I’m glad you all are just as excited about BAMR Bands as I am (in fact mine makes another appearance in this post – can you spot it?) and I’m happy to announce the winners of my giveaway!
Congrats Amanda, Allison, and Celeste! I will be contacting you about your prizes!
Thank you to those who entered my Sprigs giveaway for a Banjees (running wallet)! Remember that my review post contains the promo code “CaitBanjees” which can save you 10% off a purchase up to $29.99 or 20% off a purchase $30 and up until 12/31/12. So if you didn’t win a Banjees, you can purchase one (or more!) for yourself and/or family and friends for the holidays…at a discount!
The winner is Laurel! I will contact you for your shipping information – congrats!
A week ago today, America experienced its biggest shopping day of the year – the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday. Last week there was no Fashion Friday on this blog because I was too busy taking advantage of a day that not only means deals to me, but also tradition. Since I was in at least middle school if not earlier, I have been going Black Friday shopping each year with my younger sister, and sometimes also my Nana Connie (she’s the one who introduced us to the “holiday!) and/or my dad. I love fashion, I love deals, but most of all I love my family and how much fun we have together on Black Friday! Family time doesn’t stop at Thanksgiving!
Of course, I DID get some great deals…I’d say this year’s Black Friday was even more successful than last year’s, though more so because I didn’t waste the day feeling distracted by as much guilt (there was still some) over the Thanksgiving meal I’d enjoyed the night before (of course it also helps that this year I wasn’t completely and utterly hungover).
Yeah just what I need..another Fossil watch. But CHECK OUT that price difference! Thank you Nordstrom Rack in Farmington, CT!
Hallmark was having Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off on all Yankee Candles. More things I don’t need. I love how the little guys are just $1.99 each!
I’m obsessed with this Elle dress from Kohls! On sale for just $30. I can’t wait to wear it to work!
This Kohl’s sweater was on sale for about $12! The Lauren Conrad collection skirt was $17. I always seem to find great deals on her clothes on Black Friday!
Wore the sweater yesterday in fact!
Went all matchy-matchy with my “birthday cake” Fossil watch.
Topped it all off with a LOFT outlet necklace. I love dainty accessories with floral prints!
I adore adding touches of velvet to an ensemble and am in the market for a pair of plain black flats (believe it or not). These were on sale at Urban Outfitters for $19.99!
Jeggings (slowly accumulating a pair in every wash…), pleated skirt (last Black Friday I was pleats-obsessed too), and the best sports bra I’ve ever seen…all from American Eagle. Everything in the store was 40% off! I plan to wear the sports bra not during workouts but with loose tops, kinda like a bandeau.
I didn’t shop for only myself! I picked up some cute holiday cards for co-workers, some presents for my parents, and FIFA ’13 for Xbox for just $35 from Best Buy for the little bro. Last year I got him FIFA ’12 and gave it to him when I got home from shopping. This year was no different.
Best Buy is right next to Trader Joe’s. The place was deserted…understandably, no one wants to be in a grocery store after having been in one so much right up until Thanksgiving. So I didn’t have to wait in line at all to purchase these babies…
Come on! Black Friday has gotta be Black Foodie Friday when I’m involved! Another family Black Friday tradition is meeting my dad (or going with us if he joined us to shop) for lunch somewhere when we are done/wiped out/in need of refueling. I suggested Max Burger and my sister was all over it. The menu has something for everyone – in my family’s case, it was burgers and fries for my dad, sister, and brother, and a fan-freaking-tastic scallops salad for me!
Blackened scallops, greens, pico de gallo, onions, asparagus, black beans, and orange vinaigrette.
I also polished off my brother’s fries and dipped them in Max sauce (WHAT’S IN IT?!). I left perfectly satisfied and my seafood/veggie craving was quenched. And by a burger place no less! Max Restaurant Group does it again (in fact, I’m dining at another location, Max Amore, tonight for dinner…and to say I’m excited is an understatement). Truly the best way for me to conclude my Black Friday.
Did you go Black Friday shopping? Any deals?
Have you ever had to work retail on a Black Friday? What was it like? *raises hand* I have!
Which of my finds is your favorite? I know Meg will say the salad! 😛
Remember to enter my giveaway for a pair of Sprigs Earbags before it ends tomorrow night!
We certainly live in a small world…I recently discovered that my friend Maria of the Glastonbury Rotary Club, who I met through blogging about events of theirs like the Lobster Fest, has a niece (Teresa) who just so happens to be an owner of The Spicy Green Bean here in town. She and her wife Kasha (the head chef) run this hole-in-the wall style restaurant/deli, which is open for lunch on weekdays, breakfast on weekends, and dinner Thursday-Saturday. The dinner menu changes every week, so it’s always fresh; it’s also called Kooky Konkoctions, so it’s always creative. Oh, and it’s always BYOB. This place has Caitlin written all over it!
I love the lights!
I actually have already been for dinner once before and had a great experience, but after Maria introduced me to Teresa on Facebook one day I offered to come in again so I could write a classic Cait Plus Ate restaurant review. Thankfully, Teresa and Kasha were open to having me – and my mom – for dinner this past Thursday night.
Just call her Vanna White!
We brought a bottle of Cameron Hughes Lot 258 Malbec (2010, Mendoza, Argentina).
Spicy Green Bean charges no cork fee!
Upon being seated in the adorable restaurant, my mom and I were served a special surprise from Kasha – her famous shortribs in a spicy BBQ sauce. My mom was hesitant to dig in at first – she does not normally join me on my adventurous foodie outings and while she is in love with her favorite foods, she isn’t used to trying new ones without someone to “reassure” her that she’ll like them. Well, I reassured her plenty.
Go Mom!
Mom loved these shortribs – and so did I! The meat practically fell off the bone and the BBQ sauce was the perfect amount of spicy. Yes my mouth was on fire after I finished my rib, but in a pleasant way, if that makes any sense.
Step one – be served amazing shortribs.
Second step…demolish.
Step three…no chance.
For our next “surprise”, my mom and I were served an app from the week’s dinner menu – Krazy Korean pancakes!
Asian-infused batter tossed with shrimp, crab, and tangy kimchi. Lightly fried and served with a soy rice vinegar sauce.
I had actually been dying to try this app but didn’t order it with my entree because I didn’t think I’d be able to finish both. So this sampler size portion was perfect! Again, the kimchi gave it a kick, but a fitting amount. I could definitely taste the shrimp and crab, so the dish certainly wasn’t too batter-dominated or overly fried. Some menus lie when they say dishes are “lightly fried”, but Spicy Green Bean is an Honest Abe…they cannot tell a lie!
Double fistin dishes!
I was savoring and enjoying each bite, a bit too slowly, because my entree’s starter salad came out before I knew it. And what a salad it was! I am always so very impressed by a restaurant that gives me a salad with some meat to it (only no actual meat..). Crispy sweet potato (I think) straws FTW! And the vinaigrette rocked!
My mom and I wanted to get in more veggies and go with some #plantPOWER-style sides, but there were not really many on the menu. No problem…Kasha kindly whipped us up a root veggie medley to go with each of our entrees. And let me tell you, it was one of the most wonderful veggie sides I have ever tasted! So much garlic, and wonderful EVOO.
DROOL. I miss it.
For her entree my mom chose a sandwich she got on her only other visit to the Spicy Green Bean; she loved it that much she had to have it again. She also shared some bites with me and I can see why! Behold the Bean’s veggie burger topped with pickles, tomato, lettuce, and red onions. With spicy brown mustard on the side of COURSE.
An interior with barely any filler, and a perfectly crisp, crunchy exterior.
I chose a seafood entree (duh): sole topped with spinach, with the sherried lemon butter on the side. The tomatoes also ended up coming on the side in the butter, but I picked them out and after dabbing off the excess, enjoyed them in all their red glory.
I do have to admit that I was a little put off by the fact that the sole came fried. I had asked our waitress at the start of the meal if it was a fried fish, and she told me it was not, just lightly sauteed. However it wasn’t really a big deal because I peeled off the fried portion and enjoyed the white, moist fish flesh within. It’s all good!
Cheers to family and food!
The Spicy Green Bean also caters and even does Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners! The order deadline for those has passed but my mom and I got a kick out of checking out the tasty (and quite affordable) menu. I wouldn’t mind having the Bean prepare my Turkey Day feast!
The walls are covered with locally made art by J. Silver Graphics. The originals on the walls are even for sale! Oh, and J. Silver does beer pong tables. You’re welcome for that info. Unique Christmas gift, holla!
