Foodie Fun

The Great American Beer Festival 2012

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

In all the hooplah of writing about pre-fest hot dogs, my pre-festival sours class, and my post-festival New Belgium tour, I forgot one very important part of my trip to Denver.

The ACTUAL Great American Beer Festival itself!!

I promise, it was more beautiful than this when I walked inside.

Thanks to BeerGram’s generosity, I had tickets to the festival and was able to bring my tiny buddy, Melissa. We also had a girlfriend, Imee, to round out the crew. We were ready for anything the brewers had to bring.

I’m a gentle giant.

The brewers…. they were ready for us as well. There was literally something for every possible tastebud and beer lover.

Goose Island’s Gingerbread Dream? Come to mama.

Prima Pils + Snyder’s Sourdough: Basic Math

One of the very best parts was the beer and pretzel pairing featuring Great Divide, Flying Dog, and hometown hero, Victory Brewing Company! And that’s just the beer…. My long-time love, Snyders of Hanover, provided honey twists, classic Sourdough pretzels, and YUMMY flavored pretzel pieces!

There was the GABF Brewpub Pavilion, complete with samples of snacks to pair with beer.  One of my favorites? Barely Buzzed Beehive CHEESE!

Cheese, please.

Utah, you do good on the cheese front.

I met some fantastic folks.  Namely?

Pennsylvania Pals!

Bill Covaleski, President and Brewmaster from Victory Brewing Company. He’s still working on figuring out the perfect pairing for a Philly soft pretzel….

Another little beer lady!

Andrea Sanchez-Reyes, the founder and CEO of Beergram (and my benefactor!)

And, don’t worry, I repped my friends/family of #NCBeer to the best of my ability.  At one point, dissatisfied with their lack of knowledge about Sexual Chocolate, I actually ended up behind the Foothills Brewing booth, lecturing newbs to the benefits of my favorite Winston-Salem brewery.

Sorry for the phone pic, but we were in the zone. the fun, Foothills zone.

Movember even made a little appearance, a few weeks early.

No Shave November? No shave NEVER!

It was, without question, the most fun I’ve ever had at a beer festival.

It was the first time that I went in with the mindset:

HEY! If you don’t like this beer, just pour it out. Don’t force yourself to drink every sample. When they overpour for you, don’t feel bad pouring some out. You’re not offending ANYONE. Bonus? No blacking out or feeling ill the next day.

The result? I left the festival just as excited and happy as when I came. I was happy as a clown, but (slightly) less silly than one.

There were pieces that weren’t great. I REFUSED to wait in the lines for Cigar City and Dogfish, as they were running anywhere from 30-45 minutes, and that just seemed a little outrageous. I figure I can always take a road trip to DE (and a much longer one to Florida) if I REALLY need to try those beers.

One of the MAJOR highlights? The line for the ladies’ room was like, 1/3 the length of the one for the men’s room. Seriously, this event was a sausage fest.

Hee hee

(at one point, quite literally, thanks to New Holland’s salami samples!)

After getting my fill of all the wild flavors some breweries were offering (gingerbread, green chili, peanut butter cup, strawberry, sage, keffir lime!! WHOAH!) I ended my night the way the only way that made sense; parked in front of the Bear Republic booth, sipping Racer 5 IPA until last call. Couldn’t have been more perfect.

My buddies at Bear Republic let me pose with their sweet ride….

After hot dogs, beer education, and 3.5 hours at the festival, I think it’s no surprise I slept like a baby.  I’m already scheming how I’ll get back next year…. If you can do it, I think GABF is NOT to be missed if you’re interested in craft beer.

What’s the wackiest flavor of beer you’ve ever tried?

I gotta say the Sage Saison from Epic Brewing was pretty wild….

If you’re not a beer person, ever try any of those wackadoo flavored vodkas? 

::shudder::

Confections and Cocktails at Williams-Sonoma

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

What’s better than dessert?

Dessert when you add BOOZE!

Whoah, did I jump into this too fast? Let me rewind.

Kory over at Aversa PR gave me the opportunity of a new-Philly resident’s lifetime: a chance to join a number of fellow Philly bloggers at Williams-Sonoma on Walnut Street for an event featuring the Executive Chefs at the Bellevue Hyatt and Restaurant XIX and a selection of Confections and Cocktails? You KNOW I couldn’t say no.

