March Foodie Penpal Reveal

A little over a month ago I came across a blogger who participated in the foodie penpal program. The foodie penpal program is a really cool program that Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean created. She pairs up bloggers (or non-bloggers!) and you send a box of goodies all for under fifteen dollars. You send to someone and someone different sends to you. I love food and I love receiving packages in the mail, so I was super excited!

The blogger who sent to me was Michelle over at the Quarter-life Chronicles. I have no diet restrictions, but did say I love trying local or regional things, and this is exactly what she sent me!

Michelle sent me items from a local farmers market in Gainesville, Florida. My package arrived on a snowy Massachusetts day, so it was nice to open it up and find a cheerful map of Florida inside! In her note (the program asks you to send something in writing too), she explained that she got this map from a diner and she circled Gainesville. I honestly had no clue where Gainesville was, so it was nice to see exactly where my package was coming from.

This is what I received:

• A lemon bar- UM this was delicious. A tart like bottom with a lemon jelly type mixture on top. It was so good and I really wish I live in Fl. so I could get these as a treat. Basic ingredients for a not so basic taste.
• Guiness mustard- this stuff seriously clears your palette. I have had it on pretzles and in a chicken wrap. I liked it both ways. Comes in a cute little glass container too.
• Cajun seasoning- yum! I love Cajun seasoning and this stuff does not disappoint!
• Peach salsa- this salsa looks super special. I have not tried it yet, because I want to save it for a special occasion with friends. A bag of tortilla and this container of peach salsa, and I'm sure my friends will think I am a great host ;-) I'm wicked excited to try it and I am sure it will not disappoint.

Michelle did such a great job putting a package together for me. So thanks again, Michelle! Here is everything together:

My overall impression of the Foodie Penpal program:

• I loved shopping for my pen pal, but I strategically picked out what I wanted to send and everything was at very different shops. I wanted everything to be fresh, so I ran around one afternoon picking everything up. This, of course, is my own fault and it will be better if I decided that I was going to get things from only ONE shop. I felt a bit under-appreciated, but once again I probably wouldn't feel that way if I got everything from only one shop. 
• I also loved receiving the package in the mail! Michelle did such a great job and I loved everything that she sent me. It exposed me to different foods that I otherwise would not have been able to try!
• I ended up spending a little more than the 15 dollars budget, plus shipping. So the total was a little over 30 dollars. Not bad, but when you are a struggling twenty something that money could definitely go towards something else (AHEM student loans).
• Will I try it again? Yes, but it may be fun to just do it every other month.
  
  Cheers!

Jog, jog, jogging.

March! Yes! The days will get longer, the weather warmer and my birthday is right around the corner. Spring is (almost) here, which means more running outside and less running at the gym!

Ever since I stopped competitive cheerleading (5-6 days per week of practice and gymnastics classes were enough of a workout for me), I started jogging. My jogging schedule has not been very consistent throughout the years... for three or so months I will run nearly daily and then for the next three months I will run maybe twice total. There were many reasons for this, mostly because I was in college and my schedule was constantly changing. I would run during the summer then stop running when I started school then start on winter break, etc. When I did run during my junior year I broke my ankle while jogging! It just kind of snapped on me... So I didn't run for 6 months after that (3 of them being in a cast). Then I studied in South Africa where I actually ran a lot, took an African dance class and walked upwards of 3 miles daily.

So now, I am trying to get on a schedule of running 4-5 times per week. I try to make all my runs between 3-5 miles. At the gym I run for speed, outside I run for distance. I hate working out at the gym, but if I run there then I am more apt to utilize other equipment as well (note to self: strength training... get to it).

A couple photos from recent runs:

I am lucky enough to live in a great community with bike paths that stretch very far. This day was extra foggy and a bit creepy.

 

This was taken while on a jog on Thanksgiving morning where I grew up. I grew up on a lake and my road curves along the lake.. it's a really nice run. No wonder I always ran in the summertime. 

To anyone who may come across this... Any tips on how to stick to a workout schedule?!

Weekend Getaway!

This weekend we went to the beach in New Hampshire for a weekend get away. It was nice to wake up to the ocean view and scent, but no crowds.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and drove along the coast up to Portsmouth, NH. I was hoping to find a bakery for my new addiction (macarons), but was unable to. The ride up 1A is so beautiful, curving up along the coast and beautiful mansions scattered about.

