Ok, I’ll admit, tonight is based entirely on sipping on some Riesling and watching Degrassi (click the link if you’re into watching high school kids get into the craziest hijinx of all).
But here’s the thing, I just watched this video. It broke my heart.
But then I laughed.
Because ducks are cute.
and they’re silly when they get blown away.
Hope you’re having THE BEST WEEKEND EVER!!
In case you’re not sure what I’m doing tomorrow morning….. UNC FOOTBALL!!
Plans for the weekend?
Friiiiiiiiiiiiday, Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiday, hate to wear pants on Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiday!
Just wanted to let everyone know, in case you weren’t aware, that it is, in fact, Friday. And though I’m no Rebecca Black, I’ve got big plans for this freakin’ weekend! On the agenda:
Margaritas in the Hard Rock? When in Rome.... (literally. we were in Rome.)
Haven’t seen her in WAY too long, and I expect a night of joy and joyness. In fact, a whole weekend of it.
I LOVED reading that Nicole of Sugar-Coated Sisters is fired up for her first game as a USC Trojan! I, on the other coast, can hardly see straight with my excitement for Tar Heel football starting tomorrow!!
Clearly, some good ish…. even though it’s no long weekend beach trip. Or my standard fare of a trip to Oxford, MS. Times, they are a-changing.
As I mentioned in my post on Old Salem Tavern, there was more fun to be had in Winston Salem. Fun in the form of my favorite sudsy beverage.
Come to mama!
After prepping for the next day of training for work I looked at my clock, not feeling tired at all, and realized it was only a little after nine. Well, I consulted the glory of the internet, after tweeting a call to arms about fun to be had in Winston Salem, and realized that Foothills Brewing Brewpub was within walking distance of my hotel. Say WHAT?!
I wasted no time in hitting the ground running (walking. carefully) over to the pub. Thanks to advice from one of my fellow Girls’ Pint Out buddies, Anna, I reviewed the menu and despite the fact that it was $3 pint night, I went for something a little different.
Much better than that delayed Southwest Flight
6 full size samples, 3 of their seasonal samples in a smaller form, all for $7.99?!?! I DIE!
This is the very best way of visiting a new brewery/brewpub. I was able to enjoy a little bit of everything without getting drunk, and could focus on the flavors without clearing out my wallet. I was able to meet some friendly locals who hooked me up with a little information on their favorites. Some highlights? (If you follow me on untappd, feel free to gloss over this part)
I loved being able to just relax and (very slowly) enjoy all that Foothills had to offer. Even with tip, I left without spending more than $11 and enjoyed every second. The bartender was nice, knowledgeable, and friendly, especially without being too pushy. He let me make my own choices and even talked a little beer with me. I know it was slow, it was a Monday, but it meant a lot.
Thanks for the hospitality, new friends! Can't wait to go back!!
On my way out of WS, I stopped by City Beverage to pick up something new that I’ve never tried before (seriously, that was my only condition. other than that, I was open to everything.)
Oldies are the goodies.
The glassware put my own collection to shame, and they had an adorable tasting room but, like a fool in love, I was so enamored with looking at all the pretty bottles that I skipped taking a picture of that. Trust me, though, it’s adorable, it’s wooden, and it smells of rich mahogany (real talk.)
Want em all.
View from the bottom
The selection was amazing, and I was totally overwhelmed, but finally managed to waltz out of there with some tasty bevvies….
You’ll just have to wait and see what they were, though.
Have you ever tried a flight of beers? How about a beer tasting?
What’s a hidden gem in your town? Beer related if you’d like, but really, I’ll accept any/everything!
Who knows, maybe one day I’ll visit!
Good afternoon and happy belated No Pants Wednesday! A day late, I know, but I was out in public yesterday and honestly, I doubt the folks at Shiki Sushi would’ve been too happy if I de-pantsed during the lunch rush. That’s not the Shiki way….
Today, though, lunch was enjoyed in the comforts of my own home. And that can only mean one thing (well, false, it can mean several things, but today it means one….)
The greenest of all salads
I’ve missed the crunch of the spinach and peppers, the almost sweet taste of the tomatoes, creaminess of the avocadoes, the warm black beans and the HOT CHA CHA of the salsa. I definitely needed this taco salad.
