Month: July 2011

Six Pack Sunday: Anniversary Sale and Aversion to Pale

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Good day friends, despite my claims of how lovely this Sunday is, I’ll confess, I only have left the apartment to grab supplies for breakfast this morning.  We whipped up some egg sandwiches (combo 1 full egg + 1 egg white, some REAL bacon, and some low fat cheddar on a sandwich thin.)  It was divine, and it felt especially naughty to be eating real bacon.  But sometimes, turkey bacon or fake-in (read: veggie bacon) won’t cut it for me.

This Six Pack Sunday is brought to you by the fine makers of UV rays (i.e. our good friend, Mr. Sunshine) and Nordstrom.  My favorite things.

No, definitely not that Mr. Sunshine.

Without those two, my week wouldn’t have been as fantastic as it was!  So here it is:

Six Pack Sunday

  1. Since I’ll be heading up to OCNJ again this coming weekend, I’ve started scoping out a few other things I wanted to do but simply didn’t have time to do over Independence Day weekend.  One of the biggest ones that I’d like to do, and have wanted to do since I started liking seafood, was visit one of the infamous seafood spots that my mom and dad always used to go to when I was growing up.  Top of the list? Smitty’s Clam Bar (I searched far and wide for a website for them, to no avail… maybe they’re keeping it old school.)  I remember coming here all the time growing up, and my mom would always get the most amazing looking clam chowder and fried clams, but as lovely as they looked, the idea of seafood skeeved me out.  Now… well now it’s all I want.  Also on the potential list: Yesterday’s or Obadiah’s. Basically anywhere great that can serve me fishies is all I want.

    Fish are friends. And fish are FOOD!

  2. On Thursday, I had an appointment with my personal Nordstrom consultant, Amy, to preview the Anniversary Sale.  It was the most amazing shopping experience of my life.  She had pulled all the watches and purses that I wanted to see, and brought me through the tents of racks full of deeply discounted things.  She also brought me a beverage to enjoy as I scanned the piles and hangers full of clothes.

    Sipping my complimentary soda while I wait for my consultant.

    I’ll be honest, though I saw many things I was fond of in the catalog and online, I really only truly intended to buy ONE.

    Happy (early) Birthday to ME!!

    Oh, it is love.

    The Michael Kors watch of my dreams.  I had been eyeing this puppy since they came out, but when I saw the prices drop so low AND was sent a Nordstrom note for $20, the time just seemed right.  My birthday isn’t until August 24th (MARK YOUR CALENDARS!), but the sale ends when July ends, and I know the catalog things go fast.  My other early birthday present will be my trip to the Healthy Living Summit in Philadelphia, so if you’re going too, be sure that I’ll be celebrating early Friday and Saturday night!!

    Though I only had my eyes on the watch at first, that didn’t stop me, from blowing my paycheck on a few other goodies. Woops.

    My haul!!

    Two pairs of Nike Running shorts, one pair of Nike capris with a wide pink band, one pair of Under Armour capris, and the Zella blue hoodie.  Not too shabby.

  3. On the same note of Nordstrom, when I was going through my bag, I realized that the pair of pants that I’d bought had not been included.  Either someone misplaced it, or it was set aside, but either way, it didn’t come home with me!  Well, I called them back, spoke to my personal stylist, and she immediately apologized profusely and offered to drive them over to me.  TALK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE?!  Any of you who shop at Nordstrom, I am sure, are aware of their impeccable service.  You may not know, though, that it’s a long standing tradition and that their old handbook used to be a single note card with only 75 words on it.Welcome to NordstromWe’re glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them.

    Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.

    Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time. – Source

    Though their handbook has expanded, their basic concept of service and judgment has not changed.  It’s a beautiful thing.

  4. Jalapeno Poppers.  They’re a true love of mine, though I rarely indulge because they’re often fried, filled with gooey fatty cheese, and not something I spend my money on.  HOWEVER, the ones at OnlyBurger (which used to just be a food truck, and now has established a fantastic mortar and brick storefront) were off the chain!!

    Bacon wrapped, not fried, and fantastic

    They were wrapped in bacon, very fresh jalapenos, and stuffed with cheddar and (get ready, all you Southern food lovers, to have your mouths watering) PIMENTO CHEESE!! I also had a lamb slider, and the prices were so so reasonable, it was perfect.  You can follow OnlyBurger on Twitter to see specials, and find out where they are bringing the truck next!!  But seriously, if you hate chasing cars (i.e. if you’re not a dog…) go to the restaurant.  It’s also the neighbor of my favorite froyo place… Tutti Frutti! Dinner and dessert within a few feet? You can’t beat it!

  5. I may have a problem… An addiction to collecting pint glasses.

    That's not even close to all of them.

    It’s getting out of control.  Luckily, my apartment complex did me a solid and thought of this when they offered giant bookcases in every apartment.  I’m a lucky duck.

