Last Friday Night

So excited – my FitFluential Ambassador profile page is up on FitFluential.com! Check it out! 😀

OK, so this post is about a Friday night that occurred before what was actually last Friday night, but I could not resist the chance to use the title of the Katy Perry song (which I adored until it hit the radio) since I am writing a post here that is completely about, well, a Friday night. A Friday night that happened several weeks ago, but still.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A&ob=av3e]

I decided after a brief happy hour at a bowling alley with co-workers, in which I had a plastic cup of the grossest Cabernet I’ve ever tasted, to continue my fun evening and skip the gym. I am not one to skip the gym on a day that I have time to go. I know this isn’t typical, but I am still patting myself on the back for making that choice. Too often I feel the need to stick to my workout schedule and never cut myself a break. I completely don’t regret my decision and had a great night – livin’ life!

Avalon Cabernet at J. Gilbert's

No gym meant that for once, I was free to hit up happy hour at my favorite place in CT, J. Gilbert’s, for a glass of wine and some apps. I ended up running into my friends’ mom (who I also consider a friend!) and she was kind enough to buy my wine and let me in on her  Smoked Chicken Quesadilla (pineapple mango salsa, pico de gallo, cilantro lime & roasted red pepper, and sour creams), my favorite app on the happy hour menu. Now this Cabernet was WAY better than any bowling alley Cab – but at the same price, which made it even better.

Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet and a Manhattan.

My next stop was Rooftop 120, by far the classiest place in town (and maybe even the county or state – I haven’t seen it topped yet) to use my Living Social deal. OK, so maybe that part wasn’t as classy, but I made up for that by sticking to the red wine. My third glass of the evening!

Certainly an ample-sized wine glass. Took this photo to show that it’s almost as big as  my head!

My dining partner, Matt, ordered a Rooftop Manhattan. I had a sip, and they definitely were heavy-handed with the alcohol!

The wine really had me craving some bread and cheese, so that’s what we ordered – the Artisanal Cheese Platter complete with crusty bread, truffle honey, raspberries, and local cheeses! Well, the brie was from France, but the Blackledge Bleu (Colchester), Smoked Mozz (New Haven), and Herb Chevre (Lebanon) were all local – awesome!

This was so, so wonderful, but could’ve used more bread. Luckily I’m not shy at restaurants – we asked for more, and got a huge bowl brushed with olive oil in return, hot out of the oven! Not a single scrap of food was left standing. Everything was simply amazing, especially the truffle honey. I loved combining it with the different types of cheeses. It was SO interesting with the mozz because the smoked flavor was very strong in the cheese.

We needed to spend $40 to get full use out of the Living Social deal, meaning it was time for dessert – Mini Indulgences, to be specific! From left to right: chocolate mouse, espresso & Bailey’s mousse, PB mousse, and maple mousse. I honestly can’t pick a favorite. OK, maybe I can – the espresso & Bailey’s. My coffee love just struck me at this moment and inspired me to pick a favorite. But seriously, this was scrumptious.

What a fun Friday! No gym, wine, cheese, and dessert – these are things I don’t often do, and I’m proud of myself for letting some indulgences in and enjoying.

What are your feelings about indulging? Do you feel proud when you break away from your norm, or guilty? Or maybe some combination?

Greetings from Florida!

Oh my goodness. I am so excited to be in Florida right now for my first paid-week off from work! I am currently devouring Publix birthday cake, AKA the best grocery store birthday cake ever, and feeling a bit stressed over the pile of recaps I need to do for the blog. But my dad has declared 2012 “the year of chill” AKA “chill twenty-twelve“, and I am trying to take a cue from his book, and worry less. Already with his new chill attitude, I’ve noticed less stress on this vacation – it’s contagious!

A meal from what seems like eons ago, AKA dinner on the 21st.

Baked potato w/Sweetfire Salsa courtesy of Tara, turkey sausage and turkey burger w/spicy yellow mustard, and coleslaw.

I’m still sharing things from a week ago – and that’s a bad sign, since every single day has been absolutely packed with good times, good food, and good workouts! OK, maybe not so much the good workouts.

