Foodie Friday: Banana Cream

So, unfortunately I don't have any pictures this week... but I wanted to go ahead and share this wonderful recipe for a great frozen treat.  I found this on Pinterest... then on several other sites this week.  If you hate recipes with a ton of ingredients... then this recipe is for you.  It only has 1 ingredient... that's right... I said 1 ingredient!

Banana Cream:

Ingredient:

Banana(s)

Cut up a couple bananas and freeze them overnight.  I just put mine in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.

Place the frozen bananas in either a blender or a food processor... and blend away.  Be sure to scrape down the sides as needed.  It will take a minute to get it cut and blended... so don't worry if it doesn't happen right away.

And Voila... banana cream.  Somehow after the chopping and whipping the frozen banana pieces turn into the consistency of soft serve ice cream.  

You can eat it alone or add in some chocolate syrup or peanut butter.  

I am so excited I found this recipe it is perfect for a healthy sweet treat!

Foodie Friday: Apple Season!

Sorry I have been MIA this week.  We had a really busy weekend last weekend... and this week was just as crazy.  Thankfully, we got to sleep in this morning (my Saturday)... and we are hoping to go see Wicked tonight at the Fox Theatre.  This weekend I am also thinking about breaking out some of my favorite "apple recipes" because apples are just coming into season.  Here are a few links to some of my favorites...

Apple Bread:

Pioneer Woman Easy Apple Tart:

Apple Cake:

Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings:

I made the apple dumplings for work this week and they were a huge hit!  I highly recommend all these recipes as it starts to get cooler... they are all healthy too, because they have apples.  I'll just keep telling myself that at least.  Happy Weekend!

Chicago Day 3

Our last day in Chicago was just as jam packed as the others... so be prepared for lots more pictures...

I told you about the breakfast place we found, Yolk, yesterday.  We decided we had to go back for a second time to try a different breakfast treat.  I got "Banana Nut Bread French Toast" it was banana bread made into french toast.. and it was served with peanut butter... so yummy!

Patrick got a bacon and egg waffle... the bacon was cooked into the waffle...

One last shot of our beautiful hotel!  We did Priceline and got the Chicago Hilton.  It is a historic hotel that has been around since the 1920's... it has a very rich history.  We had such a great time!

After we checked out of our hotel we decided to head back to the Chicago river to take a boat tour of the city... here we are on the boat getting ready to head out...

Our view from the river...

A few of the skyscrapers in the Chicago skyline... including the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower)... more on that in a minute...

The architecture of Chicago runs below the city too... notice the trains in the picture that run underneath most of the city.  This is Union Station...

The tour was full of history and fun facts about the architecture and buildings along the Chicago River.  Take for example this building... our guide says this is where the 1860 Republican Convention convened.  You know what happened at that convention... Abraham Lincoln was nominated for the Republican Presidential ticket...

Our guide also pointed out this building.  He said Al Capone had a speakeasy on the top floor.  He also told us that there was an elevator in the middle of the building.  It was made for the ultra-rich who would buy their jewelry inside, then they would drive their car up into the building to load the jewels so people wouldn't see them on the street.

Just another skyline picture...

After the boat tour we had to go to one more tourist attraction... Willis Tower it was formerly the Sears Tower but it has been renamed in the last few years...  This is from a view toward the south...

One more fun fact... do you see the arrow pointing to the helipad in the picture below... that is on top of our hotel.  It was used to film the helicoper scenes in the television show ER.  How cool is that...

Looking toward Michigan Avenue... the Hancock tower and the Trump tower...

There are four acrylic boxes about two feet wide where you can go to stand "on top" of the other buildings.  It was crazy!

Neither one of us are really scared of heights... but this box really played tricks with your head.

We had a great trip!  We hope we get to visit again soon!

Chicago Day 2

Today I will focus on our second day in Chicago... it is another picture heavy LONG post... so grab a Diet Coke... and here we go!

Patrick found a great breakfast place just a few blocks from our hotel.  We set out to walk to the restaurant... not sure quite what to expect... this is what we found...

The restaurant was called Yolk, and it was FANTASTIC!  They had so many different and innovative things on their menu to try.  I got an omelet with chorizo, jalepenos, and avocado.  Patrick got a breakfast skillet.  Both came with pancakes!  We were stuffed after breakfast!

After breakfast we took off on our self directed "walking tour" of Chicago.  Our first stop, Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park.  Here is the fountain with our hotel in the background...

The other side of the fountain with some of the beautiful skyscrapers in the background...

