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Six Pack Sunday: Doodles and Dooty

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Ok, I’m sorry, I kind of hate myself for the title of this post.  But, more importantly, I think it’s hilarious, especially when the word “dooty” is used in any type of writing, so hopefully you’ll bear with me and stick it out to enjoy the REST of this week’s Six Pack Sunday!

1. Ask and You Shall Receive

Oh goodness, I can’t thank the Twitter world enough!! On Friday, I was a little bit at a loss. I knew that I wanted to bring treats to my little sister’s volleyball tournament this weekend but a) I’m not a baker and b) I was low on time.  After rocking out an awesome Zumba class with Sierra, the queen of Triangle blogger workouts (check out the link for an adorable picture of our height difference), it was already 7:30 and I had to make dinner AND whip up some good stuff. I asked the internet, and y’all DELIVERED!

I'll snicker YOUR doodle!

Kelli suggested the Snickerdoodle Blondies from My Baking Addiction, which were UNBELIEVABLE! They were so delicious, I had no idea what to do with myself other than wrap them up to bring the goodies to the girls before I ate them all myself.  The other hit (which admittedly looked like poop, so I didn’t photograph them) was courtesy of Kaitlin’s recipe for No Bake Cookies. Peanut butter, chocolate, oats? Impossible to go wrong, especially when cooking for teenage girls!

The only change I made with BOTH recipes was replacing the vanilla extract with almond extract. That’s my personal touch to MOST recipes, primarily because I like the taste and, if I don’t wanna eat my own creations, who would?

Every single crumb was eaten (I definitely helped with that) and the girls and parents alike were enamored with my creations!  THANK YOU to everyone that suggested recipes, I was so stoked with the results!

2. Not Now, Wool E.!

That's BULL!

Wool E. Bull, the Durham minor league baseball team’s mascot, made a visit to the Raleigh Convention Center to watch some volleyball.  Don’t let the smiling girls fool you, they were SO annoyed as he was trying to give high fives in the middle of the GAME! There’s a time and place for everything (and every bull). This was neither the time, NOR the place.  Sorry, Mr. Bull.

3. Dress to Impress

Always fierce, always winning spring fling queen

One of the terms used most frequently to find my blog is “What to wear to pure barre” which all stems from my Pure Barre Breakdown post Here’s my advice: wear something cute, but make sure it’s comfortable! At the studio I go to (occasionally, not regularly, as I’m not loaded enough to afford the classes in addition to my gym membership), there are mirrors all over. So I definitely do my best to try and look put together. In my opinion, when you look good, you feel good, or at least you don’t think about it. I was rocking my new Lululemon shirt (which I got on sale when I picked up my FAVORITE LEGGINGS EVER that actually gave me the courage to post my first tummy picture on the blog) and one of my favorite pairs of leggings from Nike. I hate to say that clothes make the (wo)man, but it was definitely my favorite Pure Barre class ever.  I’m not saying it was JUST because of the outfit… but it didn’t hurt.

4. Heavy Dooty 

Maybe I’m watching too much TV lately, or maybe just too many kids’ channels (I love cartoons), but I’ve been seeing THIS commercial on a lot, lately.

At first I didn’t pay any attention to this commercial, but then I paid some.  And I was like “Wait. WHAT?”

Are these kids pooping in their diapers, and then being judged on it?

What?

Poop, there it is, indeed.

5. Meat Free Meal at The Pit

The one bummer of the weekend was a trip to The (legendary) Pit in Raleigh…. Not because it wasn’t tasty (it was TOO TASTY) but because, as per my Lenten sacrifice, I’m not eating any of their specialties right now. No NC BBQ, no pulled pork, no beef brisket, no pimento BLTs…  But I made it work.

This appetizer could be breakfast, dessert, and dinner for the rest of my life.

Up first? Pumpkin skillet cornbread served with maple butter.  I split this with my dad and sister, but could’ve easily devoured the entire skillet (even if the skillet was full sized).  Warm and crumbly, every bite was balanced with the right amount of spice and savory cornbread flavor.  The maple butter was (literally) the icing on the cake. Divine.

Fried EVERYTHING!

Since I wasn’t eating meat, as I enviously eyed my sister’s pulled pork, I ordered myself a fried catfish platter.  Healthy? No. Delicious: A-YUP!

Fried catfish with remoulade sauce (which was described as spicy, but wasn’t actually very spicy at all) and sides of hush puppies, a biscuit, sweet potato fries, AND fried okra.

Fried food OVERLOAD!  I saved half of the catfish and the biscuit for later, but pretty much demolished the rest of the plate. The sweet potato fries were crispy and even better dipped in some ketchup and/or remoulade. The fried okra, a rare indulgence, wasn’t slimy at all, and the seasoning was light but still salty and savory.  I didn’t even need dinner that night (except for the blondies).

6. Cocoa Mole: The Horchata of Beer

Worst beer shot ever? Sorry. Focusing on the drinking.

