  Happy Sunday you all!
It comes to another happy Sunday for me and I hope everyone is feeling the same. Sunday is the day when I look forward to: - posting something good on my blog - saying “HI!” to all of you here - spending my morning with friends and a someone special. - having a cup of coffee - relaxing I hope you are all enjoying your weekend and summer. It is such a great summer here in Chicago, not too hot at all. We had a few days of 95 degrees, but other than that is super nice and cool. One thing I think about in the summer time is Green City Market. It is farmers that provide a marketplace for purchasing fresh locally grown healthy foods to all members of the community. There are so many fresh fruits; some of them are my favorite and some of them I have never heard before, such as Ground Cherry and Bubblegum Plum. Ground Cherry is the fruit that grows inside a paper (husk/ looks like tomatillos from the outside, but smaller). They are tart-sweet berries good for pies, preserves, jams, also as a topper for a breakfast bowl (granola, oatmeal, or smoothie bowl) to give the sweetness and providing some balance to the bowl. Bubblegum plum, also referred to as Toka plum, is one that I absolutely liked from the first bite. It is sweet and a little tart from the skin then you get the aftertaste of bubble gum flavor. I brought some goodies home such as mushrooms, and in my mind I note that I will make something good out of these fresh organic mushrooms. You will never go wrong with mushrooms as they are so versatile; you can throw them in a stir-fry, a fried rice, soup, salad or a pasta. Since I have some leftover mascarpone in my fridge the answer is easy to go for pasta. This recipe I adapted from Jamie Oliver With this recipe, you can whip up a delicious dinner meal in no time. I love the creaminess of the sauce of which the mascarpone cheese helps by also adding some thickness. The spinach and mushroom add in a fresh and healthy feeling when you have that thick of a sauce with your dinner. I hope you all enjoying your Sunday, Natty
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- At this JW Marriott Chicago lobby diners, every delightful dish is creating from the fresh ingredients. Senior Sous Chef Russell Shearer and Chef Michael Reich focused on a great philosopher of the food that serving up a seasonally rotating menu.   Meet the Chef:  Senior Sous Chef Russell Shearer has a passion for Italian cuisine and cooking in general. His culinary skills began staging at restaurants in Portland’s Pearl District, then transferred to his hometown and began work at the Denver Marriott Tech Center at Campari’s Restaurant. Then he made another transfer to JW Marriott Chicago as a sous chef. Russell is a Certified Beer Server as designated by the Cicerone Certification Program as well as a JW Marriott Wine Ambassador.  Get to know the menu: JW Marriott Chicago Lobby Lounge August Featured Specials   - Ahi Tuna Poké: this ahi tuna Poké bites bring me back to Maui. a fresh Wild tuna, ginger, sesame, scallions, wakame salad.   - Burrata Panzanella: Vine-ripened tomatoes, burrata, herbed ciabatta, pickled sweet onion, basil, extra virgin olive oil. This is one of Chef Russell favorite dish! the dish is creating from his childhood that he used to make ingredient for this dish from his garden, plus the extra touch with his dad seasoning.   - Chicago Lobster roll: The Wild Maine lobster salad was super fresh, sweet, tender served in the soft brioche roll, fennel slaw, house made potato chips. There is no need for extra mayo or any hot sauce.  - All Natural Chicken Breast Paillard: the flavor of this recipe was delicious, with a tart sour from all the lemon that's balanced by a last-minute addition of salad and the fresh Wild red arugula salad, sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, and pecorino romana. Beverages:   Housemade Bitters  Framboise Fizz: Raspberries, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, soda water  Melon Farm: Tanqueray 10, Lillet Rose, peach liqueur, watermelon juice, lemon juice, honey syrup  Housemade Ginger Beer JW Marriott Chicago Lobby Lounge Seasonal Menu Schedule
