Craft beer

Six Pack Sunday: Blessed with BEER!!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

It’s been FAR too long. Six Pack Sunday posts are some of my favorite things to write but, as of late, I’ve been swamped with working, learning, and a little bit of playing.  One of my buddies from school asked me in class this week,

How on EARTH do you have time to write a blog?

Good question. I regularly wonder, when reading some of my favorite blogs, how they manage to go out and run 7 miles, food prep for the week, work their jobs, get their education, and look gorgeous while socializing AND blogging.  It’s a mystery, but I guess folks make it work. Bravo to all those overachievers in the blog world.

I’ve been feeling pretty fantastic, primarily because I’ve been achieving a bit, at least in the beer world…  Yes, I had a GREAT TIME with my new beer babes of Philly Girls’ Pint Out on Monday, but there’s been some other stuff….

1. FREE BEER!! Thanks, Yuengling!

Tastes like home

Sometimes, the stars align, and something wonderful happens. When that wonderful thing involves free beer… that’s even more wonderful. On Friday night, Yuengling treated the folks of Philly to a free Lager to thank them for helping make Yuengling the largest American-owned brewery. The Philly-wide Toast was a great way to start the weekend off on a solid, free note!

I have to give props to Neiman for what I think was a unique and very popular campaign. That’s the kind of advertising I’m into…

2. Midterms are Coming

AHHHHHH!!!!!!

That’s all.

3. Worth It.

I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant about shelling out $4 for an order of sweet potato fries.

Well, consider my doubts swept RIGHT under the rug!

Shut the FRONT DOOR!

Hip City Veg is DANGEROUSLY close to Athleta. Like… when you have a 15 minute break, you can get there and back in time to eat an entire order of sweet potato fries. Add a side of black bean cilantro dip (which I now FULLY intend to recreate, ASAP) and you have the most decadent treat I can imagine. Salty, sweet, creamy dip AND a decent sized portion. I don’t know if this is a blessing or a curse.

My tastebuds say blessing.

4. Drink Your Paycheck, Much?

Ever since Monday’s glass of Consecration, I’ve been JONESING for a sour beer. And then, last night, I got paid.

Sure, the check was a fraction of what I used to get working full time in research.

Sure, I’m also attending grad school and shelling out dollars for that.

But it was an itch that only a good beer could scratch.

Sexy, right?

Hey, Russian River… You make one heck of a sour beer, blonde or otherwise. And in your tartness, you have won me over completely…. It was ALSO totally worth it to enjoy a lone peer that harbored on perfect to end a LONG Saturday full of work and Zumba. I slept like a baby (if babies could drink sour ales).

5. Freezing Fashion

The weather was in the 60s this week. And, since my body, accustomed to North Carolina temperatures, panics at the sight of 7s and 6s leading the numbers on the thermometers, I did what any sane employee of Athleta would do…

The coziest.

The Reversible Training Headband by Smartwool screamed out to me since we got our winter shipment at the store. And, last night, the crisp air DEMANDED the purchase of my very own headband. I also have barely taken it off since then.

6. The Luckiest

Remember that time that I booked a flight, mid-summer, to Denver, Colorado for the weekend of October 11-13 for $7.50 since I had so many points for flying back and forth to Philly from RDU for the past two years?

And I chose that weekend specifically so that I could go to the Great American Beer Festival.

Then… the tickets when on sale.

Four minutes later, I sat at my computer, shell-shocked by the fact that I didn’t score a single ticket. The sell-out was nearly instant, and I REFUSED to drop hundreds of dollars on a scalped ticket.

My buddy Melissa and I then promised each other we would enter any and every contest to get our tickets, hoping for luck to be on our side.

Enter: BeerGram

I signed up to receive their emails, crossed my fingers, and said that, without question, I’d send my first “BeerGram” to my beer babe, Melissa.

And then I was told that I won tickets to GABF.

I not only won one ticket, but two tickets for EVERY session.

Oh, we’re GOING THERE!

My heart skipped a few beats, and then I immediately wrote back YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES!!

This is the most exciting Six Pack Sunday of ALLLLLL Six Pack Sundays.

