My Trip to Eataly Chicago

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!

Dorm Room Essentials

Tags

amy's organic, breakfast, college, dinner, dishes, food, frozen dinner, healthy, hummus, lunch, macaroni and cheese, malted milk balls, natural, pasta, peanut butter, pesto, pita, popcorn, sabra, shells, snack, thinkthin, tortellini, whole foods

This scenario happens fairly often in college:  you just don’t want to walk to the dining hall.  It doesn’t matter where the dining hall is- if it isn’t 4 feet or less away from you, it’s just not happening.  That’s where dorm snacks come in.  Here are my essentials for staying healthy in college without spending too much money.

Amy’s Kitchen Frozen Dinners

They’re all organic and super good for you, but tasty too!  You won’t feel bad about heating up a frozen dinner after a long day if you choose a healthy option.

Hummus and pitas

Need a quick snack?  Have half a pita with hummus.  Want a full meal?  Have an entire pita with hummus!  This is one of the few snack foods that is satisfying enough to also be a good lunch or dinner.  Or breakfast.  I don’t judge.

Chocolate Covered Anything

Well… maybe not anything!  But chocolate-covered nuts or malted milk balls are great quick energy boosts when you just need that chocolate fix.  The nuts have healthy fats and vitamins, while the malt balls take a longer time to chew so you are forced to sloooooow down.  Dark chocolate is better (hello, antioxidants!) but if you’re not used to the bitterness, start with a low cacao percentage and work your way up.  I can tolerate around 80% cacao now, but 100% is just way too bitter for me!

Microwave Popcorn

Popcorn is a perfect snack for when you want something satisfying that won’t weight you down.  Just 2 minutes in the microwave and you have plenty to share!  Or not.  Again, I don’t judge.  Choose a low-fat, trans-fat-free variety.  Movie theater butter = bad idea!

Natural Peanut Butter

You can find any nut ground into butter these days, but when it comes to price, peanut butter is always the cheapest option.  You can find a natural jar of peanut butter for a pretty good price these days, and it has healthy fats and protein to keep you full.  I like it spread on wheat crackers, a banana, or just a spoon.

Breakfast Bars

Whether for breakfast on the way to class or a quick snack after my chemistry lab, bars are perfect, nutritious options.  I like ThinkThin bars the best, but they are pretty expensive so buy them by the box – most stores will charge you less than if you bought each bar individually.  They’ll also satisfy a sweet tooth, so have one for dessert (heat it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds) and indulge!

Dishes / Utensils

 

These may not be food, but they are so important to have in your dorm room!  I’d recommend getting at least 2 of everything (plates, bowls, forks, knives, spoons) so you can share with people.  And don’t forget dish soap!

 

What is one thing you wish you’d brought with you somewhere, but forgot?  Definitely my camera… I always forget it at the most opportune photo moments!

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one food (healthiness doesn’t matter!), what food would you take?  I would choose peanut butter cups!