Six Pack Sunday

Six Pack Sunday: Glows, Games, and Girls

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Whoah. A Sunday not spent on the road (or on a plane, or checking in for a flight, or anything of that sort).  An easy Sunday where I didn’t set an alarm, I just woke up, at some stuff, watched some stuff, and (later) I’ll sit by the pool and stuff.  If I feel like it.

I don’t get many Sundays like this lately, so it’s essential to make the most of it.

Clearly, “making the most of it” translates to “writing a Six Pack Sunday” post.

1. Games (Well, really just one Game [of Thrones])

Halloween Costume this year?

I don’t have HBO at my apartment. I do, however, have internet, and a family that LOVES HBO, traditionally. THIS means that I have access to HBOGO. For some reason, this didn’t sink in (despite my hours spent watching junk on Netflix). But, since  I finished the Mad Men offerings on my go-to-streaming site, it was time for a change. And, fancy that, there’s a show running featuring dragons, kings and queens, lovers, warriors, sword fights, and magic. Basically, every single thing that I used to read about every day of my childhood/adolescence.  Terry Goodkind, Maggie Furey, Robert Jordan, Tolkien, Tamora Pierce….

Yup, I’m hooked.

2. Behold the Power of Precious

I love Jellyfish. We’ve covered this before, as I have them decking my home’s walls and counter tops.

On a second, unrelated note, I have no interest in having a child anytime in the near future.

But, let me share with you something that made my womb ache with the need to produce a little one, just so I could deck him/her in this glory:

eeeeeeeeeeee!

Don’t worry, the squealing faded as my proximity to the onesie decreased.  But for a moment there, I contemplated stealing the nearest baby to raise as my own and dress in ONLY jellyfish gear.

Too much.

3. Ain’t No Party Like a Cheese Party…

….because a cheese party’s GOT CHEESE!

Let me explain.

As I’m leaving my company (and the state of North Carolina) at the end of June, they wanted to put together a little farewell dessert thing for me.  However, despite the occasional sweet tooth, dessert isn’t really my favorite thing.  But you know what is?

Cheese!

I requested advice from my various social networks for cheese recs, and have decided that a cheese plate is the ONLY way to bid me farewell.  I am happily welcoming any other cheese suggestions.  This Wensleydale with Cranberries came HIGHLY recommended from several sources, though. So it’s definitely going on the list.

4. Flower Power

well, almost a flower

This is an artichoke down to the last layers. And it is BEAUTIFUL!

More importantly, it’s a delicious, healthy treat.

For future reference for all my suitors and fans, in lieu of flowers, I will accept bouquets of artichokes.

5. Girls Gone… Something

I know I’m far behind but, as I mentioned above, I just found the joy of HBOGO.  This means, I just watched (all 4 episodes of) Girls.

I shared my thoughts with my buddy ClaireB already, but here they are for the rest of the world (and for posterity, I guess):

I HATE the lead (Hannah).  She’s like this deplorable character that reminds me of Betty Draper from Mad Men, who I also hate.  I was so proud of her speech to that guy, and then was like UGH you rat letting him touch you again, get that squirrel dick away from me.

I LOVE Shoshanna. She may be my favorite character.
I’m feeling the same way about Jessa as I did Juno (from Juno). I kind of like her, and then I feel uncomfortable with her talking to the dad of those kids.
Marnie, poor Marnie. I feel sad for her, b/c Charlie seems like such a tool, but a lovable tool, and I imagine that he’s hard to get rid of.  I’d like to see her character get more developed.
We’ll see how this series goes but… it’s promising.
6. It was all YELLOW!
I’m a big fan of being tan. However, when you work all day, travel on the weekends a lot, and generally don’t live at the beach (or tanning salon), it can be tough.  Enter an old friend:
Providing moisture to the skin as well as tint, Jergen’s Natural Glow is a girl’s best friend (you know, when she doesn’t have too many diamonds to her name).  However, there’s this little phase between totally pale and a happy “glow” that looks a LOT like jaundice.
Unfortunately, that’s the phase I’m in right now.
Time to rub more in my skin and pray people don’t think I have a liver condition…
What’s your FAVORITE cheese?
 
What would you want in a bouquet instead of flowers?