See, the first two days of this week, after hopping off a (delayed) Southwest fight (due, of course, to my Irene experiences), I hopped right into my car and headed to Winston-Salem, NC. Home of the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest, Old Salem Museums and Gardens, and, for two short days, Yours Truly!
Though I was in town for a work training, all work and no play makes Jordy a dull girl. Instead of boring you to death with tales of lesson plans and interactive sessions, I’ll skip straight to the good stuff.
We enjoyed a delicious dinner for the historic Old Salem Tavern.
Oh, you fancy, huh?
This Moravian gem has been around for over 200 years!! And, yes, I’ll admit, at times you were reminded of this. The seats weren’t too comfortable, and the tables were rickety, but if you’re looking for ambience and an authentic experience, look no further.
Stunning outdoor seating!
Though we weren’t able to enjoy the outdoor seating, it was gorgeous. I wish that I could take a certain Philly boy on a date here, if only for the possibility of sitting out here!
We were served a warm basket with two different kinds of bread.
Heavenly, just like your Morvian mama would make!
I went for a roll several of the small pumpkin raisin rolls. Oh sweet mother of Morvians! This was unbelievably good, warm, and so crumbly, accented perfectly with a few swipes of their butter pats.
While the menu was not too long, the options felt endless!
So many options, how will I choose?!
Though I’d checked Yelp for some recommendations, I wasn’t really in the mood for the infamous Moravian Chicken Pie. So I went for something a little different. And after enjoying the heck out of the pumpkin rolls, that may have tainted my choice.
Pumpkin an sunflower seed crusted salmon over wilted spinach and a blood orange vinaigrette
This was hands-down the best choice I could’ve made. The salmon was cooked perfectly for a gal like me, still pink but definitely all the way done. The pumpkin taste wasn’t actually too obvious, but the blood orange vinaigrette stole the show. I wish I could pour this over all future fish endeavors (and then bathe in it myself…. TMI? NEVER!) The wilted spinach also featured a few onions, and had soaked up the flavors of the blood orange the make it both sweet and tart. The dish was light enough (and I was hungry enough) that I really had no option but to try some of their many tasty looking desserts.
Moravian Gingerbread with Lemon Ice Cream and Key Lime Pie
I promise, these two desserts were not just for me and, in fact, we split them among the three of us. I will admit, and it should go without saying, that I could’ve eaten every last bite/drop without hesitation. I’m just that kind of human garbage disposal.
My other favorite pie.
Key lime pie is a usual favorite of mine and, though I doubt this was a “traditional Moravian recipe”, the taste was totally on point. It was tart to a slight pucker, but sweet and creamy with a texture that resembled a cheesecake. The crust was so thin, yet tied the whole pie slice together. And whipped cream…. well that was just icing cream on the cake pie.
It was the gingerbread that stole my heart, though, served warm and paired with a teeth chatteringly cold, tangy lemon ice cream. Not lemon sorbet, not lemon water ice. TRUE lemon ice cream. This is not an easy accomplishment, to make a quality lemon ice cream, but Old Salem Tavern hit it out of the park. The combination of cold and warm left me LITERALLY picking up little crumbs with my fingers and wishing we could order a road-dessert. Alas….
Sweet tunes, sweet outfits, sweetness abounds.
The servers wore authentic old timey outfits, which is always fun and uncomfortable looking, but went nicely with the theme. There was live music, though it definitely was not my cup of tea. Luckily, the average age of the clientele was about 3x my own age (which is 24, IN CASE YOU FORGOT MY BIRTHDAY!!) and thus they enjoyed the “easy listening” as I personally felt that Tracy Chapman would’ve turned over in her grave listening to it.
Sidenote: Tracy Chapman isn't actually dead. But I think hearing the butchering of her music may have killed her, and then had her turning over in her untimely grave (click for Source)
Luckily, we were seated across the hallway of the cool jams, and so we enjoyed our meal in peace (mostly… thin walls = you can hear pretty much anything. That’s just math.)
When I returned to the hotel, I spent about an hour or so prepping for the next day of training, and going over notes. And then I crashed into this bed…. HARD.
Is that a cloud? Nope. Just my bed.
But not before engaging in another new Winston-Salem favorite… That’ll just have to wait until the next post, though.
Pants on, back to work.
Have you ever been to one of those “old timey” restaurants where the folks stay in character like it’s their job (oh wait it is their job)? Did you like it?
