hungry on michigan avenue

Nordstroms.  Say the word and my mind begins racing through visions of shoes, dresses, jeans, and more.  My girlfriends and I make Michigan Avenue a usual Saturday activity.  We drool over things we can’t afford, buy things we probably shouldn’t, and then sadly head down to Forever21 when we realize we must stop the damage about to be done.

All the shopping stirs up an appetite!   Bandera is one of our favorite restaurants for a lunch break.

The atmosphere is dark but cozy.  There is a bar area to sit, eat, and watch games from flat screen TVs.  We normally plop ourselves down in a big booth with our many bags and tired feet.

I always order the same thing - Hand Selected Vegetable Platter (told you I like veggies)

I hate when restaurants serve their vegetables drenched in butter or oil.  Bandera’s vegetable platter is always fresh, grilled, and seasoned.  (Spices and seasoning add flavor without adding calories)

Erica and I at Bandera.  Great view of Michigan Avenue behind us.

make your own flatbread

Our flatbread pizza at Rockwood’s was great.  But eating out in the Chicago is pricey!  Between food, drinks, and tip – it adds up.  Try making your own.  Pizza often gets a bad wrap.  But if made the right way, it can be a healthy treat.  The great thing about making your own pizza is being able to control the calories.

Dough – if you have the time to make your own, go for it.  But most of us don’t have time.  Pick up easy bake dough at your grocery store.  I recommend a whole wheat dough.  Whole wheat contains fiber.

Sauce – marinara, pesto, olive oil, bbq sauce…  Who needs a recipe – experiment!

Toppings – this is the FUN part.  Be creative! Load your pizza with veggies.  Because I normally cook for one, I hate buying a whole pineapple or a whole head of broccoli knowing I won’t be able to eat it before it goes bad….

• TIP: go to the salad bar at your local grocery store and fill a container with your toppings.  You’ll get just enough for your pizza.

Cheese – go easy on the cheese.  Buy part skim or 1% shredded cheese.  Experiment different types – feta, goat, blue cheese.  You don’t always have to stick to the mozzarella.

Buy all the toppings, some bottles of 2 buck Chuck from Trader Joes, and enjoy a night socializing with friends (and saving money while your at it!)

Rockwoods

After a lovely afternoon lounging and watching Sex and the City episodes with the girls, we decided to “watch” the Duke game with friends.  Lets be honest – we do very little watching and lots of chatting.

We decided on Rockwood on Clarke.  I love the Rockwood atmostphere – sports bar, pool tables, flat screen TV’s, high top tables.  Always fun.

We were pleasantly surprised to find their Saturday night special – $3 Flatbread Pizzas! It can be expensive eating and drinking in Chicago, so a deal like this is too good to pass up.

The margarita and buffalo chicken pizza were awesome.  They were made for 2.  We split three among the 5 of us and had leftovers.

cheating …

This is my first post of many where I will reference FROZEN YOGURT.  It is my favorite food in the entire world.  No matter where I am, I find a frozen yogurt store.

Berry Chill is my one true love.  I visit the location on State Street numerous times a week.  The $7 cup is a bit of heaven.

Erica and I were CRAVING frozen yogurt after Nookies breakfast.  Problem – Erica does not live close to the downtown Berry Chill locations and we were tired.  Red Mango is just a block away.  What a dilemma!  Do I cheat on Berry Chill?  I figured it was worth a shot.

Review: The yogurt tasted more like ice cream.  They had 4 flavors: Original, Tangomonium, Vanilla, and Pomegranate.  Erica and I got the Vanilla with graham cracker crust and mochi.  DISLIKE- they didn’t have rainbow sprinkles!  But they did have the nutritional information of the toppings.  Unlike Berry Chill, Red Mango does not provide live cultures and probiotics in their frozen yogurt.

I definitely love my Berry Chill better.

spring break in chicago

My dietetic internship allots the interns 10 days off for spring break.  So what do I do with this FREE TIME?  Travel to Chicago, of course!  I’ve spent the past week in Charleston soaking up the sun – time to hit the Windy City.

I brought the beautiful weather to Chicago this weekend.  It was so warm on Friday, my girlfriends and I were in tanks and skirts.  Heat wave!

We woke up Saturday morning dying for a great breakfast.  Lauren, Erica, and I called up our best guy friends and we headed to Nookies in Old Towne.  They have numerous locations around Chicago; Lincoln Park and Wrigley.

I get the same thing every time – Vegetarian Egg White Omelet with a side of tomatoes.  They load it with mounds of veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach.  Delicious!

took charleston. taking chicago.

Well, Charleston – it was nice knowing you….

but I am happy to say… HELLO CHICAGO