Peeks Through the Window

Todd's thing this morning was turning on the kitchen sink, pouring water into cups and bowls and subsequently dumping the water onto the counters and floor.  On the up side, the kitchen is now quite clean.  While I was mopping, I had Todd go to his room.  He was mad, so repeatedly kicked the door to show his displeasure.  This door and wall kicking is a constant source of the police being called. 

 

When I finished mopping, I went to Todd's room to try to redirect him to stop kicking the door.  I saw our neighbor across the courtyard hanging out her window, on the phone and pointing at Todd's bedroom window.  I think she fancies herself a neurology expert.  My husband calls her Peeping Paula because she looks like Paula Deen, no offense to Paula, who I understand is a lovely woman.

 

I really wish my neighbors calling the police would make my kids stop having autism.  Is that what they think?  The police have magical powers to stop repetitive behaviors and stimming?  I wish they did.  Oh no, that's right, they call the police simply because I'm a bad mother and I could easily stop the kids from being autistic at any given time.  I wish I had those magical powers!

 

In the meantime, Sean peed on my bed and two of my pillows, of course, my expensive memory foam pillow was the one most soaked. Sean is consequently suspended from computer privileges as a result.  So now instead, he is playing with his trains and making a high pitched train whistle sound over and over.  At least Todd is in his room being quiet.  I caved and gave Todd a chewable melatonin.  I try to dole those out conservatively because I don't want him to build up a tolerance.  The dose he gets is pediatrician-approved, 2 tabs to go to sleep, 1 tab as a chill pill.  I usually love Dr. Oz, but the hubs and I were annoyed by a recent episode about melatonin, how bad it is.  Just think relaxing thoughts and you'll go to sleep!  While perhaps and probably there are many people out there who take it too much and give their children too much, sorry, it's been a Godsend in this household.

I just took a shower a few hours ago, but now I feel slimy and sticky.  I woke up with a sinus headache, now I can barely see.  Thank God for coffee.  This season in the Midwest has been terrible for hay fever.  I haven't had sinus pain like this in decades.

 

Yesterday afternoon, I had an awful headache.  I started to doze on the couch.  My husband insisted I go into the bedroom, but Todd just cried outside the door the entire time I was in there.  I just gave up and went back to my day.  In the future, I hope he just lets me be on the couch.

 

We have rehearsal at 2 this afternoon for Music Man.  Theatre has proven to be very good for Sean.  He's very musical and the structure of being in a play really helps him as far as behavior, social skills, focus.  I feel bad about leaving Todd at home, but he can't handle it at this point.  I hope someday he can in some capacity.  Older autistic children of other theatre friends have helped backstage, helped with raffle baskets, tickets. Thank the Lord for Dr. Theatre!  Better than any prescription or therapy we could ask for! 

Caffe Baci

This a chain with several locations in the downtown Chicago area and has been one of my favorites for about 15 years.  There is a location in the building where I currently work and I could seriously eat both breakfast and lunch here every day if my wallet and waistline could afford it.

 

The breakfast menu has the usuals: omelettes, bacon, sausage, sweets.  My favorite is the veggie fusion: egg whites, veggies and low cal cheese.  You can substitute fruit salad for the side of potatoes if you’re feeling extra guilty (or not) that day.  The yogurt, granola and fruit parfait is a old standby or just fresh fruit salad in a cup.

 

For lunch, there are a ton of sides available.  You can order three sides as an entrée.  The side salads include fruit salad, tuna, chicken, couscous, pasta, vegetables and bean salads.  There are lettuce-based salads, too.  Their Caesar is a favorite of mine.  The sandwiches are some of the best in the city, in my opinion.  My two favorites are the JoJo Special and the Classico.  The JoJo Special has prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, artichokes, basil and tomatoes.  The Classico is filled with Italian meats: salami, mortadella, capicola with provolone, tomatoes and giardiniera.  All the sandwiches are excellent.  The individual pizzas are baked to order.