I had the pleasure… Nay, the JOY of trying New Belgium’s Cocoa Mole spiced ale on Thursday.  My Untappd description? “Amazing. This is so delicious I don’t know how to deal with life.”

This beer was spiced, it was rich, and it was delicious.  Described by the brewery:

Say Hola to a spiced up ale full of cocoa and ancho, guajillo, chipotle peppers. But don’t fear the heat, because plenty of caramel and chocolate malts bring a smooth, complex flavor to our Cocoa Molé. Scents of cinnamon when poured will have you saying, “¡Olé for molé!”

I felt like if Horchata (cinnamon rice milk) had a beer cousin, Cocoa Mole would be him.  I want to bathe in this beer (or maybe just keep drinking it.  Bathing in it could get gross, fast.)  Cinnamon, chiles, good carbonation, and not so heavy that you felt like you could chew it, this is the kind of dark, complex beer that I love to find.  It had that mouthfeel that made you want to keep drinking it, and I couldn’t stop smelling my glass.  Served at Rockfish out of a gorgeous New Belgium goblet, I couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable Thursday night beer choice as we planned our St. Patrick’s Day agenda.

The past week was fantastic, and the upcoming one is going to be incredibly busy, exciting, and intense. Mid-week trip back to PHL, St. Patrick’s day on Saturday (YES! WEEKEND GROWNUP HOLIDAY!) I’m tired just thinking about it… But I’m definitely NOT complaining.

Anything exciting for your upcoming week?

What’s the craziest fried food you’ve ever had? Or at least the tastiest?

Fried mac & cheese is pretty divine…

Sloppy Sams: A Lentil Adventure

/ foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

Here’s a few thoughts:

  1. Lentils are dirty.  If you’re going to use them, rinse the heck outta them.  And then, if you’re me, after you cook them, rinse them again.  Gross.
  2. Despite wolfing down many during camp lunches, I don’t really remember what Sloppy Joe’s taste like.
  3. I know that Sloppy Sams taste great.

Unlike the whole Soy Chorizo situation, I didn’t seek out this recipe to replace some sort of meat that was missing in my life. I just saw a recipe online, and figured “I have good memories of Sloppy Joes, right? Lots of camp memories, lots of laughter at the old lady in Billy Madison, let’s do this thing.”

Alas, I didn’t don a sexy lunchlady outfit for y’all.  But I found a great recipe!  Then I changed it to fit my needs.

Sloppy Sams from Marian at All Recipes!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup lentils, rinsed (THEN RINSE THEM AGAIN!!)
  • salt to taste (optional)
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped tomato One can fire roasted tomatoes, and a handful of fresh tomato
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup ketchup a liberal squirting of ketchup, but I didn’t measure it out
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder RATS I didn’t have any, I wish I did
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (then more because I’m a spice monger)
  • 3 tablespoons molasses Tomatoes are already sweet, why add more sweetness?
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 hamburger buns, split Whatever bread you have!
  • Cheese and jalapenos for topping!
Makes about six servings!

Directions

  1. Combine water and lentils in a saucepan; season to taste with salt if desired. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Meanwhile, cook onions with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes (and can of tomatoes) and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, ketchup, mustard powder, chili powder, molasses and Worcestershire sauce; simmer 5 to10 minutes until thickened.
  3. Drain lentils and reserve cooking liquid. Stir lentils into sauce mixture, adding cooking liquid or water as needed to obtain the desired “sloppy joe” consistency. Serve on buns toasted wheat breadwith a sprinkle of cheese and some jalapenos!

I enjoyed the HECK out of this!

De-LIGHTFUL!

I also sprinkled a bit of cheese on top and, next time I’ve got em, I’ll add some jalapenos (pickled or fresh) on top for a little heat.

I will say, though, this recipe makes enough for about 6 servings.  Now I have a Simba-sized tub of leftovers.

How about THIS?!

Consider me Rafiki!

That ought to tide me over (had to check on that phrase, I never know if it’s Tie or Tide) for a while.

Dessert was what I like to call The Friend Killer.

DESTROYER OF LIVES!

It may look like just a banana with some peanut butter to YOU but, to me, this is basically a weapon.  In college, two of my the people I was closest with (and one that I continue to be close with, since he’s my boyfriend and all) were deathly allergic to these two ingredients (one to bananas, one to nuts).  If I’d eaten this around them, they’d basically both go into anaphylactic shock and die.

Well, when the friends are away, the Jordan will play…. with her food. I may or may not have “Pew Pewed” holding this banana like a gun a few times, before eating it.  Normal.

(No friends [or enemies] were hurt during the writing of this blog).

Back to work!

Are you allergic to anything? Especially food?

When I was younger, I was allergic to eggs…. but clearly that’s faded. Nothing else, other than that. I guess I’ll just have to keep eating random foods until I find something.

