Peanut Butter!

I am having an all-out, adult love affair with peanut butter! Oddly enough, I couldn't say I was this passionate about it as a child when PB&J sandwiches were plentiful and commonplace. No matter the reason, I love peanut butter now. Although, I'm more into its iterations than the spoon out of the jar kind of thing. Without further ado, here are three spectacular variations that I have personally vetted for you in Chicago!

 Molly's Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Nutella Cupcake

This will knock your socks off! It has the chewy texture of a real peanut butter cookie and it's filled with nutella (um, yum!). I...seriously...need an intervention every week to hold me back from running over to Clark & Diversey to gorge on this. I find new friends to take here, I go by myself, I bring this cupcake to gatherings, I have my husband illegally park while I run in.
It's my favorite cupcake...EVER. It's a problem. I admit it.

 Pierrot Gourmet

Giant Peanut Butter & Jelly Macaron

 I love this macaron so much I've returned a couple times, just for this, even though the rest of the menu at this casual, European eatery is quite good too.

 Firecakes Donuts
  Peanut Butter Cup Donut

I wish there was a little more peanut butter in here, but overall this is a great little piece of peanut butter and chocolate heaven. And you don't need to feel so guilty, it is actually quite a petite donut.

Do you have a favorite peanut butter-oriented food in Chicago? Please do share!

Cozy Winter Reads

The polar vortex may have you hibernating inside a little more this winter. Well, I can't imagine anything more cozy than reading a good book. Under a blanket. Drinking tea. In my PJs. Since I have had the pleasure of reading a lot this past year, I thought I'd share my top twelve reads of 2013! Hope this saves you time in finding a good book when you need one but more importantly I wish you the enjoyment of being transported to another place and time for a few hours. This was one of my favorite reasons for reading when I was a child and still is today.

Also let me give a shout out to the website goodreads.com where I log all the books I've "read", am "currently-reading" and want "to read." I don't know about you but my memory (these days) can't possibly keep track of all these books. And a tangible written list inevitably gets lost. This online site along with its iPhone/iPad app is perfect for keeping me on top of what I want to borrow from the library or buy next and also allows me to connect with friends for more book suggestions and their personal ratings.

1. Book Thief - riveting - Just when you didn't think there could be another original WWII novel, this one written from a German child's perspective (movie adaptation in 2014)
 
2. People of the Book - mesmerizing - Inspired by true events, a richly weaved story of the life of the Sarajevo Haggadah as it survived cultures, wars, and time

3. Little Bee - engrossing - Little Bee and Sarah, from wildly different worlds, meet on a Nigerian beach and reconnect years later revealing an unpredictable shared history and twist of events to follow

4. Street Sweeper - redemptive - An intersection of 3 diverse characters and storylines: a history professor, ex-con janitor, and Auschwitz survivor

5. And The Mountains Echoed - gripping - Khaled creates rich, cultural stories wherein his characters are faced with gut-wrenching decisions which have complex, multi-generational repercussions

6. The Fault In Our Stars - fresh - Hazel and Augustus meet at a Cancer Kid Support Group (movie adaptation in 2014)

7. Love Does - inspiring - Bob Goff has lived an unimaginable life by simply loving in big, unconventional ways

8. Burial Rites - intriguing - A highly-praised debut historical fiction novel who writes about Iceland's last woman put to death in the 1800s

9. Half Broke Horses - colorful - Wild, inspiring stories of author Jeannette Wall's gutsy grandmother who was a true western, trailblazing kind of woman 

10. Bittersweet - authentic - Short stories from a self-deprecating woman navigating through life's bitter and sweet moments, all through the lens of how God is working in and through her, on one page you are chuckling and on another you will be weeping

11. Cuckoo's Calling - solid - J.K. Rowling's first crime novel...enough said

12. Divergent/Insurgent/Allegiant - captivating - Hunger Games-esque but different and original in its own way (movie adaptation in 2014)


I always love recommendations, so what are your favorite read(s) of 2013? Post in the comments below :)