Dining Delights | Peaches Prattlings

{October 16, 2016} Another great day!

An easy, but fun day.

We slept in! Neither of us thought we’d sleep until 830am! Up and off to breakfast, hanging out and chatting.

Eventually we headed out looking for some Cubs and/or Blackhawks gear. We stopped at the Jack Daniel’s store where they were celebrati8 their 150th anniversary. They had $5 haircuts, whisky tastings, demos and a bluegrass band, they were great! Dad made a request our two, they played it!

A really good event that we really enjoyed! I can’t wait to wear my sweatshirt! Thanks daddy!

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Next, we walked down to Navy Pier for the Architectural Boat Tour. I’ve done it a few times, but not during the day, I was really looking forward to it. We had a great, witty guide who kept us entertained and we learned a little something…go figure.

Then, we headed to Giordano’s for Chicago’s other famous deep dish pizza. We waited the 45 minutes, watched some football, only to have our order done wrong. Boo hiss.

We headed back to the hotel and ordered a pizza from a Giordano’s near the hotel, went up to get drinks, put on the third Transformers movie, Dark Side of the Moon so we could watch all the places in Chicago we just saw and learned about get flattened or blown up! It was fun!

Ending the night with some football and talking to you.

Back to work tomorrow…nooooo!!

It’s been such a great visit dad…where to next?!

{October 15, 2016} Welcome to Chicago pop!

Guess who came to see me in Chicago for the weekend?! One guess..

I went into the office for a few hours and when dad got here, he let me know when he was near the hotel, I left to meet him. A great reunion!

Bags dropped in the room, chill for a minute, then hit the streets. Lunch was the first order of business, lots of catching up to do! Oh, first, we stopped at the theater down the street to see if they had any tickets for a big Broadway show, they did! Guess what we’re going to see!! Nope, I’ll let you guess until tomorrow, when I tell you!

We turned around and to the Art Institute of Chicago we went, we had about 1.5 hours before it closed, so we did a drive or walk-by of the contemporary, new contemporary and impressionists. We had a great time, discussing, questioning and laughing.

This one I call “what’s taters precious?”. Some of you will get this…

Next, The Bean, how do you explain The Bean, no explanation, just go see it. Isn’t it fabulous?
Walk down Magnificent Mile, admiring, talking, catching up. Then to Navy Pier for a quick peek, walk down to the end of the pier.

Then…Lou Malnatis for a Chicago must… deep dish pizza! And yes folks, I shared with dad and lived to tell about it!

A nice walk back to the hotel, talked for a long time and now, talking to you.
Tomorrow… phone, then… then…

{October 9, 2016} What a day! Family and friends

To me, they’re the same thing and I love it!

I spent the night with RJS and KS, this morning she gave in to my desire for breakfast, which anyone who knows me, when I’m in GA…Waffle House!! Yum!

I left her place to spend some time with CKM at a farmer’s market. In the Gall she sells apples and in the Spring she sells peaches at different farmer’s markets. I’ve asked her about it and now, when I ask questions about the markets I can visualize it in my mind. She sold out, pretty cool.

We caught up, laughed, got silly and had a good time, as always. I even bought a few apples for the kids, they smelled so good!!

Next, I headed out to see the grandkids! I got there and everyone was there and up from a nap, wahoo! I saw LB and Baby L, their mom, CS and Baby A and his baby sister Princess E and their mom, KB and a real treat…CG, their Mamaw, no idea how to spell that!

It was so great spending a few hours together, catching up, talking, laughing, having a good time. Only one missing was their sister, DCM, she was off with her beau…next time.

Then it was off to see LBK and family. I had a birthday present to deliver in person! Their youngest daughter turned 12 two weeks ago. Oh boy do I love seeing this family.

LBK, KK, JK and I went out to dinner, then they took me to see her new office, it was amazing! I’m so excited for her on this new adventure! We had so much fun in the therapy room, swinging, jumping, just being goofy. We took pictures, oh my.. we do look like out mothers!

Back at the house, laundry, the debate and more catching up. It was so fabulous, family always is!

Oh! My dear friends, CC and IF, had their baby! Much mazel to them!

Finally talking to you, have to crash and get up in a few hours to head to the airport. I need a vacation! Goodnight!

{October 3, 2016} The sound of the shofar and Tashlich

L’Shana Tova.

This morning we went to Rosh Hashanah services that were more kid friendly, a lot of singing, guitar, prayer and joy. The nice thing about the kid friendly service is that it really is kid friendly. It’s about 1.5 hours, easy for kids to sit through and the rabbi really knows how to talk and preach to children as well as adults.