  6. The sunshine is my true love.  I’ve been trying to make sure that I have enough of a tan to rock my bridesmaid dress for my best friend’s wedding in two weekends, which results in lots of this:

    Thank goodness for that Kindle.

    Which basically translates to I’m cranking so hard through that book!!  And those UV Indexes are my second favorite reading material.

Ok, well we’re off to celebrate my beau’s father’s impromptu Vegas wedding tonight with dinner, so I guess I should probably shower.

Have a great evening, and good luck getting back into the swing of things tomorrow!  Dreadful Mondays….  This is what I think of them!

Rawrrrrrrrr!! GO AWAY MONDAY!

Anything good coming up for you this week?

BodyJam: Booty Blast Edition

/ foodsweatandbeers / Leave a comment

Good morning lovely ladies and gentlemen!

It’s a GORGEOUS Sunday morning and, after looking at a forecast for nasty weather all weekend, I’m happy to say that was the opposite of what really happened.  It has only deepened my belief that I can trust the weather man/woman as far as I can throw them (which, despite how jacked I am, is not very far).

Maybe the weather person weighs 10 lbs? If so, I'm set.

After a quick breakfast of cinnamon cranberry pancakes (using the complicated recipe of Hungry Jack Pancake and Waffle Complete Wheat Blends + cinnamon + Ocean Spray Craisins) and some sugar free syrup, I was fueled enough to hit the gym, and hit it hard.  Despite having just spent my rent’s worth of money on workout clothes at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (which starts July 15, GET YOUR SHOPPING SHOES READY, FOLKS!), I donned my normal workout attire, not really expecting too much from this workout.  You know how sometimes you go into the gym and it feels almost like your duty?  This was one of those days.

Well, a few minutes into the BodyJam class, that opinion quickly changed. The class was with Alison C., my favorite instructor at O2 Fitness in Chapel Hill because she makes everyone so comfortable in getting down and dirty with their dance moves.  We were popping, we were locking, dropping, dripping, snapping, spinning, I think maybe someone taught us how to dougie (if you don’t know how to dougie, use this instructional video.everyone will think you’re cooler than you already are, especially if they watch you practicing.)

Those peaks? Probably dougie-ing.

We finished the class with a house/tribal set that DESTROYED my booty.  There were a lot of kicks, jumps, and a weird scoop leg move that blasted my booty.  The whole rest of the day, every time I sat down/stood back up, I got that sore reminder of how smooth my moves were.  Fantastic booty burn.  I complimented that blast with 30 minutes on the reclined bicycle, reading my book du jour, The Justice Game by Randy Singer. It was great because I didn’t even realize how long I was riding, and VOILA it was pool time!

Before the pool, we stopped by Quiznos where I picked up a small toasted Veggie Caprese and some baked Lay’s.

Poolside Gourmet

More pooltime, more sunshine, more reading, and it was time for dinner! (I know, my life revolves around food.)  Having burned over a thousand calories at my workout earlier, I felt as though I had some room to indulge.

99 cent margaritas? Don't mind if I do.

Which, of course, was followed by an UNBELIEVABLY GOOD meal.

Chicken Quesadilla, Chile Relleno, and beans (the magical fruit.)

This has inspired me to make a chile relleno of my own ASAP! I don’t know what I’ve been doing avoiding these my whole life but peppers + mexican fillings = dream come true.

We migrated to Roth Brewing Company (which will be a separate post entirely), had a blast, and finished the night off with some serious dance battles on XBox Kinect.  Never in my life have I enjoyed playing a “video game” before!!  I whipped out a few of those BodyJam moves, and (of course) went undefeated.

That's me cutting a rug at my best friend, Cait's, bachelorette party.

Best night I’ve had in the Triangle in some time, and was filled with friends, food, and (luckily for my waistline) fitness!

Do you like to dance?  If so, where? The club? The Discotheque? Group fitness classes? Dance studios?

Have any good recipes for stuffed peppers?

Enjoy this stunning day, and the tail end of your weekend!

Women and Chick Beer vs. Craft Beer: A Response

/ foodsweatandbeers / 20 Comments

Good Saturday morning, y’all!  Hope you’re already enjoying your weekend, and doing lots of amazing things.  So far, I’ve Body Attacked, had a fantastic double date with my workout buddy (and mistress of the killer workout, the  Death Deck, Melissa) and her guy, and snacked heavily on some froyo and some quality brewskis.  But more on that, later.  See, right now, I have something to talk about that’s been on my mind for the past two days but, as I was swamped at work/working overtime to make up for coming in late on Monday, I had little/no time to blog, tweet, facebook, gchat, or any other fun social media that I love.  But now it’s time.

A few days ago, an article came out and swam around the twittersphere.  The article, from New Zealand’s The Marlsborough Press, was entitled Women and Beer: The taste test results are in.  To sum up the article, a sort of experiment was conducted inviting women who don’t normally drink beer to come out and try two new beers which have been specifically designed to appeal to the ladies.

