Chicago is one of the best cities for self-employed individuals and entrepreneurs. Going off on my own almost four years ago now, I’ve had the chance to get to know the city in a different way. It became my office playground like many other people who are in similar career paths and work environments. I’ve explored different neighborhoods and found a few favorite spots to return to and a few spots that are better for casual coffees with friends. For a productive day “out of the office,” I learned quick that cafes and coffee shops with a strong internet connection are vital. It’s also a perk if they offer real food and not just snacks or pastries as well as plenty of outlets. To meet with colleagues or clients, it’s important to find spots with a lower noise level or at least moderate so you can have a conversation without screaming. Some of the best spots are tucked away in the neighborhoods of Chicago and others are right in the heart of downtown. All it takes is a little exploration to find the right ones!

Maple Roasted Pork Tenderloin | Sunday Night Suppers

Happy Monday! If you came around these parts over the weekend, you would have seen the first part of this recipe in the Farmers Market Series, Roasted Beet & Fried Goat Cheese Salad. Knowing that the salad needed an entree to go alongside it, I wrote a recipe for Maple Roasted Pork Tenderloin. Instead of merging the two recipes for one post, it seemed like a great idea to turn it into a two-parter…

FoodChristine RoskoSeptember 24, 2018Food, Foodie, Food Blogger, Comfort Food, Dinner, Recipe, Fall Recipes, Fall Cooking, Fall, Pork

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal | Apple Season Recipes

Another of the many reasons to love fall? Apple season! I’m here to interrupt your regular Sunday morning to share an oatmeal recipe that will have you ready to jump head first into the season...and maybe even the week. Oatmeal is one of those things people either love or hate. I happen to LOVE oatmeal and even find myself craving it at times. It’s so comforting and actually keeps you full for a while. Now that the weather is cooling and mornings are brisk, a piping hot bowl of oatmeal is just what we all need. When I was a kid, I loved making the apple cinnamon instant oatmeal or the maple brown sugar. This recipe is inspired by those instant oatmeal days.

FoodChristine RoskoSeptember 23, 2018Food, Foodie, Food Blogger, Comfort Food, Breakfast, Apples, Recipe, Fall Recipes, Fall Cooking, Fall, Basic Recipes

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad | Farmers Market Series

Happy 1st day of fall!! The non-official first day is always September 1st in my book but it’s nice to finally be on the same page with mother nature, sort of. We have had a wicked hot week but the weather cooled beautifully last night and today is simply gorgeous. The breeze and the air is nice and cool but the sun is still warm in a non-suffocating way. As I write this, I’m sitting outside on my back patio with my feet up and my computer on my lap soaking up these last rays for what will hopefully become a late season tan. My main focus the last two weeks has been planning my fall trip next month to the northeast and writing has taken a backseat unfortunately. However, I’m very excited to get back to it starting with a two-part recipe! I’ve never done one of these before but it happened naturally as I was writing recipes for the next few weeks. The Roasted Beet & Fried Goat Cheese Salad featured today using farmers market ingredients needed a main entree to go alongside it and nothing sounded more delightful than a Maple Roasted Pork Tenderloin. Instead of bundling these two recipes together, especially because the salad has a few steps to it, I decided to split them and use the pork in Monday’s Sunday Supper Series to close it out.

Classic Beef Roast | Sunday Night Suppers

Another week, another Monday. Tell me if I’m wrong but I feel like Mondays are not the worst day of the week, Tuesdays are. Mondays you can expect to dread. It’s the first day back at work after the weekend but at the same time, you’re coming off a super relaxing Sunday (hopefully). The real worst day of the week is Tuesday. Yesterday was probably an exhausting, soul sucking Monday with little to no recovery time and you still have four full days (three if it’s later in the day) till the weekend. Monday mornings I feel refreshed and motivated to get a jumpstart on the week. Tuesdays I want to dig a hole and not come out until 3PM on Friday. What do you think? Are you a Monday hater or a Tuesday hater?