Herbed Grilled Chicken

 

John and I don't have a huge list of must-watch TV shows, but once Fox's MasterChef rolls around, we record and watch every episode. And just like past summers, we're inspired by MasterChef to get in the kitchen and try new recipes! In a recent episode, the contestants were assigned different types of poultry to cook: pheasant, pigeon, quail, duck, turkey, and of course chicken.

 

After seeing the turkey, John declared that he wanted to grill some giant turkey legs. Think state fair-sized. Since the only turkey legs at the grocery store were frozen, we settled for chicken legs. They actually looked pretty comparable with the attached drumsticks and thighs.

 

Using ingredients picked fresh from our garden and on-hand in our spice cabinet and fridge, John assembled quite the tasty rub: sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper.

 

 

We liked the chicken so much we made it again this past weekend. This time, the rub included sage, rosemary, thyme, 3 Serrano peppers, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Mince everything up and mix in a bowl. 

 

Next, peel back the skin of the chicken. Using a knife made things a little faster and easier.

 

Take a big dollop of your rub and place it on your chicken.

 

Fold the skin back over, tucking in the rub for a little marinating nap. Placing the rub in between the skin and meat helps more flavor get into the meat and the prevents the herbs from burning on the grill. We let our chicken marinate in the fridge for 4 to 5 hours.

Grill it up! We prefer our charcoal grill, but propane or even a skillet on the stovetop will do!

And I don't usually eat chicken skin, but it gets so herby and crispy on the grill that I couldn't help but indulge in the fatty goodness.
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A Relaxing Weekend

I'm not usually one to share weekend updates, but this was a good one and I want to remember it! Especially since I'm nearing the end of pregnancy and life is about to change dramatically for the good. Suprisingly, I didn't take very many pictures because I wanted to unplug and had the iPhone tucked away for most of the time.

Photo via Prasino

On Friday night, John and I went to Prasino for a belated birthday dinner. We had seen the restaurant featured on Check, Please! and I've been dying to try the lobster stuffed avocado. From the appetizer to dessert, Prasino delivered. For dinner, I had the braised beef short ribs (so tender!) and John had the butternut squash ravioli. We splurged and had the chomeur maple pudding for dessert.


Photos via Bliss Chicago

While at dinner, John "gave" me my birthday present. He had scheduled a prenatal massage for me at Bliss Spa in downtown Chicago on Saturday. Let me tell you something: it was so incredibly relaxing! While massages are treat at any time, they're especially wonderful when pregnant. I highly recommend getting a prenatal massage during your third trimester when things are a little more achy and uncomfortable.

Once home from my massage, we got the house ready for a "last fling" before becoming parents. It was a low-key gathering dubbed the "Dadchelor Party and Mama-Rama." While the nursery is still in the works, I knew people would want to see it. I made a few pom poms and picked up a box of pink Martha Stewart lanterns to hang above the crib earlier in the week, and John graciously hung them with less than an hour to go before the party. More details on the poms and the nursery coming later this week :)

Sunday was a day of rest. Sleeping in, going to Mass, chatting with friends on the patio, and even a nap. I could have run all sorts of errands for the nursery and baby, but I wanted to soak in the beautiful weather and spend time with John. I guess you could say this weekend was a sort of "staycation-babymoon."

How was your weekend?

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Moms are the Best

Even though I just saw my family over Thanksgiving, I was really excited for my Mom to visit this past weekend. There's something about having your mom around that's really comforting. One reason for her visit was my church's holiday bazaar.

We decided to get a table again this year and of course she owned it with the alpaca yarn, hats, and scarves. Our biggest takeaway from this year is that accepting credit cards is a must! We closed several sales after saying we accepted credit cards. My Mom used the Square reader and app with her iPhone and it worked like a charm.

It was also a bit of a "girl's weekend."  Friday night was spent enjoying her tasty beef tips over rice while gabbing with John, prepping for the bazaar, and sewing these adorable Marimekko mini stocking ornaments. I still have a bunch from the bazaar, so a few have made their way to our Christmas tree. Others should be popping up on Etsy soon.

