Transition: From Windy City Living to Sage & Serendipity

 I'm excited to announce the official re-brand of my blog; now going by the lovely name of "Sage & Serendipity"! 

The journey to Sage & Serendipity has been long and full of surprises. When I first set out to take my blog to the next level, I only had a vague concept of wanting to transform the space. I knew I wanted my own domain, to clean up the overall look of the blog, and make some changes to better present my content. I had a ton of ideas but was overwhelmed with the to-do list that would turn all of those ideas into reality.

I've been lucky enough to have the help of a fantastic friend, Stephanie. She's got a great grasp on what it takes to write a meaningful blog and is full of ideas on every single aspect that goes into creating a site. One of the first things we talked about was the idea of creating a brand, and this has been the key driver in transforming my blog.

I LOVE the concept of branding. I am by no means a pro at creating a personal brand, but I'm extremely interested in the topic and have experienced the process of branding in several different settings throughout my career and personal life. Basically as a blogger you are your brand. Of course when you write a blog post you are representing your personal brand. But with social media whenever you tweet, post on facebook, snap a pic for Instagram, etc. and share that information as an extension of your identify as a blogger that item is representing your personal brand as well. Therefore a key to successful branding is to streamline your content so that your followers know what they are getting when they turn to you.

I worked with Stephanie to develop content areas for my blog. I really wanted to restructure what it is that I’m writing about and of course think about how these posts will provide value to you, the reader. I looked at my past few months of blogging and developed a post plan to better configure my blog. You can see these areas on the new site: Chicago, Work Life, Food and Travel. I feel that all of these items represent who I am and in turn are a good summation of what you can expect when you turn to Sage & Serendipity.  

This brings up another topic to touch on: my blog name change! I did not originally set out to “re-create the wheel” with a new moniker. But as I looked at the elements of this re-brand, I realized that I wanted to better capture my purpose as a blogger and the best way to do so was to launch under a new name. I love alliterations and wanted a name that was a bit more whimsical. Sage is my favorite herb and I grow it every summer as a part of my little herb garden. It also is used to describe someone possessing knowledge, judgment, and experience, which is inherent in blogging. Serendipity is defined as the phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for, or more simply a pleasant surprise. I am a firm believer in karma, fate, and the concept of everything happens for a reason. I’ve always loved the idea of serendipity (my AIM screen name in middle school was “Serendipity”) and it became a frontrunner early on in the blog name brainstorming process. I love it and hope you do too: Sage & Serendipity!

I still consider myself a novice blogger and this space is very much a work in progress. But nonetheless I am excited to move forward with my new brand. Thank you to those who are making the transition with me from Windy City Living!  My editorial calendar is just bursting with topics to share with you and I can’t wait to get started!

TÊTE Charcuterie

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend a special preview night of new Chicago hot spot TÊTE Charcuterie. The concept is simple: a creative dining experience surrounding charcuterie, the art of meat curing and sausage making.

The night started with cocktails at the bar, obviously.

I knew I had made the right cocktail choice, as I had barely finished uttering the name of the drink before our waiter starting nodding in approval. Known as the "Jackson Blues", this smooth and refreshing number combines vodka, green tea syrup, lemon and sparkling wine. 

While you sip, you can enjoy a show as the charcuterie is plated.

And take pictures with your friends!

On to the food! TÊTE Charcuterie has an open kitchen design, allowing you to view food as it is prepared, plated, and sent out to the floor. 

Pork belly, the most delicious item I sampled. It is seasoned perfectly and just melts in your mouth. 

Sausage and spicy mustard. 

Mortadella with pistachios, coriander and white wine. 

Assorted meats and the heavenly bread. 

The design and decor of TÊTE Charcuterie are simple, warm and inviting. I loved the vibe of the restaurant and the laid back attitude of the staff.

The "Ehhhhh" cocktail, which must be ordered with purpose in your voice: dark rum, averna, maple and egg. I would describe this as a rougher, tougher eggnog and it makes a perfect nightcap. 

I would absolutely visit TÊTE Charcuterie again; it's the perfect place for cocktails and a few plates to share with friends before a night out. Do yourself a favor and order the pork belly; you will not regret it! 

TÊTE Charcuterie is located at 1114 West Randolph Street and their website can be viewed here.

Note: I attended this event as a part of Chicago Food Bloggers and free of charge, however the opinions in this post are solely my own. 

