Foodie Fun

A Very Jordan Birthday: Food, Sweat, AND Beers

/ foodsweatandbeers / 22 Comments

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.

  • Frames, wooden pirate flags, and glitter glue to make em!
  • Duo Penotti (from the Netherlands?! WAH!)
  • Eiffel tower journal
  • gorgeous glass bottle for my fragrance of choice
  • J-letters
  • Birthday Cake Candle!! SMELLS LIKE THE BEST DAY EVER!

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?

 

 

 

 

Six Pack Sunday: Best Laid Plans Edition

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

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.

  1. I said goodbye to the beau.

    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.

  2. Ever wonder what garlic looks like when you just let it grow?

    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.

  3. No one looks cute when they cry.

    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.

  4. Pumpkin Beers are HERE!

    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.

  5. Weirdy Beardy

    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….

  6. Double Denim Damage

    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?

Healthy Living Summit: Saturday Sessions

/ foodsweatandbeers / 78 Comments

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.

  • It’s amazing to meet new people, but can be really hard to do that when other folks are less interested in branching out than you are.  Being a newbie (and proud of it), I wanted to soak up EVERYONE! But many people were there to reunite with friends that they’ve known forever and maybe only get to see once a year.  I totally understand that, and this isn’t a pity party by any means because I had a good time. But it almost made me wish that I could only have a conference of folks who’d never met before, just to level the playing field.
  • There are a lot of stereotypical “healthy living blog” cliches that are totally real.  I’ve never seen people go so crazy over cereals and nut butters.  My feelings about both of these: decent. But not life-changing.  And honestly, before this weekend, I don’t think I’ve eaten a nut butter in over 6 months.
  • I was surprised by how many people believed they could be or should be professional bloggers. The presentation given by Katy Widrick on Monetizing Your Blog was so eye opening at what it would take to become a professional blogger. I talked to a few people, at the summit, IRL, and online, who seem to just expect that they’d start writing about their lives and they’d start having companies flock to them for product reviews and sponsorships. If you work long and hard (let’s say…. 2-3 years, and make blogging your fulltime career for some), maybe you’ll get enough readers to make blogging financially support you.  But it’s just  not the norm.
  • I really wish that there had been more guys there.  Now, let me explain this.  I was NOT coming to Philly for a manhunt.  Trust me, I get to date this stud:

    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.

  • The sessions were all good, but I especially liked the ones that felt like they were truly from the heart. The one regarding Rising Above Negativity illustrated issues that each of the panel members had experienced, and something that everyone experiences in their lifetimes. I was also touched hearing Lisa‘s story in the numbers game presentation because you could feel her emotions in her words.  Even Katy’s post on Monetizing Your Blog felt like she was so passionate about wanting everyone to make bank that it resonated.  I didn’t feel like that with all the presentations.   Action Mantras, while effective, can feel contrived and hokey. The Flexitarian Diet…  I just don’t think it’s for me, but that’s neither here nor there.  It’s just definitely not HERE (meaning on my blog).
  • For me, the point of attending HLS was as an adventure. I wanted to challenge myself to meet new people, to step out of my comfort zone, to do something I’ve never done before.  I came, I talked about myself, I talked to strangers, I walked around Philly (well, actually, I have done that). And I actually did get a rush, like a lighter version of my skydiving trip.

    THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE A CONFERENCE!

  • But I still felt out of place. And I couldn’t help but read all the tweets from the Beer Blogger’s Conference in Portland and miss those folks who enjoy the carbonated suds I love so much.  Too much of a good thing can be quickly become a bad thing.  And I felt like this nonexistent  “formula for a healthy living blogger” was followed to a T by some folks who were trying so hard to present themselves in this light that I missed out on getting to know the true them. The point of meeting bloggers IRL is to see what maybe you don’t get to see on their blog.  To go deeper than the internet’s surface.  And while there were definitely a few folks there who did this well, there were enough folks that looked like they were trying so hard not to mess up that I never really felt like we even approached that level.

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.

