Sweet Recipes Scary Good Savings at Jewel Through 10/14 #StockUpSale #ad

Going batty trying to find fun treats for Halloween, munchies for the big game, and delicious fall fruits and veggies?

Jewel-Osco's got you covered. Head on over to your local store and stock up on scary good deals through 10/14. There are over 300 Stock Up specials where the prices go down when you buy more.

Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is happy to partner up with Jewel Osco once again and we have been compensated for sharing this information with our readers. As always, all opinions are our own.

Ghost of Halloween past. ChiIL Mama's son, Dugan, with his book based costume, The Rusty Knight from Bruce Coville's The Weeping Werewolf

Moongobble and Me series 

Check out Jewel-Osco's web site for great recipes, too, like the fun BIG Pumpkin Cookies we've included below. Click here for this week's flyer and loads of treats... no trick.

BIG Pumpkin Cookies 

Servings:2
Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes

Fun to make! This Big Pumpkin Cookie is just great for an afternoon in the kitchen with the children. Let them decorate to their heart's content once this giant cookie has cooled down.
Ingredients

1 pkg (16.5 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough

Frosting, decorator icing, sugar sprinkles, candies and/or melted chocolate (optional)

Select All
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease large baking sheet.
PLACE whole bar of dough in prepared pan. Allow to soften for 5 to 10 minutes. Using fingertips, pat dough gently to form 8- to 9-inch pumpkin shape
BAKE for 22 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; carefully loosen cookie with spatula. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack
DECORATE as desired

All recipe ingredients should be cooked to a safe internal temperature according to USDA guidelines. After preparing a recipe, please store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Don't let the cupboards go bare. Stock up at Jewel-Osco before their HUGE Stock Up Sale disappears! 

Ghost of Halloween past. ChiIL Mama's daughter, Sage, ChiILin' at The Chicago Cultural Center

Dig The Chicago Wolves hockey team? Jewel-Osco can help you save up to $5 off on tickets.

Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is happy to partner up with Jewel Osco once again and we have been compensated for sharing this information with our readers. As always, all opinions are our own.

Play Locally: Lawrence Arms at Metro, Ice Cream Vendors at Beat Kitchen, Art Openings, Bike Films, Brownies, Wolves and More

Friday

Our friend, neighbor, and talented artist, Kathleen Roman has a gallery opening with reception from 6-9pm Friday.

Friday

If you like your art, a bit edgier, with music and writing......here's our link again to the Chicago Zine Fest Bene W/ WFFLF

 

A Benefit for CHICAGO ZINE FEST
January 6th
7-10pm

• Into It. Over It- (Wrote a song about a previous zine fest organizer) Here is his music - intoitoverit.com Here is a comic about him - http://www.ifyoumakeit.com/comic/ramsey-beyer/an-evening-with-evan-weiss/

• Creaturely Features- (Something you may want to see)

• Gunshy-  www.myspace.com/thegunshy

• XLions of TsavoX- Features some Zinesters? Hardcore (sorta)

• When Flying Feels Like Falling - http://www.facebook.com/whenflyingfeelslikefalling

The Spaceship
1804 S. Racine
7pm
$5

Saturday 

It's Cookie Kick Off Time again!   Why eat a brownie when you can buy cookies instead.   

There's an app for that:   The tech savvy tots and teens in brown and green have an iphone app for Girl Scout Cookies.   Check it out here.  Or, even better, go lo-tech and hit up your favorite girl sprout for everyone's favorite once a year treat.   When they're gone, you have to wait till next January to order more!


Check out our photo filled coverage from last year's big kick off right here 1 and here 2 and stay tunes for 2012's version after Saturday.


The big kick off happens at All State Arena again, culminating in a Chicago Wolves Game--one of our other all time favorite winter things to do.   We love hockey and watch The Chicago Wolves and our beloved Chicago Blackhawks as often as possible.


Here's the scoop:

More than four thousand Girl Scouts will gather prior to the Wolves game to participate in fun, hands-on activities designed to help girls build their leadership skills, a key component of the overall Girl Scout Program.

When:  Saturday, January 7, 2012
 
2 – 4:45 p.m.  Cookie Kickoff; Family Fun Festival
Following the educational portion of the kickoff, the Girl Scouts will enjoy a Family Fun Fest featuring face painting, games and pictures with Skates the Wolf, as well as a pep rally just prior to the game.
 
