So Much Going On...So Little Time!

Sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day.
The last two weeks have been like that for me and I'm so glad I'm getting back to some sense of normalcy today.
Last week Tuesday, I finished my class for my Multi Channel Marketing Communications and gave my group presentation. We were supposed to have 5 in the group, 3 presented. Oh well, it went well and I got my certificate in the mail the other day :)
Also on Tuesday, friends of my family suffered a great loss when their house burned beyond use.
Apparently the wife went to go pick the boys up, and while she was gone the freezer in the basement malfunctioned and set the old pine paneling behind it on fire. The windows were all closed and the air was on, so the smoke and fire traveled to the third floor quickly, and no one noticed that it was burning. Yay brick.
By the time the family got back, it was already too late. The fire department was there and by some miracle, managed to save 3 of their 4 house pets. Lost was their 19 year old male cat. He was put down because he was already suffering from cancer, and was too old to revive in an oxygen tank for days. The firemen saved Puck, their Newfoundland dog, Won-ton, the pekingese, and their female cat, Roux.
And a miracle it was...Chicago literally just got pet oxygen masks for the fire departments in the last few weeks, and the local fire house that answered the call had just received their pet masks the very morning the house burned.
These animals were the very first to be saved with on site oxygen from the fire department in Chicago, and I'm so very glad of that.
The house is a total loss and must be gutted, but at least our friends are ok.
So that was Tuesday...
Thursday was my 26th Birthday.
Didn't do a whole lot. Went to work and had dinner plans for afterward at my favorite restaurant in Chicago; Sabatino's on Irving Park.
Incredible food, amazing staff and service, and I admit that I have a sweet spot for old school European places that still have a wandering string trio in the dining room.
The meal was incredible. Everything from the escargot to the very last bite of pistachio gelato with a chocolate liquor glaze was perfect. It was so nice to have someone else cook my steak for once lol. I was just happy my Birthday was not Wednesday. Wednesday is Lobster Night at Sabatino's haha.
The day I go out for Lobster is the day I'm committed to the asylum.
Quick pic of me on my way out the door to dinner on Thursday...

No..I usually don't smile in pictures...not even on my birthday ;)
I enjoyed a long weekend for my birthday, and ended it with the City Heat Annual RIP Run.
The purpose of this run is to go to the cemetery where most of the absent brothers are laid to rest and pay them a visit. It began in 1993 and has continued the first weekend in June ever since.
Here are some pictures from my Birthday and the RIP run.
Tomorrow I'll be putting up recipes and pictures for Herb Compound Butter Baked Lobster Tails!

Some of the club's bikes

in the Memorial building

City Heat Chicago Members

Fresh Catch Scallops with Simple Balsamic Reduction Dipping Sauce

Good morning foodies. I hope everyone had a nice restful and fun weekend. I know I enjoyed my weekend. Sunday, I was out on a poker-bus run with the Motorcycle Club my Pappa belongs to.

City Heat Chicago
Nothing more fun than starting the party off at 10:30 in the morning, and ending it around 6:30. 5 Stops, four bars, two school buses full of bikers partying it up.
I'm sure we were at least an amusing site.
And it was an absolute blast from start to finish. I can't wait for the next poker run.
Because I had this insanity going on this weekend, I decided to throw down my recipe for last week in the Lobster Gram test kitchen on Friday.
I have no problem walking away from my hectic stressful days to go downstairs and cook some food. It's relaxing, it's enjoyable, it's a mini vacation at work that I don't have to clock out for, and there are no happier people than Lobster Gram employees enjoying our products for lunch. We spent years carefully choosing products and vendors, so we are all big fans of the food we carry.
People love it when we cook. Free gourmet lunch in the office. Who does not love that perk?
...People who complain when you start reducing Balsamic Vinegar on the stove. That's who.
People start to get cranky when there are strong smells about.
My bad people...I would have made something that didn't require fumigating the office, but my options were slim.
It was like an episode of Chopped down there.
"ok, you have 1 bottle of balsamic vinegar, 2 lbs of sea scallops, 1 container of clarified butter, 2 bananas and a pot of fresh strong coffee".
Um....maybe I'll just hide the coffee and bananas so I can act like we didn't have them.
Yeah, that sums up my test kitchen Friday. Bananas.
So Scallops with a balsamic reduction it was, and I tried to tune out the noise.
So here are the pictures from that adventure, and this weekend I think I will just cook at home.
That's right office folks...no strong smells this week!
...but you won't be fed either. Fair trade?

Sea Scallops with Balsamic Reduction Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
2 lbs fresh sea scallops
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbs clarified butter
Salt, Pepper & Garlic Powder to taste

Directions
Pat dry sea scallops and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Put vinegar in a small sauce pan and heat on medium for 15-20 minutes or until reduced by half.
When it is reduced, add in 2 tbs of butter and blend well. Set aside until scallops are cooked.
While vinegar is reducing, put a few tablespoons of butter in a large pan and heat until melted.
Add scallops and heat 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and no longer translucent.
Remove scallops from pan and serve immediately with ramekin of dipping sauce.