Burger and Sake Night!

Hey guys!
I went to a pretty cool event the other night.  Boston Food Blogs did a giveaway for two tickets to Burger and Sake Night hosted at Tasty Burger, and I won!  I totally didn't expect to win, so it was an awesome surprise when I found out.  This event was created by Todd Bellamy, who writes a blog called Boston Sake.  Check it out because he is new to the Boston Food blog scene and is already doing cool things to bring more Sake in Boston.

Since I won two tickets, I could bring a guest, and I knew just who to bring: CJ! He loves burgers, and hasn't gotten a chance to try Tasty Burger yet.  He also really likes Sake.

Sake has a special meaning to our relationship because the first time I tried Sake was on our first real un-chaperoned date. We went to a Japanese restaurant on Valentine's Day in 2009 and ate heart shaped sushi and drank hot sake.  It was much more romantic than our first "date" where we went on a snowmobiling day trip to Vermont with my dad; yup just me, CJ, and my Dad.  I can't believe he stuck around with a girl who brings her father as a chaperone on the first date, but he did and he's still here 3.5+ years later.  That's your fun fact for the day.

Anyway, back to Burger and Sake night:

After Todd and the Sake Brewer made a few announcements about the event,  the burgers started coming out.  Each burger was paired with a different kind of Sake.  CJ and I had three burgers between the two of us.  What can I say, they kept bring out more burgers, so I kept eating them.:)

CJ and I made friends with the photographer hired for the event.  Since I'm pretty new to photography with a dSLR, he gave me some basic tips, and then we compared burger pictures.  His picture was probably a little better, but then again, I'm not a professional ;).
My favorite burger was the one with mushrooms and aioli and it was paired with an earthy tasting Sake.  It worked well with the mushrooms.  Delish!

I tried two kinds of Sake, one was fruity,  and the other was more earthy.  The earthy one was aged longer to give it a deeper flavor.  I preferred the fruity one, but they were both pretty good.  I haven't had too many experiences with Sake, so I'm still getting acquainted with the taste.  I think I might be starting to like it.  

 The Sake was served in these cute little cups.  It was the perfect amount for sampling.

Along with the canned Sake and Burgers, they also served a Pineapple Shake.  I drank three or four before CJ informed me that they had Sake in them.  After that, I tried to slow down a little bit because I didn't want to get accidentally drunk on a Monday night. I loved the little cups and the colorful straws, so cute and yummy!

I had so much fun sampling the Sake, guzzling the pineapple shakes, and chowing down on some burgers. It was nice to be able to bring CJ to a Boston foodie event, and this one in particular was right up his alley.

 Thanks for the invite, Todd! I look forward to the next food + Sake event.:)

Do you like Sake?  Have you ever been to a tasting? This was my first Sake tasting, and I've been to a few beer tastings, but I have always wanted to go to a wine tasting!

WIAW: Snacking Staples

Hello!
I've been slacking for a few weeks, but this week I'm back at the ole' "What I Ate Wednesday."  This month, Jenn, at Peas and Crayons is doing a theme of "Summer Staples," so I included all my usual snacks such as bananas, almonds, granola bars, and baby carrots.  All the food here was consumed on Tuesday, August 14.

Breakfast: Multigrain Bagel from DD and Hazlenut Coffee.  I didn't feel like having oatmeal today so I got a bagel from Dunkin with veggie cream cheese.  Yum!

Snack 1: Banana

Lunch: Turkey Wrap with baby spinach, roasted red pepper hummus, and pepper jack cheese
Carrot Sticks on the side

Snack 2: TJ's Apple Cereal Bar.  I have never tried these bars before, but I liked them.  They taste just like nutri-grain bars.

Snack 3: handful of raw almonds.  I love raw almonds!  I wish they weren't so expensive.

Snack 4: Pre-run snack- another Apple Bar (same thing as above)
For my workout, I ran 3 miles in 28 minutes and 51 seconds.

Dinner: Tofu Stir fry with Jasmine Rice and roasted chickpeas on the side.
I'm addicted to roasted chickpeas.  They are so tasty and easy to make.  

Drink: Blood Orange Soda from TJ's.  I don't drink a ton of soda, but it's nice to have it once in a while.  This blood orange flavor from TJ's is awesome. 