After the bazaar on Saturday, we ventured downtown with John to pick up coffee from our favorite place ever and go to dinner at the Walnut Room. The wait for a table was rediculous, so we snapped a picture of the Great Tree and headed over to Petterino's on John's suggestion. This was an excellent idea for multiple reasons: the wait was much shorter, we were able to walk around the Christkindlmarket (and see another gorgous tree and snack on cinnamon sugar roasted almonds), and I had some amazing parmesan crusted sea scallops for dinner. If I see scallops on a menu, there's a 90% chance I'll be ordering them.

Winter Shirt Dress tutorial from Elle Apparel

Sunday was spent debating interior decorating ideas over Amaretto coffee, going to Mass, and making a trip to Joann's. We found some gorgeous jersey and knit fabrics, but the patterns were less than inspiring. Good thing Pinterest had some much better options.

How was your weekend?
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Weekend Projects

Hi, friends! Did you have a good weekend? Mine was restful and productive. At least in regards to the back room.

First up was the Saturday night paint-fest, partially inspired by Danielle's (and Lara's) artwork. While John was at his 10-year high school reunion, I busted out the paint and Pandora Radio after a quick trip to Michael's for a few more supplies. I think the last time I painted was for this project, so it was nice to get the creative juices flowing again.

I also created a second painting and pulled together a few more items for the back room gallery/TV wall. I can't wait to share how the whole room is coming together!

Sunday was months (maybe years) of mental scheming finally coming to fruition. I've wanted to make an upholstered ottoman or coffee table for quite some time now. Perhaps this DIY-ed upholstered ottoman on Young House Love, planted the seed?

After an excruciating trip to Joann Fabrics (John and I couldn't agree on a fabric); we picked up the items on our Home Depot list. Mainly wood cut to size, Liquid Nails, actual nails, and table legs. John helped me build this naked, legless box, which will soon be clothed in this fabric. Get excited!

What were you up to this weekend?
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A Mid-Week Weekend Update

I know it's Wednesday and usually Wednesdays mean looking forward to the coming weekend. But today we're going to take a sneak peek into the previous weekend. No, I didn't make any progress on the back room. Unless, of course, you consider pinning a bajillion pictures on Pinterest. Then yes, I've made progress.


9th Street Abbey: where our reception was held

Honestly, I'm not worried about the lack of progress in the back room because the weekend was spent with friends and family in St. Louis. Coincidentally, it was our 5-year engage-iversary on Friday.

John and I both have a sister living in St. Louis and it's always fun to experience the city through their eyes. Yes, we lived there for 7 years, but there are always new places opening or places we never got around to seeing. This weekend was a little bit of old and new favorites.

After a relaxing Friday night and chill Saturday morning, we ventured to Soulard for some amazing BBQ from Bogart's. Those of you who know St. Louis restaurants probably know about Pappy's, but have you heard of Bogart's? John sister shared this little secret. Bogart's has the same amazing BBQ as Pappy's, but shorter lines. The only downside is that Bogart's doesn't have sweet potato fries. I'll survive with the alternative: deviled egg potato salad and "pineapple express" BBQ sauce.

Since we needed to walk off our ginormous lunch, we walked around the Soulard Farmers Market. This farmers market isn't exactly authentic (I prefer Tower Grove), but there are still fun things to see. For example, this awesome mini donut assembly line. We also picked up some Whole Wheat Chipotle Lime Mafaldine from Pappardelle's Pasta. We made it for dinner on Monday and I'm highly considering buying more online.

After a quick jaunt around Forest Park and express trip to the zoo, we stopped by College Church for Mass and then back to John's sister's apartment for dinner. Then it was time for the highlight of the weekend...a reunion party at Urban Chestnut! I've talked about this microbrewery before, and it's no surprise that we had to make a stop there.

Here's the thing about Urban Chestnut, it's so good that you want to take everyone you know. But you also want to keep it to yourself so that there's a bench available for you in their new biergarten. We decided to go with the former. Wise decision because the weather was temperate, conversations were lively, and the brews tasty as ever.

Weekends like these make me want the weekend to last just a few days longer. Maybe my subconscious is trying to do that by sharing this weekend post now.

Since it's Wednesday, what are you looking forward to this coming weekend?
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A Case of the Mondays

Monday. Yes, I know that was yesterday, but I didn't have it in me to get a post ready to go. Some Mondays are relatively painless, while others just kick. my. butt. And that was yesterday. It didn't help that we had a super-fantastic weekend!

