Dinner at Warren's Ale House in Wheaton was exactly what I needed: delicious flavors and cold brews served in a warm, friendly setting. It was the kind of meal that I love to share! We started with their locally famous Italian Beef Egg Rolls, as featured as a best mash-up on WGN TV's @chicagosbesttv. The outside was crisp like any good egg roll, but inside was a well-balanced blend of Italian beef, queso, Monterey Jack, and giardiniera. It was literally all the savory goodness of Italian beef in a crispy egg roll, even with au jus if you like your beef wet...IYKYK @warrensalehouse is known for their large selection of beers om tap, featuring many local breweries. We kept our drinks Chicago-brewed with Freedom Lemonade, a fruited sour from @revbrewchicago, and Juicy Beer for Burgers, an American pale ale from @offcolorbrewing. That one was perfectly named for our order, lol. Both were delicious, and of the high quality we've come to expect from both breweries. For our entrees, we had the Black and Blue Burger, an 8-ounce Angus patty with caramelized onions, mushrooms, blue cheese dressing, steak sauce, and arugula on marbled rye. We added bacon and enjoyed it with a side salad. That burger SLAPPED! Cooked beautifully with pink in the center, it was well-seasoned with toppings that delighted the taste buds. We also enjoyed the Big Dipper Grilled Cheese, which pairs braised short rib with a trio of cheeses: pepper jack, brie, and fontina, captured between slices of toasted sourdough. This was the grilled cheese to top all grilled cheese sandwiches! That short rib MELTED in our mouths and offset the cheese combination beautifully. Don't miss the tomato bisque for dipping! That takes this sandwich to another level. Warren's Ale House is family friendly with a great vibe. Whether you're watching the game or gathering around the table with the people you love, Warren's is exactly what you need! . . . #warrensalehouse #italianbeefeggrolls #cswdumplings #chicagobeer #wheatonrestaurants

Count down the days until Christmas, one sip at a time! 🥃 The 2026 Whiskey Advent Calendar by @flaviar_com is truly a work of art! The Museum of Flaviar features 24 exhibition-worthy whiskeys, including award-winning bourbon, ryes, and international whiskeys chosen for discovery, quality, and character. Your 2026 Whiskey Advent Calendar includes 24- 50 ml whiskey samples, 2 collectible Glencairn glasses, an interactive booklet with tasting notes, and exclusive pricing on full-sized bottles of the sample whiskeys. These sell out EVERY YEAR, so don't put this one on the back burner. Delivery by Thanksgiving is guaranteed if you order by November 15 (if they're not already sold out). Save $10 by using my code at checkout: chickensoupwithdumplings. Place your order by clicking the link in my TapBio, or by pasting this link into your browser: https://mdsh.io/chickensoupwithdumplings . . . #whiskey #whiskeyadventcalendar #flaviar #whiskeyadvent #affiliate

I tried Spylt milk for the first time and the vanilla milkshake flavor won me over right away! 🥛 This high protein caffeinated milk has 20 grams of protein and 90 calories per serving, with no added sugar. It was so smooth and creamy that it tasted EXACTLY like a melted vanilla milkshake. I am not kidding! Spylt comes all kinds of yummy-sounding flavors, and I can't wait to try them all. • Vanilla Milkshake • Chocolate • Strawberry • Cookies and Cream • Peanut Butter Chocolate • And their newest flavor, Maple Donut @spyltmilk is on the shelves at stores like Target, Kroger, and Albertsons. But since today is Amazon Prime Day, I'm placing a stock-up order because it's 15% off. ☺️ Help a girl out. When my order arrives, which flavor should I try next? 👇 . . . #spylt #spyltmilk #highproteinmilk #proteinpower #amazonprimeday

Happy National Noodles Day! 🍜 I found a four pack of @flybyjing Sichuan noodles at @Walmart and turned them into my version of Dan Dan Noodles in under thirty minutes. Here is how it came together: I browned a pound of ground pork and seasoned it with two of the four seasoning packets. The noodles cooked for six minutes, and I added a couple handfuls of spinach in the last minute. After draining the noodles and spinach, I tossed everything with the remaining seasoning packets and all four oil packets, then stirred in the pork and tossed again. The dried chives went in next, and I finished the serving bowl with fresh green scallions and chopped peanuts. The flavor is spicy and deeply umami, and the crunch from the scallions and peanuts makes every bite even better! It fed all five of us, and dinner was done in thirty minutes. Talk about a win! That's my kind of celebration. 🥳 Pick up Fly By Jing noodles on your next WalMart run, or use code CHICKENSOUPWITHDUMPLINGS for 10% off at flybyjing.com/collections/shop. Hit the link in my TapBio to go straight there! #NationalNoodlesDay #FlyByJing #FlyByJingFind #FlyByJingPartner #30minutemeals