One of my favorite things about the High Holy services is the blowing of the shofar. It is used to announce the holidays, especially Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, signaling the end of the fast.

It is not easy to play the shofar and so impressive to hear. People practice months and years to prefect it. They bring the little kids that are in babysitting in to the sanctuary to hear the shofar being blown. The rabbi even said “the cute level in the room just went up, it must be time for the blowing of the shofar”.

After services, we went to LS’ house for lunch, it was a dairy meal, so there was no meat, no worries for me! It was great to all be together, a lot of the same people that were with us at GES’ yesterday. It was a nice afternoon spent with friends, family, laughter, good times and good food. We know how to celebrate.

After we went back home, we went to a park to perform Tashlich, the act of casting our sins away. We gathered, recited and sang prayers, took bread and each piece we cast into the water was casting our sins away, a beautiful tradition. The final prayer was followed by the blowing of the shofar. Anyone who wanted to blow the shofar was invited to. I recorded it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Then it was apples and honey for everyone for a sweet year. I wish you nothing less.

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{October 2, 2016} L’Shana Tova

Tonight marks the beginning of the celebration of the High Holy Days.

The High Holy Days are Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. “On Rosh Hashanah it is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed”.

To celebrate the new year, we celebrate with friends and family, coming together for a meal, togetherness, prayer and good wishes for a happy, healthy and sweet new year.

I mentioned we were cooking all day Saturday, Sunday wasn’t much different, cooking and setting up the house, we were about to have around 40 people in the house! A few more than normal, but welcome and wanted.

We cooked brisket, chicken, kugel, monkey bread, chicken soup, matzo balls, salad, noodles and people brought food! Brisket, carrot souffle, sweet potato cassarole, kugel, spreads, veggies, desserts! I should have taken a picture of all the good, oh my!

They arrived about 5pm, we waited until everyone was there, said prayers over the candles, challah, wine, holiday and talked about being together for this wonderful day, what it means to us and then it was chaos! Food, drink, talk, laughter, hugs and good wishes. What more could you want?

The kids all played together, wondered about dessert together and then watched a movie together. About 9pm, everyone started to leave, which you know, takes a while! and then it was clean up mode, which was done just about 10pm and everyone collapsed!

Time to write to you, decompress and hit the hay, tomorrow, we go to services and to a friend’s house after for their Rosh Hashanah meal and celebration.

So, to you, my friends and family, I say “L’Shana Tova, a happy, healthy and sweet year”.

{October 1, 2016} It’s too salty! Tee hee hee

We cooked all day…all day.

Tomorrow is erev Rosh Hashanah, which translates to eve of, the night before. My sister always hosts friends and family, and you know there’s no small happenings here, so there will be about 35-40 people, the usual…

So, there is cooking to be done. People are bringing food, but there is still a lot to be done. We made chicken soup, lots of chicken soup, batches of matzo balls, dessert and a dairy filled kugel, which is like noodle pudding, it’s fabulous and a dry kugel, no dairy.

The dairy kugel has milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, brown and white sugar, cinnamon. I used to love this kind when I could eat dairy.

It smelled great while it was cooking and when it came out,time for the taste test! Not me, not a good idea, all that dairy. As soon as GES put the bite in her mouth, the look on her face said it all! Too salty!

How is that possible? We used all sweet things, I put salt in the water to cook the noodles, but that doesn’t make a difference. We used sweet salted butter, but that doesn’t have that much salt. We couldn’t figure it out. We made everyone try it, just to be sure, including me, nope, too salty.

So…we decided to move on and try the other, “dry” kugel. It came out of the oven and we had to taste test of course. I tasted and as I walked away said “it’s too salty”….and I started laughing.

The look on my sister’s face was priceless! The worry, it lasted all of 3 seconds because she saw me laughing, it was worth it!

It reminded me of when I was a kid and my grandmother made applesauce and I would tell her it needed sugar, never did, but I would tease her.

That memory was a nice feeling and we needed the laugh! And by the way…the kugel was perfect, can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!

{September 30, 2016} I’m how old?

45! Yup…I said it! Loud and proud! I’m 45 years old today!

I got a pre-happy birthday birthday call from my dad, then PSM last night and wake up text from SDL and Miss A, a good start to the day!

Then, birthday wishes and hugs from MGS and GES and my birthday cat! Then breakfast with my sister at the Station Diner, a yummy egg, soysage and “cheese” sandwich for me, fully loaded for GES and a banana pancake to share.

Back to the house to get some work done, prep for the cleaners, then I went to get a much needed haircut.
In the middle of all of this, a very sweet delivery from my beau, PSM, roses and a “bear” hug.

