Month: April 2012

Six Pack Sunday: Champagne Wishes and Pretzel Necklace Dreams

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Oh my goodness, this week was definitely a marathon, not a sprint.  It was long, it was busy, but it was filled with the most delicious foods, some fantastic friends, and not even CLOSE to enough sleep.

No worries, though, more fodder to write about, right?

That’s right, Six Pack Sunday, y’all!

1. A New Friend!

Introducing: Takito!

Hey there, little one!

My dear friend and (fraternity) brother, Brooke, CREATED this amazing piece of artwork out of glass!! He’s been telling me for years that he was going to do it and I always sort of just assumed that it was our long running joke. And then, as a total surprise to me, he showed up with a box marked FRAGILE tied in twine and filled with bubble wrap. Bubble wrap and a beautiful handmade glass octopus.

I’m in love (though I can’t tell whether it’s with the octopus or Brooke…)

Brooke let me know that tako is the Japanese word for octopus and, since this little fellow is so small, I figured he should be named Takito instead.  Now I just need to find the right spot for him, a spot of dignity and honor!

2. Accidental Champagne 

(But really, when is champagne ever REALLY an accident?)

Sometimes, at a cocktail party, I decide to only drink champagne.

And then, the bartender tells me that, as the only one who was drinking it, the empty bottle was definitely achieved, singlehandedly, by MOI!

Oops.

3. Big Thangs

oh snap.

4. Pretzel Power

World Beer Festival was on Saturday.  I think I took like, 8 total pictures. I was definitely more focused on the beer this year, and less focused on snapping photos like a lunatic. But trust me, I looked great doing it.  Mostly due to one key accessory.

I'm thinking of starting a fashion blog.

Fact: Yogurt covered pretzels, while lovely to look at, MELT on a hot day. And gummy bears are very tough to string.

5. New Glarus Black Top!

Another tasty beer that was NOT at the festival?

So good.

From the brewer: Expect this beer to pour a hop forward jet black glass brimming with aromatic bitterness. Brewmaster Dan skillfully weaves molasses and chocolate malt undertones with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes, to deliver a drinkable Black IPA. 

From MOI: SO tasty! I’ll admit, a lot of times I end up having high hopes for “black IPAs” only to be disappointed. Not the case with Black Top!  All the way from Wisconsin, this beer was a Christmas present and, with a piney aroma, it reminded me of Christmas! The taste wasn’t too complex, yet there was still a hoppiness and a chocolate taste.  Mama like.

6. I think I ate my body’s weight in pork, today.

But more on that tomorrow.  Or Tuesday.

No women dressed as pigs were harmed though, don't worry.

Ugh, pork coma.

Time for Fringe and rest.  Lots of both.

What was the best food you ate this weekend?

How about the tastiest drink?

Veggie-Packed Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

That title, that was the inspiration of my day yesterday.  I wanted mac and cheese, I wanted buffalo chicken and I KNEW I needed some veggies in the mix.  It was all I was thinking about all morning.

It was on my mind while I was eating breakfast.

Oh, it is love.

Welcome the newest addition to my breakfast lineup: Almond Breeze Almond Milk & Coconut Milk Blend. My local Harris Teeter featured this as a NEW ITEM and I can’t resist bold letters and coconut anything.

The verdict? It’s amazing. It’s like a little pina colada in my morning cereal!! Adding in some pineapples, I basically feel like, even though I’m eating twigs (errr… I mean Fiber Fruit & Nut cereal), breakfast time has become a mini-vacation. I mean, I’m not off in the tropics (yet) but it’s delicious.

The mac and cheese was still on my mind when I stopped by the grocery store (to pick up the ingredients).  Luckily, I also picked up a little amuse-bouche from the in-store Starbucks.

Hand shown for perspective

I present the tiniest, tastiest Starbucks shot.  I wanna tell you it was a strawberry smoothie, but I honestly don’t know. It was pink, covered in whipped cream, and even had it’s own tiny straw.  Irresistible.

