Scenes From A Chicago Summer

August 8, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Even though I have lived in Chicago for about three months now, I still can’t believe it sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I love this city, but if you had told me that one day I would live here, I would have laughed. If you had told me that I would absolutely love it, I would have thought you were crazy. But it’s true, I live in this beautiful city and I totally love every minute of it! I thought that today I would share the pictures I have taken these past few months. Some of them are from my runs along Lake Shore Drive, some of them are from my walks all over town, and some of them are from places Adam and I have gone this summer. These have been the scenes of my Chicago summer. Enjoy!

Lake Shore Runs

I am so incredibly blessed to be able to end all my runs right at the lake. Most days I get a beautiful sunrise, or waves crashing up onto the steps. It’s a really neat way to end my run and start my day.

Walks all over town

Everyday I try to get out for a walk. I have literally walked all over the place, seeing the sites, getting to know all the streets and shops, and seeing the things that this city has to offer.

View of downtown from Belmont Harbor

I literally live down the street from Wrigley. It is AWESOME. GO CUBBIES!

Random guy playing the marimba right across from Millenium Park. He was pretty good too!

Excuse my finger, but a pretty nice shot of the skyline other wise

Had to race a summer storm home on one of my walks

Super foggy day on the lake. It was eerie and cool

Things to do, people to see

There are literally thousands of things to do on any given day in Chicago. Adam and I have tried a few things out and love what this city has to offer!

Windy City Rib Fest. He was a happy boy

The aftermath of a 1/2 rack of ribs. He says it was worth it

Listening to a band at a street festival

More food. Enjoying an italian beef at Portillos. The boy loves his food

Kind of hard to see but that couple down by the lake just got engaged! I was a total creeper and clapped after the dude proposed. Sorry I’m not sorry!

Seriously, this summer has been amazing and I am beyond blessed to be able to live in Chicago. I can’t wait to see what else this town has in store for me!

How To Travel Healthy

August 6, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Summer is the season of trips. Day trips, road trips, long trips, short trips. We like to travel during these three months out of the year and who could blame us? The weather is great, people have more leisure time, and there are so many fun things to do! There is a downside to all this travel though. People don’t tend to eat their best on their vacations. Between loading up on all the snack foods at gas station stops and the decadent meals out, you might find it hard to stay healthy. It can be frustrating to be doing so well and then all of the sudden feel like you’ve taken five steps backwards after a two week vacation. It doesn’t have to end up like that though, and I thought that I would share some of my traveling tips with you to help you stay on target with eating well.

Plan Ahead. This is my best tip when it comes to traveling healthy. It seems like kind of a no brainer, like you shouldn’t even consider it a tip. But you would be surprised how so many people plan every single detail of their trip and totally forget to plan anything food wise. Not having even a basic eating plan for your vacation can have you grabbing whatever food you can find, more often than not something void of any nutrition. By just taking a few minutes to plan out where you can eat, what you might eat, and snacks here and there, you can save yourself (and your health) a lot of frustration. You don’t have to be super specific, just make a basic plan of where you can get your meals or what food will be available to you.

Pack Snacks. What good is a road trip without any snacks? While I know the typical car fare is candy, chips, and soda, try packing your own healthy snacks. Make your own trail mix, or granola bars, roast some chickpeas, cut up some fruit or vegetables, air pop some popcorn, or make your own tortilla chips. Portion out these snacks so that you have some for the trip there and the trip back. Snacks are also good to bring on day trips to help tide you over between meals. Another bonus, you won’t waste a ton of money at the gas station by loading up on junk food!

Pre-check Restaurants. The internet is a wonderful thing when it comes to trying to eat well while out and about. Most restaurants put their menu online so you can go check it out before you even get there. If you go out to eat while on your vacation, check the menu first and pick what you are going to have before hand. That way when you get there you don’t have to be tempted by any of their less than healthy meals and can order right away. If there doesn’t seem to be anything you feel comfortable eating, try making your own meal out of sides or call the restaurant and see if they would be willing to help accommodate one of their meals to your needs. Many times restaurants are happy to help their patrons, especially if you take care of it in advance. Never be afraid to ask!

Prepare Your Own Meals. If you’re really good at planning ahead and are going on a short trip, you can even make your own meals. Try dishes that will hold up with travel and won’t spoil easily like salads with beans or whole grains. Invest in a cooler and you can load it up with portioned meals for your trip. Or you can check the area where you will be staying and see if there are any extended stay hotels. These hotels generally have a small kitchen area where you can make your own meals. Then when you get there you can find the local grocery store and make your own meals. This is also a good way to save some money because buying and making your own food, even for just a few of your meals on vacation, is cheaper than eating out the whole time.

Pick Up Some Water. This is another tip that seems pretty simple, but make sure you stay hydrated. Travel tends to dehydrate the body, especially if you’re flying, and with all your vacation activities it’s easy to forget to drink some water. Invest in a good water bottle and make sure that you’re drinking and refilling it throughout the day.

In the end, try not to stress out too much about food on your trip. Yes, it is important to try and plan ahead and do what you can to make sure that you’re eating well. But it isn’t the end of the world if a few things slip through the cracks. Do the best that you can with what you have and make sure that instead of stressing over food you’re enjoying your time off! With a little bit of preparation, you can make your next trip both fun and healthy!

