb runs up both and trust me, save yourself the time and just take the elevator   The Sears Tower (whatever you do, don’t call it the Willis Tower or you might get something thrown at you) recently added “The Ledge” which is a clear-bottomed flour that juts out over the city… sounds frightening to me!

10. Cubs game

Even if you aren’t a Cubs fan – even if you aren’t a baseball fan, for goodness sakes – it’s still fun to go to a Cubs game when in town.  Bonus points if you can score rooftop tickets – such a cool experience!

11. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s

I can’t imagine living without my beloved Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s!!! The biggest and best Whole Foods is probably the new one in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, but that’s pretty far for those of you staying downtown.  The closest WF for you will be the one in my neck of the woods – the South Loop Whole Foods at 1101 S. Canal (Canal and Roosevelt) that has a free parking garage.

The closest Trader Joe’s is at 44 E. Ontario (right across from the Grand Lux Cafe, which I’ll talk about later).  One of the great things about this TJ’s is that it is has free parking, which is pretty much unheard of in this part of the downtown.

One disclaimer for out-of-towners – groceries expensive in Chicago, be warned!

12. Take an architectural boat tour down the Chicago River

As I mentioned in point #1, Chicago is well-known for its fabulous architecture and if it’s a nice day, hopping on an architectural  boat tour is a great way to see the sights.

13. Kayak

Another fun way to take in the sights – Mike and I did this last year and though we had a lot of fun, we recommend renting kayaks on your own instead of taking a guided tour, which is lengthy and  not really worth it.  But it’s definitely a fun way to explore the downtown – and it’s actually a great workout!

14. Boat cruise on Lake Michigan

Many different companies offer boat cruises on Lake Michigan, from the cheaper Mystic Blue to the pricier Odyssey.  They have anything from casual cruises to dinner cruises to fireworks cruises.

15. Second City

If you’ve never heard of Second City, you should know that pretty much 90% of all great comedians started out at Second City Chicago – seriously!  Everyone from Bonnie Hunt to Steve Martin to Tina Fey.  Now there are Second City satellite locations all over the country, but Chicago is home to the original.  Second City is located at 1616 N. Wells in the Old Town neighborhood, and in my opinion is a must-see.  This show is exponentially funner than SNL will ever be!  However, it sells out very fast and you would be wise to get tickets ahead of time, especially for a weekend show.

16. Bars

Ok, so this isn’t really my specialty.  I haven’t been to a bar (except the one two blocks from my condo!) in… years.  But, I know some people love bars, and Chicago has some good ones!  The bar scene at the intersection of Rush & Division is famous, but there are great bars scattered all over the city. If drinking on the beach is more your scene, check out Castaways at North Avenue Beach which serves food and liquor.  For more information about Chicago bars, check out the Metromix Chicago website.

17. Museums

Chicago is home to many amazing  museums.  The Art Institute is on Michigan and Adams, less than half a mile north of the Congress Hotel.  The Field Museum, Aquarium, and Planetarium are all within walking distance from the hotel, as well.  The Science & Industry Museum is one of my favorites, but is the furthest away in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

18. Favorite spot

And speaking of the Planetarium… I hate to give away my secret, but this spot is actually Mike and my favorite place in Chicago.  Not the planetarium itself, but the point outdoors on the north side of the planetarium where you can look north and take in the entire Chicago skyline.  There’s nothing like it – it’s breathtaking!

19.  Festivals

Every weekend in Chicago there are numerous festivals to check out.  August 13-15th is no exception – there are many festivals during this time, such as the Wrigleyville Summerfest and the famous Air and Water Show.  This website has more info.

20. Restaurants

Last but not least, Chicago has some phenomenal restaurants!! Again, you can check out the Metromix website (listed above) for more information. For vegans  (and sadly Chicago is not known for its vegan restaurants), some of my recommendations would be Karyn’s on Green, Karyn’s Cooked, Karyn’s Raw, and the Chicago Diner.

The Grand Lux Cafe (600 N. Michigan) is always full of tourists, but quite honestly has really good food, an enormous menu that is sure to please whoever you are dining with regardless of their individual food preferences, and has a great view (from the second story) looking down onto Michigan Avenue.  It’s right in the middle of the shopping district, and I would recommend going during non-peak times, if you can.