Healthy Living Summit Weekend: The Eats

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

As well received as my Healthy Living Summit Cocktail Party recap was, I decided to hold off on a recap of day two until I have time to fully devote myself to a complete writeup of the Saturday sessions.  However, that doesn’t mean you should miss out on everything.  And who doesn’t like food posts?

Before my trip, I wanted to enjoy a tasty little treat, so I whipped up my traditional pre-flight beer and snack!!

Weyerbacher Hops Infusion? Don't mind if I do.

Turkey and Cheese and Lettuce on a sandwich thin! Beer! Carrots! The best.

I also did my best to eat the rest of the spinach before I left.

I felt like a straight bunny, nibbling on leaves. But it got the job done.

At the home of Ali, we whipped out all the stops (aka the baked goods):

I promise, we didn't eat all of this. Some. Most. but not all.

Let’s just say that it was a bit of a smorgasbord.

Wawa: The stuff my dreams are made of...

For dinner:

  • Wawa Shorti with Roast beef, cheddar cheese, light on the mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, salt, pepper, oregano. I always get this when I go to Wawa. It is like a second nature, entering it on the touchpad.
  • Wawa Diet Raspberry Iced Tea

Can someone PLEASE explain to me why there is no raspberry iced tea, diet or otherwise, to be found in North Carolina? I can’t even get the Snapple kind…. If you know where to get some, PLEAES email, call, text, or tweet me. ASAP. This is not a joking kind of request. This is so heartfelt I feel it deep in my heart.

The highlights of the cocktail party food were already shown, minus one: Philly Cheesesteak Empanadas. I didn’t take pictures of these, because I was shoving them down my gullet. Imagine a philly cheesesteak. then fry it.

You get the idea.

Breakfast in the morning was sponsored by Attune Foods, and featured mostly a wide array of their cereals, fresh fruit, hardboiled eggs, and yogurt.

Pineapple. Cereal. I forgot how delicious real milk was, especially from Lehigh Valley.

Oh. A pluot. I had no idea what this was until I bit it.

I could’ve eaten the lunch for days.

Roasted veggie sammy, caprese salad sammy, cous cous and chickpeas, and Perrier. Oh, you fancy.

GIANT ups to Great Harvest bread. Which filled my belly totally and heartily.  The mozzarella was so creamy, and the onions in the cous cous…. ooh, girl.

Snacktime was not really my favorite, but I partook because who don’t want no free foods?

Cinnamon raisin nut butter = the poo. So take a big whiff. The hummus was a little watery for my liking... oh well.

To be honest, though, there was a much more important meal waiting for me at home, after the summit. Something I’d been seeking out since I arrived in Philly.  The holy grail of Philly cuisine.

We belong together.

I went a little off the beaten path with the Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak and was rewarded handsomely with spicy, cheese, chickeny goodness.  Something about the rolls up North, they just know how to do it right.  And, even though it wasn’t in empanada format, it was at least as (if not much, much more) delicious.

What’d you eat this weekend that was delicious? 

Do you have any favorite foods/drinks from growing up that you can’t get now wherever you live (due to a move or [gasp!!] someone stopped producing them?)

Healthy Living Summit: Cocktails and Tasty Ales

/ foodsweatandbeers / 48 Comments

Greetings friends, old and new, and Happy MY BIRTHDAY Week!!

Have you not been celebrating?  Might I suggest a No Pants Wednesday (or Monday) in my honor?  Perhaps crush a cup of tasty beer with a friend.  You just gotta ask yourself, WWJ(ordan)D? (No sacrilege meant here.  I’d really be curious to know what folks did when they thought, What would that Jordan do?)  If you’re new here, check out my 7 Links post for a little more about me!!

I’m currently celebrating my birthday week in style with a private, GIANT booth at Rockfish Seafood Grill (my home away from home).

How many people will be joining you? None? But you need a table? We got this.

Yet again, I can’t thank the folks at Rockfish enough for being so accommodating (always) AND emailing me a gift certificate for my birthday (!!!! FISH IS THE GREATEST GIFT EVER !!!)

