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Courtney Em

Courtney Em

Tag Archives: food

My Trip to Eataly Chicago

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Thoughts

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

boyfriend, Chicago, eataly, food, lunch, pasta, pesto, pizza, restaurant

Hi everyone 🙂

It’s so nice to finally be on winter break – my classes were really challenging this quarter, and I’m happy that I’m finished. 

My boyfriend and I celebrated the end of the quarter by spending a day in Chicago yesterday.  We went to Eataly, which is a new restaurant/gourmet food store owned by Mario Batali.  It was amazing!  Eataly literally has every type of Italian food you could imagine: from fresh bread to produce to chocolate.  Here are some photos I took of some of the food displays.

 

 

The first floor has several small cafes, and the second floor has sit-down restaurants.  Eataly has several restaurants, and each one serves a different type of food.  There are restaurants for meat, fish, vegetables, and pizza and pasta.  This wasn’t a problem for my boyfriend and I, who were in the mood for pizza and pasta, but it might be tough if you’re with a big group of people who all want different types of food.  When we sat down, we were greeted with delicious fresh bread and olive oil.  We were seated right in front of the pizza ovens: it was so cool to watch the pizzas being made! 

My boyfriend ordered a Margherita pizza, which came with tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella, and extra virgin olive oil.  He said it was tasty, but he wished there was more basil on it.  There was only one basil leaf!

I ordered linguine with pesto trapanese.  The sauce was made with tomatoes, basil, almonds, garlic, chili flakes, and Pecorino cheese.  It. Was. Incredible.  Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.  The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was so fresh and flavorful.  I absolutely loved it!

We had such a great time eating and exploring Eataly: it’s huge, and we didn’t even look at everything!  If you’re in Chicago, I highly recommend stopping by Eataly.  It is such a cool place full of great food, and I can’t wait to go again!

KIND Summit Recap!

18 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Thoughts

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

bars, campus, Chicago, food, healthy grains, job, kind, kua, marketing, Northwestern, recap, summit

Two weeks ago, I attended the KIND University Ambassadors Summit in lovely Chicago.  I had an AMAZING time meeting other KUAs and KIND staff, learning more about the brand, and of course, exploring the city!  I may be a Chicago native, but I always gain a new appreciation for my city when I show other people around.

We started the Summit with a mixer with KIND staff and University Brand Ambassadors.  Everyone was so friendly!  

As you would expect, food at the Summit was divine!  We were spoiled by delicious, healthy food, and plenty of KIND bars!  Appetizers included veggies and hummus, as well as local cheeses.  I wish the cheeses were labeled, because I need to know where the yellow cheese cubes came from so I can buy some for myself!

Dinner at the mixer.  All the food was labelled with its ingredients, and nearly everything was gluten-free!  Like KIND, the hotel knows how to make gluten-free food taste delicious.  I tried some chicken, steak tenderloin, salad, mashed potatoes, and roasted cauliflower.  Plus a mini peanut butter-chocolate cupcake and a KIND bar for dessert!

The mixer was held on a rooftop terrace, and the view was beautiful!

The next morning, we were greeted by a delicious breakfast spread!  I had some oatmeal with brown sugar and pecans, Greek yogurt with raspberries, and KIND Healthy Grains Clusters.  I tried two flavors of clusters: Dark Chocolate & Cranberry Clusters and Cinnamon Oat Clusters with Flax Seeds.  They were both great!

Of course, leave it to me to forget my camera in the conference room when we took a break for lunch.  I had a delicious salad with miso dressing, and a sandwich with ham, Gruyere cheese, and grainy mustard on a pretzel bun.  Divine!  I wish I had snapped a photo.

In case we weren’t spoiled enough at this Summit, KIND treated us to an amazing gift backpack full of goodies!

KIND products are made from real, healthy ingredients that you can see and pronounce.  And they taste amazing.  What more could you want from a snack?

KIND is a stellar company, and I am thrilled to work with them this year!

Have you ever tried KIND Bars or Healthy Grains products?  What is your favorite flavor?

#kindawesome

21 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Thoughts

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

almond, bar, blueberry, cashew, chocolate, food, ginger, kind, macadamia, product, review, sea salt, snacks

Ever heard of #kindawesome?  It’s a movement by KIND Healthy Snacks, and it’s all about documenting awesome things that happen to you.  KIND gave me some bars to share with my sorority sisters, so I decided to share them with you all, too!

I received four varieties of KIND bars: two from the PLUS line and two from the Nuts & Spices line.   From the PLUS line I got Almond Walnut Macadamia + Protein and Blueberry Pecan + Fiber, and from the Nuts & Spices line I received Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt and Cashew and Ginger Spice.