Six Pack Sunday: French Braids, French Fries, and French Water

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Oh goodness…. with all the traveling to visit other people, I forgot how exhausting it can be to play hostess to a road warrior.

My dear friend, Kinsley, spent the weekend with me and we relived our college glory days eating, drinking, and shopping our way through Chapel Hill.  It was glorious.  That’s not all I did this week, though.  Here’s another edition of Six Pack Sunday, complete with a bit of the craziness that the French provide this world.

1. Frenchin’ Fool

Not a masterpiece, but it'll do.

Would you believe that, before this week, I’d never french braided before?

If you look at this picture, you probably will.

Growing up, my mom was a french braiding pro, and then, in high school, I always had girlfriends that were so dexterous in the braiding department, their work looked like hair sculptures.  So I didn’t bother learning.  Then, the other day, I had this crazy thought like, “What if I have a daughter someday and she wants a french braid and my mom isn’t there and SHE HATES ME because I can’t help?!!?@#?%”

I taught myself, then and there.  It’s not perfect, but my imaginary future daughter won’t hate me.  At least not because I can’t braid.

2. Tarheel Monkey

Wanna see the cutest thing I saw on my shopping tour of Chapel Hill?

Looking fierce.

Just further proof that Carolina blue looks good on everyone.

3. The Future is NOW!

I forgot to DVR my Thursday night shows due to crawfish boil excitement.  Luckily, technology saved the day again.

Yes, The Vampire Diaries. No shame in my game.

I can program my DVR from my phone.  I will NEVER miss a show again.  This is amazing.

4. French Fry Feast

No picture in this one, but I’m sure that you can all imagine two 20-something blondes fueled by beers and loud music strolling into Buns (one of Chapel Hill’s Premier late-night dining establishments) to gorge on an order of french fries (and Caesar salad?)

Dipping sauces included Curry Mustard and Chipotle Mayo. If you’re in Chapel Hill, go there, enjoy the fries, and thank me later.

French toast aside, I think french fries are the most perfect French-prefixed creations on the planet.

5. Back to AMERICA!

Another item from the epic shopping adventures of the week?

These beauties.

God bless this nation. (click image for source/in case you need to buy patriotic Sperry boat shoes, too.)

I can’t wait for a summer rocking shorts and Sperrys.  And I have the absolute perfect white/blue dress that, added to these kicks, will make me the most patriotic girl around on Fourth of July.

Yes, I plan my Independence Day outfits as far in advance as my Halloween costumes.

6. French… WHAT?

Bottled water isn’t expensive enough for you?  Well, luckily, this is now a product that exists.

Oh goodness.

Evian’s “Moisturizing Spray” is mineral water you can… spray on yourself.

What the hell?!

How is this different from putting “mineral water” in a spray bottle?  Oh, it isn’t?

THEN WHY ARE YOU CHARGING ME $17?!

Ridiculous.

I’m off to brush my teeth with non-mineral water and toothpaste, and hit the sack.  Sleep tight, friends. And save up your pennies for fancy, absurd water-based products.  They don’t grow on trees.

Mix Six Monday

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

You know, if all my Six Pack Sundays are written on Monday, are they still Six Pack Sundays?

Probably.  But let’s not cheat.  Instead, let’s eat.  Or at least run through all the tasty things that I ate this past week!!

1. Trader Joe’s Pizza Party!!

It's not delivery, it's TJs!

Last night, between four of us, we almost ate two entire doughballs worth of Trader Joe’s homemade pizzas! On this one: 4 cheese sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage, and pepperoni. On the other (with the garlic & herb crust!): a “sauce” of butter, garlic, and some oil, mozzarella, pepper bacon from the AMISH, and tomato.  I couldn’t even control myself.  So flipping tasty, so easy, so fun.  Thank goodness for pizza stones!

2.  Saison du BUFF!

VICTORY!

Ok, I didn’t eat that guy. But I DID drink the beer resting on his hulking arm.  Saison du Buff (the Victory version).  Alas, the verdict was that I was not really a fan, though it kind of reminded me of a more bitter Fullsteam Summer Basil (of which I’m a HUGE fan.)  I’ll just have to try the other Saison du Buffs to see how the trio holds up.