I'm not really sure what this is used for... but it was a really neat looking theatre in Millennium Park...

The Bean!!  You can't go to Chicago and not go see the giant bean...

Taking our picture in the bean... so fun!

More skyscrapers as we made our way up Michigan Avenue.  I really like how this shows the older architecture right next to the newer skyscrapers.  This is the Wrigley building up front... and the Trump tower behind...

Tiffany's on the Magnificent Mile... we went inside and looked around... no purchases though...

The Hershey's Chicago store... this was such a neat little place!  They had so many fun candies and gifts...

I read somewhere online that you had to get a sundae at Hershey's... so this is what we got... it did not disappoint!  I must admit that our eyes were a little bigger than our stomach... we had to save the S'more for later!

There is an Armani store just down from Hershey's... look what was parked in the 15 minute parking out front... an orange Lamborghini!  I wonder who was shopping inside...

One more stop... one store that brought out the inner child in each of us...

After some more shopping and sightseeing we headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner.  We decided on some authentic Chicago style pizza at Giordano's!

When we sat down and ordered the waitress warned us that it takes this pizza 40-45 minutes to cook... crazy!  All the topping were stuffed inside this deep dish pizza... with the sauce on top...

Then it was off to Navy Pier!  Did you know that this is the most visited tourist destination in Chicago... just a little bit of trivia for you.  We saw the fireworks, got some Garrett's popcorn, and rode the Ferris Wheel.  A fitting end to a wonderful day!

At the top of the Ferris Wheel... such a great day!!

It's Gameday!

So excited that the day is finally here!  Gameday is on ESPN... and I am picking out my RED outfit for today!

Saturday's each fall are filled with..

So many wonderful memories...

The excitement after victory... the deflation after a defeat...

Spending each Saturday with great friends... both then and now...

All I have to say is... It's great to be the GEORGIA...

GO DAWGS!

Foodie Friday: Salsa Chicken

I made this dish earlier this week.  I needed something I could make quickly and easily that we could eat for several days.  I found this recipe online... and it was a double bonus because I had these ingredients already in my pantry.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the ingredients... but there are only four... so, it's not too complicated.

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:
-1 Package Chicken breasts
-1 Jar salsa
-1 Can corn
-1 Can black beans

Now for the easy part... put the chicken breasts and salsa into the Crock Pot.

Drain and rinse the corn and black beans, and put them into the Crock Pot.

Cook for 6 to 8 hours on low.

There are so many different ways you can serve this dish.  You could serve it as a whole chicken breast with the salsa sauce on top.  I shredded the chicken in the salsa and corn and made tacos.  Then Patrick suggested we add cheese and make quesadillas.  We made the quesadillas with pepper jack cheese... they were so good!

Happy Weekend!  And GO DAWGS!

Chicago Trip Day 1

*Warning... long post with lots of pictures ahead!*

We left Nashville Monday morning, after a delicious breakfast at another Nashville landmark...

Our plan was to spend Monday night in Indianapolis.... then get up VERY early to take the train to Chicago!  It worked out better for us to drive about an hour northwest to the the town of Lafayette, Indiana to catch the train.  The station was tucked into the back corner of the cute downtown area...

Here comes the train...

I was pretty excited about my first train ride!  It is definitely a unique way to see the country.  We rode through so many little towns in the heart of America. 

We arrived at Union Station in Chicago!  It felt almost like we were walking into a movie scene.

The steps are even showing wear from so many years of foot traffic... they don't make places like this anymore.

The forecast called for evening showers... well, almost immediately after we walked outside about 11:00 a.m. the bottom fell out.  So rather than go to the Willis (Sears) tower we decided to walk to the Art Institute of Chicago.  We made a quick stop for lunch at a sandwich shop across from the museum.

*Note the umbrella and the wet shirt...

Off to the Art Institute of Chicago.  I will be the first to admit that I am in no way an art expert... but this museum was really really cool!  They had so many different types of art.

An American Classic is housed there...

After some questionable bus information... and a few direction hiccups... we made it to our hotel on Michigan Avenue.  We decided it was best to rest for a little bit as we prepared for our night ahead...

That's right... we attended a true Chicago landmark... Wrigley Field!  Not only did we see a Cubs game, but the Cubs were playing the Braves!

The view from our seats...

Of course we had to eat Chicago dogs for dinner... what else would you eat at a Chicago Cubs game?

The Braves hit a Grand Slam... and won the game 5-4 that night!  Our official photo inside Wrigley before our "L" ride back to the hotel.

Whew!  What a day!  More to come...