Anyway, chances are, you didn’t come to hear about my fish fiesta.  You came here to find out what this whole HLS drama is that I’ve been posting about, tweeting about, and generally abuzz about since…. well since I bought the ticket.

I’ll start at the beginning….

The beautiful Krissie from PhillyNerdGirl picked me up moments after I walked out of the PHL airport, a grin on her face and a bag of tiny pumpkin donuts in her hand.  What a giver!

And a chatter! Love talking blog-talk.

Krissie and I sped crawled through some serious 3:30 traffic in Philly before eventually reaching Chez Ali (aka the Infamous Allison who planned the entirety of the Cocktail Party and saved us all from sobriety).  Without wasting a moment (ok, we wasted several, ogling Krissie’s sexy shoes and eating s’mores crack like it was…. crack), I politely requested hungrily demanded a trip to Wawa.  This Southern girl needed her fix.

Come to Mama. That's the good stuff.

Then, it was time for some Boost Boozy (DAMN YOU, AUTOCORRECT!) Arnold Palmers (I’m sure there’s a real name for them.  But I like to imagine Arnold Palmer himself, all liquored up, hanging out with us.)

Thumbs up for booze, buddy! (Click image for Source)

Krissie, Ali, and Jordy: Sipping

We could only drink and gossip for so long before the itch to primp kicked into high gear.

A Glam Slam! (like a grand slam. I wish this was a real phrase.)

My best friend Ring, who was quite a hit at the party

We took an incredibly easy cab ride over to Reading Terminal Market, a place where I once enjoyed the best roast pork sandwich known to mankind (at DiNics) and the home of the HLS Cocktail Party.  After jimmying the door open with my superior lock picking skills asking a security guard to let us in, we rounded up the rest of the ladies and, like a herd of extremely willing cats, headed to the party spot.

Hell hath no fury like HLBloggers tryna get some snacks.

Guess where I headed, with my two complimentary drink tickets?

Am I really that predictable?

The selection was actually top notch:

  • Dogfish Head Chicory Stout
  • Voodoo Brewery’s Pilzilla
  • Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Fleur de Lehigh
  • Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Kenzinger
  • Some wine (yeah, I had no eyes for that)
  • A YUMMY cocktail made with DrinkChia that was like a creamy daquiri with jelly chia bits

I went straight for the Chicory Stout first. And then I realized that I could still enjoy a few nibblets.

Quite the spread.

Single asparagus spear? Ok.

Also, I wore a tiara.

See, the thing is, with Ryan moving this week (Wahhhhhhhhh! – Snookie) and me having a work training then heading to OCNJ (again) for my cousin’s bridal shower, I wanted to celebrate.  But really, I just wanted to wear a tiara.  That’s What Jordan Would Do.

I met bloggers, large and small.

A lesson in extremes

I tried to meet them, one and all.

That's a lotta ladies.

I even took a picture near a stall!

Class-Act.

There were spider senses,

With the Okie in Pink, Lisa

And some blog-lebrity blends(es? I’m just trying to rhyme here)

Courtney and Julie, two of the women I read before knowing what HL was!

Birthday buddies!

Carly and Michelle finalllllly found some tiaras! (and a really weird fellow who photobombed from within a photobooth. that's skill.)

And my very favorite sponsors of the entire conference, Chandra and Mark from Drink Chia!!

Ch(i)andra!

I also think I found a kindred spirit in Jess, a fancy lady from the heart of dairy land.

Sassy as hell.

There was dancing.

There was not dancing.  This might be my greatest disappointment of the weekend.  There was something wrong with the iPod hookup, or something, and I felt very weird mingling and running around with no (and then, later, very quiet) music.  Sort of like if the cocktail party was hosted in a GIANT elevator (full of food and drinks).

However, they more than made up for it by allowing me to drink as many cocktails as I wanted.  Either there were so many pregnant ladies that their drink tickets somehow all were given to me, or they overestimated how much folks would drink…. or the beer gods were shining down on me (I choose this one.)  Whatever happened, it worked out completely in my favor.

I want them all.

