Caution, this blog will make your mouth water....

Remember how Anthony and I went to AZ last month?

In my busy schedule, I have yet to post the most relevant pictures....

(No, I'm not talking about the giant blue skies)

(they are quite nice though, aren't they?)

My dear father-in-law fully supports my love of hot dogs.

So he did some thorough research trying to find something

that could live up to the Chicago Hot Dog.

Now, that doesn't look like a hot dog.....

Well, you're right dear readers, it's not.

Not yet at least.

On our way to seeking out the best Arizona dog,

we stopped by a Spanish Mission to attend mass.

Little did we know that they served food afterwards.....

and Anthony and I never miss the chance to try the local fare.

(even if it means eating two meals in 1 hour)

Dang, it was quite tasty.

And now, on to the main event....

Other than the long long lines,

the first thing I noticed about El Guero Canelo

was that they offered two hotdogs on one bun.

Of course I want two!

Wait, Wait...

They wrap their hotdogs in bacon?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

We aren't in Chicago anymore Toto...

Dare I make this claim....

but it was the best hot dog I had EVER eaten.

I had to fight with myself because I wanted another one.

I fought my urge, and found this hidden gem in the corner.

....their very first refrigerator....

oh, how I love this place.

A March Haiku.....

Spring is almost here!

I'm riding my bike to work!

I can't believe it!

Tonight's secret ingrediant....CHEESE!

Any of you who know Anthony or I

know that not only do we love to eat,

but we also love to cook.

So it seemed fitting that make something tasty

for dinner one night for our wonderful hosts.

And I have to admit,

I was a bit nervous....

You see,

Mrs. B is one of the best cooks I know.

But we were up for the challenge.

(This is one of my favorite recipes.)

Overall, the meal was pretty much a success.

Well, other than the fact that the crust was burned.

Maybe blackened would be a better term.

But after sawing off the char with a steak knife,

we were good to go.

*There was no photographic evidence of this because of my embarrassment :-)

Guess I've got some room for improvement

when it comes to living up to being a "Mrs. B" myself.

*kb

Here comes the sun

Have I mentioned that my new in-laws are awesome?

Well, they are.

Ma and Pa Bowers decided

that we needed some sun therapy,

and we happily obliged.

Goodbye bleakness, hello Arizona sunshine!

We decided to fly the friendly skies with Southwest,

which was amusing to say the least.

After lining us up like cattle

(mooooo),

we got to "choose" our seats.

Meaning no one picks the middle seat,

therefore sitting with the people you came with

is nearly impossible.

(We were lucky)

But the best part was when

they made the announcement

that everyone wants to hear on a plane...

"the shitter's full"

Good thing it was a short flight.

For the love of pie...

My lovely husband turned 6 and a half yesterday.

I mean today.

I mean, actually he didn't get a birthday.

He just happens to be a leap year baby.

He also loves pie.

So instead of cake, we have pie.

(All berry with rhurbarb to be exact)

Happy Birthday Anthony!

On a side note, there are many many more blog updates coming soon!

Pretty black and white things....

So the other day I causally noted that since moving to Chicago,

Indianapolis, Evansville, and Bloomington

had all gotten more snow than we had.

"Where's the snow?" I wondered.

It's finally here!

So the best things about snow in Chicago are...

no one freaks out,

driving isn't a hassel,

it's just a normal day,

but with SNOW!

It made me quite happy to frolic around last night....

and yes, for all of you seasoned Chicagoans,

I will probably get over my excitement soon,

but for now,

I'm happy as a clam :-)

And two more pics (and one haiku!) , just for fun....

This is Theresa .

She is a BADASS.

I work with her at the Sass.

Isn't this pretty?

(It's great to be making new friends up here.)

And finally, this is for everyone who knew me in Indy or IU.

I wore this to work last Saturday and rocked it.

Yes, it's a tutu.

Surprised? Yeah, I was too.

Anthony and Kara happened to pick me up after work to grab some sushi....

I didn't have time to change.

So I rocked it some more at dinner.

:-) *kb

A Sweet and Sassy Hotdog....

