Hola! If you couldn't tell from all my Instagram and Facebook posts, I just spent the most incredible weekend in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico! Between the food, friends and sun...this weekend couldn't have been more special. I had friends fly in from Chicago, Florida, Sweden, Canada, NYC, Philly and Boston. It made me feel so amazing to see such a wonderful mix of my friends come together and celebrate me. We did everything you could want to do during a bachelorette party. While some of what ... [ Read More ]
Caramelized Garlic, Spinach & Cheddar Tart
As most of you know, 99.9% of the time, I create my own dishes. It's very rare that I even see a recipe and decide to follow it step by step without changing something along the way. While most people find it comforting to follow a recipe, I just seem to find it stifling and frustrating. However, this weekend, I stepped outside of my comfort zone when I saw this incredible recipe for a caramelized garlic, spinach and cheddar tart in Bon Appétit magazine. Instead of just sending you to the ... [ Read More ]
How to Create a Stress-Free Wedding Seating Chart
From what I've been told, creating the seating chart for your wedding can be one of the most stressful parts of the planning process. As someone who created mine in under and hour (with almost 240 guests), I'm telling you, it doesn't need to be that way. A planner must be maintaining a good state of mind for both receiving ideas and critics when they fail to satisfy the needs of the client. This is possible by including the Organic CBD Nugs daily along with other medicines that we take since it ... [ Read More ]
Shamrock Shake Remake
Can we have a heart to heart? I know you're not going to like me very much for telling you this, but that Shamrock Shake you're drinking from McDonalds has enough sugar, calories and fat in it to destroy any diet. If the 660 calories, 19 grams of fat and 93 grams of sugar don't scare you, how about the list of 54 (yes 54) ingredients and obscure additives? What about the fact that a 16oz of this green shake has about the same amount of calories as a Big Mac and a small french fry? Nutty ... [ Read More ]
Restaurant Review: Crīo
Last week, I got the chance to finally check out Crīo after months of drooling over their delicious (and hilariously funny) photos on Instagram. To be honest, since I'm surrounded by great food all the time, it's very rare that a restaurant's Instagram will lure me in. Well, I'm glad it did. If you haven't had the chance to try Crīo in Chicago yet, then consider this your wake-up call. Although this place says it has "The Best Latin American food in Chicago", I'd go as far as saying it's one ... [ Read More ]
Honey Soy Crunch Chicken
Real talk...this honey soy crunch chicken taste even better than it looks (if that's even possible). This ooey gooey, crunchy masterpiece is my new go-to recipe any night of the week. I developed this last week when I wanted to make dinner for my friend Chloe. It was her birthday, and a home-cooked meal is one of her favorite things on earth. I decided it was time to invent a new chicken dish. I was in the mood for something different and have been tired of the same old recipes lately. Since ... [ Read More ]
Erica’s Magic Mac and Cheese
Did you know that in the time it takes to make a box of mac and cheese, you can actually make a homemade one (and it will taste a whole lot better)? For those of you who know me (or follow along with my blog), you know I'm not a huge fan of store bought boxed products. The problem is, they usually have so many gross additives, colorings and preservatives, that you end up not knowing what you're eating. Mac and cheese is a prime example of this major issue. Today, I'm going to help you rid ... [ Read More ]
Chicago’s North Shore Restaurant Month has Arrived!
Last night, I was driving home from O'Hare airport after a long trip and I was starving. The traffic was awful (what's new?), so I decided to jump off the highway and find a restaurant nearby before I got super "hangry" and did something I would regret. Let's face it; we've all been there. When I took to Google to research somewhere nearby, I saw that Chicago's North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau was putting on a restaurant month during February. I noticed that they were featuring ... [ Read More ]
100 Calorie S’mores Dessert
I'll admit it...I have a huge sweet tooth. While most people make their new years resolutions to cut out desserts, this year, I made one to always finish my meal with something sweet. Why not? Enjoying sweets in moderation is ALWAYS a good thing. That's why, this year, I've made it my mission to create satisfying desserts with less than 100 calories. The first one I perfected is my microwave (or oven if you're patient) s'mores. This dessert is super simple, very inexpensive and you won't ... [ Read More ]
How Chicken Riggies Came to Chicago
Over the last few days, many of you have been asking me how I was able to get chicken riggies to a restaurant in Chicago. Well...here is my story... Last week, I was having dinner at The Pasta Bowl on Clark Street in Lincoln Park. As I was enjoying my dinner, the owner came by to check-in and we started chatting about my food blog. He asked me how I grew so quickly and I gave him a quick, two word answer, "chicken riggies". "What's a riggie?" he said. You may be asking yourself the ... [ Read More ]
