Our next cooking adventure? Stuffed peppers—easy and simple! You can use anything you have in your kitchen. We opted for whole grain rice, a blend of shredded Mexican cheese, mushrooms, onions, garlic powder and pepper. It was simple and delish!

Steps: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare bell peppers (remove and discard the tops, seeds and guts), make rice, stir all the ingredients in a bowl, scoop into peppers, top with cheese, place on cooking sheet/pan, bake for 1 hour and voilà! You can use tomato sauce or salsa for added moisture and flavor, which you add to the mix, and spread on top of peppers every 15 minutes in the oven.

The dish makes for a great evening delight.

"I have said in the past that I would never do a mass-market collection, but what intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public," stated Alber Elbaz, artistic director of Lanvin. 

Some Lanvin frocks were gorgeous--with soft, voluptuous ruffles--but with a price point in the one hundreds and two hundreds, I would rather purchase a quality piece, that I can trust, elsewhere than risk a pricey buy at H&M.

Pizza, Pizza! One Wednesday night after work my boyfriend and I were struggling to create a dinner that was inventive, yet took under an hour to prepare. We decided to make our fave dish--pizza--from scratch. (Well, we didn't make the crust or sauce, so it was technically Semi-Homemade.)

Our next task: purchasing ingredients.  We chose as follows.

Pizza #1: Basil Marinara Sauce (Trader Joe's), Mozzarella, Feta, Old Taylor Street Cheese Sprinkle (The Spice House), Orange Peppers, Onions and Mushrooms.

Pizza #2: Vodka Cream Sauce (I recommend Trader Joe's or any equivalent sauce at Jewel), Mozzarella, Parmesan, Old Taylor Street Cheese Sprinkle, Mashed Potatoes (mash a baked potato) and Rosemary.

After taking the pizzas out of the oven, we let them stand for about seven minutes and then they were perfect.

I would highly recommend getting creative with the ingredients. Delizioso!

The Thursday before Halloween I received surprise TipsyCake cupcakes in the office from my mother (how "sweet"). Their specialty is custom cakes, such as the spooky lava cake below. The cupcakes were chocolate and vanilla with a thick whipped cream center. They were the moistest cupcakes I have ever tried and contained much frosting, but cannot be compared to the complex flavors of the treats made by the custom cupcake shops that have popped up all over the City. 

Each cupcake I scarfed down was classified as the "Center Filled" variety. The ooey gooey centers were oh so flavorful and to die for.

-The Ron Bennington weighed enough to be used for bicep curls, and was very moist and soft.

-The Minty Mash-Up had the perfect proportions of mint and chocolate.

-The Cookee Monster had a chocolate chip cookie dough center that tasted straight from grandma's kitchen.

-My fave flavor of all time is the Peanut Butter Nutella (see below)—the cupcake version of the peanut butter and Hershey’s kiss cookie: Peanut Butter Blossom. I would recommend to all!


Peanut Butter Nutella

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound high-quality canned Spanish tuna packed in olive oil, drained, coarsely flaked
• 2 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled, sliced
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
• 2 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)  

Layer upon layer of ice made of skim milk, topped with ingredients like fruit and matcha (fine green tea). What a treat! I've heard wonderful things about this Cloud 9 and have walked by the Lakeview shop several times but have not been able to sneak a peek inside. Today and tomorrow are my lucky days!
 
Both days, Cloud 9 “snow ice” shop (604 W. Belmont) is featured on DealADayOnline.com, a local deals website, with half off 4 snack size servings of snow ice, with drizzles and toppings included, for $10 (regularly $20).

Cloud 9 opened this past spring and is the first and only shop of its kind in Chicago, and one of only a handful of stores in the US to offer the treat. Originally from Taiwan, snow ice is a low fat, low calorie dessert that combines skim milk with real flavoring, as well as other secret ingredients. It is created in large blocks, and individual portions are shaved off, which can then be capped off with delicious sauces and unique toppings. A cross between ice cream and shaved ice, it offers a creamy, yet light “sweet fix.” Flavors change monthly, and this month’s varieties include mango, strawberry, vanilla and green tea. Mmm. Get it while it's hot (outside)!

                       

*Note: I conduct PR for this deal site.