The fitness center at the hotel where my parents are staying (my siblings and I prefer to shack up at our grandparents’ apartment, which is way cozier to me than any hotel) is quite sub-par and has been forcing me to use the treadmill for my cardio. Still better than running outside in this FL weather I’m no longer used to! I did manage to score a free pass to an LA Fitness, but it was good for only today. I took a Bootcamp class, which was pretty hard, though not as challenging as I’d like. Still, I thought I’d post the routine for you guys since it would be pretty easy to replicate at home!

Bootcamp Workout (created by Janina of LA Fitness in Palm Beach Gardens, FL):

Super easy, right? No equipment necessary (except a mat or a soft surface in general). Remember I did not create this workout and I am not a personal trainer so proceed to use it at your own risk!

The beloved belated Publix birthday cake for my mom.

I have been sticking to my early sleep schedule and just finished my cake, so it’s time to go read and then hit the hay. Gotta be up early to hit the hotel gym again – treadmill, blahhh.

Do you work out while on vacation? What is your attitude towards doing so?

December’s Birchbox

Did you win the Shabby Apple necklace giveaway? The winner has yet to come forward!

I received my December Birchbox, albeit a bit late, but the company did take the time to email me and offer me a $10 discount (in the form of 100 rewards points) on purchases as an apology. I won’t be using it unless I can find something that’s exactly $10 with shipping (I use Birchbox purely to sample, not buy), but it was still considerate of them to notice my December shipment was late, acknowledge that fact, and offer compensation.

The box came with a festive card that detailed each item in the box, and its purpose and benefits.

  • Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo: I gave this to my mom because she was practically drooling over it as soon as she saw the bottle, and I have never really needed or wanted dry shampoo. I think my mom wants to use it for occasions when she has to work out and go straight out to run errands, which I do all the time – only difference is, I don’t mind doing it with gross hair.
  • Atelier Cologne Ambre Nue: Ateli-what? AKA a small sample vial of a perfume that my mom and I couldn’t figure out if we liked or not.
  • Jouer Lip Gloss: The color, a bright “Barbie” pink, is appropriately titled “Birchbox Pink”. Haven’t tried it yet, but put it in my beauty storage drawer for next time I need a new tube of gloss!
  • Nuxe Dry Oil Shimmer: Totally intrigued by this, but not sure when I’m going to use it – or how! This multi-use oil is supposed to be applied to the face or body “to give skin a silken feel and subtle glow”. It can even be worked into hair! I’m a little wary of how subtle a shimmery oil could exactly be, or how well it would blend into my hair (and what it could do to it), but when I’m feeling adventurous I’ll try it out.
  • ShowStoppers Fashion Tape: I definitely can see this coming in handy! We’ll see if it actually sticks.
  • EBoost Orange Natural Energy Booster: I’m honestly not a big fan of “energy boosters” loaded with Vitamin B12. I like to stick to my dependable caffeine, so I ditched this sample.

Which of the items in my box would you most want to try?

Merry Christmas – Shabby Apple Winner!

Merry Christmas! I’m in Florida at my grandparents’ apartment, waiting for traditional Jewish deli take-out for Christmas dinner and blogging from my phone because as of now, an Internet connection is MIA.

Just popping by quickly to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple necklace giveaway – thanks so much to all who entered. Using a random number generator, I determined that the winner is Catherine! Please email caitplusate@gmail.com with your shipping info!

I am sitting on a zillion pictures from the last few days of holiday festivities and the amount will only grow on this vacation. This is a good blogger problem to have, but if I don’t find an Internet connection soon I won’t be able to share any of it til after I get home on New Year’s Eve! We’ll see!

Edit: I found Internet! So hopefully will be able to blog occasionally on my trip – in between having fun 😉

What was your best Christmas gift that you GAVE?

Planned and Spontaneous Wine Tastings

Quick reminder – don’t forget to enter the Shabby Apple necklace giveaway! Ends tomorrow at 11:59PM EST!

I’ve blogged plenty about my favorite local package store, Sonoma Wines & Spirits. But they keep giving me reasons to love them, so I’m gonna continue writing about their fabulous wine selection – no apologies here.

