Christmas 2015: Going home, coming back, and 'The Nutcraker'

Christmas is over! Still a bit hard to believe with the last couple of days being a whirlwind! I'm still coming down from my my ballet high. This year Michael got us tickets to 'The Nutcracker' for one of my Christmas gifts.

'The Nutcracker' was so much fun. The hall was decked out in Christmas decor and all the kids were so excited. The ballet itself was very festive and beautiful. It was my first time seeing 'The Nutcracker' and I loved every minute of it.

Before the ballet, Michael and I went to Petit Toulouse. They're rated top ten in best happy hours in the nation (according to their disclaimer on their menu)! The HH menu is pretty awesome though! Every single bite was delicious and none of the food went to waste.

Oh gosh. This white chocolate bread pudding was amazing. I am currently ranking it two in best desserts in Seattle, with the first being the maple bread pudding at Walrus & Carpenter.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we spent with Michael's family. As usual it was a blast with thoughtful gifts, great food, and great company.

Every year, I do miss my family. It's been three years since I spent a Christmas with them. Luckily, this year I flew down the weekend prior to Christmas to see them, also hoping to catch the birthing of my first little niece, Jasalyn. Of course, she was past due and didn't want to see me! But as I write this blog post, my sister is currently in labor, so I'm thinking good thoughts for her and her baby. By tomorrow morning Jasalyn will be sleeping in this little basinet Michael and I gifted to her.

I do have to admit, kids have grown on me! For awhile I thought I could do with or without them, but I am leaning toward them in the future now (like way wayyyyy in the future :P).

Now I can't wait to meet my niece next year!

How was your Christmas? Comment below :)

Chicago Series: A foodie day instead of museums.

Day 4 in Chicago was HOT. The hottest day of our stay, but we rallied and went to the Bridge House Tavern for brunch. It's a really neat place right off the river with great food. For not having reservations the wait was relatively quick (though we were drinking mimosas, so that may have past the time) and we got one of the best seats in the house.

 



 

So funny thing is, Michael is normally the one who loves savory foods while I always like things sweet. When it comes to breakfast/brunch though, it's the opposite. Yet when the waiter arrived, he didn't want to be the one to order the sweet dish so he ended up ordering the crab cake benedict for me, and I got the brioche French toast for him.

 



 

After brunch, we planned to hit some more museums, but because it was Sunday and a holiday weekend, the lines to get in were long and outside. We were melting and decided it wasn't worth it and rested at the hotel. To end the evening and our trip, we got some drinks before heading out to dinner at Travelle.

 



 

 

 

The food was amazing, and on the healthier side of what we had been eating on the trip. Michael paired it with a Grand Cru Chablis, making it perfect.

 



 

 

 

 

To end the night, we went to The Kitchen Chicago, one of our favorite bars to end the trip with a night cap.

 

 

But of course, when you're drinking so much, you can't help but get the munchies so we ended up ordering garlic fries (another weakness of mine).

 

The next morning was spent leisurely before heading to the hotel. From that point on, we went back to our normal diet, because let's face it, after drinking and indulging in high fat food, you start to feel it wearing down on you.

But, if you're a foodie like me, Chicago is definitely a place to go!

As for the next urban adventure, I'm thinking about maybe Washington DC, or even Baton Rouge? Or maybe get out of the city and see some canyons? What do you guys think? Where would be a cool place to go within the states?

Chicago Series: Cloud Gate, Buckingham Fountain, Deep Dish

 

Day 3 of our Chicago trip, I saw the bean! It reminded me of an alien egg dropped in the middle of the city. It was actually cool to see despite it being ridiculously crowded.

 

 

 

Up close, it actually had some scratches along the surfacee that I wondered how in the world do they clean it? Up above, I'm sure it would make great target practice for the birds.

 



 

 

That day we had a late start so we skipped breakfast altogether and went to Remington's for lunch. Please don't judge us, but it was a bad eating day. And when I say bad, I mean full of guilty pleasures. Mac n' cheese is my weakness and I wanted to see how the mid west did it. Creamy cheese, with texture on the top, but the noodles were a bit mushy. I need my noodles chewy. It was great to try though.

 

 

Michael ended up with the lobster roll/sandwich. It was pretty big. The portion sizes on this side of the country is nuts!

 

 

After, we walked along Millennium park until we reached the Art Institute. It's a pretty large museum with a lot to see. We ended up staying there for over two hours, but still hadn't seen everything. My aching legs won out though so we left to see the Buckingham Fountain.

 



 

After we went back to The Gage for a pick me up. Mussels and drinks! Yum.

 



 

After, we went back to the hotel to freshen up before going out to get deep dish pizza. It was cool to try, but I don't see the hype in it at all! It was monstrous, and shouldn't even be called a pizza. The cheese was rubbery and the meat probably not a high grade. The only good thing was the crust, but even that was too buttery at times. Can someone explain to me the hype? Am I just not getting it?

 



 

After that we went to get a night cap before heading to the Navy Pier for the summertime fireworks. It was another great day despite the let down of the pizza.

 

Chicago Series: Poetry Foundation, Chicago Style Hot Dog, and the Architecture Tour

Day two of Chicago was sunny and cool. We started with grabbing a quick lunch and walked along the Magnificent Mile.

 

 

Halfway through we took a left to cut through the north loop of town to see the Poetry Foundation Building which houses a complete library of poems.

 

 

The space was beautifully designed and the performance room's acoustic was right on.

 

 

It was neat going through the books as I found some poetry books from my professors at UC Davis here. We spent an hour or so reading.

 

 

Emily Dickinson is my favorite poet, so I couldn't help but take a photo of a few of my favorites.

 

 

 

By the time we were done, we were pretty hungry so we walked to Portillo's for Chicago-style dogs. I'm not a hot dog fan, but I actually thought they tasted pretty good.

 

 

After we went to this cute tea shop to rest up our legs. Next door was a Patisserie so I grabbed a few macaroons to go with our tea.

 

 

 

 

We continued our walk up the Magnificent Mile until we reached Oak Street Beach, which had a pretty cool vibe nestled just out of the hustle and bustle of all the stores. 

From there we biked along Lakeshore using city bikes, which really are the worst because I'm so tiny and can hardly fit them. I almost got into a collision with another biker within 5 minutes. From Michael's point of view, it was highly entertaining. I rolled my eyes and continued on the bike. In the end it was a cool thing to do, but it really sucks to be so short in this scenario.

 

 

For dinner we went to Union Sushi, recommended by my sister, and it did not disappoint. I loved the drinks, east coast oysters, beef skewers, and black rice sushi! The fusion vibe really worked in the restaurant's favor so I can see the appeal.

 

 

 

My picture of our dessert doesn't do it justice, but this was a mocha pumpkin cake and it was gooey, soft, and so moist packed with flavor.

 

 

To end the night we did the twilight hour of the Architecture cruise. If you are ever in Chicago, this is something to put on your must-do list. It was really fun to learn about the buildings and the city. The sights were also nice on the eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ended the night with a nightcap at The Gage. All in all, another great day in Chicago. Such a fun city to visit for sure!