The white boards on the right list the daily specials and soups. The selection of the latter sounded quite cozy and comforting!
Kasha offered us dessert (and even more foodie surprises…oof!) but my mom and I were too full and declined. We were overwhelmed by the kindness, genuine enthusiasm, and passion the Spicy Green Bean employees have for the restaurant, the menu, the people that come in…everything! I can’t recommend this restaurant enough and am so psyched to finally make it to a BYOB breakfast soon…thank you to Kasha, Teresa, Maria, and everyone else at the Spicy Green Bean who made my night out with my mom possible – and positively palatable!
Though I received a couple of samples during this meal free of charge, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
Which of the foodie features in this post would you most want to try?
Do you have any local “hole in the wall” style restaurants like this in your home town? How about BYOB?
Thank you to all who entered the Wild Harvest Organics giveaway – I’m so appreciative of the interest in the box of fabulous products! We had 215 entries (holy moly) and congrats to the lucky winner…
…Shea! Thanks for entering and I will be contacting you for shipping info!
I was not feeling well this past Friday morning as some of you know, but as the day went on I made a real effort to focus on the positive and smile. After all, I had the fortunate ability to make a doctor’s appointment for that very afternoon. Plenty of people would never be able to wake up in the morning feeling blah and be in a doctor’s office that very same day! I didn’t get any answers there, but felt well on Saturday, then back to a little bit off yesterday. And now I feel OK today. Hmmm. Gonna keep trying to get to the bottom of this while being grateful that it’s not a huge deal! I hope I get my test results back soon!
Full house in the Market Grille bar!
And I felt like myself Friday night, which was fabulous because I had plans to visit and review Manchester, CT’s newest restaurant Market Grille, located by the Buckland Hills Mall in the old Hops building (a restaurant property that had been vacant for YEARS until now). Market Grille is owned by Mill Restaurant Group, a Connecticut mainstay in our restaurant scene. I’ve dined at another MRG location, Abigail’s, for work several times and was very impressed.
Outdoor seating complete with fireplace and heaters!
Even though I spent the first five minutes of my time on the Market Grille property embarrassing myself in front of the folks pictured above as I tried to parallel park, I still had a chance to stop and admire the setup of the outdoor seating area. Look at that fireplace! Heaters were distributed throughout the patio too. I cannot think of anything more cozy than sitting by that fireplace on a crisp fall evening, bundled up (complete with scarf of course), and sipping a warming whiskey cocktail.
Double fistin’, Cait Plus Ate style.
And a whiskey cocktail I had…Maker’s Mark, to be specific. Obviously the most man-looking drink in the photo above (on the right) is mine – the All American (bacon-infused Maker’s Mark, Maple Syrup Bitters, and a squeeze of a fresh orange wedge). Before you start freaking out over the bacon-infused aspect of the Maker’s, don’t get too psyched. I honestly barely tasted any bacon at all. A bit disappointing, however the cocktail was RIGHT up my alley AKA too strong for the rest of my friends but delicious to me.
Joe the photobomber with my friend from Long Island, Ravi, and I.
Good thing Market Grille has such an impressive drink menu! Its contents, along with my camera, kept my college friends and I PLENTY entertained. The place was PACKED when we arrived around 7:30PM…the wait was an hour! The bar didn’t have too much room available to wait either, but I don’t mind standing, especially since that makes it easier to take silly photos 😛 We should have made a reservation but there were none available on Open Table around the time we were coming in. If any CT locals are planning a visit to Market Grille, I HIGHLY suggest using Open Table.
College chums prom style!
For my friend Joe (above left) I ordered one of the bar’s signature infusions – blackberry-infused Onyx moonshine! Just my style. So smooth, so strong, so natural.
Beauuuuty.
Unfortunately Joe is a drink wimp and he could not handle the straight Onyx. And fortunately the Market Grille bartenders are extremely accomodating and turned it into a Blackberry Moonshine Cosmo (by adding triple sec, lime juice, and white cran). No longer tasted like my kinda drink, but Joe was happy as a clam.
Joe’s Onyx cocktail goes well with that Onyx bottle!
I also sampled and loved (though it was quite sweet…I’ll forgive it for the fall vibe) Joe’s first cocktail, the Fall Spice (cinnamon/apple/peach-infused bourbon, apple cider, native honey, cinnamon).
Oh thanks Julia! This was an evening of photobombs.
We ended up having a sixth join us so that extended our table wait time. My avocado-lovin’ friend Colin swung by for dinner, and I was finally able to give him a gift I’d been toting around in my car since August’s BlogHer trip…a Wholly Guacamole avocado stress ball!
Joe’s jealous.
We were seated at almost 9PM and in a state of small starvation. Our cool waiter Matt, who I’d been talking with a week before via FB and email about visiting the restaurant and reviewing it for the blog, delivered bread to us right away. And I was damn smug because he managed to find one asiago cheese roll and bring it for me 🙂 other rolls offered included white, wheat, and multi-grain.
That’s my smug face.
The roll was wonderful, though I wish the butter was served warmer! We happened to hit up Market Grille during CT Restaurant Week, so many members of our party opted for the app, entree, and dessert for just $20.12 option. Don’t blame them! I didn’t know if my stomach would be up for that much food so I stuck with ordering off the normal menu.
App attack!
I started with a dish (above) from the “Small Plates” section of the menu – the Trio of Native Tomato Crostinis (sweet basil & tomato, roasted pepper & tomato “pepperonata”, carrot & eggplant caponata with roasted tomato). The bread’s crust was nice and crispy, and I really like how Market Grille created a dish tied together by the fact that each bruschetta contains a tomato component but also a little touch that makes it different from the rest. However, I had hoped those little touches would taste a bit more distinct. To me the bruschetta trio was DELISH but all three tasted quite similar to each other.
Seafood and greens, two faves!
I also started with two Maryland crab cakes with fresh herb salad (and a nice, light drizzle of lemon dill vinaigrette) and a red pepper coulis. LOTS of crab in these crab cakes and I have been feeling veggie-deprived since my stomach started acting up so I was thankful to eat the greens and feel A-OK!
Kim the hand model.
I traded Kim some bruschetta for a slice of her $20.12 Restaurant Week menu app of choice – pumpkin feta quesadillas. I have been curious about them ever since I read the Market Grille menu for the first time. They were tasty but a little disappointing because I wish they’d had more filling! I do appreciate, though, that the chef did not SMOTHER the quesadillas in cheese like so many restaurants do. The feta was the perfect touch.
Good thing I ordered a salad as my entree because I was already feeling full when it arrived! I am not usually a fan of iceberg lettuce but this night light crunch and the many ingredients in the “Everything But the Kitchen Sink” Chopped Salad (apples, cukes, blueberries, onions, carrots, bell peppers, avocado, chickpeas, tomatoes, feta, mozz, green beans, lemon juice, EVOO) were perfect for me. Try reading all those ingredients without taking a breath! The avocado was my favorite part.
Kim picked a winner!
Next time I visit Market Grille I for SURE will be ordering a seafood entree like Kim’s Grilled Atlantic Salmon with dijon mustard crust, BLACK LENTILS, roasted grape tomatoes, escarole, and honey balsamic reduction. The salmon seriously melted in my mouth and the lentils? INCREDIBLE! It’s rare to find a restaurant that serves them as a side and I adore the extra protein punch.
Aren’t we an adorably color-coordinated trio?
Other notable entrees included Joe’s Pan-Seared Jumbo Day Boat Scallops (more melt-in-your-mouth seafood bliss) and Colin’s Bacon Brioche Burger (cooked perfectly at medium and the bacon was crispy perfection as well).
Definitely feeling silly.
Anyone who ordered off the Restaurant Week menu got a dessert, and Kim and Colin were both kind enough to share with me. By this point I was definitely full, but that secret-compartment that seems to emerge at restaurants when dessert is served suddenly opened up in my stomach, and I helped myself to some of Colin’s Fresh-Baked Cookie Plate (chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, white chocolate macademia) and Kim’s PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE.
Holy PUMPKIN!
Oh boyyyy! That’s not ice cream pictured above, it’s a homemade whipped cream. The sprig of mint at the top and the pumpkin seeds both provided a bit of a savory punch that matched so well with the sweet cream and cheesecake. This dessert was pretty damn incredible.
Matt, our waiter, and I!
