peanut + lime cabbage salad

June. June sorta snuck up on me this year. Since this May was the first that I have spent working and not studying and taking finals, or even graduating, the transition to this summer month just appeared. But I’m glad that it has. June means free outdoor concerts in Millennium Park and beach volleyball leagues. Bocce in Lincoln Park.  Bikes instead of buses.  And the sun staying up until well past 7PM. And my 26th birthday on the 8th. And strawberries and rhubarb and sugar snap peas.

Rich’s Lemon Chicken

Let me tell you a little secret. I am quite lucky. On Wednesday Night (and Dave’s 26th Birthday-Happy Birthday!) we flew to PA to visit his parents and my mom joined from Texas. Then I spent the next two days wedding dress shopping with the moms (nothing picked yet but I have some thoughts narrowed down). At every shop, the girl helping me into countless dresses would remark that I am so lucky that my moms get along, and they do. I am lucky that I will be marrying into such a fun, loving and caring family and that they mesh so well with my own parents.

fickle spring

A few days ago, I was having a difficult time coming up with some way to talk about this chili recipe. Chili doesn’t really seem like an appropriate top to discuss while experiencing the first 80+ degree weekend, when my apartment is stuffy and hot because the heat hasn’t been switched to A/C. But I finally dug out this recipe from my mom and have made it a few times over the winter, and just not talked about it. Still, I was wary to bring it up.

a cure for darkness

I have to warn you. I’m a little addicted to soups these days. It isn’t necessarily the cold, since we had a bit of a heat wave in Chicago this weekend (yes 70 degrees in November is hot) but I think its the early darkness. I get asked all the time why I would choose to move from Texas to a place with many months of winter and I respond that I don’t really mind the cold, just the dark. Come February when you leave for work when its dark and come home when its dark since its pitch black at 4PM, it can get a tad depressing. You can always put on a thicker sweater or an extra pair of socks to get warm, but there is nothing you can do about the sun.

packed full

Can I let you in on a little secret?  My current kitchen obsession doesn’t revolve around my KitchenAid, or my growing collection from The Spice House, or gearing up for the Holiday cooking season.  My obsession lies with my freezer.