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chicago

Homemade is the Name of the Game for Leona’s New Menu

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While I was compensated for this post by Leona’s Pizzeria the thoughts and opinions are my own. WARNING: For those not from Chicagoland, I’m sorry this post will make your mouth water and want to hop a flight here immediately. 


When my middle son was born, we had his Baptism party at Leona’s. We had always thought the food, atmosphere and service, were great, but we didn’t know it could get better. Last week, Leona’s released their new menu, and it is outstanding. It was one of those moments where I realized that just when I thought something could not get any better, it did.

Leona’s has been in Chicago since 1950, but recently is under new ownership and has reinvented the menu with all things homemade. If you’re looking for fresh, traditional Italian with a modern flare Leona’s Pizzeria is where its at. Also, with locations all over Chicagoland, take out, and delivery, you really don’t have any excuse not to try this awesomeness.

 

I had the pleasure of trying some of the new menu last week, and I was amazed. They have a lot of Leona’s old favorites (like the Romano Chicken) but this time it is all homemade in house. I may never cook again! That’s not true, but I do have a new place to enjoy dinner out on those nights when I’m not in the mood for eating out.

 

Antipasto Salad

My favorite thing on the menu is the Kick A$$ Garlic Bread. I know what you’re thinking, “C’mon, Erin, it’s just garlic bread.” NO! It’s just garlic bread.

 

It is HOMEMADE foccacia bread with homemade compound garlic butter. It is like when I make it myself in my kitchen. Also, some of there sandwiches like the Italian beef are served right on this awesome bread, and it is delicious. Next time I go back, it is will be an Italian Beef with extra giardiniera please!

 

I cannot wait to bring Brian here too! He is the ravioli man, and he will love all the varieties and homemade sauces to accompany them. I have tried making homemade ravioli for Brian, just like his grandmother used to make, and I ended up sweating and in tears. Now, I will just take him to Leona’s. I have a feeling he will like all of them from the asparagus and grana padano cheese topped with marinara sauce to the veal and portabello mushroom ravioli topped with meat sauce. I take that all back. Brian make just want the tiramisu. I cannot say I would blame him.

 

When I’m not cooking in my kitchen, you know where I will be from now on.

To check out Leona’s new menu CLICK HERE!

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Friday Pizza Night: A Family Tradition

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When I was a kid, almost every Friday night was Pizza Night (even during Lent we would order veggie)!! In the Chicagoland area, pizza places are everywhere, and when I was a kid we alternated between two of my favorite local places. Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around Friday Pizza Nights.

It didn’t matter if it was after basketball practice, or watching a football game, or renting a movie and picking up a pizza on the way home, I remember those nights like they were yesterday. I loved that it was a time that my family and sometimes our friends were all together, Mom didn’t have to cook (which now as a parent I completely appreciate), and the conversation always flowed a little easier with a pizza to share.

In this new year, I have vowed to help create memories like that for our little ones with some new routines. The kids are now old enough to appreciate Chicago pizza (unlike some people I know) and all of the fun that goes a long with it, we are thinking of starting our own pizza night and making it our own family tradition.

While, I love all kinds of pizza, I have to say that my favorite treat is a deep dish style pizza. I often request it for my birthday dinner, and to be honest there is nothing like it anywhere else but Chicago. If you are making a visit to the area or if you already live here, I am sure your mouth is watering.

To give a little background about one of my most favorite meals, Marriot has put together is awesome info graphic about Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza and where you can get the best and most popular pizzas in town.

 

For more information or to see this photo in greater detail CLICK HERE!

This info graphic is Powered by Marriott. Special thanks to them for sharing it with me. Since it is Friday, you know what I will be doing tonight! I hope you can start a new tradition in your family too.

Now, to decide what kind of pizza for tonight.

