Chicago, Day 3

Well, guys, guess what?  We are getting hit with more winter weather!  This is very much like 2011 in Arkansas, but not quite as convenient because then the snow was so deep, that things got shut down right away.  Right now, we're looking at ice tonight, but not so much that everyone is jumping on board this evening to close for tomorrow.  And, as soon as it starts to melt, it's back to school--even if the roads are completely clear (because everyone has used up their snow days in NWA).  That being said, everyone to our west and lots of folks to our east and south have closed, so I don't know if we won't be far behind if it keeps precipitating at and below freezing...

I hate to drag out my posts like this, but dealing with the photos is overwhelming to me.  On our third day, I left my camera at home because it was COLD (not as cold as it has been this week, but cold for this Arkansan!), so I apologize for cruddy iPhone photos.  ;)

On Monday, we went to the Field Museum of Natural History, which Zach and I had never visited either. We started the day off with a scrumptious breakfast buffet at the hotel--they had EVERYTHING!  I really wish I had taken a photo because they had the usual things at the buffet, but they also offered frittatas, Eggs Benedict, fancy orange French toast, banana bread French toast, and so much more!

At the museum, we got to see the star of the museum T-rex Sue, which is the largest intact skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex ever found, and we also saw a 3-D film on the dig that uncovered her. 

 Sue

I spent most of my time in the Ancient Egypt area: here I am in one of the actual rooms from Unis-Ankh's tomb. 

I thought this was FASCINATING:  a symbol is the thing itself!  My literary theory and linguistics heart be still!

 This, too, was interesting.

 hieroglyphics

  I am sitting on the altar in Unis-Ankh's tomb!  I don't imagine this is the real thing because they had the real walls protected behind glass in this room, but most of it was intact!

 view from the top of the tomb

 I suppose it's disrespectful to photograph coffins and sarcophaguses, but I really do find the process of mummification so fascinating.

 This seemed useful.  ;)

I also went to all of the exhibits we got passes for, including ones on the World's Fair:  Columbian Exposition (to celebrate the anniversary of Columbus's "discovery"), bioluminescence, and a bug's life. (I would have liked to have gone to the one on Nazi propaganda, but I didn't discover it until after the fact.)

I believe 60%+ of the country's population passed through the fair, which was open for six months and took two weeks to explore fully.  The Museum of Science and Industry (my favorite!) is now housed in the only building left standing.

 Some of the inventions portrayed at the fair included Juicy Fruit, Cracker Jacks, and Shredded Wheat!

 lobby with wooly mammoths

 exterior (sorry for the shadow)

 gorgeous building

 We had to walk a bit to catch the right bus and train down to Willis Tower, so I captured some of the skyline at twilight.

 soooo cold

 railyard

 This reminds me of Paris for some reason.

In between the museum and dinner, we went up the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) to look out on the city. It was bitterly cold, and we were in so many layers on our trek around the city. When we got the top, it was very crowded and hot, made hotter by our coats and hats and scarves. We looked out but didn't stay long. It was a nice view, but I like Hancock's observatory better.

We had lunch at the museum and dinner at Pizzeria Uno, our first time there as well. It was good, but I still think Giordano's is my favorite.  :)  The place was adorable, though, and I did enjoy the story of how Uno, Due, and Mi Casa got started!

After dinner, we had planned to go to The Drawing Room for drinks. By this time, the snow was coming down and icing the sidewalks. I was a nervous wreck because I was wearing dress shoes with no traction. (I wore those shoes because we were going to the Drawing Room, which is kind of dressier.) Unfortunately, they were closed.  :(  So I guess we will have to go for drinks this summer!

Menu Monday: A is for Asparagus with Brown Butter

Y'all, every school in our area had a snow day but ours.  We did start later (10), but STILL.  We couldn't get out of our driveway, so Zach's boss came and picked him up.  I'm either going to take a vacation day or make up the hours on lunch and after work.  It's supposed to start warming up tomorrow, but then we are expected to get "A slushy accumulation of less than an inch."  Pardon me? Arkansas, you better step it up with your road maintenance...  It is only January after all.

