Author: foodsweatandbeers

The Best Laid Plans

/ foodsweatandbeers / 3 Comments

Good morning, early birds!!

So, while yesterday didn’t go exactly as planned, I learned a few things, got a nice workout in, and spent time with the beau.

Dinner was a TASTY one, and very easy at that (mostly because the beau volunteered to finish up cooking so I could pack for MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING ON SATURDAY!!)  We picked up a pack of Al Fresco Chicken Sausage on sale at the store, and let me just say… it may have been the best decision of the week.

Hello little weenie-shaped links of goodness!

The flavor we chose was Roasted Pepper and Asiago and for two links, there are a little less than 300 calories.  We used the whole pack, cut up into little disks (as the weenie-shape was making my appetite fade fast).  We added these tender cooked disks to some Reduced Sodium Zatarain’s Jambalaya (a staple in our home considering the beau’s got hardcore cajun roots).  The sausage made this dish.  While I’m always a fan of the Zatarain’s rice dishes (I used to have the red beans and rice for dinner while I was on Weight Watchers at least once a week), this sausage added a whole new level of tastiness.  The Asiago cheese inside was so savory and made the sausage creamy almost.  Jeez, I wanna say creamy, but I feel like that’s not the right word…. Well, imagine a creamy sausage that still retains its “sausage-ness” and that’s what you get.  It was a perfect match.

Also, while craving a sweet treat after dinner, I remembered Chocolate Covered Katie’s Cupcakes for One.  The recipe seemed easy enough and, since I was feeling particularly lazy, I went for the microwaved version.  Well…. either my measurements were off (likely) or my microwave has super powers (more likely).  Either way, it ended up mostly rock hard.  I tried to remedy the situation by adding some chocolate… luckily I had a fresh bag of Adora disks and melted one on top, which made it edible (and full o’ calcium!)  I don’t know if I’m brave enough to try this again, and in the future…. should probably stick to baking in an oven, not a microwave.  And we all know my issues with microwaves…

Today’s workout is BodyAttack, the early morning edition.  Maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to squeeze some sunshine in at lunchtime.  Wish me luck!

Ever had a baking blunder?  My last blunder was with cooking, not baking, but it actually turned out delicious.

What’s your favorite day of the workweek?  Mine’s usually Thursday, due to an early morning workout, tasty appetizers for half price at dinner, and normally a trip to the mall for funzees….

Enjoy the day!!

Learn Something New Every Day

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Good evening friends!

I loved reading about your opinions regarding the Bridal Party BYOB decision, I think that the final decision will be a fun six pack of beers, with a cheapy bottle of champagne for the fun of the trolley ride.  It’ll be good for pacing myself and even better for deliciousness and options.  I also plan on bringing some water bottles and a tasty snack or two.

So the day went swimmingly well, though not exactly as planned.  Sometimes that’s how the best days work, right?

Around 3pm, I had my work buddy drop me back off at Jiffy Lube.  I know it’s less than a quarter of a mile from my office but honestly, in this nasty heat, even that would’ve left my outfit so drenched in sweat it would not have been work appropriate.  They changed my oil, rotated my tires, and I had a coupon for $10 off.  I got back into the ol’ cav and it drives like a dream!!

Maybe not as good as it drove in 2006...But I definitely don't have many pictures of my car.

I have had my Chevrolet Cavalier for a while now (pushing on 9 years), and it’s gotten me everywhere I’ve needed to go, and back again.  However, it’s also dealt with its fair share of nicks and bumps and rear ends in the time, so it’s always nice when I can give it a little TLC.  I think it’s a girl car, so it wears one of my tiaras on the back.  And this princess is ready for her long journey to Pittsburgh and back.  960 miles on the agenda.  Luckily, though, that’s round trip.  And honestly, having done the 700+ mile trip to Ole Miss and back, I’m not too worried (except for the part where I have to wake the beau up before 6am… that won’t be pretty.)  Oh well, I started packing tonight and hopefully we’ll have everything ready by tomorrow so we can just wake up and go.  That’s the plan.

The plan for working out was AbSculpt followed by BodyPump.  Alas, AbSculpt turned out to be a totally different experience, as the substitute instructor was (GASP) a pilates princess.  Real talk, this woman was flipping her legs around and doing core workouts that my puny ab/back muscles struggled to handle.