As of Friday, the patio was 95% complete. And as of Monday night, it was done! You know a big photo dump is around the corner ;)

Which was perfect timing because we had friends visiting from St. Louis. The patio got a workout with dinner at the table, chatting around our firepit, and enjoying coffee Sunday morning.

Friends! Our friend on the far right perfected "Think of the Savings."

Plus, the Cubs were playing the Cardinals, so we took a field trip to Wrigley Field. It was my first time at a Cubs game and now I can see why people are such Cubs fans. We may have sat 3 rows from the top, but it felt much closer. And I think Wrigley is pretty "cute" with all of its historic charm. Though I didn't get the full experience because I passed on the Old Style.

I could continue on about what exactly we did and where we ate and whatnot, but my biggest takeaway from the weekend was how much fun I had spending time with friends. Which got me to thinking that I really need to work on keeping in touch with friends from home and college. Sure, I can see what's going on via Facebook, but it's not the same as a phone call or in-person chat.

How do you keep up with friends spread about the country or even the world?
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Blogger Blitzing!

As you may have seen on a few other Chicago blogs, Blogger Blitz Chicago was this past Sunday. It was organized by the gracious {av} and hosted at Market Bar in the West Loop. And it was a blast!

Instagrammed (@fiscallychic) goodies. Including note cards from The Scribble Pad.

To be completely honest, I was a little intimidated going to the event. Sure, I've met a few of the ladies before, but some of them just seem to have it. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but sometimes I wonder if I have it. I was never the popular girl in school, so I can get a little jealous of bloggers' online successes and their seemingly amazing lives. Do you relate?

Picture from Mariel's Window

Fortunately, every gal I met is down to earth and super friendly. Like a page out of a gossip mag, talking with everyone was a little bit like "celebrities bloggers, they're just like us!" We have 9 to 5 jobs that don't involve social media, we have to look for new apartments when rent gets too high, we shop at the grocery store (instead of beautiful year-round farmer's markets), we sit in traffic, we complain about the heat, and so on.

Alison and me

So if you're looking for a few good reads, I highly recommend these lovely ladies:

Alison {long distance loving}

Alaina live creating yourself

Amy Goodies and Besties

Cathy (me!) Fiscally Chic

Chris Chubbette Tales

Dana five30three

Danielle breakfast at toast

Diane a spot of whimsy

Erin Living in Yellow

Hannah A Big Little Life

Jennifer Darling Notes

Jillian (though she missed b/c she's now a Mrs!) cornflake dreams

Julia The Urban Slant

Kat A Girl & Her Food

Mariel Mariel's Window (she posted lots of good photos!)

Mary Little Bit of Class, Little Bit of Sass

Melissa Inspiration and Rough Drafts

Paige Little Nostalgia

Stephanie bourbon and glitter

Susan a little ray of sunshine

Taylor The Daily Tay

Zoe Style Foodie

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A Wild Weather Weekend

Hi, friends! How was your weekend? In addition to being hot in Chicago, we've had some pretty severe storms. As I'm typing this post on Sunday afternoon, it's super dark outside and the rain is pelting the house. There's lots of thunder and lighting and sticks flying around. Our sump pump is pumping and the back-up occasionally beeps to tell me it's kicking in. I have me cell phone and two flash lights next to me. Yep, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to storms.

Beyond the dramatic weather, it was a pretty good weekend. I found the perfect polka dot dress at J.Crew on Friday with Jess. It was meant to be because there was only one available, in my size, and on sale for $50! I can't wait to wear it to an upcoming wedding and other celebrations. And if I style it just right, I'll probably wear it to work.

The blueberry rhubarb cobbler was also a huge success at the neighborhood BBQ! Though I managed to fling butter around the kitchen while making it. I don't know who would be more disappointed in my mistreatment of butter: Paula Deen or Joy the Baker.

Our garden is also starting to yield cherry tomatoes! I picked our first seven on Sunday and I'm hoping for more ripe ones by the time I make Mediterranean quinoa for dinner later this week.

Finally, I'd like to give a special "hello!" to all my new readers! I hope you stick around and make yourself at home. Fiscally Chic is where I share my musings about personal finance, share things that inspire and interest me, and give a little peek into my life. Fiscally Chic is also on Twitter and Facebook if you'd like to follow along there. I use those to share shop updates and other snippets of information that might not warrant a full blog post.