I tried to mingle, I truly did.  I figured the tiara and octopus ring were both great ice breakers.  And some folks were totally happy to chat.  Other ones were either uninterested, or in the zone with their own little groups.  I’ll admit, I’m not very well “established” in this particular community, and I had never met most of the men and women before, so I understand.  But I’ll say that my heart was swollen with joy when Katy Widrick chatted my head off about beers.  Finally, I felt like my two passions were merged and I didn’t feel like the odd girl out.

Then again, maybe I’m just a little too rambunctious to be brought out in public to new people.  Like that time, at the end, that my overzealous flinging of an umbrella resulted in the demise of said umbrella.

JORDAN SMASH!!

Blonde hair, don't care. (Balaguer, 2011)

But, as I’d learn later in the conference from the wisest of all owls….

Thanks, Pauly.

But to see the source of this hilarious picture…. well, you’ll just have to stay tuned.

Should I Throw the Kitchen Sink In, Too?

/ foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Hey there, ladies and gents!

This time tomorrow, I’ll probably be enjoying a beer before my flight to the Healthy Living Summit at the beautiful sufficient Raleigh-Durham airport.  I’m hoping to eat something small before I get to the airport, mostly to save room for a small Wawa hoagie when Krissie from PhillyNerdGirl picks me up (you know…. if we have time.)  I did, however, manage to get through most of my crazy to-do list from yesterday (and there’s still time to weigh in on my dress selection!!)

It won’t be nearly the caliber of my lunch today, though.

Everything but the kitchen sink!

This wanna-be wrap-turned-taco really was just my way to use up all the random foods that I had in the fridge.  Last tortilla in the bag, last two slices of buffalo chicken, some spinach artichoke hummus, last pieces of muenster, last bits of tomato and bell pepper, a giant handful of spinach? Sounds like lunch to me.  I contemplated tossing in my sink, but decided I already have plenty of iron in my diet.

Also on the menu: a few carrots wrapped in that last slice of muenster (random but tasty), a bite (or five) of my Chocolate Crack: S’mores Style, leftover steamed asian veggies from lunch two or three days ago, really, I’m just trying to clear house.

My bag(s) are almost entirely packed!

Victoria's Secret bags = gift bags, free with purchase. Voila.

I’ve grabbed a few magazines for the plane ride, and I’m now adding last touches to my luggage.

  • Jewelry
  • Snacks
  • A flask? Is that classless?  God, I never remember, I just know that it’s a snake-print flask from Pier 1, and I never get to use it. Maybe, like Will Smith with cigars, I’ll just bring an empty flask and try to become known as that “bad girl” at the HLS cocktail party. OR I could bring it to the NEXT LEVEL and bring it to the breakfast.  Not really. But it would be funny. (Or tacky. or both.)
  • Business cards (WHAT?! Yeah, I’m a pro like that.)

I’ll shoot you straight, I had no idea what to wear during the sessions on Saturday, so I think I tried on every possible combination of what’s in my bag.  And I still don’t know. But I’m sure the beau appreciated my fashion show.

Too much going on today, I can hardly think straight!

I’m off to rush back to work so that I can leave a little earlier and pack up the rest of my life.

What are you up to today?  Starting your weekend a little early?

If you’re in the RDU area, meet me at Rockfish in Durham for a drink from 6-7 OR at Busy Bee Cafe in Raleigh from 7:30-??

PS I almost just walked out the door still wearing my apron.  Nice.  Talk about frazzled, right?

Smooth move.

 

What My Pandora Stations Say About Me!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

Hey there, all, and Happy No Pants Wednesday!! Hope you’re celebrating in style.

I'm sort of cheating with a dress and leggings. So sue me.

Today’s lunch was…. identical to yesterday’s.

Surprise, Surprise

I’ll be frank: repetitive lunches are sometimes necessary when you’re trying to clear out a fridge full of produce and eggs. I wanna leave the beau with the bare minimum for his weekend of manliness (you know…. beer, meat, and cheese.)  All his favorites.

