Last night the Quaker Team got invited to the Common Threads Gala which was one of the coolest parties I've ever been to. So much good food and so many amazing chefs! Post to come, but wanted to share with this picture of me with Tyler Florence and Stephanie Izzard in the background. Thanks for snapping it Blagica!!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
I thought you said SMILE!!
Last night the Quaker Team got invited to the Common Threads Gala which was one of the coolest parties I've ever been to. So much good food and so many amazing chefs! Post to come, but wanted to share with this picture of me with Tyler Florence and Stephanie Izzard in the background. Thanks for snapping it Blagica!!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Hi this is Ashley...leave a message
I am terrible at calling people back...there I said it.
I work at least 9 hours a day, come home make dinner, read or what tv then go bed. By the time I get done with dinner I'm exhausted and have no desire to pick up the phone and call people back. We are on central time and most of the family or friends who call are on eastern time and it's too late to call them back. It's awful but it's the truth.
I use to do most of my "catch up" calling in the car, but I now take the bus and I find it extremely rude to talk on the phone there. The weekends are my time to catch up. I'll call people back or just call to say hi. But even then I've just gotten terrible.
So, this is a post to say I'm sorry to those that I have slighted or offended. I do love you and want to talk. I promise to get better in the future.
I work at least 9 hours a day, come home make dinner, read or what tv then go bed. By the time I get done with dinner I'm exhausted and have no desire to pick up the phone and call people back. We are on central time and most of the family or friends who call are on eastern time and it's too late to call them back. It's awful but it's the truth.
I use to do most of my "catch up" calling in the car, but I now take the bus and I find it extremely rude to talk on the phone there. The weekends are my time to catch up. I'll call people back or just call to say hi. But even then I've just gotten terrible.
So, this is a post to say I'm sorry to those that I have slighted or offended. I do love you and want to talk. I promise to get better in the future.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Restaurant Week - Prosecco
It's restaurant week in Chicago! I've been looking forward to this for a while. Being new to the city, I love all the yearly "traditions/happenings" that I can now participate in. During restaurant week many restaurants in the city offer a pre-fix menu for lunch and dinner. I look at it as a way to get to restaurants I want to go to that I would only go to for a special occasion.
Friday night Jessica, Megan and I had a lovely dinner at Prosecco. It is a beautiful, very romantic place. We sat down and were greeted with a glass of Prosecco which was so nice. The ambiance of the restaurant was a perfect place for a special date or occasion (Bryan are you reading??).
We ate off the special restaurant week menu and normally when it's pre-fix there are only a few choices for each course but they had so many choices for the main course, I think six things to pick from.
My first course was a delicious butternut squash soup topped with cream and grilled pancetta. OH MY GOSH WAS IT GOOD! I could have had that for a meal. A perfect start on such a cold night. For my main course I choose homemade wide noodle pasta with slow roasted pork and tomato sauce. It was fantastic. The pasta was so fresh and the pork tasted like butter. Dessert was a little disappointing, my tiramisu was still a little frozen but by that point I was so full. And to be honest I'm not the biggest dessert person after a great meal like that.
I give the restaurant an A-. Great food, beautiful atmosphere and I would definitely go back.
Friday night Jessica, Megan and I had a lovely dinner at Prosecco. It is a beautiful, very romantic place. We sat down and were greeted with a glass of Prosecco which was so nice. The ambiance of the restaurant was a perfect place for a special date or occasion (Bryan are you reading??).
We ate off the special restaurant week menu and normally when it's pre-fix there are only a few choices for each course but they had so many choices for the main course, I think six things to pick from.
My first course was a delicious butternut squash soup topped with cream and grilled pancetta. OH MY GOSH WAS IT GOOD! I could have had that for a meal. A perfect start on such a cold night. For my main course I choose homemade wide noodle pasta with slow roasted pork and tomato sauce. It was fantastic. The pasta was so fresh and the pork tasted like butter. Dessert was a little disappointing, my tiramisu was still a little frozen but by that point I was so full. And to be honest I'm not the biggest dessert person after a great meal like that.
I give the restaurant an A-. Great food, beautiful atmosphere and I would definitely go back.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Weekend of Love
Lots of love went around last weekend. Jen and Ron arrived on Thursday night with three large suitcases ready to take in the city and celebrate a weekend of love!
We started out at Portillos for a true Chicago hot dog and Mai Tai's. I know that it isn't the most appetizing thing to eat pork and rum at 11:30 a.m. but I had to get Ron his hot dog.
After that we hit Michigan Ave to walk down to the Bean andthe Art Museum (it's free in February!) I was bummed out because American Gothic wasn't there but it was nice just to walk around and warm up.
We went to a great BYOB Italian place for dinner then headed to a wine bar on Clark that was so fun. We got a great seat next to the fireplace and enjoyed a great bottle of red wine. Ron didn't feel good so he went home but the rest of us proceeded on to the Kerryman. I hadn't been there since my company party but it was a blast. We played Paparazzi and have about 45 pictures from the 1.5 hours we were there.