What’s your favorite kind of pie?
For the longest time, the only fancy beer I even knew of was Delirium Tremens. I liked the white bottle, I liked the name (it was only later [read: two seconds ago] that I realized the name truly meant: Delirium tremens is a severe form of alcohol withdrawal that involves sudden and severe mental or neurological changes), and I really liked the elephant on the bottle.
Aw, drunk elephant (click image for Source)
And I didn’t know what it would taste like because it was expensive and I was a college student who was more interested in throwing back cans of PBR than I was in thinking serious thoughts about things like beer or the future or neurological changes resulting from alcohol withdrawal. Luckily, times changed.
Not all that much, apparently.
During the sale of the CENTURY at A Southern Season beer, of all things, was discounted (I know, I freaked out too!) I did what any self-respecting beer lover would do: I grabbed a discounted bottle of the beer I’d been longing to try for years.
I saved it for a lovely evening with some friends, the weather was right, the sun was setting (but very very slowly) and the bottle was chilled. The stage was set:
Cork in a beer? This must be good.
I pried out the cork, imagining this as the TRUE champagne of beers (Miller High Life be damned!) I even found an appropriate glass (not difficult with an entire shelf full of glassware.)
Gorgeous, isn't she?
The color was lovely, an amberish gold that just glittered in the sun.
The smell? Citruses, definitely. Is that an aroma of banana bread? It just may be!
The taste…. well here’s where the great expectations came into play. This Belgian Pale Ale from Brouwerij Huyghe in Belgium was too fruity for me (and that’s saying something!) That faint smell of banana bread…. that was definitely in the taste. There were lemony flavors and some spiciness as I sipped it but my mouth was not celebrating with the party I’d expected. Perhaps it’s because I hate Blue Moon’s Pale Moon (or really, anything Blue Moon does) and I couldn’t help but feel reminded of it as I sipped. Maybe it was just that my tastes have been leaning lately towards IPAs or powerful stouts/porters with something else fancy going on. Or there’s always the chance that it just wasn’t meant to be.
I was bummed that this expensive beer (a little over $10 when it was on sale, though that is for the big-girl bottle) had tasted worse than a $3 Bell’s Two Hearted (which I used to consider “SUPER EXPENSIVE!”)
I think that, like a raccoon, I was drawn to the shiny colors and bright animals on the bottle, the off-white mottled color, the novelty of a cork on beer. And, unlike a raccoon, I was rewarded with a beer that simply didn’t live up to my great expectations (AH!! I said the name of the post IN THE POST! If you’re playing the “food, sweat, and beers” drinking game You have to drink now!!)
Oh well. Didn’t stop me from drinking the rest of it. But I think, in the future, I’d rather spend my $10-13 on a tasty 6-pack.
SPEAKING of which, if you haven’t read Alan Shaw’s article on the profits made from selling beers in bigger bottles (and hoodwinking innocent drinkers like ME!) Check it out: There are big profits in bigger beer bottles.
I’d like to thank him for doing the math that I simply can’t bother doing. Mind = rocked. Expectations…. not so much. But hey, you live and learn.
And then you switch to coolers full of the less expensive stuff.
College football, anyone?
Have you ever been sorely disappointed by a beer (or wine or food) you were really looking forward to, especially due to hype and a high price tag?
Hey there friends!
True Story: I’ve been an Absent Agnes. Sometimes, after I take weekend trips, I immediately hop in my car and drive an hour or two for work. And then I work like a worker bee and stay in a swanky hotel (which I’ll write up soon, because it was a blast.) But then it’s back to reality, the house a little roomier (minus one beau) and the laundry a little dirtier. It’s times like these when I think that the best thing I can do for myself, and for you, my readers, is to share a (not-so-)secret secret! The secret is how I ate, for free, all last week. And that secret starts with a little thing called a Swag Bag.
Swiggity Swag.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: Jordan, if you paid for the Healthy Living Summit (which I recapped here and here), you technically paid for the Swag. Well, if you’re thinking that:
a) you’re a stickler
b) you might be right, but just roll with me on this one.
Snacks from this bag are MORE than enough to serve as breakfast every day for a week (if not more!) There’s coupons for cereal and yogurt, granola to sprinkle on top, Clif Bar, granola bar, nuts, you name it. So I’ll admit, for breakfast, I enjoyed swag e’rryday. Maybe that’s a cheat. I’m not mad.
