Food Trucks Everywhere!

Have you seen any of the food trucks around Chicago lately? I feel it's the next big thing, whether they have tamales, tacos or cupcakes. I see them everywhere around the city. I know there is always a cupcake food truck or two parked outside my office building tempting me on my way to work. There is even a food network show looking for the next big food truck.

This weekend there was a Food Truck Social Fest in my neighborhood. It's at Chicago and Ashland if you are around for the next two hours. Tons of different trucks, long lines to get to the delicious food, great bands. I tried this chicken pot pie pocket that was amazing! They even had a doggie food truck. So I picked up some bones for my little ones. I also made sure to stop by the Flirty Cupcake Truck! Sweets are my weakness. I was able to pick up a S'more cupcake and a chocolate raspberry one! I can't wait to dig into those later tonight.

http://www.flirtycupcakes.com/ to check out their truck schedule.

Here's a schedule of some food trucks coming your way in the next couple weeks.

http://foodtruckfreak.com/truck-located/

Enjoy! What do you think of the food truck craze? Have you found any good ones that you love or we should try?

Are you going to watch the VMA's tomorrow night?

The VMA's (MTV Video Music Awards) have been around since as far back as I can remember.  They are sometimes referred to as the Oscars for youth.  Personally, I find the VMA's to be the most entertaining of all of the award shows.  You probably remember when MTV actually aired music videos.  I still remember falling in love with Axel Rose after watching November Rain with my babysitter. lol  Sometimes I miss the videos, but I wouldn't sacrifice Awkward or Teen Mom for them. ;)  A compromise would be nice, what if MTV played an hour of music videos every afternoon?  For me, the most memorable music videos of all time are R.Kelly's "Nobody has to Know" and Blind Melon's "No Rain."

Tomorrow night, Sunday, at 9-8 (central) MTV will air the 2011 VMA's.  The red carpet is often a highlight of the show due the eccentric outfit choices of the celebrities. 

Example - Lady Gaga and her meat dress!


Check out more wacky VMA outfits from the past

Also, head to MTV's website to vote on your favorite artist.  Foster the People and Wiz Khalifa are both up for the Best New Artist award. My vote is Foster the People.  Adele is up for Best Pop Video for "Rolling in the Deep." 

Join our Book Club!

Two Cents is starting a book club!

As we mentioned before, we have a book club with our friends. We get together about every month and whoever hosts the book club picks the book. Our book club theme is books that are also movies, whether they are movies already made or movies soon to be made.

Join us every month as we read a new book! We'll post questions, topics, etc. to talk about.

For September, our book will be The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. 

http://www.kathrynstockett.com/index.htm

Our book club meets September 23rd. So we'll post some questions before then. Join us!

Easiest Banana Bread

I'm a baker. I love to bake!! I also love to eat what I bake, so I can't bake too often ha! One of my favorite things to bake is Banana Bread. It's so easy! You just mix a few things up and pop it in the oven.

This is one of the easiest and yet still delicious recipes I've used. You can just mash everything up with a spoon. Although it works if you have a stand mixer or hand mixer as well. Whatever is easier for you. And everyone usually has these staple ingredients in the pantry.

I recently made two loaves of this. One I sent with my husband to work. Everyone loved it! The other stayed home with me, but I ended up having to give it away so I wouldn't eat the whole thing myself!

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/

My secret is to also add some lime zest from one lime and juice of one lime. It keeps the bread moist and adds a little extra flavor in there! The trick to knowing when it's done, although this one is pretty close to an hour, is to stick a toothpick in the center. If some banana still comes out on it moist, it's not ready. If the toothpick comes out pretty dry, take it out and let it cool. Be sure to sample the bread while its still warm! That's the best part!

So the next time you don't get to eat all those bananas before they are ripe, try this recipe out! Let me know what you think!

Ravinia is an amazing little treasure just outside the city!

I went to Ravinia last night for the first time to see Tony Bennett. I'm embarassed to say that I've lived in Chicago for 10+ years (don't want to give away my age too much!) and have never been. I've always wanted to go. It just seems summer flies by and I never make the actual plans to go. Plus as a city dweller, like most of us, I don't like to actually leave the city if I don't have to.

Ravinia is an easy Metra ride away. Or for us we had an easy drive and were going with people who literally lived next door to Ravinia. So we had easy driveway parking and just cut through a fence to get to the gate.

Ravinia was this little amazing oasis! It was beautiful with a cute little stone building with stained-glass windows, so many trees surrounding you with candlelight everywhere from everyones mosquito repellant candles (lol). It was like you were in the middle of the forest for an amazing concert. And everyone was so prepared! Tables, chairs, blankets, wine, tons of foods, from pizza to cheese and crackers.

I'm sad that I've been missing it all these years! And will definitely go back again soon!!

I guess it's really easy to get tickets the day of too. There are so many people trying to sell their tickets before you walk in, so you'd have no problem going the day of to get tickets.

Here's the calendar for the remainder of the year. I highly suggest you get a group of friends together to go! You won't be disappointed no matter who the artist is!

http://www.ravinia.org/Calendar.aspx

Tony Bennett by the way was amazing! He's a legend and it such a great experience hearing him perform. His daughter Antonia even joined him on stage. He also told a story of how as a young performer, Bob Hope asked him what his name was. He responded Anthony Dominick Benedetto. Bob Hope said that's too long. From now on, you'll be Tony Bennett! And from then on he was.