(PS: Would you believe, the day before this shot was taken, this guy underwent major, invasive back surgery? Yeah, I think it was all a big hoax, too.  The most elaborate hoax that involved multiple doctors and a hospital stay.

He’s a trickster like that.)

3. Keeping it Green

Healthy! And BRIGHT!

I’m convinced that, if my eye was a DSLR (instead of an eye), I’d wanna eat veggies even MORE than I do now (which is pretty regularly).  Those roasted asparagus stalks look sexy beyond belief.  That salmon doesn’t look too bad, either.

Down, Jordan. No need to get all worked up…. you can recreate this dish another time.

4. Federal Donuts: More like Federal GO NUTS!!

Oh, Federal... you do donuts RIGHT!

Wait, did I forget to mention I went up to Philly  this weekend?

Because I did.  And I bought myself (and a few other people) some donuts. Not just any donuts, though.  Federal Donuts.

Sure, the store is itty bitty and, yes, I may have scratched my mom’s car pulling out of the impossible parking area when a garbage truck blocked me in.

But that’s okay, because these things are AMAZING!

Only open from 7am-3pm (weekdays) or 7pm (weekends), this joint regularly sells out of their scrumptious ‘nuts. And their hots (Appollonia, Indian Cinnamon, Vanilla Lavender) were amazing, but I also go to try two of their limited edition “Fancies”:

Root Beer Float
Root beer glaze with vanilla ice cream icing.

Gingersnap Cookie  (pictured above!)
Ginger glaze with gingersnap cookie crumb

GET THEE TO FEDERAL, STAT!!

But don’t drive a new car. Just walk.

5. Farmers Suck at Popping Corn

I’ll admit, I mostly bought this for the novelty.

Where's my corn cob pipe?

But this little cob produced a seriously disappointing amount of actual popcorn.  And for about $3, I feel a little ripped off. If I see that Kansas farmer any time soon, I’m gonna ask him for some more popcorn (especially if we’re in a movie theater.)

6.Not Bad, Fake Meat Producers… Not bad at all.

Top Notch Pulled "shreds"

Even though I’m eating meat again (a lot of it), I had a package of these Gardein pulled “shreds” leftover from the Pescatarian Lent.  Last week, I used them as the topper of a few of my salads…. I was pleasantly surprised! Yup, they’re loaded in carbs. But the sweet sauce ALMOST tricks you into thinking that you’re eating slightly bland pork.  That doesn’t sound glowing, I know, but seriously, I’d definitely get these again.

Tonight, I take my first water aerobics class (which may help to counteract some of that pizzabeershredsdonut bloat I’m feeling.

Are there any food “crazes” that you’re 100% behind?  Gourmet donuts could be my latest obsession.

Six Pack Sunday: Champagne Wishes and Pretzel Necklace Dreams

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Oh my goodness, this week was definitely a marathon, not a sprint.  It was long, it was busy, but it was filled with the most delicious foods, some fantastic friends, and not even CLOSE to enough sleep.

No worries, though, more fodder to write about, right?

That’s right, Six Pack Sunday, y’all!

1. A New Friend!

Introducing: Takito!

Hey there, little one!

My dear friend and (fraternity) brother, Brooke, CREATED this amazing piece of artwork out of glass!! He’s been telling me for years that he was going to do it and I always sort of just assumed that it was our long running joke. And then, as a total surprise to me, he showed up with a box marked FRAGILE tied in twine and filled with bubble wrap. Bubble wrap and a beautiful handmade glass octopus.

I’m in love (though I can’t tell whether it’s with the octopus or Brooke…)

Brooke let me know that tako is the Japanese word for octopus and, since this little fellow is so small, I figured he should be named Takito instead.  Now I just need to find the right spot for him, a spot of dignity and honor!

2. Accidental Champagne 

(But really, when is champagne ever REALLY an accident?)

Sometimes, at a cocktail party, I decide to only drink champagne.

And then, the bartender tells me that, as the only one who was drinking it, the empty bottle was definitely achieved, singlehandedly, by MOI!

Oops.

3. Big Thangs

oh snap.