In fact, they are offering tastings both today and tomorrow on location in Glastonbury, so if you are a local reader, be sure to stop by for free wine samples + education!

I attended a free Saturday evening tasting recently, in which I tried the first sparkling wine that I can honestly say I enjoyed! It had already sold out by the time I arrived, but was a nice preview for a possible future purchase. This wine, made by J Vineyards, located in the Russian River Valley in Cali, would be wonderful at a Christmas or New Year’s Eve party.

The next two wines for tasting consisted of a Chardonnay and Cabernet by Norton Ridge, a “winemaker’s project”. Each wine is given the personality of the wine maker, because he or she is the one that chooses the fruit sources that go into it. The Chardonnay was quite good – definitely something I can see myself having a glass or two of. The Cabernet was quite tasty, as usual, but was not stand-out to me like the sparkling wine.

My favorite of the four was also the grand finale – Chionetti Dolcetto di Dogliani Briccolero 2007. I had never had a red like this before, and was beyond impressed. I could really taste the high-quality of this Italian red and really wanted to buy a bottle – but it was a bit out of my price range, at $21.96. Luckily, Elliott the expert recommended something comparable at $15. I can’t wait to crack it open soon!

As if that wasn’t enough wine (wait, you can never have enough wine, so forget that I said that), I stopped into Sonoma the other day to pick up something for a friend and was greeted with a half-glass of Chianti – a spontaneous tasting, thanks to a salesman who had stopped by earlier that day to deliver a complimentary bottle!

The bottle pictured is a 2008, but the wine I sampled was actually from 2007 – double score! This is a nice wine at $35/bottle!

Thanks to Sonoma for continuing to feed my wine fascination!

Shabby Apple – Giveaway!

First of all, fellow FitFluential Ambassador Bonnie Pfiester has published an awesome post that gives a “round-up” of what fellow Ambassadors like to use for go-to 100 calorie snacks. These are the snacks “real” people eat, as opposed to some of the 100-calorie snacks suggested by fitness magazines that are just a little unrealistic (sure, I will eat exactly two pieces of chocolate, thanks). Check it out, and see if you can spot my snack idea!

Thanks to my header designing friend Mai, I have another giveaway for you guys today! This one is courtesy of  Shabby Apple, an online boutique specializing in dresses, accessories, and even arts and crafts. You may have seen giveaways from this brand on other blogs – I know I myself have (unsuccessfully) entered a few.

Image courtesy of Shabby Apple.

I have to admit their prices are a bit up there, but there are ways to save if you see an item you really wouldn’t mind splurging on, in the form of a sale section, referral program, email list sign-up, and shipping deals (this month it’s free).

Image courtesy of Shabby Apple.

There’s even a fitness section with prices that are definitely lower than the famous Lululemon!

Image courtesy of Shabby Apple.

The above skirt is from the sale section – it’s nice to see a site where everything on that page isn’t completely undesirable!

Image courtesy of Shabby Apple.

For my readers, Shabby Apple has offered to giveaway a Skeleton Key Necklace (pictured above) to one lucky winner (sorry, US entries only). Entering is easy – just like Shabby Apple on Facebook and comment on this post saying you did so. Also include in your comment a link to your favorite item from their website – I’m curious to see what you guys think!

For additional entries (please leave a comment for each):

  • Follow Shabby Apple on Twitter
  • Follow Cait Plus Ate on Twitter
  • Like Cait Plus Ate on Facebook
  • Tweet “I just entered to win a @shabbyapple necklace from @CaitPlusAte! http://wp.me/p1SfTW-iB”

Good luck guys – you have until Saturday, 12/24, 11:59PM EST to enter!

Chili’s Gets a Menu Upgrade

Chili’s is one of my favorite chains, because they really do have more options than you may think. When one is feeling indulgent, there are plenty of delicious fried bites. My go-to move back in the day was to order the appetizer trio and pick the most heavy options…spinach and artichoke dip, BBQ wings, and fried eggrolls. Nowadays I try to stick to meals that’ll leave me feeling good, and Chili’s has those choices too! I always used to order the shrimp tacos with grilled shrimp instead of fried, but now they’ve taken a page out of my book (or some marketing/product development employee’s book…) and officially added those grilled shrimp tacos, along with other fresh Tex-Mex fare, to their menu!

