Foodie Fun

Six Pack Sunday: I Live My Life from Bathrobe to Bathrobe

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

Wow, long time, no Six Pack Sunday. Let’s get right into it.

1. More like No-Tein

Grosser than Gross

Once, long ago, I got a coupon for some free Sambazon product.  It wasn’t until much later that I remembered said coupon.

This protein “Superfood Smoothie” was narsty. It was chalky, very low in flavor, and made me just wish I made my own smoothie.

No bueno

The stats weren’t even that impressive, and and after finishing almost half, I tossed the rest. I hate to waste, but I hate to drink gross things more.

2. It’s Britney, Bitch.

Stolen shirts always fit best.

Years ago, I borrowed this little gem from Shaina, one of my best friends from high school.  And now, when I’m feeling particularly badass, I’ll wear it to the gym.  And then, I just assume that I look as good as Brit, back in her glory days.

Bonus, if I ever slip and fall, I’ve got the best catchphrase around.

“Oops, I did it again!”

3. Heroes with the Half Pint

The Very Best options

Know what’s an excellent option at bars?

Half pints.

Spanky’s in Chapel Hill had a cellar clearing event with so many different NC beers, I would’ve been wasted had I not stuck to half-pints. It’s a great way to try several beer options without getting more buzzed than you’d like to.

Hear that, restaurants?! OFFER MORE HALF PINTS!

4. All Bathrobes, All the Time

Basically me. Mostly.

Basically me. Mostly.

If you ever wonder what I do the moment I get home from the gym (I know that’s all you’re thinking about), here’s the answer: change into a bathrobe.

And if you’re wondering how I sleep, it’s in a Slanket.

(The ORIGINAL blanket with sleeves, this fleece dream-come-true was an ACTUAL dream come true for me. I woke up in the middle of the night, arms freezing, and texted Ryan a very simple message. “Sleeves on a blanket. Keeps your arms warm. blanket sleeves.”  After a careful search online, I realized this was a reality, and immediately ordered one.)

Anyway, as many folks already know, these sleeved blankets are really just bathrobes backwards. And, I realized the other day that, after I take off the bathrobe I wear around my cold apartment to get into bed, I’m really just putting on another bathrobe.

This is my life.

5. Romance Corner

In two weeks, I’ll be celebrating four years with my boyfriend, Ryan. And guess what we’re doing to celebrate?!

Sparkling Wine and Tasty Treats!

Although I don’t know if I could afford to STAY at the King’s Daughter Inn in Durham, for $30, we can pretend for a few hours that we’re as fancy shmancy as the other patrons while sipping 5 different sparkling wines and food pairings!

I love bubbly.

I love Ryan.

Can’t beat it.

6. Say No to Say Yes to the Dress Marathons

Because I certainly can’t.

So many tears, so many emotions.

I can’t pull myself away.

Coconut French Toast and Body Attack 75

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

I’m officially a dirtball.  At this very moment, I’m gearing up for today’s BodyJam class.  But here’s the dirty part: I still haven’t showered from last night’s workout.

Oops.

Oh, Les, you know my body so well...

As you can see from my Garmin Connect report, it wasn’t just some easy-peasy workout, either.  I was a sweaty mess, my booty is sore, and I LOVED the new release!  However, at track four, a super plyometric-heavy track, my tummy started going nuts.  And that’s when I knew I had to GET OUTTA THERE! It felt like my body was a soda can about ready to explode.

So I booked it.

Moments later, as I was washing my hands, feeling so much better post-bathroom break, I raced back in to finish the tail end of the arm conditioning track. Walking burpees…. not my friend.

After getting home, whipping up a fantastic, cheesey, melty, eggplanty dinner (Save that for later), I realized that the next time I’d leave the house would be for another workout. So I washed my face, did a little mini-body wipedown, and said “Fuggetaboutit!”

Yup.  Next morning, still no shower.  But, at least there’s coconut french toast on the menu.

