Where’s Waldo (or, in this case, Jordan)?

March 29, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

The past few weeks have been chaotic. So many papers and assignments and applications and meetings. And let’s not forget that from March 21-24, Nordstrom had Triple Points. But really, what’s been keeping me from writing was the other stuff (I’m great at blogging and shopping. Can I go to grad school for that?)

Mostly, I’ve been feeling like this:

Can I just stay down here?

Luckily, I’ve sprinkled a few fun moments in the mix.

For instance, inspired by Lauren’s Quest, I made my my own quest on the hunt for Pliny the Younger.

FINALLY!

After waiting for about an hour and a half (the things I do for love…) I finally obtained the hop bomb of my dreams.

Nice photobomb, baldy.

Did I mention that this all happened at 11 am on a Monday? Nothing like a little day drinking to start a week off right….

I also celebrated the first day of Spring the only way I knew how.

WEEEEE!

Rita’s. I am so sorry if you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about.

The day AFTER the first day of spring, it snowed. Go figure.

I’ve also been getting back on my cheese game. God bless the year of cheese.

Promise, that wasn’t all for me.

Evalon from LaClare is an incredible goat cheese from Wisconsin that I paired with a dessert wine with some of my buddies last night. Fairly firm, this award winning cheese is almost like a hybrid between a gouda and an Asiago cheese. I bet it would shred well, but instead, we just ate it in chunks like the animals we are. On rice crackers.

Threw in some cheddar just for a bit of variety.

Other than cheese, I’ve been wolfing pizza and thai food down like a champ. Jumping from meeting to meeting doesn’t always leave the most time for cooking at home. So, this morning, in order to clear my system and start Easter weekend fresh, I hauled my sleepy butt over to Pure Fare for a Green Pineapple Ginger smoothie. And a little calm from the chaos.

Let’s do this.

I’m not a very religious lady, but I can already see this is going to be a Good Friday.

Craft Beer for Breakfast

February 23, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

I recently entered a contest for tickets to the legendary Brewer’s Plate event in Philadelphia. The rules, a la Philly Beer Scene:

Don’t forget about our contest to win a pair of VIP Tickets (a $280 value) to this years #BrewersPlate ? Send us a picture of your favorite beer (local only) and food pairing along with a brief description of the dish and pairing. Fair Food Philadelphia will help us pick a winner.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to enter as my pairing and, though my mind initially went to cheese (as it almost always does) I figured let’s pair a PA beer with a Philly favorite. And thus, my perfect pairing was born. A craft beer breakfast to please my palate. And it’d be selfish not to share it with the rest of the world, right?

The best part of waking up

As a general rule, I don’t enjoy coffee. Unfortunately, this means that when I make my way to Federal Donuts (long-time readers might recall the time that I staked my place outside to be their first customer in their Center City location), I can’t sip on the legendary cold brew that Michael Solomonov and his team whip up as I nibble on my hots and fancies. Luckily, I think I’ve found a combination to fill the mug-shaped hole in my heart.

Check out that cereal crumble!

The perfect match to Federal Donuts’ French Toast Fancy. Lancaster Brewing Company’s Milk Stout, a flavorful, roasted cold brew of the alcoholic type, provides a rich and malty complement to Federal’s take on my favorite breakfast dish. The sweet, cakey donut glazed with a brown sugar icing and crumbled cinnamon crunch cereal is a the ideal match for this coffee-flavored stout. As the beer warms, hints of chocolate cut through some initial bitterness, coating the tongue with just the slightest hint of sweetness to round out the experience. A match made in Heaven, if Heaven was located both on Sansom Street and in Lancaster, PA.

While I romantically love the French Toast donut on its own, the experience is only heightened paired with the right beer.

What would be your dream food and beer pairing?

OR if you hate beer (which is such a shame, and I’m sorry for your loss), what would be your perfect match to a delicious donut?

Sunday School at Tria

February 17, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 2 Comments

I’m not big on religion. I don’t go to church, temple, or meeting for worship any more. For me, lately Sundays have meant traveling, or scrambling to finish up schoolwork, or napping on a bus. Or maybe a combination of the three. But today, despite a cold that just picked up mid-week (to my chagrin), I had my Sunday all to myself. I could do whatever I wanted to do. I could sleep all day. I could go workout (though that one was less likely all hopped up on Dayquil and zinc). I could online shop for spring break. OR, I could be semi-productive. And, with a hamper full of dirty laundry and a bare pantry, I went for the latter.