Check out that avocado – the actual meals did indeed contain those generous amounts of it!

I hit up our closest Chili’s location with my parents on a Saturday night. It was pretty crazy as usual, but we found a booth in the bar and sat down right away. My mom brought a coupon from the Facebook page for free chips and salsa – nice!

I love the chips at Chili’s, but do wish they offered a chunkier variety of salsa. Runny salsa no es bueno.

Grilled shrimp tacos, black beans, and corn on the cob.

My meal was so good and I finished every last bite. I poured some of the beans into each taco, and as I was eating them, let any “fillings” that came out drip back into the bowl of leftover beans. Then, when it was time to finish them off, I had a cup of beans with pico and other goodies in there! The unbuttered corn on the cob was so, so good. My mom and I asked the waitress if it was roasted, but she said no, it’s just cooked on the stove top. Baffling! Why does it taste so much better than corn from home?!

Grilled veggie tacos.

My mom and I traded our last tacos to each other so that she could try the shrimp and I could try a grilled veggie taco, which is one of the new menu items that I’ve never ordered before. SO GOOD! I was impressed with the variety and amount of veggies in each taco. Quite satisfying!

My dad's chicken club tacos with rice and beans.

My dad went the more traditional route and stuck to the Chili’s standard rice and beans as the accompaniments to his chicken club tacos. He said the chicken was cooked very well, and he’s a big bacon lover, so it was a nice combo of indulgent and healthy!

We had a wonderful meal and I give Chili’s props for adding healthier options to their menu that don’t sacrifice taste at all.

Have you tried any of the new Chili’s menu items? What’s your favorite taco?

Career Fangirling

THE BLOG HAS A NEW HEADER! PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! Thanks so much to the lovely and talented Mai for designing it!

Can I just continue my nerd-dom and share how excited I am right now that the newest and youngest member of the Starbucks Board of Executives, Clara Shih, tweeted at me last night?!

I follow Starbucks Blogs because it’s a great source of news about one of my favorite brands, and Phillip (who runs the account) tweeted an article about Clara’s recent promotion to the Board. The article’s link isn’t working, but I found a comparable one here. I re-tweeted the article saying “a girl can dream…” and Clara reached out to me and made me feel completely inspired with just a simple tweet!

She is the CEO and founder of Hearsay Social, a social media startup that helps companies “quickly onboard, train, and successfully enable their local offices to create authentic conversations with their clients and customers in real time on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter”. AKA what I am most interested in using my marketing degree to accomplish!

The book worm in me is also excited to read Clara’s book, The Facebook Era. It may be used as a textbook at universities, but I know I’d enjoy reading it for fun. Sorry I’m not sorry – I’m totally career fangirling right now and I’m fine with it. Any inspiration is a good thing!

Chili with rabbit ears?

On a completely unrelated note, I owe you guys some food photos that have been hanging out in my camera for awhile. Pictured above is my mom’s amazing ground turkey/soy and bean chili, topped with fresh pico de gallo and scooped up with two whole grain taco shells.

Aerial view…

I was having trouble coming up with creative/pretty ways to display the meal, as you can see.

Not my food, but had to take a picture.

My friend Matt and I stopped by Giovanni’s the other night because he was hungry and my sister was working, so we figured we’d kill two birds and visit her while he re-fueled. He selected their “manliest” slice, the Stuffed Meat, but was rendered a bit less “manly” when the last two bites were a struggle. With my coaching, he got the slice down.

Also, I was a featured blogger last week over at fellow FitFluential Ambassador Matt’s blog, The Athlete’s Plate. Check it out! I guess my blog’s name has garnered me the nickname of “Cait” in the blog world, which is what my wonderful padre calls me, so OK by me!

Have you ever had a “fangirl” moment over Twitter?

Maybelline Winners and Hidden Gems

First thing’s first, I’d love to announce the winners of the Bzz Agent Maybelline giveaway! Participation was awesome – I really appreciate everyone stopping by and taking the time to comment and enter!