Last night, on #fitblog, the questions were all about music. The music you work out to, the music you’re embarrassed about, and all that jazz.  And it got me thinking about my (many) Pandora stations that I’ve made over the years.  For a little glimpse into my inner workings, I present:

What (Most of) My Pandora Stations Say About Me!

  1. Britney Spears Station

    Rah Rah, ooh lala !

    Deep down inside, I’ll ALWAYS love whatever the Pop Princess du Jour is.  It was all the finest ladies in the past: the Spice Girls, Britney, Xtina, Beyonce, Cher (never), Mandy, and (most recently) the Mother Monster herself.  Something about powerful rockstar ladies always gets me hype.

  2. Wicked (original Broadway cast)

    Belting out the National Anthem with the besty

    When I was younger, I’d sing at any chance I had.  Choir, showers, volleyball tournaments.  Once, I sang the National Anthem at the Baltimore Convention Center. It was the most exhiliarating experience I had in my days of yore. To this day, I still sing, though I tend to keep it in the shower. But this station is full of Disney songs, Wicked songs, other Broadway musical songs.  I’ll catch myself listening in the grocery store and accidentally bursting into song.  Or, you know, not so accidentally. Everyone deserves a little show now and then.

  3. Today’s Hip Hop and Rap

    I'm a little bit gangster, myself.

    I’ll admit, I was the proud owner of my share of Eminem CDs. And sometimes I garble together words really fast to pretend like I rap. But truly, this station is SUCH a great one to power through strength training, or a particularly tough elliptical run. It’s like Dr. Dre is right there with me, pushing me further and faster.  That’d just be…. the coolest.

  4. Party in the USA

    Back it Up!

    I’ll admit, nothing makes me wanna dance more than my pop music.  And, for any of you that are going to the Healthy Living Summit this weekend, if you’re lucky, I’ll break out some sweet dance moves.  And by “sweet dance moves”, I mostly mean “watch out for the flailing giantess…. she’s trying to Dougie.”

    You’ve been warned.

  5. Sigur Ros

    Good night, Jojo

    Looking for sleepytime music? Look no further. Sigur Ros is my relaxation station. Explosions in the Sky, instrumental jams, words that I don’t understand.  I use it to relax, and once in college, I ended up falling asleep my teacher’s office waiting for her.  Thanks a lot, Sigur.

  6. I Told You So – Keith Urban

    The Dirty South

    When you date a boy who attends college in Mississippi, and you drive there several times…. You either learn to love country music, or you stop listening to the radio on the 12 hour drive down.

    Just call me a country girl.

What are your favorite Pandora stations?

What do they say about you?

Demand and Dinner

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

Good evening folks, I hope none of you are still as sweaty and gross as I am.  But if you are…. I salute you.

After my lunchtime post where I showed you my advanced icing techniques, my ankle actually started to feel a little better. I spent the day in a long meeting, taking care of business, and then tidied up my desk to show off for the new employee tomorrow.

This might be the most normal it has ever looked.

If you take a closer look, you’ll notice a McCormick’s Italian Herb blend, a toy dog wearing a fruit hat, and my iPhone got a text! A rare opportunity to look at my life, behind the scenes. Cherish it, y’all.

After work, with my ankle feeling up to snuff, I hit up Zumba (considering my favorite instructor was there, I had to do it.)  I’m glad I did, as I rocked it out.

Woo, baby.

I specifically remember the track where my HR reached 180 because, in the midst of panting, I glanced over at the watch and was like WHOAH! My ankle’s feeling a little sore now, but during the class I actually felt pretty decent.  It was a packed class, lots of total newbies, but everyone handled their business and rocked it out.  The energy was awesome, the music was perfect, and we even did an all-arm track to Carry Out by Justin Timberlake.  I’m sore, but in the best way possible.

Following the gym, I received word from the beau that he was going to be late for dinner, so I made the executive decision to go shopping.

In case you didn’t get the message, my 24th Birthday is Next Wednesday, August 24. That’s right, one week and one day away.  Feel free to shower me with sexy presents like beer and sports bras and Norts (Nike shorts, for the folks who aren’t familiar) and all the like.  Or packages, or tweets, or email love.  Or just buy me a cocktail and compliment the tiara I’ll be wearing on my big day and, more than likely, the night of the HLS cocktail party.  I’m needy like that.