For Monday lunch, I thanked my lucky stars I’d joined Moe’s eWorld! If you sign up, on your birthday, you get a totally free entree, just print up a coupon sent to your email. You also get a little treat just for signing up. But I don’t remember what that stuff is. Regardless, I picked up this taco salad fo’ free!
Delicioso!!
Romaine lettuce, chicken, black beans, tomatoes, salsa, onions, cucumber, jalapenos (GOODNESS I always forget how hot they are fresh!!) and a little cheese, just for good measure. No need for dressing, the salsa takes care of that, and the salad is crisp, fresh, and tasty! I made my order, I handed the fellow at the cash register a piece of paper, and VOILA. And they say there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
For dinner, I enjoyed a most-excellent Cajun grilled flounder stuffed with crab and drizzled with Pontchartrain sauce. It was served with grilled asparagus and black beans (I nixed the normal rice pilaf base).
So fancy. It's like the date you take yourself on.
How on EARTH did I get this freebie? Simple.
Rockfish Seafood Grill strikes again.
When I first signed up for their email club, I just did it to keep abreast of what was going on (since I’m there so frequently, anyway). Then I realized I got a free dessert just for receiving emails. Bread (as in croissant-bread) pudding with bourbon sauce, anyone? (yes, yes, a thousand times yes.)
Enjoyed with a Fullsteam, of course.
Full of fish, crab, and birthday joy, I slept easy.
Tuesday lunch, very appropriately, was sponsored by none other than Ruby Tuesday’s So Connected email club. Sign up, and you get a few more emails than most. But most I just delete without glancing at them. Come birthday season, though, you get a free “burger” with fries. However, the burgers include grilled chicken sandwiches, and you can get ANY of their sides instead of fries (They offer Spaghetti squash as a side!! WHO DOES THAT?!)
Also with a side of celebrity gossip!
The chicken sandwich was topped with lettuce, tomato, bacon and avocado. The bread was really thick and tasty, but I still tossed most of it away. SO FILLING!
For dinner, I decided to go off the beaten track a little and head to Chapel Hill. School had just started so, of course, I spotted about a thousand Jack Rogers sandals within moments of parking my car. Despite my rampant shoe envy of the cult of co-eds, I had my eye on one prize. A meal from the infamous “noodles” courtesy of the Noodles & Company Noodlegram!
When you sign up for this one, you can get a BOGO coupon and then, come your birthday, pop goes the freebie!
Sweet coconut curry, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, onion, mushrooms, a light portion of rice noodles, served on cabbage with black sesame seeds and shrimp!
Their Bangkok Curry is bang(kok)ing. Seriously, a nice little bit of spice (not too much), light, and the shrimp was cooked to perfection (well, fast perfection). I loved the extra crunch of the sesame seeds, and this was swell with my first pumpkin beer of the year.
For lunch… technically it wasn’t free, BUT it was discounted from my favorite pizza-mobile, Klausie’s. Coming from a food truck, I’ll take it.
Oh, Klausie's, you know my heart.
I already discussed my dinner of beers, appetizers, and THE GIANT ORGASMIC BROWNIE SUNDAY from my LivingSocial birthday crawl. What I didn’t tell you, though, is that my LivingSocial adventure was FREE because I encouraged my friends to buy through my link. Best. Deal. Ever.
And best friends, too.
For Thursday, I’d recommend getting other people to buy you meals. That always works, too.
Vegetable Pizza a la Brixx
Gyro platter thanks to the BEAU!!
Handsome fellows don't come free with meal
There were a number of other email freebies that I got emails for that I just didn’t manage to get to (birthdays are only so long, right?) BUT for an excellent list, check out Goob’s COMPREHENSIVE list at HeyItsFree!!
I hope that you, one day, can live the glamorous lifestyle of a birthday recession-ista (and moocherama).
Good morning, y’all! I’ll be honest, I’m either at a training for work right now or on a plane. Either way, while I’m being a busy bee (not unlike that time I went to the Busy Bee Cafe with NC Girls’ Pint Out) I figured it’d be nice to finally write up my amazing birthday of Joy and Joyness. And honestly, since that fateful birthday where I finally wrote my feelings on the Healthy Living Summit and y’all responded with an outpouring your feelings, I’ve been so busy I’ve hardly had time to breathe.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Let’s do this thing.