I sat on my sorority house’s porch to take some photos of the bars, and my sorority sisters immediately started asking about them.  I told them about the products, and they were so excited to try them!

KIND bars have stellar nutrition stats, and the stats vary for each bar flavor.  The PLUS bars are full of protein and low in sugar.  All bars contain only pronounceable, recognizable ingredients: nothing artificial here!  I love that key nutrition info about the protein, fiber, and sugar content of each bar is listed right on the front of the wrapper.  It’s quick and easy to find a bar that’s right for you.

Dark Chocolate Nut & Sea Salt: These bars contain 7g fiber, 6g protein, and 5g sugar.  They’re nutty and have a chocolate-coated bottom.  There is a ribbon of chocolate on top, making this bar so pretty.  It tastes indulgent, and the sea salt really brings out the flavor of the chocolate.

Almond Walnut Macadamia + Protein: These bars contain 2.5g fiber, 10g protein, and 7g sugar.  These bars have my three favorite nuts in them, and they’re the perfect mix of crunchy and chewy.

Cashew & Ginger Spice: These bars contain 5g fiber, 6g protein, and 4g sugar.  The ginger gives these bars a special twist: they reminded me of a gingerbread cookie!

Blueberry Pecan + Fiber: These bars contain 5g fiber, 4g protein, and 9g sugar.  They contain tangy blueberries, and the combination of pecans and berries tasted like a blueberry muffin… yum!

It can be difficult to eat healthy, whole foods when you’re on the go.  Realistically, it’s so much easier to grab a bar and throw it in your bag.  KIND bars make it simple to eat healthy even when you have a busy lifestyle.  I’m so thankful to KIND Healthy Snacks for providing me with these products, and I know that my sorority sisters are, too!

Have you tried KIND bars?  What is your favorite flavor?

That Healthy Living Survey

21 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Thoughts

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

bagel, family, food, friends, fruit, health, healthy, life, living, quotation, reflection, survey

I filled out this survey, but some of the questions bothered me a little.  Read on to find out why.

What did you eat for breakfast?

Two Fiber One bars on my way to study for a final exam.  I study in the student center for people in my major.  It’s only accessible to people in the major, (which is like… nobody) so it’s always quiet and nearly empty.  It’s a great place to study, but the downside is that it’s nearly a mile from my house.  I just figure I’m killing two birds with one stone… walking counts as exercise!

How much water do you drink a day?

A lot!  I’d say anywhere between 80 and 100 ounces each day.  I get dehydrated easily, so I always have water with me.

What is your favorite current workout?

I love Zumba and the elliptical!  I haven’t gotten to work out as much as I’d like to recently… I have been so busy!  I walk a lot, but I can’t say that’s my favorite workout.

How many calories do you eat a day?

I don’t count calories.  I have no need to.  This is the first question in this survey that I’m not entirely fond of.  It only opens the door to comparing your caloric intake with someone else’s, which makes absolutely no sense.  Your body is your own, and it’s different from everyone else’s.  There is no need to compare your calories with anyone else’s, nor is there a need to even count them unless a medical professional recommended you to do it.

bird

What are your favorite healthy snacks?

I like grazing on snacks all day!  I love veggies with hummus, apples or bananas with peanut butter, and cereal.

What do you eat for lunch?

It depends.  I usually go for fruit, cheese, and cereal.  I like bagels and salads, too.  Like I said above, I prefer to snack throughout today rather than eat a big midday meal.  My condition causes low blood volume, so when blood rushes to my stomach after a big meal, I feel drowsy and weak.  I can deal with it at night after dinner, but not as much during the day.  I eat the same amount as anyone else would eat for lunch, I just spread it out throughout the afternoon.

Holidays2012 067

What is your favorite body part to strength train?

Legs for sure!

What is your least favorite body part to strength train?

Arms… I have small, weak arms and tiny wrists.  Strength training my arms makes me feel like I’m going to break a bone!

What are your “bad” food cravings?

There is no such thing as a “bad” food craving.  This is another question I don’t like.  Asking questions like this one only perpetuates the myth that there are “good” and “bad” foods.  Yes, some foods are better for your body than others, but it’s not as black and white as “good” and “bad” foods.

Do you take vitamins or supplements?

I take adult gummy vitamins every day.  I keep the bottle near my makeup, so I always remember to take it!  That is… if I put on makeup.  Wishful thinking?

How often do you eat out?

It depends on the week.  I usually go out to dinner with friends on Saturday, and I might go another time during the week for lunch or dinner if it’s a special occasion.  I’ve recently been obsessed with honey whole wheat bagels with egg white and cheddar cheese from Einstein’s.  So good!

NETgroups_2.7

Do you eat fast food?