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I Bet You Thought I was Finished Talking about Listen To Your Mother

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Since my performance at the Listen to Your Mother Chicago Show, I have been busy and in definite summer mode. I was getting a lot of questions about LTYM day and how things went, but I was waiting until a.) I could put exactly into words how the experience went and b.) I wanted to be able to show you something awesome.

Well, to put Listen to Your Mother into words took a little time but,  in a nutshell the day was absolutely wonderful. I have never felt that kind of excitement before, and it was perfect. Also, it was a dream come true for me. I had always wanted to do something like that, and now I can say that I was a part of something so amazing and I made a bunch of new gals pals to boot! I can cross performing something I wrote off my bucket list, and really to be honest, I think I found something that I really like to do, and I might try for something like this again.

As for showing you, well thanks to all of the following wonderful organizations like our National Media Sponsors BlogHer and One 2 One Network, and National Video Sponsor The Partnership at Drugfree.org, specifically their The Medicine Abuse Project microsite, and our local Megaphone sponsor, Dom Itp. I am able to share this video with you!

To see the rest of the Listen to Your Mother Chicago cast perform CLICK HERE and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Just make sure to be prepared with some tissue, oh and you might have to pause and run to the bathroom from laughing to hard too. If this show was a movie, these women would all earn Oscars.

If you would like to read more about my awesome adventures, Gardening, DIY, Cooking, Baking and all other things domestic you can check me out on Facebook or become a follower of Home Everyday here. 

 

So excited: Listen To Your Mother

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Typically, I drink tea, but today I had coffee. Plus with the nerves of what is to come I’m a little jittery.

SUNDAY is the big day! I will be performing in Chicago’s 2nd Annual Listen To Your Mother show.

For those that cannot make it, I will be sure to post lots of pictures and details regarding the event next week. Also, later on I will be able to share a video.

If you are coming, I couldn’t be more thrilled, and I am so excited to see you all.

If you are thinking about coming, CLICK HERE for more information.

I just want to take a minute to thank Brian and the kids for all the support in this process.  Brian was wonderful and the kids, while they cannot attend, have been so excited that “Mommy is in a SHOW!” Also, thank you to my wonderful family and amazing friends who didn’t think twice about buying tickets to the show, and have moved plans, cleared their schedules, and flown in to see me. Knowing you are all going to be in the audience really is going to make all the difference.

To my fellow cast members, LET’S DO THIS THING! (Honorable mention to Samantha Schultz for driving me everywhere because I don’t like to).

PS If you’d like to see yet another post I’ve writing about Listen To Your Mother, CLICK HERE!

Listen To Your Mother… OUCH!

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I was going to write a wonderful post about grilled steak fajitas, but while cooking last night, I cut my finger. It is definitely not serious, but is definitely making it hard for me to type.

I was chopping cilantro for the guacamole while simultaneously steaming corn, occasionally stirring peppers and onions, taking photos of food, going in and out to the grill, telling Brian to come in from doing yard work because dinner was almost ready, and  saying something to the effect of, “If you jump on that couch one more time, there will be no playing outside after dinner!”

So, lesson learned. That kind of craziness… I mean multi-tasking is going to lead to injury.

I cleaned it up, applied lots of pressure, and had Brian bandage it up for me.

As I said earlier, it isn’t serious, but I know I will have to keep a bandage on it for a few days.

As most of my readers know, on Sunday, it is Listen To Your Mother Chicago of which I am a member of the cast. I hope I can find some cute bandaids that will match my red peep toe wedges.

 

I guess I will have to get to the fajitas another day.

 

LTYM Rehersal #1, Lucky Pants, and Family

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When I think family, I think stories. Growing up, I used to beg my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, whoever I would be around to please tell me stories. I would want to know what it was like when they were kids, where they got married, what they ate, where they shopped, how they met, where they lived, where they worked, all their travels, all their jokes, all of their stories (when I think back on this, it is starting to make sense that I love writing stories now).

On Sunday, I walked into what unexpectedly seemed like a family reunion.

Why?

