Magnolia’s Chicago
Barbara Smith Wilke
- Photography – Family – Friends – Food -
December 14, 2011
November 27, 2011
Rosalind Simone
It’s been awhile… We’ve been busy around here. Rosalind was born September 6, 2011. She is perfect. More soon.
November 27, 2011
Film: Magnolia with Sunflower
Taken in late summer, 2011.
July 8, 2011
foster ave beach
I’ve been AWOL for a couple of reasons… We moved to a new apartment at the beginning of June, I then went to Nashville for 2 1/2 weeks… and my camera is in need of repair (or upgrade). But I found some pictures from May that I hadn’t posted so here they are.
We went to our local Lake Michigan beach in May, before all the crowds. Foster Avenue beach has a beautiful park area over looking the lake–perfect for an ice cream cone and bare feet on a breezy day.
In other news… my belly continues to grow as I get closer and closer to my due date.. only a couple months to go now! I will be looking forward to the end of summer, as the weather cools off and I can start nesting in preparation for the newest little member of our family. We are all so excited and grateful for a new baby in our lives.
May 19, 2011
Jeri’s Grill
Last weekend, we ate at Jeri’s Grill in our Lincoln Square neighborhood. I was craving an old-schoool diner style chopped steak for some reason. So we headed out about 10:00 on Friday night and all our diner dreams came true. This place is a legit diner, complete with a homeless person chilling in the corner, but the food was tasty and cheap, and the tunes on the juke box were jivin’ or something. Noah has a steak dinner AND a double cheeseburger, and ate every last bite. We finished off our meal by sharing a delicious home-made peach cobbler. I will definitely come here again.
May 10, 2011
breakfast of champions- ham and eggs
Turns out it’s not Wheaties after all! It’s eggs! Fried, scrambled, poached…. in an omelet, frittata or skillet…. I eat a lot of eggs. A super-dense source of protein, choline, vitamin D and B vitamins- eggs are the original whole food. This cheesy masterpiece is one of my new favorite ways to eat them.
- First, heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high, add a few slices of torn up deli ham and let it get a little bit brown.
- Add a splash of olive oil and crack your eggs right on top of the ham.
- Put a lid on it and let the eggs cook.
- When the whites are almost set, add some shredded cheese, salt and pepper and put the lid back on to melt.
- Finally, add a little chopped spring onion, slide on to a plate and enjoy the gorgeous tastes and textures.
May 6, 2011
Top 10
This has to be one of my favorite photos of Maggie. This is the little alley-passageway behind our apartment. This apartment has served us well for our first year in Chicago, and I know Maggie will miss it when we move to our new place at the end of the month.
May 5, 2011
strawberry kefir milkshake
Since I’ve been pregnant this time my dairy cravings have shot up like they did with Maggie. But, instead of (near nightly) pizza & ice cream, I have been eating healthier versions of my favorite cravings. Home-made sugar-free ice cream & cheesecake, bacon and goats cheese loaded salads, fluffy egg scrambles with onion and cheddar, and this perfect milk shake.
Kefir is the star in this drink. It’s a fermented yogurt drink with a ton of probiotics in it, and it’s 99% lactase free which is great, meaning it is very low in milk sugars, and highly digestible. Some quick facts about kefir:
Interesting Facts
Kefir dates back to the shepherds of the Caucasus mountains. They discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage. Its uniqueness from all other cultured milk products is the presence of more than three species in the culturing process.Nutritional Facts
Kefir is rich in Vitamin B12, B1, and Vitamin K. The numerous benefits of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping relieve skin disorders, boost energy and promote longevity. -from kefir.biz
This couldn’t be easier to throw together. I eyeball the ingredients as usual, but it tends to be about:
- 2/3 cup Organic plain Kefir
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (yes! crucial for getting it to taste like a milk shake, not just a smoothie)
- about a tablespoon of Truvia (sugar-free stevia sweetener)
- small handful of washed strawberries
- dash of vanilla (optional)
or honey
Blend ’til smooth, and bottoms up!