Just a selection of the tasty treats!

White turtle cheesecakes, pear pumpkin trifle, mini apple pies, ginger snaps, brownies…. I can’t even.

Kory was moving and shaking, so I tried to make a few moves myself.

Kory was unstoppable.

Williams-Sonoma showed us how they run their in-store classes, and chefs from
showed us the ropes as well.  It was incredible.

Pumpkin bars were first and foremost. And delicious.

Jeff, master chef (err… cook… W-S master of ceremonies.)

Brenda from Williams-Sonoma handing out the finished product!

These were delicious and SO easy to make!! (Link to the recipe)

We also got a chance to meet Judy Ellis-Taylor from the Hyatt at the Bellevue (AND their beloved restaurant, XIX) who shared with us the glory of Pinot Grigio-soaked apples as a cocktail ingredient.

Brilliant

The result was a fresh, tart, sneakily-boozy cocktail perfect for all the tasty apples that are so perfect in the fall season. And Judy was pretty fantastic herself…

Also sweet and tart!

My buddy, Martha, and I are already planning a happy hour trip to XIX for a visit with this lovely lady…

Speaking of which, I asked around and found my ideal plus one in Martha who, despite being gluten-free, enjoyed the heck out of the event. I think she just likes sipping fancy cocktails. And dressing up. And looking fabulous doing both.

Too cute.

After watching Bradley from XIX whip up some gingersnaps (which were SO much better than classic gingersnaps you get in the box that end up being rock-hard and miserable), we enjoyed the event that it seemed every was hyped up for: Watching bartender Nate craft some cocktails!

Atta boy

He showed us how to make the most DELICIOUS version of a whiskey sour I’ve ever had.

Ingredients?

  • 2 oz Jameson
  • 1 oz Grand Marnier
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • 1 oz simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz OJ
  • 3/4 oz honey
  • 2 pieces of candied ginger
  • 3 dashes orange bitters
  • pumpkin spice
  • sugar
  • honey

The recipe was pretty simple:

  1. Rim glass with honey, sugar, and pumpkin spice
  2. Dry shake other ingredients to mix well, and add to a tumbler filled with ice

Couldn’t get enough, it was like some sort of apple pie in a glass.

Beautiful, warm colors to compliment any seasonal dessert!

After observing the creation of the confections and cocktails for a bit, we were invited to sample everything… Don’t have to ask me twice.

bottoms up!

Cocktail made with Patron XO Cafe, pear and pumpkin trifle, and chocolate brownie with cream cheese frosting (I think.)

Other highlights? That time that I won a giftcard in the end-of-event raffle!

For ME?!

I know I’d obviously be back to Williams-Sonoma otherwise, but the gift card might make that sooner rather than later…. Gotta get some holiday shopping done, right?

BUT, as a newbie in Philly, I’d never known about XIX or all the tasty experiences I could have just a few blocks away… Looks like Happy Hour planning might ALSO be taking place sooner rather than later.

Thanks to Kory at Aversa PR, Judy and her team at XIX, and Brenda, Jeff and the gang at Williams-Sonoma for my FIRST blogging event as a Philly resident (and HOPEFULLY not my last!)

Cheers!

What’s your favorite seasonal fall dessert?

I once won a pie-eating contest with a pumpkin pie. Get on my level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Revolution Without [Cleaning] is Not a Revolution Worth Having

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Ok, so I know I wasn’t the only one…. BUT I recently was asked to participate in the Finish® Sticky Dish Challenge and:

Create an amazingly tasty, messy, sticky, and difficult-to-clean meal to put Finish to the test

The folks at Finish offered me a gift card to Williams-Sonoma in order to nab something shiny to mess up with food and goop, along with a sample of their Finish® Quantum® 10-pack to see what it could take. The rules were simple:

  1. Get dish.
  2. Make food (and, by default, make mess.)
  3. Do NOT clean, just let it sit overnight and get funkier/stickier.
  4. Try out the goods.

Best mail EVER!

Since I’ve been obsessed with enchiladas lately, and had about 7 oz of goat cheese to use, I went for something extra special.

Sara (from The Sprouted Kitchen)’s Roasted Zucchini, Black Bean, and Goat Cheese enchiladas! It had all the stickiest ingredients: roasted veggies, so much sauce, cheese, black beany goodness (just TRY not to make a mess with black beans). I was ready.

Let’s do this!