4. Pretzel Power

World Beer Festival was on Saturday.  I think I took like, 8 total pictures. I was definitely more focused on the beer this year, and less focused on snapping photos like a lunatic. But trust me, I looked great doing it.  Mostly due to one key accessory.

I'm thinking of starting a fashion blog.

Fact: Yogurt covered pretzels, while lovely to look at, MELT on a hot day. And gummy bears are very tough to string.

5. New Glarus Black Top!

Another tasty beer that was NOT at the festival?

So good.

From the brewer: Expect this beer to pour a hop forward jet black glass brimming with aromatic bitterness. Brewmaster Dan skillfully weaves molasses and chocolate malt undertones with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes, to deliver a drinkable Black IPA. 

From MOI: SO tasty! I’ll admit, a lot of times I end up having high hopes for “black IPAs” only to be disappointed. Not the case with Black Top!  All the way from Wisconsin, this beer was a Christmas present and, with a piney aroma, it reminded me of Christmas! The taste wasn’t too complex, yet there was still a hoppiness and a chocolate taste.  Mama like.

6. I think I ate my body’s weight in pork, today.

But more on that tomorrow.  Or Tuesday.

No women dressed as pigs were harmed though, don't worry.

Ugh, pork coma.

Time for Fringe and rest.  Lots of both.

What was the best food you ate this weekend?

How about the tastiest drink?

Six Pack S’Monday: National Harbor Hot Spots

/ foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Sometimes, when life throws you lemons a buddy driving up to DC who’s stowaway friendly, you gotta make lemonade pack your bags and get ready for action.  So that’s what I did. I loaded up Melissa’s car with 2 small backpacks and 9 bananas (part of the 11 I got for $1 on Thursday!) and hopped in the front seat.  I decided to surprise my baby sister, Kiley, who was playing volleyball at the Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, a GORGEOUS place I’d never been before right on the Potomac River.

Since yesterday was a long day of driving, I didn’t have time to squeak in a normal Six Pack Sunday, but a day late is still great.

1. Lukewarm Lunchmeat

Not even if I were eating meat, thanks.

Road trips are great places to find ridiculous edible items.  These Go Picnic snack packs looked great, except for one key piece: room-temperature meats and cheeses.  Though I found these whilst still being a Pescatarian Polly, I can tell you I’d never buy one, no matter how hungry I happened to be.

2. Mad Men (Rated M)

At least this scene was decent

The thing about watching Mad Men on the treadmill is that there are some awesome scenes where Peggy is talking smack with the boys, and it’s hilarious. Then, there are times where the Sterling Cooper fellows head to a strip club, and I’m in a hotel fitness room surrounded by the parents of teenage volleyball players.  Awkward, much?

Much too much.

I listened to Pandora for the rest of my workout.

3. Peeps Store (Yes, it exists.)

??!?!

And it is AWESOME.

Glowing gloriously.

You can imagine how packed it was during Easter weekend.  So much marshmallow.

4. The Little Giant Mermaid

I’ve never worn shells as a bra but, when you’re wearing teal pants (close enough to a fin, right?) and you spot the most inspiring rock, you don’t really have a choice, do you?

Part of that worlddddddddddddddddddd

You want thingamabobs? I’ve got 20.

5. National Zoo: Dream Come True!

Red Panda Party!

We never thought that Easter Sunday would be a packed day at the National Zoo. We were totally shocked when we got there, parking was damned near impossible, and the lines for the panda exhibit were football-field length.  But it was all worth it (the time, as admission is FREE!!) when we saw this tiny red panda climbing up some logs. The tigers was fierce, the lions were larger than life, and the monkey jerking it…. well that was just icing on the cake.

6. Pinky Rides the Bull

Fun tip: When you think your pink bra won’t show through your black top, you’re wrong.

Yeeeee haw!

After a lot of squats the week before, and a little too much time on the hip abduction and adduction machines, my thighs were totally unprepared for what a killer workout it is holding onto a bucking bull, even if he was mechanical.  But, for $3 at Cadillac Ranch in National Harbor, I couldn’t resist!! I held on as long as I could (which likely wasn’t very long, though it felt like forever) before I felt something slipping. DAMN my decision to rock the leggings! I slipped right off that bull and into the inflatable ring, laughing the whole time.  It was a blast, and I’d TOTALLY do it again! Though next time, I think I’ll try to pack some shorts… or at least chaps.