Matt did a great job waiting on us and was kind enough to introduce me to the owner, Amanda Rivers, on our way out. I love being able to compliment a restaurant owner on her/his establishment, because nothing is better than getting great feedback on your passion! Also, check out Matt’s tie clip…recognize it from anywhere? I think it was fate that he reached out to me and asked to be our server!
It’s my blog’s logo!
Matt also took this photo with his phone and remembered to send it to me! Thanks Matt!
Good friends, good food, good drinks, GOOD TIMES.
I’d be lying if I told you this evening went out without a guilty hitch. It didn’t. When I got home I was REALLY full. Definitely more full than I’m used to/comfortable with feeling. I talked to my mom for a bit and went to sleep OK, but kept waking up in the middle of the night with lots of anxiety. However I practiced what has worked for me in the past – laying in bed in corpse pose, doing deep breathing and positive self talk. It got me through the night but I still felt guilty the next morning over eating a lot. I again reached out to my mom and also another one of my rocks, Heather. Through talking to them I was able to work out my thoughts in a rational manner and see the TRUTH and focus on the POSITIVES of my evening. By late morning I felt like ME again, and that’s an amazing feeling. I’m pretty proud of how quickly I bounced back!
Yes, my evening at Market Grille was filled with laughter and lots of other warm fuzzies. We may have had to wait for awhile, but had a good time doing so and an even better time once we were seated. I highly recommend Market Grille if you’re ever in Manchester – I’ll be back for sure!
Thank you Matt, Amanda, and the rest of Market Grille for a great night!
Which of the drinks and/or dishes mentioned in this post would you want to try most?
What’s the last “new” restaurant you visited? Were you impressed?
You can check out parts one and two of my weekend with Heather visiting in case you missed them!
You may remember when I announced that I had been chosen to serve alongside the founders of Ripe (JD Altobello) and Onyx Moonshine (Adam von Gootkin) as a judge at the first Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market Farm-to-Shaker CT Bartender’s Challenge. There are really too many good things about this opportunity for me to gush about. The moment I was asked to take part in the event, I felt officially recognized as a knowledgeable source of information about my local area – and a source with good taste at that! It really validated all the hard work I’ve put into this blog, and also assured me that I am portraying an accurate version of myself each time I post. I am so enthusiastic and passionate about sampling interesting craft cocktails, and the fact that JD of Ripe knew this after only meeting me once (at Taste of the Nation) means my blog has been speaking the truth to its readers!
I’m also so happy that my parents and Heather were able to be present at an event that was so special to me! And every time I looked over at Heather chatting with my parents, I couldn’t help but smile. I just love seeing people I love getting along #sap. It particularly meant a lot to me that Heather came to the event and stuck it out the entire time, because while cocktails may be my thing and while she and I may get along famously, they certainly aren’t her thing as well and the food being served (by Morton’s!) was mostly not vegan-friendly!
Thanks BB!
Love ya, ‘rents!
I met up with my fellow judges before things got going, and was so happy to find that I’d ALSO be judging alongside a pretty amazing individual I met at the Mohegan Sun Wine Fest – Signature David, master mixologist! He frequently appears on FOX61 showing off his crazy concoctions.
David’s repping Onyx!
I’ve met Adam of Onyx at several events in the past! It was great to see him again and get to drink so many different cocktails with his wonderful, smooth moonshine.
He mixed up a very special blend for all the guests – Apple Cider Onyx Moonshine! Holy crap this was SO GOOD. And unlimited!
Heather and I were chatting with JD of Ripe and found out that he is a vegan! So when the watermelon, beet, and goat cheese salads over arugula came out, he was able to secure a cheeseless version for himself and Heather.
Vegan power – cheeseless salads! 😛
I also had the chance to work with the event’s emcee, Chion Wolf, of WNPR!I am a total NPR nerd – my addiction began after I graduated from college and started a job with a semi-lengthy commute. Now I listen even when I’m not in the car! In fact, playing NPR’s app on my iPhone and coloring in my bed are two activities that, combined, equal a number-one stress reliever for me. I was so happy to be able to share that with Chion at the event.
You can just tell from looking at her that she’s extremely cool.
And I’m so glad I did, because she was visibly touched to hear that fact and added that she doesn’t often get a chance to meet listeners and even sometimes forgets when in the studio that there are people out there listening. Well Chion, I know that I and many others are listening with great attention!
Sneaky shot – I love her style!
To hear her introducing me as a judge – and reading out loud my blog’s “sidebar” description, felt so epic!
[youtube=http://youtu.be/ocJNeErmT4U]
Each competitor from an area CT restaurant would need to use in his/her cocktail the Onyx Moonshine, Ripe juice mix, and two of the many secret ingredients from the day’s farmers’ market that JD had picked out.
Everyone’s favorite ingredients!
The ingredients spread!
Some were pretty typical (strawberries), and some were downright weird(brown cucumbers? tomatoes that looked like plums?)
That orange/tan thing is a cucumber!
Local honey…bitter melon…hot peppers…oh, and apples.
The winner was to receive this shaker trophy!
The competition got rolling so that we could find out who that winner would be! The competitors were listed for the event attendees, who were to submit their favorite drink at the end on a ballot so that we judges could take the Peoples’ Choice vote into consideration.
Competitors from the following restaurants (in order of above list): Morton’s, Max’s Oyster Bar, Zula, Firebox, Pond House Grille. I’ve been to every one!
First up, we had Suzanne of Morton’s (Hartford, CT) mixing up a cocktail of raspberry, peaches, and sugar muddled into a combo of Onyx and Ripe’s Pure-Squeezed Agave Punch. She shook it all up and added a splash of club soda.
I could tell just from the ingredient list that the drink would likely be too sweet for my sugar-sensitive taste buds, and I was right. While my mom enjoyed it (she doesn’t like any kick in her cocktails), I craved something more unique and was disappointed that Suzanne chose two very “normal” secret ingredients – raspberries and peaches. However, I still love that she incorporated muddled fresh fruit into her beverage and the presentation of the full-size version was flawless!
While Suzanne’s away, her drink will stay! 🙂
I totally loved the next cocktail, and that’s not just because it was prepared by Chef Scott Miller, Exec Chef of Max’s Oyster Bar and the maestro that prepared a gorgeous meal for Jeff, me, and many others at the Max Chef to Farm Tomato, Tomato dinner a couple of weeks ago.
Scott mixing it up.
A mason jar was an appropriate choice in which to display the full-size version of Millers’ Muddle Maple Moonshine cocktail, which consisted of maple syrup, Onyx, Ripe’s Agave Lemon Sour, blueberries, lemon, club soda, and a splash of beet juice!
Scott and his creation.
I’ve gotta give Scott props for not sacrificing taste for convenience. He was muddling blueberries into EACH sampler cup for each audience member, instead of muddling them and the syrup together in a big batch and pouring the results into all the cups. That’s dedication!
Syrup waiting to be joined by blueberries in sampler cups.
The drink was pretty incredible. I was worried that the syrup would make the drink too sweet for me again, but the use of a sour Ripe mix balanced out the syrup’s sweetness perfectly. I also like the sour added by the fresh lemon. And of course, the unexpected choice of beet juice as an ingredient totally impressed me. It was meant to add color to the cocktail, but also added a special something in the flavor department.
Next up we had Albana of Zula, whose current cold inspired her to choose the soothing ingredients honey and cinnamon cloves to her cocktail, as well as fresh lemon! Mixed with the Onyx and Ripe’s Agave Margarita mix, and combined with a very careful presentation, Albana’s cold certainly ended up leading to a great drink.
Another participant who wasn’t going to let hard work get in the way of presenting a pretty drink!
Mmm. Calming and the cinnamon added a hint of autumn! The other judges loved it too. This was gonna be tough…
Albana and her creation! You can’t tell she has a cold!
The judges before taking their first sips of a drink!
I was way excited to see what Samantha of Firebox would have up her sleeve because I once had one of the best Manhattans EVER there! It’s a farm-to-table restaurant and its chefs and bartenders are very used to working with only the most local, fresh ingredients.
Strikin’ a pose!
Though simply presented, Samantha’s beverage tasted great enough to stand out among the competitors! True to Firebox form, she didn’t need many ingredients to make something great – just Onyx, Ripe’s Mojito Mix, and fresh ginger-peach iced tea. I commend her for the way she used her chosen local ingredients!