I don’t like how it makes me feel, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.  I try to find foods that are as unprocessed as possible on the menu.  Usually if there’s fast food, there is a Starbucks nearby.  Starbucks always has great nutritious choices for on-the-go.  I especially like their fruit and cheese box.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My family and friends!  They are always there for me and I love them so much. 🙂

Do you have a gym membership?

Yep!  I have a student membership to the gym near my house, so I go when I go home for breaks.  I also have access to the gyms on campus, but I get most of my exercise from walking while I’m at school.

How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

6-8 hours.  It’s not enough, I know!

Do you have a “cheat” day?
No.  Again, another question I don’t like!  I eat what I feel like, when I feel like it.  If you deprive yourself all week, then eat everything in sight on one day, you’ll only end up feeling terrible physically and emotionally.  Your body doesn’t care what day it is: it processes food all the same.

Do you have a workout buddy?

No.  When I work out, I get in a zone and don’t talk to anyone.  My friends have told me that they tried to say hi to me at the gym, but I didn’t respond!  I literally block out everything except for my music and the gym TV.

What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?

I have more energy when I eat healthy, drink enough water, exercise when I can, sleep, and just generally take care of my body.

What was the last healthy thing you did?

Technically?  I breathed.  #winning

Did you fill out this survey on your blog?  How do you feel about some of the questions?  

 

Enjoying the Simple Things

09 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Thoughts

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bath and body works, cosi, enjoy, fashion, food, leggings, lotion, lululemon, pants, pens, shopping, soup, wallaby, whole foods, wunder under, yogurt

Good afternoon 🙂  Here are five things that I’ve been obsessing over lately.  And by obsessing, I mean taking time to enjoy. ❤

1. Tomato basil soup.  I’ve been on a huge tomato basil soup kick lately.  Not plain tomato soup, mind you, the basil is essential.  And tomato basil soups tend to contain cream as well, so you really can’t go wrong there.  Thankfully, there are plenty of restaurants near me that satisfy my craving.  Cosi is the best, but Whole Foods sells good (albeit expensive) tomato basil soup as well.

2. Good pens.  Seriously, there is nothing better than writing with your favorite pen.  I like these, these, and these.  Anything to make studying easier is a worthy investment in my book.

3. Lululeggings.  Known to everyone else as Wunder Unders from Lululemon.  I got two pairs of these for Christmas, and I swear I’ve worn them more often than anyone ever. They are so comfortable and warm.  My classes are 3/4 mile away from my house, and I can get through the walk (in Chicago winter weather) easily when I wear these leggings.  They are thick enough to be worn as pants, and they are so incredibly flattering.  The description on the Lululemon website reads, “Whoever said leggings weren’t pants was just plain wrong.”  TOO TRUE!

Wunder Under Pant

4. Tangelo Woods lotion.  I keep a tube of it on my desk.  It smells great and always lifts my spirits.  The scent is so tropical and fresh – it reminds me of summer!

Boost - Tangelo Woods Body Cream - Aromatherapy - Bath & Body Works

5. Plain Greek yogurt.  My throat has been hurting like whoa recently, and yogurt always soothes it.  I get the plain variety, and I add honey myself to get rid of some of the sour taste.  Greek yogurt is full of protein, and it has less sugar than regular yogurt.  I just tried this Wallaby yogurt for the first time today, and it is delicious.  So creamy, smooth, and not too sour, even for plain yogurt.  It’s on sale now at Whole Foods.

What is something YOU have been taking the time to enjoy recently?

Gingerbread Cookies

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Recipes

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

baking, christmas, cookie, cooking, food, gingerbread, holiday, recipe

I know I’ve been posting many recipes lately, but I can’t help it.  I just keep cooking things and I want to share them!

Gingerbread cookies just shout “Christmas” to me.  They make the house smell wonderful, taste like a blend of wintery spices and sweets, and can be decorated to your heart’s content.  For an obsessive-compulsive cookie decorator like me, gingerbread cookies are perfect canvases.

These cookies are delicious and easy to make.  I chilled the dough for 1 hour in the freezer, then 1 hour in the fridge.  This yielded the perfect consistency for cutting out cookies.  This dough holds its shape well when baking, and the cookies look adorable!

Gingerbread Cookies from Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

  2. Scoop dough onto a sheet of wax paper.  Wrap up the dough, and shape it into a disk.  Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

  3. On a  floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

  4. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Move to wire racks to cool.

     

Festivities

25 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Thoughts

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

apple, biscuits, crackers, family, festive, food, friends, holiday, inspiration, pie, thanksgiving, toffee, williams-sonoma

Crafts on crafts – my friends and I made eight of these wheat bushel place cards before giving up.  They were really difficult to make, but at least they look cute!