The two beers in question: Valkyrie Brynhild and Beltane Maiden Source

To expand: one, the Beltane Maiden, was flavored with lemon zest to give it a “sweet citrus flavor”, described as “light in body, low in bitterness, and with a velvety finish.” While some women found it refreshing, others were turned off by the cloudiness, yeastiness, and called it “absolutely disgusting.”

The next beer they tasted was called Valkyrie Brynhild golden ale, which was described as “gentle hopped” and flavored with “hokey pokey” (I have no clue what that means, but I heard that’s what it’s all about…) Again, mixed results ranging from “I’d choose this over a glass of wine” to “drinkable, not too much taste.”  No real winner here, either.

The author of this article, Geoff Griggs (who some of you may know if you spend a lotta time going to beer tastings in New Zealand) found that, when polling the women afterwards, and asking what it is about beer that women don’t like, the answers ranged from taste to the “bloated” and “gassy” feelings they get.  Others focused on the image of beer drinking, traditionally associated with young males getting obliterated at parties.

With the advertising culture of beer obviously geared towards males, with most featuring concepts like this one:

the women are merely accessories are prizes sought by the likes of (yuck) Carlos Mencia and friends.  It is no wonder that women find the image of beer drinking a bit off-putting. One beer manufacturer is even trying to combat this stereotype with “Chick Beer“.

I'll take sexist bottle designs for 800.

Allegedly, this beer won’t “weigh you down” with less than 100 calories per bottle, the flavor is “soft and smooth”, and it’s only “lightly carbonated” to avoid that “bloaty” feeling.  Also, from the site:

Chick Beer finally gives women a beer choice that suits their tastes and their style. The bottle is designed to reflect the beautiful shape of a woman in a little black dress.  The six-pack looks like you are carrying your beer in a hip stylish, purse.  Chick’s unique reflective bottle blings you up!  It’s fun, fabulous, and female!

Ok, we get it.  Lots of times, girls like to shop, to wear dresses, and to have jewelry.  But I have to admit, this beer makes me feel like my fondness for shiny things (Seriously, I’m like a raccoon around Swarovski ) is being mocked, and then sold back to me.  This beer truly just sounds like a flavorless, low carbonated light beer. And there are enough of them to go around.

As a lady of lager (pulled that one from the Girls Pint Out description!!) myself, I have to say that this was an incredibly interesting look into why my breed is a rare one indeed.

Too many women that I know have zero knowledge of the rich, diverse world of craft beers, of the subtle pairings of beers with foods, and of the fact that you don’t have to drink enough to get drunk to enjoy them (thus, avoiding that bloated feeling! I don’t know if I’ve ever been bloated off a single beer.)

Likely, many of them only remember beers from the days of college or partying, where they were hoisted up for kegstands of warm, cheap light beer or were tossed a can of some swill. It’s no wonder, then, that they shifted their interest to the more “refined” wine.

I'll have you know, this was a kegstand of Carolina Brewery Amber Ale. GET ON MY LEVEL!

I certainly don’t think that beers should be developed in order to appear “girly” (just like I didn’t think it was the best practice for Camel to introduce Camel No. 9 in hopes for more women smokers) but only because I think it creates a beerdrinker that will only want that kind of brew. Education can make a world of difference, and women may learn to embrace more beers if they realize what else is out there (and that it’s not all cheap, nasty cans or deep, dark stouts.)

Bottoms up to Craft Beer, ladies!

There’s a world of beer out there, just waiting for you to give it a try.  And even though the bottles may not look like little black dresses or “bling you out”, I promise there are some pretty ones out there that can match just about any outfit you put together.

Microwave Titration: Office Hardships

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

Here’s the thing: I dont remember much about high school chemistry class.  My teacher’s name was Mrs. Arensberg, my friend has a seizure in the middle of one class, and we did an experiment with titration.  Just because I remember that I did that experiment, I couldn’t tell you what titration means.  I vaguely recall, though, that it involved messing with one beaker, and then another, trying to get the right balance of fluid into a bigger beaker.  My chemistry major whizkid boyfriend is going to hate this post so much.

Titration is not.... you can't just make up definitions for.... nevermind.

Yup, just call me Jordan Nye the Science Guy. (Fun Fact: I met Bill Nye when I was in college, he visited UNC.  Less Fun Fct: He was a total asshole.  Seriously, not nice at all.) 

That’s all beyond the point.  What I’m getting at, is that the act of adding some from one beaker and some from another always sat with me as how titration works. And I feel as though, every day I use the microwaves at work, I’m doing my own little chemistry experiment.  Only, instead of trying to balance liquies from two beakers, I am trying to balance out the power of two different microwaves in the office.

In the red corner, we have this little gem:

Heater of all foods good.