The cast and crew

My past experiences cooking with coconut oil have been kind of meh.  I realize now that it’s because I was cooking the wrong treats in that coconut oil. I bucked up, grabbed some coconut shreds, and said “Let’s DO THIS!”

Sizzling in coconutty goodness

When I scrambled together my egg batter, I used 2 EB eggs, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, AND sweetened coconut shreds (though it would’ve been just as tasty sans sweetened, I’m sure).  Also, next time, I think I’ll drop a little bit of almond extract in the mix, just for a flavor punch.

Didn’t matter, the coconut was the star of the show. And cooking in coconut oil WITH coconut shreds… can’t beat it.

A taste of the islands

There was coconuts in the batter, coconut shreds on top, chia seeds sprinkled for a nutritional boost, and LOTS of lite butter flavored syrup (it’s all I have left in the apartment!).  Good to the last bite.

Or, in my case, the last lick. Because I licked my plate clean, not unlike an animal.

At least animals don’t have to shower.

What’s your favorite sweet treat for breakfast?

Ryan’s a pancake man, through and through, but I’m ALL about french toast.  Somehow, though, I’m sure we’ll make it work.

 

Don’t Skimp on the Shrimp (Omelet)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 15 Comments

Ooooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?

OOooh, Heaven is a place on EARTH!

And that place is in my kitchen. Or, I guess, now, my belly.  But first…

CX30 + BodyCombat = WHOAH!

Les Mills, you’ve done it again.  O2 Fitness Clubs launched the newest releases of their infamous Body____ classes and, since Saturday, I’ve tried BodyJam, BodyCombat, and CX30.  Each one was more hardcore than the last.

Yesterday, it was a double whammy. CX30 was up first, followed by BodyCombat.  And I kept the HRM on the whole time.  An hour and a half later, 1,227 calories blasted, and approximately a hand towel’s worth of sweat drenching my body, I felt like a superwoman.  I also felt like I needed to eat a house.  I didn’t, I enjoyed a homemade whole wheat, eggplant, spinach, Parmesan, mozzarella, and Sockarooni pizza (I should’ve shaped it like a house).  And then, with the help of my new favorite app, I slept like a rock.

But today is a new day.  A day that I was craving seafood.  The pickin’s at home were slim, but there was something beautiful in the fridge.  Well, a few somethings beautiful.

Shrimp, avocado, tomato

Come to MAMA!!

Inspired by this Shrimp and Avocado Omelet recipe from Whole Foods, I scrambled the heck out of two eggs, chopped my ingredients, and hoped for the best as the eggs fried in some EVOO.

Sizzling

I have to use up my never-ending supply of spinach, so I added that to the innards of this omelet, along with the (pre-cooked) shrimp (from Target… not exactly the local fishmarket, but it’ll do in a pinch.)

This totally screams “throw me inside some eggs!”

And, after a flip and a fill, followed by a fold, this omelet was ready to be topped with the always-decadent combination of tomato and avocado.

You should want this in and around your mouth

This protein-packed omelet will certainly get me through the rest of the day and, though it was jam-packed with shrimp, I can’t help but feel like I have a seafood itch that needs scratching. And I know just the shellfish to scratch that itch.

Yummmmm

Yummmmm

Oh, Aqua Grill, take me home…

Do you eat seafood? If so, what’s your favorite? ANYTHING I CAN MAKE?!

I don’t think I even tried fish (other than canned tuna) until the past year or so….  Now it’s become one of my favorite ways to eat flavorful AND healthy meals.

Getting Fit with a fitbook

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Long ago (March 2010, to be more specific), I started Weight Watchers with the help of my mom, aunts, and cousins. I’m the only one of us that really stuck to it, long term (I know that they gradually dropped off the plan one by one), with busy things like children, jobs, running households, etc. I was lucky enough to have a fairly empty plate, though (not literally!) which allowed me plenty of time to focus on meal planning and the like.  It was a fantastic method, for me.  However, after about 6 months, with a weight loss of about 40 lbs, I was working out 3-5 times a week and was much more active in my life. Ryan and I were living together, I started playing volleyball, I met new friends, and started getting interested in craft beer.  The idea of tracking my points was getting a little boring, and there were too many things I wanted to try without adding up points and doing math all the time. Plus, tracking all the craft beers I was drinking was getting a little shameful.

