The Great Ghostly Pumpkin

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I can't remember the last time I came up with a pumpkin concept and carved one on my own.

But after seeing gallery after gallery of fantastically carved sculpted pumpkins, I was inspired to step up my game, a little bit this year.

I spent part of this morning looking for silhouettes of Lady Justice to inspire a carving. Then my son and I went on our Great Pumpkin hunt. Unlike Christmas, when you can buy a tree on Christmas Day, stores don't stock an overabundance of pumpkins. We usually only carve one and paint or decorate mini pumpkins. But he and I decided we wanted our own this year, so we found ourselves store hopping just as the clouds opened up. We were starting to get discouraged when we found only a scraggly one at Jewel and just pie pumpkins left at Ultra. Thankfully, we had better luck in Riverside at Cermak Plaza, where, to my delight, there were plenty of pumpkin varieties, including this ghostly white pumpkin.

And that is how The Ghost of Lady Justice was born.

I've been asked on Twitter if she's a political statement. I've decided to let others interpret the piece as they wish.

Comforting Cauliflower Soup

There's nothing quite like hot soup after spending an evening out in the cold.

I knew we would be starving after my son's soccer game tonight under the lights at Montrose Harbor, so I bought a hybrid cauliflower and a couple leeks at the Farmers Market this morning to make soup in the crock pot.

I almost didn't want to cook down this pretty green cauliflower. It's a really lovely green that would look great on a serving platter.

I found a few recipes online to get the proportions, but went off script for this combo that at least the iFarmer found worthy of multiple servings:

Cauliflower-Potato-Leek Soup

1 medium cauliflower, florets cut into large pieces
2 leeks, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled & chopped
4 cups chicken stock or broth (for a milder flavor)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups half & half
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Croutons or toasted Italian bread

Put the first four ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Use an immersion blender to puree mixture. Add cheese and half & half, then salt & pepper to taste. Serve with croutons or pieces of toasted Italian bread.

Note: Next time, I may throw in some rosemary during the slow cooking to infuse a little more flavor. To kick it up a notch, throw in a dash of hot pepper sauce before serving.

Relieved. Relaxed. Aware.

Chicago Fire: Breast Cancer Awareness

I get a little tense around annual-doctor-visit-time.

If you know my family, you know we had a scare when one of our children was born. Compared to so many people I know, it seems like a minor blip. But open-heart surgery on a 6-day-old was a big deal then and it's a big deal now.

Every annual appointment, every "routine" cardiology visit ends up being a big deal to me, no matter how much I try to reassure myself.

I don't relax until the doctor's given her report and I'm in the comfort of my home.

When it's a cardiology visit, the tension is higher still and ramps up in the weeks before any scheduled appointment.

For a regular doctor's visit, it's not so intense, but I feel the pressure release when we get a report.

We got one today -- a good one -- so I'm starting to feel the wind down.

I read daily about all the pain and suffering in the world that it should be easy to put my worries into perspective.

Perspective matters.

My husband and son were part of a Chicago Fire on-field experience on Saturday. My son got be on the field at Toyota Park as part of the Tunnel of Fire because he raised money for Kicks for Cancer. My husband was part of the breast cancer awareness pink ribbon because his mother was a breast cancer victim (we miss you Omi) and because he raises awareness about breast cancer through his job.

I was happy to see them both of them on the field, but happiest to hear about the people they'd met, the survivors they stood beside.

The survivors' perseverance is uplifting and inspiring, a reminder that all is not lost with a bad report, a bad diagnosis.

It was a reminder that, well, I can procrastinate sometimes. My mammogram was one of those things I'd sloughed off. I kept putting off making the appointment, trying to figure out when to "work it in."

When I heard Sim would be on the field, I stopped what I was doing. I made the call and locked in a date, seven months after my doctor suggested a routine screening.

Count me as one who was made more aware during the breast cancer awareness initiative.

How about you?

A Rainbow of Roasted Vegetables

On the way in the oven....

Ready to eat...