Thanks, National Harbor, for showing us a good time.

Ever rode a bull (live OR mechanical)? How long did you stay on?  Any tips?

What’s your favorite exhibit at the zoo?

Mine’s normally not at the zoo at all, but the aquarium.  And it’s ALWAYS the Jellyfish.

Six Pack Sunday: Suicide Cereal and a Diamond in the Rough

/ foodsweatandbeers / 13 Comments

Oh goodness, it’s been a long week. And a wet weekend. And I just rounded it out with a tasty egg, egg white, and veggie omelet which, after fried fish, fried french fries, and fried zucchini, makes me feel a little less like a lump on a log.  And, with the Tar Heels scheduled to play only moments after I witness the cinematic perfection that I assume  The Hunger Games will be, I’ve got a date with the treadmill to help in that same venture. But let’s focus on the task at hand.  Six Pack Sunday. Yeah, buddy.

1.  The Eleventh Plague

I know that the Ten Plagues of Egypt took place a long time ago and all, but maybe Pharaoh (of Durham) has been ticking the wrong people off, lately.  We have another plague on our hands.

Hey, little guy. Get the hell outta here.

The eleventh plague, made ENTIRELY of inchworms. And their godforsaken “webs” which are really just spider-like lines that fall from the skies and get in my hair.  Gross.  I’m ready for this plague to be over, thanks.

2. Suicide Soda Cereal

I don’t know about you all but, when we were little kids, my friends and I would always play the “Suicide Soda” game at soda fountains. Who’d be the one to drink the mixture of Sprite, Iced Tea, Root Beer, and Diet Coke? Which daredevil wants to add Mello Yello to the mix?  Well, with age, comes wisdom. The wisdom to know that this idea should apply to other things.  Things like cereal.

The perfect storm of cereal.

I took the tail end of a box of Erewhon (gluten free) crisp brown rice cereal, and added some mini boxes of tastiness to the bag, shook it up, and VOILA!! Suicide Cereal.  UNLIKE the fountain soda experiment, though, this combination only got better with each addition.  Especially the Oatmeal Squares.  If you have just a LITTLE bit of a bunch of cereal left, try this out! Feels like a brand new box.

3. You Might Be My Lucky Star

Morningstar, that is.

Hot cha cha!

So I nabbed myself some Morningstar Buffalo Wings Veggie Wings which were on major sale this week, after a HORRIBLE experience at Buffalo Wild Wings (note to self: never go there if you’re not eating chicken. Not many options.)

Luckily, my craving was satisfied above and beyond with these bad boys.  There was a great little spiciness to these wings, and while I didn’t think to myself ZOMG CHICKEN! when I ate them, I did think “Huh… I could nibble these for a while.”  You’re looking at about half a box worth of “wings” on this plate and, considering these were $3.33/box on sale this week, it’s basically a better deal than the Wendy’s Value Meal (I make that comparison because, let’s be honest, I spent a LOT of time there back in my day.)  If you’re going veggie, or just looking for something new to try with that “Buffalo” flavor, I’d recommend them.

4. Love for the Uggos

Awwww, poor little guys.

These are the ugly ducklings of the sweet potato family

These White Sweet Potatoes, while hideous, are apparently sweet as candy (THOUGH apparently have less health benefits than the orange ones.) Health be damned, though, I took pity and bought one.  I’ll report back with the taste but, I have to agree with the sign… they’re not pretty.

5. Some Like It Rough

Don't worry, just the right hand.

My apologies for the hideous “manicure” leftover from a rush-job painting for St. Patrick’s Day.  HOWEVER, I wanted to share my very first diamond! It’s a “rough diamond” so it hasn’t been cut or polished or fancy BUT I found a wondrous seller on Etsy who specializes in working with these rough diamonds, making rings and earrings and the like.  For the past month or so, I’ve been totally fixated on getting myself a Right Hand Ring.  Ever since those De Beers ads, I’ve wanted to “raise my right hand” with the successful women of the world.

Whatever you say, ad!

