Baked Tomatoes with Quinoa, Corn, and Green Chiles

65 degrees, sunny, and an early morning trip to the farmers market…a perfect fall day in my book!  One of the best parts of living in Old Town is the huge open air farmers market a block away.  With 20 bucks in my wallet and my reusable grocery bag I headed out this morning with a coffee in hand to pick up the ingredients I needed.  I was so excited to get everything on my list for this dish (excluding the quinoa and dried spices I had at home).  Since it was from Cooking Light I knew this was going to be a great dish – healthy and flavorful (farmers market veggies are the best!).  Even though this is a great veggie dish, I also think you could add in some turkey sausage into the mixture if you wanted a little meat in there.  It does take a little while to prepare everything, so it probably isn’t the best weeknight meal if you are looking for something fast.  It is well worth the prep time though! Enjoy!

Buttermilk Herb Vinaigrette

 Don’t you just love when you order a meal at a restaurant that hits the nail on the head?  A few weeks ago I transitioned to a new role at PepsiCo and a few of my new teammates took me out for lunch at a place called Sepia.  Being that this was the Monday after my sister’s bachelorette party I figured I should choose something in the salad section after a weekend of indulging.  My taste buds were so blown away it inspired me to try and replicate it at home.  A major aspect of it was the dressing, but another unique part of the salad was that it had shaved fennel on it.  I would definitely recommend adding it in for a subtle but unique twist. 

Southern Peach Cobbler

Okay, so I have been on a peach-kick lately, but can you blame me?  A few weeks ago I was thinking through what types of recipes I would want to try and share and it got me thinking…I am someone who loves to cook, I am from the south, and even more specifically the Peach State.  To me, 1 + 1 + 1 = Southern Peach Cobbler.  I figured a cook with southern roots should know how to make a damn good peach cobbler.  So I set out to find a recipe. After reading a lot online and watching videos on how to make a perfect fluffy yet golden crisp batter I found a recipe that sounded like a winner….and it was!  The only improvement recommendation  I have is that I think you should make a little more of the batter than it has below (it tastes so good you will want a little more!).  

White Peach Sangria

Having a party anytime soon? Are you tired of serving the same old thing…beer and wine?  Well, kick things up a notch with this REALLY easy and yummy white peach sangria recipe.  And since peaches are in season, it is the perfect time of year to make it!  Make sure your peaches are ripe and not too hard…you definitely want them nice and juicy…especially the ones you puree.  Make sure to load it up with lots of fruit and give the flavors time to come together.

Roasted Banana Pudding

Ahhhhh, Chicago in the summer…you really can’t beat it, especially when you have some special visitors.  Last weekend was perfect…well maybe about 5 degrees a little too cool for a true summer day, but that was probably a little better for my Grandma and Aunt who were visiting.  After three years of trying to explain where we live, they finally got to see it and explore the city. 

Classic Macaroni Salad

Two of my favorite people came to town to visit…one of my greatest friends, Katherine, and my boyfriend (even though he doesn’t know it) Justin Timberlake came in for his concert.  With Katherine being a former Chicagoan, it was an easy weekend, touring some of our favorite hangout places, finding some new cute (and reasonably priced boutiques), and probably indulging a little too much in wine, but hey…that’s what you do with friends.  

Blueberry Crumb Cake

I believe the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers” but for me “June showers brings Lindsay’s travels.”  June was a fun filled month starting with my 29^th birthday on the 15^th.  One more year before the next decade starts...that feels really odd.  Ann and I rang in my 29^th birthday at the AMAZING Peninsula Spa here in Chicago.  It was my first experience at a high end spa (something other than Spa Envy), and it was worth every penny.  From the relaxation rooms with these recliner/beds with big down comforters where you can nibble on apricots to the sun deck where we sipped champagne and had some shrimp cocktail in our robes with fabulous views of downtown Chicago and lastly the supremely relaxing treatments…it was a great way to ring in my birthday and spend time with my sister.  That was the end of relaxation in June as the next two weekends I was on the road for a tour de showers.