5 – 5:45 p.m.        Pep rally and entertainment
                               
7 p.m.                    Chicago Wolves vs. the Lake Erie Monsters
 
 
Where:                  Allstate Arena, Rosemont
                                                                                                

Background:
 Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.4 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana impacts the lives of nearly 86,000 girls and 23,000 adult members in 245 communities in six Illinois counties (Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Lake, and Will) and four Indiana counties (Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter). 

For more information, visit www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org.
 
If you don't know any Brownies or Girl Scouts, visit  www.girlscoutcookies.org to find cookies available in your area. 
 

Saturday--Bikes on Film...or is it films on bikes?

If you can't pass yourself off as a Girl Scout, check out a fun, little one day, FREE Bike Winter Film Fest at Facets Multimedia-1517 W. Fullerton at Ashland.  
The annual Bike Winter Film Festival, founded by Bob Matter, will take over the small theater at Facets this Sunday.  A series of documentaries and shorts related to the bicycle will begin at one and go on to eleven.  No charge.
 

 
And once again-here's the prior scoop on WFFLF's Occupy Chicago Bene at Empty Bottle (*all ages welcome w/ accompanying adult) 11am-4:30pm.
 
Saturday Night- Lawrence Arms at Metro




Here's ChiIL Mama's prior coverage of local Chicago boys, The Lawrence Arms with the Fat Wreck Chords label, when they opened for The Dead Milkmen.   They got the fans well warmed up and good to go.   I've gotta admit, the bodies were dropping into the photo pit at The Congress Theater at good pace and I've never seen so many punk rock girls crowd surfing.   Fun times!

The Lawrence Arms
Metro- Chicago, IL
3730 N. Clark
January 7, 2012 7:00 PM 
All Ages.
Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Also appearing: The Holy Mess and Lords.
$20.00 advanced
 

Sunday

Fun for the waaay underagers at Beat Kitchen.   We've been talking this one up for weeks, giving away tixs and putting up save the date notices for upcoming shows.   Remember we give away a family 4 pack of tickets every week to every show, and announce our winners on Free Ticket Tuesdays.  Winners will be contacted by e-mail (so check your spam filters) and the winners' names will also appear in the original Rafflecopter entry form, so check back early and often.

Ice Cream Vendors, Jan. 8 (click here for videos and our prior coverage)

Beat Kitchen Concerts for Kids says:  If you've never seen ICV, think Devo for kids and grown ups.  Pack up the family van and come to Beat Kitchen. Our weekly Concerts for Kids series kicks off 2012 with the Ice Cream Vendors. Hailing from Westmont, IL, ICV is a little bit weird, a little bit new wave, a little bit rock, a little bit rap, a little bit funk and a whole lot of fun. 

As always, shows start at noon. Doors open at 11am and the kitchen is open. Beat Kitchen's signature brunch with everything from pancakes to pizza is sure to please even the pickiest palate.



Up next:  Little Miss Ann Band, Jan 15

CD Release Party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Little Miss Ann's 3rd album, Walk with Me, is hot off the press arriving just in time for our Sunday, January 15th show. We were able to catch up with busy kindie rocker, Little Miss Ann, and ask a few questions about the new album.



What are you excited about on the album?  
     Most of the songs are originals, and I've got a couple really talented guest back-up vocalists, Brooklyn-based, Suzi Shelton and Seattle-based, Charlie Hope. I've also got some great guest instrumentalists that play fiddle, flute, and more.



Which are your current favorite songs on Walk with Me? 
     Waltzing Matilda and Walk with Me. (The interviewer here loves the last track, Honey Bear Ham.)

  

How long was the album in the making? 
     I started it in February of 2011.

  

Carefully crafted and fun to hop, jump and jiggle to, come hear new tunes from Walk with Me as well as some old favorites. 

Beat Kitchen. January 15th. Noon.

Check out our hot and happening Concerts for Kids! lineup

Save the Dates...
Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont

shows at noon on every Sunday, 
Just $6



Jan 8: Ice Cream Vendors

Jan 15: Little Miss Ann Band, CD Release Party!!!

