January has always presented a bit of a culinary conundrum for me. On one hand, it’s hard not to be totally inspired by all the healthy recipes out there on the inter-webs. On the other hand, it’s freakin’ freezing (can I just mention that the high in Chicago tomorrow is -13°F?) and all I’m craving is warm, hearty, hibernation foods. What’s a girl to do??
Thanksgiving is this week, and I could not be more excited! In my mind, there’s nothing better than a day full of spending time with family, cooking and eating great food, and drinking wine while celebrating everything you have to be thankful for. I’m feeling warm and snuggly just thinking about it. T-4 days, people!
I’m not going to lie – before I started dating Brad, I had little to no interest in football. I was totally the girl that watched the Super Bowl only for the halftime commercials, and early on in college, my best friends and I would go to the Northwestern football tailgates, but then opt for bagels and a nap instead of the actual game. However, since I now live with a guy who watches any and every football game, whether college or professional, and my TV blares with game updates from Saturday at noon until Sunday when I go to bed, I’ve definitely (perhaps by necessity) learned to love it. I can’t watch it with the same fervor as lifelong fans, but give me a good game on a beautiful fall day (particularly if Northwestern is involved) and I’m pretty much the happiest girl in the world.
I absolutely love fall, but it always has a tendency to sneak up on me. Like this year – when I left Chicago for a 10-day trip to the UK, it was 95 degrees. When I came back, it had dropped to the mid-60’s and our plane had to be re-routed due to severe thunderstorms. We’ve had a few days of Indian summer since then, but in general it felt like just like that, the days of fresh corn, heirloom tomatoes, and leaving the house without even thinking about wearing a jacket were gone. Luckily, most of my favorite foods are fall/winter foods and I can’t wait to spend the next 6 months eating warm, hearty meals and drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Hell yes.