My 5 Favorite Posts of 2012

I published - and I'm sure you read every single word of - 205 posts in 2012. That's a whole lot of blogging, huh?

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Some were better than others. But these 5 were a few of my favorites:

1. The one where I compared myself to a Bachelor contestant.
2. The one where I realized this blog has ventured down an unanticipated path.
3. The one where I realized that even the ordinary is extraordinary in Chicago.
4. The one where I got a new job.
5. The one where I witnessed a birth.

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But if you're keeping score, these 5 were the most popular:

1. The one where I realized when the Art Institute is free for Illinois Residents.
2. The one where I imagined my Ideal Day.
3. The one where I Dared to Dream.
4. The one where I shared my favorite bits of Academy Award Fashion.
5. The one where I went on a Meetup walking tour.

It's obvious that A Foreign Land has headed in a different direction since early 2012. To the new friends I've made this year, I'm so excited to have you as a part of my bloggy world. And to those of you who have stuck around since the early days, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! You make this little space a fun place to share our Chicago adventures.

2012 has definitely been chock full of great memories for us and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings!

How will you remember 2012?

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Joyful and Triumphant

Source: akadesign.ca via Molly

merry, merry!

Small (and Not So Small) Christmas Reminders

The Holiday Season might be the most magical time to wander the streets of Chicago's Loop. Around every corner, down every street, little (and not so little) pops of Christmas joy are there to surprise and delight.

I'm a wanderer at heart, so discovering these surprises has made this season - they began to appear weeks before Thanksgiving and will stick around until the New Year, I suspect - so very, very special. Despite grey skies and the disturbing lack of SNOW it hasn't been difficult to remain in the Christmas spirit this year.

On the 12th day of Christmas, I'm remembering just a few of the sights, sounds and smells that have made my heart sing this season.

Brownstones festively decorated | Unexpected mid-morning concerts

Shopping malls decorated to the nines | Reminders to "Keep Christ in Christmas"

Pretzels at the Christkindlmarket | Architectural gems all lit up

Shiny shop windows | Carols along State Street

A gingerbread covered oven at the Palmer House | Twinkly lights lining the streets

Unexpected pops of red and green | Bell Ringers on every corner

It's like they say, it really is the most wonderful time of the year. And our first Christmas in Chicago did not disappoint.

I hope your holiday preparations are winding down and celebrations are in full force!

Chestnuts Roasting in A Closed Oven

On the 11th day of Christmas I cracked into a few chestnuts. Actually, eleven.

Unfortunately, the only "open fire" was on the television.


Thankfully, according to Martha, an open fire wasn't required. But a chestnut roasting pan was.

Right.

I used a cookie sheet and it worked out fine. Whew.


Having never made or eaten roasted chestnuts before I wasn't too sure what I was getting in to. After finding the chestnuts at Whole Foods, I sent the hubby the most ironic text ever.

"Do we have a nutcracker?"

The process was super easy. It was just 4 steps. And it turns out a nutcracker wasn't even necessary.

1. Make a slit in each shell using a sharp knife.
2. Roast the chestnuts in a 350° oven for 35 min.
3. Once they're out of the oven and still warm, crack open the shell and harvest the meat.
4. Eat them up.

Eating the chestnuts reminded me of eating crab legs. It was a lot of work for a relatively little bit of meat. But it was very worth the effort.

Is this a Christmas tradition you've adopted?