*pattycakes* well one of these days...

So the word is out. I started blogging again! If you read my previous post, cheers to you! This is my first attempt, however, to stop journaling about my life adventures and focus more specifically on a favorite topic of mine....food! One reason for this, I don't think my woes and daily routines of Chicago life will nearly thrill any reader as much as my nomadic lifestyle back in Oz (though don't think I won't throw some updates in here). Second, I'm passionate about living a healthy lifestyle through food, fitness and the people you love. Lastly, it's almost embarrassing how much I love food. I was standing on a stool, kneading dough with my grandma by age five & following recipes in terms of "egg shell scoops" instead of measuring cups. My parent's kitchen has always been and will always be the most energetic room & favorite place to be in the entire house. Baking is meditation for me, cooking is a challenge and I aspire to be half as good as a cook as my mom one day. Taking pictures of food comes as second nature to me and I have the unfortunate curse of helplessly calculating the nutritional content of most meals even when I reallllyyy don't want to know!

My favorite thing to do when moving to a new area is taking an afternoon to explore. Back in April, during my move to my new studio (I feel so grown-up!), my boyfriend and I took a walk up and down the main strip near my building. Let's just say, within 2 blocks there are at least 20 cafes, bars, restaurants and take-out places of all various ethnic foods. I love the feeling of becoming a local - when you know where the hidden gem of a cafe is to enjoy a latte while catching up on emails or the excitement of knowing the perfect place to take the out-of-towners. Any day of the week I rather spend a pay check on trying a new restaurant than saving it for a much more practical use... hah I never said I was perfect :/ I have a continuous wish list on my phone of restaurants and trendy hot spots around Chicago that I've learned of through various social media and friends...and I am dying to try them all out! However, to balance the cost of food and my high intake of martinis, I've also taken on the challenge of learning how to become a better cook. I've gained some great survival skills through college and backpacking through Australia, but I'm finally ready to go beyond my frugal days of baked chicken and spaghetti bolognese!

I hope for this blog to be about sharing my life as a foodie, nutrition enthusiast and 20-something year old trying to make my way. So cheers to my tiny kitchen and exploring Chicago's finest to dingiest....with always of course a beverage in hand :)