Stan's Donuts & Coffee

Sometimes in the nutrition battle, you just have to let the foodie part of you win. And that's exactly what happened when I made the decision to check out Wicker Park's new doughnut shop Stan's Donuts & Coffee. After many strong willed moments since this place opened, I finally caved and made a stop in over the weekend to pick up a box of goodies. Oh. My. God. If you are going to have a calorie splurge on something sweet, this is the place to go.

Stan's is a Californian import-a cult favorite that has made a splashy debut in Chicago with this store. It couples it's best selling donuts with Chicago based Intelligentsia coffee and tea products.

This adorable shop is located on Damen Ave., smack dab next to the Damen blue line stop. The bubblegum pink logo and wall of Kitchenaid mixers are guaranteed to catch your eye as you walk by. And if that fails, the sweet smell of sugary perfection will stop you in your tracks.

They have a huge glass display filled to the brim with different donut options. While the line was 12 people deep, it moved quickly. The design of the shop is so that it sections off the front door, counter and line to one side, and places tables to the other side. This allows customers to sit and enjoy their treats without having people walking through the same space to be able to order.  Flavors I picked up were:

-Original Glazed
-Boston Cream
-Nutella and Banana
-Lemon Pistachio Old Fashioned
-Biscoff Banana Pocket
-Maple Long John

I feel like I have to disclose that I did not eat all these donuts by myself! They were shared, though I did make it a point to sample each of them. It's hard to pick a favorite. What I loved about the donuts was that they weren't OVERLY sweet. You didn't get that sickening feeling after one bite from something so overladen with sugar. The donuts were yeasty and the flavors were fantastic. If I HAD to pick a winner it would be the lemon pistachio, though the Nutella and banana was pretty spectacular as well….oh man and the glazed…ok I can't do it. You really can't go wrong here.

I highly recommend stopping in sometime soon for a sugary treat! Check them out here.

Obsessed: 4.11.14

Happy Friday, lovelies! I'm linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for High for Friday, and putting together my first "Obsessed" post. Each week I'll round up my favorite finds from the week that I am obsessed with and share them with you!

1. Fage Yogurt

This has been the hero of my lunches this week. I adore Greek yogurt and am obsessed with the large range of flavors Fage offers. The consistency is great and I love being able to add the flavor in myself, as the container separates this from the plain yogurt. My favorite flavors are key lime, apple cinnamon raisin and mango guanabana. At around 120 calories this is a perfect snack or add on to your lunch! Check them out here.


2. "Pause" by Pitbull

We've used this song a few times in my workout classes and I am obsessed. It's super catchy and has a great beat for fitness.

3. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in New Zealand 

I'm obsessed with the royals, and of course in particular Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. This royal tour means one thing: more amazing fashionista moments! My favorite look thus far has been this powder blue customized Alexander McQueen coat: 

With navy accents and a rare ponytail

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Of course an honorable mention to this beyond adorable picture of Prince George:

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Follow the tour via Clarence House and Kate's fashions through the amazing blog "What Kate Wore". 

What are you obsessed with this week? Have a fabulous weekend! 

Henri Bendel Luxe

If you haven’t heard of Henri Bendel, they are somewhat of a New York legend. The brand first launched in 1895 and it is a haven of everything from handbags to candles to jewelry. The company just launched their new Henri Bendel Luxe line and I was lucky enough to attend a special preview party to celebrate the collection. 

The event was held at the JIMMY, a secluded cocktail lounge located at the James Hotel on Ontario. At first I was unsure of where this place actually was, then realized that you have to walk through a small food shop to access the entrance. (Sidenote: said food shop is Burke's Bacon Bar. This small takeaway looked amazing and hello, bacon; I will definitely return to sample their eats). 

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The JIMMY is gorgeous inside-it's got a great secluded feel to it and is a cosy space that was filled to the brim with the event guests. The entryway is covered by gold metal chains (think an upscale, classy version of those beaded door curtains from the 90's) and the decor is rich and warm with wood accents and plush seating. And the bar ties everything together to give off a bit of a sixties, "Mad Men" sophisticated drinking atmosphere. 

The Luxe line itself is a nice range of pieces perfect for layering. I feel that there really is an item for every girl's sense of jewelry style. Items fall mostly in the $50-$140 price range and there truly are many "workhorse" pieces, aka items that would go with every outfit in your closet. The collection is made with semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals and plated in 12k gold, 12k rose gold and rhodium. The brochure on the line describes the looks as "modern and timeless", and I think that is the perfect phrase. 

I picked up two pieces: the Deco Bar Harness Cuff and the Deco Bar Stud Earrings, both in rose gold. 

