04 December 2010

Time Flies!

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post - but it is snowing outside right now, which reminded me that fall has gone, and winter has arrived.
I've been busy with classes - this upcoming week is final exams! - but I've still made time for exploring Chicago and baking, of course. Last night we celebrated my friend's birthday with macaroni and cheese and a chocolate-caramel-peanut tart.
The other day I made upside-down banana chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting (one in a cute cupcake mold my roommate got as a birthday present - her present from me was a batch of chocolate raspberry cupcakes with raspberry frosting).
For Thanksgiving I went all out for the dorm potluck: cranberry apple pie, mini pecan pies, two casserole pans of vegetarian stuffing, and roasted Brussels sprouts. It ended up being a great holiday; after an entire day of cooking in a friend's dorm (I was having oven issues), my dormmates gathered in our lounge for a delicious and bountiful spread, then watched movies together until 4 a.m.!

I've had some great downtown excursions lately! On Thursday, I went with a friend's dorm to see a show at Second City, Chicago's famous comedy club - it was great fun. And a couple of weeks ago, I visited another of Chicago's famous attractions: the Navy Pier ferris wheel!
It's about 11 stories high, and was my first time ever on a Ferris Wheel. I enjoyed it - it will not be my last! After Navy Pier, we went to a swing dance in a Northernly neighborhood called Andersonville, and made a couple new friends and learned a few new moves. Hopefully I'll be able to go to a couple of dances and practice lindy hop over Christmas break!