Saturday Jen and I got mani/pedis and shopped while the boys recovered. We had a great time catching up and I got the download on wedding details!
Saturday was obviously Valentines Day and we had big plans to have champagne at Pop's and Dinner at Red Light. Both were DELICIOUS! We had amazing food at Red Light and it was so romantic - the perfect place for V-Day.
Sunday I got to use my birthday present - Jersey Boys tickets! The play was just awesome. We all loved it. Great music and such a well done show. We had dinner at Hub 51 which was another solid choice.
Needless to say we had a fabulous time with our close friends, lots of eating, drinking and catching up. Jen and I don't see each other as much as we would like but when we do it's great. The next time I see her will be for her wedding shower. I can't wait!
We started out at Portillos for a true Chicago hot dog and Mai Tai's. I know that it isn't the most appetizing thing to eat pork and rum at 11:30 a.m. but I had to get Ron his hot dog.
After that we hit Michigan Ave to walk down to the Bean andthe Art Museum (it's free in February!) I was bummed out because American Gothic wasn't there but it was nice just to walk around and warm up.
We went to a great BYOB Italian place for dinner then headed to a wine bar on Clark that was so fun. We got a great seat next to the fireplace and enjoyed a great bottle of red wine. Ron didn't feel good so he went home but the rest of us proceeded on to the Kerryman. I hadn't been there since my company party but it was a blast. We played Paparazzi and have about 45 pictures from the 1.5 hours we were there.
Saturday Jen and I got mani/pedis and shopped while the boys recovered. We had a great time catching up and I got the download on wedding details!
Saturday was obviously Valentines Day and we had big plans to have champagne at Pop's and Dinner at Red Light. Both were DELICIOUS! We had amazing food at Red Light and it was so romantic - the perfect place for V-Day.
Sunday I got to use my birthday present - Jersey Boys tickets! The play was just awesome. We all loved it. Great music and such a well done show. We had dinner at Hub 51 which was another solid choice.
Needless to say we had a fabulous time with our close friends, lots of eating, drinking and catching up. Jen and I don't see each other as much as we would like but when we do it's great. The next time I see her will be for her wedding shower. I can't wait!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Valentine's Day with my Love
Jen and her fiance Ron are coming in tonight to celebrate Valentines Day and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!She is my best friend from college and I don't know what life would be like without her. I'm honored to be standing beside her at her wedding this September!!
This weekend is sure to include champagne, lots of good eating and tons of fun.
This picture is from one of the best nights we've had together at one of the swankiest parties I've ever been to.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Grace in Small Things - 2
I'm feeling motivated about blogging. Yes, I have done a TERRIBLE job at keeping my blogging resolution (along with the others for that matter). But here goes for Small Things - 2.
1. Good Friends - My best friend from college is visiting us with her fiance Ron this weekend. It's his first time in Chicago and we are thrilled to show them around
2.My birthday - I know that's selfish but I had a great celebration with family and friends in Michigan. I'm very thankful for all of them.
3. A new refrigerator - ours broke this week. It was STOCKED and we had to throw away everything. It makes me sick to think of the money we threw away yesterday.
4. New jobs - Bryan started his new job last week and loves it. I'm truly relieved and happy that we are both working.
5. Twitter - I've made so many new friends and learned so much just by letting people know the line is long at Starbucks or what I'm eating for lunch. I use it everyday for work and myself.
1. Good Friends - My best friend from college is visiting us with her fiance Ron this weekend. It's his first time in Chicago and we are thrilled to show them around
2.My birthday - I know that's selfish but I had a great celebration with family and friends in Michigan. I'm very thankful for all of them.
3. A new refrigerator - ours broke this week. It was STOCKED and we had to throw away everything. It makes me sick to think of the money we threw away yesterday.
4. New jobs - Bryan started his new job last week and loves it. I'm truly relieved and happy that we are both working.
5. Twitter - I've made so many new friends and learned so much just by letting people know the line is long at Starbucks or what I'm eating for lunch. I use it everyday for work and myself.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Grace in small things - 1
I'm taking a cue from one of my favorite blogs and new friend Susan and finding grace and thankfulness in five small things today.
1. Snow - it's been bitter cold lately, but it is beautiful to look at
2. Vanilla Lattes
3. Our new president - yesterday was a day I will never forget
4. Red Wine
5. Hunter Boots
I'm not doing very well with my New Year's Resolution to blog at least once a week but I'm hoping that this will help me out. And help me remember that it's the little things that count.
1. Snow - it's been bitter cold lately, but it is beautiful to look at
2. Vanilla Lattes
3. Our new president - yesterday was a day I will never forget
4. Red Wine
5. Hunter Boots
I'm not doing very well with my New Year's Resolution to blog at least once a week but I'm hoping that this will help me out. And help me remember that it's the little things that count.
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