Little Goat

Jaclyn and I set out to the West Loop craving a burger from the one and only Au Chaval. But little to our knowledge, their kitchen was closed and we left thoroughly dissapointed. Until we realized that just a few minutes away is Little Goat Diner, offering a whole lot of delicious options at any time. So if you find yourself in the Loop or in that awkward 2-4ish time slot of starvation where places aren't open for lunch or dinner, Little Goat is your go to. It's perfect if you're with a friend too since it's a guarantee that there is something on the menu for anyone's liking. 

This was not our first time here, yet all of the options seemed to yummy to not share. Sooo we opted to fire up some beers and split the Club, a burger, and incredibly crispy fries with a side of ranch. Happy Friday, right?

Under the "Sammies" category on the menu, you'll find this bad boy whose name is 'The Fat Club'. At first thought, I couldn't bring myself to order something with the word fat in it's title, but our chipper and charming waiter Carl convinced me otherwise. Why? Because the fat toast that the sandwich is compiled of is made with duck fat. Sayyy whatttt. 

Smoked turkey, bacon, ham, havarti, avocado, cabbage, tomato, mayo, special sauce, and fat toast. (Also I do believe there was a cucumber on here, or perhaps it was the cabbage, but whatever it was...oh my lanta, what a tasty add on!)

Up Next, "The Mushroom":

 shittake & beech'shrooms with pickled peppers and onion and cheese sauce on a potato poppyseed bun.

Can you say Bye Felicia? 
Because we certainly did. Multiple times.

This thing is a serious contender in my book for one of the best burgers in Chicago and served our burger craving oh so well.

And last but not least, a very ambitious bowl of french fries on our part, with a side of housemade Ranch on the side. This s%#t was so yummy we ordered another side and took one home with us!

As always, Little Goat hit the spot.

xx 

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Got any gross overly ripe bananas? Use them for some banana nut bread or this yummy breakfast treat! 

Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. In a bigger bowl, beat 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, then add 2/3 cup sugar, then 2 eggs, and 2 tsp. vanilla. 

 Strain the strawberries to ensure all the water is out. I know this seems silly, but the muffins won't turn out right if you bake them with too much water. Combine the berries with your mushy bananas & then with your wet butter & egg mixture. Gradually add this to the bowl of dry mixture and then to your muffin liners! 

Bake at 350° F for about 15 minutes. Recipe makes about a dozen muffins. 

Our delicious muffins went perfectly with a ton of scrambled eggs & veggies

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

xx

Easter Appetizers & Desserts

 Stuffed mushrooms: simple, delicious, and always a crowd pleaser 

stuffed with parsley, parmesan, garlic, and the mushroom stems 

stuffed peppers with mozzarella 

 what to do with five pounds of chocolate? 

make bunny chocopops! 

what to do with extra Cadbury eggs lying around?

use them for decorating carrot cake cupcakes! 

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Mix your dry ingredients together: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. of baking soda, 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1 1/4 tsp. baking power, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. salt

Using a food processor, shred about 4 large carrots or however many it takes to get about three cups. In a separate bowl, mix four large eggs,  1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, and 1 1/2 cups sugar together. Add in 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil and then stir in the carrots and your dry mixture. Pour in to liners and bake for about 22 minutes. If you aren't a fan of cream cheese frosting, you can ice them with your favorite vanilla icing, but we went with a simple cream cheese frosting. 

For the frosting you'll need: 12 0z cream cheese, 8 tsp. of butter (room temp), 1 tbsp. vanilla extract, and 3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar 

Mix cream cheese + butter, then add vanilla. Gradually add in your powdered sugar and ice the cupcakes once they are cooled.

To make our cute little nests, we added three Cadbury eggs to the frosting and shreds of the extra chocolate we had lying around.

xx

heaven on earth

My dear old dad surprises me with the best care packages and recently, I've been spoiled with about six or so avocados. Avocados, aside from Mexican food and In N Out, are probably of the biggest culinary cravings I miss from California. Having this versatile ingredient stocked in my kitchen means I've been pairing it with every meal of the day! 

scrambled eggs, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, and fresh avocado served on a toasted tortilla

 sliced avocado with salt & pepper on fresh toasted sourdough 

Who else loves them as much as I do?!

xx