There was a penguin plunge to benefit the NH special olympics today, so we stayed to watch it. It was flurrying out and VERY cold, so I can only imagine those plungers pain. It was for a great cause though, so I totally respect every single person that took the plunge.

 

Brrr!

Overall a nice weekend. Now I will pretend I like football and watch the Superbowl. Happy Monday tomorrow.

Yum... green smoothies.

As mentioned in a previous post I am a big green smoothie advocate. I started drinking them after I Googled "how to get my skin to have a natural glow" and discovered that drinking these would help with that. I had been applying creams/other products to my skin, but nothing has made such an improvement as green smoothies. I have such a natural glow that my boyfriend asks me if I have been tanning (I haven't... green smoothies have just improves my skin that much).

My go to recipe is:

2-3 cups of kale
1 banana
1/2 apple
1 cup pineapple
1/2 cup assorted melon
ice
1-2 cups water

I do change it up a bit as well. Using spinach or collard greens for my greens and adding peaches, kiwis, strawberries, raspberries, sorbet almond milk, peanut butter and almond butter among other ingredients. As long as one of the fruits is sweet it's bound to taste good. The hardest part is getting over the color and sometimes the rough texture of it, but once you get over it you'll start to really enjoy them.

I start in the morning with a big smoothie and usually a handful of raw almonds, which always holds me over until lunch. I also recently started incorporating a green smoothie into my post-workout snack. I feel amazing. I have so much more energy, my skin glows and my mind feels a little clearer. I highly recommend green smoothies to everyone.

I realize now that what I put in my body has a huge effect on the outside of my body. I may have always been told this, but green smoothies really just proved it to me.

And now, my macarons have arrived. They are amazing, as expected. Having green smoothies makes me feel less guilty when I splurge on unhealthy foods like this ;-).

Impulse

One thing I need to work on is impulse buys. For example, I ordered macarons (that are expected to arrive today) from NYC. I've never had a macaron before, but for some reason I was craving them on Saturday (is it possible to crave something you've never had before?) and spent far too much money to have the delivered to my apartment.

My worst impulse buy to date is my bike. I spent quite a bit on this very old Schwinn beach cruiser, but unfortunately I rarely ride it because I have to pedal backwards to brake and it weighs A TON, making it really hard to ride. Oh well, at least it's pretty right?

Needless to say, I am not a planner and never have been. But writing this made me realize two things:

•  I don't have money to support these impulse buys, so I really need to work on this.

• I need to trade in my bike for a more functional bike.

Studying Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa

2 years ago I spent 6 months living and studying in Cape Town, South Africa at the University of Cape Town. Recently, I have been reminiscing about it more and want to share it with someone, ANYONE. So, here is my 6 months in Cape Town (and travels throughout southern Africa) condensed into one post.

This was one of my first days in Cape Town. I remember first arriving at UCT (University of Cape Town) being delirious (lack of sleep after 24 hr flight), hungry and tired, and the weather being gloomy, so I was not able to see the physical beauty hidden behind the fog. The next day I woke up and walked outside to see the most amazing view of Table Mountain. I never got used to the view... I would look at it everyday in awe.

 Over spring break I traveled to Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe and was able to capture these:

 Chobe National Park, Botswana

 Victoria Falls, Zambia

Zambia. Yes that is a lion! (Though he had  not been released into the wild at this point)

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Now back to Cape Town and the Western Cape:

University of Cape Town. A gorgeous campus.

I lived in one of these town houses.

Hanging out with some penguins.

We celebrated Halloween as Mario Party. I was Donkey Kong (my favorite)

Kruger National Park

And yes, the last two weeks of my trip Chris came to visit. Here he is (taking a rest from) biking through Stellenbosch or wine country.

So my trip through photos is condensed here. I chose the ones with the best memories, but I have so many more adventures I went on that I did not add here. Maybe I will expand on my travels in a later post. I am so grateful I was able to have this experience and realize many people will never be able to have the experiences I had.

My holidays in review

The month of December was a very jammed pack month- parties, baby showers, trips and family and friends. Here's my month in photos (thank you iPhone for giving me a camera at my finger tips)

Gil (aka Chris) welcomes the holidays

I threw a baby shower for a friend who is having (now HAD) a baby boy. I made my Christmas tree baby themed! Complete with mini blue baby bottles and blue plastic pins (courtesy of the dollar store), blue candy canes, my white and silver ornaments, and balloons at the top. The co-ed baby shower was a nice day of gifts (of course), hearty food and sweets, Christmas music, baby talk and 1,2, or 3 mimosas for the hostess ;-) Jill told me it's ok for the hostess to be a little tipsy at the shower.