Have a great week!
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A June Weekend Update

Hi, there! Did you have a relaxing weekend? Mine was part busy and part relaxing. Busy since I was sewing lots of pillow covers! My green ombre pillow cover was featured in an Etsy Finds email last week, so there were orders to fill and inventory to replenish. Especially because I'm having a giveaway on Jillian's blog, Cornflake Dreams! Please swing by for all the details!

As for relaxing, we tried a few new beers. One being New Beligium's Tart Lychee sour beer as part of their Lips of Faith series. Some of my favorite things about craft beer are the bottles and labels. And the Lips of Faith beers don't let me down. Even better that their beers are tasty. This one was a little sweet, a little sour, and had a hint of cinnamon at the end.

In the effort to keep a semi-clean house (I'm not Martha Stewart or minimalist), I keep a bag in my closet for donations. I don't have a strict one-in-one-out policy, but when I'm looking for something in my closet or dresser, I might find something I don't wear anymore. My bag was pretty full, so I asked John if there was anything else he wanted to give away. Between some of his items and a few other randoms from around the house, I donated two full bags to Goodwill. Hello, tax deduction!

Finally, I was feeling a little crafty on Sunday. But you'll have to wait for the details until next time ;)

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Nashville in the Details

Do you ever get a vacation hangover? I got back from Nashville Sunday afternoon and felt like I should have taken off on Monday. To relive the fun, I thought I would share a few details.

Past Perfect

Beyond the amazing live music, Nashville has some pretty tasty food. We stopped by Puckett's Grocery for southern food and breakfast (yes, we went twice). And slightly off the beaten path of Broadway is Past Perfect. We went there for lunch before all the CMA festivities...a-mazing! I had a lavender mojito and the grilled ahi tuna wrap. If it was later in the day, I would have sampled a classic cocktail made from one of their many infused vodkas. Guess I'll just have to go back ;)

It seemed like every other storefront on Broadway was a boot shop. And the other 50% were honky tonks. If you're looking for boots, make sure you shop around before buying. One store was offering buy 1 pair, get 2 pairs free! Plus, check the label for where the boots are made (avoid China) and to see that they're made of real leather. For other tips, here's a good post on how to buy cowboy boots.

I knew that Nashville was sometimes call Nashvegas, but didn't quite get it until I saw all the neon signs. It definitely reminds me of classic Las Vegas!

Of course, I can't forget the music! Even though I didn't recognize some of the artists' names, I recognized their songs or just sat back and enjoyed the tunes. Luke Bryan was definitely the favorite of our group and Carrie Underwood also put on a great performance.

And to prove that I was there, that's me with the bachelorette. And my favorite orange maxi dress :)
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Think of the Savings: iPad Edition

[See also: We enter the 21st century!]

Hi, everyone! Did you enjoy the long holiday weekend? As planned, we grilled/smoked some chicken drumsticks using our favorite spice rub. And I may have gotten a little patriotic with my outfit: navy top, white capris, and my new red striped cardigan. Thanks, Christie!

We also made a few purchases, mainly an iPad 2! We've been thinking about it for months and finally decided to go for it this weekend. I tend to takeover the home computer for blogging or working on the shop, so John will be its primary user. Though I've already played around on it too :)

And in my fiscally chic ways, we got the iPad at a great price! A few months ago, we were talking with my mom about getting an iPad. She was contemplating getting one too and told us about Micro Center. Instead of paying $400 at the Apple Store for a 16GB iPad 2, Micro Center sells them for $360. And yes, NEW!

What's even better was when we were at the store, we overheard a conversation of someone else buying an iPad 2...with a coupon! You know I love a good deal, so I searched for the coupon (on the iPad at the store) and found it for $20 off. That means our iPad 2 was only $340 (plus tax)!

John in his happy place

In addition to using the iPad for the usual suspects: Gmail, Facebook, ESPN, Google Reader, and Etsy; John already checked out an ebook from our library. For free. On the iPad! Clearly I'm easily entertained by these things :)

To everyone with an iPad, what are the good apps to download? Would I look funny walking around taking pictures with Instagram on the iPad?
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Dressed to Grill

J. Crew double crystal brulee necklace, TOMS red canvas wedges, Xenotees pet lobster tee,
J. Crew striped shorts, TOMS sunglasses, Weber charcoal grill

Hurray for another Friday and 3 day weekend! Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, which means lots of grilling on the horizon! But around our house, once the weather gets warm, we John can't help but break out the grill. And our Weber charcoal grill has already seen plenty of action this spring.