Best Friends Since Birth: Ode to My Mommy

/ foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

I have to say that I believe in love at first sight, mostly because I am CERTAIN I’ve experienced it.  I just get the feeling that, the moment I was born, and my “being born” junk was wiped from my eyes, I saw the love of my life.  She was only about 3 feet taller than I was (and I was just born, moments before), but her platinum blonde hair acted as a halo for the angel that is my mother.  And though it’s been almost 25 years since we met, I still know that my love for her will never fade. In fact, it just gets stronger, every day.

I’m “that girl” with my mom. I text her every morning and I feel lost if I don’t talk to her on the phone at least once a day.  I ask ridiculous questions like “What are you doing? Who are you with? What are you thinking about who you’re with, and where are you all going for dinner?” If I could live with my mother for the rest of my life, I think I’d be happy as a clam, and I’d force her to eat salads and come to Zumba with me and get into all sorts of hijinx.  It would basically be like Gilmore Girls, only without the inn and lots more social work.  Oh, and it’d be a lot tougher to share clothes, considering our 8-9 inch height difference.

Tiny, baby mommy.

My mother has shaped me maybe more than any other single human being on the planet. She’s been a teacher, a friend, a caregiver, a healer, a snuggle-buddy, a kindred spirit, and my number one role model.  I remember growing up feeling shy and, more often than not, uncomfortable in my own skin. I was a gangly bookworm, the tiniest Amazon nerd in Montessori School, and I tended to slouch. Mom taught me to stand up straight (though, for her, that really only meant standing about 5’4″ tall) and she taught me to walk into every room like I owned the place.  Probably because every time she walked into a room, a store, a bar, or down the street, all eyes were on her. She demands attention just by her existence. I dreamt of being just like her.

Poppin' Champangne, like she won the championship game

Mother of five, wife to one, and friend to all, she’s more generous than I could even attempt to be. Having recently received her MSW after deciding a few years ago to return to school, she’s gone out of her way to speak for those without a voice, to maintain her ethics in an oft-corrupt system, and to provide aid and assistance whenever possible with a focus on geriatrics. In the face of hopelessness, my mother is like a beacon of joy. I’d list all that she’s done for her clients, but I couldn’t even get the tip of the iceberg before a hand cramp.

She’s hilarious. One of the middle children in a family of 8 kids, she always manages to make everyone in the enormous resulting family laugh and smile, maybe me most of all.

Don't kill me for posting this, dancing queen

Being the littlest one in my family (though 5 of the 6 are her children), she often gets the brunt of the teasing. But she puts up with our jokes, rolling her eyes.  Since we love her, we pile on top of her any chance we have, so she doesn’t forget for a moment that she’s our best girl.

The tiniest face of the bunch? That's mommy.

She’s so proud of us, but I think she doesn’t realize just how proud we are of her!

Giving a speech at her graduation party

When she went back to school, she worked harder than I’ve ever seen a student work (that includes friends who are in PhD programs and med school). Every assignment was life or death, and I don’t think she ever got below an A.  Her laser-like focus on something as seemingly trivial as a reference list led to many long nights, but the payoff was sweet when she obtained her degree and the opportunity to follow her dream.

I still want to be just like her. She’s kind of my idol and if I can lead a life half as successful as hers, it will be a life well-lived.

Here’s to my best friend, my favorite beach girl…

Shore girls!

My partner in crime, even if the crime’s just making some penis-shaped cookies for Caitlin’s bachelorette party.

Though I don't think she really approved

And, no matter what happens and where life takes me, she’s the woman I wanna be like when I grow up.

More alike every day.

Happy birthday, Mommy! Can’t wait until we’re together again to celebrate!

Six Pack Sunday: Tar Heel Nation

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Sundays always taste much better after order has been restored.  I’m speaking, of course, about the infamous UNC-Duke rivalry and the amazing game I was lucky enough to watch last night. Order in my apartment… still working on that (it doesn’t NOT look like a clothing explosion in my living room).  Whatever, I’ve got more important things to focus on.  Namely: Six Pack Sunday!

1. Shameless Around Freebies

On Saturday, thanks to the reminder from Goob over at Hey It’s Free (my go-to source for freebies in the world), I strolled over to Auntie Anne’s to join about 35 of my closest friends total strangers in a line for a free Auntie Anne’s pretzel. I have ZERO problems waiting in lines for things like this… Sure, they’re normally less than $3 and definitely something I’d buy for myself if I wanted. But you know what tastes better than a $3 pretzel?

I agree with this wrapping.

A $0 pretzel. I simultaneously wish that free pretzel day was every day, and thank my lucky stars that it is but once a year (I think.)

You better believe a delicious, warm cinnamon pretzel was my carbtastic lunch. Mmmm hm.

2. Seafood Risotto Should NOT Be Cooked in a Bag

You gave it the ol' college try...

While I was at Whole Foods last week, I picked up a package of Seafood Risotto with BARRAMUNDI (the sustainable seabass). From the folks at Australis: The Better Fish, it was a classic case of desperation for a tasty, simple meal I could whip up at home in no time.