Eventually, GES and I went to pick up MGS and EJS from their after school program, home and when ACS got home, because it’s my birthday, I got to choose the restaurant.

Unfortunately for the family, ha ha, I got to choose vegetarian/vegan. We went to a local place that PSM and I have been a few times and we really like it. The service is passable, but the food is good. Tonight, the service was terrible, one server for the entire restaurant, really?

The kids didn’t like the food, our food was pretty good. The desserts were alright, vegan desserts aren’t for everyone, but they were good sports.

We went home, I got my presents, a great literary scarf, one I had seen and wanted with a quote from The Wizard of Oz! A box of “Novel” Teas, literary tea bags and a house warming/birthday present, a ’45 clock, how perfect is that for my 45th?!

After the kids went to bed, some of the girls came over for an impromptu girls night, RS, TS and LR, we talked and laughed, lit a fire and enjoyed our time together until it was time for bed, talk to you and then pass out.
Tomorrow, dad and LaLa are coming for the weekend and to celebrate the Jewish New Year together, can’t wait!

I am 45! One day older than Magic Kingdom, I think I’m in good company!

Thank you to everyone who reached out to wish me a happy birthday, I’m a very lucky girl!

{September 27, 2016} A fun evening…fund raising

Yeah, puntastic!

Tonight, my team went out to support a great coworker and cause.

JW is on the board of directors of CEP, the Center for Economic Progress. This is a fantastic organization that helps low-income, working families as a trusted provider of tax and financial services. http://www.economicprogress.org/

The fundraiser was to acknowledge the program, supporters, staff and volunteers.

Well…we were also there to fundraiser, of course! One of the reasons we were fundraising is the mobile unit, just like the magnet in the photo. It will be used to travel into neighborhoods to perform their great services.

The mobile unit has been procured, but…as JW said in her presentation, it is sad on the inside…why? It’s empty! So…we need to raise funds to fill and stock it! Computers, workstations, supplies, you name it.

How did we accomplish some of this tonight? Text CEP to a number, get a text with a link to a fundraising site, clever! When you submitted your donation, you saw your name scroll on the big screen, sorry, missed my name!

Now, the excitement was to see what we could raise in 5 minutes and someone was going to match it. What did we raise? Almost $9000! Not too shabby! Go JW and CEP!

It was an exciting event and as it was winding down, the team went a few blocks down the street to have some dinner, the fundraiser was appetizers and an open bar. We continued the good times, especially when JW got there. We ate, drank, chatted and laughed, another great team I’m lucky to have been placed with!

{September 22, 2016} A team outting…a coming class!!

So much fun!

Two team dinners in a row? Sounds good! This time, a cooking class, fun!

We went to The Social Table for a fantastic evening!

When we arrived, appetizers were waiting, toast points with chickpeas, butternut squash, tomatoes, olive oil and pepper. A yummy way to start!

The kitchen was set, the table was set, everything was…set!

We were making a brussel sprout and kale salad, fresh pasta with carbonara sauce, minus the meat, tomato soup, stuffed peppers and chocolate cake with ice cream.
Rachel and Ian were our chef/instructors and they were fun and patient and encouraging and remembered each of our names and called us to do things, that was impressive!

Everyone chopped, sliced, diced, pureed, mixed, folded, whipped, you name it, we all got to do it!

We prepped, cooked, drank, chatted and laughed, it was fabulous and so much fun! We talked a little work here and there but most of all we laughed and really enjoyed the process and each other’s company.

When it was all done, we sat down to mange! It was fabulous!

[Yes, my friends, every piece if food had some form of dairy and I tried it all, except the chocolate cake with ice cream. I’m paying for it, but the experience with my coworkers was worth it! Every once in a while, you have to go for it]

If you have never taken a cooking class, it’s worth it. This is my second, it’s more fun with an intimate or smaller group and if you know everyone, you can relax a little more.

{September 21, 2016} Breakfast then back to the grindstone

It was such a great weekend with CKM, do I have to go back to reality?

We had to set an alarm this morning…boo…but we had a schedule to keep.

I got up first, showered and took my stuff to my next hotel, came back and then we went to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast, it’s part of where Route 66 starts, they say it starts there at their restaurant.

After breakfast, the one thing we had not done yet, the one mode of transportation left…the El. Off we went, easiest way to get to the airport, traffic can be bad.

We took the El to the airport, chatted along the way and then it was time to say goodbye, sad, but we’ll see each other again soon. Who knows where we’ll travel to next!

Back on the El to work, lots going on! Then a team dinner, drinks at a rooftop bar before, a really good dinner then drinks at the hotel.

Now, I’m ready to crash! Goodnight!!

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