Hamburger print by lucileskitchen

One way to have a little more fun with grilling is to create a signature spice rub to use on meat or fish. We have several grilling cookbooks, so we've tried several concoctions over the years. In general, a spice rub is a combination of:

• Salty: Plain, kosher, sea, or flavored salts.
• Sweet: White, brown, or turbinado sugar; molasses; cinnamon; cloves; nutmeg.
• Spicy/hot: Black, chili, or cayenne pepper; red pepper flakes; chili powder.
• Herbal: Oregano, thyme, sage, fennel seeds, basil, bay leaves, dill, marjoram, parsley, rosemary.
• Earthy: Cumin, coriander, paprika, celery seed
• Sharp: Garlic, onion, mustard powder, mustard seed, tumeric

One of my favorite rubs is from the cookbook Dressed to Grill: Savvy Recipes for Girls Who Play with Fire by Karen Brooks, Reed Darmon, and Diane Morgan. One of my college roommates had a copy of the book and it "appeals to the way women cook today: fast and furious, with, of course, a healthy nod to low-fat ingredients." The recipes have all sorts of sassy names, as you'll see with this spice rub :)

Hot Girls Spice Rub
From Dressed to Grill: Savvy Recipes for Girls Who Play with Fire by Karen Brooks, Reed Darmon, and Diane Morgan.

Ingredients
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons each: paprika, dried thyme, and chili powder
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, stirring well to blend.

Store in an airtight container away from heat or light. The rub will keep for up to 6 months.

 Massage the rub into the meat or fish and let marinate:

• Shrimp and scallops: 15 minutes
• Chicken and thicker cuts of seafood: 30 - 60 minutes
• Pork chops or tenderloin: 45 - 60 minutes
• Beef or lamb: 1 hour
• Big or tough cuts of meat (racks of ribs, pork shoulders, turkeys): 2 - 8 hours

Refrigerate meat that is marinating for more than an hour.

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What I didn't do this weekend

This weekend, I didn't see The Hunger Games since I didn't read the books. And I didn't see the season premier of Mad Men. I haven't watched any of it.

Instead, John and I saw the movie October Baby.

It was incredible.

I laughed and I cried. OK, I cried a lot.

October Baby is an extremely beautiful and powerful movie about the beauty of life and forgiveness.

Plus, the producers of October Baby have assigned 10% of the profits of the movie to the Every Life is Beautiful Fund, which will distribute funds to frontline organizations helping women facing crisis pregnancies, life-affirming adoption agencies, and those caring for orphans. Love it.

We saw the movie after hearing a recommendation by a friend and now I'm recommending October Baby to you.

Go see it!
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Is it Officially Spring Yet?

Old Navy chambray shirt, J.Crew chinos, lepetitruban earrings (Etsy),
VellePurse canvas and leather pouch (Etsy), TOMS ballet flats

Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow, meaning there's 6 more weeks of winter, but it doesn't feel like it in Chicago. The temperature is going to be in the 40's this weekend, so I might try for a run outside! But not Saturday morning; that's reserved for Zumba. I went to the class last Saturday morning and loved it! It was basically a sweaty hour of shaking my booty, the perfect way to start the weekend :)

Do you have any big plans? Of course I'll be baking for the Super Bowl. And maybe doing a little shopping. I noticed that a few of my black shirts are looking pretty faded, so it's time to get some replacements. And maybe even the chambray shirt that I can't seem to get out of my mind.

Have a lovely Friday!

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A Weekend of Pictures

After a commute lasting 1 hours and 45 minutes, I happily shoveled the driveway and sidewalk. I think that counts as a workout :)

Hanging new art in the kitchen.

Goose Island's Queen-OA gluten-free beer. A pink beer that has a tart, grapefruit flavor. It's brewed with red and white quinoa. Tastes almost like a sour beer. Good to enjoy in the winter, but I imagine it will be even better in the summer.

Picked up an empty growler at Goose Island to be used with John's birthday present (a kegging system). The CO2 tanks are being filled and an IPA should be ready in a week!

My Grandma's serger. I finally gave it a run this weekend to professionally finish the edges of my pillow covers!

What were you up to this weekend?

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