Breakfast Rut

I've been having issues with breakfast lately. I usually don't have time for something fancy, plus I want something healthy and filling. In the summer, it's often Greek yogurt and fruit and in the winter it's often oatmeal. Lately, I've been having the same breakfast (well, 3-4 times per week):

Oatmeal (with cinnamon and brown "sugar")
Apple with about a tablespoon of peanut butter

It's tasty and I end up not getting hungry until noon. Plus, it's super fast. I used to combine it all: dice apple and microwave it with cinnamon and sugar, add oatmeal and peanut butter. But, dicing the apple took time. And I got bored.

The new problem: I am SO bored with oatmeal. But it's SO fast. I love eggs for breakfast but I've been having trouble getting out of bed in the morning so I never want to take the time.

Today: I took the time. And it was worth it.

I made 1 serving of egg product and put in 1 oz of goat cheese. I made it in my little egg pan (which I love) and it was perfect. I had it with a mini rye muffin that we made on Sunday and ate a grapefruit along with it. Lovely. And I'm not getting hungry!

Will be happy to take suggestions for other exciting breakfast options...

Chicago!

So I am here with my Sister visiting our Cousin R in Chicago for the long weekend. It has been a wonderful vacation so far (we have about 23 hours left) and are really enjoying ourselves so far. We've also eaten some superb food. A quick rundown.

SATURDAY
Breakfast was eaten in the airport. I enjoyed some oatmeal from Starbucks which was a bit less thick than I prefer, but really tasty with the brown sugar packet. I would totally enjoy it again for a meal on the run.
The plane ride was uneventful and I landed in beautiful Chicago. Cousin R picked us up and we went to the supermarket for sustenance (100 Calorie Lorna Doones, grapes, Baked Lays, carrots, spinach dip) and then off for deep dish by the slice. The restaurant, the Art of Pizza, seems to be pretty well known for its deep dish and it should be - it was delicious. Cousin R got pepperoni, Sister got sausage and peperoni, I got mushroom and spinach. I now know why Chicago is famous for deep dish. It was SO GOOD. Warm, cheesy, gooey, doughy and wonderful.
After a quick stop in Cousin R's apartment to put on long underwear and a second pair of socks, we headed out to Lincoln Park for a stop at an amazing chocolate shop, Vosges. We sampled some of the toffee they had and then bought some bars and truffles. I'm sure The Pedant will explain more another time...
After a walk around the area, we headed to Lincoln Square for dinner at Chelsea Grill. It was really tasty - an eclectic menu that was not very expensive. We shared homemade potato chips with sea salt and fried goat cheese for an appetizer. Fried goat cheese is just super. Gooey and well toasted. For dinner, Sister had the burger with homemade fries and Cousin R and I shared the roasted vegetable and goat cheese sandwich and the Macaroni and Cheeses. It was great. The sandwich had chunks of veggies as opposed to slices which made it even tastier. The mac & cheeses was really decedent.
We went to Old Town to kill some time before seeing Second City (which was so amazing and really funny!!) and ate dessert - bread pudding recommended by the hostess and worth it! - at Bistrot Margot. They seemed to have a problem when Cousin R asked for a hot chocolate and I asked for a mocha. It seemed to throw them off (sister's espresso was no problem...) but they managed and it was tasty.

SUNDAY:
Brunch was in Wicker Park where we were joined by Cousin I. We ate at Hot Chocolate which was just wonderful. We each, of course, got hot chocolate. Sister and I both had their half and half - half dark chocolate, half espresso and one FULL taste. Rich, a little bitter, tasty. Cousin R enjoyed her Mexican hot chocolate. Cousin I really liked her dark, which was 72% dark chocolate that, as she rightly put it, tasted like liquid brownie. We then shared the sweets plate, with banana bread (which was actually quite good and not so banana-ey), croissant filled with duck and pear (I got an end so I didn't have to worry), mini scones, and a homemade donut. Very tasty. For the meal I got the market scramble with queso fresco, spinach and mushrooms. It was amazing. Perfectly cooked, not overly cheesy. Sister and Cousin R enjoyed sharing a ham and egg sandwich and Cousin I enjoyed her fresh ricotta and egg sandwich. We rolled ourselves out and enjoyed walking and shopping.
Cousin R, Sister and I are realizing with some snacks and Austin Powers (a favorite!) before a dinner out and jazz (an update later!)

Goat Cheese and Honey

The Pedant gave a good round up of our time at the wineries. I also enjoyed it and found the tasting at Vintage Ridge Winery really interesting. With the extra bites to eat (not just crackers) and the generous tastes, they let us linger and talk and really enjoy the experience. The best part was in the desert platter: Goat Cheese with Honey. It was really very good. We ate it with their dessert wine a wine not as sweet as the others we've had, purchased a year ago, or very recently, but very tasty. We first were told to eat it with a slice of bleu cheese (tart) and then try it with goat cheese and honey (sweet) and have some bites of things in the middle. The bleu cheese was very good but the goat cheese surprised me. I've had Greek yogurt with honey which is creamy and tangy and sweet. I expected this to taste the same since it has a similar look on a mini fork, but it was oh so much better. Really very good. Bravo whoever thought this up!

Sugar Sugar! (Boo-bee-boo-boo-boo-boo) Oh, Honey Honey!

The new Vegetarian Times came in with the mail this week, and there are a number of recipes I'd like to try.

One of the ones that will have to wait for company, because it will be snorfeled up like the delicious chocolate chip cookies the Sherbs made for her coworkers on Wednesday (we got to keep the mildly burned ones), is the recipe for "honey goat cheese phyllo triangles" (see recipe #5). Phyllo is a temperamental dough but for crispy sweetened goat cheese treats, it's worth it.

On the subject of chevre...

With regards to Sherbs's prior post on goat cheese, I open the floor to discussion:

Which do you like better, real chevre or that spread stuff they sell with all the flavors in it?

As a lover of both soft cheeses and Herr's Hot Cheese Curls, I'm torn.