Two loads and a delicious Mexican omelet later, I was left wondering what was up next. And then, courtesy of my new friend, Ian (aka the Dashing Rogue), I was alerted to a wonderful Sunday pastime. Enter Tria’s Sunday School.

Sunday School, according to Tria’s site:

Learn about and enjoy a different not-so-common wine, cheese and beer every Sunday—at incredibly low prices. School was never this delicious! Limit one each per guest at the Sunday School price. Please, no returns: if you try it, you buy it.

That sounded good to me. And, after a quick jaunt down the street, I found myself faced with this delightful lineup:

Ready for some Schooling

As you might be able to tell, I steered clear of the wine choice for the day (though the SPARKLING MALVASIA SECCO did look divine) and stuck with beer and cheese, two of my favorite treats that could possibly be enjoyed on a Sunday (or really any day).

On draft, Dock Street Brewing Company’s Sexy Beast, a chocolate stout. According to the writeup at Tria:

With 22 pounds of Belgian chocolate—100% cocoa, no sugar—thrown into the boil, this Sexy Beast is quite the well-endowed Imperial Chocolate Stout. The unsweetened chocolate yields a silky smooth texture and adds a bittersweet bite to the roasted, toasted malt flavors. Pouring a sultry jet black, Sexy Beast flaunts a funky, almost smoky complexity due to a unique new Belgian yeast strain originating from Eastern Flanders.

I found myself kind of wishing that perhaps a little sugar WAS thrown in with the cocoa. This beer, while rich in flavor, displayed that telltale burnt taste that I am not too fond of in a lot of chocolate and coffee flavored beers. The line between toasted and charred might be a little too thin for my liking. As I’ve just recently enjoyed Sixpoint’s 3beans more than one should be able to reasonably enjoy a beer, maybe I’m just a little spoiled.

Luckily, the spoiling continued with a bite of the chosen cheese of the day. And, since it’s the year of cheese and all….. Well, I consider myself a fortunate lady that such an awesome deal exists every week. Here’s a bit about the Meadow Creek Mountaineer to the Tria writeup:

The mineral rich soils and deep, pure well water provide the natural sustenance that allows the cows to produce the highest quality milk. Today’s cheese was inspired by traditional Alpine-style cheeses from Savoie and the Valle D’Aosta. Mountaineer is a semi-hard cheese made entirely from Jersey cow’s milk, with a smooth supple texture, natural brown rind and off-white to pale yellow interior. Aged in cellars for a minimum of six months, Mountaineer develops a complex flavor, predominately nutty and sweet with hints of butterscotch.

This melt-in-your-mouth Mountaineer was paired with caramelized onions (served with the TINIEST spoon. Which apparently makes me silly-happy….) and, as it’s inspired by Alpine-style cheeses, I think it inspired me to say that, in general, I’m a big fan of the Alpine style of cheese. Though described as semi-hard, I felt like at points it was bordering on soft territory and was easy to cut through with a butter knife and enjoy with the accompanying bread and garnish. For less than $10, this beer and cheese combination were just what I needed for a late Sunday lunch. And, as the beer clocked in at a comfortable 8%, I got to enjoy the rest of my grocery shopping with a pleasant little warmth in my belly, making those guacamole samples in Whole Foods doubly appreciated.

Rest assured, I’ll be back to Tria soon. And I might just have to go ahead and clear off my Sunday schedules for the future.

What does your Sunday schedule usually entail?

How about your DREAM Sunday schedule?

Six Pack Sunday: Boozy Brunch and Subpar Sapphire

February 11, 2013February 11, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

(Written on Sunday, I promise.)

Whether it’s Megabus, Bolt Bus, plane, train, or automobile, I will always find a way to get to the ones I love. And now, living in Philly, those trips just so happen to be a little shorter. Which is great, because I love nothing more than weekend jaunts to my dear buddies in New York. So, in a throwback fashion, and since I haven’t even thought about Six Pack Sunday in forever, let’s bring it back to my roots.

1. Year of Cheese

In case you missed it, 2013 is all about cheese. I became every fellow bus-riders worst nightmare by toting along a rather fragrant Morbier in my purse. Luckily, I didn’t have a seat-mate, until I joined my cheese-loving partner for the weekend.

Food, Claire, and Beers

Not only was Claire my incredible hostess, she also makes a mean cheese plate complete with gourmet pickles and flax seed chips.