And, of course, it was on my mind when I got home.  So I did some searching on the internet, scouring Pinterest to see if this had been done before.  And maybe it had, but I got lazy and decided to do it on my own.

The results were cheesy, healthy(ish), and delicious.

Appetizing looking? Maybe not. Fantastic? Absolutely.

I didn’t write down exacts, but here’s the best I got for a recipe.

Ingredients:

  • One cup of whole wheat rotini pasta
  • 2 Cups of water (for cooking the pasta)
  • 1/5 of a red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 of a red pepper, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of EVOO
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of finely riced cauliflower
  • 1 Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedge
  • 1/4 cup of Frank’s Red Hot (original is my favorite)
  • 1 Chicken Breast (grilled and chopped in bits)
  • 1/4 cup of milk
  • As much shredded cheese as you’d like (I went with about 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar, and a few sprinkles of mozzarella and “Mexican blend” cheese)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook pasta as directed, and set aside.
  3. Sauté onion and pepper in the olive oil until soft and delicious.
  4. Place pasta, chicken, and veggies (onions, cauliflower, red pepper) in a loaf pan, stirring to mix up ingredients.
  5. Put milk, Laughing Cow wedge, and 3/4 of the cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second spurts, stirring so that it becomes creamy.
  6. Pour creamy cheese over mix, adding Frank’s Red Hot to the mix and stir, coating all the pasta/chicken/veggies (liberally).
  7. Sprinkle extra cheese over the mix for a meltiness.
  8. Place pan in the oven, and cook until hot and melted.
  9. Enjoy the HECK out of it!!

Add some extra Frank's if you are addicted to heat.

So good.

What food (foods) do you get cravings for?

Mac and Cheese is always one of mine.

Six Pack S’Monday: National Harbor Hot Spots

/ foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Sometimes, when life throws you lemons a buddy driving up to DC who’s stowaway friendly, you gotta make lemonade pack your bags and get ready for action.  So that’s what I did. I loaded up Melissa’s car with 2 small backpacks and 9 bananas (part of the 11 I got for $1 on Thursday!) and hopped in the front seat.  I decided to surprise my baby sister, Kiley, who was playing volleyball at the Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, a GORGEOUS place I’d never been before right on the Potomac River.

Since yesterday was a long day of driving, I didn’t have time to squeak in a normal Six Pack Sunday, but a day late is still great.

1. Lukewarm Lunchmeat

Not even if I were eating meat, thanks.

Road trips are great places to find ridiculous edible items.  These Go Picnic snack packs looked great, except for one key piece: room-temperature meats and cheeses.  Though I found these whilst still being a Pescatarian Polly, I can tell you I’d never buy one, no matter how hungry I happened to be.

2. Mad Men (Rated M)

At least this scene was decent

The thing about watching Mad Men on the treadmill is that there are some awesome scenes where Peggy is talking smack with the boys, and it’s hilarious. Then, there are times where the Sterling Cooper fellows head to a strip club, and I’m in a hotel fitness room surrounded by the parents of teenage volleyball players.  Awkward, much?

Much too much.

I listened to Pandora for the rest of my workout.

3. Peeps Store (Yes, it exists.)

??!?!

And it is AWESOME.

Glowing gloriously.

You can imagine how packed it was during Easter weekend.  So much marshmallow.

4. The Little Giant Mermaid

I’ve never worn shells as a bra but, when you’re wearing teal pants (close enough to a fin, right?) and you spot the most inspiring rock, you don’t really have a choice, do you?

Part of that worlddddddddddddddddddd

You want thingamabobs? I’ve got 20.

5. National Zoo: Dream Come True!

Red Panda Party!

We never thought that Easter Sunday would be a packed day at the National Zoo. We were totally shocked when we got there, parking was damned near impossible, and the lines for the panda exhibit were football-field length.  But it was all worth it (the time, as admission is FREE!!) when we saw this tiny red panda climbing up some logs. The tigers was fierce, the lions were larger than life, and the monkey jerking it…. well that was just icing on the cake.