450 calories for 12 oz? I'll take two!

Well, new year, new you, all that jazz. Only it took me a week or two of the new year to really kick into high gear.  After a busy first weekend with all sorts of St. Anthony Hall fun times followed by a crippling sickness (ok, I’m being a baby, it was just a nasty flu), Martin Luther King Day was the start of my new year.  And, since I fare better with a plan, I had a handy tool to help me out.

Presenting the FITBOOK!

My fitbook was sent to me after participating in a little Twitter chat, and it’s been waiting for me to open it up for quite some time, now. When I opened it, there was a WEALTH of information to fill out including weekly goals, daily logs, and spots for inspiration!

Week 1 Wrap Up

The fitbook has room for 12 weeks of recording and normally costs $22.95, with a 4 pack going for $79.95.  The focus is both on nutrition AND fitness, which I like (instead of just tracking my food). There’s not a specific focus on calories, but a more general attitude relative to food (and SMILEY FACES!)

Easy peasy

The left side is for fitness.

Shakey arms are the sign of a good workout, right?

I think this section would probably make more sense if most of my workouts weren’t group fitness classes, but would be great to record weight-lifting sessions.  It’s nice to have somewhere to record my fitness workouts other than just on Garmin Connect, though.

Can't really tote this JPEG along with me

Anyway, I think I just needed a handy, portable way to track my eating and exercise in one location. And, since I can basically palm the fitbook, it works out perfectly.

Note of progress?

At my doctor’s appointment a little less than 2 weeks ago, I weighed in at 178 lbs.  Today’s weigh in? 173 lbs!!  I also tested my body fat percentage, and am happy to report 24.8%.  Making progress, folks.

And, don’t worry, calories or not, there’ll always be room for craft beer…

 

Philly’s More Fun When You Sleep Over

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

I love Philly.  And that’s saying something, considering realistically, how little time I’ve actually spent in the city. Growing up, there were field trips, of course. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, classic destinations for any Pennsylvania school student. I’ll admit, though, it was the closest city to me so, like anyone who lived in some sort of Philadelphia suburb (or anywhere nearby), I claim it as my own.

The City of Brotherly Love

Since I’ve grown up (to the ripe old age of 24? It’s a process), I’ve gotten to experience a different side of Philadelphia. I’ve been there for New Year’s Eve celebrations, foodie visits, a bachelorette party, numerous other random parties, and, of course, the Healthy Living Summit last summer.

The only way to jam in everyone's smiling face!

But it’s a very rare occasion I get to go to Philly without a real “reason”, an event or some sort of scheduled activity.  That’s why this past weekend was such a treat.

I flew into PHL on Friday night and took the train to Ryan’s stop, where he met me, bundled up in my “puffah” (the pet name of my Michael Kors puffy coat, one of my very favorite Christmas presents) to brave the Pennsylvania freeze. We enjoyed a beer, we snuggled, we watched some goofy movie about the Rock who plays a chef and el gato and Stifler is a mobster’s son and there’s lots of guns? I don’t know, it was awful, so [inevitably] Ryan loved it. (EDIT: Looked it up, it’s called The Rundown. In case you’re into ridiculous films like that.)  Despite the cinematic fail, it was a perfect, relaxing night.

The morning just took it to a new level of wonderful.

Bob’s Diner, in Roxborough. I would’ve taken a picture of the adorable outside, but that would’ve been risking my life in the middle of traffic, and I hate being hit by cars.  It was perfect, though, like a little trailer cafe met one of my favorite, long-menued diners in Jersey.  I originally ordered French toast with bacon, and then I saw it.  The Holy Grail of breakfast meats, in my opinion.  PORK ROLL! I quickly replaced my bacon order, and was soon greeted with a warm plate.