I’m an advertiser’s dream come true.  I love it, and haven’t taken it off yet.  It’s totally unique, totally beautiful, and TOTALLY mine.

6. Menchie’s in DURHAM!!

Melissa just sent me a text message with this picture:

I'LL BE RIGHT OVER!

I hope you don’t mind but, when a Menchie’s opens less than a mile from your door, you know where you’re going for dessert.

Have a great Sunday night, folks!!! I hope it’s full of froyo and blissfully lacking any inchworms.

Or I at least hope mine is.

Six Pack Sundays: Green Beer and Grad School

/ foodsweatandbeers / 21 Comments

Ah, the morning after St. Patrick’s Day. The birds are chirping (which I can’t stand), the green food coloring is starting to fade off my hands, and the desire to make something productive out of my day is doing battle with the wish to never leave this couch.  It’s been a busy week with a quick trip home to Pennsylvania and little to no time to blog.  But now, on a foggy Sunday, there’s no better time to whip up a Six Pack Sunday post!

1. BYOB(lue)

Blarney Beer

Fun tip I learned last year. If you wanna drink green beer on St. Patty’s Day, but don’t wanna chug the swill that most bars are shelling out with green in them, bring your own blue food coloring. A drop or two in a golden ale or lager, and VOILA you’ve got a beautiful green brew without having to force down warmish Natty Light that’s neon green.  A tasty Harp Lager in Raleigh’s Moore Square was just what I needed on the sunniest St. Patty’s Day in recent history!

2. Might as well fact it, you’re addicted to Judd

Nice guns, Ashley

Is anyone else watching Missing? I have only just started, but I already know I’m a fan. With my luck, this probably means the show will be canceled in less than a season, but fingers crossed other folks get in on this trend.  I sense it’s a similar idea as the film, Taken, which is pretty much my favorite action film of all time.  And it has ASHLEY FRIGGIN JUDD as the lead!  Ever since watching Double Jeopardy with my mom as a little one, she’s been a favorite leading lady, but I haven’t seen her in anything too exciting since High Crimes.  I think this type of role (ex-CIA, serious badass mother trying to find her son who was lost or taken in Rome!) is meant for her.  Knock on wood that my notorious bad luck with new shows won’t rub off on this one.

3. Help a Sister Out?

Contest is over BUT thanks to y’all who voted!

If you’re reading this post, chances are you’re on Facebook sometimes, too.  If you could take a quick second to “like” this picture of tasty beer ingredients from my visit to Big Boss with NC Girls’ Pint Out, I could win VIP tix to World Beer Festival! I know there’s not really much in it for you BUT I’d really appreciate it.

Here’s a hilarious picture/caption of Tyler Zeller, instead!

What a catch.

4. Brunch and Beers!

Better than Christmas?

This is most of the tastiness that we had for our St. Patrick’s Day morning party at my friend, Andrew’s house. Since I’m still going strong on the Pescatarian Lent, I brought a French toast casserole to deal with not enjoying the tasty Chick-fil-A biscuits.  I also whipped up some pistachio cupcakes inspired by the most delicious one I enjoyed from Glen Mills’ new Whole Foods!

I wish all brunches came with Guinness.

5. Seafood at a Steakhouse

I promised myself that I’d never be “that person” that goes to a steakhouse and doesn’t order the steak.  But when your mom mentions that all she wants for her special birthday dinner is Alaskan King Crab, you make it happen, no matter where you’ve gotta go.

Luckily, we found them at Sullivan’s Steakhouse in Wilmington, DE.  Mom got her Alaskan King Crab and I was in for a treat of my own.

Seafood Heaven

My dinner was total perfection.

Pan-seared mahi mahi over sauteed spinach with “crab-stuffed shrimp” (which basically translated to butterflied shrimp surrounded by tender crab meat.  I couldn’t even finish it (though I only left one crab-stuffed shrimp) but it definitely gave me faith in steakhouse seafood.  I’m a believer.

6. Celebratory Sushi

Get inside of me.

After an early flight on Thursday morning, following a fantastic (albeit brief) visit home, the last thing I wanted was to go home and cook for lunch.  But it was my coworkers last day in the office, and I also had to celebrate a little bit.  We got sushi at Shiki in Durham and it was fantastic! Scallops, tuna, avocado, I totally splurged and got some special rolls I’d never tried before.

