Peanut butter cookies for pregnant ladies

Since I've been pregnant, eating has become one of the dullest aspects of my day. Mornings and afternoons are filled with bowls of dry Cheerios and plates of saltine crackers. Evenings are spent as far away as possible from the potent aromas of my husband's cooking in our minuscule kitchen.

Everything, I mean EVERYTHING, smells strong. And none of it smells good.

I'm longing for the second trimester, as that's supposedly the magical moment when the appetite for tasteful foods returns and bursts of energy suddenly make you want to run in the streets singing victory. Although running isn't recommended for pregnant ladies. Nor is strutting about in heels (as you can see, it's not just my meals that have lost their pizzazz, but my wardrobe is suffering as well).

There are, however, still a few pleasures left in my otherwise drab diet. You see, while I've lost my appetite for all that is savory and nutritious, I've gained quite the penchant for peanut butter cookies. But it's not as much of a random pregnancy craving, as it is an old-school comfort food. And if there's anything pregnant ladies need, it's comfort. Fortunately that comfort is just down the street from my apartment at Metropolis Coffee Company and it only costs $1.75.

This article was first published on Examiner.com.
Photo: WayOutTexas / flickr.

Study spaces: Gear up for the dreaded week of finals and hit the books at one of these java-fueled joints.

With final exams just around the corner, you'll need a place to stay alert while you work. These spots may not be as distraction-free as the local library, but they do offer plenty of space for books, laptops and sleep-deprived students.

Cafe Avanti
Cafe Avanti gets an A-plus for being at the top of its class in nearly all coffeehouse categories. Unlike those java shops that provide guests with a timed Wi-Fi card, internet access at this place is completely open and unlimited. That said, you're bound to see the same regular faces frequenting the place and holing up here for hours. But Cafe Avanti's friendly staff doesn't mind at all; in fact, they've grown quite fond of their hardworking patrons and treat them like old friends, striking up conversation the minute they walk through the door. In addition to stocking beans from Chicago's local Coffee and Tea Exchange, Cafe Avanti gets extra credit for its select choice of Bleeding Heart Bakery scones and teacakes. You'll also find a small menu of lunchtime favorites including sandwiches, salads and soups. During the warmer months, a spacious sidewalk cafe provides extra seating.

Dollop Coffee Co.
Despite its quiet Buena Park location, Dollop Coffee is anything but secret. And after waiting around for a table to clear, you'll certainly wish it was. Mismatched tables and chairs provide space for studying and quiet conversation, while a number of tattered sofas (which look as if they were found on the roadside) create an ideal spot for group meetings. A cooler stocked with bottled beverages and a pastry case full of Alliance Bakery cupcakes offer a quick sugar-jolt, and pack twice the punch when paired with one of Dollop's espresso-infused drinks. The shop swears by Metropolis coffee beans and also sells a few select blends by the pound. And if you're up for heading a little farther north, you can get your java straight from the source with our next pick.

Metropolis Coffee Co.
Located just two blocks east of the Granville Red Line station, Metropolis is always packed with commuters in need of caffeine. The place is also a favorite with nearby Loyola students, which often poses a challenge for seating; that's saying a lot for a shop that has three full-size sitting rooms. Pre-packaged sandwiches and salads offer a healthful pick-me-up, while pastries and sweet granola from Milk and Honey Cafe provide a temporary sugar-high (just the thing you'll need to plow through an evening of theory and criticism).

Bourgeois Pig
If the pretentious moniker hasn't already tipped you off to the intellectual crowd that hangs out here, the cafe's floor-to-ceiling book-lined walls should tell all. With its close proximity to DePaul, the multi-level space is nearly always packed with students and disheveled, elbow patch-clad professors. Your chances of scoring seating in The Pig's main room are slim, but a quick trip up a flight of creaking stairs will lead you to an unofficial study den, where the students look as if they've never seen daylight. Bourgeois Pig could be in the running for valedictorian if it weren't for the pay-as-you-go Wi-Fi. But until it's free, we'll forget that the economy is in a rut and continue to splurge on the delicious coffee drinks and sandiwches like the Catcher in the Rye (a Reuben).