6. Pinky Rides the Bull

Fun tip: When you think your pink bra won’t show through your black top, you’re wrong.

Yeeeee haw!

After a lot of squats the week before, and a little too much time on the hip abduction and adduction machines, my thighs were totally unprepared for what a killer workout it is holding onto a bucking bull, even if he was mechanical.  But, for $3 at Cadillac Ranch in National Harbor, I couldn’t resist!! I held on as long as I could (which likely wasn’t very long, though it felt like forever) before I felt something slipping. DAMN my decision to rock the leggings! I slipped right off that bull and into the inflatable ring, laughing the whole time.  It was a blast, and I’d TOTALLY do it again! Though next time, I think I’ll try to pack some shorts… or at least chaps.

Thanks, National Harbor, for showing us a good time.

Ever rode a bull (live OR mechanical)? How long did you stay on?  Any tips?

What’s your favorite exhibit at the zoo?

Mine’s normally not at the zoo at all, but the aquarium.  And it’s ALWAYS the Jellyfish.

Baked Plaintain Chips (or How to Spoil Your Appetite and Eat Anyway!)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 16 Comments

I contemplated starting this post by saying like “I have a confession…” but then I remembered that I hate when bloggers “Confess” something that isn’t worth confessing.

“I am addicted to almond butter!”

“I sometimes skip my workouts because I’m tired!”

“I love lamp.”

Honestly, it makes me wonder if they REALLY love lamp, or if they’re just saying it because they saw it.

So here’s just something I wanted to share, no confession needed:  Sometimes, I go to the grocery store twice a day.  I live 0.3 miles from the nearest Harris Teeter, and it’s right between my office and apartment.  At lunch, after work, if I need something for a recipe in the middle of cooking, it’s always nearby.  I’m there a lot (I think the sample guy hates me.)  But it DOES result in a lot of great deals when I pop in on my favorite “Reduced for Quick Sale” items.  You know, the battered and bruised veggies and fruits that are just aching for a home.  My newest adoptions?

Plantain in the Membrane!

Those brown beauties were just waiting for a loving, hungry lady like myself to snatch them up and, for 3/$1, I couldn’t say no!

After deciding against frying them, or really doing anything too involved, I figured the best route was ol’ reliable. Slice/Dice/Roast. Bingo.

After preheating the oven to 450 degrees, I sprayed some parchment paper with a bit of Olive Oil spray, placed all my plantain disks on the paper, and sprinkled them with some cinnamon and a little bit of salt.

Such beauties!

I put them in the center rack of the oven for about 10-12 minutes, flipping them over once (the skinnier ones burned a bit). That wasn’t a problem, however, as I discovered the joy of Plantain Peanut Butter Sandwiches! Just take a few extra crispy ones, add a smidge of PB, and voila! Problem solved.

The Salt Bear approves

I can’t deny that these bad boys are addictive. They’re crispy like chips, sweet, and, with some peanut butter, downright indulgent.  I tried my best to save some space for the main event, though:

Tuna-tastic

Though my seared, chia-seed crusted tuna didn’t have that beautiful red center I’ve dreamt about, primarily because it has been frozen for quite some time waiting for me to thaw and devour it… But I still felt pretty delighted with the end result: Honey Soy Marinated Chia Seed crusted Ahi Tuna. And, if I ever come up with a legit recipe, I’ll share it.  Until then, just imagine something tasty.  So tasty that, even if you were full on Plantain Peanut Butter Sandwiches, you’d still enjoy.

And now, I’ll go enjoy the season finale of Mad Men.  Season 1.  Better late than never….

Weekend Eats

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Seafood Celebrations!