This microwave is the jack of all trades. It can toast, it can nuke, and it does it all without burning anything.  My food always emerges hot, not crusty, there are often treats on top (such as chocolate chip cookies or chocolate frogs like I saw yesterday!!)  It’s a beautiful thing to walk over there, and my popcorn never stinks up the office by burning.  Sometimes, when I’m waiting for my popcorn, I do wallsits by this microwave.  I love it.

Then, in the blue corner, we have this eyesore:

DEMON MICROWAVE!

This. Microwave. Sucks. It turns frozen meals into hard as rock, inedible blocks, it burns the living daylights out of popcorn, and I constantly have to change the length of time as well as the power level.  And on those rare occasions when I am cooking a veggie patty in one, and want to make steamed veggies in the other… I have to choose which gets the demon (or wait 8 minutes to eat instead of 4). 

 
Today, the Morningstar Grillers Chik’n Patty had the shame of being put in the demon.  I had to watch it like a hawk and, even still, the edges got a little burnt/crisper than I usually like.  Despite my best efforts, it was not my finest work, but I avoided the great Lean Cuisine Rock that happened in 2010 (seriously, I couldn’t pull the enchilada from the rice… it was bad.)
Salvaged meal

Chicken patty slathered in laughing cow blue cheese and Frank’s Red hot (A favorite sandwich combo of mine)! The vegetables, of course, were perfect.  Corn, carrots, peas, and green beans.  I rounded things off with a sugar-free jello cup, and I get a feeling I’ll be sneaking over to that beautiful microwave of treats to sneak a cookie… or the head of that frog!!

Until then, I’ll leave the titration to the beau.  I’ll take care of everything else… especially of looking classy.

Don’t worry. I got this.

What’s for your lunch today?

 
How are the facilities at your office when it comes to whipping up a tasty meal?
 

Hybrid Crab Cakes and Whipped Avocado Sauce

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Today was a day of temptation, as a meeting at work featured cookies and fruit cups.  I held off from the temptation of cookies by focusing on a much more delicious snack (note the dripping sarcasm.)

Oh, neat. Celery.

Paired with Athenos Hummus (which is not nearly as delicious as the Sabra I had earlier today and, comparatively, it is dry and grainy.)  Oh well….

I thought I was playing it cool, being all healthy and junk when…. WAIT A MINUTE!! WHAT’S THAT OVER THERE?!

Honeydukes Chocolate Frog!!!!

It came complete with a Godric Gryffindor trading card!!  My coworker just recently came back from Orlando, FL after spending a long weekend in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She brought back a chocolate frog, which I consider a major tease/appetizer for my trip to Orlando in October!!  That’s right, home of such major attractions as Julie of PBFingers and former haunt of Meghann (Meals and Miles). Oh, wait, also home of such exciting spots as Disney World, Universal Studios, and Halloween Horror Nights is where I’ll be the weekend before Halloween!! (I’m welcoming any tips and advice of what to do in the sunny city as this was a totally random flight plan spawned by the Southwest Airline 40th Anniversary SUPER SALE!!)

Obviously, I had to have a few bites.  Oops.

Tonight, for dinner, I decided that, when life hands you crab flakes on sale, make crabcakes!

Since I’ve never undertaken such a wild dish as this, I knew I needed some inspiration, and so I of course looked to the internet.  Taking a bit of two recipes, one from the Trans-Ocean website for Cajun Crabcakes, and another for “The Wire” Worthy Crab Cakes from The Kitchen Sink.  They both looked good, so this is what I ended up with:

Recipe Hybrid Crab Cakes

  1. 1 tablespoon of Fat Free Greek Yogurt from Trader Joes
  2. 1 tablespoon of Hellman’s Low Fat Mayo
  3. 1 egg white
  4. the juice of one lemon
  5. a few splashes of worcestershire sauce
  6. Salt and Pepper
  7. Cajun seasoning
  8. 8 oz of crab flakes (Trans-Ocean was my choice)
  9. 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  10. 1/3 of a red pepper, diced
  11. 2 to 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

In a bowl, stir together ingredients 1-7 (yogurt through Cajun Seasoning) together. Add the crab, mashing the heck out of it so that it’s got a nice finely mashed texture.  I wanna say stringy, but that sounds gross. But I guess that’s what I mean. Add the panko, red pepper and maybe some more spices if you forgot to add them earlier (like I did.) Split the total mix into four even parts and mold each part into a round little cake. Refrigerate the cakes for at least 30 minutes.  This will help the cakes hold together a little better on the pan.

Put 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add two crab cakes and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes before flipping and doing the same on the other side (or until lightly browned and heated through.) Remove the first two cakes to a plate; and repeat the directions above. If necessary, add some more oil to the skillet and cook the remaining two cakes according to the directions above. Serve warm, and maybe with a little of this yummy whip.