I’m scoping out survival guides, I’m making my plan of attack, and I’m getting thirsty.

Anyone else going?! HOORAYYYYY!!

What’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to you lately, my friends?

Philly Girls’ Pint Out Takes Flight at City Tap House

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

When people ask me what I miss most about North Carolina, sometimes I think about the stunning UNC campus. Other times, I think about the hip, welcoming town of Durham, complete with giant bull statue and delicious eats and my favorite minor league baseball team. And there’s always Cheerwine, Bojangles, and all the beauty of Honeysuckle Sorbet… But then I remember what I REALLY miss most of all.

MISS YOU SO!!

It’s my NC Beer Family, of course! This amazing group of men and women were some of my best friends, and they always welcomed me with open arms and open bottles!! They gave me a community, a place to be myself and geek out over my favorite things in the world (craft beer…. cheese…. chocolate…. friends.)  And, though it’s still in the early phases, I think I’m finding that community in Philly.

You know what helped?

Well, that logo looks familiar!!

Philly’s very own Girls’ Pint Out!!

Though this was my second event with the ladies of PAGPO, it was definitely the first where I really got to meet and know some of the women. And they’re fantastic!

We all got together on Monday night at City Tap House for a DIY Flight-Night personalized for each gal. For $10, we each got 4-5 oz pours of different beers. And, since… tis the season and all, I just WENT FOR IT!

Fueled by Luna!! All pumpkin, all the time!

As you can see on the bottom there, I claimed the name “Pumqueen” for the night since every beer I was enjoying featured a Pumpkin spin. Lavery’s Stingy Jack, Old Forge Smashing Pumpkin, Long Trail’s Imperial Pumpkin, and Fegley’s Brew Works’ Devious Imperial Pumpkin!!

So much pumpkin on one paddle.

Unfortunately, there was some confusion at City Tap House which beer was which on the paddle. However, through careful deduction and detective-like skills (and some discussion with other ladies) I figured out my beers and their order (maybe). Either way, I’m PRETTY sure that my favorite was Long Trail’s Imperial Pumpkin. Smashing Pumpkin was a little low on carbonation, and the Brew Works’ Devious Imperial Pumpkin had a little sharpness to it that I didn’t love, and not enough pumpkin.

Unfortunately, one of the beers had a little extra something and, while I was chatting with my new lady friends over how we all got into craft beer (Brothers! Working at a brewery! boyfriends! Buddies! so many routes to the inevitable destination of beer love!) Into my mouth went….

A SHARD OF GLASS!!

Eeek.

I told one of the servers and, don’t worry, no one got hurt (no one = my mouth). They comped my paddle and, though I’m not sure if it was because he felt bad OR because this had been planned long before, Andy decided to treat all my new lady beer buddies to some special bottles!!

Andy, you the m-ANDY!

Sorry about my lousy iPhone shots, but I didn’t even consider bringing my fancy camera.

TREATS!!

My favorite was HANDS DOWN the Russian River Consecration Ale. Sour dark ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels with CURRANTS!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!@#?!$!?#

Glory, thy name is Consecration and I’d like to drink you ALWAYS.

Despite the glass-y shard, the night was fantastic and had me smiling the whole time.

Happiest camper.

And the best thing of all?

NEW BEER FRIENDS!!

Do you think the pink tint was to go with the GPO colors??

No one could replace my NCBeer family, but I’m SO STOKED to be starting a new bunch of beer loving pals!

Thanks to City Tap House for handling a problem with grace and courtesy, thanks to Andy for spoiling us (and introducing me to Consecration, my new love), AND thanks to my new buddies for sharing your Monday night craft beer loving with me!!

I wonder what tasty beer event is next on the horizon….

 

 

 

The Bracket Jump Birthday

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

On Thursday night, after being in a car for approximately 18 of the previous 48 hours and sending my baby brother off to college, I found myself a little weepy. Maybe I was a bit grouchy, my emotions were running fairly high, and I was exhausted. This, as everyone knows, is an ideal time to have a quarter life crisis.

Jealous of my Ugly Cry?