Have any of you been to Ravinia? Who did you see? What was your experience?

S'mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe looks amazing!  I am remembering the good old days of my childhood...sitting by a campfire and making s'mores, fighting over the best stick to melt my marshmallow on and sneaking extra pieces of chocolate. 

Let us know if you make these cookies and how they turn out. 

This recipe was found on the Picky Palate.

Click to see the recipe

Is Jersey Shore your Guilty Pleasure??

Am I a bad person because I ♥ watching Jersey Shore and because I especially can not wait for the next episode?  This week’s episode ended with Ronnie and The Situation getting into a physical fight.  The preview for next week is Ronnie beating the sh$t out of The Situation.  And I am Excited!  But these are real people and even though some of the show appears scripted, getting the sh$t kicked out of you is definitely not scripted.  This is why I feel guilty about not feeling guilty for loving this show.  Either way....I have made a decision...I can't stop watching it....It's just too entertaining!  Are you with me?  Can I get an Amen!

I mean they have changed the way we all talk.....GTL Twinning Robbery Grenade "T-Shirt Time" Smush DTF Fist pump "Cabs are Here" "Beat the Beat" "Juice Head Gorilla" "The Shirt before the Shirt" "Lez be honest."

Hollywood Reporter shows Top 10 quotes from Jersey Shore

What do we think about Celebs and their tattoos?

This isn't a new trend, celebs have been getting tattoos for years. Look at Angelina, she's covered in them. We usually associates tattoos with the bad girls/boys of Hollywood. But lately it seems more and more, the "good girl" ones you wouldn't expect are getting them as well.

First, Jen Aniston got her dog's name on her ankle. Reese got a huge tattoo of birds and a star on her stomach. Mostly recently Katie Holmes got a wrist tattoo.

Do we like the trend? Or should they stay in their good girl roles and be ink free?

Charlie Sheen buys Denise a house...in his Neighborhood

In an attempt to spend more time with his children, Charlie Sheen plans to move all of his babies’ mommas to his neighborhood.  Denise Richards has already begun moving in to a house and Charlie plans to purchase a house for Brooke Mueller soon.  Do you think this is a recipe for Disaster or some major Drama?

Or maybe Charlie saw a rerun of Mister Rogers and the following lyrics inspired him...?

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

http://www.tmz.com/2011/08/25/denise-richards-charlie-sheen-neighborhood-gated-community-house-gated-community-children-brooke-mueller/

Kardashian wedding was TOTALLY scripted!!!

I feel duped, I feel lied to, I can not believe I romanticized this wedding...  Does this mean that Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries wedding was all fake or just that the Kardashian show is.  If it was real, was the groom Kris totally freaked out by the Kardashian's excessive lifestyle?  500 guests and producers running around everywhere.  I have another clue that the show might be completely scripted....you might remember not too long ago they had an episode about how Kim hates dogs....but now she has one.  So is it all fake?  



Watch this video and you will see how we were all duped!

The Help was rejected 60 times before someone wanted to publish it!

My friends and I started a book club about a year ago. We meet about once a month/every other month. Whoever gets to host book club  gets to pick the next book. Our theme is to pick books that have been or are being made into movies. In the past, we've read Eat Pray Love, Gone with the Wind, Hunger Games and more. Next month the book is The Help! I've actually read it a couple months ago but am excited to read it again. It was such an excellent book. I loved the stories and all the characters! I can't wait to read it again and discuss in our next book club.

Did you know that this book was rejected 60 times before someone wanted to publish it? Now it's a best seller and has already been made into a movie. I bet all those people who rejected it are kicking themselves right now. Read the amazing story below.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/poweryourfuture/kathryn-stocketts-the-help-turned-down-60-times-before-becoming-a-best-seller-2523496/

Hottie Riggins cut his hair!

If you're a fan of Friday Night Lights, you know who Riggins is. Riggins has been known for his longer, sometimes greasy hair. But Taylor Kitsch recently chopped off those locks. And look at him now! Smokin!

Kim's Official People Magazine Wedding Cover Photo

Ok Dolls, Here is Kim's official People Magazine wedding cover photo! Do we think this is worth $1.5 million?

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20522326,00.html

Did Jada cheat on Will with Marc Anthony? DRAMA

Did Jada cheat on Will with Marc Anthony? DRAMA

Paris Hilton's Reality TV Show Cancelled - UsMagazine.com

Report: Paris Hilton's Reality TV Show Cancelled - UsMagazine.com

We all knew this wouldn't last. Did anyone even tune in to Paris' new show? I know she's trying to be as famous as Kim Kardashian, since they were BFF and all. But Paris is no Kim. Kim is likeable and has that star quality that the little princess Paris doesn't seem to have. Can't say I'm shocked this show is being cancelled!

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog!  We are Two Chicago Girls who love anything related to celebrities, hollywood gossip, television shows (reality or other). We might even call ourselves experts!. We are new to this, but we thought we would start this blog and share some of our favorite Celebrity Gossip, Entertainment News, some Local Hot Spots and Events near you and much more. Giving you our Two Cents along the way! Enjoy!