It was…. disappointing. The smell as it was cooking was pretty solid, but the texture was mushy and lumpy, and this whole pack was a little low on actual seafood inside of it.  Thumbs down from Jojo, won’t make that mistake again.

Anyone wanna make some risotto with me?

3. Fan Fashion!

You know what’s great about dressing up for watching a sporting event?

This photo won me a covershoot for Italian Vogue and an exclusive contract with ING Modeling

When you’re a lady, all this really translates to is “Don oversized jersey. Yank up leggings. WORK IT!”

I was obviously channeling #35 Reggie Bullock whilst cheering my face off at the game. I think it was important, and I hope he felt my dominating presence in Durham all the way from Carrboro.

4. Splenda =/= Sugar

Post-win, I avoided the standard “Rush Franklin Street” that I normally enjoy in order to end the night sober and un-singed (UNC fans are fond of the traditional “leaping over bonfires” after a big win. It can get dangerous). I headed over to Melissa’s house as it was early, still, and figured I’d help her whip up some chocolate meringue cookies she learned about in Runner’s World.  Only I’m pretty sure replacing the sugar with Splenda was a bad decision, because these don’t look like ANY meringue cookies I’ve ever seen…

Rats.

Not sure how thick those are?  Here’s a better shot.

Oops

Yeah. Paper thin, brown disks doth not a cookie make. Back to the drawing board…

5. When I say Tar, you say HEELS!

Killer Crowd!

I’d love to say that I met up with a bunch of buddies to watch the game but, honestly, I just showed up at a bar and knew that I’d meet a zillion UNC fans, and it’d be a guaranteed blast, no matter what. I was right.

I hit up The Station, a hipster haunt in Carrboro that I spent my undergraduate career avoiding in favor of dancing to 90s music. But, on gameday, with a giant projector and men rocking Luchadora masks and jumping on tables to shout cheers, I couldn’t have chosen a better location. And even though I only knew one of the zillions that made up the crowd, by the end, I felt like everyone was bonded together by our uniform of Carolina Blue and our love of those Tar Heel boys.  It was magical. Made even more magical by halftime gummy bears…

Gummy Fuel!

Oh, you don’t know about gummy bear halftime?  It’s only the most magical of all edible halftime shows.

6. Swimmer’s Eyebrow

Today, after a little over a mile run(!!) I knew I had to get in the pool for a little while to ease those aching bones. Though my years of swimming as a youth taught me a LOT about swimmer’s ear (one of the WORST infections to plague any swimmers… if you’ve experienced it, you know it’s hell), I experienced something today that I don’t think I ever realized also plagued swimmers.

TRAPPED!

Yes, swimmer’s eyebrow. It happens when one or both of your eyebrows becomes trapped in your swim cap, despite having donned it countless times before….  I eventually managed to release the brows from their pink prison, but I know they’ll never fully recover.

Pray for them, friends.

Who are you cheering for this March Madness?

Ever have any hilarious recipe fails?

Vanity, Thy Name is Lulu(lemon)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

I’m a fairly confident lady.  I have confidence in sunshine.  I have confidence that my adult acne will keep me getting carded well into my late 20s. But I also have confidence that, with the right attitude, you can look any which way and still turn heads whenever you walk into any room. Even at my lowest of lows, I still walked with my head held high, chest out, and rocking the good posture my mother taught me that us tall girls tend to forget when they’re in a crowd of tiny princesses, at least out in public.

We all have our private moments, the times when we don’t feel 100% about ourselves.  We can get down on our looks, and that’s never a good feeling.  Those moments can seem way bigger than the confident ones.  I remember the first time I spotted stretch marks on my stomach, and Ryan consoling me as I cried my eyes out, hating the mirror that revealed my flaws.  I remember the time that my best friend told one of our mutual buddies that I had big eyebrows, not knowing I was within hearing distance.  I still accidentally over-pluck with that memory in mind.

But I also remember the glorious moments that can always block out the bad ones.  I remember the time a fellow called me a blonde paradigm (WHAT a compliment!!) I remember the way Ryan looked at me when I walked out wearing the dress I wore tomy cousin’s wedding. I remember prancing around at the shore, tan and beach blonde, without a care in the world. And now, as vain as it sounds, I have a new memory to add to the list.

That one time that I felt like a fitness GODDESS in my new pants.

Fierce, yeah?

I want to save this on my computer forever. Who’d ever think that I’d be my OWN fitspiration?  Maybe it was just because it was a perfect Saturday morning, without a care in the world, and I was headed to BodyJam for a killer workout.  Maybe it was the delicious pescatarian week I’d had. Probably, it was the new Lululemon “Astro Wunder Under Crops” that my mom picked up for me when we were in DC this weekend.  But I just felt like a million bucks.

The workout class was fantastic, a solid BodyJam with lots of fun tracks and moves not unlike Jagger.

Brought to you by the letter A for AWESOME!

I decided to keep the party going in Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods…  My haul was epic.

Boxes and Barramundi!

Walking out of Trader Joe’s with a box kind of makes me feel like a badass.