Jan 22: The Boogers

Jan 29: Winter Fest, 11am-3pm, $8: 
Featuring Mary Macaroni, Sarah Parker, The Storybook Mom and Istvan & His Imaginary Band with activities included: facepainting, crafts, ChiIL Mama's rock star photo booth and instrument petting zoo. 


Feb 5: Okee Dokee Brothers

Feb. 12: Mr. Singer & the Sharp Cookies
 
To keep up to date with Concerts for Kids, become our Facebook friend at
www.facebook.com/kidsshowschicago.

 Special thanks to our sponsors:

 

Hockey and Cookies--The Chicago Wolves Are Back

Here are the last of our photos from blogger night at The Chicago Wolves.   We were able to stretch it out over three features.   Last weekend we were out at Allstate Arena for Monster Jam, where tons of dirt and junkyard cars lined the floor of what's now back to a pristine surface of ice.  Each year 700,000 cubic yards of dirt and 3,000 crush cars are used to put on USHRA Monster Jam events!

Now The Chicago Wolves are back in town.   Here's their schedule for the next few weeks along with links if you wanna know more.   They're the best deal in town, for live, fast skatin', hockey action!

NEXT FIVE HOME GAMES:

Sat., Feb. 19 vs. TEX at 7 p.m.

TICKETS

Wed., Feb. 23 vs. RFD at 7 p.m.

TICKETS

Sat., Feb. 26 vs. PEO at 7 p.m.

TICKETS

Fri., March 4 vs. MIL at 7:30 p.m.

TICKETS

Sun., March 6 vs. MTB at 3 p.m.

TICKETS

Watch Live | Listen Live | Full Schedule

Our whole family had a howlin' good time and are eager to go back and see The Wolves again.   The opening fireworks and pyrotechnics display was a big hit, and despite a loss to the Canadian Bulldogs, we had a fun evening.

If you missed our first two posts, you can check 'em out HERE and HERE.   We've been avid Blackhawks and college hockey fans for years (Go Miami Redhawks!) and can't believe we'd never made it to see a Chicago Wolves game live.

The game we saw was also kick off day for Girl Scout cookie sales and Adopt A Dog.   We just got our cookies this week and are happily munching on Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs.   Girl Scouts and Brownies are still holding booth sales, so support a great cause and buy some boxes before they disappear for another year.   It's Sagezilla's first year as a Brownie and she's been having a great time selling and distributing her first cookies.

Check out The Chicago Wolves website for ticket info, merch, and fan fun.    Generally you don't wanna get a DOG (Delay Of Game penalty) at a hockey game.   But in this case, you might want to make an exception.   There's no penalty for giving a homeless dog a second chance at a happy life!   If we didn't already have 3 dogs (including 2 rescues), I'd be seriously tempted.   This weekend is another Adopt A Dog game on the 19th.   Click HERE for more info and have a great weekend!

Mellow Yellow Monday--Brownies and Canines and Wolves....Oh My

Du-Jay and Sagezilla getting their hat and program signed by Chicago Wolves Center and Breakaway Magazine cover model, Jamie Hunt.




We went to our very first Chicago Wolves hockey game on January 8th, and had a great time!   We'll have a big, photo filled slide show and recap up this week.   In the mean time, here's a little taste of the evening (all featuring at least a little yellow) for Mellow Yellow Monday.

It was adopt a dog night, and nearly all of the homeless shelter pups went home from the wolves game with new, loving families.   If we didn't already have 3 dogs, I would have been seriously tempted.

The Girl Scout cookie selling kick off rally also happened at Allstate Arena earlier that day, so the stands were packed with Brownies and Girl Scouts.   The audience was a sea of brown and green, interspersed with the yellow of giant Wolf claws.

The kids loved the fast paced play, and especially dug the indoor fireworks and laser light show that got the game off with a bang.    

We had a meet n greet cookie party with management after the 2nd period.    The kids were more interested in the giant wolf cookies.

We ultimately lost to The Bulldogs from Canada, but the game was action packed and fun anyway.    We'd absolutely go back again, and recommend it to any hockey lovin' Chicago area families.    Now that the Blackhawks are constantly sold out, The Chicago Wolves are one of the best hockey entertainment values around.

Click on the icon below for more Mellow Yellow Monday fun from around the world or across the street.