Wow, no chocolate today...that might be a first!

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Halfway to the Half Marathon: Training Update

Hi!  Hope your Sunday is going well.

Remember when I said I was going to update you at the end of the first 5 weeks of my half marathon training?  Well, that time is here already! Time really is flying by....

I can't believe I'm halfway through my training.  So far, it's been going pretty well, and I've only made some minor changes to my SmartCoach Training plan.

What I was supposed to do:

What I actually did:
 
Week 1:  I struggled with the long run this week and only did 5 miles instead of 8, everything else I completed. Total miles: 14
Week 2: I did pretty good this week. I just didn't do the speedwork on Thursday, instead I did a short 2 mile run and a 3 mile walk. Total miles: 15
Week 3:  This week was tough for the plan.  I struggled with the 9 mile run, and instead did a 5 mile run with a 1 mile walk.  Total miles: 12
Week 4:  The only thing I tweaked in this week was running 4 miles instead of 5 on Thursday.  I even ran 10 miles in the rain on Sunday! Total miles: 18
Week 5:  This was a mile cut-back week and I took that a little too far.  I only completed 3 runs for a total of 11 miles. 


How I'm feeling:

I'm feeling pretty confident about being able to complete the half marathon at this point.  I know it's going to be tough, but I have a couple longs runs under my belt at this point so I'm feeling prepared.  I have been struggling with the heat.  I usually run in the evenings and even then it has still been really hot.  I did get a running belt with a water bottle so that has been helping as far as hydration goes. 

I have been running mostly outside, which is good, because I'm getting to run on lots of hills.  I'm not sure how many hills will be on the course, but I will be prepared for them.  I also took my first ice bath after my 10 mile run last week and it was definitely helpful, I wasn't sore at all the next day.  I'm going to try to do that more.  I've been foam rolling a lot too, and trying to do as much as I can to keep my muscles happy. 

Today a new concern popped into my head about the half marathon start time.  I mentioned that I have been running mostly at night, and the race starts at 7 am.  I once read that it's important to train at the time the race will be starting.  I think this week I will try to run at least once in the morning, and in the following weeks, I'm going to try to do my long runs earlier than I have been doing them.  Why does this matter?  It matters for me because it changes how I will fuel.  Usually when I run at night, I have had plenty to eat throughout the day, I've had a chance to go to the bathroom (sorry- gross-but important!) and I usually have time to have a little carby snack before running.  Running first thing in the morning is going to require changes to my little routine.  I'll need to fuel up properly pretty early before going out to run. 


What I'm looking forward too:
This will be my first half marathon, so I'm looking forward to getting bragging rights.  I can't wait to buy a t-shirt, head band, and bumper sticker that all say "13.1".  I think I might even get a tattoo as well as a reminder of what I've accomplished.  Ok, totally kidding on that last one!  Don't worry Mom!

But seriously, I can't wait to run it!  I know it will be fun because I know a ton of people running it.
Tracy, Shaina, Hannah, Yulia, and Tara (I think) will all be there with me.  What could be better??



Have you ever run a half marathon?  Do you like running with friends?  Have you been struggling to run in the heat this summer?

Cafe Burrito Blogger Event

Hi Guys!
There's a new burrito place in Belmont called Cafe Burrito, and I got to go try out the menu before it even opened.  I was invited by Dan, (the manager/creator/head chef/brains-behind-the-operation) to go check it out and taste some items from the menu, so I grabbed my BBB (best blogging buddy) Tracy and we headed over. 

Cafe Burrito is not only a burrito joint, they will also serve all sorts of caffienated beverages (hence the "Cafe" part) like coffee, espresso, tea, and soda, along with smoothies (fruit and coffee based) and pastries during the morning hours.  The burritos and tacos are available at starting at lunch time.  

I really liked the colorful and fun atmosphere of this place.  I felt right at home joining the other bloggers who came to the event. Kathy, Rachel, Pam, Liz, and Bianca were all in attendence, some I had met at Maggiano's and some were new faces.  I was really excited to finally meet Bianca, because I have been reading her blog, Confessions of a Chocoholic, for a while now.  Everyone was really nice, and I got to learn more about the Boston Food Blogger scene, which is definitely interesting (Diner en Blanc- what??). 