Finally, Michael of Pond House Grille added a touch of science to his cocktail submission! Pond House uses liquid nitrogen in its restaurant as part of the presentation of some menu items. They view food and drink as works of art – hey, me too!
Michael and his smokin’ drink.
He muddled cilantro, Anaheim peppers, and fresh lemon into Onyx and Ripe’s San Marzano Bloody Mary Mix. Oh, and a splash of liquid nitrogen – NBD.
We judges were fearful of taking our first sips because we didn’t want to get “burned” by the liquid nitrogen’s extremely cold temperature!
Adam illustrates his fear.
Intense discussion.
I ended up enjoying the Bloody Mary and its pepper-y kick. I also appreciated the addition of the lemon juice. However other than the presentation, it wasn’t set apart from other Bloody Marys I’ve had in the past.
Whooooo will win?
The judges huddled outside to deliberate while the crowd submitted its votes for Peoples’ Choice.
A clearly intense conversation.
The crowd inside the beautiful new barn which served as the competition’s location.
Don’t worry, the judges and the members of the crowd were still coherent enough to accurately critique the cocktails, since they’d paired them with food from Morton’s!
The previously mentioned watermelon, beet, goat cheese salads. My mom’s favorite part!
Oh. Em. Gee. Melt-in-your-mouth filets read for assembly onto sliders.
Morton’s Executive Chef himself did the grilling!
My dad practically dive-bombed the filet slider platter!
Chocolate mousse cups – didn’t have a chance to grab one!
After hearing the Peoples’ Choice pick and considering our own opinions, the judges arrived at a decision on the winner. But he was MIA! JD and I knew where he was though, and nabbed a golf cart to go grab him.
It’d been forever since I’d taken a ride in a golf cart!
Our winner was actually across the way cooking up a dinner for over 100 people. Yup, it was Chef Scott Miller, and he was working on the Nathan Hale Homestead Chef to Farm dinner! Luckily we were able to “drag” him back over to the barn to accept his shaker trophy.
Scott and the event sponsors JD and Adam.
A well-deserved win for Chef Miller! And you can re-create his winning cocktail at home using the recipe below – or order it up yourself at Max’s Oyster Bar, because it’s going to be added to the cocktail menu! I hope it’s still served in the mason jar!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
The 1st Coventry Farmers’ Market Farm-to-Shaker CT Bartender’s Challenge was a great success, and all in attendance seemed to have an enjoyable time. Adam was even joking that we should call this contest a summer edition so that the wait before the next edition wouldn’t be too long! I’m all in favor – especially if I can judge again!
Thank you to the Coventry Farmers’ Market, Ripe, and Onyx Spirits for involving me in such a unique event. It was right up the Cait Plus Ate alley!
Have you ever been to a cocktail competition?
Which cocktail would you most want to try?
Has your blog ever brought you any exciting local opportunities?
Oh my goodness. WHERE HAVE I BEEN?! I’m sorry that I haven’t been blogging…work has been crazy this week and in my down time I have been spending time with friends (old and new) and family, wine tasting, restaurant-ing, and working out. I’ve been doing the things I love when I’m not at work! Don’t get me wrong, I love blogging, but I get LOTS of computer time at my desk job. Being PC free is the way-to-be (ha) sometimes.
The kind hand-written note Reebok sent me before the event, along with an agenda of the day and some fashionable goodies!
But now I’m here and finally ready to tell you about the #RBKFITBLOG event I attended at the Reebok World Headquarters! The brand invited FitFluential Ambassadors to come learn about how current products are made, what new products are coming out, and even how the shoes hold up in a workout (yup, we got shoes, and yup, we got to workout with Reebok trainers!)
Random workout challenges were spread all about the campus, including on a row of 10 pillars – #9 was my favorite! You can probably see why!
I headed to Heather’s house in MA the night before the event so that the next morning we could wake up and drive there together. It was so convenient and I loved being able to visit her house for the first time! She and I arrived (albeit a bit late…oops!) at Reebok World HQ in Canton, MA and were greeted by the fantastic intern we spent the day with, Kathryn Lewis, a Crossfit junkie and an extremely hard worker. We were led upstairs to a VERY impressive meeting room that we came back to throughout the day. I was aching for some caffeine and I got it…the coffee was amazing and the breakfast spread looked great!
Our meeting room was set up with Crossfit boxes for chairs – so cool! Each seat also came ready with a notebook and pen to write down all we’d be learning throughout the day, and a Reebok Crossfit headband (I plan to do an entirely separate post on all the Reebok fashion related parts of the day so stay tuned for my thoughts on this and more!)
My Crossfit box seat, headband, writing utensils, caffeine, water, wireless info…basically, all set!
Can you spy any of your favorite bloggers in my photos? Just like at the Fitness Magazine Meet & Tweet, I was given the chance to hang out with some of the women who inspire me and have been doing so for years! I saw Julie, Courtney, Tina, Anne, Maria, Bex, Nicole, Cat, and Sarah again.
But I also got to meet some lovely ladies that hadn’t been in NYC the previous Wednesday – Sarah of Skinny Runner and Ashley of Healthy Ashley! I was a bit of a nerd when introducing myself to Ashley, gotta admit it. She is just so strong and has overcome so much…and I’m a big sap (thanks, Heather ;-)) and adore her love story. Sarah is just as funny in real life as she is on her blog and was really cool! She has the same laptop as me and, like me, hers often can be found to have a ton of food in the keyboard. Sorry, technology.
Our nametags – we got to write why we loved fitness and blogging!
Johnice Graham, Reebok marketing manager (I mentioned her in my Fitness Mag recap because she was at that event too), kicked things off welcoming us, thanking us for coming, and giving a great overview of the brand’s history and how it came to be where it is today. Reebok started out being VERY big with Step aerobics, which is currently my favorite form of exercise! My mom used to teach Step and she still remembers loving all the Reebok clothes and wearing their trademark white sneakers while she taught. Now, Reebok is focused on a broader category – FITNESS. I love that idea! It’s smart of them to keep it broad because really, anything can be fitness. Different activities are fitness to different kinds of people. Everyone has a form of fitness they enjoy or can find and enjoy.
My blogger brain is a sponge! Ready to learn!
Then we got to watch some videos that got us REALLY pumped up and ready to go try Crossfit. We learned about Reebok’s involvement with Crossfit specifically, and saw several montages and commercials that communicated a clear brand image. I felt so truly inspired! From a marketing POV, I really respect the creative minds behind those pieces that we viewed.
Next, off to Reebok’s Crossfit box. Yes, they have one on campus! I am actually completely envious of all the fitness options the HQ has for its employees. Classes are going on ALL the time. Heaven for a group fitness junkie like myself! The gym is also gorgeous.
Off to the box!
You may be wondering where we all got the fabulous workout gear we’re wearing in our pictures! And how we all got the same clothes! Well as I mentioned before, I’ll be going more into the fashion-aspect of this in my next post. After all, I love fashion, and thought that everything I wore before, during, and after this event DEFINITELY deserved its own post.
That’s Kathryn (the great intern) on the left!
I was nervous to try Crossfit at first, but the Reebok top Crossfit coaches Austin Malleolo and Caleb Diebolt did an excellent job easing us into the WOD (Workout of the Day) with demos and chances to practice two of the workout’s three portions – kettlebell swings and pull-ups with bands.
It quickly became apparent to me that anyone can do Crossfit because there many modifications available to make each WOD accessible to anyone. For example, bands of varying thickness could be looped around the pull-up bar and then around our feet to assist us. Check out this video from Kelly Olexa to see what I mean – Heather and I are in there doing our pull-ups!
The ladies circle around Caleb…we didn’t need much convincing!
The kettlebell swings were also easy to modify because of the different weight levels available to use. Caleb demonstrated the proper form to us, but only after we had all practiced some squats first. Owww.
Listening to Austin’s instructions.
Aside from the swings and pull-ups, our WOD (a partner work-out) started with a 200 meter sprint. Heather and I became partners and formed our team Cait Plus Kale – what do you think?! 😀
We did three rounds of sprinting, swinging, and pull-up-ing.
I liked the cardio and strength interval aspect of Crossfit, as well as the varying kinds of moves. I like a workout that switches it up and gets a lot done in a short period of time!
I was pretty satisfied with Cait Plus Kale’s performance, especially for first-time Crossfitters!
Reebok did a great job making sure we were well-trained and well-versed in the Crossfit ways. I learned a lot and would totally do it again!
Badass by the box.
Wait…can we just look at this close-up?