 

I’ve ordered catering from here for various office events in the past.  The food is always consistent with the vegetable lasagna as a stand-out.

 

There are daily specials.  The specials are not always Italian, but always good.  Sometimes there’s a Thai special, or Spanish or Mexican.  There’s also a pasta special, pizza special, two soups of the day (the pasta fagioli is my personal fave) and a ½ sandwich and soup option.  The soup and ½ sandwich special is worth every penny, as the soup is usually so filling, I eat the sandwich for another meal and get two meals for the price of one.

 

For dessert, there are cookies, tiramisu, dessert bars and the best lemon bars I have ever had.  There’s also gelato prepared in-house, usually about 4 or 5 different flavors available.  The coffee is very good, too, just the right combo of bitter and smooth.

 

Caffe Baci has been around for a long time.  The food and service have always been consistently high quality.  Once I wrote a review for a credit card points program and the only criticism I had was that the website didn’t state when they stop serving breakfast.  Within a day, I received a personal email from management telling me I was right and they would correct this.  That’s an example to me of how much they care about their business and a reflection of why they have survived all this time.

 

http://www.caffebaci.com/
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/2/1511789/restaurant/West-Loop/Caffe-Baci-Chicago"> alt="Caffe Baci on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1511789/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" />

Ghosts at Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse

Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse is a dinner theatre in Rock Island, Illinois where I performed in a production of “Singin in the Rain” for about five months circa 1990.  The theatre is an old vaudeville house, beautiful, albeit somewhat rundown when I worked there.

 No sooner did the show open, I started hearing stories about the ghosts.  Years later, I tried to find information online to see if any of the said tragedies really happened, if these stories were local urban legends or rumors, etc.  I found absolutely nothing except one blurb from an Iowa paper mentioning the actors and waitstaff tell stories of ghosts.

 As a cast and crew, we experienced some “things.”  To this day, I can’t decide if these things were coincidence, our imagination or…?

This one is the story that most sounds like an urban legend.  Allegedly there was an engineer who worked in the building – the time frame was never mentioned to me.  Apparently he died in an explosion in the boiler room and his spirit is apparently angry about this.  Techies claimed to hear a voice in their ear telling them to “jump” when they were up on the catwalk or on ladders.  One evening, one of our leading ladies was complaining and complaining until suddenly a big blob of grease landed on her head.  Could have been a coincidence, but it shut her up and the rest of us found it quite funny.  I never personally experienced anything related to the creepy boiler room guy.

The female dancers’ dressing room was on the second floor and the costume shop was on the third floor, directly above us.  One night, I was lingering in the dressing room after everyone else left for the bar across the street.  I was almost at the end of a good book and wanted to finish it.  I heard the loveliest soprano voice singing upstairs.  I went up there to see who was singing.  Nobody was there, nor was there a recording or radio playing.  The next day, I talked to our costumer about what I had heard.  He said that legend had it that the costume shop used to be a dressing room in vaudeville days.  There was a fire and an actress/singer died up there.  He said he heard her all the time.  Were we both imagining that?  I don’t know, honestly.

The balcony of the theater was closed.  It wasn’t safe and at the time, the theater didn’t have the money to renovate it.  One night, while tapping in “Broadway Rhythm,” I looked up at the balcony and saw a woman in a long dress with a Gibson girl hairdo sitting in the balcony, smiling and enjoying the performance.  Several other dancers saw the same thing.  We were later told that was the third-floor soprano who died in the fire.  Were the locals playing a practical joke on us?  Maybe, but I don’t know.

 Ghost stories are fun to hear and tell.  I’m open to all possibilities while being skeptical at the same time.  The imagination is a powerful thing.  That said, I always had the creeps in that theater and I was relieved to not have to go  back there once the show closed. J

 

 

Bayside Market, Miami

We had some time between checkout time at our hotel (Madarin Oriental on Brickell Key, can't repeat enough how much I recommend that hotel) and our flight.  We drove around Miami, went past the Bayside Market and decided to kill some time there.  http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/  There's also a beautiful outdoor walkway with a lovely view of the Bay.