Golden and charred, my favorite things

The French toast was so light, it was like a cloud. A cloud I doused in syrup.  The pork roll was the star of the show, though, thick, charred, and salty.  I made quick work of my plate, forking up a combination of French toast and pork roll together in each bite.  It didn’t stand a chance.

Nice try, breakfast.

Ryan enjoyed a giant chocolate chip pancake, which I enjoyed too, because I’m his significant other, and that’s a rule in the dating world, right?

What's yours is mine.

Trust me, there were plenty more chocolate chips in the pancake.  And then, they were in my belly.

While at breakfast, we spotted a fraternity brother (one we’d seen just a week before at GC!)  I stayed true to myself by obnoxiously asking his dining buddy, who was definitely NOT someone we knew, to take a photo of us.

Delta Psi in Philly!

I love the ease of Philly. I love the chance to chat it up with all the waitresses at the diner, I love strolling around and seeing the historical mixed with the modern, I love the food, I love the Regional Rail system, and I love the people.  Maybe I’m biased because my boyfriend lives there (oh, and I met him there 4 years ago), my friends live there, and it’s the city I’ve been to the most.  But if you can’t love your city, what can you love?

…well, you could love pork roll, I guess.

What’s “Your” home city?  

What’s your favorite aspect of it?

Freebies, Flights, and Frites

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

It’s been a long time, but nothing TOO eventful happened this weekend other than a romantic lovenest weekend with Ryan. Lots of football was watched, zero soda was consumed (yay!!), and snuggling was had.  It was top notch.

However, as of 8:25 a.m. Tuesday morning, I was back in the RDU airport, and back to reality.  It’s okay though, because I had amazing goodies waiting for me in my mailbox.  It may have been the best mail haul I’ve ever had, at least in this apartment.

The good stuff

Free Wings, Free Pizza, AND my new Garmin FR60 HRM!! I know I mentioned before that I changed the batteries on my oldy and was ready to get back into action but, as I was making the change, I realized that the back of the watch was pulling apart from the plate that holds it all together.  It was time to get a new one, and since I already had a ANT stick, I got a great deal on a watch and heart band.  And, though it took me a bit to get the new one set up and figured out (that “bit” was about 10 minutes in the middle of my Zumba class yesterday) it paid off.  Check it out!

Killing it!

Average Heart Rate, 173 bpm and 627 calories burned, and that wasn’t even counting the first few minutes that I couldn’t get the dang thing working…

Also in the mailbox? 6 free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings when they open the new location right down the street, and a free Brixx pizza “just because.”  Seriously, if you like free foods, sign up for EVERYTHING!

On a less free note (but just as delicious), I headed back to Bull City Burger and Brewery (after a successful first visit) with a number of my brothers and sisters from my fraternity to celebrate the 165th anniversary of the founding of St. Anthony Hall.  The menu was just as delicious as I remembered….

Mouthwatering…

Since I’d already had an egg and Morningstar sausage before I left, I just stuck with fries and a beer (if it’s four tiny beers but served on one paddle, it’s still just one beer, right?)

The duck frites were glorious: Skinny, French cut, finished in duck fat with fresh rosemary and Fleur de Sel

For $3 I got a whopping serving and the rosemary totally made them worthy of me gobbling them in a reckless manner *wipes fleur de sel from her face…*

And, for $4, I received a flight of four of BCBB’s own beers!  On my paddle included: Littlen Horny, Clay St. British Style Ale, Snow Hill Winter Warmer, and Youngen Horny Barley Wine (hee hee Youngen Horny… I get it.)

The first three, while tasty, were sort of what I expected. Good, quality beers that were clearly made well and tasted wonderful.