I started my birthday the only way I know how: Wearing a tiara.
Tiara before 8 am = totally normal.
I opened a package from my tumblr buddy (a secret penpal I’ve had for the past year, can’t wait to find out who (s)he is so I can thank her!) that I’d been saving for the previous 2 days. And that’s friggin’ hard because I hate waiting. I’ll shoot you straight: It was worth the wait.
FINALLY!
All my goodies.
Well, I knew that the rest of the day was bound for greatness.
Lunch was served by my all-time favorite food truck: Klausie’s Pizza
The most delicious automobile
Klausie’s offers a delicious slice (or four, if you’re a birthday girl buying for your beau) of thick crust, OH SO CHEESY, incredibly flavor pizza. Their toppings are always fresh and tasty and the crust has a foccaccia-like texture that ends up greasy and good by the time you eat it. It’s not what I would call “diet friendly”, but it’s very Jordan friendly.
My haul. I promise, two were for the beau.
I got a veggie slice and a meaty slice (put em together, that’s a Hypocrite slice!) and enjoyed it with a Coke Zero. Heavenly. I can’t imagine a more enjoyable birthday lunch, enjoyed with my studly man (who had just de-planed a work flight from Maryland less than an hour before!) Somehow, I managed to get through the rest of the work day, completing what needed to be done before scampering off long enough to prep and primp for my big night out.
Thanks to Veri for brightening my day with some sunflowers!
The plan? LivingSocial Adventures was hosting a Pub Crawl with Craft Beers and Organic Bites in Downtown Raleigh. My friends and I met up at my home and before I knew it, we were en route to Tir Na Nog (our first stop of the night!)
The schedule, printed up nice and neat
While we waited for our beers to show up, we enjoyed a spinach artichoke dip and some pita points.
No beers = toast with appetizers!
Unfortunately, the beers took a little while to come out, so we were just waiting after finishing our foods. But when the beer came out, we were in for a treat.
Hibernation... No breathing!
Happiest.
Great Divide Brewing’s Hibernation Ale was first on draft for me. A boozy winter ale that I’d never heard of, so I figured why not?! It was tasty, it was drinkable, and it did the trick. Never one to drink alone, I decided to make friends. Friends…. with chicken wings.
Kim and Tim, thanks for the chick'n!
They were just a few of the many folks who I met/celebrated my birthday with that fateful August 24th. I actually kept going up to new folks and saying, “Happy my birthday!!” Some laughed. Those were my friends. Others…. well, we just walked away from them.
I even earned my Birthday Brew Badge on Untappd!! Untappd is my very favorite way to track/rate my beers, and if you wanna be my friend, DO IT! My name’s JPreezy22!
Happy Beer-day!
Great friends, great beers = great night!
Up next was The Oxford, a “gastropub” in Raleigh. The appetizers here were…. insane.
Words don't do them justice
Panko fried avocados and beef wellington bites
While I didn’t love the beer options (Carolina Pale Ale… not my favorite), Panko fried avocado is not of this world. It’s the crunch of a mozzarella stick, the creamy of brie, and the taste of avocado. All my dreams come true. I even tried some of Ryan’s Wellington Bite, and it was so savory, rich, and delicious with a crusty pastry around it. Every nibble was better than the last.
My knight in sharing armor
We all ended the night at The Big Easy, a Cajun spot in Raleigh with live music (at least there was live music on Wednesday!)
I’ll admit, the appetizers at this spot were teeny tiny, and left much to be desired. But the beer (and the company) were great.
Sweet sweet Brinnea
Ry and one of our hosts, Danny!
Ryan even surprised me with a massive brownie sundae and a candle!
Making a wish!
Chomping like a champ.
It wouldn’t have been half as fun without my buddies along for the ride!
And Ry even surprised me with a flower of his own. And by flower… I mean giant leaf.
I heard 3.5 years is the "leaf" anniversary. So nice of him to remember. Note the extreme tilt of the tiara. Yup, that's the end of the night.
We had a total blast, and big shout outs to the folks at LivingSocial and all the venues we hit up. I actually love the idea of LivingSocial adventures and hope to do some more in the future. I think that the process could’ve run a little smoother with the drinks and foods being out/coming out at the same time, but other than that, blast in a glass (several glasses.)