Since my 18th birthday, I’ve always been one of those chicks that makes her birthday a national holiday. Whether it’s jumping out of a plane, having a “That’s So Jordan” themed party, or dragging my buddies to a food and craft beer tour-de-Raleigh, I make sure my birthday is a true celebration. But, being in a new, unfamiliar city and knowing very few folks with whom I could celebrate, I was feeling a bit lost. I also couldn’t get the “bracket jump” out of my mind. No longer was I going to fall in that “18-24” age group. Nope, I was shifting into the “25-29” bracket. It seemed symbolic of some big change, which is ridiculous and very demonstrative of how I read far too much into things. Whatever it was, I was not my typical JOYFUL JORDAN.

Then, I woke up on Friday morning (August 24th, the day of my birth 25 years ago) to my mom BLASTING 50 Cent’s iconic “In Da Club”, with the telltale lyrics:

Go, go, go, go
Go, go, go, shawty
‘Cause it’s your birthday
We gon’ party like it’s yo birthday
We gon’ sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday
And you know we don’t give a ****
It’s not your birthday!

She danced into the room, and any fears of a bland, “blah” birthday where whisked out of my mind.

We U-Hauled the last of my junk into the apartment and I was on my own for the day.  I headed to one of my favorite spots in the city, the PHS Pop-Up Garden by Rittenhouse Square.

Rainbow in the garden!

I nabbed some free chips and salsa and learned how to make Chipotle’s tomato salsa (which I’m attempting later today), and then grabbed something I’ve been dying to try for a while.

Little Baby’s Ice Cream!

Ever since being scarred for life by their (viral and terrifying) commercial (you’ve been warned), I was itching to get some of the good stuff (though preferably not scooped from someone’s skull.)

Sweet treats and reads

This chai snickerdoodle ice cream sandwich filled with coconut chai (non-dairy) ice cream was much more my style, and I toted it along to the book store for a bit of light (re)reading.

After getting through a serious chunk of the book (and demolishing the sandwich), I decided I wanted some pampering and some girl time.

Burt’s Bees and Say Yes to the Dress: Match made in Heaven.

Scandalous! (I was wearing a towel, I promise.)

I wasn’t trying to star in an off-Broadway performance of the 1997 classic, Face/Off (tempting as that sounds), just enjoying a cooling Cucumber Aloe mask. It was just what I needed before I left the pampering to someone else.

Enter: Nail Bar. Simple concept. Salon, offering manis, pedis, and complimentary bevvies!!

All I need in this life.

Thanks, random stranger, for snapping my picture!

I came out with a sparkle on my nails and some bubbly in my belly. But, other than the ice cream sandwich and some cereal earlier, I didn’t have too much else in my belly.

YELP ELITE TO THE RESCUE!

Sweet spread, right?

Yelp’s Great American Happy Hour, hosted by ING Cafe, was my very first Yelp Elite event, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

I considered the whole night a surprise party for me. The surprise, of course, was for Yelp, who didn’t know they were sponsoring my party!

There were delicious Underdogs (which, as I already mentioned, I’m a huge fan of…)

Dog bonanza!

My favorite was the My Thai (with spicy peanut sauce and green papaya slaw), and I even tried the mustardy Chicago style. Delicious, despite the fact that I am not a fan of mustard.

I got a chance to meet some new folks and, surprise surprise, there were two other birthday babes at the party.  Despite the event limiting attendance only to the Yelp Elites, it didn’t feel elitist at all, and I was so amped to get myself out there and meet new people.  For a social butterfly like me, an event like this is the ultimate adrenaline rush, so I jumped at the chance to join the after party at Devil’s Alley for a baby flight of beers.

Yummy x 4

Maggie M. and I, the birthday girls!

I rounded out the night the only way that made sense… My beau, a bottle of Epic Brewing’s Big Bad Breakfast Stout, and a pint of Butterfinger ice cream.  And was treated to this little present when I checked in on Untappd:

DOUBLE BADGED!

500 unique beers? That makes me LEGEN (wait for it…………..) DARY!