It was the Youngen Horny that really excited me.  It’s their Barley Wine, but it’s not made with any grapes, just grain (sorry, gluten free drinkers!) At 9.5% ABV beer with “fruity fig and caramel aromas”, this beer had by far the best and longest lasting mouthfeel of the bunch. It was smooth and delicious, good to the last drop.  What I really liked about the beer, though, relative to the rest of the BCBB brews, was that it tasted like they’d gone out on a limb and done something a little riskier.  Like they fully committed to a flavor, and just went balls deep (I’m certain that was their exact thought process when brewing…)  They owned the fact that it was a “different” flavored beer, and they took barleywine, to me, to a different level with big and bold taste without being too cloying or overly sweet.  Admittedly, I haven’t enjoyed (or even tried) many barleywines in the past, but I think I’ll approach them with a more open mind in the future.

Ah, my bounty!

Thanks to BCBB for not being annoyed when we brought in a giant late night crew and for having a table big enough for the whole group!!

 

Starve a Cold, Castrate the Flu

/ foodsweatandbeers / 13 Comments

…That’s how the phrase goes, right?

UGH. Day two of being home sick (technically day three of feeling pretty rough) and I’ve got a doctor’s appointment at 2pm. In the meantime, though, I’ve made some serious progress.

I took a shower!

I’ve finished approximately half of my bottle of orange juice as part of my Get Better Cocktail from yesterday.

I changed out of my sweatshirt (and into a bathrobe).

Oh my lord. I look like a lunatic.

I actually ate very delicious and (fairly) healthy meals, so at least I’ve still got my appetite.

Thanks to tips from Twitter friends, I coated my pizza stone in corn meal.

Want a little ‘za with that cornmeal?

Last night’s pizza was on Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza crust and featured that ever-popular Sockarooni sauce, sauteed onions and green peppers, a roma tomato, and pepperoni sprinkled with low-fat mozzarella cheese.

The cornmeal worked a charm!

No sticking?! No problem.

The last time I used my pizza stone, about 40% of the crust stuck to the stone. Didn’t really taste like pizza, as much as a dust of crust with some toppings.  This was much more pizza-like.

I’ve used the whole wheat pizza dough from Harris Teeter many times in the past and this was my first time trying the Trader Joe’s brand. Overall, I’d say it was a little chewier but MUCH easier to spread on the stone than the Harris Teeter kind AND it’s always $1.07 per ball (I’ve even seen it for $0.99 before!) Bargain, considering that makes up two pizzas for single-girl-living ME!

I’ve also found my new television show addiction.

AC, baby! [click for source

Thanks to the glory of HBO Go (free if you’re an HBO subscriber), I can watch shows like True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Summer Heights High, Angry Boys, etc from the comfort of my computer, my phone, or my Nook tablet. Admittedly, I can’t get the actual App on the Nook tablet BUT here’s a fun little hack. Use your Nook browser in Desktop mode, and voila, it’s just like using it on your computer.  Ah, technology…

Having worked on the OCNJ boardwalk for several years, Atlantic City during prohibition is basically the exact same as Ocean City, America’s Greatest Family Resort, during the mid-2000s.

I have decided that my next future major life event will be in the theme of Boardwalk Empire, because clearly, I would make a gorgeous flapper. I could ask Cat for tips.

Now, since I just slammed some more NyQuil, it’s time to go back to sleep, making sure I don’t drone off about the perks of prohibition or how much fun highway robbery looks.

[the craziness has kicked in.]

What would you do on a sick day?

GC 2012: We Make This Look Good

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

I’m insanely exhausted, my throat’s sore, and I may be getting sick…  But it was all worth it to have so many brothers and sisters, friends old and new, invading my home!

My OTHER significant other

I was dapper by association

I may have been over served a number of times with these fancy cocktails... Oops.

A New, Tall Spanish Sister!

Heavenly dinner

Time to veg out, watch so much TV my brain turns to mush, and sleep VERY early!!

You Don’t Know What You’re Missing…

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

Good morning, folks!

It’s nice to get back to some semblance of normalcy, even if it’s temporary. This weekend, I have my fraternity’s annual conference and, in addition to picking up a few folks from the airport, I’m also playing hostess to three different fraternal friends. Should be pretty exciting considering my apartment is still in a state of post-holiday chaos and hardly big enough for two people, let alone four. But hey, it’ll be cozy.