Watermelon Soda

July 25, 2014 / ktbuchs87

It was hot last weekend and I felt like having soda. I haven’t had soda in years because who needs to be drinking all that sugar or chemicals? But I have seen recipes for “healthy” sodas and thought that I would give it a try. I had a bunch of watermelon that I needed to use up and all I really had to get for this was the sparkling water. You can use whatever fruit you would like, but I think that watermelon works well because of it’s high water content. So if you’re looking for a tasty and refreshing way to cool off without overindulging, give this watermelon soda a try!

Watermelon Soda

3-4 cups watermelon, cubed
1-2 cups sparkling water (make sure that has no added flavors, just water and CO2)
2-3 tbsp lime juice

1. Place watermelon into a blender and blend for a few minutes until it is liquified. Now, if you want to have a more slushie type drink leave as is and pour watermelon juice into a pitcher. Otherwise, place a sieve or fine mesh colander over your pitcher and pour the watermelon juice through.

2. Add sparkling water and lime juice to the pitcher and stir together. If your watermelon and sparkling water was cold when you made this, serve right away. If not just chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

That’s it! Pretty simple right? I left my soda as more of a slushie and it was delicious! I recommend drinking this right away as it will get less fizzy and fresh as the days go by. You could even make this an adult beverage and add rum or maybe gin. It would be a fun drink to serve at a BBQ or party!

Things I’m Enjoying

July 23, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I thought that I would once again share a few things that I am really enjoying at the moment. I like to see what other bloggers are doing and enjoying with their daily lives, so if you’re like me enjoy this post!

Hazelnuts

To be more specific, roasted hazelnuts. I know that this isn’t anything revolutionary or groundbreaking, I mean just look at the hullabaloo around Nutella. But I have really been liking the taste of dry roasted hazelnuts lately. I buy them raw in bulk at Whole Foods and then roast them when I get home. It’s really simple too. Just set your oven to 400, then line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat. Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet in a single layer and put in the oven for about 10 minutes, watching to make sure they don’t burn. Then remove from the oven and let cool, once they are cool place them in a dish towel and rub to remove the skins. Store the nuts in an airtight container in the fridge so they don’t turn rancid. I’ve been putting them on my breakfast bowls, salads, and just eating a few as a snack. Not only are they tasty, they are loaded with good for you vitamins and minerals like magnesium and vitamin E. Eat up!

Coconut Milk and Coffee

This is amazing! I had a little bit of coconut milk leftover from dinner the night before and so I decided to add it to my coffee the next morning. Holy creamy goodness Batman! I usually only drink coffee on the weekends and I drink it black. The coconut milk just added a nice rich flavor to my coffee and I will definitely be doing it again! I use full fat coconut milk because you don’t need to fear fat! Plus the light coconut milk is just glorified water anyway. So if you want to treat yourself to a delicious, creamy, and healthy drink, try adding a little coconut milk to your coffee!

Walks Along the Lake

I am super lucky to be able to live so close to the lake. As my sister pointed out this weekend, it’s pretty much my backyard. I have been running along Lake Shore Drive each morning and end my run right on the lake. I also have been walking around my neighborhood everyday and some of my favorite walks are those that go right along the lakefront. It’s just so beautiful and peaceful along the water and it makes me happy. Plus how can you beat views like this?

Farmer’s Markets

This has been the summer of farmer’s markets for me. Chicago has a ton of markets all over the place and I have been thoroughly enjoying visiting as many of them as possible. I have to say though that my favorite market so far is the Green City Market. It is right across from the Lincoln Park Zoo and it is always big and full of people and delicious things. Not only does it have the normal fruits and vegetables but you can also find tamales, crepes, cheese, homemade pickles and jams, smoothies, pizza, paninis, and so much more. There is live music and a doughnut van. Kids running around with their dogs, and a balloon guy making balloons for anyone and everyone. The other neat thing that this market does is on each stand they tell you how many miles each vendor traveled to come to the market. This way you can choose where you would like to buy your products, whether you prefer more local or don’t mind those who come from afar. This market has great vendors, great crowds and it is a great time! Go explore your own city’s markets and see what they have to offer.

These are the things that have been holding my attention for the past few weeks. This summer has been one of discovery and learning. Living in a new city and seeing everything that it has to offer has been really fun. I am loving my neighborhood more and more and I can’t wait to see what else it has in store for us! I hope you have a great Wednesday and I’ll see you on Friday!

Avocado and Corn Gazpacho

July 11, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I’m going to be honest with you, I haven’t been the biggest fan of gazpacho in the past. The idea of cold soup isn’t super appealing to me but this gazpacho has made me rethink my tastes. The avocado adds a really nice creaminess and this dish is super refreshing on a hot summer night. If you don’t like gazpacho, try this one out before you swear them off forever.

Avocado and Corn Gazpacho

1 ripe avocado
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup corn kernels (if using frozen let them thaw first)
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions chopped
1 3/4 vegetable broth or water
2/3 cup almond milk
salt and pepper

1. Peel and mash avocado with the lime juice, set aside

2. Saute the corn, garlic, and half the chopped scallions for about 5 minutes. The corn should have a little bit of char on it.

3. Place the corn saute, and avocado into a blender and blend until smooth. Add in the broth or water and almond milk and blend together. Top with rest of scallions and salsa if desired.

You can serve this at room temperature or let it chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. The gazpacho improves with time so the next day it will taste even better! Just a word of warning though, this soup will only last about a week before the avocado starts to turn brown. So eat it as fast as possible, which shouldn’t be a problem!