My Chicago Trip via iPhone Pictures

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So, I went to Chicago a few weeks back and seriously ate my way through the city! It was DIVINE. I gained a zillion pounds, but I think it was worth it!! One of the first places I went to was Portillo’s. Lots of you wonderful readers told me on Facebook to go here and get the chopped salad…which I did! Pretty yummy, ya’ll! Kind of onion-y, but still good. Especially with the blue cheese on top! Mmm…My friend I went to visit next brought me to a place called Cookie Dough Creations. It’s a little out of the way, especially if you’re staying downtown, but well worth it! You get to eat scoops of cookie dough!! OR, do what I did and get a scoop of cookie dough on top of some ice cream!!! It was sooooooo straight up ridiculous. I only had about 2 big bites before I was all sugared out. You guys, I’m getting so old!! I can’t pack it away like I once used to! *womp womp*The next morning for breakfast, I thought we should have some cupcakes, so we headed over to Molly’s. BEST filled cupcakes in Chicago. Hands down! Be prepared for a blog post just on these cupcakes. DIVINE!After stuffing my face with cupcakes, I thought it only natural to go to The Bongo Room to eat Red Velvet Pancakes…and some other yummy goodies. Seriously…..these were incredible! Another post describing all these good eats from this restaurant will be up soon as well!

*Interesting fact–> I saw part of the next Transformers movie being filmed!! This basically means I’m famous.**That evening, we did a boat tour of the city because I was told that was the best way to see everything! It was very deja-vu-ish because I kept thinking of this. I really loved seeing the buildings from the water. AND, at one point we smelled chocolate on the tour!! It was amazing! There was a chocolate factory right there, apparently. I wanted to park the boat right there and just whiff it all in.Oh Haaaaaaaaayyyyy Chicago! I’m dying to come back on St. Patrick’s day when they turn the river green! How fun would that be?From the boat tours, we walked over to Cloud Gate. The previous two times I’ve visited Chicago, I never made it over here, so I made sure I came. It was bigger than I thought it would be.
And, I looked really short and stubby. Blake wasn’t exactly thrilled…actually the birds were a lot more interesting to him. LOL!Here’s a pic I snapped walking to our car. I like Chicago! Love seeing those lights go all the way down the street! So pretty!That evening, my friend and her hubby told me I HAD to try Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder, so I did. Twist my arm. This is the Pizza Pot Pie. I was a little hesitant to try it at first, but HOLY BALLS. This is probably one of the most tastiest things I’ve ever eaten! I’d go back to Chicago just to eat this again. I slept well that night because I was so FULL!The next day, I checked into theWit hotel in downtown Chicago. This hotel is affiliated with DoubleTree which means you get fresh warm cookies when you check it!! BEST.IDEA.EVER. That evening, I headed out to Mastro’s Steakhouse for….steak. DUH. I was traveling with Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner, so this was to be expected. The mashed potatoes and roasted mushrooms were DIVINE with the steak! We were also given dessert. See that cake in the middle with ice cream on top? That is Mastro’s famous butter cake. It was a DREAM! I was told there was 1 pound of butter in each little cake! If someone has the recipe for this, puh-lease pass it my way!! The cheesecake on the left was pretty life changing too! If you’re headed to Chicago, you MUST go here and try these desserts!!Back at the hotel, Blake and I did a little facetime with my hunny and then slept like a baby. Except not really cause I was up twice with that little rascal of mine.The next morning I headed to a little cooking demo and learned a little more about cuts of meat.
Oh, and we had some tasty yummy food too. Hello neapolitan macarons. Mmm…That afternoon, we went over to The Chopping Block to do a little cooking. Some other bloggers and I created these lasagna hoagies that are healthy! Whole wheat buns, zucchini stuffed into the meatballs with a healthy tomato sauce and all topped with fresh melty mozzarella! Once we finished up there, the little Blakeman and I jumped into a car and headed back to the airport! Luckily, this little chunky traveler of mine stayed happy the entire way home. The old ladies sitting around me LOVED his coos and smiles….um, who COULDN’T resist him? We made it home safe and sound with a few extra pounds ;).

And if any of you are in Chicago, be sure to check out some of these yummy restaurants!