Who doesn’t want a $1 sub sandwich from Jimmy Johns?! Crazy people! Chicago celebrates customer appreciation day by giving out $1 subs from 11am – 3pm! Good luck accessing their web site! The server is wayyyyyy too busy!

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A co-worker of mine graciously shared a site that his friend owns/manages – believe it or not..it’s a chicago food site! woo!

Chicago Food Whores – Chicago Food & Restaurant Reviews

I’m already 2 days behind!

• Heat up skillet with oil
• Add chopped onion + garlic
• Cook 1 lb of lean ground beef
• Add ketchup, a little bit of mustard, and brown sugar
• salt + pepper to taste
• then some red chili flakes for some hotness!
• Serve hot in hamburger buns

Best way to wake up in the morning is with some cute, bite-size, mini frittatas

What you’ll need:

• 6 eggs
• 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• fresh leaf parsley (chopped)
• fresh grated mozzarella cheese (divided)
• fresh grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
• salt & pepper (to taste)

1. Pre heat oven @ 365 degrees
2. Beat eggs
3. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese -  mix well!
4. Use a stick of butter and rub the inside muffin tin cups
5. Pour egg mixture in each muffin cup about 3/4 full
6. Add other half of grated parmesan & mozzarella cheese over eggs
7. Cook mini frittatas in oven for 15 minutes
8. Let it cool before removing from muffin cups – serve & enjoy!

Another Giada inspired recipe!  Bobby LOVED this The secret, I think, has got to be the wine!

1. Thaw out 1 lb of shrimp. Take off the the tails
2. Place in a plastic bag and season with salt, pepper and red chill flakes.
3. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and cook shrimp until cooked. Set aside.
4. In the same pan, cook a large onion and garlic til translucent.
5. Add a can of diced tomatoes (no liquid) – then add 1 cup of good quality dry white wine.
6. Mix in fresh parsley and fresh oregano.
7. Grate fresh parmesan cheese. (about 1/4 cup)
8. Add the cooked shrimp to mixture.
9. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon.
10. Simmer for 10 minutes.
11. Serve hot with pasta or garlic bread

She is just as fabulous in person as she is in her shows! Let me tell you – she is just as hot. (for all you men who follow her) – I was so star-struck all i did was smile and say:

Giada: “Gigi!” *starts signing book
Me: “Hi Giada, how are you?!” *stare and smile
Giada: “Good, how are you?”
Me: “Good!” *Giada signs book
Giada: “Enjoy sweetie” – *slides book over.

Can you believe it?? I didn’t even shake her hand!! I wish I would’ve told her that she inspired me to put parmesan, lemon zest, and garlic in EVERYTHING! *sign. DUH! It’s too bad I didn’t get a picture WITH her. The line went so fast – and you can only take pictures in the photography section – which is way past the table where she was signing. Boo..Needless to say, I will be prepared to come back and have something to say than gawk at her pretty face!

I don’t think I can explain how EXCITED I am to see her @ her book signing!

ahh!!

Although it’s almost 80 degrees in Chicago today, it only means that the weather is getting better! (hopefully) Sorry about the lack of updates. It’s been a bit busy! No worries – I’ll be updating soon!

1. 1/2 cup of olive oil mayo + tbs of lemon zest + 1/2 of a lemon squeezed + salt & pepper to taste + 2 green onions
2. Spread the mayo mixture over 4 pieces of Italian bread
3. Add spinach and layer with tomato and mozzarella
4. Top with dried basil
5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or til brown at 350 degrees

OH MAN! For you chocolate lovers out there, this is my first dessert blog…and boy is it DELISH–I will warn you, this recipe is a bit messy, but soo worth it!

What you’ll need:

• A pack of oreos
• Baker’s Chocolate (melted) – you can do either white or semi-sweet or German chocolate! they’re all great.
• 1 package of (softened) Philadelphia cream cheese. (1/3 less fat) – of course it’s gotta be somewhat healthy

1. Pound 2 rows of the oreos into small piece. Either use a food processor or a plastic bag and just pound the crap out of it. Until you get itty bitty pieces!
2. Mash up the remaining  row of oreos for decoration. Youl probably only need half a row.
3. Add the softened cream cheese into the mashed up oreos.
4. Shape the mixture into little balls. (this is the messy part!)
5. Refrigerate or freeze for 30 minutes. (this will make it easier to coat with the chocolate)
6. Melt the chocolate according to instructions on the box.
7. Tricky! Coat the oreo balls with the melted chocolate. The technique i used is using a fork and a spoon. I rolled the oreo into the fork, then drizzled the chocolate over the ball using the spoon.
8. Place covered chocolate balls onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (or wax paper). Refrigerate or freeze til you serve.
9. Decorate and add crushed oreos to the finished truffle or drizzle some melted chocolate over the  set truffle.
10. Next time: try mint oreo truffles! I have yet to try it

View recipe reference by clicking here – Thank you Laura for this great find!