Really, what person thought "Hey, this probably works out some muscles." then just did it? (Source)

The craziest part?  The woman instructing the class was just casually chatting the entire time, like she wasn’t even doing more than standing in line at a coffee shop.  Meanwhile, I was gasping for breath as I tried to “inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.”  Read: choke an occasional exhale out and sound like a pregnant woman in Lamaze class as you inhale… Cute, right?

What did I learn from the class? I learned that Pilates is HARDCORE. Much more than I ever thought. I definitely gained a new respect for Pilates…. as well as the desire to take BodyFlow, because I sense a challenge to my muscles (and my drive to have a stronger core… something I could really use.)  I learned that my abs…. they need a lotta work.

Since I got more of a muscle/core workout and less of a cardio blast in, I skipped Pump and hit the elliptical instead.  A hard fought 33 minutes later, and I was drenched and exhausted enough to head home.

610 calories, and I forgot to turn my HRM on until halfway through ab-class

I thought I would have some sort of protein shake or something like that when I got home, but all my Almond Milk was at the office… Next option?

Kiki the Kiwi. Wait, you don't name your food before you eat it?

Here’s another thing I learned. I don’t really like kiwi.  I don’t mind it as a topping in my FroYo, or in a giant fruit salad…. but alone, it just doesn’t do it for me.  Oh well, so glad I only bought one.  Save those tasty oranges for the long trip to Pittsburgh.

Now I’m off to watch The A-Team… maybe I’ll learn what boys see in this kind of flick?  Luckily, I don’t need to learn what I see in it… I’ll give you a hint.

Ok, it was a big hint.

Hee hee hee….

Did you learn anything today?

Have you ever done pilates? TELL ME YOUR WAYS!!!

Bridesmaid Help!!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

Happy Hump Day, y’all!!

The days are going very productive lately. They have to be when you have a short week, right?

  • Cranked out a good lesson at work (I develop lessons!)
  • Car’s at the shop getting oil changed and tires rotated
  • Laid out in the sun yesterday
  • Killer zumba yesterday, AbSculpt + BodyPump planned for today
  • Scheduled an eyebrow wax for tomorrow after work/before glass night!

On the agenda tonight (after working out):

Since that will pretty much take up my whole evening, I figured I’m going to send out a call to arms (aka the blogosphere!) since y’all were so helpful with my first post about how to be a good bridesmaid!

The plan, on the day of the wedding (aka SATURDAY AHHH!) is, after we get all dolled up, to ride around in a trolley through Pittsburgh and take pictures as a whole wedding party.  The trolley is BYOB so here’s my question:

What kind of B should I B?? Translation: What kind of booze shall we bring on this trolley?  Obviously nothing red so that rules out red wine. 

Merlot? More like Mer-NO!

Some possibilities: white wine, champagne (wooo!), and (how could we forget?) craft beer.

Any other recommendations?  It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be sweaty, and so that should be taken into account.  Let me know if you’ve got any ideas!

In other news, lunch was delicious.

An ol' standby

Tuna sammy on a toasted sandwich thin with some lettuce for crunch, sugar-free jello cup, and steamed veggies with a heaping glass of water!

Very tasty, very healthy, and very filling.  Now it’s time to get back to work!

Can’t wait to hear your advice!!

The Little Meal that Could

/ foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

Good morning friends, neighbors, and countrymen (and women).

Last night was a blast as Ry and I watched the first episode of this AWESOME new show called Alphas (which is GREAT, if you like sci fi [or syfy] or super powers like X-Men, or anything wild like that), and oops, I did end up drinking the last Endo IPA from Carolina Beer Company.  However, I was informed that they are now owned by Foothills Brewing (which I have a super sweet glass from, woo!) so maybe the beers will improve (thanks, Michael!)

Well, before I sat my booty down on the couch to watch the show and drink too many beers for a Tuesday night, I decided that it was a great day to Zumbaaaaaaaaaa at the gym!!  AKA I really wanted a chance to rock my new Zumba shirt:

You like? I like!

PS I promise, I was off the clock when I took this picture and that’s why I’m playing dress up in my office.

Anyway, the workout was fantastic, though it made me painfully aware that I am not a dancer and merely an athlete trapped in a Zumba-phile.  Oh well.