All in all…. a killer birthday. 24 on the 24th. Golden as ever.
What’s been your best birthday party?
Have you ever done a LivingSocial Adventure? Or would you? What would be your perfect adventure?
Hello there, all, we made it to Sunday! Hopefully, you all survived Irene unscathed (or only barely scathed…)
We managed to get through it without having to deal with anything too crazy, a power surge or two, a lot of wind, and a temporary cable and internet outage (TORTURE!) This particular weekend was supposed to be spent with 50 of my cousin’s closest friends and loved ones hosting a wine tasting in Ocean City. Alas, due to a mandatory evacuation, the only wine tasting was my mom and I with a classy bottle of Riesling (ending that Summer of Riesling on a high note.)
Dainty dearest and I, making the most of a bad situation (also, my black eyes are due to my CONSTANT red eye. I may be a demon.)
There were all sorts of parts of this weekend that weren’t according to plan. But it ended up turning into something wonderful, so thanks Irene, but no thanks.
And so, in honor of that classless broad, Hurricane Irene, I’d like to honor this Six Pack Sunday with the distinction of being the Best Laid Plans edition.
Best roomie ever.
He moved to Manayunk in Philadelphia to begin a super smart PhD program. However, 10 hours later, guess who I found in my home in Pennyslvania?
Beer-friend! Like a boyfriend.... with beer!
Since his new place didn’t have a bed yet, he spent some of the weekend with my family. It was like weaning a child off of bottles, and I got to be surrounded by family when I finally said goodbye. It was the best surprised of the weekend.
Vintage garlic.
Sometimes, in my home, we forget that we have garlic. So we buy more garlic. and then, a few months later, VOILA! baby garlic plants. These didn’t make it into dinner, though. But they did make a beautiful science experiment.
But, least of all, me.
I promise, I cleaned up my face before I got on a plane. I wouldn’t want to scare the children who get on between groups A and B.
omgomgomgomgomg
This is, quite literally, my favorite time of the beer-year. On the beer-calendar, this is my Christmas. And the presents are wrapped in oranges, browns, and gourds. Yumbo. I’m hoping that at the next Girls’ Pint Out event, or maybe sooner, we get a hold of some Big Boss Harvest Time, my favorite local pumpkin beer. Can’t even wait.
The apple doesn't fall far from... the other apple.
So the thing is, when I was a little lady growing up, I always used to make a beard out of my looooong hair by braiding it. And today, I found out that my sister Kiley, 9 years my junior, does the same thing. Like sister, like sister. But NOT like Sister, Sister. Did you know Tia just had a baby? My, how the times have changed….
I did something today that I hadn’t done in maybe 5 years. I went into an Abercrombie & Fitch… and looked for myself. When I started putting weight on, I stopped fitting into their tiny sizes, and wouldn’t even try anything on. Also, when you walk in, the music blaring added to the aromatic barrage of their combined fragrances made me feel an instant headache in a perma-rave. But, when shopping with the little sister for her newest skinny jeans…. I grabbed a pair myself. AND THEY FIT!
Super Skinny and Semi-Short!
Feeling my newfound denim-daring, I picked up a pair of Paige jean shorts, an article of clothing I’ve been trying to find all summer with no luck (everything’s either too short, too tight, too long, or too dowdy looking). These are JUST right and I feel like an all-American gal rocking em. I LOVE Paige jeans, they’re always long enough and I can frequently find them on RueLaLa deeply discounted (in FACT they’re on sale tonight in the Sunday Night Styleathon!!), and the quality is impeccable. In addition: they make my booty look incredible.
I will happily say that this weekend was a surprise hit, despite the best efforts of Mother Nature. I’m off to soak up the last few hours with the people I love the most. And, in honor of my sexy new butt-huggers, here’s a shot of my family with me WEARING SOME!
See what I mean? EXCELLENT booty shot.
What’s your favorite brand of denim?
What was the highlight of your weekend?
Hey there friends and neighbors! Hope you’re all surviving Irene, that clap-having jezebel who seems to be ruining everyone’s plans. I was supposed to be in Ocean City, NJ prepping for my cousin’s bridal shower. Instead, the whole island was put under a mandatory evacuation, and I spent some time gathering the essentials in the Wilmington, Delaware Total Wine. Which. Is. Epic.
