Jan 18, 2011

What Food Is Your State Known For?

The other day, the site My Food Looks Funny posted a pictorial representing what food each American state is known for. When I first glanced at the map, I couldn't even make out South Carolina's food.

Luckily the legend informed me that it was a benne wafer. For those of you who have never heard of them, a benne wafer is a thin cookie made with toasted sesame. Benne (the Bantu-word for sesame) was brought from East Africa and planted extensively throughout the South. The seed has a nutty, sweet aroma with a milk-like, buttery taste. When toasted, its flavor intensifies, yielding an almost almond- or peanut butter-like flavor.Having lived in both Massachusetts and (briefly) Hawaii, I agree with their associated foods: clam chowder and pineapple, respectively.

My little cousin Maddie, enjoying her clam chowder last summer:IMG_3361IMG_3362Baby Xtina in Honolulu. What the fluff did my mom make me wear!? I look as if I liked it!3c

States that made me jealous were Maine (lobster), Vermont (Ben & Jerry's ice cream), and New York (pizza). Should I move back North?

I had absolutely no idea what North and South Dakota's were: knoeplah and chislic. Apparently knoeplah is a dumpling and chislic is cubed red meat. Anyone heard of either of these two?

What is your state's quintessential food? Do you agree that your state should be known for it? And do you regularly eat it? I don’t think benne wafers should have been South Carolina’s food. I was expecting it to be grits!

I’m really hoping that one of my Utah friends can explain the green jello thing…

Jan 17, 2011

What IS All This Crap?

First, I loved your responses to yesterday’s dialect vlog. You guys from the North think I definitely have an accent, but yall  Winking smile from the South don’t think I have one. Figures! I’m going to agree with Gabriela, who said I have “a baby Southern accent.” I’m also glad I posted that because now Nuha wants to hug me and I want to hug her back!!


The other day Beth blogged about the contents of her purse. It sounded like fun, as my purse is usually full of the most random junk that I need to have with me at all times. So let’s analyze…DSC_2108

  • The purse: JPK bucket bag in Navy.
  • Wallet.
  • Lilly Pulitzer planner. I think I’d flip my ---- if I didn’t have this.
  • Jazz apple. My favorite!
  • Marc Jacobs sunglasses. Very useful in the winter, right?
  • Hershey’s kisses with Macadamia nuts. YUM.
  • Keys.
  • Purple heart-shaped stamp ring from Lucy. Just in case I feel like marking someone’s forehead or something.
  • Whole Foods receipt for pita chips, carrots, broccoli, snap peas, garlic, and 3 avocados. The essentials.
  • Blackberry!!!
  • Ricola Honey Lemon cough drops.
  • Auburn mints.
  • Ipod. Cannot run without.
  • Vanilla Mint lip gloss, Apple Cider lip gloss, Menchie’s berry chapstick.
  • Spiced Pumpkin Pie Clif bar.
  • Rubber band.

Analysis: I like to eat. I like colorful things. I like shiny lips.

What is the most random thing in your purse? Considering I just switched purses, this is actually pretty neat for me. I should repost this in a week and see what kind of trash I pull out.

How about another video!?!?

My FAVORITE form of exercise. Nothing burns more calories than THIS.

That’s a really unattractive still.

I love embarrassing Tyler almost as much as I love eating.

BYE!

Jan 16, 2011

Dialect Vlog!

Here is a dialect vlog that I saw on Maria’s blog last week. Please excuse my voice, as I have had a cold for the past few days….super hot. My only question is…Do I have a Southern accent?! ENJOY!

The Questions:

  1. What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
  2. What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
  3. What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
  4. What do you call gym shoes?
  5. What do you say to address a group of people?
  6. What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
  7. What do you call your grandparents?
  8. What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
  9. What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
  10. What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

The Words:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

Jan 14, 2011

5 Question Friday

1. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get tired of? I typically cannot stand romantic comedies, but I absolutely adore Love Actually.I could watch this scene over and over.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve right now? It is currently, and will always be...crappy grammar.

 

3. If you had to describe your best friend in five words or less, what would you say?

Spontaneous.

Loving.

 

Intelligent.

 

Kind. (She brought me homemade soup last night because I have a sore throat.)DSC_2086

Open-minded.

and Supportive. (Sorry that was 6.)

4. If you did not have to worry about money or go to school what would you do for a living? BAKE BAKE BAKE BAKE

5. What is your one "splurge" item, that you will always buy, no matter the cost? Expensive mascaras.

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Jan 13, 2011

Apple-Cinnamon Oat Squares. Impulsive or Spontaneous?