Whipped Avocado Dipping Sauce from Kristin of the Kitchen Sink’s Recipe
1 avocado, skinned and pitted
juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and whip with a wire whisk (alternately, place the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse) until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Serve chilled.

This recipe worked out pretty well though I think, if I didn’t have the sauce, it would’ve been a bit dry. It was a healthified version of a dish that I’d only had SUPER FRIED in the past, which also helped. The peppers added some crunch to it, and I bet it would’ve been excellent in a sandwich with some lettuce, a tomato, and a sandwich thin!  Maybe tomorrow, as I have two leftover cakes!

Since I’m hoping to FINALLY get back to the gym tomorrow, I’m off to sleep in hopes for an early workout!

Have a splendid night, and remember (remember) the 5th of November (the beau rented V for Vendetta, which he’s never seen before…. Adorable.)

Lunchspiration and Zumba Gear!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

After coming back from a long weekend, it’s always hard for me to get back into the swing of eating things.  My cupboards are usually bare, I did my best to empty out the fridge before we left, and I’m so exhausted that the idea of a long grocery trip is often beaten by the idea of a nap.  These past few days were no different.

I flew back to RDU on a slightly later flight than usual and arrived around 1:25, so was able to be back to work by 2pm.  Truly, the Southwest Airlines route from RDU to Philly and back is unbelievably easy, frequently very cheap/on sale, and never takes longer than 1.5 hours.  I can’t even talk about how convenient it’s made living 300+ miles away from my family.  But, as they’ve yet to add personal masseuses and white noise machines on the flight, I still find myself tuckered out after a day of traveling.  I managed to grab some of the “essentials” last night at the store:

Most. Random. Essentials. Ever.

Truly, though, I was just getting what was on sale as I knew, fairly soon, the changing of the sales would occur (as it does every Wednesday).  That left me with a still fairly bare cupboard.  Then, right before lunch, it hit me.

Flatout Wrap: Unwrapped

The Full Monty

  • Flatout Wrap (light Italian)
  • Egg scramble inside with: red pepper slices, sauteed spinach, salt and peppah
  • Reduced fat Sargento 4 cheese blend
  • Carrot (cut myself!)
  • Sabra Hummus from yesterday’s shopping trip

I’ve tried hummus of all kinds, Athenos, non-name brand, Trader Joes, Harris Teeter…. they don’t hold a candle to the creaminess of Sabra, and the rich nutty taste of this particular flavor (Roasted Pine Nut).  Now it’s gluten free, too, which doesn’t really effect THIS GIRL too much, but worth mentioning for everyone else out there!

I also got an awesome package in the mail….

Zumba Nation, baby!

A brand new Zumba shirt (and bracelet, not pictured!) from the ladies over at Zumba Goodness.  Big thanks to the girls, Sarah and Kasey, and congratulations to them for a year in the Zum-biz!!

Can’t wait until next Tuesday when I can rock it out at Zumba class at O2 Fitness (the new instructor KICKED MY ASS last week, so I’m ready for her to bring it again.)

Workout plans tonight are a little tough, as I’m on call from 5pm-9am tomorrow morning and have to be by my phone/a computer all night…. maybe that’ll give me some time to whip up a healthy meal and finally unpack my life as I’ve been living out of my suitcase lately.

How do you get inspiration for lunch time variety? I’ll be honest, I saw a tweet from FlatoutBread and another from Sabra Hummus  and it just hit me.

Do you have any gear particular to the workouts you do?  I have seen instructors rocking the official Les Mills gear, and I want the Body Attack shirts SO BAD. So if anyone else wants a 6’1″ blonde (who’s currently rocking quite the suntan) to model their Les Mills attire…. just gimme a call.  Or a tweet.

Back to work, overtime today to make up for my unbearable lateness of being yesterday.

(If you caught that pun, you win!!)

Six Pack Sunday: Tuesday Edition

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Ladies, gentlemen, and everything between: Life got in the way of blogging this week (with the exception being my Beach Bunny donut journey post).  Accustomed to having the entire summer to soak up the sun, sand, and all the glory of OCNJ, America’s Greatest Family Resort (I believe this statement 118%), when I can only go on a few select weekends living 400 miles away, I try to jam-pack all the fun I can.  Since I don’t want to bore you with every miniscule detail of my trip (false: I really do wanna bore you with it, but I’m too considerate to explain my deep thoughts on Monkey Bread vs. Kohr Bros [team Monkey 4 LYFE!]), it only made sense to sum things up with a (belated) Six Pack Sunday Tuesday.

Six Pack Sunday: This time, it’s Personal Tuesday

  1. My best friend surprised us all on Saturday night by making an impromptu trip to the shore house.  I waited on the porch for her, and greeted the girl the only way I know how:

    One for me, One for Rach!

    AND A SURPRISE PHOTO SHOOT THE SECOND SHE LEFT THE CAR!