Jealous? Should be.

2. Found Nemo

This wasn’t a highlight as much as it was…. the bane of my existence.

Ew.

Snow is disgusting. Snow in a city immediately turns into salty slush, and is disgusting on every possible level. When does Summer start?

3. No, Diggity.

Anyone else confused by that commercial during the Superbowl where Beck’s decided to transform Blackstreet into a beta fish who sings to a bottle of Beck’s Sapphire (which ironically has a ruby on it)? No? Just me?

Yeah, thought so.

Anyway, I had to figure out what the fuss was all about.

The first taste.

The verdict?

Um….

I’ll leave it to the beta fish.

4. Boozy Brunch at The Sunburnt Calf

The Sunburnt Calf is a delightful little slice of Australia nestled in Brooklyn. And, since Claire’s got a particular affinity for Australia, obviously that was our only choice for brunch.

Oh, hello there.

The $20 endless mimosa brunch + coconute pineapple french toast didn’t hurt, either.

Come to mama.

Since I basically ALWAYS put coconut in my french toast, I couldn’t resist this dish. And, though the portion was a little smaller than I expected for $10, the bread was soft like a pillow, the roasted pineapple was sweet, and the toasted coconut tasted a lot like what you imagine when you rub your body down with coconut body lotion. Not lotiony. Just delicious and tropical and made me forget the nasty weather just waiting outside.

5. Kindred Spirits

I realized, on the snowy Friday night of my arrival, that the reason Claire and I probably get along so well is because we get dolled up, do our hair real pretty, wear some sexy boots, and head to a bier garten. And we order beer by the liter and then we are perfectly content to beep boop bop as we occasionally talk to each other but ~~sometimes~~ a lot of times we happily tap away at our phones and show each other pictures and funny tweets.

Scenes from Friday

We both commented that we wished someone was there with ANOTHER iPhone to instagram our overactive iPhones and our ridiculousness.

Whatever, don’t blame me for my generation’s pastimes.

6. Did I develop a lazy eye on the bus ride up?

(My fraternity-based “Little Brother”‘s ACTUAL little brother, who is also in the fraternity. It’s complicated.)

What’s wrong, righty? Didn’t wanna come to the party?

I don’t even know what’s going on, y’all.

Favorite boozy brunch beverage?

Had any good cheese, lately? If yes, which one? If no, you better hurry! It’s almost mid-February!!

2013: The Year of Cheese

February 7, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 15 Comments

It’s no secret, I’m a bit of a cheese head. Not this kind of a cheese head. But, maybe, this kind of cheese head:

Ha, get it? Cheese head. (Don’t worry, that’s not me. Almost had you, didn’t I?)

I can’t get enough of the curdy, creamy, smelly, salty stuff. And, this year, I decided to legitimize my love in some fashion. I claim 2013 to be Jordan’s Year of Cheese. Feel free to celebrate along if you’d like, you have all year.

Last year was all about abstaining from something. Soda. No soda for one year. And what did I get from that? An appreciation of soda, to be honest. But, also, the realization that I don’t NEED a Coke with every sandwich, I don’t need soda for energy or as a mixer. It can be an occasional treat that is savored, and not a stable of my fridge or lunch. Great job, Jordan. But I wanted 2013 to be about something else.

I don’t take resolutions lightly, and normally don’t even make them unless I have something I’m really feeling serious about. Well, this year, at this point in my life, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more serious about cheese. And so, with the help of Steven Jenkins and his Cheese Primer, Fromage (the ultimate cheese app for the iPhone, apparently), and the cheese mongers of Philadelphia (and beyond), I’ll be making my way through a self-taught cheese education.

What I’ve learned so far: These ones are smelly.

Luckily, Philadelphia has an abundance of cheese mongers just itching for a guinea pig to feed cheese to. And I’m more than happy to oblige.

Also luckily, my friends (whether they intended to or not) have been enthusiastic enablers for this education.

A massive cheese party for me? You shouldn’t have. [Side note: they didn’t, but it felt like it.]

Though, I’ll admit, after a few too many tiny cups of wine, the cheese was less of an edible education and more like a sponge for vino. But don’t worry, I had plenty of time earlier in the night to enjoy a few specifics.