771 calories burned? Don't mind if I do.

Then, when considering the food left in the pantry post work, and after meeting up with the beau in the grocery store…. it hit me.  What to have for dinner.

Chicken Cordon Buffalo Bleu(s)!!

Here was my plan:

  • Take some chicken breasts, knife them hollow
  • Marinade them in some sweet Ken’s Buffalo Sauce Marinade
  • Dredge them in some egg mixture
  • Stuff em with some stuff (Laughing Cow Blue Cheese n’ bacon for me, cheddar n’ bacon for Ry)
  • Then panko bread crumbs
  • Fry them in some EVOO
  • Eat them up

Seems foolproof, right?  Woops.

I skipped the egg mixture, coated in bread crumbs, stuffed em with some stuff…. then went into the pan.

Well, the panko bread crumbs fell off nearly instantly.  And some of the cheese came outta the stuffed breast.  And this is what it looked like:

Beautiful? No. Delish. Mhm....

I’ll be honest, I won’t even bother giving you a formal recipe, because I think that you can kinda understand it was sort of a bust, appearance-wise. But trust me, it hit in all the right tastebuds.

I paired it with some steamed vegetables (corn/carrots/peas/green beans) and voila, dinner of champions.

Ok, worktime followed by oil change time.  Knocking that list down one at a time.  You love it. I love it.

Ever have any cooking blunders that ended up delicious?

Are you a fan of buffalo chicken anything?

I go nuts over the stuff.

Top of the Hill Goes Green! And a beer review!!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

Good evening ladies and gentlemen!!

I actually went to Chapel Hill’s Top of the Hill last night for dinner with the beau.  I’ll admit, I’m a huge fan of Top of the Hill (or TopO as most of us Tar Heels call it).  However, to be totally honest, most of my nights there look something like this:

Sucking back lemon chasers post birthday-cake shots...

Stalking Tyler Hansborough (or any other UNC superstar)

You know… the usual.

The drinks are a little more expensive than your average UNC/Franklin Street bar but, honestly, you get what you pay for: the food’s good, the beers are handcrafted, and the view… well you can’t beat it.

Love it. Source

However, last night, thanks to a LivingSocial deal from a while back, we had a date night to TopO followed by a viewing of Harry Potter 7:2 (it was amazing… but that’s a post for another day.)  I decided I wasn’t in a beer mood, and went with a diet coke to drink.  I stepped out of my box in other way, too, and ordered this:

Edamame Burger, if you please!

On the menu tonight: The Edamame Burger, a house-made soy bean vegetarian patty with lettuce, tomato, red onions, tzatziki sauce & sweet potato fries. And for my stepping outside of the box… I was rewarded!  The burger was delicious!!  It certainly didn’t taste anything like a burger, but it was light, it was flavorful, and the tzatziki sauce paired nicely with it (though the sauce was a little thin for my liking.) The rest of the toppings (onions, tomato, lettuce) were crisp and fresh, good quality. On the side, the sweeet potato fries, which I love in a romantic sense.  Normally, I’ll get the sweet potato fries appetizer, which includes the fries covered in cheese (cheddar and gorgonzola!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!) but I knew that the fries stood strong on their own, so I enjoyed every last bite.  I’d recommend this to anyone, vegetarian, meatatarian, pizzatarian…. it’s just a superior dish, and a steal for less than $10 (but only by 1 penny.)

Since I didn’t have a beer last night at TopO, Ryan and I decided to pair dinner tonight with a new beer we’ve never tried!!

Cottonwood Endo IPA, in a Harp glass. Don't get confused.

The Cottonwood Endo IPA from Carolina Beer Company (the website is very weird/confusing, but there’s the link if you’d like) poured a lovely gold color, lots of carbonation, and honestly, I was just excited because it was from Mooresville, NC (not even 3 hours from where I live, and the hometown of a friend of mine!!)  The smell was hoppy, and I was pumped to take a sip.  It was the sip, though, that burst my bubble.  It’s not that this is a bad beer, don’t get me wrong.  Even at first taste, I thought I tasted maybe some sort of citrus flavor somewhere.  But after letting it sit on my tongue for a bit, the taste went away and was replaced with a bare bones beer flavor (or lack of flavor).  Basically, what I’m saying is that the flavor was short lived, and there was little to no mouthfeel of any sort.  Like a pale ale that just kind of gave up…  It’s a shame, because I wanted to love this beer.  Alas, there’s plenty of love lost.

