For your viewing pleasure. Sunday M had a "Fancy Pants BBQ" in Humboldt Park and it was QUITE lovely. It was just as it sounds. We wore dresses and the boys dressed their best and the spread of food and spirits was pretty, gourmet, fancy and honestly, reminiscent of a Vanity Fair photo shoot. You know how I love Humboldt Park and could go on and on.....but I won't this time. I've inundated you with far too many words today. I think I'll wait till tomorrow to share the Femi Kuti experience with you. Anyway.....not only did we have a BBQ BUT I ventured on down to the Puerto Rican and Cuban salsa ensemble. A group of Latin American men assemble a speaker, background music and a five piece or so salsa band EVERY day in the summertime and just jam out, drawing a decent crowd. I love that 60647 is a hispanic hood. I might "look" like the stereotypical juera, but Facebook told me I'm Latina and I believe (what do I term Facebook? It? Them?) it! ha ha ha. Anyway....yea, I'm a juera living in the hood. And I love it. Oh and after the pics and video I've posted my recipe for the most amazing potato salad I've ever had (and served at the BBQ).
G and K (?) posing for the photo shoot....ha ha. VIDEO:
Fancy Pants Potato Salad Recipe: SERVES 4 -6
INGREDIENTS: * 2 cups potatoes, diced, cooked and drained * 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled * 1/2 cup celery, diced * 1/4 cup green pepper or red pepper, diced * 1/4 cup onion, diced * 1 tablespoon dill relish * 2 teaspoons dill weed or dill seeds
Dressing
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise * 1 tablespoon ketchup * 1/2 teaspoon chili powder * 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/4 teaspoon black pepper * 1 teaspoon sugar
Directions
1. Cook potatoes. 2. Combine in large bowl,potatos,bacon crumbles, celery,onion,green or red peppers, dill relish. 3. Add dillweed or dill seeds and stir well. 4. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise,ketchup,chili powder,worcheshire sauce,salt, black pepper and sugar. Stir well. 5. Pour dressing over potatoes and stir to combine. 6. Chill 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Ok Ok Ok....so this is only at one restaurant in Chicago and it started on Monday. I've scolded myself twice now on the timeliness of the news and events I report on my blog. But I'm posting it anyway....to encourage the blog "triggers" (similar to the triggers that kept me in the daily "work" habit. Always remember, human beings: creatures of habit.) Oh and, well you know I'm a festive supporter and hobbyist of the occasional 40 oz. beer habit, because of what it stands for, and well, because I like beer! This is an article that was posted on www.thrillist.com/chicago National 40oz Week June 29-July 5 at the Fifty/50, 2047 W Division St, btw Damen and Hoyne; Wicker Park; 773.489.5050
Often by the time official recognition comes it's long overdue: it took 18 years after his tragic assassination for MLK to get a holiday, and secretaries struggled with hateful oppression for decades before Russell Stover negotiated a day of coconut-filled reparations. Finally giving the most economical of beverages its day (or week) in the sun, National 40oz Week.
Starting tonight and running seven days strong at the Fifty-50, National 40oz Week's a celebration of the 40's special place in American culture, commemorating everyone from those who've fallen in the hood to those whose taped hands helped them fall in their hoodies. Each night rocks a different $5 40oz selection (Olde English, St. Ides, Big Bear, etc) along with other malt liquor-themed discounts and tomfoolery. Some highlights:
Colt 45 'Works Every Time' Launch Party: Scoop up gratis Colt 45 merch Monday while you gorge on half-priced wings, pulled pork sandwiches, and the jalapeno/habanero "Hell Burger", which comes with a side of studying for the GMATs.
Four Courses to Freedom 40oz Dinner: On Wednesday night 25 bucks gets you four courses (stuffed mushrooms, cheese fries, fried chicken, baby back ribs w/cornbread) painstakingly paired with four different 40oz pours selected by a real live sommelier, 'cause how else would you know what to pair with the earthy, oaky notes of '09 King Cobra?
Cubs vs 40oz party: The first inning of Friday's Cubs-Brewers game will be spiced up with Jameson-spiked shots of Mickey's while the rest will feature $6 Mickey's Irish Car Bombs and a 6pm showing of Rocky, after which the Mickey's (and Mickey) will have you ready to eat lightning and crap thunder, but hopefully not until you get home.
Appropriately, they're wrapping things up Sunday with Schlitz Hangover Day, helping you rebound from exercising all your freedoms with $8 Schlitz-infused "Wobble Stopper" bloodies and half-priced biscuits and gravy w/ thick-cut maple-glazed bacon, meaning the only hateful oppression you'll struggle under is having to go into work the next day.
I swear I knew damn well it was Wednesday yesterday. And the day before that was Tuesday. But all day Tuesday I was telling people in public to have a good weekend. What an asshole right? *shame* It was the same on Wednesday. Every day is becoming a Saturday ALREADY? Has it been THAT easy for me to slide right into the non-working world after being at my job for TWELVE years? Particularly since I'm known to be the structured-know-where-my-next-paycheck-is-coming-from type of person (always refer back to the erratic non-static quixotic neurotic if in doubt). I'm not all that worried about it though. Maybe because I DO know where my next paycheck is coming from. (Good ole' State of Illinois). Or maybe it's because I FINALLY recognized that change is good and when it happens it's time to just move on and continue forward and try something new. I'm thinking it's a combination of the three. Has anyone else lost their job of long time recently with the economic downturn? Switched careers as a result? What was your experience? New job? My goal in the end is to NOT return to the 9-5, M-F, office job located outside of my home. If I have to do bookkeeping 40 hours a month from home and work as a bartender three days a week for 10 hours (yes, outside of home, but not in an office 9-5 M-F) or nanny 3 days a week or pimp my cats out to a cat calendar......whatever it takes to NOT slave to the clock and live my life for me.....I'm going to try REALLY hard to find it. If anyone knows of any good professions or jobs that have worked for themselves or friends that are at home jobs....PLEASE let me know. Oh and there are several job descriptions that have caught my eye as of recently that I'm interested in pursuing or finding out more about: Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing; grant writing; social media writer; hmmmmm a few others but I can't recall them at the top of my head lying in bed at 10 a.m. BUT my dilemma lies in the fact that every job I see posted for these career paths require extensive experience. How does one gain experience in a field where everyone wants an experienced employee? What ever happened to training? How do I gain experience?
On celebrating my new found freedom, I went to see Femi Kuti yesterday at Ravinia. I'm going to post this in a separate posting. I think I'm learning my style of blogging. I think I like to keep topics separate so as not to overload the reader. What do you guys think? Is that a good idea or does it really matter?
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