I didn’t realize how much I love toffee until this weekend.  This could turn out to be a very dangerous thing.

 

A cracker plate that I artfully arranged for my family’s Thanksgiving party.

I made this Apple Bourbon Streusel Pie, and though it took me a good hour of prep time to make, it turned out perfectly.  I have total confidence in Williams-Sonoma recipes – they always turn out beautifully and taste delicious.  This pie tasted even better the day after Thanksgiving.  I ate some for lunch straight out of the pie dish.  I have no regrets.

“Homemade” biscuits.  I made them at home fresh from the Pillsbury tube.

 

Can you believe the long weekend is over?  It flew by for me.  I’m so thankful for my family and friends.  They are just so much fun to hang out with, and I love them all so incredibly much.  What are YOU thankful for?

be creative

Dreams

 

I Love Fall Recipes

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Wordless Wednesday

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

baking, cooking, fall, food, recipes

[ Deep-Dish Pumpkin Meringue Pie ]

banana oat pancakes

[ Gluten-Free Banana Oat Pancakes ]

[ Baked Shells with Tomato and Mozzarella ]

[ Pumpkin Crunch Granola ]

[ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars ]

TPW_2962

[ Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges ]

[ Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookie Dough Bars ]

Oh yes I do.

Untitled

Cheesecake Brownies

17 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Recipes, Thoughts

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

baking, brownies, cheesecake, chocolate, cooking, cream cheese, dessert, food, recipe, tips

Whenever I bring homemade treats to a gathering, other people tell me that they can’t bake.  In response, I tell them they’re wrong.  Baking is actually not that hard to do.

The key, for me at least, is to cut corners.  I know, I know, this is really bad, but I’m going to be completely honest with you here.  There are several things that recipes instruct you to do that won’t make a noticeable difference in the final product.  So save yourself some time and effort.  Here are some baking “rules” that I just don’t follow.  You don’t need to do them either.

  • Sift the flour.  Just use your measuring cup to fluff it up a bit while it’s still in the bag before you measure it out.
  • Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before you add them to the wet ingredients.  Simply mix all your wet ingredients in a large bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the same bowl and mix everything together.
  • Beat eggs together before adding them to the batter.  Unless the recipe calls for you to beat egg whites (in which case, DO IT because it will make a BIG difference in the final product), just crack the eggs into the bowl with the rest of your ingredients, break the yolks with your spoon, and stir them into the batter.
  • Melt chocolate in a double-boiler.  Boiling water scares me.  Just put your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave it on 50% power for 1 minute, stir it, and repeat until it’s melted.
  • Make tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough.  Has anyone actually ever done this?  Just use two spoons to make cookie dough blobs as big or as small as you’d like.

There are other baking rules that you definitely should follow, such as preheating the oven to the correct temperature, measuring your ingredients fairly precisely (though I have been known to eyeball measurements and nobody has called the kitchen police on me yet), and setting a timer so that you remember to remove your treats from the oven.  But those are all obvious and easy to follow.

I can’t bear to write a baking post without sharing a recipe with you, so here is a brownie recipe that I made today.  It’s from Smitten Kitchen, so of course it does not disappoint.  The recipe is courtesy of Deb, but the photos are mine.

My adaptions to the recipe:

  • I lined the baking dish with parchment paper and sprayed it with cooking spray.
  • I melted the chocolate and butter together in the microwave.
  • I used whipped cream cheese for the topping.  I weighed it on a kitchen scale because obviously whipped cream cheese is less dense than regular cream cheese.  Yay for science!
  • I topped the brownies with mini chocolate chips.  Just because.

I hope you enjoy these brownies as much as I do!  If you’ve never baked before, then this recipe is a good one to start with.  Baking is easy, I promise.  🙂

Untitled

Simple Sugar Cookies

21 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

almond bark, baking, butter, cookies, flour, food, frosting, recipe, sugar

I made these cookies for my sister’s dance team, and I’m so happy with how they turned out!  My sister said they’re delicious, but I think they’re too beautiful to eat!

Simple Sugar Cookies, adapted from AllRecipes

Makes 48 small cookies

 

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

1. In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix on medium speed.

2. In 1-cup increments, add the flour.  Stir in the baking powder and salt, and continue to mix after each addition of flour.

3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the freezer for at least 1 hour.  15 minutes before you want to make the cookies, move the dough to the fridge.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sprinkle flour onto a flat surface and place 1/4 of the dough onto it.  Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough, then roll it to 1/4-inch thickness with a rolling pin.  Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

5.  Bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 6-8 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden brown.  Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

 

For the icing, I melted some almond bark in the microwave for 1 minute, then added yellow food coloring to it.  This frosting worked really well – it hardened beautifully and tastes delicious!

Enjoy!

 

❤ Courtney

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