Other than that, I really don’t know where to start… there are just so many great Chicago restaurants!! If you have a more specific question about a certain type of cuisine, be sure to ask and I’ll help if I can.  Or, if you have any other Chicago questions, please let me know!

I hope all of the Healthy Living Summit attendees have a wonderful time in the Windy City!

Doesn’t that just scream “summer”?!?

Eggplants are a vegetable that I have just recently become comfortable cooking with.  Although I grew up eating many foods that most kids (at that time) had never  heard of and were seen to be exotic, like artichokes, pomegranates and couscous, for whatever reason we never ate eggplant.

Last summer I made Stacked Eggplants with Creamy Tomato Sauce, which is one of my favorite dishes…. and I tried my hand at Matthew Kenney’s raw eggplant bacon awhile ago (soooo good!!!)… but in all honestly, this dish is probably only the third or fourth time I’ve made eggplant in my life.

The beauty of this dish is that you can grill the veggies on an outside grill or on an indoor grill pan.  If you don’t have either, you could also saute or bake the veggies, instead.  Also, you can make the salad ‘as is’ or you can continue on to the next step, using it as a topping for a quinoa dish.

Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplants and Tomato with Agave Balsamic Reduction, Cilantro, and Basil

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, sliced fairly thin

3-4 tomatoes, sliced a bit thicker than the eggplants

1/4 c. loose basil, chopped

1/4 c. loose cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

3 T. EVOO

1/4 c. agave nectar (or honey or maple syrup if you don’t have agave)

salt to taste (I used 1 1/2 tsp. but you know I like things salty!)

Instructions:

1. Liberally sprinkle eggplant slices with salt to soak out the bitterness.  Let sit for at least 15-30 minutes.

2. I left my eggplant salted, but if you wish to cut down the sodium then at this stage rinse the eggplant with water to wash off the salt.

3.  Combine the vinegar, EVOO, agave nectar, and salt in a large baking pan.  Lay the eggplant and tomato slices in the marinade and let sit for at least 30 minutes, ideally for a few hours, turning if necessary to cover all sides of the vegetables.

4.  Spray an indoor grill pan on medium high heat with cooking spray and, in batches, grill the vegetables for 2-3 minutes per side or until they are completely cooked through with nice grill marks.  Once each batch is grilled, set to the side while you continue to grill the rest of the vegetables.

5.  While the vegetables are grilling, place the remaining marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil until it has reduced by half.

6.  Drizzle the vegetables with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with chopped basil and cilantro.

Optional: While grilling the vegetables, cook 2 c. dry quinoa in 4 c. broth.  Stir in 1/2 c. slivered almonds.  Top the quinoa mixture with the vegetables, sauce, and herbs.

I’m starting to realize that July is really almost over… I don’t want summer to end yet!  I still feel like there are so many ’summertime’ things that I want to do this summer. What fun things are still on your summer agenda?

How was your weekend? Mike had I had a great one.  Friday we had our cousin and his wife over for dinner, and I thought I would walk you through the preparation process.

Why?  Because I decided to make risotto…not the best dish to make for a dinner party since it is so time-intensive.  But I really wanted to make my Champagne Risotto with Clamshell Mushrooms, Pine Nuts, and Coconut – one of my favorite dishes!

So to compensate for the fact that the risotto took a loooong time to make, I got a lot of work done ahead of time.  I set the table that morning…

And I got a lot of the prepwork done.  On the menu was:

* Champagne Risotto with Clamshell Mushrooms, Pinenuts, and Coconut

* Mixed greens salad with my balsamic vinaigrette, homemade croutons, tomatoes, black olives, and artichoke hearts

* Garlic bread made with Earth Balance, garlic, and dried basil with a cheesy tomato dipping sauce (recipe to follow)

* My new favorite dessert… that recipe will be coming soon, too!

The day before:

- I prepared the dessert and stored it in the freezer.

- I made the croutons (cube bread, drizzle in EVOO, sprinkle with seasonings of your choice), cool, and store in a ziploc bag in the fridge.

The morning of:

- Cleaned house, set the table.

The afternoon of:

- Brush bread slices with Earth Balance, garlic, and dried basil; cover with foil so that it’s ready to be popped into the oven later.

- Prepare cheesy tomato dipping sauce; cover with foil and store in fridge.  Later that night, I put the dip into a small saucepan to heat on the stove.

- Toast pine nuts, leave on the counter to cool.