(bonus: Since I already had the goat cheese, the whole dish cost me about $10 to make!)

(Except the wine. That was brought by my cooking buddy, Jess, to make our dish more creative.)

This recipe was a blast to make. We laughed as we chopped and roasted….

So vibrant

We I cried while I chopped the onion.

Don’t cry for me Onion-tina

And filled the enchiladas with delicious healthy ingredients. Black beans, goat cheese, roasted zucchini and red pepper, and spinach, of course!

Steamy

Then, I got to make the mess I’d been waiting for…

Saucey

So much filling all OVER that pan!

All cooked, let’s check it out!

Ready for my closeup

Yep, that’s caked-on-the-pan, gooey enchilada goodness.

I shall call YOU lunch

If the enchiladas looked like gorgeous supermodels, the pan looked like…. a crusty lady in red after a salsa fight.

ew.

 

Gross.

Luckily, I had a (not-so) secret weapon… Wanna see how Finish Quantum did? CHECK OUT MY FIRST VLOG IN WHICH MY VOICE SOUNDS REALLY WEIRD!!

I swear, this was USED! Not brand new, as it looks…

I’ll admit, I’ve used a LOT of different dishwashing detergents before. In fact, when I was living abroad in Italy for a month, we used Glass Cleaner for the first wash before realizing it wasn’t detergent (oops…. poison? Nah, we rinsed the dishes….)

That being said, this stuff was the JAM! We also put our used dishes in there, some nice wine glasses…. not a streak in the bunch, and no food bits left behind. Incredible. I was blown away.

Big ups to the #FinishRevolution for making a convert out of me. I know I appreciated the opportunity, and I’m pretty sure my buddy Jess enjoyed the fruits of my cooking labor. Check out below if you’re trying to get in on the Finish Quantum action!
*I received this Finish® product free of charge in order to try it out and share the results with my readers (that’s y’all!!). The opinions are mine alone (though I did ask my buddy, Jess, what she thought, and the results are based on our delicious experience. I had a BLAST with this, and am happy to let anyone know that if they’d like to try out this awesome product, you can get a free sample on their Facebook Page!

Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs

/ foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

I’m a lover of many things.

The University of North Carolina. Sour beers. Sleeping in. Philly soft pretzels. Hot dogs. Chilly mornings. Swimming in salt water. Learning. Jellyfish. Fancy cheese parties. Melissa.

You know, the best things in life.

On Friday, after waking up at an ungodly hour on Friday morning (equivalent to 2 a.m. Denver time), walking to the train station, training to the airport, and flying off to the Mile High City, I was greeted not just by one of those things (my hostess, MELISSA!) but, shortly after, 3 more of them.

I thought I’d be a zombie after traveling all day but, considering I slept about 2/3 of the 4 hour plane ride, I was surprisingly refreshed. When offered the chance to nap or to nibble, guess what I chose?

Not just ANY hot dogs

Biker Jim’s, according to the internet and the Colorado natives, is a Denver staple. These charred and grilled dogs are not your standard summer BBQ fare. Instead, the casing is filled with exotic meats like reindeer, wild boar, rattlesnake, elk, and buffalo.  Knowing that we had much beer ahead of us, we knew that we needed to fill our bellies to fuel our day/night.

I was initially a bit overwhelmed with the choices.

Too many options

While my North Carolina aching heart was initially distracted by the options of fried mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes and the side salad (HA, no, not even a little), Melissa reminded me of my real goal. The dogs.

After much deliberation, we decided to split two. Elk Jalapeño Cheddar and a Linguisa (Portuguese style  pork with paprika and red wine). When asked for a suggestion of what to top them with, the answer was nearly immediate:

[get them] torpedoed with Coca-Cola soaked grilled onions and a swizzle of cream cheese unloaded from the front end of a caulking gun.

Well, who am I to say no to the wisdom of the natives?

And, as I waited for my brats to cook, I watched the restaurant gradually get filled with a Friday lunch rush. You do NOT wanna stop in any time shortly after noon if you’re in a rush.

Quite the hood

And then, they were ready.

Stop drooling

The verdict?

Admittedly, the Linguisa was a little lacking with flavor. It was slightly sweeter than I like my dogs to be.  Luckily, I had my jalapeño cheddar half waiting for me in the wings.

It was juicy, it was full of flavor, and those onions should top any and all of my future meals.