August: ‘Summer Chill.' September: ‘Hamilton Inspired Menu’ to celebrate the Broadway production of Hamilton coming to Chicago October: ‘Oktoberfest.' November: ‘Fall Harvest.' December: ‘Winter Warm Up.'  Happy Sunday Folks! I hope you are all enjoying the summer as much as I have been. I have been traveling all over the greater Chicago area simply to enjoy all the foods and drinks this great city has to offer. Going out 3-4 times a week is such a fun time with your friends, especially when good foods and drinks are involved. One part of me enjoys eating out so much, another part of me says that I need to watch out, and please get back to the routine of well balance in between each meal throughout the day. If you have been following my journey, you would know that I have addicted smoothies as my breakfast routine. This summer I decided to take time and make a variety of breakfast bowls. I make more chia seed pudding, overnight oatmeal, smoothie bowl, and granola. I would say every single bowl I create is my favorite; I find something good out of each bowl. This part allows me to get super excited about discovering more and more ways to pairing all ingredients together. The base ingredient here is granola; crunchiness makes your bowl more enjoyable. Homemade Granola can be a healthy meal, snack, or treat. Most of the granola you find stores are packed with high sugar and contain unnecessary ingredients. Taking time to make your own granola is super easy, and allows you to control the amount of fat and sugar. Also, you can choose your favorite nuts and add in flavors of your own desire. This homemade granola is lean, contains high fiber, low sugar, super crunchy, and nutty from pistachio & pecan. It is also more healthy than the store-bought. You can add this delicious granola into your breakfast bowl to create a crunchy texture.... YUM.... The ingredients breakdown: Old-fashioned oats are a breakfast staple that is healthy, has a chewy texture, and also a popular choice for baking. Nuts and seeds: This recipe I used pecans and pistachios, both are my favorite, and it is pairing well with the orange flavor. Also, I used wheat germ, and raw shelled hemp seed. Wheat germ is a good source of B vitamins such as folate, Fiber, Iron, and Omega-3. Other optional including walnut, green pumpkin seeds, cashew, almond, peanuts, macadamias, and sunflower seeds. Raw shelled hemp seeds offer a good source of plant-based protein, amino acids, and Omega fatty acids. Fats: Healthy fat is a great option to control your diet, and it is healthier than processed fats. Fat keep the granola crisp. I prefer coconut oil, which adding the nutty flavor into it. Another option is olive oil. Flavors: I used orange zest and orange flower water, to add more fragrance and a sweet flavor. Other options are lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Dried fruit: I would suggest adding dried raisins and dried cranberries once the granola has cooled. For me personally, I add dried fruit before baking to add an extra crunch to it. This recipe makes about 4 and a half cups of granola. It is a great weekend project that you can stock up for the week, or even a healthy snack keep up through the week. Here are 5 granolas breakfast bowl ideas for you to play around with and make your morning more fun than ever, or you can just pour milk and some fresh fruit on top and enjoy. Don't forget to grab something healthy to munch on during the day or one meal a day.
Thank you for stopping by and reading my article. XOXo, Natty  This is a perfect way to enjoy summer with your favorite fruits from the season. There are a lot of berries in the summertime and I can't help myself to not make at least one smoothie from these yummy berries. This refreshing mixed berries smoothie recipe is loaded with antioxidants from a lot of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
With the summer weather, I always enjoy the sun and have many good times. This "Mixed Berries Smoothie Recipe" will give you a fresh start of the day or makes a refreshing snack when you need a drink to cool you down. It’s so good and refreshing! I hope you enjoy your summer. Thank you for stopping by and reading my article. XOXo, Natty |
AuthorHi, I am Natty! And Thank you for stopping by!! I am a foodie girl who has a passion for cooking, exercise and photography. There are so many favorite recipes from my family and friends I have tried throughout my journey that balances out and makes a healthy meal. I would like to take you on a journey to a different pantry around the world to share my favorite stories and recipes. My hope is that they inspire and benefit you. "You love someone, you open yourself up to suffering, that's the sad truth. Maybe they'll break your heart, maybe you'll break their heart and never be able to look at yourself in the same way. Those are the risks. That's the burden.Like wings, they have weight, we feel that weight on our backs, but they are a burden that lifts us. Burdens which allow us" Bones  Don't wait for the perfect moment,take the moment and make it perfect. - Zoey Sayward- Archives
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