An hour or two before beginning the risotto:

- Chop toppings for the salad (tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts)

- Chop onion for risotto

- Measure out all ingredients for the risotto (i.e., put the 1 1/2 c. arborio rice into a bowl so that when it’s time to make the risotto the measuring step is out of the way and I can just throw everything in at the right time).

These steps saved me a lot of time!  I also take some liberties when preparing risotto…. when I’m in a hurry, I don’t stand over the pot leisurely stirring over low heat for hours.  Instead, I add a lot of hot liquid at a time and crank the heat up as high as I can.  I swear you can’t tell the difference!

Here’s the final product:

Oh, and I promised you the recipe for the garlic bread dip.  It couldn’t be easier!

Cheesy Tomato Dipping Sauce

* 1.5 c. tomato sauce (jarred or homemade)

* 2 c. Val’s vegan cheese topping (1 c. walnuts, 1/2 c. nutritional yeast, and salt to taste in a food processor or blender – I use about 1 tsp. salt but half that would work well too, I just love my salt)

See, I told you it was easy!  Simply mix the tomato sauce and vegan cheese topping together, heat, and serve.

Overall, the dinner party was a success!  I was cooking for two people who have pretty much never had vegan food in their life, but loved every bite.  I should also mention that because she is pregnant I left out the champagne from the risotto and it still turned out great.

***
Saturday…. was an interesting day!  Long story short, it involved a 12 mile run not only in the rain but in a terrible thunder and lightning storm and with standing water up to my knees for much of it and my phone died and because my new phone is in the mail and will be here soon, I basically chucked my old, waterlogged phone into the lake when it started having lights come out of it and it was making weird sounds and I didn’t want to get struck by lightning.

Wow, what a crazy run it was!!! I’ve run in the rain before, but nothing like this.  I have never, ever run 12 miles in a torrential downpour but it was actually a blast.  The temps were surprisingly cool, and once I resigned to the fact that my shoes were soaking wet and that blisters were inevitable, it was a lot of fun.  (Disclaimer:  Running in a lightning storm is not safe and is not recommended!)

***
The rest of Saturday was spent at my in-laws house for a BBQ, and then Sunday Mike and I rode our bikes to Navy Pier to see Inception at the IMAX theatre.  It was pretty cool!! Definitely very confusing like the reviews say, but it was worth going to.  And it was really  neat to see it on the big screen.

What was the craziest workout you have ever had – biking in a tornado?  Running while being chased by dogs?  Do share!

A few weeks ago, Dr. Alkaitis sent me a sample kit from their holistic, organic skin care line.

The sample kit included:

* Facial cleanser

* Herbal toner

* Soothing Gel

* Night cream

* Eye cream

* Flower mask

* Universal mask

* Cellular repair mask

* Enzyme exfoliating mask

I was so excited to try these products!  I’ve been doing a lot of research on the chemicals in the products I frequently use, from my BareMinerals makeup to my Neutrogena sunscreen, which, in that order, rank a 5 and a 7 on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website.  A 7 is pretty bad, folks!

Unfortunately, pretty much all drugstore brands of skincare rank very poorly on this scale, with the exception of Burt’s Bees.  You can find the more holistic, organic skincare lines from Whole Foods or from specialty websites, like the one for Dr. Alkaitis.

Their motto is “If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your body”, which makes a lot of sense.  We all know that the skin is the largest organ and that it absorbs what we put on it.  Why on earth would we want to put known carcinogenic substances on our skin knowing that they will get soaked into our internal organs??

For an example of some of the ingredients in their products, the universal mask is described as “the ultimate therapeutic health food for the skin” and contains products such as kamut grass, alfalfa, wheatgrass, spirulina, broccoli, asparagus, ginger, sesame, amaranth, and barley.

Not bad, eh?

I waited to do this review until I had tried the products for a few weeks, and now that I have, I can report that I am extremely pleased with all of their products.  Everything from the toner to the cleanser smells delicious – very herbally – and works well even for my sensitive skin.  I’ve really been loving all of the facial masks, where you add water to the dry mixture.  There’s nothing more luxurious than walking around the house in a nice smelling green facial mask – very spa-like!

***

Because this is a food blog, here’s a mini-recipe for ya!  Mike has been loving my homemade version of Honey Mustard Dressing, his favorite, and insisted that I post it.  Disgustingly, most store-bought versions contain HFCS which, as you can see from my recipe, is totally unnecessary!