Primarily: Adelegger, an alpine cow’s milk cheese that is nutty and sharp, washed in white wine (and dusted with angel tears, I think). I originally was looking for Tete de Moine, and Amanda, my very favorite cheese monger at DiBruno Brothers, suggested this gem instead. It had more bite than the TdM, and a lot of body. She implied a nutty flavor, I said it almost tasted meaty in heartiness. And the best thing? We’re both right. Cheese, like beer, is a subjective delight to be enjoyed by anyone and everyone (except lactose intolerant people, whom I pity during The Year of Cheese). Speaking of beer, I paired it with a Belgian Quad, which cut right through that meatiness and made a spicy beer shaped imprint on my heart.

Cheese on Cheese

I’ve got a few dream cheeses that I’ll be seeking out in the city, and have already found that Reading Terminal Market alone hosts something like 4-5 excellent cheese shops featuring international and domestic cheese options galore. And, since I’m apparently some sort of grownup, people are always suggesting to get together and drink wine. And nothing goes better with wine than cheese. (And sometimes beer, when you refuse to bring wine to a Wine and Cheese party. [cough ME cough cough]).

I’m ready for you, 2013.

Give me your Gouda, your Morbier, your Chevre. I’m looking at you, Shropshire blue, you chameleon of curds. Wensleydale mixed with ANYTHING, and Ossau Iraty, you sexy beast. I’ve got a cheese plate, a set of cheese knifes, and enough lactase in my small intestine to be cheese tolerant for a woman five times my size (which would be over 30 feet tall….)

Come at me, brah.

You trying to try some new cheeses? Just let me know. I’ll be there, cheese in hand.

It’s going to be a good year.

Any recommendations for must-try cheeses?

What’s your favorite cheese pairing (food or drink included)?

Harpoon Brewery Tasting: Drink Up, and Welcome to Boston

January 29, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

Yes, the main reason I went to Boston was to be with my fraternity. But, when in Rome, right?

Harpoon Me.

While I didn’t get a chance to visit Sam Adams or Night Shift, I did manage to worm my way over to Harpoon Brewery for their legendary 2pm tasting. Basically, folks show up to the bar, they describe the beers and, for one hour, carte blanche to drink all you ~~can drink~~ care to drink. And, with so many options, it was hard to resist….

Taps a Plenty!

Ciders, Rye IPAs, UFOs… Oh baby.

Highlights for me?

Don’t mind the lack of makeup. This was the first thing I did after a 7 hour bus ride.

100 Barrel #44 El Triunfo Coffee Porter – I can’t get enough of coffee porters lately.

Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA – Wow. Never expected to like this. What a great surprise.

Chocolate Stout (Though I can’t imagine drinking more than a little bit of that sweet stuff!)

Their Bourbon Barrel Aged Fig Porter was a little bit less flavorful than I expected, but I loved the concept. Maybe they’ll give it another try sometime.

Hmmm, better luck next time.

Even more of a treat? Hanging with not one but TWO of my buddies from UNC!! Fiona (the tiny one on the right) was my roomie all weekend and Patty (the tinier one on the left) JUST SO HAPPENED to be visiting Boston for the weekend. Fancy meeting y’all here!

BUDDY SYSTEM!!

And, once we got a little silly off of tasty brews, the most essential part of the day happened. My ONLY real meal of the day, from the most-delicious Yankee Lobster for an infamous Lobster Roll.

I could eat seven of these. Easy peasy.

The verdict?

Such a harsh judge

Couldn’t get enough. The fries were crisp and well seasoned, but the lobster roll…. So meaty, still light (not too heavy on the mayo/sauce, which I can support), and the side of coleslaw was top notch.

If these lobster rolls weren’t a little steep in price (read: $18), I think I would’ve ONLY eaten them all weekend.

Alas, we had to get back to Cambridge and start partying….. Free tasting, insane lobster roll, cocktail parties…. tough life, right?

If you’re in Bean Town on a weekday, get thee to a tasting (2pm or 4pm). AND, if you’re there on a weekend, check out one of the tours! I didn’t have a chance to check it out, but I’ve heard only good things.

Also, if you’re trying to have a lobster roll party, please don’t hesitate to invite me.

One Last Chicago Post

January 15, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 17 Comments

I promise.

I feel like I’ve been dragging this out forever, but mostly it’s because I’ve been swamped with welcome-back-to-school hullabaloo (which included 45 minutes of class in which the professor never showed up. WELCOME BACK, am I right?!)