Oh yeah. I went there. Apologies to Julie, Sarah, and Heather.
And this photo (and video) are obviously my favorites of the day:
Caleb Diebolt Fan Club
We walked back to our central meeting place, where snacks awaited us so we could re-fuel.
I had a banana, and felt another caffeine craving. Kathryn kindly offered to grab me some coffee, but I had no idea she’d have to go down to the basement, where Reebok’s Starbucks is located, to get it for me. I was blown away! Reebok seriously treated us like queens the entire day and I am so thankful. I was certainly not expecting that!
Thank you Kathryn! The coffee was amazing!
And things only got better – on each of our seats was a bag of more Reebok goodies! I couldn’t believe it – I’ll go more into detail about what I received when I do my fashion-related post, but here’s a sneak peek!
Reebok ZigNano Fly II sneakers!
Nicole and I rockin’ the goody bags!
If you were watching my Twitter during this next part, you may have seen my live-tweeting everything we were learning from Kate Young, the US Women’s Merchandising Manager, about Reebok sneakers.
For more about the sneakers I received, stay-tuned for that fashion post!
LUNCH!
Then it was lunch time, and the lunch was seriously amazing. While we ate, we participated in a focus group, which had me totally nerding out. To be the subject of interest for a company like Reebok was, and still is, surreal! This was the point when we got to see stuff that isn’t even out yet – even up to a year out in terms of launch timing! All I can say is, keep your eyes peeled, because starting in July you’re gonna be seeing some great things from Reebok.
I made myself a spinach salad beast with steak and chicken, accompanied by a veggie wrap, whose innards were promptly emptied on top of my salad.
After lunch and the focus group we went downstairs to Reebok’s labs to learn about the path of the sneaker from idea to shoe. Bill McInnis, head of innovation, used to work for NASA! I was amazed by the room we were in when we listened to his presentation. The shelves were full of medical textbooks and models of the foot, ankle, etc. Whenever I look at shoes I see fashion and function, but it never truly hit me until that moment how much science goes into the functional portion of a sneaker.
Reebok’s sneakers are tested for 200 to 300 miles before they are released. Gotta know how they’ll hold up in the long term! Bill passed around a model of a human foot to show us how complex it really is – the foot has just as many bones as the hand, about 26, yet most people probably think of the hands as being more complicated because they do so many nimble things like play the piano, type, etc.
Goofing off with a foot, because that’s what I do.
Then we headed to check out the CAD technology behind designing each shoe. We use CAD where I work, so it was cool to see it applied to sneakers!
Next we donned safety goggles and headed to the lab where the design on the screen you see above becomes reality – or at least some form of it!
Eek! Watch the eyes!
Many a geeky goggle photo was taken.
A good luck for me and Julie, yes?
Reebok actually took on the challenge of creating a sneaker for Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in America – he’s 7 feet, 8 inches!
Paul Bates, head of the CAD department, showing us the machine used to make Igor’s shoe.
The computer we saw previously sends a design to the above machine, which then gets to work actually making it, using 100% recyclable plastic. It used to be a highly inefficient process – before the “digital age”, a design would be faxed overseas, where it would be interpreted visually by a human and made into a mold. That would be sent back and, usually, several rounds of back-and-forth corrections would have to be made due to misinterpretations. Now we have computers that know exactly what to send and machines that know exactly how to read it!
All of these were spit out by the machines you’re seeing here, after the CAD technology sent the design their way.
Another type of machine, but this one does the same thing.
The Reebok employee below works with this technology on a daily basis and even used it to make a scary-accurate rendition of…himself!
Which one is human?! 😉
He also made us some cool little gadgets to take home – reminded me of a Rubix cube, only nothing to solve, just plenty to play with!
Psyched!
Last but not least, it was time for my most anticipated part of the day…a cardio dance workout with the creator of Dancinerate and Reebok Global Ambassador, Ilyse Baker!
Ilyse gives us her background and gets us pumped to dance.
Ilyse was gorgeous, so skilled, and a fantastic teacher. Plus, she’s from California. I see so much of what I would like to be in her! She views fitness as a community and loves how social media plays so well into that. Sounds just like what Reebok thinks of fitness as – and me too!
Each combo was broken down for us and easy to catch on to. I was VERY into this class. I think I was a little too into it – people seemed a bit shocked! I just tend to get lost in anything dance-related 🙂
To viewt a lot more of our dancing, check out Sarah’s video recap of our day. It’ll make you feel like you were there and give you a better idea of the kind of dance we did!
JAZZ HANDS!
Thanks to Ilyse for coming all the way from LA to teach us bloggers how to break it down!
Sweat = smiles!
Sadly, our day at Reebok was coming to a close. It ended with some special Paleo cookies though, which is always good. They were so hearty and full of nutrients!
The lovely cookies, and other snacks too!
Johnice gave some closing remarks, thanked us for coming (um…thank YOU!!!) and drew two names out of a shoe (how appropriate!) to win a $100 Reebok gift card to the HQ’s store, which was already 50% off for us that day.
And guess who won the second gift card??
YAY!! What a perfect ending to a perfect day. I used the card to get myself a couple of tanks (will review in my Reebok fashion round-up), and I purchased presents for my family and Heather as well. I got my sister the top Ilyse was wearing during our dance class!
Oh my gosh. What a day. Was that recap long enough for you? It would have been longer if I had started babbling about the clothes and shoes! Don’t worry…that’s coming next!
Thank you Reebok for hosting this #RBKFITBLOG blogger event, treating us so well, and showing us such a fun time. I am so grateful to have been included with all the amazing women who were also invited!
Would you have wanted to try Crossfit or a cardio dance workout? Do you already do either or both?
Which of the facts about Reebok that I shared here do you find most intriguing? What did you learn?
Did you spot any of your favorite bloggers in my photos?
What a whirlwind the last several days have been! Thanks again for being so patient with me while I have been busy living life to the fullest 🙂 now it’s time to share my experiences with you all! Or at least, one of them!
Starbucks bold with a splash of steamed skim and cinnamon powder. Kthxbye.
On Wednesday, my best blend Heather and I stopped at Starbucks for caffeine (she let me try a sip of her black Blonde Roast – didn’t think I’d like the lighter brew, but surprise, it was PERFECT black!) and hit the road for the NYC Fitness Magazine Blogger Meet & Tweet!
Heather decided to be completely normal and make her choc protein pudding oats in the car 😉
This is a normal blogger thing to do!
The last hour of the ride was a bit of a nightmare since a) we had to pee and b) my butt had become completely numb from sitting for so long and c) we were moving at a crawl thanks to rush hour. Seriously, the body is NOT meant to sit for that long!!! Once Heather and I parked (I used a Groupon for the parking, $16 for the entire day, had to brag about it), we begged the attendant to let use use the employee-only, toilet paper-less bathroom. Desperate times, friends.
Ahhh much better!
Before we were able to relieve ourselves, Heather shot a silly vlog, which I begrudgingly agreed to be in for about .02 seconds. For your viewing pleasure…
Swear I’m not a tourist.
We were so excited to finally arrive! My heart was poundingas I entered the building – I could hear all the chatter going on upstairs, and could hardly believe I was about to walk into this amazing event.
We got our name tags, picked up our (first) bag-o-goodies, and set out to visit the booths that had been set up by the event sponsors.
Awesome display by Reebok, including spot to try on their RealFlex Transition sneakers!
I stopped by Reebok’s table first and was excited to meet Johnice Graham of their marketing team. Hello, dream job! She was so kind and told me I’d be seeing her in a couple days at their #RBKFITBLOG event! Of course I had to take a picture, which you may recognize from the blog’s Facebook page(new default!)
Next, I was BEYOND spoiled by Oakley!!! They had a booth set up where we could try on some of their new active wear sunglasses. They’re made for the active woman who likes to keep things fashionable at the same time – pretty sure that’s almost every female FitFluential Ambassador! Then the awesome ladies at the booth informed me that I could take home a pair of my favorite style. WHAT?!
Is this real life?
And a special shout-out to Jaclyn, an amazing PR girl I met at the Oakley booth. She was so cool and down to earth. I hope we get to hang out again soon!
Thank you Oakley!
I was also spoiled by Birkenstock! They gifted me a pair of their Madrid sandals in brown. I was honestly skeptical at first – I wasn’t sure if they would really be my style. However, my favorite pair of brown leather sandals broke a few months back, so this timing seems pretty perfect! I’m excited to break them in and will update you guys on how comfortable they feel on my feet.