I went to sleep with a buzz, not just from the booze (though that helped), but from a night spent with new friends and the love of my life. And though it was DEFINITELY a little different from some previous birthdays (Tequila balls and feather boas, anyone?), it was a successful bracket jump. And maybe I’ll get a little silly tonight with Krissie… Who’s to say I can’t celebrate twice?

And there’s nothing in the rule book that says a 25 (or 46) year old can’t wear a tiara on her birthday…

 

 

 

First Philly Finds

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

Being in a new place without a job or schoolwork leaves you with a lot of time to explore. And, since my roomie is off being a lab rat, I’m fending for myself.  Luckily, I got a good pair of walking shoes, so I’ve been hoofing it around my little neighborhood. I’ve found a few bits and pieces worth noting.

  • I found that one of the perks of strolling around the city is that, more often than you’d like, you end up being a cigarette puffing co-pedestrian. And, though that sucks, sometimes they’re smoking cloves, and that’s the lesser of the evils.
  • I found out that Shake Shack makes delicious custard. And it’s even more delicious when it’s free and served in a pop up garden.

    Yummy.

  • I found myself spending three hours in Barnes and Noble reading a Young Adult novel.  Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, the second book in a little series I started this summer. Yup, it’s a little silly, but it’s nice to read some pleasure literature before things start getting grad school-y.
  • I found my first Philly craft beer event to be delicious, though I also found that I shouldn’t attend an all-you-can-drink event on a fairly empty stomach.  The Brew and Chew at Cavanaugh’s was a tasty foray into some new River Horse beers and a few tasty tapas. I also met a few folks, and feel like there could be a Philly Beer Family out there, just waiting to fill the void in my heart that exists ever since leaving my beloved NCBeer crew.

    River Horse Hop-a-Lot-Amus

    Special Ale paired with a short rib flatbread topped with Havarti cheese, tomato, and arugula

    Double Wit paired with a Mahi Mahi taco, purple slaw, avocado (yay) and a spicy lime drizzle

  • I found Heaven in a hot dog bun.

    Ay, chihuahua!

    Oh, sweet delicious sausage.  Underdogs is this tasty little joint on 17th Street.  I got the Chihuahua, a chorizo sausage with sautéed onions, chipotle mayo and queso blanco and fries with that same chipotle mayo.  My GOODNESS, talk about delicious. And yes, I chowed every one of those french fries soaking that bag with grease.

    Chapel Hill friends, imagine a hot dog version of Buns. Amazing fries + dipping sauces, every topping imaginable, and friendly employees. If you try every single one of their 23 dogs, you get your name put on the Wall of Fame.

    First Philly goal, made.

  • I also found that sleeping in a new place with odd hours makes me want to nap constantly.

Gooooood night (good afternoon? Good grief.)

How I Won a New Belgium Cruiser: #EnjoytheRide

/ foodsweatandbeers / 23 Comments

If you never enter, you’ll never win, right?

Right.

So it’s been my M.O. the past few years to enter… well, everything. And, with all those entries, I was bound to win something.  In this case, it was probably the best something of my entire life.

Gorgeous.

Yup, I won a custom New Belgium cruiser through New Belgium’s Enjoy the Ride campaign.  I’d use more exclamation points, but this happened quite some time ago and, for whatever reason, I never blogged about it.  Maybe I’ve just been too busy riding it.

It all started with a tweet. 140 characters (or less) to tell a story, using the hashtag #enjoytheride.  Here was mine:

with this picture attached:

Long time readers may recognize it from this post, following a long bike ride with my sister and mom on a perfect summer day.

Not too long after that tweet, I received an email asking me if I was old enough to legally enjoy craft beer (I am) and if I lived in a place where New Belgium distributed (luckily, I hadn’t moved to Pennsylvania yet, so as an NC resident, I did!)  After that, it wasn’t too long until a giant box of bike parts showed up at my door (well, my apartment complex’s office door, it was too big to drop at my personal door.)

Since this special bike required a special bike shop to put it together, I toted it up to New Jersey with me and hit up Margate Bike and Beach Shop, where the fellows were both excited to put the bike together and enamored with my new wheels.  I was also enamored. Here’s a shot of me when I first got the beautiful finished product:

Pure, unadulterated rapture

And, just to make it official, I decided to recreate the original photo.