    Clearly, she was excited for the photog-attack.

    Rachel is one of the most inspiring humans I know, having been diagnosed with breast cancer at the insanely young age of 23.  Through the countless 71 doctor appointments (just fact checked with her), a double mastectomy, and never once dropping the ball as she finished every class at Pennyslvania College of Optometry and is about a year away from being a Doctor of Eyeballs.  Every time we’re together, it’s like we’re 11 again, and I love that she brings that out in me.

    Beach babes!

  2. I got the most amazing ring that I’ve ever owned on the boardwalk.  The Spot on the OCNJ boardwalk is normally much too trendy for me.  Trendy, of course, pairing nicely with expensive.  But, sometimes you see something you can’t pass up. You ask a stranger for a coupon. And you walk out wearing this:

    Tentacles + Bling = My new hotness

    Needless to say, I only took it off to apply sunscreen.

  3. Rogue hairs.  We’ve all had them.  They are normally a single freakishly long body hair somewhere like the arm, the neck, or, in some very rare occasions, on your back right by your armpit.

    Ahhhh!! MUTANT HAIR!!

    Thanks to Rachel’s keen eye, we found it before the night’s activities began on Sunday.  Which brings me to my next point…

  4. A REAL-LIFE SIX PACK SUNDAY!!

    The Trail Mix Sampler by Tommyknocker Brewery, brought to you me and Rachel by our fabulous sommelier of suds:

    Thank you, fine sir.

    I’ll be honest, we didn’t do a formal review of them all, it was more of an impromptu tasting.  But there were definitely highlights (and, alas, lowlights) to this trail mix taste fest!

    Tiny Cups + lotsa chips = ingredients for a perfect pre-party sipping soiree!

    The lowlights: Jack Whacker Wheat Ale and Ornery Amber (though this site calls it Vienna Amber?) were my least favorite. Partly due to the fact that they didn’t really taste very good, but more because they were ones that I expected the most flavor from and actually delivered the least.

    The highlights: Maple Nut Brown Ale was Rachel’s favorite, just as she expected, but I was pleasantly surprised with how fond I was of this chocolatey, nutty beer.  My favorite was the Alpine Glacier Pilsner Lager, another surprise as I very rarely go for the Pilsners…  Fresh and flavorful, it was a winner.

    My favorites in order (left = winner, right = no thanks.)

    All in all, not my favorite six-pack as a whole, but there were definitely a few tasty brews, worth checking this brewery out if you’re able to get some/near Idaho Springs, Colorado.

  5. Thanks to a post by Anne of fANNEtastic food, I was inspired to volunteer to whip up some tasty dessert for the family BBQ. All it took was 2 packages of fresh strawberries, Tollhouse Premier White Chocolate Morsels, and a bottle of bright blue sugar crystals.  Melt that chocolate, dip those strawberries, then dive them right into the blue.  Red, white, and blue stripes.  Fresh and sweet, so delicious.

    USA!! (United Strawberries of America)

    Thanks to Anne, these treats were the MVP of the night.  Maybe I’m biased, but this tray (toted around by Ryan, my beau!) was wolfed down faster than you can sing “God Bless America!”

    Whoah, whoah, plenty to go around!

  6.  My patriotic bathing suit, which I have (painstakingly) been saving since I got it my first Six Pack Sunday was a total hit.

    Stars, stripes, and sisters (from different misters)

    I also spent the second half of the 4th of July rocking my new Ole Miss shirt by School House that I purchased at their sample sale a few weeks back!  So much patriotism.

    Ole Miss, by Damn!

    And, since I’m two days late, here’s two other random bits…

  7. Weirdest parts of the weekend?

    Salon by Jordan

    Washing a friend’s hair before we rushed off to see the fireworks and….  maybe some other late night shenanigans happened on the beach late at night.

    Piles of clothes on the sand near the ocean? Bare legs? Your guess is as good as mine...

    Oh, hijinx.

  8. Fireworks.  They were gorgeous, and I observed them with almost religious reverance, only instead of shouting out AMEN when the spirit moved me, I hollered out different names (none official).  My favorites: Golden showers, the dirty olive (green with a tiny red circle inside), Saturn’s Disco (with the ring around it), and Glitter Shots (which should speak for themselves.)

    The most beautiful part of the weekend.

    Fireworks are my favorite things, and any holiday that features them is A-OK with me.  Hence: the 4th is always my favorite.

To continue the patriotism that is my life, I think I’ll go watch the tail end of some 24 and hit the hay REALLLL early tonight.

How were your 4th celebrations? Or Canada Day?

Do you like fireworks or, like my puppies, are you petrified of them?

Beach Bunny!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Gooooood (rainy) morning, everyone!