What was I celebrating?

I got into grad school!!

I applied to four programs and, though I’m still waiting to hear back from three, I was accepted into one of my top choices!! I’ll definitely be moving back to Pennsylvania sometime this summer because next year, though I don’t know where yet, I’ll be a student again!!

I can’t wait for this next step in my life, and to move back to the North. There’s a lot left to do in NC before I go (Triangle Bucket List, anyone?) but it’s a great feeling, like a weight off my shoulders, knowing there’s at least one program that wants me as much as I want them!!

I may actually go and celebrate a little more with a trip to the mall/bookstore.

Again, I’d deeply appreciate any “likes” on my Facebook photo!

Did you make any tasty green treats for the holiday?

What’s something you’re celebrating?

D

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…

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?

Six Pack Sunday: Pescatarian Pleasures and Clementine Cuties

/ foodsweatandbeers / 13 Comments

Here we are again, Oscar Sunday’s rolling on the TV and I am wearing sweatpants by Schoolhouse and a crew neck sweatshirt that’s about 4 sizes too large for me.  I was going to wear my white cape, but Gwyneth was borrowing it this weekend.  Oh well.

You know what time it is…  Sixpack Sunday!

1. Bacon Snack Packs!

You know what I did today? I spent 4+ hours in Barnes & Noble reading The Girl Who Played With Fire and playing on my Nook.  Ah, to be young and lazy.  As the first available seat was near the children’s section, I nabbed it as fast as I could. There’s a lot going on in that kids section, but this was definitely the craziest spotting:

What in the world is in that BAG?!

If you look closely, you might be able to tell…. that is a snack bag filled with bacon.

Is this what the new moms are carrying around now instead of Cheerios and fruit roll ups?

Noted.

2. Baked Coconut Shrimp

Joy in a dish

Jess from How Sweet Eats always has the best recipes.  Her recipe for Coconut Baked Shrimp was no exception.  We didn’t have time for the salsa, but we whipped up a side of garlicky kale, it was meant to be.  Make it.  Eat it. Be happy. That’s all.

3. Mustachio Bash(io)

Cute, yes?

This Tuesday, I learned that drinking beer would be a LOT tougher with a mustache. I don’t know how all those beardy brewers do it.

Though I think Sierra got the hang of it…

iOlay!

4. Cuties: MADE for Kids?

I’ve been seeing these commercials all over the place. And the end phrase is what gets to me. “Kids LOVE Cuties, ‘cuz Cuties are made for kids.”  Wait. I thought they were a fruit.  They’re MADE for kids? Does anyone else imagine these mad scientists genetically engineering fruits to convince more kids to eat them?

I mean… I guess whatever it takes, but still. [EDIT: I looked up some info on these Cuties, and it seems legit and not some lab-made fruit… but I’ll still be cautiously suspicious for a little while.]

5. A Tender Farewell

Goodbye, my lover... goodbye, my friend.

Yes, the coconut shrimp are great. But on Tuesday (the fattest Tuesday), I celebrated my last meat-eating day pre-Lent with a roast beef sammy at lunch and an unbelievably tasty dish at Tyler’s Taproom.

As described by Tyler’s:

Drunken Pork Belly: Fresh pork belly braised in beer, crisped to perfection then topped with house-made bourbon BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and pickles

Wow! This was outstanding! The pork belly was so tender (hence the tender farewell. HA GET IT?!) and I even enjoyed the pickles and slaw.  I basically licked the plate clean.

As for the pescatarian update, I’ve found that, for the most part, it’s not too tough. But when there are free samples around, or after a few drinks, the temptation goes up. I don’t THINK I’ve slipped yet, though there was one freebie that I wasn’t sure of after I’d tried it. I didn’t go back and check, but it’s a work in progress. I just have to keep reminding myself, and to stay faithful.

6. Boozy Snow Cones?!

Hooray!

Martha Stewart, you brilliant bitch, you strike again. Alcoholic Snow-Cone Syrups? YES! Anyone wanna have a snowcone party this summer? Or spring?

Or Thursday?

Better go do my first costume change of the night (translation: was my face.)