So while we were in Chicago, Zach said that he has decided he likes asparagus.  For the longest time, neither of us liked it though we did eat it on occasion and found it tolerable.  But now we are in the pro-asparagus camp.  This is one vegetable I never had growing up, and I'm pretty confident that the first time I tried it was in the past ten years, probably having been served it as part of a pre-determined menu (at someone's house or at one of those restaurants where you just don't request substitutes or removals).

With the New Year, I am trying my best to eat healthier and exercise.  I'm trying to follow the mini goals over at 100 Days of Real Food, and I'm proud to say I'm doing fairly well with Week 1--eating two fruits and/or vegetables with every meal.  We had veggies for dinner over the weekend, and I decided to try my hand at asparagus.  I served it with a brown butter sauce, and it was pretty yummy!

ASPARAGUS WITH BROWN BUTTER

1 lb of asparagus

1 cup of water

salt to taste

5 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

-Wash asparagus and snap off the tough ends.  (I felt finding the tough spot was very intuitive.)

-Using butcher string, tie asparagus into bundles of 6-10 shoots.  Sprinkle with salt to taste.

-Bring water to boil in a sauce pan and stack bundles perpendicularly to one another:  two going horizontally with two stacked vertically.  Continue until all are stacked.  Steam for 5 to 10 minutes.

-Meanwhile, melt butter in a  saucepan and cook slowly on medium heat, whisking frequently, until it begins to brown and smells nutty.  You will also notice flecks start to form, which are the milk solids browning.  The butter will foam as it cooks; once the foam subsides, it will turn brown very quickly.  Remove from heat once it turns brown--better too soon than too late.

-Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour brown butter over steamed asparagus and serve immediately (1 Tbsp. per two bundles).

I served my asparagus with balsamic roasted potatoes, green peas, and Texas Toast (which isn't very healthy but is oh-so-good!  Brown butter can be intimidating because it does require a close eye.  But it is little effort for BIG taste!  It also makes a wonderful addition to many other dishes, including savory and sweet ones (you would just leave out the lemon juice and spices for baking).

And here are my tied bundles, of which I was very proud :) :

What are some things you are doing and eating to get healthier this year?

Chicago, Day 2

We are having a snow day AGAIN.   This has already been one crazy winter this season!  I'm wondering if schools will be closed tomorrow since the snow is staying on the roads, and we are not supposed to get above freezing (high 17/low -1 today, high 14/low 3 tomorrow), and the wind chill is expected to be -20!!!  Did I bring Chicago home with me, or what?!

On our second day in Chicago, we had a yummy breakfast in the hotel and headed to Shedd Aquarium for the day. We got to see Sea Monsters (a 4-D experience), as well as the aquatic show with dolphins, penguins, and even a dog named Coral! I spent much of my time in the Amazon Rising, Oceanarium, and Polar Play Zone, but the highlight had to be the Jellies. Zach was pumped about seeing them, but I couldn't have cared less when we arrived. Out of curiosity--and the fact that we had the wristbands to get in--I decided to tour this area. I LOVED it. All of the different jellies were so interesting and mesmerizing, and I learned so much. I also captured some beautiful, haunting, and otherworldly images.

 largest fish caught in the Amazon

 4-D Sea Monsters Experience

 the aquatic show

view of Lake Michigan

After the aquarium, we changed hotels, moving to the Intercontinental on the Mag Mile. 

For dinner, we went to Andy's Jazz Club, where I had a delicious strawberry spinach salad and gin Big Ben cocktail, and we enjoyed some live music. 

On our way back to the hotel, we came across The Eataly! I'm not sure how to describe this place, other than it is an Italian foodie's mecca. It's like a shopping mall of Italian goodies, with separate stations for different types of goods. So there was a patisserie (I don't know what the Italian word for this French term is--probably something awfully close), a gelateria (that sounds good, huh?), a WHOLE Nutella shop, a wine "cellar," a cheese bar, a separate mozzarella bar, a deli, a pesca-ria (that sounds good, too), a bread section, a pasta section, etc. (I could have tried to Italianize my semi-French words for some of those other areas, but I gave up.) 

We ordered desserts and took them back to the hotel to enjoy. I ate mine and stayed up to finish Monsters of Men. A glorious time!

 We're part of the ambassadors program, so we got a fruit basket, mineral water, truffles, and a personal letter from the head of our hotel!

 I forgot what this was called, but it was like a mousse-type dessert!

Zach's was delicious as well!  :)