I've been looking forward to this all day. I had a bunch of veggies I needed to use up, including carrots, turnips and these beautiful purple potatoes that I've never even seen before. They sure are a great way to add a splash of color to a dish.

Here's what's in the roasting pan...

Rainbow of Roasted Veggies

Purple potatoes, yellow fingerling potatoes, cleaned & chopped into large chunks
White turnips, chopped
Carrots, cleaned & chopped
Brussels sprouts, halved (except for the itty bitty ones)
Garlic, peeled & chopped
Thyme & rosemary

After tossing all the veggies with extra virgin olive oil, I seasoned them with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, then tossed in the lightly chopped herbs and garlic. I baked for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees, the lowered the temp and baked for another 15 minutes at 350 degrees until the potatoes were done.

Note: I totally forgot the onions, but I didn't miss them one bit. All the veggies and herbs were from our CSA, the Farmers Market or my backyard.

A Course for Every Year, Plus a Few to Grow on at Moto

This is how a spontaneous night out with my husband usually goes:

Him: Honey, let's go out. I even got a sitter.

Me: Great. Where are we going?

Him: Where do you want to go?

Me: I know I have a list of fantastic places I've always wanted to try, but...

The but is followed either with "I can't think of any on the spot" or it's impossible to get reservations at the last minute.

This time we were a little more prepared...and lucky. Sim had been trying to find us a reservation for our anniversary...about a week before, which is way early for us. He couldn't get Girl and the Goat, but learning from past experience, went ahead and booked months in advance. (We're going in February!)

Unable to find anything, he confessed his dilemma and I immediately started thinking about my wish list restaurants. No chance we'd get to Alinea on such short notice, but we lucked out with a restaurant that I'd been dying to go to for years: Moto.

We got a 9:30 p.m. reservation, a time more fitting for our 20s, which is perfect since we were in our 20s when we got married those 14 years ago. It also gave him time to stop at home briefly after his flight home from a conference in D.C.

Moto is the Intellectual Property Chef Homaro Cantu's gastronomic signature. I've wanted to eat there well before my magazine wrote about it in 2007 and before I watched Cantu's slim victory over Iron Chef Morimoto.

So, how was the food on Tuesday?

I have to give it mixed results.

I'd read up a bit before we headed out. And I have to agree with a few critics that several of the dishes were overly salty. The worst was that a couple courses were served cold when they should have been piping hot, including Sim's deconstructed Kentucky Fried Chicken plate. (I also had to ask for napkins and the restroom ran out of hand towels and toilet paper near closing time.)

I'm not a picky eater in general, but I approached the evening with a clean slate, wiping away all preconceived ideas of what I didn't like about food, because I knew I wouldn't have choices. We plopped down our $160 a person and $55 each for a half-wine pairing and opened our minds.

Going in with an open mind helped me fully enjoy the smokey oyster on the half shell shooter and many other savory treats. It'd be impossible to enjoy the experience any other way considering most of the food didn't even resemble food. The trio of cigar sandwiches is a perfect example. Except for the explanation and the edible cigar wrappers, you'd never know what you were about to eat.

If you're a foodie and a science nerd, this is the place for you. (Cantu has worked with NASA and is featured in a Museum of Science & Industry exhibit.)

I have to admit that after the first three courses, I leaned over to Sim and asked him if we'd have to stop for cheeseburgers on the way home. But near the last course, I was completely stuffed and worried I wouldn't have room for the rest.

My standout favorites were the exceptionally prepared scallop w/ dyed frizzled celery and the deconstructed New England crab chowder. The desserts were OK for me, though all were entertainingly served, especially the ode to the 90s, the Michale Bolton, complete with edible portrait.

At the end of the evening, some 3 1/2 hours bleary-eyed hours later, and even with some not-so-great-tasting-courses, we had a fabulous time.

Of course, the company was the best part.

Lists & the Things I Love

This morning I was enjoying my daily commute. I say enjoying because it's one of my favorite times of year, October. The mornings feel fresh and cool. The colors on the trees are warm and soothing.