It’s 8 a.m. and, as per, I’m the only one awake.  The life of an early bird…

This morning, I decided to be a team player and get donuts for the whole gang.  In our humble abode, the roster is currently as follows:

  • Jordan (that’s me!)
  • Ryan (the beau)
  • Mom and Dad
  • Somers, Connor, Hunter (nope, he’s in France! sacre bleu!) and Kiley (my siblings)
  • Jacki (Somers’ girlfriend)
  • Bally, Lorch, Sunny, Gilly, Beaver (Connor’s friends)
    anddddddddddddddddddddddd
  • Rachel (my besty who surprised us last night with an impromptu decision to spend the next two days with us!!)

Clearly, it’s a full house (14 was the final count) so I picked up 2 dozen of the most delicious donuts known to mankind at Brown’s.

Truly a delicacy

Normally, the line is about 30 feet long for these warm, fried gooey treats, but today I got lucky that it was raining! (look on the bright side of life, right?)

Sweet, fried dough

They use the same machine as they have my whole life, and it’s a slow process, but the payoff is totally worth it.

I wanted to eat them all!

They come out piping hot and oozing with icing. Just how I like em…

On my way home, I  saw some beautiful scenery, including this party house:

Not Pictured: The tent in the driveway with beer bottles all over.

Either they were getting the day started very early (this shot was taken at 7:15 am) or they passed out before cleaning things up.  I’m hoping the latter, but I know how some folks like to party…

I also caught this little fella in the act:

BUSTED!

Sneaky beach bunny was nibbling my neighbor’s flowers!!  I love to see bunnies at the beach, especially because Ocean City’s an island, and I imagine them swimming over.

Well, the other folks of the household are starting to stir, so I’m off to give them the fruits of my adventure.

After I get my fair share, of course.

Donuts are for lovers.

How do you like your donuts, warm or cold?

What do you do on a rainy day at the beach?

Maybe we’ll see a movie… Hope everyone’s enjoying the holiday weekend!

Shore Thing

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

Good morning and happy long weekend friends and lovahs!

It is a BEAUTIFUL day here in Ocean City, New Jersey, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.  Earlier, at Wawa, it really hit me.

Nectar of the Gods.

I. Have. Arrived.

Right now, the smells of breakfast are filling the air as my mother balances enough eggs, bacon, Taylor pork roll, and everything bagels to feed a small army.  As I’m one of seven in this family, and we all have friends and significant others in town, we basically are a tiny (and poorly equipped, unless you count iPhones) army. We need fuel to fight off the hoards of folks at the actual beach, and make sure we get efficient space to spread out.  Earlier today, we picked up some essentials Boyar’s Market, the most quaint little market I’ve seen on the island since Palermo’s.  And I’m well aware that 98% of you have no idea what I’m talking about, so here’s a super fierce picture of my mom walking back into the market to get some soft pretzels (oh Philly area, give me all your foods):

Ah, Shelly, just looking for some pretzels in this big, mixed up world.

Since I have some time before we eat breakfast, I figured now was as good a time as any to thank Lindsay over at In Sweetness and In Health for tagging me with a fun survey/award!  Hopefully, this will give you some deep, personal knowledge of the most important aspects of my life (read: cartoon characters I’m fond of and what I’ll be reading on the beach.

1. Favorite Cartoon Character:

Without a doubt, Daria.  She inspired my years of teenage angst, I remember long hours spent in front of the television watching her and Jane’s antics, giving googly eyes to Trent (Jane’s hottie older brother), and thinking that the Morgendorffer family was the funniest to the hit the small screen.

You're standing on my neck.

2. Favorite Thing to Photograph:

Friends and events, absolutely.  I’ll admit, my camera is a baby point and shoot, nothing too fancy.  It looks a lot like this:

Never far from my grasp.

But honestly, I feel like I have gotten decent at taking the pictures of me/my friends with my long, orangutan arms.

Jojo and Kiki... and the best cupcakes EVER! (not really.)

RyBaby and Jojo... and BEER!

Mother Daughter Bathroom Pic. Class Acts.

I think that a nice camera might be at the top of my birthday list (August 24, mark your calendars, folks!  I’ll be pre-celebrating at the Healthy Living Summit in Philly).  Until then, I’ll be happy being the documenter of all things fun.

3. Favorite Thing to Cook:

Breakfast!!

Griddle GIrl

 4. Favorite Way to Exercise:

Group fitness classes are my JAM!  Les Mills classes that I love include Attack, Pump, Jam, and Combat.

5. Favorite Movie:

Dazed and Confused or Romeo + Juliet…

Oh, Leo! I bet you kiss by the book...

6. Favorite Clothing:

For a while, when I had a bit more jelly in my belly and size on my thighs, leggings were all I wore.  I don’t even think I had a pair of pants that weren’t made with over 50% elastic…  Nowadays, though, my favorite clothing might have to be dresses.  Especially with pockets.

Though I always thought I looked rather fetching in a skydiving jumpsuit…

MAKE IT WORK, JP!

