As weekends go...

We're looking at 9.8. And that last .2 is just because the Hungarian judge is a bitch. BEAUTIFUL weather, old friends, favorite places, a board game, The Office and even a farmer's market. Nothin wrong with that:)After my night at the movies, I had a brunch date with CVDJ at our favorite brunch spot in Andersonville. My favorite in the city actually because I've never had pancakes this good. "Katie Cakes" to be specific. See my review on Yelp for for more but wow- worth the mini-drive. Abby called at the perfect minute and I was able to snag her on my way up. We may have also done some shopping (just what I need, new hats) to work off breakfast but then I rushed home from the outskirts to ready my house for the boys!The boys= Cole and Matt. Both seniors, each representing one of my favorite colleges and brothers from Houston (for all intents and purposes). Cole and I bonded pretty instantly a few years ago during my senior year when I became known as "Momma Junior" and he continues to develop into one of the coolest men I know (thus singularly saving his gender with my brother, and Bob Jones at times) and though this was my first time to meet Matt, I'd heard so much about him that it didn't feel that way. I had not gotten to see my Coley since his last trip to Chicago when I was but a wee city amateur and he was not of legal drinking age. My, how much has changed:) They had been traipsing all over downtown with big backpacks on so when they arrived, it was time for a beer and some apple peeling (which made them both very nervous for some reason). A few beers and a neighborhood shopping tour later, we were back at the house readying for dinner with generous cocktails. And by generous I mean imagine 3 drunk people trying to inflate and dress an air mattress. This also explains the vibrant conversation on religion at dinner which watching the Red Sox spank the Indians. I had an extra cocktail for my parents and brother who were AT the game.Bob, CVDJ and Caro met up and we continued to hit the neighborhood pretty hard at Mac's, Phyllis' Musical Inn (a new favorite) and some realllllly random place under an Old Style sign near Damen and Armitage. It had a crude little Christmas town above the bar and Miller cans. Oh and a hefty guy signing autographs to the stack of Matadors team pictures he had brought to the bar with him. That seemed like a good time to call it a night on the bar scene.

So we headed home for frozen pizza, apple crisp with ice cream, Cranium and the Office. Plus 1 (niiiice Matt, and she even loves the HoneyCat:)Sunday, I got the boys to the train and got home at the perfect time to walk to the farmer's market in Wicker Park. As I did this, I talked to England for about 2 hours- challah Kate and Nick! I had already decided to make myself a perfectly seasonal feast on my personal day so this was what I got:
- 1/4lb fingerling potatoes
- 1/4lb sunchokes (part of a sunflower root similar to a potato, also known as a Jerusalem artichoke)
- a brown bag of local, beautiful exotic mushrooms
- Jonagold and Honeycrisp apples
- 4 year aged sharp cheddar (to be eaten on top of crisp apple slices-thanks Mom)
- broccoli
- 1/2 gallon of Seedling Farm cider

I had already bought tilapia at this point so was well on my way.

The rest of the afternoon was spent: doing yoga, looking up recipes online, watching season 3 of the office, watching the Fire secure a playoff spot from the Galaxy, and going for another walk. It was stunning, I'm not usually this active on a hangover. Let's credit the Honeycrisps with good cheddar for my mid-afternoon burst.
So, I made this. And then I steamed the broccoli with a pinch of fleur de sel and then some Smart Balance; boiled the potatoes and sunchokes together for mashed "sunpot" with fat free sour cream, garlic salt and pepper; sauteed the mushrooms with 1 small, diced garlic clove and a TB of real butter (when working with really good mushrooms, they do most of the work themselves); and poured myself a glass of cider before sitting down for TV night.

Bon Appetit, a tasty weekend indeed.