First, I need to clarify something from my obnoxious gym photographs post. I didn’t mean that I work out solely so that I could eat more. I absolutely love working out for fun and because of the health benefits. Being able to eat more is just an added bonus.  And I also do not go straight home and stuff my face with chocolate. I eat a protein-rich, balanced meal to refuel and indulge in my much-deserved goodies later. Smile

Moving on. Wednesday night Lucy and I were up to the usual: internetting with the TV on some random channel. Gah, are we losers? Neither of us wanted to work out, so we started drinking white wine with dinner and perused Whole Foods’ latest issue.DSC_2086Do yall read these? You should. Each issue contains several recipes, weekly meal planners, nutritional information and tips. I was catching up on my google reader when this conversation occurred:

Lucy: Oooh, listen to this recipe: Apple Cinnamon Oat Squares…

Me: Let’s make it. What’s in it?

Lucy, giggling: almond milk, oats…

Me: Ok, let’s make it right now. I’m impulsive. Er, spontaneous. Idk, whatever, let’s do it.

We scanned the ingredient list, and lucky for us, we had everything…but almond milk. We needed 2 cups, and I only had 1/2 cup left in the fridge. We debated quartering the recipe, but instead of taking the chance of baking fugly bars, we drove over to Whole Foods.

Less than 30 minutes later, we were back with almond milk. Oh, and four bottles of wine. You know, for a snowy day.

Apple-Cinnamon Oat Squares

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans walnuts
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 (about 1 lb.) apples, cored and grated
DSC_2092

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Dry ingredients:DSC_2098Apple, shredded in my food processor! SmileDSC_2102

2. Transfer mixture to a foil- or parchment paper-lined 9” square baking pan, press down and smooth out the top. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 hour.DSC_21053. Let cool in pan; cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.DSC_2087I ate mine topped with coconut flakes and drizzled with honey. DSC_2090

I don’t think I mentioned it before, but Lucy is vegan. Slowly but surely, I have been training her how to be a baker and she has been introducing me to vegan recipes. Tonight we joined forces and made a really easy and delicious treat. These squares can be eaten warm or even cooled for breakfast or a snack. Store them in an airtight container to be enjoyed throughout the week.

So the question of the night is…am I impulsive or spontaneous? Immediately after calling myself impulsive, I corrected myself saying I was spontaneous. I feel like the word “impulsive” has a negative connotation but I’m not sure why, so I looked up the definitions.spontaneous

impulsiveI don’t see much of a difference. What do you think?

Question: About what kind of things are you impulsive/spontaneous? I am with anything related to baking/cooking/eating. Once I have an idea in my head, I have to do it. Life if short…just go with it. Winking smile

Before I say goodbye, check out these pics from when Auburn stole the National Championship. We were soooooooo happy! (And I’m Asian again!)bestiesforlifewareagle

I love my bestie and am so glad she got me hooked on college football!

Jan 12, 2011

So What If I Work Out So I Can Eat More?

Last Wednesday I went to another spin class with John. I've gone to several classes, and have always thought they were challenging. This time was a little different. About 1/2 way through the class, John noticed that I was spinning a little too fast to Lauryn Hill’s "Killing Me Softly." He told me to "up my tension" so that I was spinning with the beat of the song - aka make it hard. I tweaked it a bit to the left, and he said, "No, more." Wha! Tweaked again. "A little bit more." Fine.

The first half of class I was pedaling like I was in the club or something, just doing whatever I pleased. This isn’t correct. There is a reason why the instructor picks songs with different beats - slow for biking uphill and fast for downhill. I totally get it now. The second half of class I went through my entire 24oz camelbak and sweated through my t-shirt. Thankfully I had a tank on underneath or else I would have made it rain on that gym floor. That is so gross, I know.

About 3/4 of the way through class, as I was slowly dying, John said, "After this, you can eat all of the Chicken Marsala you want." Immediately I was like "PEDAL, GOOD WOMAN, PEDAL!" It was at that exact moment that I realized just how much food is a motivator to me. I love food, and find that exercise is a great way to balance it all out.

Food = fuel to exercise. Exercise = energy to burn more food. Repeat. Yum.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I also went to Monday’s spin class with Dave. I am officially hooked.