On Sunday, I met (in person) for the first time the rest of the cast members of the 2013 Chicago Show of Listen to Your Mother, and let me just say, I’m blown away. Not only by their words (which by the way were amazing, get your tickets, people!), but also because these women are awesome at life.

My niece, Emily has this saying, “I am awesome at life.” When she says it I smile, and agree with her. She is living her life her way, tries her best in whatever she does, and even if she fails, she is learning from the journey.

That is what I mean when I say these women are awesome at life. They are living life on their terms successfully and learning from the trials. These women who have shared a portion of their journey with me, carry themselves with such poise, humility, humor, grace, strength, and kindness. They are all extremely talented writers to boot (here is my second time reminding you to get tickets).

I was so nervous and scared walking into this room of women. I have to say I was pretty intimidated. I’ve only been “writing” for a short time, and I know there is a great deal I still need to learn. Also, after browsing some of their work, I was amazed by the talent, and thought, “Wow, I’m kind of not worthy, and definitely not funny or talented enough to be around this crowd.” (TICKETS!)

I bet you are all wondering what this has to do with my GREEN WEEK! Well, I wore my favorite kelley green pants. I wanted to wear something casual that would give me a little confidence, and since they are one of my new favorite things to wear, I thought they would do just the trick. After Sunday’s rehearsal, I’m thinking of calling them my Lucky Pants now. These women liked what I had to say.

While, the pants are cute, the kindness of the ladies was overwhelming, and it was these wonderful writers that helped me feel a little more relaxed an confident. Upon meeting just a few when I walked in, I knew I could take a deep breath, relax, and pretend I was at a family reunion.

To me, our little LTYM group is just that… a family. An eclectic and unique group of individuals with a nut (me) sharing our stories.

And to me, stories are family.

For more information on Listen to Your Mother click here. FOR TICKETS to Chicago’s May 5th Show, click here.

Trying: Listen to Your Mother

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The past few weeks have been overwhelming for sure. I am still finding remnants of paint in my hair from painting the upstairs bathroom, I have also been doing the regular day to day. While I’d like to say that my house is immaculately clean and I cooked a home cooked meal every day and all the laundry is folded an put away, I cannot say that today. I might be able to say that Monday, but not today. Life has been too busy and too good to worry about laundry.

Why is life good?

My kids are healthy and happy, Brian has a little time off work, and I have been busy with some projects.

Also, a few weeks ago, I submitted an essay to the producers of Listen to Your Mother Chicago which you can learn more about here. While I was hopeful, I feel like my writing is still in the early stages and was understanding that there are some more eloquent people out there.

Then, I got an email in my inbox asking me to audition.

So, I practiced, I dressed up, and I gave it my all.

Then, I got another email.

I am a part of the 2013 Chicago Cast of Listen to Your Mother!

 

I am amazed and overjoyed  and extremely honored to be a part of this show.

I am a person who overthinks things and sometimes is afraid to try. I tried, and I am so very glad I did.

For more information about Listen to your Mother, you can check out their National Website here or watch past shows here.

Today, I have to try and get some laundry done. Hopefully, that will be as big of a success.

Happy Weekend, Readers!

Linking up at Mom of 6 as part of Sharon’s weekly share your life series!

Marathon Watching!

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This weekend is a super busy one for us, and will have plenty to share next week. Today, however I just wanted to share some pictures of us cheering at the Chicago Marathon two weeks ago.

I ran the Chicago Marathon (and finished) a few years ago, and hope to do it again someday. This year, the kids and I cheered some people on, including my oldest’s pre-school teacher, a family friend, my old Cross Country coach, and our Church’s priest and fundraising team.
The weather was perfect, and the kids loved watching the runners.
“Mom, why are you taking my picture… again?”

“Mommy, next time we are bringing chairs.”

“YAY! Gooooooo runners!”

This was also the perfect day to break in the new camera.

 

Have an awesome weekend, everyone!