3 bottles of wine, a handle of rum, pick six, pretzel crisps, AND 40 lbs of ice. We're ready for anything.
And I have a hot date tonight with this little scene:
As I said before, Happy hour is my happy hour.
But even though my spirit of choice is rum and coke with my mom and dad tonight, it wasn’t too long ago that I joined the fine ladies of North Carolina Girls’ Pint Out at Busy Bee Cafe in downtown Raleigh. Not too long at all…….
(cue hazy cloudy mist that brings us back to August 18th, 2011. Or maybe just imagine Wayne and Garth waving their hands for a flashback….)
Party on Wayne, party on Garth.
After another successful glass night at Rockfish with the folks representing Palm Brewery (a new tasty beer from Belgium!) I bid everyone a fond farewell.
Thanks, for repping it hard, fellers.
I only enjoyed a single brew, but knew that there were some tasty ones in store at Busy Bee.
The Hive gets a little crazy with their beer list!
The options seemed endless. The two beers I personally featured in my writeup were:
Dogfish Head Namaste, often translated as “The spirit in me respects the spirit in you”, is Dogfish Head’s way to respect your thirst for beer in the hot summertime. This Belgian White is made with dried organic orange slices, fresh cut lemongrass and a bit of coriander, and is perfect to pair with spicy fare, so try to get some kick from Busy Bee’s Pork Burger, featuring sriracha and Bok Choy slaw.
and
St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition: (alas, this beer ran out faster than we had the chance to feature it!) Interested in stepping up your beer game? Step outside the bottle and try this sour, traditional Geuze style beer. A tart beer with lemony fruitiness, you can enjoy the crisp, clean mouthfeel that puckers the lips and makes you crave the creaminess of cheeses, such as Busy Bee’s Baked Mac and Cheese.
Here's me screaming my face off as I talk about beer. (photo credit to Ben Woodward, click to hit up the facebook source)
There were some amazing little treats (for free) provided by the glorious host, Busy Bee!!
Tots are ALWAYS part of my happy hour.
Although this was only our second event, we had over 30 craft beer lovin’ ladies (and some especially brave gentlemen!)
Wow. We're popular.
We upped our profession game:
Sign in sheets! You want a shirt? SIGN OUR SHEET!
We also met some local folks who are keeping it real in the craft beer scene!
Ted from Bottle Revolution!
Ted from Bottle Revolution came and handed out some camo koozies (in case we have to drink while undercover… in the forest). His store’s going to be opening soon with awesome features like A Year of Beer Club and pre-packaged craft beer coolers (LIKE IF YOU NEED THEM FOR FOOTBALL TAILGATING!!)
I may have even met my soulmate in Somer, a fellow blogger in the Triangle who’s interested in reproductive health and advocacy, UNC, craft beer, and my brother! (well, maybe not my brother yet…. but one day.)
True True and we didn't even know it!
I’m so proud of my fellow planners and coordinators, and I hope that they’re all proud of what we put together!!
Just a few of the founding gals. Again, photo credit to Ben Woodward, click for source!
If you’re a lady, and you like craft beer, and you live in/around the Triangle (or LOVE to travel wicked far), and/or you want to be my friend (duh.), follow NCGirlsPintOut on Twitter or check us out on facebook!
Word on the street is we have another excellent event coming in Mid-September…. Stay tuned!
What’s your favorite appetizer to pair with beer?
Good evening, and happy my last night as a 23 year old!! Before you know it (less than 3 hours from now!!) EDIT: Post started last night, and published today! Ooops.
I’ll officially be 24 years old. On August 24th. That, right there, is a Golden Birthday, y’all. I spent the eve of my 24th birthday where I’ve spent the past 4 birthdays (at least at the start): The living room of my fraternity. I enjoyed my 20th Birthday there hosting a “That’s So Jordan” Birthday Party. Yup, a theme party themed after myself. When you ask yourself “What Would Jordan Do” like I suggested in last night’s recap post of the HLS Cocktail Party, well, that’s a great answer.
Maybe the most Jordan I've ever been in my life. Four years later and the tiara still hangs to the side.