Whoever said Pescatarianism was a challenge clearly has never been to Harry’s Savoy Grill.  After hopping off a late night (and sort of last minute) flight that landed in Philadelphia around 9:30, I hopped into my parents’ car to join my mom and dad for a little late night dinner and drinks at Harry’s. While my folks dined on mini versions of steak sandwiches and bratwurst bites, I got a salmon burger slider (the description of which I cannot seem to find online, but it was served with a curry mayo that was totally complimentary and delicious) and the “Tempura Key West Pink Shrimp tossed in a sriracha aïoli”.

Holy MOLY, that aïoli!!  I know that just about every restaurant that serves seafood lately has jumped on this “fried shrimp + sriracha + mayo” combination (Volcano Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Firecracker Shrimp…. you know the deal) BUT this version was probably the best I’ve ever tried. I convinced my parents to each take one to try it out and, after watching the glee on their faces as they realized the joy of the combo in their mouths, I could hardly keep their skewers out of my bowl!

I have fond memories of Harry’s, as I celebrated the “after party” of my first Communion there as a little girl.  Since I was wearing an insanely fancy and frilly white dress, my mother didn’t let me near anything that could stain (read: curry mayo + sriracha aïoli) BUT I get the feeling that even picky-eater baby Jordan would’ve appreciated these tasty shrimp bites.  If you’re ever at Harry’s (which I’d totally recommend), skip the fancy seats and head over to the bar for anexcellent beer selection, well-made cocktails, and some of the most well-crafted appetizers and tapas selection I’ve seen in my limited experience bopping around the Wilmington, DE area.

There were amazing meals tossed into the mix while I was at home (as per usual) including everything bagels, scrumptious egg scrambles, a veggie stromboli jam-packed with broccoli, olives, cheese, peppers, and rich marinara sauce, and a fantastic shrimp caesar salad, but all of it paled in comparison to the next treat…. The grand finale.

The Ultimate Chocolate Layered Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Birthday Cake!!

I know, is your mouth watering already?  Mine certainly was when my sister and I found the recipe over at Picky Palate.  I’ll admit though, I was thoroughly intimidated.  See, when it comes to baking, I’m more of a “throw everything into the mix and hope for the best” kind of gal.  This recipe involved chopping, homemade icing, refrigeration, layers, drizzles, the whole kitten caboodle.  I suggested we try to make some cookies instead.

Kiley: No.

Jordan: Oooh, how about like… some cupcakes.

Kiley: Definitely not.  Come on Jord, what are you, scared?

Jordan: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

We got to work, slaving in the kitchen for hours.  And by slaving, I mostly mean listening to Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe on repeat as we waited for the frosting and cakes to cool.  We discovered a rare finding, as well.

Once in a blue moon

This mini Reese’s cup had not one, not two, not even THREE but FOUR liners!!  That’s like cracking an egg with two yolks.  You get weirdly excited, and wanna share it with the world.  Or your blog.

Speaking of blogs, ever since seeing all the chaos on Get Off My Internets and the forums, I’m a little scared to post pictures where you can see my fingernails.  People apparently aren’t happy with long, short, painted, or otherwise.  But I braved it to share the rarity with all of you.  I’m brave like that.

We melted a ton of PB, for a gorgeous layer-by-layer drizzle.

Do the Drizzle, yeah.

Since we liked the peanut butter taste so much, we also tweaked the recipe a tiny bit by adding a HEAP of it into the icing.  And that made all the difference….

Ain't no party like a peanut butter party

Four layers, a bag of mini Reese’s cups, about 520 calories worth of frosting consumed pre-icing, and a full day in the fridge later, we had our finished product!!

Since we’d missed the birthdays of my mom and my brother’s girlfriend, we celebrated both with this cake (trust me, it was big and heavy enough to support two, or five, birthday wishes) and dove in.  It was rich, it was creamy, it was cold, and all that was missing was a big scoop of PB ice cream…. maybe next time.  That is, if I can ever build up the courage to bake another four-layered ANYTHING again.

What’s been your biggest baking undertaking? And how’d it go?

Because this was DEFINITELY mine.