Summer should get a Speeding Ticket

I cannot believe we are approaching the final days of July.  Way to live life in the fast lane, summertime.

I find it critical to make a last month of summer Chicago to-do list, as I intend to enjoy ever moment of summertime we have remaining.  I’ll keep it short, since we’ve only got a month left:  

1.  Movies in the Park:  A perfect way to end your summer day, for a complete schedule, see here.  Pack some lawn chairs or a blanket and a snack (I recommend chocolate and wine). 
  

2.  Fireworks:  Chicago thinks just because the 4^th of July has passed, doesn’t mean we all can’t enjoy some fireworks.  Head to Navy Pier on any Wednesday or Saturday night to enjoy a free show. 

3.  Go to the Beach:  Head to your local lakefront to enjoy a full day of fun in the sun on the beach. 

4.  Get some Frozen Yogurt:  For a city that experiences 4 seasons, we sure have a lot of Froyo options—YogenFruz, StarfruitCafe, BerryMoon, and my personal favorite, Forever Yogurt.  Enjoy this tasty treat as a refresher on a hot day. 

5.  Explore a new Neighborhood: This city is so vast that you can never really become a full expert.  Go explore an area you’ve never seen before.  This can be as simple as getting off a random stop on your commute home and exploring for the evening.  Another easy way to explore a new neighborhood is to attend one of the remaining city festivals.

What else do you plan to do before the summer ends?

Fricken' Chicken

The other night I made honey mustard cornflake chicken strips that even impressed myself.  My boyfriend coined them as his favorite meal that I’ve ever made for him.  Absolutely delicious!

These strips were very flavorful, the perfect bite of savory honey mustard with crunchy sweet cornflakes coated on a tasty organic breast of chicken.  There were variations of this recipe online. Here is how I made it:

1.  Cut raw organic chicken into thin strips (this is very important-- I tried to repeat the recipe with a whole breast a few days later and the corn flakes ended up burning with the inside of the chicken remaining raw)

2.  In a small bowl mix one cup of honey mustard, while adding as much salt, pepper, onion bits, garlic (amount subject to your taste buds).  Feel free to add a little zest by adding a dash of other ingredients in your spice drawer such as celery salt and/or a pinch of paprika.    

3.  Separate the mixture in half

4.  Dip raw chicken breasts in the mixture and coat with corn flake crumbs

5.  Place in oven at 425 Degrees for 15 minutes

6.  Remove from oven and coat with second half of mixture, place back in the oven for about another 2 minutes 

7.  Pair with your favorite sides (I did a garden salad and mashed potatoes) and Enjoy! 

Smacznego! 

Life is better in flip flops

OK all, I’m back by popular demand!  Things got too busy but I’m back and better than ever—stay tuned for upcoming posts!

Summer is by far my favorite season.  I went to a friend’s pool party for the 4th and made these flip-flop pool party cookies. 

A great way to wow your friends, these make the perfect treat for any summer occasion— pool party, beach gathering,  summer office party, or cookout! 

These are easy to make, require no baking, and cost less than ten dollars in ingredients.

Here is what you’ll need:

A package of Nutter butter cookies (who knew they were so conveniently shaped like sandals)

Cake/cookie icing

Cake confetti decoration

With icing, simply draw a V-like shape at the top of the cookie (as shown) to mimic a flip flop.  Decorate immediately before the icing hardens (you have about 5 minutes)—simple as that!  I made these while watching just one episode of The Big Bang Theory!

Now go make these cookies for your next summer event before the season slips away!