Paired with some house-made potato chips which were crunchy (and also great with the onions), this food was the ideal energy boost for a LONG day of beer consumption.  And that’s what awaited us…

But I’ve got school to learn. So thanks, Biker Jim’s, for filling our bellies with the best brats Denver’s got!

Let’s DO THIS!

More GABF next post. Or, at least some sort of beer-related post.

 

Protein WHAT NOW?!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Just a quick post, because I can’t stop thinking about this:

Must we jam ALL of our meals/dishes with protein powder? Smoothies, pancakes, muffins, cupcakes, frosting?

Mac and cheese? Jello? Burgers? (Ok, these are a little wacky and I haven’t really seen them pop up on blogs too often… but ew.)

Pardon my abbreviation, but WTF?!

I understand it’s important…. but come on.

PSA: Not EVERY food you make/eat must be jammed full of protein powder in order to fit protein into your diet.

(And, I know, for some people, it’s tough to get protein in their diet otherwise. And more power to you for making the effort. But the idea of some of these recipes…. revolting.)

More Like Federal GO-NUTS! Federal Donuts in Center City

/ foodsweatandbeers / 15 Comments

Ever see that flick, Wicker Park? The one where some girl dates Josh Hartnett, then she leaves him, and then some other crazy girl is obsessed with him or something. I clearly was only watching to ogle Mr. Hartnett, but I do remember the one quote from the end of the trailer.

Love makes you do crazy things, insane things… can’t help it.

Point in case? This morning, I woke up before the sun because I’m in love. In love with donuts. My crack-of-dawn-wake-up-call was all to be one of the first to taste the heavenly decadence of Federal Donuts‘ newest location in Center City.  Clearly, I was pretty amped.

LET’S DO THIS!

I got to soak up some of the Monday morning sights of Philadelphia… Namely, the piles of trash on the street, as it’s trash-pickup-day.

classy.

Smell that sweet, morning air.

As I crossed through the park, I was greeted by streaks of light and sunshine. And, as my stomach growled with excitement,

Good morning, world. Did you wanna share my donuts?

When I rolled up to their new location (1632 Sansom Street, if you’re wondering), the inside was bustling with activity.

No surprise, this go-getter was the first in line (a line of two for a while…)

I AM NUMBER ONE!

Before we knew it, the 14 minute wait was over, and it was time to get at the good stuff.  We were offered our choice of four of their donuts. This was absolutely not an easy choice for me, considering they had 6 fancies (flavors listed under the pictures) and 3 “hots” that were made fresh (flavors of hots included strawberry fennel, vanilla spice, and Turkish mocha).

(Clockwise, from Upper Left) Maple Bacon, Green Tea Sesame, Mint Chocolate (I THINK) and Butter Pecan (I think? I had tunnel vision.)

Right side: Spicy PB&J on the top, Lemon Bar on the bottom

Icing!!

Icing the Fancies

HOT hots!

I carefully observed and plotted and licked my lips.  And then, I decided on my four and excitedly walked out with a bag of goodies.

The Final Four

I went with 3 fancies:

  • Maple Bacon (White frosting with a brown drizzle, looks like a flower. I KNEW Ry would love that one!)
  • Green Tea Sesame (Green, with sesame explosion!)
  • Spicy PB&J (PB&J stripes!)

And ONE perfect, highly recommended hot:

  • Strawberry fennel (Pink fairy dust!)

As I walked back into the apartment, donuts in hand, Ryan assumed I was a heavily armed killer. Lucky for him, the only heat I was packing was my single hot donut AND I was ready to share.

We split two for breakfast (and are saving the other two for dessert tonight).  The Maple Bacon was mind-boggling. I didn’t see any bacon… but I tasted it in the frosting drizzle. And it tasted like a savory salty creaminess, one which I’ve never experienced before.  I didn’t taste as much of the maple, but it was still delicious.

The star of our morning, though, was the strawberry fennel. HOW DO THEY MAKE THE PINK STRAWBERRY FENNEL CRYSTALS OF GOODNESS?!?!!? This is a mystery to me, a delicious mystery that is best served warm and split with a loved one while catching up on your favorite cartoons.

FedNuts opens its Sansom location officially on Wednesday morning, and you better BELIEVE I’ll be back soon. For donuts, yes, and to finally try some of their infamous fried chicken. Yes, donuts and chicken.  The healthiest, right? I never said I was a role model.

