Indoor activities

In the middle of every winter, I think, oh, how I wish it were summer. I would much rather be hot than cold. I miss the sun. So what if it comes with humidity. I don't remember humidity being that bad.

Well, summer slapped us in the face this weekend. So, you've been waiting all winter for me, eh?, it asks. No, no!, I say. I really just wanted it to be spring! I just got confused!

Spring and Fall seem all-too-often to be short-lived in Chicago. This weekend, Chicago was hot, humid, gross - and all that about three weeks too early! We spent most of the weekend indoors: we played our new(/old) game on the wii, I saw a movie (and I really enjoyed it, I don't care what the critics say!), and I made meringues (from Smitten Kitchen).


Sadly, I'm not able to make my food pictures look as beautiful as those on Smitten Kitchen, Simply Recipes or 101 Cookbooks. I think I'm getting better, but perfect pictures of my kitchen creations elude me.

Getting closer...but serious photoshopping was required

It's a skill I hope to shame myself into acquiring after a while posting here and having you say - ick, I would never make any of the food you make, because your food looks gross! I don't want you to think I make gross food. A renaissance chick like me would not do that. (Cue Alex fretting that this means I will soon start pursuing food styling as a hobby, like the people on Scoop! - the Ice Cream competition show that airs on the Food Network from time to time*.)

In fact, I only write here about food that I made that I like. For example, in the meringue picture, you'll see some strawberry ice cream. I made it. It was fine, tasty, but not excellent. So I didn't even tell you about. That's how much I care.

Unworthy ice cream

* By the way, the second place flavor on Scoop! was Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle. Haagen Dazs decided to make it in addition to the winner's Sticky Toffee Pudding. I was fortunate to know people with good enough taste to serve Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle to me one day. It's amazing. I highly recommend that you try it. I buy it whenever I see it in the grocery store, eventhough it's crazy over-priced. It's probably the only thing I buy from the grocery store whether it's on sale or not, because I'm worried they will stop making it.