Dan started us off with a selection of salsas and some tortilla chips.  My absolute favorite salsa was the Peach Basil salsa, it's funny how basil seems to go with everything. After some chips, salsa, and peach sangria (sorry- not on the menu) we sampled some tacos.  We each tried one beef and one chicken taco.  While they were both delicious in their own way, I really liked the beef, it was marinated in coffee grounds and that gave it a really interesting taste.  The beef taco also had pickled vegetables on top, which isn't something you can get at any old burrito place.  The chicken was really tasty too, and served with shredded lettuce, cheese, and sweet corn.

After being stuffed almost to the limit, Dan brought out another two dishes for us to try.  This one (I forget the name) was a fusion between a grilled cheese and a quesadilla.  It was made on thicker bread than a quesadilla, but sliced into triangles.  We tried two flavors, the first one was tomato, basil, and mozz:

and the second was a Cubano type with beef, ham, cheese, pickled vegetables, and mustard:

Even though Belmont isn't very close to me, I hope to be able to come back and try the food again.   The food was awesome, and I could tell a lot of thought went into each item on the menu. If you live or work in the area, it's definitely worth checking out!

Thanks again for hosting, Dan! I wish you luck and success in this venture.

Clam Chowdah on a Summer Night

Hello!

I love when CJ comes up with a good idea for dinner that I wouldn't think of with myself.  Clam Chowder in the middle of summer?  Sure!  We made this about a week ago on a chilly rainy evening, and it was the perfect complement to a movie night on the couch.

For some reason, I always thought Clam Chowder was hard to make, but it's actually incredibly easy and not very time consuming.  Give this recipe a try!


Classic Clam Chowder Recipe

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups cubed red potatoes with skin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
3 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons butter
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams

Directions:

Chop up the bacon, and cook in a large pot.

While the bacon is cooking, chop up all the vegetables.

Have you ever seen a cuter potato in your life?

Check out the pink knife that CJ got me.  He really knows the way to a woman's heart; colorful cutlery!

 Dump all the veggies in the pot to with the bacon, and add in the clam juice and the water. 

Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Then add in the half and half, butter, and the clams.  Cook for another 10 minutes and remove from heat. 

Let the chowder sit for about 15 minutes to thicken before serving.

Enjoy with bread for dipping, and a glass of white wine! 

New Running Gear & Slow Cooker Winner!

Hi Guys!
Hope you all had a good weekend!

I have been struggling to get in my long runs for my half marathon training because it's just been so hot.  According to my training plan I was scheduled to run 10 miles on Sunday.  I knew I wouldn't be able to do that without water so I went out an bought a fuel and water belt.  #runningnerd.

After debating between two different styles I picked the Nathan swift energy belt.  It was a little pricey ($35 at Dick's sporting goods) but I really needed it! 

It holds 8 oz of water, has a mesh pocket for energy gels, keys, and maybe a cell phone.  The belt part is a little bit stretchy so I figured that would be more comfortable since it would move with me.

At about 6:30 yesterday, I filled up the little water bottle, took an energy gel, and strapped on the fuel belt and headed outside.  I was feeling pretty inspired after watching the some of the Olympic running events that I wanted to push myself to complete the 10 miles. I also had a brand new playlist so that really helped too.

It was sprinkling a little bit when I left my house, but I didn't mind since it was still pretty hot and humid out.  At about mile 6, it started to rain a little heavier.  I had a feeling that might happen so I put my ipod in a plastic bag so it didn't get damaged.  Running in the rain isn't bad if you're in the mood for it.  Honestly, it was fine because it cooled me off.

I finished 10 miles in 1 hour and 42 minutes with an average pace of 10:13.  I just realized Nike + shows you your splits along with the negative of positive change.  Very helpful and interesting.  I was surprised that mile 4 was my fastest, I would have thought it would be mile 1 since I usually start out fast and then burn out.