I absolutely LOVE rose gold, and am excited to style these pieces.

It's tough to pick a favorite piece in this collection; I love the neutralness of this pink beaded strand necklace and the edginess of this spiked midi ring set. 

The Henri Bendel Luxe collection is absolutely worth checking out. Find the line here and while you are at it, take a spin around the rest of their website. (Their "shop by personality" section is such a great idea!) 

Note: I attended this event as a guest through Windy City Bloggers Collective. All items mentioned above were complimentary, however all opinions stated are my own. 

Hearty Tortellini and Spinach Soup

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you. It's one of my all time favorite dishes, and probably the most memorable meal from my childhood. The original recipe was clipped by my mom from some magazine back in the 90's. It became a staple in my family's household, and now in mine!

This is a super easy one and is forgiving in terms of ingredients. You can substitute frozen spinach for fresh, use any kind of stuffed pasta, and play around with your broth base. I've included with the recipe below my personal favorite items to use.

To serve four you'll need:

Olive oil (not pictured)
Crushed garlic (Trader Joe's)
A quart of broth (Unsalted is the way to go…I adore the Kitchen Basics brand)
12 ounces cheese tortellini (the Rana brand is delicious; I bought mine at Marianos)
1 can of stewed tomatoes, undrained (Del Monte)
A few handfuls of fresh spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste (not pictured)
Shredded Parmesan cheese (Bel Gioioso)

Drizzle some olive oil and put a dollop of crushed garlic in your pan.

Heat (on low as to not make a mess) for a few minutes then add your broth. Turn up the heat and cover until boiling.

Add in in your pasta, tomatoes and spinach and give everything a stir.

Turn the heat down a bit and cover, simmering for 3 minutes or until spinach is just a bit wilted.

Salt and pepper to taste. That's it! Ladle into individual bowls and top with some shredded Parmesan cheese.

I like to serve crusty bread with this for dipping if I have company, or if you are particularly hungry pair it with a side salad.

Enjoy!

Diary of a (Partial) Vegan: Weeks Two and Three

I completed the remainder of my vegan challenge, first described here. Truth be told, this challenge flopped towards the end. Commitments to eating out and a week's stay with my parents while at a client nearby their house meant many chances for my food choices to be out of my control.

Overall, as I mentioned in week one, the best thing I took away from this was realizing how to incorporate more meatless meals into my diet. I've started thinking twice before adding meat to my dishes, and am at least trying to restrict my meals to only include one dish with meat a day.

One of my favorite lazy gal dishes is to create a "hodge podge bowl" for dinner, and this easily can be made to exclude meat. I usually make a batch of a grain on Sundays such as brown rice or farro, and this week it was barley. I then use this for several meals throughout the week to cut down on preparation time (just heat it up in the microwave for a minute or two). I steam some vegetables (asparagus and mushrooms are my current favorites) and fry an egg, then put everything on top of the grain. I add a bit of shredded cheese and maybe some hot sauce for an extra hit of flavor. SO good! The possibilities for your hodge podge bowl are endless, and it actually is a really great way to use up leftovers that accumulate in your fridge throughout the week.

I also discovered a yummy product, Amazing Meal vegan smoothies from Amazing Grass. I found these products at Whole Foods and purchased a single serving packet of each flavor. I've tried a few so far and my favorite has been the Pomegranate Mango-I usually don't like mango flavored items so this was a surprise! Each serving is chock full of good-for-you ingredients, and has tons of protein and fiber to keep you full. I paired one of these smoothies (prepared with coconut milk) with a piece of toast and was full all the way until lunch. I highly recommend checking these products out!

I'd like to try this challenge again sometime soon, and perhaps stick it out better than I did this time around! : )

Barr-Co. Fine Shea Butter Lotion

My friend just shared with me the most amazing beauty product.

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Barr-Co. Fine Shea Butter Lotion. It's non-greasy, absorbs well, is long lasting and smells fantastic. It's also one of the very few products I have found that doesn't list "water" as the first ingredient (the first is aloe). I love that the container has a pump top, making it easy to dispense and apply. 

I've tried a ton of lotions over the years, and this one is by far the best! I'm already planning on buying another one for my desk at work!

Find it at Anthropologie for $24.  