Congratulations Lindsay of Lindsay’s List, Crystal Tewelow, and Kelsey of The Secret Life of Kelsey! Please email your shipping information to caitplusate@gmail.com!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was a little bit on the slow side, but I refuse to call it boring, because I told myself as soon as I started work that I’d NEVER say I was bored during my free time. Free time is rare and I should always appreciate it!

For today, I’d like to share the happenings from a fun Sunday I had earlier this month!

Have you ever had the experience of finding something wonderful, and kicking yourself for not realizing that it was right in your backyard the entire time? I certainly did a couple of weeks ago, when a well-versed local and friend took me on a mini-tour of a couple hidden gems of South Glastonbury.

After meeting at the always-adorable So G Coffee Roasters, we embarked for a visit to an art gallery showing just a short walk away. An art gallery – in South Glastonbury? I couldn’t believe it, but it was true. Dave Magee was showing his art in his barn, and I was amazed by his talent. I couldn’t believe I had the chance to converse with the artist himself! The theme of the show was elephants with pink tusks, but plenty of other varieties of work were on display too.

A painting of the elephants with pink tusks, and their legend. All work copyright Dave Magee.

What struck me most about the show was how many different styles Dave was able to adopt. The elephants above were almost part of a fantasy world, but the watercolors below were very realistic, though also unique due to his use of color. For example, I love the “seafoam” color he used for the grass in the painting on the left, below. That one was actually my favorite of the day.

All work copyright Dave Magee.

Some pieces were more abstract, like the one pictured below right. But I still love how you can tell what it’s supposed to be (grapes).

All work copyright Dave Magee.

Dave’s wife was amazing to talk to – she has traveled all over the world, and has  a yoga studio in the barn! We talked about India, because I had just finished the amazing Miranda Kennedy memoir “Sideways on a Scooter“. Dave also recommended “Shopgirl” by Steve Martin to me, which I have been obsessing about ever since I read it in two days, starting that very evening.

Food and drink was available to all guests, including some local wine (in the clear bottle and cup) and homemade kahlua (in the blue bottles). The wine was at a different stage than most that you buy in the stores, so it tasted so unique to me. The kahlua was probably one of the best things I’ve ever drank, let’s leave it at that.

I also enjoyed a smooth glass (er,  plastic cup) of that Chianti on the right.

Aren’t the napkins sweet? The brie pictured at center, paired with apricot preserves and crackers, was wonderful. Later, some local bleu cheese made an appearance.

My Chianti is creepin on the left.

We received the VIP treatment, and got a tour of the loft of Dave’s barn, which was full of more hidden gems. Apparently he used to hold parties up there in the 90’s – can we bring those back please?! We can keep the 90’s music.

I was in awe of the loft’s contents. I felt like Ariel in her little trove of treasures untold (“Part of your World” anyone?)

I spy Albert Einstein, and a new-car-style bow.

Corkscrews made out of real grape vines!

The barn's backyard.

The loft from the loft's loft…still with me?

I could’ve stayed up there and explored for awhile, but it was time for the next stop on the tour of South Glastonbury – a hike through Cotton Hollow. I’ve been there before, but in a different part of the park. This hike revealed something unexpected.

How gorgeous is that? The ruins are apparently from an old factory. They look completely out of place in the woods, and that’s what I love about them.

What a relaxing, serene Sunday. I feel inspired to find more hidden spots in my town, especially since I don’t see myself moving out of the house anytime soon 😛

Have you ever been to an art show?

Holiday Activities Abound!

STOP! have you entered my Maybelline giveaway yet? And have you seen my cookies on Part 1 of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap Recipe Roundup? OK, now you can move on 🙂

‘Tis the season for holiday events – and I love it! Family, friends, food, drink, music, decor…I could go on and on. So far this holiday, I’ve been lucky enough to attend both a fancy Winter Festival at a banquet hall and a cozy, intimate holiday brunch at a blogger buddy‘s apartment!

My fellow marketing/fitness/foodie nerd friend, Alexis, and I.