Can’t wait to try round two tonight….

Which flavors would you have chosen?

Free(food) Isn’t Free

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

At UNC, it was Pokey Sticks, pizza, hush puppies, and Bojangles.

I’m cool with that.

And, with age, comes maturity, right?

Like a really mature cheese.

A Swiss gruyere, perhaps?

Or a very mature… Whoopie Pie from Cupcake and Whoopie Cravings.

Red Velvet = sexual chocolate

Instead of the All-American/All-Southern foods, we get a diverse mix of international cuisines.

Veggie lo-mein, quinoa and wheatberry salad, HOLY MACKEREL what a spread!!

But, no matter whether you’re getting a greasy Pokey Stick in your dorm building’s meeting or gourmet salami picante and Margherita pizza at a Happy Hour for Public Health students, at the end of the day, free food is NOT free.

DAMN YOU, SUPERIOR INGREDIENTS!!

I know it’s been the case with me. I’ve been thinking to myself YEESH grad school is so expensive. I have nothing in the way of a steady income (though I am loving the Athleta job, it’s certainly not a 40-hour career gig that can support city living) and ANYTHING free is better then spending my own money, right?

Wrong.

Last week, with all sorts of events going on for school and a little bit of wobbling when it came to getting accustomed to my new working-girl schedule, I found myself rushing around campus going to any and all events that were free and sponsored by campus. Collecting cookies, soft pretzels, and hot dogs for the run. Thanking my lucky stars that I wasn’t shelling out my dollars on expensive salads and grilled chicken. And then it hit me.

With the effort that I was putting forth finding the times for these events, mapping out the destination and the route to get there, and considering time is money… I was spending quite a bit on these “free” meals.

Their nutritional value was rarely better than the slop you’d find at a fast food restaurant or a massive buffet. Hamburgers, pasta salad, hot dogs, snack-bar cookies, brownies. And the occasional fruit cup and quinoa salad didn’t really offset the unhealthy other junk.

The result of the week?

blub blub blub

I’m feeling like a pufferfish, head to toe.

So this weekend, I went out, nabbed some grapes, some chicken breasts, frozen veggies, and spinach at my local Superfresh. Instead of taking the bus there, I jogged. And I prepared food for the week.

For when I have to eat lunch/dinner at work, I picked up some sandwich thins, lunch meat, onion, and fruits for my lunch bag. No rushing over to McDonalds for convenience and cheap burgers.

Turns out that the cost of this free food was surprisingly steep. My self-esteem, my energy, my time, and my digestive system.  And that’s just not worth it, not at all.

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and I think I might have with that disembodied wisdom.

Ever fall into the “Free Food” trap? 

Any advice for navigating it without ending up puffy and sad?

I’d say avoid the carbs, that’s going to be the very worst part of the meal most of the time. The hot dog buns, the noodles, the cookies… they ended up as the lowest of the low quality.

 

 

 

 

Megabus or BUST!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

When I decided on an impromptu journey to NYC for the weekend on Friday morning, I never thought I’d be waking up Sunday and Monday mornings to this ugly mug:

Hello, you fool. DON’T LOVE YOU!

But, other than a furry alarm clock that woke me up a few hours too early each morning with a scratchy tongue and a desperate Meeyooooowwwwww, this was just the most pleasant little surprise trip to visit my buddy Claire.

Goals of the weekend?

  • Eat good foods
  • Avoid any/all football games (televised, IRL, college, NFL, Fantasy, foosball…)
  • Don’t spend too much money
  • Get outside

Mission: accomplished.

Scenes from the Megabus Experience

After my first actual floor shift at Athleta (my new employer, in case you missed this post), I hauled booty over to Philly’s infamous 30th Street Station to hunt down the Megabus stop. After walking around like a sleepwalker for a bit, unsure of what I was doing, I spotted a Bolt Bus and figured it couldn’t be too far…  And, after chasing a bus turned fruitful, and the Megabus was about 20 minutes late, I hopped on and secured a window seat.

If you follow me on Twitter, you might also know that I secured my own row on the bus.  This was achieved by looking generally surly and standoffish and pulling my hood up over my eyes. I’m pretty sure no one on that bus wanted to be my friend.  That’s fine, I didn’t wanna be their buddy either and about 2.5 hours later, I pulled up to the stop in Chelsea to meet Claire!

