Photo credit: Pampered Chef During the pandemic, in mid 2020, when everyone was at home learning to cook, it seemed like a good time to do something I had always been interested in - being a Pampered Chef consultant. I loved their products and I still have some items that I've had for a couple decades or more. I went to my first Pampered Chef home party before I was even married, which was in 1991. I enjoyed the parties and liked the idea of earning free and discounted product. But, there was never time in my schedule to work in driving all over the region to do in-person demos at people's h ..read more

For anyone who grew up on canned soup, please...step away from the can opener and know there is a better choice. I love making fresh soups, but when there's not time in the schedule, Zoup! soups are the best alternative. They taste so good, they'll be easily mistaken for a freshly-made pot.  Back when Zoup! was still a restaurant franchise, it was one of my dad's favorite spots. He loved checking each day to see what variety they had. And I loved the times we would stop there together for a bowl of soup for lunch. I'm so glad that even though there are not physical locations to go to ..read more

If you have ever found yourself craving the staples of a Jewish deli, you'll need to make plans for a stop at Bergstein's NY Deli in Homewood. Formerly located in Chicago Heights, the deli relocated almost a year ago to their current spot on Martin Avenue, just off Ridge Road in downtown Homewood.  You'll find lox here. And matzo ball soup. And pastrami. And whitefish. And bagels. And many other deli sandwiches, salads, soups, parmesans, breakfast sandwiches and more.  The place is owned by New York transplant who opened the deli in response to the small number of places in the C ..read more

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and if you're still looking for ideas to pamper your favorite person, I've got a few ideas to send your way. Some are food related and others are some random ideas or experiences - stuff that I would definitely not mind being treated to. Wishing you and your special person a wonderful, romantic celebration. Fairytale Brownies I am so obsessed with these amazing treats. Made with high quality ingredients, these amazingly fudgy brownies contain imported Belgian chocolate. There's a variety of different flavors and you can buy assortment boxes to try ou ..read more

I was sitting in the chair getting my hair cut when another hair stylist, Jerry, recommended a restaurant to me. Knowing I'm a food blogger, food is often a topic of conversation when I head to Classy Cuts to get my hair done by Kelly, who I've been going to for well over a decade. She fills me in on the good meals she has been eating and asks where I've been lately. When Jerry chimed in, the place he was urging me to go was RH in Oakbrook and he raved about the food and the rooftop dining. I tucked it away on my list of places to keep in mind. Last year as I was working on my book Uniqu ..read more

I like to cook. I'm more of a cook than a baker. I always enjoyed baking goodies for my kids and for friends, but I've never really been a completely from-scratch person. My cakes and brownies and breads and cupcakes usually come from a mix. Pies usually include frozen, refrigerated or graham cracker crust. Cookies are something I do make from scratch, but I don't make cookies often. Maybe once or twice a year - and usually close to Christmas I'll bake some cookies or bars from scratch. In recent years, I've scaled way back on sugar and try not to even have desserts in the house unless I'm ..read more

In doing research last year for my new book, Unique Eats and Eateries of Indiana, I made my way all around the state visiting potential restaurants to include in the book. Among them was the oldest restaurant in Northern Indiana, St. James Restaurant. It's history goes way back to the late 1800s when it was an early hotel with an eatery. By the 1940s it had started to deteriorate, but was brought back by new owners Bill and Evelyn Freeman. They added on over the years and made improvements.  It features a beautiful bar and some stunning stained glass in the bar and dining room. One ..read more

We've been making our way to Shipshewana, Indiana in the winter for several years to be there for the annual Ice Festival. A chili cook-off has always been part of the festival, but they added a wing competition in recent years, too. If you've never been to Shipshewana, it's a small community in northern Indiana Amish Country that is full of quaint shops, many of which have Amish-made food or other products or are owned by Amish families. It has a big Amish buffet restaurant, The Blue Gate Restaurant, where you can fill up on all kinds of Amish comfort food. There's two theaters offering play ..read more

I love spending time in Southwest Michigan. I love the lake views. I love the small communities. I love the farm life and agricultural experiences. I love the craft breweries. And I love the variety of eateries, gourmet stores, wineries and more. Stevensville is a place I'm especially fond of. A few years ago before moving to Northwest Indiana, Stevensville was one of the places we contemplated moving to. A while back we made a trip up there around Christmas to pick up a gift card bundle at a Chamber event that had 8 or 10 gift cards for a number of businesses at a discounted price. I loved t ..read more

I came across this photo on my phone and had to pop up a post about it. At the very end of October, an unseasonably warm day two days before Halloween, we had temperatures in the 80s. Knowing it would be the last warm burst for a very long time, my friend Janet and I, made a trip out to meet another friend, Shannon, at West Beach.  Somehow, I ended up in the wrong parking lot and never found Shannon who was walking her dog on the beach a little bit east of us, but we wandered the beach for a while looking for her and just soaking in that warm breeze. We took off our flip flops and walked ..read more