Favorite Things {April ’17}

I love reading about new things on other bloggers “favorite” posts, so I decided to join this trend by starting an occasional Monday favorites post. Monday works well because the weekend is when I tend to discover new things.

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We had a wonderful Easter weekend – the weather was gorgeous and we celebrated the holiday with my parents’ who visited from Iowa. Weekend highlights included teaching baby C about the Easter bunny:

K also planted our raised garden bed and I planted our window boxes and a few potted flowers on the deck. We also admired plenty of spring flowers on walks around the neighborhood:

Scroll below for the rest of my recent favorites!

Favorite Snack

My absolute favorite new snack is a limited edition Banana Chocolate Chip Larabar. I have only seen this flavor for sale at Target. Whenever I find it in the store at least two boxes are purchased. The bars are that good. I want to make these bars at home but I can’t figure out how to avoid mushy chunks of banana.

Favorite Caffeine Boost

I finally started drinking matcha green tea. Trader Joe’s sells individual matcha green tea packets that taste amazing. I whisk mine with half water and half almond milk, and add a few teaspoons of maple syrup for sweetness. The packets are $1 each, but this is much more reasonable than the $4+ iced green tea lattes from Starbucks that I love to indulge in.

Favorite Outdoor Walk

Two weeks ago Baby C and I visited the Garfield Park Conservatory for an outdoor walk with friends. The Conservatory has 12 acres of outdoor gardens. The first blooms of the season were out, with hundreds of daffodils lining the garden path. I can’t wait to go back when summer flowers are blooming.

Favorite Cookbook

Last year before baby C was born, K and I planned a handful of “pre-baby” dates. One of these dates was a dinner at Fat Rice in the Logan Square neighborhood. Fat Rice is described as “comfort food from around the world” though I think it has an Asian flair to its flavors. I bought K the Fat Rice cookbook from Valentine’s Day and we have enjoyed several recipes –> The Adventures of Fat Rice: Recipes fro the Chicago Restaurant Inspired by Macau. If you have the cookbook, my favorite dish so far is Lacassa {Macanese Rice Vermicelli Stir-Fry}. The marinade is extremely good and the dish is paired with beet pickled ginger.

Favorite Baby Product

I have a “baby favorites” post coming soon with my favorite items for baby C’s first four months of life. This baby wrap is at the top of the list – the Baby K’tan Original Baby Carrier. This carrier is very easy to use and he falls asleep almost immediately. It’s cotton and washes easily too. We received it as a gift but I would definitely purchase it myself.

Favorite Breakfast

Last Sunday morning K and I went on a long walk with baby C and stopped for brunch at Baker Miller in Lincoln Square. I had the prettiest avocado toast on their sunflower seed bread, topped with scrambled eggs and slices of watermelon radishes. Watermelon radishes don’t have much flavor but they’re lovely and add a nice crunch to any dish.

Favorite Spring Find

Oakley reached out to me a few weeks ago about reviewing a complimentary pair of polarized sunglasses. I have been looking for quality sunglasses for years – in the meantime I keep buying {and breaking} cheap pairs. No longer. I love the Oakley Drop In Polarized sunglasses in tortoise – pictured below on a lakefront walk.

My dad always wore Oakley sunglasses when I was growing up, but this is my first pair. I am a huge fan! They are very lightweight and perfect for spring. Check out more Oakley’s women’s sunglasses at this link.