I WON, I WON, I WON!

I'm so excited right now I could shout!  I won Fresh Local and Best' NY travel guide!  I don't ever win anything so it was such an excitement when I read the comment!  Hopefully one day I'll be able to do giveaways on my blog!

I'm back in Chi town after a wonderful break at home in The Mitten.  It's hard to come back and get back into the swing of things but exciting too.  (Not too exciting that I will be arising at 7am tomorrow, ugh.)  I'm starting my clinical rotation in a hospital this semester, which I think will be very interesting and very exhausting.

On one of my last days home, Keith (back from New Orleans) and I made Starbucks' oatmeal cookies.  (I love them, just read My Fav Oatmeal Cookie.  Instead of white flour we used wheat.  They turned out good but definitely weren't the same.  I think they were a bit overdone (I like my cookies chewy) and we forgot to back the first batch with the extra raisins on top.  Overall they turned out to be pretty good and I would make them again!  However, I don't think this will stop me from my Starbucks stops to grab a cookie.  (:

Keith brought me back some treats from NOLA.  While he was there he frequented a local, 24-7, coffee shop, Cafe Du Monde.  He got coffee with chicory and beignets (I think it's pronounced, ben-yays, I could be mistaken.)  He brought back some of the beignets but they had gotten too hard on the journey home.  Luckily he also got me a mix to make them so he can compare and I can taste!  I can't wait!  He describes them and doughnuts but harder and tastier!  Anyone ever tried one?  He also brought me back some of the coffee with chicory and a coffee mug.  I'm anxious to try the coffee tomorrow morning!  It sounds like an awesome place that one day I will hope to visit.

I returned to this growing on top of my fridge today!  I had forgotten a bag of onions here and they sprouted.  I think they look really neat and smell good too!

After unpacking and heating up a quick dinner (Grandma's homemade pea soup, yumm...no pics, woops) I headed to the grocery store to pick up things I couldn't steal from my pantry at home.  After all of that business was done it was smoothie time for my friend, Kathleen and me but I thought I would spice it up a little this time and add some red wine.  It was good!  Definitely a treat and a relaxing ending to the day!

Better hit the pillow for an early rise tomorrow.  (Waking up to my chicory coffee!)

Goodnight bloggies!

Tara