After the run, I came home and started filling the bathtub with cold water.  While it was filling I stretched and foam rolled.  I recently purchased a purple Thera-roll (reminds me of Thera-flu), which is the second firmest version, and has ridges in it to get deeper into your muscles.  I like it, but I will say it doesn't roll as easily as the regular ones, so you have to roll a little slower.

source

When the tub was full I dumped in all the ice cubes we had and then sat in there for about 10-15 minutes.  It wasn't as cold as I would have liked but it did the trick!  I'm not sore today at all!  Yay!

Now on to the Slow cooker winner!!  Slimkicker chose Martha's challenge!

Congrats Martha!  To collect your prize, please email team@slimkicker.com

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my giveaway!

What I've Learned from the CSA so far..

Hi Everyone!

Today is National Watermelon Day!!  Don't let this picture fool you, I actually despise watermelon.  I'm only smiling because I have plans to throw it off a roof later. muahahaha.

Before you say I'm crazy, let me tell you that I'm not the only person who hates watermelon,  CJ hates it too (match made in heaven?).  If you want to join our watermelon-haters club, please email me. :)

Just kidding, this watermelon won't be harmed,  I'll probably give it to my mom.  :)

As some of you may know, I joined the Farm Direct Co-op's Farm share program this year, and have been receiving a weekly share of locally grown fruits and vegetables.  It's been a really great way to incorporate more veggies into my diet, and I've enjoyed learning how to cook with different vegetables that I probably wouldn't buy on my own.   I knew joining the CSA was a good decision from the start, so I compiled a list of things I've learned so far:

• What a Kohlrabi is, and how to eat one 

• What IPM means.  I figured that most of the food coming from the Farm Share would be organic.  While the Farm Direct Co-Op strives to provide as much organic fruits and veggies as possible, the increased desire for more variety and the difficult growing season in New England, has lead them to choose IPM farmers whenever organic is not available.  IPM or Integrated Pest Management basically means they only spray when they have to, and they try to use the least toxic chemicals possible. 

 

• Organic vegetables go bad faster than store-bought non-organic produce.  The week I got awesome colored carrots, I didn't eat them fast enough and they started to get soft and bendy.  I was surprised because when I buy baby carrots at the store they are usually good for 2+ weeks.  I did a little research and I found that some pesticides can act as preservatives and some foods like GMO's (genetically modified organisms) can actually be bred to last longer. 

• Eating locally grown produce is not as limited as I thought. The variety of produce I've gotten is amazing.  For fruits, there have been blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, and red currants.  I don't like to buy berries at the grocery store because they are super expensive so this has been amazing for me to increase my berry intake.  We have received so many different kinds of vegetables, too.  The list goes on and on from radishes, beets, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, all sorts of greens (kale, bok choy, spinach, lettuce, napa cabbage, pointy head cabbage, red lead lettuce, basil), kohlrabi, garlic, carrots, potatoes, turnips, eggplant, corn, and more.  I haven't needed to buy any vegetables from the grocery store, and that has been a time and money saver. 

• Eating seasonally makes you more appreciative of certain fruits and vegetables.  In the grocery store world, seasons only matter so much.  When fruits and vegetables are being shipped from all over the world, more varieties are available, but it makes the quality go down.  With the CSA, I got to experience strawberries picked at the peak of their ripeness.  I definitely noticed a difference from store bought ones.  The CSA strawberries were a lot smaller and went bad faster, but the smell and taste were unbelievable!  I've experienced the same thing with tomatoes.  I used to dislike tomatoes, but that was because most of the tomatoes I had were from grocery stores and had tough skin and pale red color.  The CSA tomatoes on the other hand, are juicy and flavorful.  When produce is picked or harvested at a farm a few miles away and brought to my town, it's incredible how much better things taste.  I definitely have a higher appreciation for eating seasonally now, you can't beat it!   

The farm share season is only halfway through so I can't wait to see what else we get.  I'm super excited to see what we get in September and October.  It will be awesome to get apples, and pumpkins, and other fall fruits and veggies..

I hope this convinces you to think about joining a CSA next season, or at least to start your own garden.  Even though Farm shares can be pricey, I think it's totally worth every penny.  It's great to have a fridge stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, and to reduce your carbon footprint.  It's a win-win!

Have you ever participated in a CSA?  What's your favorite fall fruit or vegetable?