My stomach has been getting a much-needed break from some fairly indulgent holiday treats and instead having THIS for dinner:

Bubbly meaty goodness.

Last night, I enjoyed a fantastic stir fry courtesy of chicken, chia seeds, soy sauce, and Trader Joe’s Harvest Hodge Podge veggie mix.

Most delicious Hodge Podge for moi(dge?)

It may not look as savory and mouth-watering as it tasted. I kind of just tossed the chia seeds into the mix last second and, though they didn’t add anything taste-wise to the party, they certainly boosted the Omege 3 in the meal, right? That’s gotta be good.

Mysterious thing about trips home, while I’m there, I never even realize that I’m missing the vegetables that are conspicuously absent from my diet.  Then it’s a glorious reunion.

This got me thinking of other things in my life that I don’t realize I’m “missing” in my life, until I get home (or try something new… or whatever.)

BRILLIANT!

This water-bottle friendly water fountain?! THIS IS GENIUS!!

I never really paid too much mind to the fact that my water bottle never gets truly full from standard water fountains. That tilt always gets me…  Well, this fountain has shown me the light. It’s basically ruined all other water fountains for me.

Wawa: Where Dreams Come True

I regularly think about Wawa, so this one is kind of cheating.  But honestly, I never TRULY remember how much I love their diet raspberry iced tea until I get some of it.

Note to anyone trying to get me a gift: Gallon jugs of this work just fine.

Hot enough for ya?

Why my gym doesn’t have a sauna is just beyond me. And, I’ll admit, this photo was actually taken from an old Six Pack Sunday and in a steam room, but you get the idea.  There’s nothing to compare to a great sauna session after a particularly tough workout.  My family’s gym has a fantastic dry sauna, but it’s ALWAYS packed and I figured taking a picture in a room full of sweaty men might not be received too well.

Tool of torture?

Ok, I PROMISE this is not a picture what you may be thinking it is. And, if you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking… well, pardon me for my dirty mind. But what this IS a picture of is some sort of spiked leg roller. I’ve seen oodles of posts on the perks of foam rollers, but this is a little more of a massager. And this is how I use it.

Sweet sweet relief.

I rub my legs, my arms, my back (well, I get someone to rub that for me), and my butt. And it is heavenly. I never would’ve known that I needed this. And now that I have it, I’m never letting go of it.

Do you have any goodies that you never realized you needed until you got a hold of them?

 

Bottom of the Barrel

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

I think I’ve done it.  I think my cupboards are officially bare (my cupboard being my fridge, because the stuff I keep in the cupboards could last until 2020).

Sure, it involved a bit of over-eating at lunchtime, namely in the field of “half a bag of Trader Joe’s sweet potato fries” but hey, no one likes freezer burn, right?

So little green, so much delicious.

Those orange rods of goodness were fantastic. Their sweet flavor was complimented by a kick of spicy habanero ketchup and a squirt of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and, to round out my meal of generally white/brown/tan/orange colors, an egg/pepperoni/pepper jelly sandwich.  Mmmhm.

I also spent some time during lunch wrapping up all my presents for my family. My apartment complex was nice enough to offer us free wrapping supplies, so I snagged a roll of happy penguin Christmas paper and went to town.  One day, when I have many more presents to wrap and perhaps some little kids to wrap them for, I hope to have a sweet wrapping set-up with all the tape and scissors I can handle, but, in the meantime, I’ll take my paper and ribbon where I can get it.  And, hopefully, my family/friends will take my presents, torn wrapping paper and messy folds and all, without questioning my love for them.

Beautiful mess, yes?

I also have all my clothes folded in neat little piles around the apartment.

While this may sound organized, it is actually not the same as having your bags packed.  On that note, with a beer in my belly, it’s time to get busy finishing up my luggage AND packing the car!! I have high hopes of leaving NC before noon, tomorrow, so I’ve got lots to do before I go!!

Do you have any wrapping talents? Or are you a bag + tissue paper person?