Thank you Birkenstock!
Grain Foods Foundation, a non-profit, had a gorgeous spread of carb-y deliciousness set out for all-day snacking. The organization aims to spread awareness of the importance of grains and bread in the diet. Though some may avoid certain grains for dietary restriction reasons, I think it’s good that a non-profit like this exists to spread word to those that may avoid grains because of the “carbs are bad” notion that I myself have fallen victim to in the past.
Nut butter and jelly party!
Cream cheeses and veggies! I combined cucumber with the lox cream cheese – awesome.
Water and juices, mini pitas and naan, as well as plenty of toasters for those who like their carbs accompanied with carcinogens (me).
My favorite part – hummus, tzatziki, guac, pesto, and bruschetta spread!
One of the coolest parts of the event was hanging out with the grains as well – soccer champ Mia Hamm! Heather, Bess, Mattie, and I waited anxiously to meet her.
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Mia was so kind and gracious. I thanked her for inspiring girls everywhere to get out there and be active, and she signed a soccer ball for me!
I also had the chance to interact with some other brands! I sampled the strawberry banana V8 V-Fusion Smoothie flavor, and liked it, surprisingly! Usually those kinds of drinks are way too sweet and fake-tasting to me, but this smoothie tasted natural and didn’t make me feel like I was drinking a dessert. I also checked out the new Schick Hydro Silk razor at the Schick table, and was pretty excited to hear I’d be receiving one in the end-of-the-day goodie bag. It even has a little imprint right above the head for your index finger to rest, and the blade itself points at an upward angle when the razor is resting, so that it doesn’t come in contact with the surface of your shower. Little attention to detail like that impresses me!
Of course you know I’m going to talk about the lunch spread. Well, it rocked my taste buds off. OK, so I’ll be a little more descriptive.
Fresh salmon with dill and lemon wedges!
Fruit salad; house salad with cucumber, radish, shaved asparagus, and green goddess vinaigrette; farro salad with grilled peaches and hazelnut vinaigrette.
Love this shot of an iPhone salmon tweet happening!
I helped myself to salmon and the house and farro salads! I’d rocked fruit for breakfast that morning so skipped the fruit salad.
Despicable. Absolutely horrendous.
Thanks to Gina for modeling the signature drink of the day, a fresh lemonade!
After the last info session, I was pleasantly surprised to see that another wave of food had been set out, this time in the form of artfully-arranged snacks!
You know me…I have to try everything! So I helped myself to one of each type of the below pictured healthy snack “cones” – veggie crudites and apples with brie!
My favorite part of the day was the MEET part of this Meet & Tweet. No, it was not the free stuff. Not even close. How often do I get the chance to meet SO many friends for the first time in one place? And how often do I get to chat with the faces behind the blogs I’ve been reading for, in some cases, years?
Heather, Julie, and I
Peanut Butter Fingers is one of the first blogs I ever started reading, and Julie was kind enough to help me write my blog’s disclaimer back in September when I first got started. That fact alone should have been enough to assure me that she would be incredibly sweet and down to earth, but if it wasn’t, I was completely convinced the second we said hello. The voice Julie’s readers follow each day truly IS hers!
Courtney, me, and Meredith
I’ve also been reading Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life for a very long time, but I’ve gotta say, even the longest of readers could not realize how BEAUTIFUL Courtney is until he or she met her in person. Seriously, this girl is so put-together and an incredible beauty! Photos on the Internet do not do her justice. Meredith writes a newer blog, Dare You To, with a really unique concept. Each post DARES her readers to try a different challenge, and whether it’s something completely foreign to them or something they already may have been doing, it’s still extremely inspiring and a great source of discussion! I was glad to get to meet Meredith in person so that I could tell her how much I admire the idea – and just hang out and chat! We had so much fun. Check out this GORGEOUS photo taken of her during one of the panel sessions (by Fitness Mag photographer Steven Meyer).
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
I’m also kicking myself in the face (if I really could do that it’d be pretty impressive, no?) for not getting a photo with the CEO of FitFluential, Kelly Olexa. How humbling and awe-inspiring to FINALLY meet in person the woman who brought me into this Ambassador program and made so much possible. THANK YOU KELLY!
Me, Heather, and Meredith
I had the pleasure of eating lunch with Jill, Natasha, Heather, and Danielle, who I seem to be determined to pull towards me with all my might in the below photo .
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Me, Heather, Natasha, and Jill.
Jill is a YouTube superstar (I envy her composure and poise in her videos), and Natasha does social media for Physique 57. I fangirled hardcore when she handed me a pass for two complimentary classes. A must-try next time I’m in NYC!
Me, Katie, and Heather.
Where do I begin with Katie? Seriously…where? I’ve been a Healthy Diva Eats reader for over a year because she writes a blog that is fun, fabulous, and fit. Well, the writer behind the blog is all three of those things and more. I have never met someone I felt so comfortable giving a HUGE hug to right away. I could have hugged Katie about a thousand times more than I got to throughout the day. She is such a kind, genuine, HAPPY person with an infectious personality. I already miss her! I’m so thankful the Fitness Mag photographer captured our first hug!
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
And another example of a beautiful human being, inside and out, is Carla Binberg. After finding my first blog ever, Kath Eats, I literally googled “healthy living blogs” because I was so excited to find more. MizFitOnline is one of the first that popped up, and I’ve been a follower ever since! I have always been attracted to Carla’s style of writing and REALLY hope she comes out with a book ASAP so I can bury my nose in it for hours. She has always been so willing to help out other FitFluential Ambassadors by connecting them with brands, giving them advice, and just delivering inspiring messages every day. Carla does blogging in her own instantly-recognizable-as-Carla’s way. Her readers will never find another blogger out there like her. I felt like I’d known her for years the second I introduced myself.
Yay!!!
Throughout the day I ran into Nicole, Michele, and Cassandra. Nicole is a talented baker and soon-to-be mommy who blogs at Making Good Choices. She is beyond adorable! So is Michele, an already-and-soon-to-be mommy who blogs at NYC Running Mama. I’ve been chatting with her in the FitFluential Facebook groups for awhile so saying hey in person was surreal! Finally, Cassandra shares her genius recipes at Breakfast to Bed. I literally said, “Oh my God! You’re a genius!” when I met her, before even saying hello.
Heather, me, Nicole, Michelle, and Cassandra.
Shout outs as well to Christy and Maria, both amazing women who I didn’t get pictures with 🙁 but if you guys have some please send them my way?!
Last, but CERTAINLY not least of the people I met…the Editor in Chief of Fitness Magazine herself, Betty Wong! Telling people who do so much, especially careers that you are interested in, is a beautiful and special thing. Even if Betty hears it all the time, I still feel good knowing that I’ve told someone I admire exactly why I admire her and how she inspires me. And what’s even cooler…Betty also seemed very admiring and thankful to Heather and I for being there!
Betty, me, and Heather.
There were many informational panels going on throughout the day. I spent most of my time meeting and tweeting with bloggers and brands, but did catch a couple of the sessions. Fitness Fashion Director Argy Koutsothanasis presented an array of ensembles that combined fitness and street fashion. I was essentially obsessed with the blue and yellow Reebok jacket and pencil skirt combo (pictured below), and got a chance to awkwardly tell its model that very fact while waiting in line for the bathroom.
We also heard beauty tips from Fitness Beauty Director Eleanor Langston and the very funny Laura Geller. I can tell Laura was an actress – she’s a true entertainer!
My very favorite panel of the day was easily the last one, with Carla, Kelly, Julie, and Tina – How to Turn Your Blog into a Business.
Obsessed with Julie’s sneakers.
Very interesting tidbits I learned during this session:
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
I did my best to live-tweet the panel’s advice using the #fitblognyc hashtag!
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
After the panel wrapped up, there was a Kiwi Sweat Pop-Up Fitnesss workout called Tabura planned, but Heather and I decided to head out to Time Square’s Oakley Store with Bess and Mattie for a meet-up with the Tone It Up trainers. I heard the workout was really fun though!
We hopped in line to wait for our swag-bags. Heather looked cute, while I decided to pass the time by making awkward faces.
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Finally it was our turn!
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Just a glimpse of our bag’s exteriors made us very happy girls.
Photo: Steven Meyer (courtesy of FITNESS Magazine)
Can you believe how much Fitness Magazine and the event sponsors hooked us up?!