Honey Mustard Dressing

2 T. dijon mustard

2 T. regular yellow mustard

3 T. maple syrup

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. EVOO

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and enjoy over a salad, or used to marinate veggies or tofu

***
Now I’m off to clean the condo for a mini dinner party tonight with Mike’s cousin and his wife, who is expecting their second child.  I love to cook (duh) but still get nervous about making dinner for other people!  I almost always use a recipe that I have made before that is “sure-proof”.

What about you – do you get nervous when cooking for a crowd?  Do you make a tried and true recipe, or do you often experiment with a new recipe?

Edited to add:  soon (hopefully this week or next)  my blog will be moving to www.VeganByValerie.com where I will have a new layout, new About Me, etc, but don’t worry I will still talk about running! It shouldn’t be an issue for Google Reader, etc, but I just wanted to give everyone a head’s up so that I don’t lose anyone in the move!

***

else has fond childhood Christmastime memories of those cookies where you make the base recipe, and then add in addition flavors to make different varieties of cookies?

I used to love making those… and this recipe kind of reminds me of them.  I created a ‘base’ macaroon recipes, and then you add a couple simple ingredients to make either Chocolate Mint Macaroons, Almond Butter Macaroons, or Chocolate-Covered Cherry macaroons. I think Chocolate-Covered Cherry is my personal favorite, but I had to discriminate as they are all pretty gosh darn great

Before I post the recipe, here are some pictures of recent eats.  I made some yummy kale chips, using a derivative of Mae’s sauce (hummus, nutritional yeast, water, salt, turmeric, and paprika).

I also ate about 3/4 of the batch in one serving.  That’s normal, right?

I tried my first persimmon fruit, which looks and feels like an orange tomato….

But sadly wasn’t that flavorful, although I was glad I tried it!

I had a completely random, non-healthy living-type-meal of Mary’s Gone Crackers with tomato sauce and melted Daiya cheese.  It may not be the most nutritious meal, but boy was it tasty!

To make up for the last meal, I’ve had lots of green smoothies….

And my favorite juices of all time, beet and orange juices! Love these!

I tried a new Kombucha by Celestial seasonings, which I was a fan of.  It was slightly sweeter and less acidic than other Kombuchas I’ve tried.

And here’s some vegan pizza made by Yaya and covered in nutritional yeast and salt.

Alright, enough of the random food pix… let’s get to the good stuff!

Macaroons, 3 ways

Base Macaroon Batter Ingredients:

1 c. raw, organic cacao
1 c. raw agave nectar
1/3  c. raw, organic coconut oil
1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
3 c. dried, unsweetened coconut flakes

To make Mint Chocolate: Add 1 tsp. mint extract.

To make Chocolate Almond Butter: Add ¾ c. almond butter.

To make Chocolate-Covered Cherry: Add 2/3 c. pureed cherries (can use defrosted frozen).

Directions:

Using a melon ball scooper, place macaroons onto a teflon-lined sheet with 1” of space between each one.  Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 12 hours.

***

Thanks for your tips about what iPhone apps to get…. keep em coming!

I actually have another question for you guys.  We are going to Vegas in a couple weeks and I have never been as a vegan…. I think I will be able to load up on salads at the buffets, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to eat much else… usually the buffets are loaded with pizza, cheesy pastas, etc.

Do you have any tips on how to stay healthy in Vegas, not just as a vegan but as a healthy eating and how to keep up with your workouts?  Any favorite restaurants?

I’ve been having a lot of “people pictures” accumulating on my camera recently, so I thought I would do a post with some of the family shots I’ve taken so that we can get back to the food during the next post.  Although I do have one food picture in here, too!

Yaya and me

Mike and I went to see an outdoor Rush concert at a park near our house with his parents, which was our Father’s Day gift to his dad.

Yesterday we attended the 1st birthday party for our adorable godson, Matthew, who is featured here with his grandfather who built this incredible three story playhouse!  Incredible!  Supposedly the next step is to add a wrap-around balcony, electricity, and plumbing…

Mike and I and the birthday boy

My dad recently had a birthday, and I attempted to make him his favorite chocolate pie which tasted good, but obviously looked atrocious.  Needless to say I’ll be tweaking this recipe before I post it

Here’s my cousin Colleen’s wedding shower – she’s getting married in two weeks!