Now that we all are on the same page for what I was shopping for, you might understand that Nordstrom Rack was at the top of my list.  Since my feet are huge (size 12-13), any store that carries my size is somewhere I frequent.  And today, I finally got lucky.

Sam Edelman, you've done good.

I’ve been looking for a pair of sandals with this single long strap.  Though these weren’t the silver I hoped for, the gems and spikes on the back…. I felt like Lady Gaga when I put them on.  And then I found my birthday dress.  Which just so happened to have little white streaks in it. The price was a little steep, and there was a gem missing, so I asked the man at the front if there was another one, or if I could get a discount.  I couldn’t get a discount, and he almost wouldn’t sell them to me….  and then he told me they were the only size 12 Sam Edelman sandals of this style AT ANY NORDSTROM RACK IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!!!!!

I left, one pair of shoes richer (and a few more bucks than I wanted to be poorer…. but they were shaved about halfway from their original pricetag…. I’ll chalk it up as a win.)

With my birthday outfit success warming my heart, and my zumba class rumbling my tummy…. I headed home for dinner with the beau.

It was clean, it was fast, and it. was. tasty.

Grilled chicken covered in Frank's Red Hot and Laughing Cow Blue Cheese, steamed veggies, and a Diet Cherry Pepsi

Sweet Moments Caramel Delights

Now, it’s time to finish The Adjustment Bureau, shower, and sleep, sweetly and hopefully for a long time.  So. So. tired.

Do you get yourself birthday presents?  How about special birthday outfits?

I pretty much always do.  And rest assured, I’ll be rocking a tiara that day…. hard.

Minding My Peas and Qs

/ foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Good afternoon y’all, hope you’re enjoying this glorious summer day!

For a Tuesday in the middle of the August, the weather couldn’t have been nicer. It was crisp, it was cool, and I must say…. I think love was in the air.  In fact, I actually caught two little lovebirds in the act!

Sweet, sweet mothra love.

These two lovebugs (literally) were sitting on my car all morning.  And I’ll be honest, if this is what Moth-Sex looks like…  I’m not too impressed.  Gross.

Before work, I hit up the Teet for the tail end of super ultra mega hyper coupon week and picked up some serious cereal goodness.

Stocked and Loaded!

Yeah, a few of my new favorite cereal were on sale, AND I had a coupon, and so three boxes = about $5, slightly more than what would normally cost for a single box.  Love it.

While at work, I was thinking about heading to Zumba later today, and I figured I’d ice my ankle a little bit, as it’s still been bothering me.  At the office, though, my first aid supplies are running rather thin so I made due.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present:

Ice Pack made of Frozen peas, and held to my ankle with bubble wrap

If they had a competition for the MacGyver of Doctors, I’d win, hands down.

When I got home for lunch, all I could think about was yesterday’s Good Karma Omelet and, since everyone loves good karma, I whipped another (remarkably similar looking) one.

1 egg white, 1 egg, green pepper, spinach, roma tomato, buffalo chicken, and muenster cheese

But I also paired it with a little something extra.

Buff Chick Rollups and Carrots

I rolled up some lunch meat and cheese, added some carrots and Sabra Hummus (Spinach artichoke), and chomped away.

Dessert was a salty one:

Nature's Place Salted Sunflower Seeds!

Since I’ve been inhaling these puppies all throughout ABC Family’s new “hit to be”, The Lying Game I think it’s time to pack the gym bag and head back to the office.

Do you think that moths make sweet, sexy moth love? Or they just got stuck that way?

What’s the most creative “makeshift” bandage/brace/etc you’ve ever made?