With this in mind as I readied to face another hectic day, I flipped through my issue of Real Simple and stopped on a section featuring five easy ways to achieve calm. My favorite was making an "ignore list." I'm all about to-do lists. I have dozens of those for groceries, house projects, Girl Scouts, restaurants I want to visit, vacation destinations and, of course, all the projects I have left to tackle at work.

I was just starting to think about what I'd put on my "ignore list" when I read a post by my friend over at Are You the Babysitter?

She too had lists on her mind. But hers was of a more positive nature, a list of the things she loves. What a great way to break out of a negative, overwhelmed state of mind. So before I write up a list of things I can ignore, I'm going to join Roi and list a few things that I absolutely love...

• October. I truly love fall, cooler weather, falling leaves, kids back into a regular, manageable routine, cozy sweaters and warm scarves. 
• Food. I love shopping for, prepping and creating meals, snacks and treats that my family can enjoy. The entire cooking process is a relaxation exercise. When I do a complicated meal that takes all day, it feels like I've been on vacation.
• Girls night. I don't do this nearly enough. But when I do, the night or evening out with my friends is memorable and uplifting.
• One-on-one time with the kids. I've been blessed with this opportunity a couple times in the last few weeks and have thoroughly enjoyed the freedom to connect with each of my children in a meaningful way.
• Night prayers. This quiet, reflective time is one of my favorite parts of the day and a way for my children and I to feel more connected to our extended family and our community.
• Farmers Market. Just being there makes me happy. People watching and greeting from the info booth or just browsing the vendor tables is a high point of my week.
• The sweet surprise of a rainbow. 
• Impromptu trips to cupcake shops.
• Collaboration of all sorts, especially when new ideas inject enthusiasm into whatever personal or professional project I'm part of.
• Road trips where the journey is just as exciting as the destination.
• Spotting a colorful cocktail waiting for me on the porch rail.
• Cuddle time with my husband and children.
• Sorting through family photos and being flooded with memories.
• Walks in the woods.
• Gathering around a camp fire and roasting marshmallows.
• Listening to music.
• The moon. In all its shapes, sizes and colors, especially in October.

What's on your "Things I Love" list?

The Promise of 'No-Stress Meals' -- I'm In

Real Simple slideshow

"A Month of Easy Dinners" - What working mom wouldn't be attracted to that cover story?

The headline is from this month's Real Simple magazine. I don't have a subscription, yet. But I've long admired the magazine and pick it up from time to time, usually around the holidays when I have more free time to flip through the inspiring pages. This is the type of piece though that will convert me into a subscriber. 

I already know that my family eats better when I can plan my week out in advance. The trick has been to have some choices. Planned menus fail when you get to Wednesday, have tacos planned, but figure out no one wants tacos.

But what's worse is getting into a menu-planning routine and finding yourself getting bored with your daily meals.

This issue though is jam packed with a fresh look at four weeks of meals and new flavors to introduce to my family.

The full list is online in a pretty easy to navigate slideshow featuring photos of the dishes (prepared and styled by experts) and recipes via link to the right of the image. I like that everything is online. But I'm a clipper, so I went ahead and bought a copy of the magazine. The best part is the shopping list for each week.

Now, if I only had time to go to the store.

Is There Room in My Life for 2 Favorite Cupcake Joints?

Magnolia Bakery treats.

Maybe in my life, but probably not on my waistline.

On second thought, I'll find a way to make room for both Bleeding Heart Bakery and Magnolia Bakery.

While both specialize in cupcakes, their styles and flavorings couldn't be more different.

When I'm in the mood for creative, sometimes daring flavors and a hearty, but not-too-dense cupcake, I'll head to Bleeding Heart, where so far the Veruca Salt (vanilla and salted caramel) is my favorite.

But when I'm in the mood for light, airy, crumbly cake topped with a super sweet buttercream frosting, Magnolia's the spot for me.

I'm lucky to have both in my neighborhood at work (Magnolia) and at home (Bleeding Heart).

Now what's this I hear about Crumbs opening up soon in Oak Park?