 

It is your typical big city mall with many of the shops you would find at any mall in a major city (i.e., Bath & Body Works, Claire's, Disney Store, Perfumania, you get the idea.)  There are also many Miami-themed shops.

 

We had a frozen adult beverage at Sharkey's.  You can sit in the bar or in the mall area.  The mall seating area has a beautiful view of Biscayne Bay.  The frozen drinks come in a souvenir plastic cup.

 

Before heading to the airport, we stopped for lunch at Bubba Gump's.  http://www.bubbagump.com/ This is a chain restaurant found in many cities, but we had never visited Bubba Gump's, even though we have a location in Chicago.  We got a seafood sampler.  It was so tasty and the seafood was very fresh.  It came with several dipping sauces.  It was the perfect light meal before traveling home.

 

A local mall is a good place to kill time when traveling and I definitely recommend this one. :)

Rachael Ray's Look & Cook

I'm a long-time fan of Rachael Ray and own several of her cookbooks.  When this one was released, I didn't really have an interest - I figured I had enough of her recipes in my repertoire and didn't really like the idea of the step by step instruction pictures.  I'm confident enough in my cooking that I thought I didn't need that.

 

I received this cookbook as a gift.  I was pleasantly surprised.  A lot of good stuff.  Many new recipes I hadn't tried that weren't just slight spins on previous recipes she's written, not to mention the fact that my husband likes these new recipes.  I've written before, he is a tough person to cook for - very picky and specific with his likes and the things he doesn't like. 

 

The majority of this cookbook is devoted to the new recipes along with the corresponding photo instructions.  There is also a 30-minute meal section, a section of sides and starters, desserts, simple sauces and one of my favorite features of her tv show - bottom of the jar sauces.  The bottom of the jar sauces are practical and perfect for someone like me who likes to get every penny's worth out of the things I buy.  For instance - peanut butter.  There's some left at the bottom of the jar, not enough for a sandwich, but the remaining peanut butter can be turned into a Thai peanut sauce or dressing.  (Except the time I made Thai peanut dressing, clearly relabeled the jar "Thai peanut sauce" and my husband inadvertently dumped it on toast, splashing it all over the kitchen.:)  There are ideas for bottom of the jam or marmalade jar, mustard, you get the idea. It's a fun concept to get creative with on your own.  (Fun to me, anyway:)

 

My mother taught me how to cook.  I have many happy memories from days shared with her in the kitchen.  She always encouraged me to be creative.  I remember once I made "fruit soup" for my dad.  I must have gone heavy on the lemon juice judging by the way his face scrunched up when he tasted it.  My mom said, "It's wonderful, he loved it!" and quickly whisked me back to the kitchen. Rachael Ray was just starting to become popular when my mom died.  My mom was a huge Food Network fan and I often wonder what she would have thought of the shows I follow on the network today.  I think she would have liked Rachael.  Rachael's ingredients are accessible, there's rarely an item you can't find at any grocery store, the recipes are easy, tasty and quick, and often she teaches you a method, not just a recipe.  Once you learn a method, your imagination can take over and create many more recipes.  That was definitely my mom's style.  My older son, who is on the autism spectrum, has developed an interest in food preparation and with these easy recipes, there are plenty of steps he can help me with.  My boys also stray from their addiction to chicken nuggets to eat some of these recipes-mostly those involving chicken, but hey, it's a change of pace!

 

In summation, this is a cookbook I had no intention to buy that was bought for me and is now my current favorite go-to cookbook for dinner.  It is available on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Rays-Look-Cook-Ray/dp/030759050X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348342921&sr=1-3&keywords=rachael+ray

 

or at the Food Network online store:  http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Rays-Look-Cook-Ray/dp/030759050X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348342921&sr=1-3&keywords=rachael+ray

Buca di Beppo

The first Buca di Beppo I visited was in the Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago (which has since closed).  I have fond memories of one of my last restaurant meals with my mother there.  She passed away in 2002.  The Buca di Beppo closest to where I live currently is in Orland Park.  The other three Illinois locations are in Wheeling, Lombard and at 521 North  Rush Street in Chicago, just north of downtown.  It’s a perfect location for a family get-together.  The portions are generous and served family style.  The restaurants are busily decorated with vintage photos and ads, both Italian and Italian-American themed, plus photos of famous Italians and Italian Americans such as Sophia Loren and Frank Sinatra. (The location in Lakeview had a “Pope Room” dedicated to Italian popes, gives you an idea of the sense of humor of the décor.)