The only redeeming quality of this beer: drinkability.  I am already on my second one and think, if I wanted, I could have another.  I don’t want to…. but if I did, I’d be set.  I still have hopes for Carolina Beer Company… but not high ones.

Squeezing it all in….

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments
20110719-123637.jpg

Rough lunch break

My best friends wedding is on Saturday. Before then I need to be Supa tan, Supa fit, and Supa prepared for travel.

To do: lunchtime suntan session (check), oil change in the ol’ car, workout, eat clean and yummy, and pack. Oh, and help host a baller Girls Pint Out first event (at Tyler’s Taproom in Durham, at 7:30 pm on Thursday!! Come join us if you love beers! and ladies! or are a lady even if you hate em!!), and a glass night at Rockfish (at 6pm on Thursday, then caravan to Tyler’s? Duh.).

Then drive 8 hours on Friday from NC to Pittsburgh. no big, I got this.

Catching my Unicorn

/ foodsweatandbeers / 15 Comments

Back to reality. ugh.

Driving away from the shore last night, I tweeted the following:

Leaving the shore feels a lot like what I imagine splitting your soul into a Horcrux or two.

Seriously, though, it breaks my heart every time, and the only good part about riding on that bridge away from where my family and heart is would have to be knowing that I’ll be able to come back again.  Maybe not for another month…. but I’ll be back.

At least the view's nice...

Lunch was actually a very warm welcome to reality, today, as I whipped up a random sort-of omelet (my omelet flipping skills are abysmal, at best).

Hey, appearance isn't everything!

Inside this eggy wonder:

  • 3 egg whites (and a teensy bit o’ yolk that escaped my clutches)
  • black beans
  • a bit o’ turkey
  • reduced fat mexican cheese blend
  • sauteed peppers
  • Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (original. don’t mess with the classic.)

Not too shabby.  I used a few Tostito’s Scoops to give a little crunch to the combo, and voila!  Basically as gourmet Mexican as Mez in Durham.

In other news, there was an amazing thing that happened this weekend other than silly hennas and perfect bike rides.  My mother presented me with this:

Heart palpitations when I see one of these (the box, but maybe also the Harry Potter book)

She had obviously read my recap of my amazing Nordstrom experience, but we also talk about Nordstrom on the reg.  We’re both kinda Nordy Girls (a term I just heard of and loved and will now use constantly whenever I can.)  So when she heard about the bag of my dreams, and saw the 4 picture messages I texted her… well, the way she explained it was this,

This is from your Ami and Buzz. Those were her parents, my grandparents. They had 8 children, and weren’t Daddy Warbucks rich, but they fully believed that if you saw something, and you loved it, and you thought about it all the time… Even if it was a little out of your financial reach, you should just get it.  You only live once, and it will be worth more than money if it makes you that happy.

Even more beautiful than the shiny Nordy box.

Inside was the Oryany Leather Flap Satchel from Nordstrom in Chocolate.  The exact bag that I’d described to my Nordstrom stylist as “my unicorn” in the sense of being out of reach (at least financially and for my budget).  The salesgirl responded with, “OH! because you love unicorns?”

No.(though I do, and used to collect them and still have a bunch.)

But that statement makes me sure that you’re meant to be at Nordstrom focusing on fashion instead of creating metaphors for handbags.  Leave that to me.

The bag of my dreams! (Next to the boy of my childhood dreams!)

I wasted no time in filling all the numerous pockets and compartments, then prancing around my room with it on.  It can fit my calendar, my Kindle DX, my wallet, phone, camera, lipgloss, lady stuff (yeahhhh, you know, like tampons and Chick Beer or something), a notepad, and I don’t even know what else because it’s not full!! It has two straps that close and a lock, so I feel like my stuff is very safe, and the handle on the top can transform it into a fashionable briefcase-esque bag.

It’s perfect.

A HUGE thanks to my tiny baby mommy, and (of course) Ami and Buzz, the woman and man who instilled in her a love for her children that always has her going out of her way to make their dreams come true.  Even if those dreams are unicorn bags.