Since there was a Chicago Food post and a Chicago Beer post, I figured this one could pick up all the leftover bits and pieces. So, sorry if it’s long. But there are some pretty pictures!

Sweat. I know I’ve been less focused on this in my blog, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten it in my life. And, since no trip would be complete without breaking a bit of a sweat (whether in the gym or on the dance floor), my buddy Caitlin and I hit up a Werq dance fitness class. I didn’t take any pictures of the class, but I can describe it as a super-hyped Zumba without a focus on any type of Latino music really. It’s some of the most current music I’ve ever had in a fitness class, and in addition to knowing all the words to all the songs, I couldn’t stop shaking it the entire time. Great moves, high energy, if you’re into that kinda thing (and you find a class near you, I found that they might not have trickled heavily over to the East coast yet), I’d totally suggest you hit it up.

For the Vegans, look no further than Native Foods. With locations in Boulder, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Diego, and Chicago, this vegan sensation makes some fantastic dishes that make you say “Lacto-Ovo WHO?! Meat WHAT?”

Fountain Drinks!

Instead of soda, they offer these tasty fountain options. Katie preferred her tea-lavender-lemonade combo with a bit of slapped mint.

Gotta slap it for flavor.

In addition to the INCREDIBLE sweet potato fries that I split with Katie, I went with the Ensalada Azteca.

Si, Papi.

Fresh avocado, cucumber, and jicama salsa with romaine, currants, toasted pumpkin seeds, and cilantro atop quinoa and served with Mango-Lime vinaigrette. So good. So, so good.

We later hit up Piece Brewery and Pizzeria for a little bit of the two things they do best.

Ben, going in for the kill.

Cheers!

We went with Plain: traditional New Haven pizza, a generous amount of red sauce topped with garlic, extra parmesan, and EVOO. This mozzarella-less pizza was fresh to death, and the two of us demolished it. Katie went with something a little different. White with CLAMS! I tried a bite, but it was not my cup of tea. Or my shell of clam.

Served with lemon wedges! She said it tasted like Clam linguini.

The beers from Piece were solid, not great.

After Piece, we moved onto my favorite part of the night. Emporium Arcade Bar. Two words.

X-Men (that’s one word, right?) Pinball.

Pinball Wizard

I basically love this concept, and will be hastening to Philly’s own barcade stat to enjoy beer and arcade games STAT.

Three Aces was how we spent Saturday brunch. Burger and Soup to keep us warm. But not just any burger.

Come to me!

I present the Ace Burger: aged cheddar, trimmings, bacon jam, aioli, fries, garlic and hops pickle (which we mostly avoided). The fries were incredible, the burger…. NEXT LEVEL. PRETZEL ROLL, PEOPLE!

And, though I enjoyed the HELL out of some sushi from Coast on Friday night with my buddies Caitlin and Sierra, the lighting was not amenable to blog pics.

Just enjoy this tipsy pic of us all, and know that Chicago is a glorious place to be, whether you’re eating, drinking, dancing your face off, or visiting lady (or gentlemen) friends!

I surround myself with total babes all the time.

Next stop: Boston. My bus leaves on Thursday night, I’ve gotta whip up an itinerary!!

Any recommendations?

Duck… Duck…. GOOSE! (Island Clybourn Tour/Tasting)

January 9, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

This trip to Chicago focused on a few key points:

Eating
Drinking
Seeing friends, with whom to eat and drink

That was really it. We didn’t visit the Bean. I didn’t demand a walk along the shore of Lake Michigan, and I didn’t want to see any improv comedy troupes. I wanted to eat and drink my way through the city. And, luckily, my friends came through. Big time.

All the Geese.

For half my trip, I stayed with my buddy that I’ve known approximately forever: Caitlin. The most seasoned of my Chi-town buddies, she’s been living in the Windy City for over a year now, and hadn’t visited Goose Island’s Clybourn Brewpub yet. That obviously had to be remedied.

Dirty bird.

On Saturday, Caitlin, her husband, and I bundled up and head over for a “tour” and a guided tasting. I toss the “tour” in quotations because, much like the Brooklyn Brewery “tour”, it was mostly an opportunity to stand inside of a room in which pieces of the brewing process go down but, since it’s a small area, there’s not an actual tour, more of a lecture from someone knowledgeable. In our case, it was Brad Dessy, former member of the DePaul Men’s a Cappella and generally handsome bearded brew dude.