And here’s my sister, Laura and I with my other cousin’s newborn, Oliver

Question of the Day:

I recently ordered an iPhone 4 (!!!!) and it should be here sometime this week or next.  What are your favorite apps that I should download?

In the meantime… here are two recipes that I promised you awhile ago!  Both are from our recent July 2nd party. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good picture of the angel cookies but I can promise you that it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes.  It is based on a family recipe that has been passed down for generations that I modified with a vegan twist.

These are delicate and sooooo melt-in-your-mouth, coconutty, buttery good.

Vegan Angel Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 c. Earth Balance, softened

1 T. flax meal stirred into 3 T. warm water and let to sit for 5 minutes and then stirred again

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. coconut flavoring

water in a shallow bowl; approximately 1/4 c. white sugar, for dipping, in another shallow bowl

Instructions:

1. Combine Earth Balance, sugars, and flax “egg”.

2.  Add in dry ingredients.

3.  Shape into balls and dip the top of each ball into water and then into the sugar for a glaze.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes – these are best undercooked versus overcooked, so be careful to take them out of the oven before they get dark.

***

I made both a vegan and a dairy version of a Mexican bean dip for the party, and everyone was shocked at how delicious and ‘authentic’ the vegan version was.  Yet again, I am floored at how delicious Daiya cheese is!!! I can’t imagine it tasting as good with any other brand of vegan cheese.

This is soo ridiculously simple that I won’t call it a recipe – in my opinion, if you can drastically alter the ratio of ingredients in a recipe and it still tastes great, it’s not a recipe but a concoction… but this concoction is quite addicting, I’m warning you!

Vegan Mexican Layer Dip

Ingredients:

16 oz. refried beans

20 oz. vegan sour cream

2 packets taco seasoning (or make your own… I cut corners to save time since party prep is hard work!)

1/2 c. tomato chopped into bite-size pieces

1/2 c. finely chopped cilantro

12 oz. salsa

4 oz. shredded lettuce

3 c. vegan cheddar Daiya

1 c. sliced olives

Instructions:

1. Spread the beans onto the bottom of a 13×9 baking pan.

2. Mix the taco seasoning into the sour cream, and then spread onto the beans.

3.  Mix the chopped tomato with the cilantro and salsa and then spread onto the sour cream layer;  then, add the lettuce layer;  then the cheddar;  lastly, sprinkle the olives on top.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 – the cheese will not totally melt but will become mostly melted by this point.

***

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

* If you have a short run and a medium run planned for midweek (I do mine on Tuesdays and Thursdays), a good rule is to always do the longer run earlier in the week. This way, it’s out of the way which feels great, and you are more likely to be able to fit your longer run in in case the weather gets hot or rainy, or in case you end up being crazy busy and can only fit in a short run.  This has paid off for me many times!

* The hotter/sweatier/wearing least makeup you are, the more likely you are to bump into someone that you know. Bonus points if you are not only a disgusting mess, but if you are wearing clothes that you have worked out in for numerous days in a row.

Again and again, this has proven to be true.  Which is why now I apply mascara when going for runs (nothing else, though) because I never know when I am going to bump into the parent of one of my students or a coworker!

* Calling something a ‘Farmer’s Market’ does not always mean that it will be full of a variety of fresh, inexpensive, organic produce. When I lived in Oak Park, I had the most amazing farmer’s market just about a mile away… nothing, I’m telling you nothing, made me happier than an early Sunday morning walk through the fall leaves to the Farmer’s Market.

However, I recently found out that Chicago’s South Loop Farmer’s Market is nothing more than a bazaar selling cheap knock-off purses and other tacky nonsense.  What a disappointment…

* After going on a recent cleaning spree of our entire condo, I realized that the most efficient way to clean a tile flour is not with a mop (which pushes the dirt all around) but rather to go on your hands and knees.  Most importantly, the trick is to start at the door and to work your way backwards. That way, you finish by cleaning the tile by the tub and then you can stand in the bathtub and wash off your feet so that you don’t track dirt back over your dirty floor.

I know that has absolutely nothing to do with a healthy living blog but I just found it to be so brilliant I wanted to share it

* I also found out that when mopping your hardwood floors, you don’t want to be barefoot or in sandals because you might slip, so instead step each of your feet onto a piece of paper towel that you can walk around on.  And it ends up helping you clean, to boot!