Seek Happy Days to Happy Nights

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Good (far too early) morning all!  As much as it pains me to say this, I’ve been up since shortly after 6am, despite falling asleep shortly after midnight…  I promise, I used to be able to sleep in well past 9 am.  But that time, clearly, is no more.  Yesterday, as I mentioned, was a perfect day on the OCNJ Boardwalk with my mother and sister, and, after a tasty BBQ (done by candle-light as our porch light went out mid-grilling… it’s what the Pilgrims would’ve done), my tiny sister and I decided to head back there for some more summer fun.

Beach babes!!

When we were dropped off, we had a few things in mind:

  • A summer souvenir
  • Monkey Bread
  • Salt Water Taffy
  • The Henna Shop!!

The original Henna Shop: An Ocean City tradition

Fun story: Every summer for four years, from 2005-2008, I worked at the Henna Shop (and it’s sexy younger sister, Bad Kitty).  If you’re unfamiliar with henna, it’s a traditional, semi-permanent [1-4 weeks] form of body art, and just looks beautiful, leaving a lovely reddish brownish stain on the skin (here’s more information on henna via the wiki entry!!)  These stores defined my summers in Ocean City and, after working the cash register for the first year after graduating from high school, I was trained as a painter.  Thus began my love of henna, and the only artistic talent that I feel I possess (though I’m fan-tastic at doodling weird peacock chicken hybrids in the middle of long conversations when I have a pen handy…  be warned.)  When I held the henna, smelled the mehndi oil, I felt like I was some sort of supa cool henna princess bringing a little bit of sexy Indian tradition to the shoebies.  Then again, more often than not, I painted Tinkerbell and dragons on folks… but it was a trade-off.  Even though most of the work we did was from stencils, every now and then I’d get a chance to free-hand some pretty intricate and delicate pieces, and it made me feel like a henna rockstar.

Last night, I got a chance to jump back into it, if only for a few.  I volunteered to paint some of my old boss’ friends kids, pro bono.  I was a little nervous to have the pen back in my hand after not painting for the past two years, but I jumped right back into it.

For the record, I'd normally never wear a dress to paint... too much squatting on tiny stools.

Check out my iron-clad focus. And my audience.

We always do the painting in the windows or on a raised platform, and let folks view the whole process.  It’s seriously one of my favorite places to be.  As a thanks for taking care of her friends, my old boss let me paint my sister and, as a fun treat, myself for a little extra bling/memory of Ocean City for my BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING IN A WEEK!! (don’t worry Caitlin, they’re very small and tasteful.)  Here’s a bird’s sister’s eye view as I painted a brand new design on little Kiki (they added some new ones that are stunning, but veryyyy intricate!)

Can't wait to see how this turned out!

And here’s me… doing myself (ew, painting my own henna, you pervs)

For the record: Painting your own feet is hard!

We wrapped ourselves up, thanked my ol’ coworkers, and rewarded our hard work with….

sweet, warm, cinnamony, and delish

Don’t worry, Kiley wasn’t in a vicious gang fight resulting in her hands being bandaged… she’s just protecting her henna!

I also picked up some take-home treats for my coworkers at Shriver’s Saltwater Taffy, and may or may not have eaten a PB&J taffy for an early breakfast….

No wonder I have painful meetups with dentists and oral surgeons...

Since today’s my last day at the shore for another month, it’s time to get busy living or get busy dying (as the saying goes….)

Have you ever gotten a henna tattoo?  How about ANY OTHER TATTOO?!  TELL ME ABOUT IT!! (Real talk, I love tattoo talk.)

 

Breakfast by the Boardwalk: An OCNJ Treat

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

Good evening y’all!!

Here in Ocean City, it’s a perfect 82 degrees (as it has been, basically, for the entire day).  My sleep last night… was perfect.  I had both windows open, and the sea breeze crosses my room in all the right ways.  I woke up feeling well rested, despite staying up until almost 2 am last night (which is equivalent to pulling an all nighter for normal humans, as I have the sleeping schedule of people who qualify for the 10% Harris Teeter Senior Citizen Discount).  When my mom asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride to the boards for some breakfast, how could I say no?  I mean, come on…. I’m a sucker for alliteration.