Glowing with pride (and also probably because I’m still not that great at using my camera.)

After a mini crash course in how beer’s made (because, as he admitted, people who don’t brew don’t care, and those who do brew already know how it’s made), Brad touched on what made this Chicago Island beer so great.

They use water STRAIGHT from Lake Michigan, 5 gallons of water for every one gallon of beer.
Goose Island is Chicago’s oldest functioning brewery
Goose Island’s head brewers intended to bring British styles of beer to Chicago, modeling off of post-Prohibition-style beers.
They produce enough beer to make one new beer a week, debuting on Thursdays (in case you’re in town.)
Goose Island’s brew pubs were not included in the acquisition of Goose Island by AB In Bev, so they continue to hold tight to the “craft beer” status. Sweet.
Goose Island is very proud of their work with cask ale. We didn’t try any of this, so I can’t speak to the quality, but Brad seemed stoked about it, and if you can’t trust a male a cappella singer who brews beer, who CAN you trust?
In the summer, they work with local farmers from the Farmers’ Market to create all sorts of crazy collaboration beers, mixing peaches, honey, spices, truffles, hot peppers, and peas into beer. Noted, I’ll have to head back some summer!!

Brew-tiful

I’d already enjoyed a Star Cluster IPA before/during the “tour”, and noticed the brew pub was still dolled up for the holidays as we walked up to the tasting. No surprise, we went from Light to Dark in our beers.

Let’s do this!

(In case you’re wondering, that’s a Hop Zilla original shirt, made by my buddy Robin for me for this year’s GABF. Be jealous.)

The beers we tried included:

Shine On (a saison/farmhouse style ale)
Loud and Thirsty (a dortmunder lager that I hated)
Caber Toss Wee Heavy (we all wore kilts when we tasted this scotch ale)
Voyager IPA (a delicious IPA that I was quite fond of tasting)
Honest Stout (Tasty, but nothing to write home about)
Liquid Inspiration Stout (mmm roasted malty and great)

The “guided tasting” got a little wacky by the end, as I noticed that many people stopped paying attention (maybe they were already drunk? I saw a few ladies throwing back Bloody Marys and mimosas pre-“tour”). Also, it was clear that the room was a little big for Brad to handle all at once, but his efforts were admirable.

Perhaps he should’ve sang to us?

ANYWHO, for $10, we enjoyed a little new knowledge about Goose Island, 6 beer tastings, and a lovely pint glass to take home.

And who doesn’t enjoy a little afternoon buzz?

Not us. We love that style of buzz.

We bundled back up to venture out into the cold once again. And, even though it’s been about four days since this tour…. I still think my bones are thawing.

What crazy ingredient would you put into your Farmer’s Market series beer??

Has anyone brewed with broccoli?

So Two Thousand and Late

December 31, 2012December 31, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

2012 was an epic year. Epic like an epic poem. And, for those of you not in a 10th grade English class right now, that means 2012 was lengthy and narrative (since I did blog about it), and was mostly concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation (well…. we may be stretching on that last part, but I’m pretty sure my post on the joy of drinking a Shower Beer was one of the more significant pieces of literature in our modern culture.) And, despite the fact that 2012 was jam-packed, it’s funny how it can be summed up with a lot less words than the 133 posts that my 2012 WordPress Report tells me I wrote (Jokes on you, WordPress! Here’s #134.)

So many drinks to choose from…

I drank a lot of beers. BUT I also branched out. A little bit. Mixology. Wine. And then wine again. Luckily, I mostly got that out of my system early in the year. Beers are still the key to my heart.

I ran my first race. It involved eating a vegan tako. So just call me a Dough(wo)man.

Yummy.

I went Pescatarian for Lent. It was surprisingly easy and, since then, The best part of that experience was that, after Lent was over, I never really went back to eating meat at every meal. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat it. But simply pulling it from the menu for a while led to no longer depending on it as the base for my food intake. I like that a lot.

I moved out of my North Carolina apartment. It was one of the most stressful days of my life. And, despite the fact that I was moving to a place I love more than anything, I was also moving away from my former home for seven years. I was leaving my friends who had become my family, and it was tough. I miss them like hell every day.

I fell in love. With a city. Namely, the City of Brotherly Love. I’ve never wanted to explore a place, soak it up, and breathe it in more (though sometimes this means breathing in some less than appealing aromas). I’m so happy to be where I am.