"Five Star" Muffins

In keeping with my vegan attempts for the month of March, I made a batch of completely vegan and gluten free sweet potato muffins. The key ingredient in these is Chinese five-spice powder, which in my mind I keep accidentally calling "five star" powder. After making these, I think it's fair to call them "five-star" muffins : )

"Five Star" Muffins

adapted from "It's All Good" recipe

2 sweet potatoes (or 1 really large one)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

3/4 cup good quality maple syrup, plus a little extra for brushing the muffins

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups gluten-free flour (and add 1 tsp xanthan gum* if the flour doesn't include it). You can also use regular/whole wheat/spelt/whatever flour you have on hand if you don't mind the gluten. 

2 tsps baking powder

2 tsps baking soda 

1 1/2 Tbsp Chinese five-spice powder (I found mine at Whole foods; it's a blend of cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise and white pepper, and really takes these muffins to the next level.)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt 

*This is a binding agent to hold food particles together, making it the ideal substitute in gluten-free baking. It's a tad pricey but a little goes a long way.

Wrap your sweet potatoes in a dish towel and microwave until soft (about 8 minutes). Cut in half and allow to cool. 

Meanwhile, whisk together your wet ingredients (olive oil, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract) in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Mix together your dry ingredients (everything else) in a large bowl and set aside.

Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes and place into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Using an electric beater, whisk the ingredients together until blended. Add in the dry ingredients until everything is mixed.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Prep a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners and spoon the mixture into each section. Bake for 12 minutes, then baste the top of each muffin with maple syrup. Bake for another 5 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Note: like many homemade baked goods, these have no preservatives and therefore will dry out/get yucky quickly when left out. Keep these in a sealed container in a dry, cool place and transfer to the refrigerator after a day or so. They should then keep up to 5 days. You can also freeze them and defrost as you need. 

Diary of a (Partial) Vegan: Week One

Veganism has its moments. One minute you are feeling extremely pleased with your dietary choices, the next you are mid-bite into a Twix and realize you’re an idiot; that has milk in it. My biggest tool for my successes this past week has been planning. I mapped out my major meals for the week and grocery shopped appropriately for a vegan lifestyle. However, I’m unable to control the lingering non-vegan items in my pantry/fridge/freezer. There were eggs taunting me from the refrigerator door and chocolates on the top shelf of my pantry that I swear were whispering “eat me” every time I walked past. By the middle of week I started feeling bored with my vegan meal options and subsequently turned to eggs and dairy to expand on my choices. And on Friday I completely fell off the bandwagon and had a chicken wrap for lunch. 

I'm not a nutritionist, but I do know that there are many factors to consider when you eliminate major food groups from your diet. Important things like protein and even fiber from grains (if you are trying to also watch calories and not eat bread/pasta/etc. all the time) can be compromised by following a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. I will admit, some poor planning on the nutrient side led me to lack energy and have some unpleasant stomach aches during the first few days. Everything is a process, and I'm learning now how to be conscious of the nutrients I get from a meal based on what kind of diet (no gluten, no meat, etc.) it follows.  

As I explained here, my 22 day challenge is to be vegan as much as possible. A brunch with fellow blogger Steph of Steph's Spot on Sunday was an exception, and that aforementioned Twix incident may have happened a few times (this is what I get for keeping a candy jar on my desk for my co-workers). I’m lucky enough to be making these food choices voluntarily, versus having health issues dictate what I can and cannot eat. Because of that I can decide at the start of each day what to eat to keep me happy and healthy. 

Overall I am enjoying the way this foodie challenge is going; it’s showing me that cutting out meat from your diet is not as hard as you might think. Going into week two I will continue to try and eat vegan whenever possible. My main focus though has shifted towards developing ways in which I can incorporate vegan/vegetarian meals into my everyday lifestyle.

On to week two! 

Spring Scarf Swap

Happy Saturday! I've got a fun event for you all today: a Spring Scarf Swap! I'm pairing up with my favorite blogger friend Steph over at Steph's Spot Blog!

Here’s how it works: To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name & email address. You can also share your social media info (twitter, instagram, blog, pinterest etc.) so the person you’re paired with can get some ideas of what you might like. You’ll be randomly paired with another entrant, and you will shop for and send them a new spring scarf - we are suggesting a price point $20.

We will accept entries until Monday, March 31^st then Steph and I will randomly pair up the entrants and post the pairings on our blogs Tuesday, April 1^st. You’ll have until Tuesday, April 15^th to do your shopping and get your scarf in the mail to your partner. And don’t forget to show off your new scarf via social media using our hashtag #SpringScarfSwap!

Please be respectful of others; your sign up means you are 100% committed to participating. 

If something happens and you are no longer able to participate PLEASE reach out to one of us immediately. We don’t want anyone left without a scarf!