So there was a party. It was lovely. The food was fantastic and the setting pretty. I'm very thankful.
The best gift I was given was from my in-laws: 3 days in Chicago by myself (Carter was working). I had lunch with my dear friend J. I went running by the lake on an incredibly shiny day. I wandered aimlessly and shopped my way up and down Michigan Avenue. It was heaven.
In fact, it was so idyllic that I began imagining life had we stayed in Chicago. I pictured frequent trips to the Art Institute and the concerts in Millennium Park. I imagined taking the boys to a ton of different restaurants and appreciating all the cultures that co-mingle in a big city. Pretty, pretty picture.
And then a (I'm guessing here) homeless and drunk man called me a whore. I was all, "Ahhh, this blouse is Tory Burch. So no. No I'm not." He didn't get the reference, but the women behind me sure did. Sisterhood against the traveling men with no pants.
Picture of downtown from Diversey. Yes, I was taking pictures because I needed a break from running. But still, incredible day.
I had a string of days in Chicago that made me almost forget the times when it's not so nice. For example, the time I exited the train at Chicago Ave. and a frosting-heavy Dunkin' Donuts bag hit me with such gale force winds that I had to take off my mittens to pry it away from my trouser leg.
Or the time that I cashed in a very nice gift certificate I was given to get massages for both Carter and myself at a very swank spa. It was raining sideways. Umbrellas were nothing but a cute accessory; they served no purpose. Taxis were, of course, non-existent. I arrived soaking wet with some kind of otherworldly alien hair. It was cute.
But this trip was fantastic. A great summer kick-off. My little friends had fun.
Or the time that I cashed in a very nice gift certificate I was given to get massages for both Carter and myself at a very swank spa. It was raining sideways. Umbrellas were nothing but a cute accessory; they served no purpose. Taxis were, of course, non-existent. I arrived soaking wet with some kind of otherworldly alien hair. It was cute.
But this trip was fantastic. A great summer kick-off. My little friends had fun.
And then they got their work-out.
When we returned home we were excited for summer. And excited for this meal:
Grilled Chicken Caprese (for 4)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 - 1 lb tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used grape tomatoes and cut them in half)
1/3 C. white wine
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Start with the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sugar and stir consistently, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and turn heat to medium-low. Stir consistently and add a splash of wine when liquids dry up. Be careful not to burn (note to self right there). Stir, adding wine when necessary, for 10-15 minutes, until everything is nice and mushy. Add salt and balsamic. Cook a few minutes longer. If you want a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender. If you're cool with the chunks, don't. Cooks choice.
Grilled Chicken Caprese (for 4)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 - 1 lb tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used grape tomatoes and cut them in half)
1/3 C. white wine
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Start with the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sugar and stir consistently, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and turn heat to medium-low. Stir consistently and add a splash of wine when liquids dry up. Be careful not to burn (note to self right there). Stir, adding wine when necessary, for 10-15 minutes, until everything is nice and mushy. Add salt and balsamic. Cook a few minutes longer. If you want a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender. If you're cool with the chunks, don't. Cooks choice.
Onion and tomatoes, beginning to cook down.
Cooked and added balsamic.
Blended. It was a Saturday night. I had time. I blended.
Grill the chicken breasts. Let's not reinvent the wheel here, everyone knows how to grill chicken breasts. After you flip them, wait a minute and add a slice of mozzarella. Cook it like a cheeseburger. As an aside H. used to adorably call cheeseburgers "cheese-ham-a-burgers." It's my blog. I get to do that.
Pull that cheesy chicken off the grill, top with a scoop of the tomato-balsamic sauce and some fresh chopped basil. Serve with some grilled vegetables. Whatever you have. Vegetables are always better grilled.
Plated with grilled zucchini, pepper and onions
(the dregs of the vegetable drawer if I were to be honest).
Summer on a plate.
In other news I gave the boys their dinner tonight and H. looked at his plate, looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Mom, did you try your best on this dinner?" Yep. That happened. I took a deep breath, looked at him and said, "Your sitter will be here at nine in the morning." The end.
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