Can you believe it’s already Friday? One week fully into May and technically into my summer vacation. This week many things happened from doing a FlyWheel class with one of my favorite instructors, accepting an internship on my school’s campus and working my first weeknight shift at my current job downtown. Through all of the hustle and bustle, I overall had a very exciting week and am enjoying the Chicago weather more and more. Because I didn’t live here last summer, this is my first time experiencing the benefits of this city when it is not blizzarding and a constant wind tunnel. Let me say it feels quite rewarding.
Now let me take you into my favorite things from this week all accumulated into this lovely Friday morning.
First, I went shopping off the Brown Line yesterday with one of my friends and we ran into this little shop called Art Effect. This store has a ton of cute kitchen trinkets, candles, clothing, jewelry and wall art. You name it, they’ve got it. While bumping around the store, I stumbled upon this cookbook, Let Them Eat Kale by Julia Mueller. I’ve followed Julia’s blog, The Roasted Root, for quite some time and all of her recipes are a veggie lover’s paradise. I flipped through some of the pages and found a recipe for barbecue black bean, kale, and sweet potato veggie burgers. Sounded like all of my dreams coming true in one recipe.
Since all of my friends and Instagram followers know me as a little veg-head, this photo had to be snapped.
While I was walking home from my day out yesterday, I stumbled upon this mural that is right under a bridge not even a block from my apartment. How perfect would this be as a backdrop for a photo shoot? I want this in my apartment, as my phone wallpaper, framed above my bed… I’m obsessed! I love bright and funky murals and seeing such awesome artwork around the city of Rogers Park makes me so happy. It’s the little things in life I’ll tell ya!
After I saw the mural above, I was on my way home when I realized I’d keep walking past my apartment and walk two more blocks straight to a beach nearby. The sun was going down so the view was dim and beautiful. Every time I go to the beach now I have a new appreciation for living here. I can’t express it enough! I was trying to get a bajillion gorgeous photos of the water crashing up on the shore and this was probably my best one. Do you spot that massive bubble right in the middle? As I was observing the lake, one of my favorite songs Oceans by Coasts was playing over and over in my head. Even though I’m on Lake Michigan, the song still was fitting.
If you’re ever on the brown line in Chicago, get off of Armitage and head straight towards Vosges Chocolate boutique. Some of my favorite chocolates are from this company, including their whole line of superfood chocolate bars that are all $7.50 which is cheaper than many other high quality chocolate brands I’ve come across. My favorite is their matcha green tea and spirulina dark chocolate, a 72% cacao bar. When I stopped in to their shop yesterday, I tried this pomegranate and goji bar with pink himalayan sea salt and WOW. New favorite chocolate of all time. Everyone deserves a chunk of this goodness!
More foodie favorites! These nut butters from Essentially Coconut have me face planting into their tiny little jars. My newest foodie obsession is coconut butter and the bonus of Essentially Coconut is the added nuts they blend in with the coconut. Last night I dipped two medjool dates in the creamy cashew and I felt like I was treating myself to the most extravagant dessert. The only ingredients are organic coconut and cashews (in the creamy cashew)! I can’t even decide between a favorite on these products because they each pair well with different fruits and go well on any bowl of oats, in any smoothie or on any bread.
The sweet almond with a banana on toast, topped with almonds is a good option too. All of the fat in the world and I love every ounce of it! At room temperature they have a hard and crumbly consistency but if you run them under hot water for 20-30 seconds or microwave them for the same amount of time, they turn into the creamiest mixtures ever.
You can purchase the exact sample pack I received (with each flavor in a 4 oz. size) right on their site or you can even grab a 12 or 16oz size of each flavor!
Last but not least, I leave you this sunny Friday morning with my breakfast earlier today. The only savory breakfast I had all week but I guess I saved the best for last!
Just the simple Ezekiel toast topped with half an avocado, two small eggs from my mom’s chickens in Kansas, mushroom medley from Trader Joe’s and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
Literally the only savory breakfast I ever have is avocado toast with eggs but last night after my sugar rush of dates, cashew butter, granola and Siggi’s for dessert I needed to refresh myself with some good ole eggs and toast!
Hope everyone enjoys this beautiful day and my Friday favorites!
-Addie