7. Favorite Flower:

Birds of Paradise, hands down.  My parents go me some for Graduation and I just melted with love.  Since then, it’s grown into a full fledged adoration.

8. Favorite Breakfast:

Not to copy off of Lindsay, but french toast is (quite literally) my bread and butter.

9. Favorite Book:

Too many to count!! but I am a huge Chuck Palahniuk fan, and would say my favorite book of his was Invisible Monsters.  So intense, so gory, so gritty and so great.

10. Least Favorite Food:

Ugh.  Maybe any meat that’s boiled?  Drawing a blank on this, but alas, my OTHER favorite breakfast is cooked, so I’m off to eat it before the wolves (my brothers) gobble it down!!

Enjoy your day, wherever you are, get sexy in your bikinis and board shorts, get so much sunshine, and come back with lots of stories!!

Big Boss Monkey Bizz-Ness: This SH** is Bananas!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

Happy July, ladies and gents!!  First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for the warm words and amazing response from my last post about my personal Wake-Up Call to change my lifestyle to a healthier, more active one.  It’s great to hear about other people’s wake up calls, or what gave them the drive to change their lives.  Inspiring, right?

Since we hit up a rather heady topic last night, let’s try something a little light-hearted, shall we?  And honestly, what could be more light-hearted and appropriate before the holiday weekend than…. BEER?!

Last night, Lauren and I hosted yet another amazing glass night for the Tri-Beer Meetup group (only THE group to be in if you live in the NC Triangle and enjoy hops, ales, pilsners, and people!) The beer of the evening: Big Boss Brewing Company’s Monkey Bizz-ness.  I’m no stranger to Big Boss Beers, and have toured the brewery before as well as attending a food-truck round-up once or twice.  I’m a HUGE fan of their Angry Angel, and many friends are hopelessly devoted to Bad Penny.  But that’s beside the point.

Monkey Bizz-Ness in a glass!

This beer poured a cloudy hazy gold color that was beautiful to look at on a sunshiney evening.  Only available on draft in June, this beer is described by the brewer:

Monkey Bizz-Ness is spiced to complement the fruit, yeast and malt notes present in this complex, rustic Belgian-style ale. Monkey Bizz-ness is aged for months to blend the bold flavors into a seamless presentation.  9% ABV.

In my opinion, while the smell was divine, it was a little too powerful in flavors for my liking.  It might’ve be the powerful alcohol percentage, but the fruity flavors had me feeling like I was inhaling a tropical mix of produce and flowers, and not in the best way.  I feel like there was  mix of citrus, maybe peach (though that could’ve been the peach I ate earlier tricking my mind), and floral tastes… it was just too much for me.  That being said, my co-host loved it, and it has a very loyal group of followers (who followed us right to the bar!), so clearly my tastes are not similar to everyone.  While I’m glad I tried this one, I think that I’ll stick to their Angry Angel Kolsch in the future as my go-to brew (though their Harvest Time Pumpkin Ale is something I look forward to all autumn!)

A beer, for little ol' me?!

Loyal Tri-Beer member, Will, surprised me by getting my first beer of the night, and it even included a free (BEAUTIFULLY ETCHED) Big Boss Glass which you can buy at their Merchandise Store. The glass normally runs for $3.50, and the beer AND glass cost a mere $2 (or free, if you have a dapper gentleman treat you!), further going to show that Rockfish Seafood Grill at Southpoint truly has the best deal on craft beers in the Triangle (at least that I’ve seen, I challenge you to find me a better one!)

After finishing my Bizz-Ness, I switched over to a beer I honestly didn’t expect to love…  but after one sip of Lauren’s, I knew I had to try it.  Lonerider Brewing Company’s Deadeye Jack, a seasonal porter, infused with… COFFEE! Holy moly.  If you’re someone who likes beer but thought to yourself, “This doesn’t have enough coffee in it!!” this is the brew for you.   It’s deep and rich and full flavored, dark brown in color, aromatic as any mug o’ joe, and easy to drink I would suggest that Starbucks grab a hold of the Lonerider PR person, and work with them on some sort of Brew-Ha-Ha event combining this beer and tasty coffee, and… I don’t know… stand up comedians?  I’m obviously not a PR whiz kid.  alas.

Speaking of alas, the only image I got of this brew was in the side, during an impromptu photo shoot for the Women of Craft Beer NC Calendar:

We'll be taking pre-orders next month...

That’s me on the left (the tall one, shock.), Lauren, and Johanna Kramer, aka the finest  food loving, brew sipping ladies of the Triangle food and drink scene.

After enjoying a delicious night of great talks, lots of laughs, and tasty appetizers (half off from 4-7), I went home to open up my package…  More on this later, but I’ll give you a hint.  This is what I looked like when I opened it.

Like a kid on Christmas morning!

Off to enjoy the tail end of the work-week before the long weekend!!