So, I had heard a lot about America's Dog from my coworkers.

I mean, it's called America's Dog

and their bag boasts that they were voted "Best Hot Dog in Chicago".

Really?

I've heard this claim before.....

The cool things about America's Dog

is that they specialize in 'dogs' from across the country.

Not trying to deviate from the basic "Chicago Dog",

I got the San Fran, which basically is a Chicago + Chilli.*

*in my book = AWESOME

Enter in my two Sweet and Sassy friends,

Angie and Ashley

who were also pretty stoked about their doggie dogs.

All in All, I give America's Dog an A+

1. They deliver

2. That order of fries/cheese/buffalo sauce? Only 2.50

(If you know me, you know I LOVE buffalo sauce)

3. They have punch cards for trying 18 of the 21 "city dogs"

(anything where the end result is free food and a t-shirt....count me in!)

4. Oh yeah, and the hot dog was DELICIOUS!

America's Dog....we will meet again soon :-)

Lately.....

So yes, it's been a while since my last post, but I'm back! Here's what I've been up to in Chicago....

ps, new years resolution #1 is to blog more :-)

It's official....

goodbye summer. 

hello football. 

I myself am excited. 

Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoosiers! 

(Nick's pint courtesy of the lovely Jen Goins...love you!)

a hidden jem....

i love our new neighborhood in chicago....

so instead of hot dogs today, 

i enjoyed an afternoon of exploring

....which was lovely....

if you live anywhere on Damen Ave between Addison and Belmot, 

you know this guy....

Let's call him Buster.

 

See Buster.

See Buster cruise the town with no leash. 

See Buster spot a nice lady walk onto his "turf".

See Buster intimidate the nice lady.

good to know someone is watching the neighborhood :-) 

*****

 and something lovely from our little place....

sport peppers, tomatoes, and pickle spears, oh my!.....

On my first hot dog excursion, 

I decided to go to the Vienna Beef Factory,

aka Hot Dog Mecca. 

******

After hopping off my bike 

(and practically skipping to the counter with excitement),

I giddily ordered my first "real" Chicago hot dog from Rufus, 

the guy behind the counter.

 

I was at a loss as to what to add to my "Mecca Dog", 

so my new chatty friend Rufus told me that I had to "load it up"

with all nine hot dog elements. 

Which I quickly learned meant no (no?!) ketchup, 

and something called "sport peppers" (huh?)

But, when in Rome, right? 

Also, not wanting to miss the opportunity, 

I asked Rufus the same question I ask all food servers...

"What is your favorite thing to eat here?"

(please say hot dog, please say hot dog, please say hot dog)

He didn't. 

"I get the Ruben, dogs are for kids"

*Crap*

Hot Ruben on a Cold Night?   

eh, maybe not. 

I'll stick with my dog, thanks. 

I grabbed my kiddie meal, held my head up high, 

and marched into the Chicago sunshine to experience it for myself.

Much to my chagrin, I was disappointed.

All condiments aside 

(which were quite tasty I must add), 

there wasn't much flavor from the actual dog. 

The hot dog seemed like a bit of a side note. 

"Where's the Beef?" I wanted to ask. 

But that would be cliche, right?  

.....time to regroup....

I quickly snooped around to see what this packed house was noshing so happily on.  

No one was eating hot dogs. What did they know that I didn't?! 

According to the nice ladies next to me, 

 Vienna Factory is much better known for Corned Beef 

and, yes, the Ruben.

*Crap*

Maybe I should have listened to Rufus.

*****

One year ago.....

...it all started with a trip to the dunes.....

....and a year later oh how things have changed....

*turning 27 on the 27th (my golden year!)

*marrying my beloved

*becoming Catholic

*moving to Chicago

*changing jobs

*becoming an avid bike rider :-) 

So with the -almost- beginning of my 28th year, I decided to start a blog. Moving to the "hot dog capital of the world" and loving food, it seemed fitting for this new city girl to seek out Chicago's best dog.      

So here I go....

*and don't worry, I'll talk about more than hot dogs in the blog.....    

I think :-)