Where's the Cake?

Last week, when my friend Jessie asked me if I wanted to go to a cake fair with her, I knew I couldn't say no. I imagined a beautiful pavilion filled with booths of bakers begging us to try their cakes. Although it wasn't exactly like that, we still had a lot of fun! We'll get to that in a sec. 

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling significantly better. I was also happy, because I had this staring up at me:

It was Nicole's dog Charlie, who is a bichon/shih tzu mix. He's a very friendly dog. So friendly, that he licked my legs when I put on Nicole's cinnamon frosting-flavored moisturizer (I have to get some of that!). 

At 10:15, I set off to pick up Jessie. Remember Jessie, who just got married? I drove to her new apartment and went inside quickly to see it and say hello to David. We then set off to the southwestern 'burbs to go to this cake fair. We got lost a couple of times (I don't have data on my phone since I'm doing a pay-as-you-go plan for now, and Jessie doesn't have GPS), but we finally found it. 

As it turned out, it was a tent full of endless half-off cake supplies. Since Jess is a pastry chef, she was in heaven. Since it was very hot outside and even hotter in the tent, I could not see myself having a good time. I sweat out most of my body moisture in the first five minutes (or so it felt), but I actually started having a lot of fun. There was so much stuff. 

There were even things that didn't involve cakes, such as eco coffee cups. I got a pink one. 

There were cake pans. Lots of them. 

As you see, Jessie got one in the shape of a house. This was after two rows, by the way....

There was icing in every color.

There were sprinkles galore. 

There were all sorts of cake figurines. Jessie almost got a golfer.

There was the Great Wall of Kettles. 

There were plenty of cookie cutters. 

Jessie was captivated by almost everything. 

There were even wedding decorations. I could have gotten my cake topper early!

There were a few temptations, such as a chocolate fountain. 

This place could have been great for people who enjoy scrap booking, because there were many different kinds of stickers. 

Jessie went through the cart before we went up to pay. She got rid of a few things, but not many. Only a few things in here were mine!

We were ravenous when we finished. I ate the rest of my pad thai for breakfast at about 9:30, and it was now 1:30. We thought we should start heading towards the highway until we found somewhere we wanted to stop. Sure enough, we found a Chili's in Downer's Grove. It was a very special place for us when we were in high school, so we went there. 

We both got diet cokes with lemons and salads. I ordered the Quesadilla Explosion Salad.
From the menu: grilled chicken with cheese, tomatoes, corn relish, cilantro, tortilla strips and citrus-balsamic dressing. Served with cheese quesadillas. 

I almost always get it when I eat at Chili's. I love how it comes with quesadillas. 

Jessie ordered the Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad. Also a great choice. 


We then ordered dessert to split. I think I needed to make up for the fact that we didn't get free cake. We ordered the Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie. 

From the menu: chewy bar of chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut. Topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and caramel. 

There is one word to sum of this dessert: AMAZING. I think Jessie actually introduced this to me back in high school. 

I dropped Jessie off and drove home after lunch, which was a lot harder than it sounds. It started raining buckets as soon as we got on the highway. It was so bad, that I could barely see in front of me. We made it back to the city just fine, but it was a slow ride. The rain slowed by the time I got back to Jessie's apartment, so I was sure that there would be no traffic. Unfortunately, it was bumper to bumper until I got out of the city. Honestly, traffic on weekends is such a killer. You expect it on weekdays, but it's not fun on weekends when there shouldn't be as many cars on the road. 

I came home and laid out  my purchases. I really wanted a decorating bag so that I can make pretty cupcakes. I guess I forgot the tips, though. Jessie, maybe you have them! 

I had an hour to shower and get ready, because my parents and I were going to meet my family friends Bob and Sue at Charlie Beinlich's in Northbrook. 

I think I've been going to this place since I was a baby. They never change their menu, they don't have coffee or dessert and you can't make reservations (you stand in line and wait for tables to open up). However, you will get the best burger you ever had in your life (in my humble opinion). This place looks like a complete dive, but you can't let that fool you. My parents have been regulars there since before I was born. When they sit down, the people there know exactly what they want to drink and usually what they want to eat. Every time that I come back in town, I insist on coming here.

However, don't expect a gourmet meal and an extensive wine list. It's not that kind of place. It's a place you go for a beer and a cheeseburger. The food is consistent, and it comes out fast. The fries are my favorite. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They come with most of the food, but you can also substitute regular potato chips or extra coleslaw. 

I always order a cheeseburger when I go there, but I just wasn't feeling it yesterday. I felt slightly sick again, and I thought that a tuna salad sandwich would be safe. 

Everything was perfect, although I could only finish half of my sandwich. The vultures at my table picked away until everything was gone, so it looked like I ate all of my food. 

We had a great time with Bob and Sue. I fell asleep as soon as I got home from dinner. Long day, I guess!

Today, I'll try to clean my room and make sure that I have some school supplies. I start my chemistry class tomorrow! My bio class in Chicago doesn't begin until Wednesday. I can't believe that I will be a student again. 

I hope you all had a good weekend!