Then and Now!

A HUGE thanks to New Belgium for seeing something in a young lady’s tweet nice enough to reward her. I can’t stop riding it up and down the boardwalk, and I’m pretty sure it’s the best looking bike in Jersey.

Home Again, Home Again (Jiggity Jig)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

So, for whatever reason (confusion? refusal to pay more for gas? laziness?), I’m at my family home in Pennsylvania. And it’s weird. My brothers and sister aren’t here, and both of my parents are working now, so I’m spending most of my mornings and afternoons (early evenings, too) with my dogs. Excellent company, those two.

Pickles in a sexy pose.

Is that really comfortable?

Gross.

ANYWAY, here’s what I’ve been doing in all that free time.

Snazzy, yes?

Getting feathery, fantastic packages from Hypnotiq. I submitted an adorable picture of my best buddy, Caitlin, and I dancing for some Girls Night Out contest they were having.

Guess this was a winning shot….

We got those sweet moves

I can’t promise I haven’t been wearing the boa around the house.

It gets pretty lonely here.

I’ve also been wondering something…

When the house gets unbearably messy (which, with 7 family members and two dirty dogs, is semi-frequently), my family has a cleaning service come in and tidy up.  And one of the best things is that they make all the toilet paper look like this:

Two Ply Rose, anyone?

But here’s the weirdest part: My entire family refuses to use these beautiful toilet paper roses.  The result?

A number of rogue TP Roses that are just hidden around the house.  What on earth, family?  It’s still usable toilet paper.

I’m on a one woman mission to use these all. It’s going well.

And what might I be wearing during all of this?

Fashionista

Rocking these Joe Boxer boxers in size Small (I guess they’ve just grown with me) that I’ve had for over 10 years.  These are my “home shorts”, the ones that I never actually take out of my house, so that I’ve always got something cozy to wear when I come home.

And also because it might be shameful to wear them out.

It’s not all fun and games and slutty dogs, though.  Sometimes, I have to head out for a midday buzz to celebrate IPA Day.

8.5% makes it a little harder to focus on the plot

Victory’s Hop Wallop is just the (local!) hop-bomb needed to celebrate in style.

Jealous?

Don’t worry, I know it’s of the shorts.

What do you do when you go home to visit your parents/family?  

Do you ever feel like you’re taking crazy pills, even after a few days?

 

 

 

Six Pack Sunday: Hot Towels and Taxi Cab Confessions

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

Sometimes, the stars and planets align, and it feels like everyone I love is in the same place.  This summer, I’ve got 2 cousins, 1 brother, and countless buddies living in the Big Apple so I couldn’t NOT visit at least once.  And while I’ll have some more specific posts coming, I figured I’d throw in a few bits and pieces for today’s Six Pack Sunday!

1. Hot Towel?

So I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually been to a fancy enough sushi spot to get a hot towel before.  And, apparently, neither had my brother.  The result? We looked at our tray of two steamy towels with confusion initially.  Luckily, my brother just followed his instincts and went with it.

Oh yeah

2. Tiny Teeth

What is this, a toothpaste for ANTS?!?!?!

Solid one use right there.

3. Hella Good

You know who I love? Robin Roberts of Good Morning America.

You know who I got to see IRL this weekend?

IN THE FLESH!

And yes, if you’re wondering “Jordan, did you yell out some sort of inappropriate compliment to her right in the middle of the No Doubt concert in Central Park?” the answer is a resound Yes.

(During a lull in music/conversation)

“Robin’s looking HELLA GOOD!”

#fangirl

4. The Rule of Chipotle

I’m a firm believer that adding “chipotle” to anything makes it better. Mayonnaise is great. Chipotle mayo is better.

Chocolate truffles are top notch. Chipotle chocolate truffles TAKE THE CAKE!

Chapel Hill is great.  Chapel Hill was even MORE great when they finally got a Chipotle (I’m generous with the rule).

Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of this new-to-me beer:

Mama likey.

Rogue’s Chipotle Ale  was like a sexy, spicy party in my mouth. The aroma was inviting, like the slightest whiff of that smoky salsa you’ve been itching to try all day.  The taste had heat without being a flavor blast to the face.  True love.

