It is a Barbeque Chicken Hodgepodge

Hi, Welcome to the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun.

1. Speaking of April 15th...what's the most 'taxing' thing you've done recently?

We switched internet providers. The 'taxing' part of this process was we had an e mail address with this internet provider. And I needed to change my e mail address on many, many things.

2. When did you last take a taxi somewhere and where was that somewhere?

Chicago

Union Station Chicago to our Hotel 

3. What's something you can do today that you couldn't do a year ago?

I can speak some German. I have been using RosettaStone to learn German. 

  4. How often is chicken (in some form or fashion) on your menu at home? Which of the following would you most like to see on your table tonight...a chicken salad sandwich, your mom's fried chicken, a Chick-fil-A meal, Cracker Barrel's chicken n' dumplings, a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, or 'hold the chicken, I'm a vegetarian'...?

We have chicken at least two times a week or more. We love chicken. My husband makes the best Barbeque Chicken. I do enjoy visiting Cracker Barrel. We have to drive over three hours to get to a Cracker Barrel, so it is a fun time! I love the Cracker Barrel store.

I would love chicken n' dumplings.

 5. What was your favorite television program when you were a kid? What characters do you remember the most?

I did not have T.V. while growing up. 

I was older when we got our first T.V.

I remember watching The Rocky and Bullwinkle show.

 6. What was the last piece of 'art' you made?

I designed a fun Easter card for all of our family members.

I included my boys poems.

The end of Winter is near.

The Winter will soon pass into memory.

We will soon see the birds.

The wildlife will be active.

The Robin will soon return.

Sam TePaske

Spring Has Come

Spring is here, mud and all

No more cold Winter

Birds are back, signing their songs

Soon we will be outside!

Atticus TePaske

 7. What frustrates you most about the Internet?

Advertisements

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

California strawberries have been on sale at our local grocery. Yummy, a true taste of what is to come...SUMMER! 

  

 

On The Road Friday ~ Giordano's ~ Chicago's Best Pizza

Welcome to On The Road Friday. This is the day we take a little trip.

We are heading for Chicago's Best Pizza.

 

Giordano's

 Click here for more information

The recipe for Giordano’s now-famous stuffed pizza is one that has evolved over 200 years.

Its creation began in a small northern Italian town near Torino. Mama Giordano was famous around town for her exquisite cooking. Of all her renowned dishes, her most beloved meal was her “Italian Easter Pie”. Mama Giordano would serve this double- crusted, cheese stuffed masterpiece every year for Easter. This pizza pie became a sacred tradition in the Giordano family and a legend in the town of Torino. Years later, original owners and Italian immigrants Efren and Joseph Boglio moved to Chicago to start their own pizza business. The brothers introduced their Mama’s recipe for stuffed pizza. In 1974, on Chicago’s historic south side, Efren and Joseph opened the first Giordano’s. Over the next 40 years, hundreds of critics announced Giordano’s as the city’s “best” stuffed pizza! The rest is history you can still taste today, along with our other great starters, fresh salads, outstanding pastas and unique sandwiches. We continue evolving to bring you a taste of real, fresh Italian!

Giordano’s has been acclaimed “Chicago’s Best Pizza” by NBC, CBS Chicago, New York Times, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Eater, Home & Garden Magazine, Concierge Preferred and more!

 

My sister and I shared a Chicago Classic. Yum!
 

"The Best" Ripe Tomato Bruschetta

 The atmosphere was wonderful. The food was delicious. I loved the Bruschetta!!

If you are planning a visit to Chicago, Giordano's is a great choice and a true Chicago experience.

Thank you for coming along today.

Have a great weekend.

On the Road Friday ~ Willis Tower, Chicago, Illinois

Hello Friday!

Today we are On the Road to Willis Tower, Chicago, Illinois.

We are going UP!

I am up on the top looking down at the Windy City.

Welcome to Willis Tower, where there is more than meets the skyline.

A bustling community of business, tourism and culture, Willis Tower is so much more than North America's tallest building. It’s home to large well-known companies as well as hundreds of thriving businesses run by smart, passionate people. More than an office building, it’s a cultural landmark and iconic Chicago tourist attraction. Willis Tower is a pivotal point of reference – from across town, from financial centers on both coasts, and from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It’s a building with retail and commercial office space at heart, but also inspires tens of thousands of visitors to take in the amazing views of the city and experience the breathtaking Ledge.

 My sister treated me to a trip to Chicago for my birthday in December.

The top of the Willis Tower or, as many of you may know it as the Sears Tower, was on our list of things to do. The day started out clear, but by the time we headed up to the top, it was cloudy.

Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) is a 110 story building in the heart of Chicago’s downtown. Willis Tower is not only one of the tallest buildings in the world, it is also a magnificent icon, impossible to miss within Chicago’s skyline.

In 1969, Sears Roebuck and Company was the largest retailer in the world, with about 350,000 employees. They decided they needed one large office space for their many employees. Architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill were commissioned to design what would become one of the largest office buildings in the world. Fazlur Khan, the structural engineer, designed the “bundled tube” design that handled both wind and gravity.

In August, 1970 ground was broken for the beginning of construction. Taking three years to complete, Sears Tower was finished in May 1973. The builders used enough concrete to make an eight- lane highway five miles long. Within the building, there are 25 miles of plumbing, 1500 miles of electric wiring , 80 miles of elevator cable, 796 restroom faucets, and more than 145,000 light fixtures. The last beam put in place was signed by 12,000 construction workers, Sears employees and Chicagoans.

In 1988, Sears Roebuck and Company sold and moved out of the building, but the Sears Tower name remained until 2009 when the building was renamed after the Willis Group, a London- based global insurance broker.

Skydeck Chicago is the observation deck on the 103rd floor of the building. Approximately 1.5 million tourists visit Skydeck Chicago every year. On a clear day, you can see over 50 miles in each direction and see four states. The elevators within the building are among some of the fastest in the world, operating as fast as 1,600 feet per minute. In 2009, Skydeck Chicago opened its newest attraction, The Ledge, 4 glass boxes that extend 4.3 feet outside the Tower and stand 1,353 feet above Wacker Drive. With glass on the ceiling, floor, and all sides, it is truly, an unforgettable experience.

 The elevators are amazing in the Willis Tower. They are so fast! 

The elevators within the building are among some of the fastest in the world, operating as fast as 1,600 feet per minute. 

 I am standing out on a Ledge, looking across at other folks standing out on a Ledge.

Get out on the ledge
if you dare!

Step outside the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. At 1,353 feet in the air, the Ledge’s glass boxes extend out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck.

Fun Facts about the Ledge

• The Ledge’s glass boxes extend out 4.3 feet from the skyscraper’s Skydeck on the 103rd floor. Each box weights 7,500 lbs.
• The Ledge’s glass boxes are comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit.
• The Ledge’s boxes have a thin film over the top layer of glass that assures a clear view 1,353 feet straight down!
• The Ledge’s glass boxes are designed to retract into the building, allowing easy access for cleaning and maintenance.
• The Ledge is built to withstand four tons of pressure and can hold 10,000 lbs!
• The Ledge has what is called “heat tracing” to melt snow off the glass

My sister, Clover and me, up in the clouds.

 

While we were up on TOP OF THE WORLD, we witnessed a marriage proposal.

 

It was a great adventure for the both of us.

Thank you for coming along today.

If you would like more information regarding the Willis Tower Click Here

 

Have a great weekend.