Fixx Coffee Bar
It's a good thing that Fixx Coffee Bar isn't any closer to Bourgeois Pig, as the place would pose some serious competition. Appealing also to the DePaul demographic, Fixx offers a full menu of study essentials like free Wi-Fi, spacious tables and an abundance of outlets. And then there are the heavy, java-filled mugs. Fixx stocks beans from Chicago's local Coffee and Tea Exchange and always has a regular and flavored blend brewing. Next to Metropolis, its one of the largest coffee shops we've come across and almost always has an open table. The food here isn't anything to write home about, but plates filled with fresh veggies, pita and hummus are just enough brain food to keep you cranking out those research papers.

This article was first published on Centerstage.
Photo: Students at Metropolis Coffee Co., Stacy Warden

Chicago's best beans

Ask any local where to find Chicago’s best cup of coffee and, by default, they’ll point you toward the nearest Intelligentsia. Ask this over-caffeinated redhead and she’ll lead you straight to to the good stuff at Metropolis in Rogers Park. She’ll probably even tag along just to see the sheer joy on your face as you sip the roaster’s freshly roasted and brewed Mocha Java. Unlike Intelligentsia, Metropolis doesn’t have a string of its own shops throughout the city, but it does ship to and stock a number of north side spots. Check out these quirky cafes where the baristas are brewin’ it right.

Dollop Coffee Co. in Buena Park
Pair your cup o’ Joe with a carrot cupcake at this study hot-spot.

Flourish Bakery Cafe in Historic Bryn Mawr
This 1950’s diner is too cute for its own good– and the pastries here are too tempting for your own good.

M. Henry in Edgewater
Brioche French toast. Need I say more?

Sweet Collective in Lincoln Square
Three powerful pastry ladies run this north side shop.

This article first appeared on The Whole 9.

Flourish

I stumbled upon this Edgewater bakery a few weeks ago on my way to Metropolis, and finally decided to give it a try. Painted in pastels and adorned with retro kitchen gear, stepping into Flourish was like entering a Brady Bunch re-run. And when I saw the cases neatly lined with rows upon rows of enticing pastries, I was just as giddy as Marcia that time Davey Jones asked her to the prom.

Flourish's old-school charm filled me with the hopeful assumption that indulging in the goods here would spark a similarly sweet nostalgia to those evenings spent in my grandmother's kitchen--always redolent of some just-baked butter-slathered treat. There was only one problem; how was I supposed to choose just one thing?

Seeing as it was still breakfast time, I ruled out cakes, cookies and brownies (not that these have never found their way into my morning routine). Muffins are easy to come by, so those were out too. At this point it was a toss up between a hearty chunk of monkey bread or a cinnamon roll as big as my face. I flirted with the idea of ordering both, but quickly nixed that after calculating how much time I would have to put in at the gym. Figuring that monkey bread is more of a rare treat (unless of course you live in Texas), I settled on that. And then the chipper man behind the counter said what'll it be? And I hesitated. Of course, I, hesitated.

I have become one of those annoying ladies who holds up the line and rides the very last nerve of servers everywhere because of my own indecision with food. This was never a problem until I experienced entree envy that time at Hopleaf when Laura ordered the CB&J and I was left poking around some glorified lettuce leaves. One bite of her sandwich and I was ruined. I'm so worried now that I'm going to regret my order (even when I'm not aboard the health-conscious train). So worried in fact, that I need my server to double as a nursing mother who reassures me that I have indeed made a good choice--and that, yes, it's all going to work out for the best.

So after asking the patient Flourish pastry man which of the two he would pick, he responded, today, I would definitely go for the cinnamon roll. And so I did. Flakey dough covered in earthy flecks of cinnamon and topped with thick swirls of creamy icing-- it was a satisfying start to the morning. That is until I spent the rest of the day wondering, what if I had gone with the monkey bread? Would I have been happier?

(I'll keep you posted-- I'm planning another trip next week. And this time I'm leaving hesitation at home.)

Flourish Bakery Cafe
1138 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
(773) 271-2253