The Green Grocer

Green Grocer Chicago is an intimate, neighborhood market that features organically grown, locally produced food products and specialty items. It is the place where you can pop in to pick up your essential grocery items, your lunch to-go, the ingredients for a fresh and delicious dinner or a gift for a friend who loves unique and hard-to-find food items! You will find the best service in town along with products that conform to the highest standards of quality! — Green Grocer Website

Tonight I hosted an event at the Green Grocer Chicago store where we were provided with a personal tour, a presentation/talk on organic foods & their benefits to your diet and some light snacks & drinks. Here are pics from the event:

The Green Grocer

Green Grocer Chicago is an intimate, neighborhood market that features organically grown, locally produced food products and specialty items. It is the place where you can pop in to pick up your essential grocery items, your lunch to-go, the ingredients for a fresh and delicious dinner or a gift for a friend who loves unique and hard-to-find food items! You will find the best service in town along with products that conform to the highest standards of quality! — Green Grocer Website

Tonight I hosted an event at the Green Grocer Chicago store where we were provided with a personal tour, a presentation/talk on organic foods & their benefits to your diet and some light snacks & drinks. Here are pics from the event:

Midweek Meme…

Here’s a midweek tidbit.. a little meme, thanks to Danielle from Make No Little Meals. Thanks Danielle for tagging me! Here are my responses… and read on to see who I’ve tagged next:

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was a fulltime college student, working full time as a retail supervisor for Brooks Brothers.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Let’s see, last year I was just getting settled into my blog and contemplating starting my foodie social group, What’s Cookin’ Chicago.

Five snacks you enjoy
1–Artisnal cheeses, especially Humboldt Fog goat cheese
2–Water & butter crackers
3–Sopressata & salame
4–Fresh fruit
5–Lindt & Vosges chocolate

5 Things I would do if I was a millionaire
1–Go to culinary school
2–Invest in a storefront/commercial & professional kitchen space
3–Travel to various food-centric cities to explore
4–Start my own business focused on food & entertaining
5–Upgrade my kitchen

5 Bad Habits
1–I’m a clean/neat freak
2–I’m anal & stubborn about how things are done (especially in my kitchen/home)
3–I’m too detailed & organized to a fault.
4–I’m very social & a planner to a fault.
5–I can be a control freak.

5 things you would never wear again
1–Perm… too many bad memories!
2–Tapered jeans, aka “ankle chokers”
3–Payless shoes
4–Blush (I prefer bronzer)
5–Neon anything

5 Favourite (kitchen) Toys
1–Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
2–Microwaveable Rice Cooker
3–Stoneware Bar Pans
4–Le Creuset dutch oven
5–Tongs

Here are some fellow food bloggers I’ve chosen to tag…
— Anne of Anne’s Food
— Kim of The Yummy Mummy
— Lynn of Cookie Baker Lynn
— Kate of Kate F, Girl Reporter
— Kelly of Kelly the Culinarian

Midweek Meme…

Here’s a midweek tidbit.. a little meme, thanks to Danielle from Make No Little Meals. Thanks Danielle for tagging me! Here are my responses… and read on to see who I’ve tagged next:

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was a fulltime college student, working full time as a retail supervisor for Brooks Brothers.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Let’s see, last year I was just getting settled into my blog and contemplating starting my foodie social group, What’s Cookin’ Chicago.

Five snacks you enjoy
1–Artisnal cheeses, especially Humboldt Fog goat cheese
2–Water & butter crackers
3–Sopressata & salame
4–Fresh fruit
5–Lindt & Vosges chocolate

5 Things I would do if I was a millionaire
1–Go to culinary school
2–Invest in a storefront/commercial & professional kitchen space
3–Travel to various food-centric cities to explore
4–Start my own business focused on food & entertaining
5–Upgrade my kitchen

5 Bad Habits
1–I’m a clean/neat freak
2–I’m anal & stubborn about how things are done (especially in my kitchen/home)
3–I’m too detailed & organized to a fault.
4–I’m very social & a planner to a fault.
5–I can be a control freak.

