Chicago: Courtyard Marriott O'Hare

So, remember how we went into Chicago back in May when Alexis was visiting? Well, this and one other post about that trip didn't get published for some reason. I'll post the other one next (hint: food). Like I said, we're catching up.

Anyway, here's our review of the hotel we stayed at while we were on our weekend trip to Chicago: The Courtyard Marriott O'Hare.


Courtyard Marriott O'Hare

 Pros

• We got a really good rate for the three nights we stayed (about $85/night), considering it's the Chicago area. And it was way cheaper than anything in town.
• They gave us a room when we showed up a couple of hours earlier than check-in time, so we didn't have to wait.
• Breakfast came with our stay, and the options were anything from a la carte items (e.g., container of yogurt, fruit) to a hot, cooked meal, for no extra charge.
• There was free shuttle service to O'Hare, which we used each day so we could get to and from the train station (which is at O'Hare). It ran every half hour to and from O'Hare.
• They held our bags (for free) after checking out so we didn't have to lug them around town until it was time to go to the airport (Alexis flew and Jennifer took the bus home).

Cons

• It's a little far from attractions, so the train ride is pretty long (took us 45 min. to an hour-ish, then a bus or two).
• The roads surrounding the hotel were under construction and virtually unwalkable (no sidewalks, lots of construction fences) and we didn't want to drive and pay for parking (which is why we used the shuttle).
• Our room didn't have a refrigerator, but it would've been nice to have one so we didn't have to eat out for every meal except breakfast.

The Verdict

We recommend it and would stay there again. If we were going to stay longer, we'd get a room with a refrigerator and/or microwave. We do live close enough that we could've driven to and from each day, but it is much more convenient to stay nearby and not have to drive as much or try to find downtown parking.

Book Review: A Short History of Christianity

(Note: This is Ed's first post!)

Earlier this year, we both read A Short History of Christianity by Stephen Tomkins.

This book is exactly what the title suggests – a short history of Christianity. Tomkins covers Christianity from the early church to today. And he does it in a way that keeps your interest. This book is a quick read at about 250 pages. For those of you proficient in mathematics, that works out to a century of history every 12 pages or so. This may seem like a fast pace, but his purpose is to hit the highlights of Christian history, not dive into every decree, faction, sect, or martyr.

I think Tomkins does a good job at covering the years between the early church and the Reformation. He covers the spread of Christianity and how the Catholic church eventually came to its authority. He covers the political and religious actions and influences of the various popes. I particularly like that he doesn’t play favorites – he tells the good with the bad. Tomkins’ sarcasm comes out at times, making it somewhat difficult to discern what exactly was happening, but that same sarcasm makes the book easier to read.

Overall, the book is very enlightening. I was surprised that the cover has recommendations by both Terry Jones (of Monty Python) and J. I. Packer (a contemporary theologian). Tomkins gives a briefer history than a seminary textbook but still covers the highlights.

Catching Up...Frozen Treats

Sorry we sort of dropped off the face of the earth for a while (we apologize to the five people who actually keep up with this blog). Things have been kind of hectic, which means we have lots to blog about. So, the next several posts will be about some things we've done since the last time we posted.

So, first we'll catch up on some frozen treats we made over the summer before it gets colder and you don't want to think about frozen things for a while.

We got a case of mangoes (10 count) for $3.99, so we made some mango sorbet:



Mango Sorbet



It was really good and thick (the recipe called for light corn syrup). We also got some limes for 10/$1, so we made some lime sorbet:



Lime Sorbet



We used the recipe we've used for lemon sorbet to make the lime sorbet. It was pretty tart, but good. Although, we like the lemon sorbet a bit more.

And last, but not least, we made a few batches of coffee ice cream (which was our favorite until the mocha chip idea we posted about before):



Coffee Ice Cream

We made lots of batches of mocha chip in between (and are still making it). Obviously, we recommend investing in an ice cream/sorbet/frozen yogurt maker if you tend to buy ice cream. It'll probably save you some money in the long run and you can experiment with flavors you might not find at the store (and it's slightly better for you--at least, that's what we like to tell ourselves).
Any suggestions for recipes to try? (We just might try them and post about them!)

Mocha Chip Ice Cream

We tried a new (for us) recipe from our Cuisinart ice cream maker recipe book, and it's really good. Most of the ice cream recipes in the book call for whole milk and heavy cream, but we always use 2% milk and half-and-half (milk and cream) instead. It would probably be creamier if we went by the recipe, but we'd rather have less fat, and it tastes good to us. We'll most likely be posting about ice cream/sorbet again soon, since it's summer and we're making it a lot.

First, we tried a batch of mocha ice cream. It's the same exact recipe, except for without the chocolate chips:



Mocha Ice Cream

 

Mocha Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, fresh out of the machine



We got a sweet deal on the chocolate bars. Valli Produce has them on sale for 89 cents this month, so we've been stocking up on mostly dark chocolate (our favorite). Ed's job is pounding the chocolate bar to make the chips:


One 3.5-oz. bar yields the amount of chips shown

 Mocha Chip Ice Cream
(makes about 1.5 qt.)

1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 Tbsp. instant coffee or espresso powder (we used instant coffee)
1.5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cups half-and-half (1/2 quart)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4-oz. bittersweet/semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped into tiny, uneven pieces (or same amount of chocolate chips)

1) In medium bowl, whisk milk, sugar, coffee, and cocoa until dissolved.
2) Stir in half-and-half and vanilla. (Don't add chocolate chips yet)
3) Freeze in an ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions. Add chocolate chips during last 5 min. of mixing.

FYI: We experimented to see if we could eek two back-to-back batches out of our freezer bowl (instead of re-freezing it between batches, which takes several hours), but it didn't freeze at all--it just kept it cold (just in case anyone out there has the same ice cream maker and was wondering). Now we see the benefit in having a second freezer bowl. Maybe we'll pick one up.

The Most Talented Family You've (Probably) Never Heard of

This week, I stumbled upon this video. The quality isn't great, but it's incredible to watch:

That's Gunhild Carling. After seeing that, I had to watch more videos of her, and I found out that her whole family is that talented. The Carling family is from Sweden and they've been performing since the early 1980s. I can't believe the amount of talent they have. They play multiple instruments, sing, and dance. According to their web site, her mother plays banjo, violin, drums, and double bass; her father plays trumpet; her brother Max plays violin and clarinet; her sister Gerd plays piano, harp, organ, trombone, alto sax, and vibraphone; her brother Ulf plays drums; and Gunhild plays...well, watch the video montage below:

I also really enjoyed the following clip from a concert her jazz band did (and the video and audio quality is excellent). She fronts the band, playing trumpet and trombone, singing, and directing. It's a little long (3 songs), but worth it. There are guest dancers for the first song, she wrote the second song (which I love), and her father wrote the third song. Several Carling family members are in this clip (mother on banjo, father on trumpet, brother Max on clarinet (and I think sax), and brother Ulf on drums).

I want to be like her when I grow up.