Glad to know that my rule sticks true, even with craft beer.

5. Sorry I’m Not Sorry

Oh, hey stranger. You didn’t wanna be in one of my (zillions) of pictures from the concert?

Well that’s TOO DAMN BAD!

6. Taxi Cab Confession

If you’ve ever had HBO, you may have heard a NUMBER of taxi cab confessions.  This one’s a little different.

Oops.

This driver’s confession?

I don’t really know how to drive a taxi cab.

Oh, NYC, you never fail to amuse.

Fan of chipotle? How about Chipotle?

What would you like to do with a hot towel RIGHT NOW?

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 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…

“Hi, Neighbor! Have a ‘Gansett!” Narragansett Pint Night at the Flying Saucer

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Ah, NC Girls’ Pint Out… even when you throw together an event last minute, you are always fun!

Last night, I ventured over to Raleigh’s Flying Saucer with a few of my favorite princesses of pilsner for an impromptu GPO get-together featuring the special of the night, the Narrangassett Lager, and their GORGEOUS 20 oz glass that went along with it!

Brews for ALL!

It was a packed house at the Flying Saucer and, for my first time visiting the establishment, this place ROCKS! They have a fantastic club called the UFO club where, for $18, you can join, get a sweet shirt, and a magnetic card to track all the unique beers you drink. After 200 unique beers, you get a saucer on the wall with your name for all the world to see!  If I lived a little closer to this joint, I’d be there ALL the time.  Luckily for my wallet (and my liver), it was a bit of a hike… But I still love it.

ANYWAY, Melissa and I grabbed ourselves some veggie-friendly (and tastebud friendly) nachos, which were fantastic, as well as a beer for each of us.

Fun fact: Narragansett was the official beer of the Red Sox for 32 years! Melissa clearly knew this, and dressed accordingly:

And adorably

The beer was what all of us at the GPO table called “A Beery Beer”. Refreshing, tasty, and crisp, we struggled to find words other than “Lager-y” and “beer-like”.  I know, I know, all those beer education classes for naught, right?

I volunteered to help Jim, who came all the way from Providence to pub the beer, out by running around and taking pictures, as well as handing out some raffle tickets for swaggggg.

The Holy Grail for swag-grubbers all over!

I schmoozed with strangers, even pestering a few for pictures with Jim… Luckily, they obliged my blogging tendencies.

Jim and a few of his buddies

I also got to try some of the fancy (and seasonal) Narragansett Bock (that fancy green can pictured above) that was definitely more my style.  From the brewer:

Gansett Bock is a deeply flavorful beer with a rich golden color and a full body.  It is drier, hoppier, and slightly more bitter than a traditional bock, but still with a relatively low hop flavor.  It offers an extremely approachable craft experience not to be confused with the double and triple bocks out on the market.  The beer pours well, producing a large creamy, persistent white head, and moderate carbonation.  Despite its full body, the flavor is not overly malty and delivers an elegant spicy character from the hops that produces a balanced, smooth finish.

From the ME:  I liked this beer a LOT more than the lager. Though I received it in a can, I promptly poured into my new Narragansett glass for consumption. A little sweeter, a little fuller in the mouth, and with a drinkability that I don’t always get from the aforementioned double and triple bocks “out on the market”, this beer was a slightly more complex tasting brew without being too intimidating for the average beer drinker (you know, the one that might not be interested in a Habanero Pale Ale or something crazy like that…)

ANYWAY, as with all the nights with NCGPO, my favorite part was socializing and, after collecting all the signups for swag, it was time to kick back and relax with my ladies.

Ladies of Lager, repping it so hard.

And a few of us even managed to walk away from the event with some new swag of our own….

You better believe I’ll be rocking my new, kelly green ‘Gansett shirt come March 17th.  No pinches for this girl.

What’s the “weirdest” or most “out there” beer flavor you’ve ever tried?

I make it a point to try any and every wonky brew I can find.  I definitely did try the habanero pale ale (not my favorite) and the “bacon beer” of Fullsteam’s Hogwash still stands out as a pretty intense flavor-profile.