5 things you would never wear again
1–Perm… too many bad memories!
2–Tapered jeans, aka “ankle chokers”
3–Payless shoes
4–Blush (I prefer bronzer)
5–Neon anything

5 Favourite (kitchen) Toys
1–Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
2–Microwaveable Rice Cooker
3–Stoneware Bar Pans
4–Le Creuset dutch oven
5–Tongs

Here are some fellow food bloggers I’ve chosen to tag…
— Anne of Anne’s Food
— Kim of The Yummy Mummy
— Lynn of Cookie Baker Lynn
— Kate of Kate F, Girl Reporter
— Kelly of Kelly the Culinarian

White Chocolate Brownies w/Dark Chocolate Chunks

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

White Chocolate Brownies
w/Dark Chocolate Chunks

7 tbs. unsalted butter
8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
2 eggs
Pinch salt
½ cup sugar
1 to 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate chunked.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease an 8 inch baking pan.
In small saucepan over low heat, place butter.
When melted, remove from heat and add half of white chocolate; do not stir.
Let mix sit until needed.In large mixing bowl, combine the eggs with the salt.
Beat mix until frothy.
Gradually add sugar and continue beating 2-3 minutes until light in color.
Add white chocolate/butter mix, vanilla and flour.
Beat just until smooth.
Stir in remaining white chocolate and bittersweet chocolate chunks.
Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top with a spatula.
Bake for 30- 35 minutes.
Leave brownies in a pan and cool for 4 hours. Cut.

Turkish Apricot Cream Blondies

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

Turkish Apricot Cream Blondies

Apricot Cream Cheese:

1/4 c. butter, softened
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 T. flour
2 t. vanilla
2 c. diced dried Turkish apricots

Blondie Base:
2/3 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 c. toasted shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream Cheese mixture:
Butter 9 X 13 panIn a small bowl, beat together 1/4 c. softened butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
Add 1/2 c. sugar, 2 eggs, 2 T. flour and 2 t. vanilla; beat well.
Fold in diced apricots; set aside.

Blondie Base:
In a large saucepan, melt 2/3 c. butter.
Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.
Beat in 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Stir in 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; blend well.
Fold in coconut.

To Assemble:
Spread 1/2 of coconut batter evenly in pan.
Spread cream cheese mixture over top, covering batter completely.
Spoon dollops of remaining coconut batter over cream cheese layer, covering as much as possible.
Lightly swirl top batters with a knife.
Bake about 50 minutes, or until golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely in pan. Chill, and then cut into bars.

Thai Tea Brownies

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

Thai Tea Brownies
adapted by Nestle

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Lightly coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for fudgy brownies. Spread into prepared pan.

For Thai Tea mixture, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons of instant Thai Tea mix in small mixer bowl until smooth.
Beat in egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Spread cream cheese mixture on top of brownie layer.
Using a knife, swirl brownie batter and Thai Tea cream cheese batter.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cream cheese mixture appears set and brownie portion is shiny.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

S’mores Brownies

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

S’mores Brownies

1 21.5 oz package brownie mix
6 graham crackers
1 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
8 1.5 oz milk chocolate bars, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions.
Spread half of the batter into a 9×13 pan.
In a medium bowl, break graham crackers into 1 inch pieces & toss with miniature marshmallows & milk chocolate. Set s’mores mixture aside.
Bake brownies for 15 minutes in preheated oven.
Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle the s’mores goodies over the top.
Bake for an additional 15-20 min or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Peppermint Patty Brownies

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

Peppermint Patty Brownies

1 21.5 oz package brownie mix
24 Peppermint Patties candies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions.
Spread half of the batter into a 9×13 pan.
Press the peppermint patties into the first layer of batter.
Cover the peppermint patties with remaining batter.
Bake for 30 min or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Peanut Butter Blondies

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

Peanut Butter Blondies

adapted from Smitten Kitten & Mark Bittman

(I doubled this recipe and baked it in a 9×13 pan.)

8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup peanut butter & jelly (Goober brand)

Butter an 8×8 pan
Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth.
Beat in egg and then vanilla.
Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in peanut butter & jelly.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle.