I love a happening. If I get too stuck in the same cycle and patterns become too regular, life gets less vibrant. There is certainly comfort in routine and I have my particulars (morning cup of coffee, Saturdays at the same bagel joint, a book before bedtime), but I just LOVE to jump completely out of my element. I got just such an opportunity when I was asked to co-host a Chicago bloggers event for 3-A-Day, which promotes healthy eating by including milk, yogurt and cheese in your diet, at the Washburne Culinary Institute.
Meet bloggers face-to-face? Actually interact in person with my internet pals? See their facial expressions and use gestures in real time conversation? Well, that is exactly what we did, while enjoying a bunch of yummy treats and watching recipe demonstrations in the fancy, ENORMOUS kitchens where they filmed Top Chef.
I knew things were off to a good start when I was immediately offered a scrumptious Berry Smoothie in a wine glass (what an idea for a brunch, I just wish I had thought of it sooner: smoothie + pretty glassware = great brunch starter). Throughout the evening, we chatted with our fellow bloggers, watched Melissa from the Midwest Dairy Association demonstrate how to make Cheddar and Red Bell Pepper Breakfast Squares, and were served Breakfast For Dinner! If you have been reading since the beginning, you know how much I support Breakfast for Dinner.
To name just a few of the other taste treats, we gobbled up Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Vanilla Pudding Sauce, Banana Pudding, a huge spread of Cabot Cheeses, tall glasses of Lactaid Chocolate Milk…. it was a Dairy Dreamland!!!
If you are looking for some new recipe ideas, the 3-A-Day site has an enormous recipe index. And, if you are seeking some new reading, check out some fellow Chicago area bloggers and their sites:
Erin – The State that I Am In
Amy – ParentSphere
Sarah – Poopsy Woo
Jennifer- Cup of Coco
Sarah – Breathe Upon ()
Rebecca – A Homemaker’s Habitat
Jessi- To Kiss the Cook
Jessica – Everyday Adventures of Me in the City
Laura – Arrange