I got all dolled up (read: workout gear, suntan lotion, sneaks, and sunglasses) and was ready.  Inevitably, I was mocked for bringing a small backpack, but GUESS WHO WASN’T COMPLAINING WHEN THEY NEEDED ME TO CARRY THEIR JUNK?  That’s right, both of them.

Like Dora the Explora, I am never without my backpack!

The Ocean City New Jersey Boardwalk is 2.5 miles long, and we biked from our house which is a mile beyond the start, to the finish, and back.  A nice 8 mile bike ride was the right way to start the day, though I’ll admit, these ol’ legs of mine haven’t ridden that long in some time.  Luckily, we had a pit stop in the middle.

Breakfast with a view!

Clancy’s by the Sea has breakfast, lunch, and dinner right on the boards.  At first look, I was a little taken aback by the prices, but it’s pretty much par for course in a beach town, so I quickly calmed down.  I ordered 2 scrambled eggs, home fries, rye toast, and a side of bacon, a perfect combination of foods for a savory breakfast.  My mother ordered the same, only with sausage, no bacon.  Her sausage was served big and juicy, my bacon was crisp.  Kiley, my little sister, ordered the silver dollar chocolate chip pancakes, which were sweet and delightful.

That pancake-eating grin on her face is due to the fact that she's eating... and we were not.

Our initial service was pretty basic, and not too bad.  Then, all the sudden, we got our meals.  Well, I should say, we got MOST of our meals.  What was missing?

Toast.

Feel free to watch this to find out how Chloe Sevigny feels about toast.  You won’t be disappointed (unless you hate laughter. or love Chloe Sevigny.)

Anyway, both my mother and I are not fans of eating eggs sans toast, so we waited patiently.  Too patiently, I think, as it took just long enough for our eggs to get cold for our requested toast to come out.  Blast.

Oh, rye toast, the apple of my rye eye

My first thought was WOW THIS FOOD IS GREAT! It took a moment to realize, “Wow.  this food is decent, but I’m so hungry that wood chips would taste like creme brulee.”  Either way, the toast situation was a bummer, but the food hit the spot that needed to be hit, and we needed to get back onto the boards.  After finishing our ride at a little faster pace than we started, I jumped in the shower and to grandmother’s house we went (literally.)

I don’t get to see my Naney very often, and she’s my only living grandparent left, so it’s always fun to see her/catch her up!  We also always get to indulge in a very special treat.

Mallon's? What's that?

The stickiest of buns.

Mallon’s Sticky Buns, yet another insane indulgence in Ocean City, New Jersey.  They’re a total treat, if you’re anywhere near Sea Isle, Avalon, or Ocean City, try them if you like sweet breakfast treats!! Check out the Mallon’s Locations for more deets.

While these were divine, there was another part of the trip that was the true highlight.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you my daddy, circa Christmas early 1950s:

Isn't he dashing?

Seeing this picture was, much like the rest of this trip, perfect.

I’m off to have some perfect buffalo chicken dip, some perfect burgers, and a few perfect beers.

Do you LOVE blasts from the pasts as much as I do?

Was your dad as fashionable of a dresser as mine? 

Healthy Choices at the Airport

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Good afternoon (or evening… really it all depends on when I get internet access at this point.

So it’s 3:08 pm as I start this post, my flight is scheduled to take off at 3:35.  However, since Murphy’s Law states that every time you really want to go somewhere, your flight will inevitably be delayed…  Guess what happened to mine?

As a fairly frequent flyer (1-2x a month, though this past April/May it was more like 3x), I am very accustomed to airport living.  Once, on a flight to visit Ryan for our 2 year anniversary, I got stuck in the Charlotte Airport overnight….  I learned quickly that you don’t have many options when you’re stuck, so you may as well make the best of it.

My bed for the night.... the floor was heated... so there was that.

In the summer months especially, and with the Healthy Living Summit right around the corner, I figured that some of y’all would be traveling.  And, if you’re an unlucky duck like me and thunderstorms in Tampa somehow prevent your flight from RDU to PHL (damn air traffic control), you might be doing your best to stay healthy and fit in the airport of your choosing (or the airport you’re forced to stay in for reasons beyond your control.)

Here are my best tips for Healthy Choices at the Airport:

1. Don’t Check Your Bags

Ugh, bag fees.

