Salmon with Mustard Sauce

Growing up, salmon was the first fish I tried when being introduced to fish. Once I acquired a taste for other types of fish, salmon became one of my last choices of fish for several years. Now, I am back in the game salmon game and loving that it’s low in mercury, high in Omega 3s, and incredibly simple to prepare. I find that salmon always turns out well, whereas I’ve definitely had my moments messing up other types of fish. All it takes is a flavorful rub or an interesting sauce, and the salmon tastes like a lot more went into it than it actually did. The Salmon with Mustard Sauce that we enjoyed this week was so tasty that I’m still thinking about the tangy  sauce. With only a few ingredients, and under 30 minutes, we had a satisfying and delicious dinner on the table.

Weekend Recap

Although it’s been almost seven months since we moved from Chicago, it still feels like I’m going home when I visit the Windy City. I’m always happy to have an excuse to go back to the Chi, so my friend’s bachelorette party this past weekend was a great motivator. With my brother and sister-in-law now living in Chicago, there are so many friends and family to see in such a short time. The weekend was incredible, and I’m wishing I could do it all over again.

Friday night I was able to sneak in a visit with my old Wine Club, which serendipitously was being held that night! After too brief of a visit there, I had a late but enjoyable dinner with my close friend and her fiancé at Gilt Bar, an old favorite!

{Date Cake @ Gilt Bar}

Saturday, the bachelorette party started bright and early with transportation taking us to southwest Michigan to visit three wineries. Although I couldn’t partake in the wine tastings, I was so thankful for the time I got to spend with two of my long-time friends. The first stop of the day was at a boutique winery, Hickory Creek Winery, followed by lunch at the adorable Soe Café in Sawyer, MI. Soe Cafe had a quaint cottage feel, with a culinary emphasis on local and regional foods.

{Loved the asparagus outside of Soe Cafe}


{Grilled Cheese with Michigan cheese, caramelized onion, house aioli}

The second winery, Tarbor Hill, was my favorite. But it wasn’t the wine, but the Norman Love artisan truffles that kept me occupied. There were so many enticing options, it was difficult to make a decision. The chocolates were almost too good-looking to eat. Almost. Luckily these truffles weren’t just a pretty face – they tasted even better than they looked! I choose the mint chocolate chip, cinnamon roll, peanut butter and jelly, and Tahitian caramel.

The final stop on the winery tour was The Round Barn Winery. This spot was the largest, and by far the busiest. With a winery and beer barn, there were multiple places to enjoy a drink. I hope I can go back sometime and partake in the tastings because everyone seemed to enjoy all the stops. Although this is no Napa Valley, it’s a low-key and easy place to get to if you’re located in or near Chicago. It’s perfect for a day trip or an overnight stay near Lake Michigan.

I hope you had a great weekend!

Philly Chicken Sandwich

If I don’t plan dinner for the week and grocery shop on Sundays, I inevitably suffer through five days of thrown together meals and/or dinners out. Each weekday I tell myself I’m going to find a quick recipe that will allow me to run to the store to buy the ingredients, make the dinner, AND eat at a decent time. What often ends up happening is the day gets away from me, nothing is planned, and we pick up dinner at a restaurant down the street. On the rare occasions when I can actually pull it together last-minute, we end up happy to be eating at home with a good, satisfying meal. I just wish I had a stack of 20-minute meal ideas for these weeks when I’m not able plan ahead!

One night recently, I was able to come up with a quick dinner of Philly Chicken Sandwiches. Although I’d never made them before, I concocted a simple recipe that I will gladly refer back to in the future. Just like the famous Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, my version is loaded with bell peppers, onions and melty cheese piled atop a toasted hoagie roll. I’ve never had an authentic Philly Cheese Steak, so I have no basis for comparison, but I was quite pleased with my quick and easy (and surely healthier!) homemade rendition.

BOY OH BOY

To know or not to know: that is the big question when it comes to finding out your baby’s gender. Long before I was pregnant, I knew that I did not want to know the baby’s gender. I loved the idea of having it be a surprise after going through labor. And on the flip side, my husband always knew he would want to find out the gender. Ultimately, he agreed that waiting would be fun and he was mostly on board with this decision. But, then I had a change of heart. After looking at furniture and thinking about preparing for the baby, I decided I wanted specific things, so there was no other option. My desire to plan began to outweigh my desire for a surprise. My only stipulation was that we’d get the results in an envelope from the doctor, and open it together in a memorable way.

After the appointment, my husband and I headed to Jennifer’s Pharmacy, an adorable old-fashioned-like pharmacy with a soda fountain where one can enjoy a sandwich and a milkshake. Since milkshakes and smoothies have been the one thing that I’ve consistently craved during my pregnancy, I thought it would be fun to go to Jennifer’s for our gender reveal. We gave the ladies who were working the counter our envelope and asked them to make us milkshakes, either blue or pink, based on the results. We turned our backs to them and sat in anticipation as the ladies had a grand ol’ time telling us that they knew and we didn’t know! When the milkshakes were ready, we turned around to see baby blue shakes: IT’S A BOY!

In honor of my pregnancy craving and gender reveal, I’m sharing my favorite milkshake recipe: Peanut Butter Banana. The simple combo of creamy peanut butter and banana is something I can’t get enough of, and then blended with frozen yogurt or creamy ice cream means pure delight.

Right before turning around for the reveal…

The blue milkshakes

Pick your milk

Pick vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream

Add pb and banana

Blend until creamy

Good Mood Food

With milder temperatures still intermittent, I wanted to sneak in one more soup recipes before everyone swears off hot dishes until next winter. I’ve been eyeing this Pasta E Fagioli recipe from my newest cookbook, Good Mood Food, thanks to Cooking Light Magazine. With my husband traveling this week, it was the perfect time to make this because he dislikes beans, and the recipe didn’t make copious amounts, and I could throw it together in very little time. The tiny pasta shells, white beans, and spicy turkey sausage make this hearty soup a complete meal, especially when served alongside a fresh green salad. I made a few tweaks to the recipe, and I just love how it came out. The soup is so simple, yet packed with delicious Italian flavors. This soup is definitely my new favorite.