I’m essentially obsessed with the bag by Sonia Kashuk. You can get her stuff at Target! On our way to Times Square, Heather, Bess, and I got a ton of questions about where we got our bags.
Reebok RealFlex Transition sneakers – in my favorite color!
I can’t wait to try these bad boys out. Everyone knows I love hot pink workout gear!
Sensational swag in-my-bag!
Ahhh – look at it all! My swag bag also included:
As I mentioned briefly above, some of the bag’s contents are honestly not my thing so be on the lookout for a giveaway or two coming soon!
OK, but this band definitely IS MY THING. Heather got Sweaty Bands in her bag but I didn’t get any in mine, and after hearing I’ve always wanted to try them (especially after I watched Maria ROCK hers at #RBKFITBLOG), she was kind enough to give me the one I’m wearing above. THANK YOU HEATHER! Another goody my sister is very envious of.
Crazy bag lady – I walked from Fitness Mag to Times Square with this stuff!
I’ll definitely be doing a giveaway for the yoga mat I’m holding above, because I already have a yoga mat! This one is brand new and was gifted to us by New Media Strategies, the partner firm that helped put on the event. They were the world’s first social media marketing firm…true innovators! Samantha Pepi, the Senior Promotions Manager for NMS that helped keep us bloggers informed about the event, did an amazing job and chatting with her at the NMS table was very fun. I hope it was fun for her too, since we kept making her take pictures for us! 😛
And then…Heather, Bess, and I were off to the Tone It Up meetup in Oakley’s Times Square location! The whirlwind day was only just getting started! MORE TO COME!
What part of this event would you have enjoyed the most? If you attended, what DID you enjoy the most?
Have you tried or ever wanted to try any of the products mentioned in this post?
What question would YOU have asked the members of the blogger panel?
We have a great group of family friends that get together for every major holiday (every major excuse we can find to get together, more like it) to eat, drink, chat, laugh, play, and just enjoy each other. We all moved up to CT from Florida, so we have that common bond, even if all the parents don’t still work at the same company like they used to.
Oh that moment before a photo is taken…
You may have read recaps of past shindigs:
There we go! Can you find me?
My family decided to host the Easter get-together (because we knew there’d be one) at our house. Perhaps that’s what inspired me to become a chef for a day and contribute a dish!
Mr. Pereda contributed the above (delicious) Chilean Merlot.
I also enjoyed several small glasses of different wines, and even a sampled a few beers (more on that to come…)
Hanging out on the deck with my wine! Isn’t the little glass cute?
I also got to hang out with my friend Andrea, who I hadn’t seen in forever. We’ve known each other since our sophomore year of high school, when we were seatmates in AP Bio (shudder…I was so bad at that class). Her boyfriend’s aunt lives in my neighborhood (I used to babysit for the family, small world right?) and the two of them were there for his family’s Easter party, so I asked them to stop by.
Andrea and her boyfriend enjoying a dessert at the end of the party!
My mom had some tasty apps set out and ready for our guests’ arrivals!
I know I have a lot of guac-lovin’ readers!
The sweets were present from the beginning!
Our friends brought some good apps too!
Essential veggie/hummus plate – don’t you just LOVE the colors?!
Mrs. Aubuchon’s famous deviled eggs – I had one and it was all I could do to not fill up on them before dinner. AMAZING!
Time flew as I caught up with old friends and before I knew it, dinner was served.
My sister (right) leads a prayer.
Mashed potatoes and a cheesy corn casserole.
A mini-salad-bar on a plate of sorts, and a whole grain side salad!
Everyone dug in and was certainly hungry. We did not have that many leftovers, when you consider how much food we had!
Can you spy my mom overseeing it all?
We had many meats – grilled chicken and pork tenderloin! My mom accidentally bought 8 tenderloins instead of 6, so she froze 2 for our family to use later. Turns out she should’ve had my dad cook them all up…we ran out of meat completely!
My apologies to all non-meat-eating readers 😉
My mom used the rub I got in my last foodie pen pals box when prepping the meats – so thank you so much, Loy! It was delicious!
My FAVORITE dish of the party, prepared by my madre, was the amazing cold salmon platter above with dill, capers, asparagus, red onions, and tzatziki on the size. Meg, I know you’d have died over this. I did too. It was the only thing I had seconds of because it was the only thing I wanted seconds of, I just loved it so much!
First plate!
Damn sun ruined this shot, but I went for everything except the mashed potatoes and corn casserole (those make me too sleeeeepy).
People brought a seemingly endless supply of cupcakes! Cupcakes are cool but I can take them or leave them. I was more interested in one of the things pictured below…
Above left is some kind of berry crisp, but above right is Mrs. Aubuchon’s famous chocolate Coca-Cola cake. Yes, Coca-Cola is an ingredient! This is the only time you will find me consuming soda 😛 I had one of those nice corner pieces (corners are the best!)
Great job, mama!
What a fun party – everyone had a blast and we only just finished the leftovers last night! Or shall I say, I only just finished them last night 😀 oh, I also passed out after this thing at about 8:30PM. THANKS WINE.
Cupcakes – take them or leave them?
Pieces of cake – aren’t corners the best?!
What’s the best thing you ate on Easter Sunday? Even if you weren’t celebrating Easter!
My fifth full day in Orlando (last Thursday) followed my gym-tan-eat-tan-drink-eat-sleep routine (and trust me, I wasn’t getting sick of it) – but with another Connecticut-infused twist.
I woke up still feeling blah in the stomach area, just nauseous, but I was SOOO ready to be back at the intense cardio and decided to run a 5K on the treadmill. I was psyched to see they each had a TV but then saw that neither treadmill had a working one – bah! There was a big TV in the overall gym though, and it was empty in there (I mean, it was about 8am…) so I grabbed the remote and flipped channels while I pounded out 3.1 miles in 27 minutes! Once I started running, my nausea actually disappeared and I felt fantastic and full of energy. I like setting a distance goal as opposed to time because it motivates me to run faster – so I can get off that dreadmill faster! Works every time.
What do you know, another Connecticut friend was in Orlando when I was – Kelly! Her family are big fans of the parks (unlike mine) so most days she was Disney and Universal-ing, but she did have one pool day (well, morning) and I headed over to her hotel to join her and her mom. It was so great to hang out!
After Kelly and her fam left the pool for Epcot, I went to a nearby Whole Foods to grab lunch. Even though I have a location in my town, I love checking out different Whole Foods for the regional differences in the food offered at the hot and cold salad bars in state to state.
Healthy foods photograph the prettiest!
Well OK, that mac n cheese looks pretty golden and beautiful too.
Amazingly fresh Florida seafood salads.
I was a cheap-o and didn’t purchase any of the above ($10.99/lb…) but the seafood lover in me was remorseful later – right Meg? 😉
Hello there!
OK, so we do NOT have fish like that in my Whole Foods. No sir. I was also on a mention for seafood or meat for the next night’s grill-out dinner (the joys of staying at a place with a kitchen and grills!) and found just what I was looking for in the Seafood Department, thanks to a very helpful employee – hello if you are reading! (I gave him my card).
Just what I was looking for! I took home two Spinach & Feta Salmon Burgers, one Wild Salmon Burger, and one Shrimp Burger. I was already looking forward to the meal, and I hadn’t even had THAT night’s dinner yet (or the day’s lunch, for that matter). Story of my life.
Um, Whole Foods has a bar?! Don’t mind if I do! This location is the only one in Florida with a bar that serves beer and wine. The wine section itself was amazing! Need proof?
I snuck in on a tasting of Concannon Conservancy Crimson & Clover, a red blend (included one of my favorites, petite sirah). This wine was AMAZING, one of the best reds I’ve tried in awhile, and I was shocked at its affordable price tag. Also a fun side note on this International Woman’s Day, Concannon Vineyards hired the first professional female winemaker in 1950!
I was poured the above glass and then some, which I did not finish since I wanted to make it home alive.
Words cannot describe how excited I was to be having dinner that night at Seasons 52, a “blogger hot-spot” that I have seen on Meghann, Gina, Caitlin, and Julie’s blogs. I was rockin’ a new dress from the occasion, a Black Friday purchase (I know, it’s bad news bears when you’re wearing things for the “first time” in March and bought them in November) from Kohl’s LC Lauren Conrad Collection. You can’t see them well, but it has one of my latest obsessions, pleats!
I was blown away by our view! I had no idea Seasons 52 (we were at the ORIGINAL location, by the way!) offered gorgeous outdoor lakeside seating. Pleasant surprise!