After the hijinx of the cocktail party (broken umbrellas, tummies full of tacos [in Ali‘s case], bellies full of beers [in my case], and exhaustion), we crashed hard at Chez Ali. I was snuggle buddies with Krissie, but we kept things pretty PG, so don’t think you’re gonna get any of that type of hijinx in this post.
I marveled at the wonders of cereal bars galore as we Healthy Living Summit attendees attacked the foods as if we’d never seen a box of Attune Foods cereal (the sponsors of breakfast!)
Oi vay, all the cereal you could handle.
Though I have cereal nearly every morning at work (mostly that Fiber One 80 calorie goodness that I talked about before), it’s really not my breakfast of choice. I’d always prefer a warm morning meal with a bit of meat to start things off. I totally recognize the decision to have the food options they had, but that hard boiled egg and cereal certainly left me wanting some eggs of a more scrambled nature. The Lehigh Valley Dairy milk was, IMHO, the star of the show, and as a Pennsylvania native, it was glorious to enjoy a tiny carton of real, local milk.
First on the agenda was an Icebreaker, sponsored by Glam Media and Bliss.com.
Hey! I've been skydiving!!
I’ll shoot you straight: I. hate. icebreakers. This one, while active, didn’t really break too much ice for me. Basically, we all walked around demanding to know who doesn’t eat dairy products, who was over 6′ tall (that one was an easy one to find…. and it was me), and who composted at home. The funniest part of this event was when someone at my table REALLY broke the ice by telling us the tale of a neighbor who composted their poop. Can you even imagine? Just considering the idea of visiting a neighbor, seeing them outside washing a giant bucket, and wondering…. did they just poop in there? Yeah, that resulted in some belly laughs.
Anyway, I didn’t win a Lululemon gift card. I wasn’t too upset.
No, happy hour is my happy hour.
Once the ice was thoroughly broken, it was time to get to the sessions. The best part of this whole “conference made up of bloggers” thing was ABSOLUTELY keeping up with things through live tweeting. As I mentioned to Allison, it was like the most public note passing of all. And it helped keep things light and funny, which can be tough to do sometimes with panels on negativity and how the “numbers game” can drive you crazy.
There have been countless recaps of the sessions. I’m a little late on the game when it comes to HLS recaps, so I’ll just include a few pictures of my favorite moments from the rest of the day, followed by some major takeaways.
American Gothic: Frito Lay Style
No free food? HA! I laugh at the mere idea!
I will, Pauly. I hope to meet you in Raleigh tomorrow night...
220 women at a conference = ANNEXATION OF THE MEN'S ROOM!
Not to be confused with the Annexation of Puerto Rico.
Shake break. Like a shake weight, with our whole bodies!
And here’s a shot of my accommodations waiting for my ride home:
I'm a bag lady. And proud of it.
Having just filled out my HLS Questionnaire, I have a lot of thoughts about the Summit as a whole.
How he puts up with me, I'll never know....
But I really get the feeling that if there were more males around other than the 4 that I’m aware of (oh, and Mark, one of the DrinkChia sponsor folks, who was just the BEST!) maybe it would’ve felt less like a lady sleepover party and more like a summit of likeminded folks coming together and discussing something they love. Then again, this is another thing I can’t control because the HLB community ITSELF is dominated by women. I just couldn’t help but think it.
THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE A CONFERENCE!
I’m so glad I went. I had fun, I met folks, it felt like blogging became real to me, and not just this random online Xanga or something. I don’t know if I’d go again… if it were as convenient as this year, definitely. There’s much to be learned, there’s much to be shared, and maybe I’d find some sort of friend group to bond with. It wasn’t what I expected, though I’m not sure what I DID expect, and I have LOVED reading the recaps from others. But I’m very glad that I was “me” the entire time (even though a few times, the moment I mentioned beers, peoples eyes glazed over as their interest immediately waned.)
I just can't quit you, beer.
I’m not ending with any type of action mantra or any wise closing words. I guess I’m ending vaguely, which is sort of how I feel like I left HLS. Like a vague, hazy daze where I wasn’t entirely sure what happened. But regardless, it was a great early birthday present to myself, and I can’t wait to fly right back to PHL in 2 days for another crack at the Northeast.
It is my birthday today.
This is what I'll be wearing all day at work.
I’m also wearing my Lady Gaga shoes.
More updates later, but I just wanted to share my joy.
What’s making you joyful today??
Food, Sweat, and Beers 