My mom and I accompanied my dad to his holiday work party as his “+1s”. I was more than happy to oblige! I started the evening off with a couple glasses of Cabernet. There were apps set out, but I was too busy chatting and wine-ing to really notice them! By the time it was our turn to approach the Italian buffet line, I was totally starved (we were one of the last tables sent up). The food was worth the wait, though. For a banquet hall, Maneeley’s of South Windsor did a pretty good job!

Your basic salad.

Steamed veggies (not too much butter either!)

Mmm potato starch.

My plate! The meat is Chicken Marsala, but it looked too ugly in the tray for a pic.

I enjoyed hanging out with Alexis, my parents, and their friends. I met a lot of great people and even handed out a few cards – hello to any new readers from Winter Fest!

The mom and I.

In the same weekend (I know, right, how lucky am I?) I got to attend a holiday Sunday brunch hosted by Bethany of More Fruit Please. I walked into her apartment and was immediately in awe of how well-decorated and organized it is.

A coordinated Christmas tree greeted me when I stepped inside.

Fabulous coffee and tea "station"!

Adorable foyer table arrangement.

I spy Jennifer!

Bethany draws her decor inspiration from Pinterest, of course! And no, I have not yet caved and signed up.

In love with this concept. Each heart is a place she's lived!

As a cinnamon freak, I have much love for this candle.

To continue the cinnamon love, I had the best tea I’ve ever had. No joke – thank you Trader Joe’s for making this cinnamon and vanilla black tea! I made two teabags last through about three mugfuls of hot water. Has anyone else tried this?

Bethany and some of her awesome friends worked away in the kitchen. I swear I offered some help! 😛 Bethany was running all over the place, and I was and still am in awe of her hostess skills!

Potatoes and veggies for quiche getting some saute action.

A quiche setting, just after coming out of the oven.

Some appetizers were set out for munching. I eventually could wait no longer and had to dive into Bethany’s to-die-for sun-dried tomato olive tapenade with Stacy’s pita chips. Make this for your next party. Immediately.

Also available to tide us over until meal time: assorted cookies and pretzels, some of which I contributed from my Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap stash, and a beautiful Harvest Loaf baked by an amazing, spunky fashion blogger I met at the brunch, Lydia. Check out her fashion blog – it’s awesome!

My mug is too the left – I loved all of Bethany's mugs! My plate of cookies is the red one.

Harvest Loaf ready for slicing!

Soon, brunch was ready! Mimosas were poured, but I sat out since I was still feeling the half bottle of wine I’d had the night before

Oops, looks like pouring led to a little spillage.

Bethany’s dining table was transformed into a Sunday smorgasbord (I needed spellcheck on that one).

The tree is just too much – I LOVE IT.

A little tour of the table for you…

Fruit salad (with kiwi – YES) and honey yogurt dip.

Broc, tomato, and pesto quiche.

Turkey sausage and potato quiche.

Whole wheat blackberry-lemon and apple scones from Jennifer.

Plain, chocolate, and almond croissants from La Petit France of West Hartford.

"Carb tower" all together (bagels and yoga bread from Bethany on bottom).

Apple butter and cranberry orange cream cheese spreads for bread. How cute are the spreaders?!

I wanted to try as much as possible! I filled my first plate with a plain croissant, half an apple scone, slice of veggie quiche with reduced sugar ketchup, and fruit salad with yogurt dip.

Plate one of two. Very hard to be patient enough to take pics before diving in.

The scone was wonderful (I don’t care what you say Jennifer!) and so was the dip. But the real stars were the croissant, which was so authentic-tasting, and the quiche, which was MADE thanks to the pesto.

Dying over the plate. Dying of cuteness the entire brunch.

After finishing this plate, I went back for a slice of the turkey sausage and potato quiche. The veggie quiche was still my favorite because the pesto biases me, but the meat and potato quiche was fantastic as well. Perfectly cooked!

After writing this post, I am now ready to eat my entire fridge. I want to go back and re-taste everything! Thank you Bethany for being an amazing hostess, cook, and home decorator 😉

Which component of the brunch would you most want to try? What would you have seconds of?