Molto Bene: A Tale of Triumph

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Good evening, Ragazzi!! (I’m not an expert, but I’m gonna pretend I’m certain that means boys and girls)

Monday’s been a long day for me.  I hit the office early and running and stuck around late to clock in some extra time (as I’ll be doing all week).  I hate hate hate taking vacation time if I think I can make it up during the week and, since I’ll be taking about a half-day on Friday for my travels to the Healthy Living Summit (I’d stop linking, but it’s addictive), I’ll be trying to earn about an hour extra each day. Then, voila! guilt free time off on Friday to schmooze with all the friends and blends-to-be (P.S. since I don’t even think I mentioned it, this one time I did a Guest Post for Alexa of Simple Eats a while back about how I make friends in new places… there’s even a picture of me and Jason Segel so check it out.)

At work, for a snack, I enjoyed some strawberries, an Adora Calcium disk, and some seeds. It was just like a tasty bird food mix up.

Paired with a side of Coke Zero

Now that I’m done shamelessly promoting myself (which is needed since I’m the only one who ever read/commented on my own guest post) and my snacks, it’s time to get to the meat of the day.  Or, in this case, the meatBALLS.

To get there, though, we have to go back.  Old school….

One time, for one month, I lived in Florence, Italy, home of Michaelangelo, Amerigo Vespucci, Acqua al Due (which fed me the greatest steak of my life), and (more recently), my twin, Snookie.

Only one? Come on, Jordan!

That's my goal... Only I'd never ever smoke a cigarette. YUCK! (click for Source)

Italy was a glorious place to live, even just for a month.  Only all… we ever…. ate… was pasta.

Pasta and Nutella

Pasta with veggies, pasta with sauce, pasta with prawns, pasta with pepperoni, pasta with meat…..

By the end of the month, I was so sick of pasta I never wanted to see it again.  And honestly, since then, it very rarely has.  Unless I felt obliged to eat it due to being at someone’s home (as a guest), I avoided it like the plague.  But tonight, after saving my poor little basil plant , I was inspired.  It helped that sauce and pasta was on sale too….

I purchased a package of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Spaghetti at the store (sticking with the whole grains, though not too low carb…)

Snagged picture, click for the Source!

I also snagged some turkey meatballs from Harris Teeter and some sauce I already had on hand…

In a little sauce-pan, I sauteed some spinach and green peppers, several leaves from that dear basil plant, then added the sauce, and some tomatoes.  Once the pasta was sufficiently done (I like it tender, not a bit al dente), I threw it in a big ol’ bowl with about 3-5 of the turkey meatballs, and covered it in a few sprinkles of reduced fat mozzarella cheese, OODLES of crushed red pepper and dried oregano, and gobbled it up like I hadn’t eaten pasta in years (when it may have actually been a year.)

Pas-TASTIC!

Loved the effect the basil had, and how hearty the meal tasted even though I went with less-pasta and much more veggies. Pasta made a triumphant return in my life, and (if I always make it this veggie laden) I foresee it becoming a repeat offender.

Even though I was, for the most part, full, I wanted to chase it down with a tiny sweet treat….

Pillsbury Sweet Moments Brownie Bites in Cocoa Caramel Obsession

There were 12 of these tiny nibblets in a package, and I limited Ry and myself to 2 each (so we could feasibly repeat this 2 more nights!)

I’m gonna shoot you straight, as tiny as they were, they tasted like tiny gooey bites of sweet, delicious sin. I could EASILY have wolfed all 12 of them down, but the 2 that I enjoyed were a perfect 120 calorie way to end my night on a sweet note.

I forgot to take a shot of their size, but luckily someone else did that for me (see Finding Inspiration in Food’s review for a finger comparison!)  I love caramel mixed with chocolate, and anything that combines them in an itty bitty bite is even more enjoyable.  I found these at Harris Teeter for $2.50 and had a $1/off coupon so it was a bargain.  You can get your own coupon at the Pillsbury site (just make sure you have a printer ready!)

All in all, this has been a top notch Monday, as far as Mondays go…. and in due time (3.5-ish days…. but who’s counting?) I’ll be on a plane headed North!

Do you like pasta?  If so, how do you like it (shape, sauce, cooking style, veggies or meat)?

What’s your favorite weeknight “dessert” that doesn’t kill the calorie intake but satisfies your sweet tooth?