Chicago at a Glance

I decided to take the boys to Chicago on a whim and invited my Mom to come along as well. She is so amazing and helpful and positive and the kids adore her, so it was a no-brainer. Chicago is one of my favorite cities to visit, hands down, because it is so family friendly. The food is plentiful for a vegan as well, and each time we go we find a new amazing spot. This time it was the ice cream parlor "Icream" which flash freezes your ice cream (made with soy milk or cows milk) on the spot.  I've never seen anything like it! They used a special machine that smoked and spun and it felt like we were in a time machine and best of all the kids loved it. This vacation was for them for sure ;) The first night we got there we walked to the beach from our hotel. It was small but so cute. That's my Mom below swinging Toby with the beautiful skyline in the background.

The food is one of the main reasons we come here. In Cincinnati, it's not hard to eat vegan when you go out but there definitely isn't a plethora of options like there is here. The Chicago Diner is a must to visit when you are veg. It is the self proclaimed "veggie paradise" where they can make 100% of their dishes vegan. Karyn's restaurants are a favorite also. They cater to the lighter vegan and raw vegan pallet and completely come through on flavor. 

bi bim bap from Loving Hut

butter pecan soymilk ice cream with chocolate chips and pecans from Icream

We also went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I know this is a controversial outing for a vegan and there is a ton of judgement about whether we "should" support them or not. I decided to go because i wanted to see the giraffes and the kids have always asked me about it and i was curious to see their reaction without putting any pressure on them. It was a long hot day but we were adventurous and took the bus, which was a first for the kids and everyone came home with souvenirs. 

They watched this guy swim around for about 20 minutes and were saddened but amazed. 

J measuring to see if he is taller than a polar bear.

Toby finally fell asleep with his fingers clenched like a baby.


Our hotel was just a few blocks from Navy Pier which is pretty touristy but they have a gorgeous ferris wheel and some old fashioned carnival rides. We loved being able to walk or take the bus to almost everywhere we went. Millennium park was just about a mile away and it has the most amazing art installation I have ever seen. You have to go at night to the fountain and witness it yourself :) Everytime we come to Chicago, Elijah asks me "What if I could live here when I grow up?". I think we all have a crush on this city...if that's even possible :)

the bigger boys enjoying the flying swings

toby taking a turn at putt putt golf

a moment captured with all three of them

we walked for miles and miles and loved every step <3

a Bike Trip into town

We live in a small river town outside of Cincinnati. It really is a dream come true for us. There is a deep forest behind our house, three large parks with trails and playgrounds within walking distance and a ton of activities/shopping within biking distance. We have the candy shop, kroger's, multiple art studios, restaurants galore (a few who are very vegan friendly), a consignment store and Goodwill, starbucks, a farmer's market, canoeing, over 70 miles of paved bike trails...and much much more. It's wonderful for a growing family who loves old trees and friendly neighbors. Tonight was just such a perfect evening. The weather has finally cooled off and we all had a lot of energy so we decided to take the 2 1/2 mile journey to the small downtown area and see what was happening on a Friday night. We found several live outdoor musicians. The main square was bustling with patrons and bikers. We also made a stop to the candy store to get a couple of real lemon slushies, then took a quick bike ride down the trail and along the river to see the most beautiful sunset. On the trip back, my tire popped and I was reminded that life is not about what happens to you, but how you just roll with it and see the opportunities that are within every situation. I got to spend a giggly extra 20 minutes under the stars with my boys outside the small vintage Whippy Dip while we waited for Aaron to go get the car from home. I am filled with curiosity and truly love living life on the cusp of adventure. These may be small town adventures today, but hopefully we are setting our boys up to have no fear of the world or of meeting new people and to make a difference wherever they are. xoxo

                                           the town candy store

                                           cacao nibs, organic cane sugar, fresh vanilla bean

                                                        be still my heart

                                           filled with joy and laughter

                                                     follow the leader on the Loveland Bike Trail

                                                     the most perfect nightcap

Peanut Butter Pie

My husband recently turned 34 and I made him the most delicious peanut butter pie. He goes crazy at Christmas time when we make homemade buckeyes so I thought this would satisfy his craving and be a huge hit. It was pretty darn good..fatty (like all of the best desserts) but it hit the spot in the most perfect way. Aaron did comment though that he would have liked it better with a graham crust instead of cookie...so there's an idea for you! I pretty much followed this recipe spot on except for adding some of my homemade ground up coconut flakes into the peanut butter filling just to make it a bit thicker and to add more coconut flavor. Please check this awesome vegan blog for the recipe and other delicious ideas! http://www.namelymarly.com/2011/10/chocolate-peanut-butter-pie/

Happy Eating!