I have a peanut butter habit, and tonight it followed me straight to dinner. 🥜🌶️ This swicy peanut butter sauce comes together in minutes with Smooth Operator from Peanut Butter & Co. It's equal parts sweet and spicy, made with chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and water whisked into that delicious creamy peanut butter. I tossed it with hot spaghetti, carrots, and broccoli, then topped it with fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts. It's sweet, spicy, and creamy in every bite, which is why I'm calling it a PB masterpiece. Smooth Operator by @peanutbutterco is made with 100% USA-grown peanuts and simple, honest ingredients, with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. That keeps the sauce tasting like real peanuts, which is exactly what I want in a recipe like this. Save this one for your next weeknight dinner. And if you've got a pb habit like mine, get 10% off your Peanut Butter & Co order at https://rstr.co/peanutbutterco/3622 or tap the link in my bio. What's your favorite way to use peanut butter? . . . #ad @peanutbutterco #PBSwicy #PeanutButterPeople #cswdumplings #pbera

☕️ Happy National Coffee Day! ☕️ Oak + Bean is my favorite place to get coffee here in Oswego. Mornings bring coffee and fresh pastries, and later in the day the menu shifts to wine and savory bites. With wine tastings, trivia competitions, and even yoga on the calendar, there is always a reason to stop in. My favorite routine is grabbing a coffee and strolling along the river at Hudson Crossing Park, which is right next door. Talk about the perfect way to enjoy a crisp fall day! You can find Oak + Bean at 100 W Washington Street. Parking is available in the garage behind the storefronts. . . . @hummingbirdshq @oakandbeanco #partnership #nationalcoffeeday #chicagohummingbirds #supportlocal #cswdumplings What would you be grabbing at Oak + Bean?

Welp, the 2026 MLB regular season is over, and I am so glad for every ballpark it took me to this summer. Some games were slow, some were full of cheers, but each one was a memory worth keeping. ❤️ I carry mine on a Wanderchain from @thewanderclub, handcrafted from a vintage baseball glove. Every token marks a ballpark I have visited, so my keys double as a little passport for my baseball adventures. I can't pick them up without thinking of the rain delay that we waited out at Wrigley, and the W flag waving at the end when the Cubs won! The Cubs are headed to October, and I could not be happier about it. Go Cubbies! Where will your baseball travels take you next year? Tell me your dream ballpark in the comments. 👇 . . . #thewanderclub #GoCubsGo #TravelMemories #MLBStadiums #cswdumplings

Sweater weather has officially arrived, and my crazy, work-from-home lunches are getting cozier. 🍂 I tried four soups from @foodearthofficial: 🍲 A Perfect Marriage 🍲 Hearty Harvest 🍲 Hug in a Bowl 🍲 Heavenly Harmony Heavenly Harmony felt made for this time of year. It's a hearty mix of lentils and quinoa in a vegetable-based broth with carrots, tomatoes, garlic, and a little kick from red and green chili peppers. It tastes like fall in a bowl. ❤️🍂 The best part? Food Earth soups are ready in just 60 seconds. Vent the top, pop it in the micro, and it's yum time! You get a warm, satisfying lunch without chopping, simmering, or dirtying a bunch of dishes that no one wants to wash. Every Food Earth product is vegan, gluten-free, and clean label, and they're shelf stable until you open them. I've already stocked my pantry for the season! Find Food Earth soups (and more!) on Amazon or at grocery stores near you. Which flavor would you try first? 👇 . . . #ad @foodearthofficial #FoodEarth #60SecondLunch #ReadyToEatMeals #FallFlavors

It's unboxing day! 📦 I've been waiting for this delivery all week, and now I can't wait to use it! This 11-inch @kobachcookware pan is made from uncoated 100% pure titanium, which means it's nonstick and non-toxic, with no gross coating to peel or flake off. It's durable as heck, so I can cook with metal utensils without worrying about scratches. The pan itself heats quickly and evenly, and it's oven-safe to 500°F. That means I can start a dish on the stove and finish it in the oven. I'm looking at you, fritatta! Cleanup is easy, too, which might be my favorite part. No more scrubbing and scraping! In fact, it's best to use a soft sponge or a nylon scrubbing so the finish doesn't get ruined. Now's the fun part! What should I make in this beautiful pan? Let me know in the comments, and I might make it first! 👇 Oh! If you'd like one of these gorgeous non-stick titanium pans for yourself, head over to https://kobachcookware.com/CAROLYN15 (or tap the link in my bio) to save 15%. You can also just use my code CAROLYN15 to get 15% off at checkout! . . . #ad @kobachcookware #kobachcookware #titaniumpan #cswdumplings What should I make first?