This one will be healthy both for your wallet, and your body.  Airlines are frequently the fastest/easiest way to get from point A to point B, and they know it.  They’ve got the monopoly on the sky, unless your daddy owns a jet (if so, I have a deep-seeded friend crush on you, and think we should make things official.)  They have been jacking up the prices on checking bags for a while now, and there’s no sign of stopping (unless you’re on Southwest…. which checks up to two bags fo’ free. and is awesome.)  However, if you can cram all your junk into a carry on bag or two, you’ll save anywhere from $50-$100 round trip, and you’ll be getting some awesome muscles, lugging your junk around the terminals.  Speaking of that, it reminds me of point two.

2.  Even if your bag has wheels, and is meant to be dragged behind you, BUCK UP AND CARRY IT LIKE A CHAMP!

Then your arms will be jacked, like mine.

It’s awesome to whiz around the airport without being the constraints of a wheeled parasite acting as an extension to your arm.  I’ve learned it makes me faster, it makes me able to turn on a dime, and it gives my biceps a good workout.  I like to pretend it’s my own little “Les Mills” class.  I call it Body (scratchout) BaggagePump.

3. Be a little late.

This symbolizes late... but also just a love of my new watch.

Now, this next tip is not for the faint of heart.  If you’re not prepared to deal with stress or chaos and you’re not familiar with the airport you’re in…. maybe steer clear of this one.  But I’ll be honest: I’ve never sprinted harder than those few times in my life where I’ve heard my name called and I was still in the security line at the Philadelphia airport.  It’s like an endless cavern, that airport, and maneuvering my way around rabid Eagles fans and jaded students coming home from Temple, UPenn, Drexel, etc. while carrying my (incredibly full) bags has left me sweaty, panting… and on the plane.  Extra challenge? Do it in flip flops (the only way to travel, IMHO).

4. Avoid this place.

Demon icing

Seriously, I’d recommend a daily snack of pretzels and whipped cream for 2 weeks before I’d suggest going to Cinnabon. Their stats are insane (as in disgusting), and their food ends up making you feel like a sticky faced food monster.  You’re better off without it.  Trust me.

5. Healthy snacks almost always make it through security!

Ah, that's more like it.

I like to always have a few snacks on hand, something to stave off cravings for $18 cheese fries and $6 bags of chips.  I reccomend fruit and vegetables, cut up or prepped.  Dips are a great way to add some flavor, and I got lucky enough this flight to have my boss decide she hates chewing carrots and eating edamame hummus.  JACKPOT! (I’ve even heard of folks who’ve brought overnight oats on plane… it’s worth it.) Other good choices: Fiber One bars, homemade trail mix, pre-popped mini bags of popcorn. Bad choices: Doritos Fiery Habanero.  It will burn your mouth and you can’t even get liquids through security.  And your fingers will be orange.  Don’t blow this one.

6. Stairs, if you dare

Epic climb.

Airlines are full of convenient things like moving sidewalks, elevators, and escalators.  Screw em.  Go the long way, take the stairs instead, do it twice.  I’ve switched to taking the stairs everywhere I go now, and it gives me a great feeling of superiority when I see all those people waiting on the moving sidewalk for the slowpokes to move to the right. Just being honest.

7. BYO(water)B(ottle)

Beware: if you're near me at an airport.... I'll take a picture of you.

Airports are great for water bottles, as long as that bottle doesn’t contain fluids.  Try this funky one that I creepily took a picture of, I bet it feels great on your hands.  There are water fountains all over the place. GO NUTS!

8. Don’t pull your hair out

Just drink me.

I know the airport can be stressful, but don’t pull your hair out… or your eyelashes and eyebrows (they have a term for that, and you should probably get it checked out if that’s your first option).  Baldies aren’t cute (unless they’re ________)  If you’re feelings really stressed, go grab a beer.  I’ll be so expensive you won’t have any money left to buy those $18 cheesefries I talked about, and they’re made from grains…. grains are healthy, right?

Well…. luckily that only took me 30 minutes to write (and that was with the constant distraction of sneakily taking pictures of airport shenanigans.)  Guess I’ll go try to think of something to do for the next 3 hours (UGH!)

Edit: It ended up being a 3.5 hour delay. bleak.

Do you fly often?  

What’s your favorite airport?

Are you flying anywhere anytime soon?!

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