After our little photoshoot, we finally took our seats and checked out the drink menu. It was very dark out on the patio, and my mom had to borrow a light from our waiter to read the menu! Silly mom.
I ordered the Organic Sunshine Martini: orange-infused Prairie organic vodka and agave nectar. However, it was not what I was expecting.
I chose this martini because the description made it sound like it would just be vodka made with a bit of agave, but after it arrived I could see that it had also been made with some kind of orange juice, a bummer because anytime drinks are made with juices they taste too sweet for me. Sure enough, it was too sweet, but our amazing waiter Garrett was kind enough to take it off the bill without my even asking – thank you Garrett!
Ugh, flash.
Instead of a martini, I decided to go with red wine and helped my parents out with the bottle they’d already ordered, Gascon Malbec, which was actually quite excellent! I made a joke that Gascon was an appropriate wine to drink when in Orlando, home of the creators of Gaston.
Surprisingly, Garrett had NOT heard that awful pun before!
Thankfully I didn’t have a tough time deciding on a meal because that night, a special was being offered that was made for me.
Mahi? Mediterranean? Shrimp? Tzatziki? SOLD.
Aaaand I DIED. What a fantastic dish. I’m a chronic dish modifier at restaurants and this was made for me – I did not have to order with ANY modifications. The fish was perfect, the shrimp tabouleh was perfect, the tzatziki came on the side without me even asking, and a nice surprise was included that wasn’t mentioned on the menu, olives!
My mom got the same dish and she was a bit bummed that the olives weren’t called out on the menu because she HATES them, but she picked them out and I finished them off for her. Before her meal, she got the Organic Baby Spinach Salad: sliced pears, feta, and toasted pine nuts on spinach. She couldn’t stop raving about it! My dad loved his meal too – despite the fact that it came with lots of veggies. Eat up Dad, they’re good for you!
We were too full for dessert so I did not try any of the famous Mini Indulgences that everyone raves about, but next time I will have to! What a great last dinner out in Florida.
Have you ever been to Seasons 52? If not, have you already heard about it thanks to the “blog world”?
Do you run on treadmills for distance or for time?
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen at a Whole Foods?
Jeff, Evan, and I have been quite the busy foodies lately. A few weeks before our oyster and white wine adventures at Max Fish, we hit up CW’s Chops ‘n Catch, a Corey Wry restaurant Jeff and I already loved, for their NewCastle Ale Beer Dinner. Don’t worry, fellow winos – there was a wine option for the beer-averse patrons like me! The price was right at just $40/person, and with a Corey Wry meal always guaranteed to be amazing, I pounced and made a reservation the second I found out about this dinner.
Yes, I know I’m super late recapping this. Would you expect anything less from a girl who still has some highlights of my December Florida trip to share? Someday…
Most of the beers being served at this dinner were part of the brand new seasonal line of New Castle and had never been tried in the state before. Good news for Jeff and Evan!
I was quite pleased with the fact that my name was written on our table’s place card (I made the reservation). It may or may not be hanging in my cubicle right now.
We started with passed appetizers: chimichurri beef skewers, which were served on an awesome cutting board with a map of Manchester (the restaurant’s location) carved into it! The beef was cooked very well and not too chewy.
We were also served Cabot Cheddar/New Castle Summer Soup Shooters, which were AMAZING and rich.
Pensive soup tasting.
Jeff and Evan were absolutely in love with these, but I think I liked the beef just a little bit more.
Dainty shooter sipping.
Our first course was a salad of steamed Cherrystone clams, arugula, lemon gremalata, EVOO, and shaved red onion. Unfortunately while eating this I got a chunk of arugula stuck in my throat that would NOT go down, so that kinda ruined my experience with this course. The arugula made a disappearance by the time it was over though.
The greens were delicious, when they weren’t getting stuck in my throat, and the clams were perfect. I LOVED that crunchy bread that came on the side – Jeff was kind enough to trade pieces with me since his bread was way more toasty than mine.
I was (finally – it had been a long day ;-)) served my vino pairing, a Pinot Grigio. Evan smugly guessed from one sip (before we knew what kind of white it was) that it was a Pinot. He was pretty proud of himself.
But the boys were more partial to the beer pairing, the same New Castle Summer IPA that was used as an ingredient in the soup shooters. The New Castle rep present at the dinner explained that this IPA had a citrus bite (I tried a sip and could taste it, but it was WAY too hoppy for me) and wasn’t quite as hoppy as other IPAs (could have fooled me but I have a SUPER low hop tolerance). It was paired with the salad because of the lemon and parsley ingredients, which did actually compliment the citrus in the beer well, I’ve gotta admit!
Oh bros and their beer…
The wine was a bit oddly spaced out during this meal. I arrived and they didn’t give us any drinks until after the salad came. Then, before the second course even came around, I was given my second glass of wine. This resulted in a double fisting situation.
I dealt with it.
Oops, first wine is gone!
The second course was served with Twisted Cabernet (a “good brand” of cheap wine that my parents know well) for wine and New Castle Brown Ale for beer.
This round of food was great! Buffalo style hot wings served with pickled cucumbers. Did somebody say pickles?!
Corey is a pickle god in my eyes – his Catsup and Mustard half-sours are excellent. These were no different.
The wings were perfect – not very spicy at all (a bit of a bummer for Jeff and Evan, who enjoy spicy food) and the bleu cheese sauce was some of the best I’ve ever had. Can you tell?
I actually really liked how the brown ale’s cool caramel undertones paired with the savory taste of the wings. I <3 contrast pairings.
In between this course and the entree, which was taking longer to prepare than the others since each person did not choose what he or she wanted until arrival, we were served CW’s signature garlic knots with garlic butter. OH WOW. This was amazing. The garlic freak in me was very, very pleased.
From left: cheddar brats, chorizo, knockwurst.
For the entree, all three of us passed up the Beef Tenderloin Tip Stew for the Housemade Sausage Mixed Grill with crushed Yukon potatoes, jalapeno jelly, and Cipollini onions. It’s safe to say we made the right choice. The jalapeno jelly was so, so amazing and natural tasting. The potatoes were awesome and every sausage was great, especially the chorizo. I loved how the knockwurst tasted with that mustard – I LOVE MUSTARD. Can’t have a Corey Wry dinner without catsup or mustard present right?
The beer served with the entree was New Castle’s newest, the Winter IPA, with a strong citrus taste that included notes of grapefruit. I was poured the Vina San Esteban Malbec, which was my least favorite wine of the evening. It was just very not-memorable? The sausage stood out and totally overshadowed it – not much of a pairing.
Last but not least…dessert! This one knocked my socks off: Chocolate Espresso Creme Brulee with Biscotti.
The biscotti was only OK – I definitely don’t prefer chocolate varieties – but the homemade whipped cream that topped them was to die for. I did not want the creme brulee to end. Eating the top was like eating a perfectly roasted, espresso-dusted, chocolate coated marshmallow.
I was served a sparkling wine with dessert, but the carbonation hater in me ended up sending it back for another glass of the Twisted Cab. That wine was just TOO sparkling! The boys had a beer called New Castle Werewolf Red Ale, and I really liked how it paired with the dessert. This brew had notes of berries, blood orange, and spice. I had been curious as to how beer would taste with creme brulee, and since it was the most interesting pairing, I think that’s why I liked it. It was designed to cleanse the palate and the spice notes were a nice counter to the sweet dessert. The fruity notes gave the beer a flavor that also made it well suited as a dessert course choice.
Luck was on our side that evening – each attendee got a raffle ticket with entry, and Evan won a New Castle shirt!
I smugly (and wastefully) won the biggest prize of the evening – a Krups BeerTender!
I was pretty psyched. That thing was bigger than me – I could barely hold it! I was more psyched to have won than about the actual prize…a beer device is wasted on me.
So it turned into Evan’s REALLY lucky day…take good care of the BeerTender, Evan!
Jeff was clearly jealous.
We also received traditional New Castle Ale glasses with the check.
Hello, wine.
The event was wonderful and I hope that Corey does another one soon! The food and drinks were well worth the price and I had an amazing time. It was another special way to spend a Monday indeed.
Looking awkward.
The three of us have now established a tradition (OK we’ve only done it twice, but still) of taking a foodie pic after each event. Yay!
Which of the dishes I sampled would you want to try most? Would you have gone with beer or wine?
I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!