True true true

I also fell out of love. That was one of the hardest parts of the year. But guess what? Ending a long relationship, despite what you might feel at the time, isn’t the end of the world. It’s not even the end of the year. If you’ve gone through something similar, you know what I mean. If you are currently going through something similar, stay strong, find all those other things that make you happy, follow them with passion, and I’ll see you on the other side with a beer.

And, if you’re REALLY lucky, you already have a friend waiting (in Denver) with ALL THE BEERS… And a Great American Beer Festival. I firmly believe there is no better way to recover from heartbreak than surrounding yourself with great beers and the gorgeous bearded men that brew it.

Just what the doctor ordered!

I started (and finished!!) my first semester of grad school. And I think I killed it. We’ll see when the final grade trickles in… but it’s looking good.

I Live Socially now. It’s incredible.

I haven’t drank soda during 2012. I think one time I had an LIT with a splash of Coke, and once, when I was sick to the point of unable to move, I was nursed back to health with some ginger ale. I don’t think I’ve missed it. But, I’ll be honest, though I haven’t missed it, I think that I’ll ring in 2013 with a fountain soda. And some sort of sandwich from Wawa. And one of my best friends in the world who’s coming to Philly for a glorious fiesta. And, let’s be honest, if this year’s any indicator of what’s to come, I might need the extra boost of energy.

Bring it on.

If you’re reading this, thanks for being a part of my life.

Happy New Year, y’all.

Bacon, Bacon Everywhere (And not a drop to drink)

December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Even though we can’t actually drink while working our Living Social Adventures, we CAN eat. And tonight…. we ate bacon.

We ate SO MUCH BACON.

Touring Queen Village with bacon and beer as our goals, we were living socially all night. We started the night at Ela with some of the most delicious “noodles” of my life. Diver Scallop “noodles” (so inventive, carved from scallops) with bacon cream, wild mushrooms, and shaved bacon with a little rye toast bite. HELLO LOVAH!

Not the most gorgeous picture. But hello lover is right.

Creamy and rich, the bacon cream was savory and cut nicely (I assume) by some Ommegang Hennepin. The presentation was adorable in little tin cans, and this was an ideal way to start the night. After a little stroll down a ways, we hit up Village Belle for what was absolutely my favorite dish of the night.

Let me go back a bit. Remember that time that I went Pescatarian for Lent last year? Of course you do.

My “last meal” as a meat-eater before 40 days of boycotting pork, steak, chicken, lamb, deer, etc. was a DELICIOUS pork belly sandwich from Tyler’s in Durham. And that might’ve been the last time I had pork belly. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

Don’t worry, that beer isn’t mine.

Maple glazed pork belly with a parsnip puree and a parsnip chip. And, lucky for me, a young lady at the table was a vegetarian (not lucky for her, especially considering there wasn’t a veggie friendly dish in sight). So guess who got TWO SERVINGS OF PORK BELLY?!

This lady. All the pork belonged to me. And paired with the parsnip puree, which was just as smooth as any mashed taters, and SO HEALTHY! I mean, the double portion of pork belly probably wasn’t the healthiest. But moderation and balance is key. Like how that parsnip chip balanced proudly in the puree.

Our next dish was wolfed down too fast to snap a shot. But it was from a very very secret place…

TOP SECRET COOKIES!!

A bacon chocolate chip cookie. YUP.

Cookie Confidential was SO generous giving us not only bacon chocolate chip sweets BUT tiny, perfect little cupcakes. Beer Cakes to be specific.

Philadelphia Pale Ale cupcake!!

Craft beer cupcakes is not a totally unique concept, but these mini cupcakes were next level tasty. The beer isn’t only in the cake itself BUT ALSO the frosting. And they’re all locally brewed beers, so you know they’re fresh. I almost went back for seconds, but there was something else waiting for me.

They all want that sausage game.

Sausage, sauerkraut, and beer mustard from Brauhaus Schmitz. Also, a DELICIOUS-looking beer that I yearned for…. if only my professional moral standard weren’t so high!

If you’re into this kind of thing, it’s a Living Social Adventure in Philly, and I know that I’ll personally be working a few more after the winter break.

If you’re a vegetarian, I also encourage you to come. And then I will eat your pork belly. You can drink the beer, though. Fair’s fair.

Now, I think I’ll slip comfortably into a salty pork coma…

Food, Sweat, and Beers

That's what this girl's made of…

Craft Beer