After a long week for both of us (first full week of school, first few shifts of work for me; she’s apartment hunting and working full-time), any pipe dreams of GOING OUT!! TO THE DISCO!! MAKING MOVES FOR A NYC PARTY WEEKEND!! were kicked to the side as we both looked at each other, then down at the container of pimiento cheese in my hand. Cheese party for two? Bring it on.

Gorgeous, much?

The next morning, we slept in, but the sun did not, and it was a PERFECT day to head to Brooklyn for one of my favorite parts of the city, Smorgasburg! I was introduced to Smorgasburg last November, and basically dream about it every weekend. And, after reading all about the Vendy Awards this weekend, I was itching for some goodies. Sunday Smorgasburg delivered.

Lunch of Champions

Lunch was a Coconut Chicken Curry bun from Bite Size Kitchen and a Baja Asada (grilled fish!) taco from Choncho’s. I FINALLY tried a direct squirt of Sriracha, and I’m chomping at the bit to get to the store and get a bottle (or four) of my own.

And dessert, of course.

Dessert was sweet and refreshing. Miniature maple butter tart from Cutie Pies NYC and, my favorite new treat, Kelvin Natural Slush!! Arnold Palmer flavored with a bit of Raspberry added in, and ideal on a sunny afternoon laying out on the grass.

Since we were (sort of) in the neighborhood, we headed over to Brooklyn Brewery for a little Sunday Funday.

Beautiful

This might be my favorite brewery scene I’ve ever been to (this was my second visit) and we enjoyed tasty beers and fantastic company.

MANY tasty beers.

Rainbow of beers! Rain-beer?

After galavanting about Brooklyn a little longer, the sun had sucked out the last of our energy. The night was spent eating more (what else?) CHEESE!

Tallegio, goat cheese x 3, and fig jam? We fancy.

I secured another entire row for myself this morning on my bright and early Megabus back and I’m basically FLOORED by the ease of getting to/from NYC. I’ve had more trouble getting to South Philly….

Megabus goes from Philly to Boston, Baltimore, State College, DC, and Toronto. I wonder where I’ll go next.

Any suggestions?

What’s your favorite method of long-distance transportation?

How about your favorite food to eat in NYC? Mine is everything

Philly: The School of Hard Knocks and Soft Pretzels

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

I’ve officially survived the first week and some change of grad school, and came out without a scratch! Maybe a corneal scratch or two, I’ve been doing a lot of reading (actually, I highly doubt that corneal scratches come from reading, and I’m pretty sure that my best friend, the optometrist, would smack me for saying such a thing). But, beyond the classroom walls, the outlining, the biostatistics, I’ve learned a few other bits and pieces on the mean smelly streets of Philadelphia. And, since I’ve been doing enough writing for school on things that might not fit into this blog (The effects of tar balls on public health! The Theory of Reasoned Action and how it influences condom use! The history of voluntary abortion in India!), I figured I’d share a few tidbits on the blog so that each of you can get a little tutelage from little old me.

1. Have your cake and eat it, too.

Or, in my case, find a place to work and workout, too.

Second home?

You’re reading the words of one of Athleta’s newest employees. And, even though I’ll soon be better dressed in the gym than I usually am outside of the gym, I promise not to forget the little people that brought me to this point (if you’re reading this, I’m probably talking about you.)

One of the major perks of working somewhere filled with like-minded athletes and fitness Barbies like myself? Workout classes IN THE STORE!!

Athleta just was identified by Be Well Philly as the best place for free workout classes and, after finally trying one on Thursday morning, I can see why. In 40 minutes, I broke a sweat, burned over 500 calories AND was surrounded by adorable clothing that just screamed out “buy me, buy me!” I held off (waiting until I actually get my first paycheck, before I blow it on clothes) BUT it was definitely worth the trip over.

2. You can ALWAYS find X cheaper if you look hard enough. 

Deal on grapes at Whole Foods?

Go to Trader Joe’s.  Too expensive there?

Try Superfresh.  That not doing it for you?

Farmer’s Market.

Shopping around, when you have the time, can save you a buttload. You just have to make the effort. Luckily, I’ve got the time AND am a notorious cheapskate. A dynamic combination….