So many frozen fishies!

Indian Goodies!

I kept my headphones on through all the stores, dancing my way through the aisles, and though my lunch was a basic egg-salad salad with spinach, eggs, carrots, green peppers, I predict my next few meals are going to bright, festive, and fishy.  Just the way I like it.

Ok, I guess if I want to shower, I have to take these crops off…  drats.

Chime in! Let’s get vain… What’s making you feel gorgeous today?  

Portlandia the Tour Does Durham

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Before you read any further, if you’re intending to see any of the last two showings of Portlandia: The Tour, STOP READING THIS POST IMMEDIATELY!!

Seriously.

Quit reading, or you’ll regret it.  That’s not a threat. It’s a promise.

Ok, hopefully that worked. If you’re still reading, know you’ve been warned.

Let’s get back to the task at hand…  Portlandia: The Tour came to Durham, NC last night. The moment the tickets for this show went on sale, I bought myself one. I didn’t know if I’d go with anyone, I didn’t know what else I was doing that night, I just knew that I’d be there, and I’d be laughing.

If you’re not aware, Portlandia (click here for some clips on Hulu, they’re worth a minute or two if you enjoy laughter and joy… do you?) is a fantastic television show on IFC which acts as a satirical look at the ridiculous residents of Portland. You know the ones, every town has them. Those too-hip-for-thou hipsters that shop at thrift stores, whose main mode of transportation is bicycling, and whose main food groups are cigarettes and coffee.  At least, that’s how they’re portrayed in Portlandia.

I love this show, and I feel like I’ve seen these “Portlandians” in many of my travels (most of the time in Carrboro, the hip artsy next-door neighbor of Chapel Hill). The best thing about Portlandia, though, is that they don’t mock these folks in a mean-spirited way. And Fred and Carrie both mentioned during the show last night that their inspiration for the characters comes a lot from pieces of their own personality.

portlandia

My fatal mistake before seeing this show, however, was that I’m just too curious for my own good. Unsure of what kind of format the show would be in, how long it would be, or what I could expect, I started searching online for reviews.

IDIOT!

I basically robbed myself of any and all elements of surprise, and kind of set myself up for the worst.  When you read the words of another (for instance, the under-enthused Dan Zak at the Washington Post), you can’t help but have your own expectations tainted with their thoughts.  And so a seed of doubt was planted…

I had a great seat, right in the center of the orchestra seating in the Carolina Theatre.  The venue was fantastic, in my opinion, offering reasonably comfortable seats AND bottles of (affordable!!) craft beer at the concession stand.  I nabbed a Ruthless Rye IPA (Sierra Nevada) and scampered back to my seat before the show started.

So smooth

The show started off with a little dialogue between Fred and Carrie relaying texts that the other had sent to each of them to the audience.  Hands down, the funniest line was from Fred to Carrie: “Your birth was not a birth at all, it was the death of all others.”

Cue raucous laughter.

They, along with their bandmates, played the show’s infamous “The Dream of the ’90s”, and even included a quick jab at Chapel Hill to rile up the crowd (which, ironically, included a TON of UNC students…)  Highlights of the rest of the show?

  • Durham recon discussion with John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats (a Durham local) and the audience, who piped in about their favorite biscuits, food trucks, coffee shops, restaurants, and record label. There was a great Bojangles vs. Biscuitville vs. Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen debate, which Sunrise dominated, and it relayed a lot of authentic Durham love.
  • A reading of the poetry penned by a 7-year old Freddy Armisen “Dracula sucks blood, and so do I.”  You can’t make this stuff up.
  • Fred’s father (also named Fred), a Durham resident, coming out on stage to recreate a photo from when the Armisen family ventured to London in Fred’s youth.
Smattered throughout the show were video clips from upcoming episodes of Portlandia. I found one vignette about an overzealous couple gearing up for a hike particularly hilarious ($5,200 is TOTALLY worth it when buying a handheld GPS…) and Barbara Streisand (thanks to Jay Dav for correcting me, I meant JUST Barbara, former partner of the feminist bookstore) makes a surprise visit to the Feminist bookstore and is quite hilarious.  If you’ve never watched the show, sorry if that doesn’t make sense.
If you have, you’re in for a treat.

Sneaky Phone pics are GREAT for lousy quality!!

The Q&A session at the end allowed for a solid amount of audience interaction, which I think Fred and Carrie do pretty well with.  I liked this part the most because, as it was unscripted and dependent on the questions from the audience, it was impossible to spoil the surprise (hell, I think even Carrie was a little surprised when one audience member requested her actual address in Portland… Creeper.)
I raised my own hand and requested the answers to the three questions that’d been asked to the Durham crowd, re: Portland.  Their answers?
Favorite Coffeeshop: Stumptown
Favorite Foodtruck: Fred couldn’t remember the exact name, but said it was a BBQ truck that did “pure BBQ goodness”  (Maybe Eclectic Eatery?)
Favorite Bar: Aalto Lounge
You know, just in case I head to Portland in the near future.  Other highlights included when Fred was asked if he was romantically in love with Carrie.  His response?

