Veggie Fest is Totally the Best (Sorry Again).

When I was yammering on about carnivals did I remember to mention I also love festivals of all kinds? The Taste of Chicago was an annual tradition when I was growing up and since moving farther from the city and realizing how ding dang expensive the Taste can be, I've stopped going every year. Plus, let's get real, when you're a vegetarian like I am (for 18 years, whattup!) it can be rough trying to find things to chow on at big festivals where the favorites are turkey legs and chicken cigars. 

Okay, so then Veggie Fest came into my life and made me as happy as a (free living, uneaten) clam. 

My mom and I headed out to Naperville on Sunday to check out all the vegan and vegetarian goodness. We're both longtime vegetarians and were so excited to be at a fest where we could eat anything instead of having to fight a sea of porkchops on a stick trying to find something meat-free. We weren't disappointed! It was a bit smaller than we expected but we found tons of goodies to snack on.There were plenty of veggie-friendly vendors handing out samples and offering up fried "chicken" or dairy-free fro-yo.

 I loved this dip! It had a bit of a kick and great flavor. I snagged a jar and plan to devour it with cucumber slices.

 Do you love this bad photo of a veggie empanada? It was crunchy perfection dipped in guacamole. 

 Another bad photo! Tiny purse = no room for Nikon.This veggie kebob was THE BOMB TASTE EXPLOSION. I want to eat one every single day.

 My favorite find of the day? Vegan marshmallows! S'mores are one of my very favorite things (they were even the guest favor at our wedding) but I don't eat gelatin. I've tried other vegan 'mallows but they were gritty or flat or otherwise gnarly. These Dandies tasted just like the real thing. I loved 'em so much I bought two bags!

 

 My mom's favorite dessert is carrot cake. This vegan version was pretty good but also incredibly sweet. We each took a tiny bite or two before sugar shock set in. 

This dairy-free fro-yo was my lover.

 

This singer was so energetic and rad. He's probably going to be my new best friend.

All in all it was such a great, delicious time! It definitely inspired me to try more vegan meals and get a little more adventurous with my vegetarian cooking.

See you next year, Veggie Fest!

Festivals are the Bestivals (Sorry).

 I love a good carnival. Spending the whole day in the sunshine eating delicious junky treats, riding creaky rides, and oh! the people watching. Carnivals and town fests are one of my very favorite parts of summer. 

Saturday was probably one of my favorite days this summer. I spent the entire day with my best friends at our town festival, Three Rivers Festival. The only thing missing was Rhyno who was working overtime and couldn't make it out. Sad face emoticon, am I right? 

 

 Ahhh, all those rides that I could ride for hours as a kid and now just lookin' at them makes me pukey.

 Carnival food is kind of my weakness. Surprisingly I only had a cheese quesadilla and a Coke at the Fest. Dang it if I wasn't regretting not getting a box of popcorn or a big cloud of pink cotton candy.

 Little Addie made a pit stop at the Slush Stop--it was so cool! I had never seen a slushie bar before where you could just fill up your cup with 12,000 different flavors. 

 Always one of my favorite "rides" as a kiddo! 

 There was a cupcake contest at the Fest and we entered just for fun. We went full-out carnival themed and put together a sweet funnel cake cupcake with homemade funnel cake on top. They were SO GOOD! We got second place and felt totally robbed--these bad boys were amazing! Dang you, cupcake judges. 

 We stayed until near closing time--I love when they light up the big ferris wheel. It is such a summertime moment. Like I always say, it ain't summer til the ferris wheel lights up. Alright, I've never said that before just now.

It was such a perfect summer day (aside from the second place ribbon on our first place 'cakes). Addie even talked me and one of my bests Liz into taking her on the big ferris wheel--it was terrifying! She was a champ and was so excited though. I kinda loved looking over my tiny, wonderful town from the top of the wheel...and then I went back to clutching my seat and trying not to fear barf everywhere.

 

Have you hit up any great town festivals this summer?

Plantz.

 

Over the weekend I housesat for my adventure-seeking folks while they zip-lined around Georgia. I should house sit professionally because I'm really good at playing with the dog, taking dips in the hot tub, and spending time in the home gym in the basement (yes, they turned my old bedroom into a gym). My parents designed every inch of the house and built it about ten years ago. It's been so cool over the years to see how they've changed it and really turned a plain plot of land in the country to a home with lots of little details. One of the details I most envy? The tiny gardens all over the 1.5 acres they own.