3. Be Aggressive. B-E AGGRESSIVE!

Ok, maybe this isn’t going to work for everyone. And, honestly, I don’t even know if it’s working for me. BUT I’m taking a fairly aggressive approach to befriending people. If I find out their last name, I’m friending them. If I can get their number, I’ll text em. AND, if there’s a chance to interact with my peers outside of class… I’m doing it.

Silly happy hour photos at the Mutter Museum? I’m there.

We’ll see how this goes in the long run….

4. Find Joy in the Little Things

Got a three hour class on the more complicated theories that form the basis for public health policy and interventions?

At least there’s a view…

Penn’s coat-of-arms is gorgeous. 

Also a little joy?

This solar-powered dancing sunflower, which is only happy when it’s sunny out.

Sound like anyone else you know?

5. Free? I’ll take it.

Yes, I know I said I’m a cheapskate. And you know what’s even cheaper than cheap?

Free.

Today, I stopped at the RnR Philly expo to see what all you crazy runners were fussing about…. Then I stopped by the Reading Terminal Market for some goodies. The sum of my experience?

Score.

The cost?

Zilch.

Be resourceful, check twitter, and who knows? You might take that old phrase “No such thing as a free lunch” and flip it right on its head.

6. YOLO

Last minute bus trip to NYC for the weekend, leaving in 30 hours?

Pretend that’s me in there.

Jeez, living in the Northeast is easy.

Agenda today? Quick trip to Rittenhouse Square for some art walking then DATE NIGHT with the beau!!

Learning is so fun.

 

Grad School vs. Kindergarten

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

And, just like that, I’m in grad school. I’m making moves, I’m taking Philly and UPenn by storm, and my higher education is top priority.  Yesterday was my very first day of classes and, though I was PAINFULLY excited, I was also silly-nervous. Was the teacher gonna be hard? Would there be mean girls  a la Elle Woods’ first day in law school? Would anyone sit next to me? What was the difference between nominal and interval-ratio, again?

Luckily, my intro to Biostats class was the ideal first class to have. My professor was friendly, adorable, and “loved” that I was named Jordan (boy’s name for a girl! HOW NOVEL!!)  As I listened to the lecture (for which I was incredibly prepared for, as I’d been “that girl” who did all the reading before the first day), I found my mind drifting a bit. Primarily to the fact that, despite almost all the students being 25+ (with a few “young’ns” clocking in at 21-22), this wasn’t so different from another first day I had, years and years ago.  Maybe like… 20 years ago.  Like Kindergarten.

And, though I’m not the first person to make this comparison, my personal experience revealed both major similarities, and stark differences.

Like Kindergarten, I pored over my first day of class outfit. And, also like Kindergarten, I chose a pink dress.

LET’S LEARN!

Like Kindergarten, I took the bus to school (at least, like most Kindergarteners, I was spoiled and got driven).

Unlike Kindergarten, it looked like this:

Where’s my yellow schoolbus?

Like Kindergarten, I had a nutritious lunch to fuel my big day.

Unlike Kindergarten, I cooked it in an oven, and served it with avocado and salsa. I don’t think I even knew what an avocado WAS back in the day.

Trader Joe’s Pizza al Polla Asado – $1.99 at TJ’s, SO tasty!

Like Kindergarten, we all introduced ourselves and said what animal we wish we could be.  (Mine was a Jellyfish. No surprise there.)

Unlike Kindergarten, we followed up with what school/program we were from… This was different unless you had PhD candidates for Bioengineering in your Kindergarten classes. I’m 98% sure we did not (though who knows about that one geeky kid with the swanky Lunchables container he designed himself…)

Like Kindergarten, we had snack time in the middle of class.

Unlike Kindergarten, snack time consisted of Rainier cherries, goat cheese, manchego, cracked pepper water crackers, and Pirouettes.

Thanks, Professor!!

Like Kindergarten, we were all eager to learn and meet each other.

Unlike Kindergarten, the plans we made for the future were not for playdates and sandbox trysts, but for happy hours and Restaurant Week.

And, as I got home after class and sat down to a dinner of crock-pot pulled pork and a bit of reading for my next class, I realized that, even though the (used) textbook I’m reading is titled Health Behavior and Health Education and doesn’t have ANY pictures, just like Kindergarten, it’s filled with illegible handwriting that might as well have come from a 5-year old.

Solid chicken scratch, bro.

Ah, it’s good to know some things will never change.

What was your favorite thing about the first day(s) of school?