“Cacao to that.”  (Check out the Cacao clip for a better understanding.)

There was an off-key singalong at the end featuring more audience participation (whoda thunk that it’d be so tough to musically add the words “Durham North Carolina” to a tune?) and a few songs by the Zooey Deschanel lookalike in a Canadian tuxedo (denim on denim) who I later learned was Eleanor Friedberger of…. Eleanor Friedberger.  Definitely not hip enough to catch on that she was more than a musician I should’ve heard of by now.  Oh well.

I laughed at times.  At other times, I was thankful that my phone was smart enough to allow me to read Twitter.  Overall, I’m stoked I went, for about $40 (with taxes and Ticketmaster fees included in that price) it was a combination of a stand-up comedian, a mini-film festival, and a concert. I’ll take it. Carrie Brownstein is a fantastic example of a female musician/performer that has her shit together, and can hang with anyone. I think her style of humor throughout the whole show was what I connected to the most. Fred sometimes took it a little too far in any direction, and sometimes felt hokey, but together… that’s where they really shine.

All that being said, I’ll NEVER make the mistake of researching a live variety-show-esque performance like this pre-attendance.  I need more life-spoiler alerts.

Have you ever seen Portlandia?

What area near you is most like Portlandia (read: full of hipsters, hippies, scene kids, granola type folks… you know the ones)?

The Most Depressing Valentine Story You’ll Read All Day

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

If you’re still reading this post after that uplifting title, I give you props.  I originally wrote most of this piece last year on tumblr (which is the hottest spot for dumping all your emotions on the internet), but would love to share it again with a little more, as my “readership” has changed drastically in the past year. Also, I am currently hopped up on all the chocolate that I melted and didn’t manage to ooze onto my strawberries, so what better way to spread this sugar high than an emotional post?

That's a fraction of the chocolate and berries that were consumed whilst whipping up my treats.

Ok, time for the feelings.

Once, when I was in fourth grade, I went to a small Quaker school in Delaware, in a class with about 14 other kids. They were all just 9-10 year old students, like myself, just looking for love in this crazy mixed up elementary school of ours (not really… but you get the idea).

It was Valentine’s day, 1996, and being the overzealous, overachieving, and over-emotional girl that I was am, I didn’t skimp on Valentines. I didn’t just mention to mom that I liked Power Rangers and expect her to pick up a few of these:

(click image for source)

Nope. I had a very mature vocabulary and a fantastic grasp of the notion of rhyming, so I decided I needed to go balls deep (though, at 9, I didn’t know that term, I think the concept is timeless.)

I bought real, grown-up sized cards and wrote individual couplets for each of my classmates.

On the scale of one to ten,
you reach the top, again and again!

Or….

Roses are red, the ocean is blue,
I’m lucky to have a friend like you!

You get the idea. No big deal, right, there were only 14 of them? I’m fairly certain they had little lions on the front of the card, and I worked really hard to make sure that my 9 year old handwriting looked its best…  In the morning, I was so excited to hand them out, and I made sure to put one in every other students’ box.

The saddest moment in the history of my personal Valentine’s Days is when I saw several of those cards, cards that I’d painstakingly planned, written out, sealed, and labeled, crumbled in the trashcan. I always complain that I don’t use the word crestfallen enough.  Here’s a primo opportunity to use it: I looked crestfallen.  Looking back, a shot of those cards would’ve made perfect instagram fodder.

Maybe they tossed them because I didn’t tack on some giant piece of candy (it was a fairly wealthy school district, the kind where full-size Kit Kat bars might show up on the mandatory classroom Valentines), or perhaps I just wasn’t very cool with the other kids.  That was actually more likely the case, as I found out later that I never totally fit in there.  Whatever the reason, it broke my tiny little fourth grade heart into a million pieces.

Imagine the dust created from crushing up an entire box of conversation hearts…

(Click image for source)

Well, it’s 15 years later, and I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day.

Luckily my negative emotions towards Valentine’s day have been replaced, instead, with a love of my friends (who are basically family), a love of my main squeeze, Ryan, and a love of my family (a special shout out to my brother, Somers, who turns 23 today!!)

Love that boy

Just keep in mind that the things you do in your life (not even necessarily on Vday, try EVERY day) resonate in people’s minds, no matter how trivial they seem at the time.  We’re not 9 years old anymore, but the human heart never really gets all that tough (in my experience).

Here’s my challenge to you: Try to do something today that someone will remember 15 years from now for how GREAT it made them feel!

And if any skinny little blonde girls stare up at you optimistically, holding out some sort of glitter encrusted construction paper with hope in their eyes and a big, dopey grin on their face, take that Valentine and put it somewhere she can see it.  Trust me, it’ll mean the world to her.