With no spending on advertising, Anthropologie has the funds for shabby chic store décor and a personal touch to gift cards and birthday mailings! It's sure made me fall in love with the brand.

Bakin' & Eggs (3120 N Lincoln Ave), a breakfast, lunch and brunch joint in my hood, is delish! The interior is super posh with modern furniture, a baby blue wall and antique ivory tin walls. It even features a cupcake case in front!

You can find yummy-in-your-tummy savories like Frittatas and a Breakfast Burrito. Sweets featured on the menu include Whole Wheat Granola Pancakes and Banana Bread French Toast.

But with all the scrumptious choices offered, I could not leave satisfied without ordering the...

southern comfort bowl potatoes + 2 eggs your way (I got mine basted) + cheddar + biscuit + gravy
&
flight of bacon maple pepper + jalapeno + honey + mesquite + cherry smoked

Mmmm. Two thumbs up!

Flight of Cupcakes

Last week's adventure? Taste testing just-opened Sprinkles cupcakes. This week's? Testing competitor More (One East Delaware Place).

Walking into the shop, I noticed more frosting, creative design and variety of cupcakes. To try a few, I ordered a Flight of Cupcakes, which included Salty Caramel, Black & White and Red Velvet. The first was a caramel fanatic’s cloud nine. The sticky filling tickled my taste buds while the frosting was smooth to the lick. Oh-so fluffy! I wasn't a huge fan of the Black & White—not much flavor—but the Red Velvet was amazing and wins over Sprinkles. The cream cheese frosting and moist cake where perfect complements to one another.

Another plus? If you find yourself awake Monday evening at midnight (technically Tuesday morning), head to More's Facebook Page and tag yourself in a newly added cupcake photo. The first 50 receive the cupcake for free on that very day!

And then there is Swirlz Cupcakes.

LA-based Sprinkles Cupcakes has finally made it to Chicago. Today was its grand opening. Mobs of people squeezed into the tiny cupcake bar, waiting their turn. After 45 minutes in line, I bought four varieties: red velvet, dark chocolate, chocolate marshmallow, and black and white.

The red velvet tasted like a typical delicious combination of rich cream cheese frosting and carrot-cake-meets-chocolate cake. The dark chocolate cake was a smidge bitter and not too sweet. (Thumbs up from me!) The chocolate marshmallow had a chocolate outside and cream inside, just like a gourmet Ho Ho. They weren't all winners in my cookbook. I was not a fan of the black and white. The frosting was waxy and super sugary.

Taste for yourself at 50 E Walton St!

For some reason, I've always wondered what it would be like to push a button and have a pool lower down from the ceiling of my folks' giant living room. I picture it would be fun for all! I came one step closer to this fantasy at Broadway in Chicago's "Fuerza Bruta: Look Up" performance at the Auditorium Theatre.

In the unconventional show, translated "Brute Force," laws of gravity are defied and the imagination runs free.

The audience is treated to a club-like lobby atmosphere and then ushered on stage to get all close and personal and "look up" for the whole performance. A man walks on a treadmill while tables, chairs and humans are rolled toward him—like a ride on a giant conveyor belt. Two women dance around like banchies on hung Mylar while suspended horizontally from above. Four barely-clothed women perform a sort of fetal dance while swimming on a Lucite pool hanging straight above audiences' heads. The show is concluded with company members dancing with audience members as club music is pumped through the speakers and water is poured from the ceiling on partying guests. What a ride!

The Karen Walker Eyewear event included looks inspired by the Sun God. Yet the designs looked to be a combination of retro 50s and 60s designs (modified cat eyes and round Elton John shapes) and futuristic accents like extra bridges and graphic arrows.

The orange are pretty fun. Or you could always go for those referencing post eye surgery shades.

For my last "NightWalk" post, we turn back the hands of time. The beautiful burnt orange and yellows make these designs pop. The reference from the past, whether 20s, 40s or 50s, combined with modern aesthetics, is refreshing.

And these costume pieces have amazing hints of individuality—from the tree illustration and shimmering back lace to the peek-a-boo layers on the Marie Antoinette dress. If only they came in my size!


*Note: I work for a PR firm that represents this show.