The menu is hearty, filling Italian.  My favorite appetizers are the cheesy bread Florentine and the fritto misto.  Fritto misto is typically deep-fried veggies in a light, tempura-like batter, but the Buca di Beppo version fries shrimp, calamari and pepperocini.  The stuffed mushrooms are delicious, too, stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, sage and come with a creamy pesto sauce.

The baked pasta dishes are basic, but I don’t mean that negatively.  The baked ziti, rigatoni, spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmigiana and stuffed shells are perfect.  I also like the linguini frutti di mare, seafood and pasta in a yummy red sauce.  The penne arrabiata is just as I like it, spicy sausage and spicy sauce.

For dessert, get the dolce platter, a little bit of everything:  Tiramisu, chocolate cake, cheesecake and apple crostata.

 There are several big rooms for families and friends to have private parties.  At lunch time, the huge family portions are available in smaller sizes as well. 

 Buca di Beppo in Orland Park: 15350 South 94th Avenue Orland Park, IL

Nationwide locations can be found at:  http://www.bucadibeppo.com/

 

Sam Buca's

I have been to Sam Buca’s for events related to one of my favorite organizations, Opening Night Arts Group.  We have had membership meetings and cast parties there.  The restaurant is warmly decorated and very comfortable.

I called to make a reservation for my birthday – 6 adults, 3 kids.  We were told getting a table at 5:30 wouldn’t be a problem.  This was true – we were the only customers in the restaurant, but were told our waitress wouldn’t be there until 6.  We were, however, brought beverages by a woman who appeared to be a manager.  There is a rooftop terrace that I have heard is very nice.  We originally planned on sitting upstairs, but my dad didn’t want to deal with the blazing sun.

We ordered fried calamari for our appetizer.  It was done right – not rubbery, just the right texture with a crispy but light breading.  It wasn’t drowning in oil, either.  I had the pasta fagioli soup, which is something I’m picky about.  I wasn’t disappointed, it tasted perfect.

I had the Penne alla Salcicia (penne with creamy tomato vodka sauce).  It was very tasty.  I hate when Italian sausage tastes like nothing but fennel seeds.  This sausage had just the right amount of spice with just a little heat.  My favorite Italian sausage of all time is from Calabria in the Beverly neighborhood.  I could tell this wasn’t Calabria sausage, but it was still good.  The portions are generous.  I brought home half and had it for lunch the next day.  I always feel like I got my money’s worth when I can get several meals out of a dish.  My sister-in-law had the lasagna which came in a small oval-shaped, but deep dish.  Tons of cheese.  My brother had a big salad, called the Sam Buca Special, which is an understatement.  Huge salad.  The unfortunate thing about big salads is it’s useless to bring home leftovers.  Salads don’t age well, just like French fries are useless to bring home because they’re soggy and gross as leftovers.  My husband had sausage and peppers and finished his plate.  The kids had Italian chicken tenders and regular fries.  (They also have Italian fries, which my brother had and were a bit spicy for him, so they were probably too spicy for the kids.  I, however, love lots of spice and heat.)  The chicken tenders were somewhat overdone that gave the breading a little burnt taste.  I think this is why the kids didn’t care for them.

We’ll be back.  I think we just went at an odd time of day, so things weren’t up to par like usual.  I’m sure I will return in the near future for a cast party or other theatre event.

Sam Buca's is located at 12231 South Harlem in Palos Heights, Illinois. 

http://sambucasrestaurant.com/