 

My parents both have a total green thumb that I don't think I inherited at all (I've killed two cacti in the last 2 years, whattup). When they began building the house there were already quite a few trees and two ponds on the lot. My folks are constantly adding to the number of plants and creating tiny gardens all over and it is so gorgeous when everything is in bloom.

 

Pops of color here, there, and everywhere.

 

I wish I was someone who was crazy into horticulture. I am not. I know my favorite flowers are peonies and that's all. If you say, "S. Guff, what type of flower is this?" I'll say, "Purple kind."

 

Don't know what you are, sirs, but I sure do enjoy you.

 

I have a blog so I HAVE to like succulents, right? That's the rule, right? ;)

 

Whoa, levitating flower basket! It IS magical out here!

 

 

Okay, geese are not plants BUT aren't they beautiful? Yeah, and they're also jerk offs. I was doing the "morning chores" (feeding the pets, watering said plants, filling the bird feeders) and out of nowhere one of these chumps ran up on me with wings stretched and honking like a lunatic! So, like any calm person, I threw the pitcher of bird seed in the air, screamed, and ran onto the porch as fast as my chubby legs would take me.

 

Happy Monday, don't get beat up by a goose today!

 



Cotton Clouds.

I've been housesitting for my parents this week while they are in New Orleans eating delicious food and drinking voodoo drinks. It's just me and our family pit-bull-who-is-more-like-a-cat, Shiloh, in the middle of nowhere (which makes for awesome late night OH MY GOSH WHAT WAS THAT NOISE freak outs). Despite my quiet 11pm terror my parents' house is one of my favorite places, I didn't grow up there but it definitely feels like home. My dad designed the house and pretty much built the whole thing. They live on a lot of land and it's just very serene and beautiful.

 

 If I hadn't deleted my old posts I would do that cute thing where I link to an old entry of photos from their house. But, some blonde dummy deleted those so....maybe I'll repost them again in the future. Ahem...um...let's move on...

 

While driving to my parents' house from work last night I really took a minute to enjoy how gorgeous it is to take the scenic route sometimes (instead of taking the interstate, I dinged up my car on the gravel roads). I pulled over on a country road to snap some photos of cotton* clouds cause they were just too dang pretty to pass up.

 

 

 

*I was really torn between calling them cotton clouds and calling them marshmallow fluff clouds. Ugh, life is full of tough choices. You know?

Love | Lucy

I've been kind of a lucky duck with all the time I've been spending downtown lately! Over the weekend my parents, Rhyno, and I went to Chicago to see I Love Lucy Live. If you know me you know Lucille Ball is my everything. Since I was a toddler I Love Lucy has been my comfort object. I was beyond excited to see this live show.

Champagne cocktails called Spanish Roses (I am vain and will order anything with Rose in the name)...also ignore my busted gray nails. I do my manicures on Sunday night and by Saturday they are a bit raggedy.

Before the show we went to the Grand Lux Cafe to grab a bite (or based on their giant portions MANY bites) to eat. I had never been and had heard rave reviews from almost everyone I've ever met. The food didn't disappoint, our server was a dreamboat, and we had the absolute best view of Michigan Avenue from our booth.

We split a salad (seriously HUGE portions) and bread...except for Rhyno who plowed through a giant plate of caramel chicken in about ten seconds. Why so light on lunch? Because I hear the REAL reason you go to Grand Lux is for the amazing desserts.

Fresh beignets with three sauces--chocolate, Jack Daniels, and strawberry.

Blueberry crumble with vanilla bean ice cream.

Honestly. SO GOOD. We left stuffed and happy to have a bit of a walk to the theater to exercise a few calories off.

The view inside the theater before I was yelled at by the staff for taking photos.

The premise of the show is pretty neat. It is set at the Desilu playhouse and you are watching them film two real I Love Lucy episodes. As someone who knows they were born in the wrong decade and a total TV addict (no shame here) this was such a cool experience. It was like being a real audience member in the golden ages of television. So many funny moments and the costumes were a dream. My only negative take-away? Um, well....the actress playing Lucy was terrible (admittedly I'm a harsh critic). Lucille Ball was charming and pretty and funny without being cartoonish. This actress was a bit of a hambone and overacting is an understatment. The Ricky, Fred, and Ethel more than made up for it. The intimate theater and delicious costumes helped too.

Oh Lucy, I love you.