Gil and I went to NYC for a weekend mid-December. We stayed on 38th st. in this cozy Italian hotel. We walked from our hotel all the way to the new world trade center, stopping in Greenwich Village, Soho and Little Italy for wine and food on the way. At night we went to the Rockettes at Radio City, which is such a wonderfully gorgeous show, and as always has me leaving jealous of the dancers. We tried to do Christmas-y things, but I found Times Square, 30 Rock and Macy's to be too much for me, so I kind of booked it out of each place after a minute of being there.

This is the tree in the center of Northampton, MA (my current home). Festive!

In front of my favorite hotel around

This "elf on the shelf" belonged to my great grand parents. He sits on our Christmas tree each year. I joke that he is the ORIGINAL elf on the shelf. I think he is too old to get into the mischievous that the newer elves create these days.

My Christmas gift to Chris this year was a tea shelf. It sounds odd, but he LOVES tea... it is kind of his obsession. So I created this little wonder.

New Years weekend we had some friends up. We went to a show at the Iron Horse in Noho and no one was out because of a snow storm. The streets were dead, so we walked in the road. Here are some of the bros doing their thing.

Vintage, Greens and 2013

Hello 2013. I usually don't think much of the new year until I see friends/online stalkers start to write about their past year and their new year resolution. I saw post after post of how horrible of a year 2012 was and agreed. But then I really started to think about my year. from Jan 2012-June 2012 I was the same as 2011, but it was when I made the move to Northampton, MA and things seemed to changed.

By that point I was a year out of college, no longer living in my college apartment, had a "real" job and had spent the last year mourning my college days. When I moved to Northampton I think it hit me that I was no longer in college and it was time for me to start my next chapter.

I started an Etsy business selling vintage clothing. This is a very small collection (talking 25 items), but it keeps me busy as I go on hunts after work and on the weekends for new clothing. Chris even helps me, or more so discourages me from buying over the top 80's clothing. I have profited from that business, so even if I close the shop tomorrow it was a success in my book.

Green foods! Oh the power of the greens. I started trying (and loving!) more green veggies. Kale and brussel sprouts have become my favorites. Green smoothies have been my energy drink for the past few months and have given my skin this amazing natural glow. These smoothies usually consist of a combination of the following: kale or spinach, apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes (great sweetener) or pineapple or a combination, and sorbet, ice, or milk and water. What an amazing start to the day... seriously.

I have started to savor time with my friends. With everyone's schedules now very busy, and hours of traveling between us, it is now a once in a while thing to see friends from college or high school. The time we do spend together usually turns into weekend adventures, which end up being really fun and exciting... or sometimes we just lounge. Another couple comes to visit Chris and I often (once a month) and the past couple times we ended up sitting in a restaurant for hours after our meal talking. Last month, it was at the Green Bean in Northampton Center. A great little restaurant with fresh food. We sat around for a couple hours refilling our teapots and talking. The teapots they have are amazing in my book.. and I so badly want to find one like it (it's simple, just the Green Bean, but so cheerful).
On new years eve we sat around in a local burger joint (just happens to be called Local Burger ;-)) and indulged in great burgers, a few bottles of wine, and a three hour conversation. I never understood people who stayed at restaurants for SO long after finishing their meals, but now I do. Oh the wisdom time brings.

 Chris and I took some trips this year over weekends, which is so great. Getting out of the routine is important. We went to NYC a couple times, Philadelphia, Jersey Shore (his families beach house for a week), the Berkshires, Burlington Vermont, Saratoga Spring NY, trips to Boston and of course visiting our own families. I love experiencing the different atmospheres of different cities. Now to save money to make our next big trip outside of the US this year.

So... my goals for the new year include: finding a higher paying job that I LOVE with a lot of social interaction, moving to a large city (Boston or NYC preferably), pack my lunches the night before!, take my GRE's and to stop eating dinner in front of the tv. Oh and speaking of the TV make my next netflix pick something a little bit more constructive (is it possible with tv?) than Gossip Girls. I love the show and have been sucked in since the summer...and now that I am on season 4 I have to finish... but... it's tough to explain.

Happy 2013.