The Science of Wine

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

After last night’s Six Pack Sunday post, you might start thinking I’m some sort of wine-o. Lucky for you, I barely know the difference between tannin and a tastevin (And the only reason I DO know the difference is because I just Googled “wine terminology“.)  That didn’t make last Thursday’s Science of Wine event at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham any less fun!

I had a blast at September’s Science of Beer event at the same venue and, as we were walking out of the building, I remember the folks mentioning a Science of Wine coming up in February.  Well, I waited patiently and my dreams came to fruition. [Note: I was trying to make some sort of wine/fruit pun there, but it just wasn’t happening. Imagine you just read something hilarious.]

I asked my beer buddy, Melissa, to join me for all the shenanigans of the night.  Sometimes I worry that you who don’t know me might assume that I have no other friends, as Melissa seems to be the only person that comes up regularly in my blog.  I promise, I have more than one friend (if you count my bathrobe as a friend.  Do you? Good, me too.)

Our other friends came to visit in their fancy Chirba Chirba dumpling truck!! Well, who are we to resist their Juicy Buns (especially after realizing that they sponsor one of Durham’s infamous Luchadoras, aptly named Juicy Buns herself!)

Juicy and Delicious!

After a little juicy appetizer, we were ready for the wine.

But really, we were just ready for the main event of the night, one of the biggest reasons we decided to go to the event at all!

Also juicy: Grapes!

The second we heard about the opportunity to squish our own grapes with our toes, we couldn’t resist the chance to live out all our I Love Lucy fantasies.  Though the “barrel” was a little smaller, the experience was just as joyous.

Total rapture

I even took some time from my uncontrollable laughter to pose!

Oh, hey eyes, thanks for un-squinting for a moment!

Melissa squishing those grapes!

I made Melissa go after me so as not to have to squish in anyone’s foot germs but my own (luckily, she had faith in my own feet, and happily obliged my wishes.)  After we got our fill of the fun in a tub, we washed our tootsies and started the night off right with a glass of wine and a side of edu-tainment.

Marsh-MALO!

We discussed the effect that malo-lactic fermentation can have on the mouthfeel of a wine (and why some malic acidic wines give you the mouthfeel of a sharp, tart fruit like an apple while others with more lactic acid taste smoother, like a GIANT marshmallow.)

Trader Joe’s did a cool exhibit where they described the regions that two wines that derived from the same grape came from (such as New Zealand vs. Germany) and guess, by taste, which was which.  Melissa and I decided to make a game of it.

Guess who won that face-off?

#1 stunner!

(it was me.)

Another total treat of the night?

DIY Coaster Creation Station!

Mine's the one on the right (I like turtles.)

This station, along with the DIY Wine Charm station, were great additions to the night.  It was an excellent way to sit back without any wine and just relax with some Modge Podge, scrapbooking scissors, and beads. Bonus? We all got to take home some very nifty crafts.  And I flipping LOVE crafts.

The most exciting aspect of the night (after the grape squishing, of course) was probably from the folks at The Wine Feed. Their exhibit was dangerous enough to require everyone to rock safety goggles (don’t worry, Ol’ Four Eyes here brought her own glasses!) There were sharp knives, swords, and BUBBLY!

En garde!

They showed off their fancy sabers, explained where you need to hit the bottle for maximum poppage, and blasted off a few tops.

Pop bottles!

This was a fantastic party trick that doesn’t actually require a fancy saber to do… I wonder if it works with bottles of Andre (mostly since that might be all I can afford for a practice or two…) The cool part about the sabering of a bottle is, because of the angle you hit it, the glass breaks AWAY from the wine itself, allowing you to pour it into a glass and drink it without lining your throat with shards of glass!

We started to get hungry and ventured over to the Reliable Cheese Company’s table for some wine and cheese pairing (ah, the sweetest pairing of all?!)

Heaven must be missing angels...

Stinky, sharp, creamy, nutty, buttery, sheep’s, goat’s, I couldn’t get enough.  They really put on a solid presentation, and now I must get out to the store…  They even have cheese classes if anyone’s trying to get their PhCheese (bahahaha.)

Our photographer at the end of the night didn’t really understand how to snap a shot of a pair of ladies, but I appreciated the effort of getting our last few moments at the event.

Beer buddies venturing into the world of wine!

We finished the night with the tasty treats served up by newcomer Baguettaboutit and Pie Pushers, always a favorite.

Pesto Chicken don't mind if I do!

Perfect accessory to soak up that vino!

Thanks to all the amazing vendors, vineyards, food trucks, and OF COURSE the museum for putting on another great event.

What do you think your favorite exhibit would’ve been? 

Putting the FULL in Fullstreet Wings!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

I LOVE chicken.  I love it roasted, fried, grilled, slow-cooked, and slathered in sauces.

Perhaps my favorite style of chicken consumption is in wing-form.  Wings bring people together, they’re my favorite eats during sports events, and they are actually finger-lickin’ good.  As in I shamelessly lick my fingers every time I eat wings.  The only problem is that, more often than not, they’re deep-fried and loaded with a buttery sauce.  And while that doesn’t negate the tastiness at all (on the contrary), it does stop me from eating wings constantly.