***

Mike’s mom and grandmother are over for the day, so I’m off to hang out with them.  Stay tuned for my next post which will include an Angel Cookies and a Mexican Layer Dip recipe.

What are some random things you have learned?  Share your wisdom!

One of the highlights of the weekend: Tofu Caprese Salad!

I’ve always LOVED traditional Caprese salad….. tomatoes and basil are two foods that I could eat every day and never get sick of them.  I find the smell of basil absolutely intoxicating and I love how it jazzes up any dish!

I’ve made a simple Caprese salad with Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese before, but this weekend I tried to put a new spin on it and it turned out great.  The balsamic dressing I used is my absolute favorite dressing recipe, loosely based off what my mom has been making for years.

Balsamic Dressing (enough for the tofu Caprese salad…. this stores well in the fridge so feel free to double or triple this to store more in the fridge for use on salads, roasted veggies, etc.)

Ingredients:

1/2 c. EVOO

1/4 c. balsamic dressing

2 T. dijon mustard

3 T. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

garlic powder and powder to taste, if desired

Instructions:

Whisk all ingredients until combined.

Tofu Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

1 pkg. tofu

3 Roma tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1 c. loosely chopped basil leaves

1 batch of Balsamic Dressing (see above)

Instructions:

1. Press and drain tofu.  I used my TofuXpress food press that was sent to me to review.  I just loved it!  Pressing my tofu is one thing that I’m always lazy about and I often skip this step, to my later chagrin when my tofu is too wet and falls apart.  I was very happy with how easy this product was to use!

2. After pressing the tofu (I left mine in the TofuXpress food press for a few hours), slice the tofu into bite sized pieces.  In your food press or in a separate bowl, marinade the tofu pieces in your balsamic dressing for at least 30 minutes, preferably a couple hours.

3.  Bake the tofu at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes, broil for one minute if your oven has a broiler feature.  If not, continue to bake until the tofu is slightly brown and crispy on the outside.

4. Once the tofu is cooked, toss with the tomatoes and basil.  I like to sprinkle it with a pinch of salt to further bring out the flavors.  I thought that I would end up wanting to add some Daiya mozzarella at the end, but I didn’t need to – this dish is stellar on it’s own!

***

Thankfully I enjoyed my Tofu Caprese salad since I had a less-than-stellar meal at Carnivale. Mike and I went to Carnivale back in January and I loved it!  Even though nothing on the menu was vegan, the chef modified a menu item for me and I loved it.

However, this time, when dining out with friends, I was told that none of the entrees could be made vegan.  That left the guac, a beet salad, a soup, or fried plantains.

Ok…. no big deal, I love guacamole! I was ok with this.  I ordered the soup which the waitress assured me was delicious, and a large order of the guac which she told me was huge and was two avocados worth.  I asked for the guac to be made very mild with no spices, like the last time when I ordered it and loved it.

I was not a fan of this meal.  I hated the soup – and it was very tiny for $7 – and the guac was not only spicier than I asked for but it just wasn’t very flavorful and was too tiny (considering it was the large portion!) for $13. Overall, my meal ended up being more expensive than my meat-eating dining companions, which I think is ridiculous.

I guess I won’t be dining at Carnivale again…. note to so-called “nice” restaurants in Chicago:  get with the program and offer at least one vegan dish! Or at the very least, learn how to make modifications…. sheesh.

At least I had fun hanging out with my friends!

I also picked up some pretty quartz coasters from Anthopologie that night…..

Which leads us to Saturday…. long run day!

To make a long story short, it was a hot 10 miles, but I survived!  I chugged a coconut water when I got home which hit the spot.

And then Val Day 2010 could officially kick off! (Read more about the inaugural Val Day from last summer in this post!)  I made a green smoothie (which matched my top) and then we went to Borders for a few hours to hang out and read books and magazines.  My kind of day!

After Borders, we relaxed on the balcony with some white wine.

And for dinner, I asked to get Whole Foods pizza for take out… I’m obsessed with their pizza and LOVE that it can be modified to fit both Mike and my taste buds.  Half dairy cheese and mushroom for him, and half Daiya cheese, tomato, and basil for me! I also made a salad on the side with my balsamic dressing.

We had planned to take the pizza to eat along the lakefront, but it rained so we hit up the lakefront on Sunday afternoon, instead.

All in all, a great weekend!

What was the highlight of your weekend?