Well, I might be in trouble.

Wing me, baby!

Look unto the works of Carmen from Full Street Wings Cafe, Durham’s newest gourmet chicken wing spot!

These  never-frozen chicken bits are grilled and, trust me, the pictures don’t do them justice.

All smiles, wings for miles!

Carmen Settles, owner and chef, invited a number of folks from the Durham area to show off her delightful drumettes and have a little meet and greet.  She was also spreading the word about her KickStarter campaign which, if you like wings, you should consider donating to… I just love KickStarter, it gives community members the chance to back local projects they’re passionate about and be part of the entrepreneurial process.  Exciting, no?

Just some of the good stuff.

Carmen set out all of her favorite flavors and what kind of wing-eater would I be if I didn’t try them all?

  • Naked (Okay, I lied, I didn’t try this one, but can imagine if it’s anything like the other, it’s a clean crisp and juicy chicken wing)
  • Garlic Herb & Parmesan – Our first wing, the Parmesan and garlic pair up perfectly for a savory, flavorful bite. Delicious.
  • Classic BBQ – Sweet and saucy, though, I’ll admit, it was not my favorite wing.  Not because it wasn’t tasty…. but because the others were beyond tasty.
  • Papi’s Original – A medium heat wing, these are the recipe that Carmen’s father started her off with, and she never looked back. Loved the spices without hitting you in the face with salt.
  • The Full Street – Carmen’s classic wing, these are the closest to a classic wing-heat as I think we tried, and I could eat a dozen. Crisp skin, plump chicken, with all the right spices.
  • Jerky – See that sexy and proud wing on the top of my pile in the picture above? That was the jerky. It was excellent! It was savory with a nice heat, though, obviously a very different flavor than the next one.
  • Just D*%# Hot – The heat on this one was a nice, slow burn. It was a nice “hot” flavor and avoided the gimmicky “THIS IS SO HOT YOU NEED TO SIGN A WAIVER AND MAN VS. FOOD WILL BE HERE IN 15 MINUTES!”  I love this.  I’d probably get a number of these if I were making a big order. I don’t even need blue cheese to cool my mouth down (though I bet it’d be great with some blue cheese!)
  • Honey Hot – Our surprise favorite. I never would’ve thought that the flavors of honey and spice would pair so nicely, mostly since I don’t consume honey all that often.  Honey + chicken + spicy = a sneaky heat that creeps up on your palate and rocks your tastebuds like a hurricane of flavor!  Definitely sucked the bone dry on this wing…

Hungry like the wolf!

I think the best part of this whole experience was the fact that, despite eating 7 large, juicy wings, I didn’t feel sluggish, stuffed, or sleepy after the dining experience. These wings filled me up, but didn’t weigh me down or have me craving the usual post-wing coma.

Seriously, if you have the chance, TRY THESE PUPPIES CHICKIES! And the next step to getting Carmen all around the Triangle is to check out her KickStarter and, if the spirit moves you, donate! Every little bit counts and pushes her closer to the goal of getting a trailer to bring her wings to the masses.

Do you like chicken wings? 

And what’s your favorite flavor of chicken wing sauce? (or, if you’re not a meat-eater, ever try those veggie friendly wingz? I wonder what those are like…)

Vineyards at Southpoint and a Ladies’ Day Out!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

You’d never think a day that started out riding in the bed of a truck could get classier, right?

Wow, it's much breezier back here

After confirming with our lawyer buddy that having passengers in the bed of the truck was “legal… enough” (what does that even mean?), I accompanied 6 of my coworkers to the picturesque Vineyards at Southpoint. Sometimes, even beer girls like myself need a few antioxidants in the form of a few glasses of the fancy stuff.  Located only a few minutes from Southpoint mall, this is a little taste of wine country virtually in my backyard! Impossible to pass up.

The weather was glorious and, as we dismounted from our spacious truck bed (trust me, it’s the only way to travel), I spotted this little sign outside the vineyard welcoming us.

This is bound to get fun

I knew we were in for a treat.

Moments later, we were set up with souvenir glasses, tasting sheets, and some tasty things to nibble on while we boozed.  For $6, this was quite a deal.

I'm ready to drink learn!

Our tasting was conducted by our friendly and knowledgeable hostess, Kasha.

This was a PERFECT way to spend a day with some buddies.  Vineyards at Southpoint was fully welcoming, and had brie and gorgonzola cheese, a fig spread-type thing, and fancy chocolates.  Also, after we tasted about 6 wines, we were able to pick our favorite by the glass for $6 (and enjoy them on the deck, in the sunshine, in January.) Love that NC weather!

What a day!

Though, I’ll be honest, none of the wines really blew me away, I think that the day wasn’t made by the wine, but by the experience.  If you’re in the area and in need of an affordable date or a day out with some buddies, look no further than Vineyards at Southpoint! Plus, it gives you a reason to day drink AND eat chocolate and cheese.

As if you needed an excuse….