On Tuesday, I was accompanied by my absolute favorite workout partner: Ashley. She and I met on a yacht last summer and immediately bonded over our love for nutrition, fitness, food, and all things male. Now when Ashley and I go to the gym, we are 75% serious, 25% babe hunting. You can typically find us side-by-side on treadmills pointing at hotties or immersing ourselves in the man zone when we are actually being serious. We are also not afraid to make complete idiots out of ourselves for the sake of my blog. Here are some snapshots that we took after our sesh.

Planks. I hold my planks for 60 seconds.plankHanging from the bars. Yes, I realize I look like a child.ilooklikeachildPull-up fail. gymnastKung-fu fighting. kungfufighterBlack Swan. (We saw that movie last night).whiteswangirlwhiteswangirlashIn the middle of this ridiculousness, I got a call from John, who had returned from a mini-vaca in Hawaii. He was outside of the gym…WITH A CANDY DELIVERY! This may be the fugliest picture I have ever seen, but please understand that I had been working really hard!!!! Haha.hawaiianchocolateAnd this my friends, is what we call a balance. Hershey’s kisses + hamstring curls = the best of both worlds. hamstringcurlskissesAnd now I’m blogging enjoying all of this:DSC_2085

Question: How do you reward yourself post work-out? Protein does not count as a reward Winking smile

Jan 11, 2011

Snowpocalypse 2011: The Day We Had No Snow

Sunday evening news reports were claiming icy rain and possible snow in Charleston on Monday. We already had flurries a couple weeks ago, so I wasn't really surprised. Charleston is the new North. Except the people aren't rude. (I am originally a Masshole, I am allowed to say that.) I begrudgingly got out of bed at 7:30, got ready, and headed into work. On my way there, Victoria called me and yelled "TURN AROUND! The office is closed!" I nearly screamed into the phone like a 5-year-old, veered onto the next exit ramp, and turned around to go home. I was overjoyed! But on my way home, I spent over an HOUR on the Ravenel bridge. I saw 5 different accidents, with cars facing all different directions. Maybe one or two of these accidents were caused from black ice, but I actually think people just panic while driving under "inclement weather conditions" and end up driving worse than I do. Which is really, really bad. 

So how did I spend my random Monday off? 

As soon as I got back home, Lucy asked if I wanted to go to Target. That was a big fat yes. She, Rebecca, and I spent well over an hour in every department in Target (other than Men’s and the baby section, of course). Purchases included some rainbow-heart printed dish towels (very necessary), chocolate, mints, biore strips, and other womanly things. These are all things worth driving in the Snowpocalypse for. 

We also made a quick stop at the pet store. Now here's why Lucy might also be a bad driver. Instead of letting me get out to move this grocery cart, she said, "Don't worry about it! It's fine." And just parked. Like this. Haha.lucycar

When we got home, we did what we do best: sit on the couch with our laptops and surround ourselves with  magazines, books, and food. We usually leave the t.v. on too - any random channel will do. Every 5 minutes it seems that one of us asks the other, "Um, what are we watching?" or "Why are we watching Rachael Ray? She is soooo annoying." or "You can totally change it if you want." Yet we never really change the channel. DSC_2016

Lucy was itching to bake something so I suggested we make homemade granola. We again decided to brave Snowpocalypse 2011 to pick up supplies at Whole Foods. Very worth it. I was inspired by the Carrot Cake granola on Allie's blog, but I made mine a little differently.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup rice crisp cereal
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces
  • 1 tsp apple pie spice (or 1 tsp total of cinnamon + nutmeg + all spice)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup raisins (save for the end)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325*. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together oats, coconut, cereal, carrots, walnuts, raisins, and apple pie spice, and salt. DSC_20192. Add honey, pineapple juice, and vanilla extract. Stir until dry mixture is fully coated.DSC_20213. Spread mixture evenly over a baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping granola halfway through baking time.DSC_20224. Once cooled, toss raisins into granola. DSC_2049

This granola can be enjoyed by the handful, over Greek yogurt, or atop oatmeal.

Immediately after baking, I again braved Snowpocalypse 2011 so I could go to Spin class. Today was my first class with David Cross, and he is fantastic! His high-energy level was so encouraging, and I loved how during our cool down song, he came around and high-fived everyone. But my absolute favorite thing from yesterday's class was that he played Meatloaf's "I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” Now that is how I want to start my Mondays. With this guy:

After Spin class, I hurried to get ready to watch Auburn play in the National Championship game. DSC_2057DSC_2051DSC_2052DSC_2056DSC_2053DSC_2055At the end of the game, a 19-yard field goal by Wes Byrum at the end gave Auburn the National Championship, with a 22-19 win over the Oregon Ducks. Champagne bottles were definitely popped!DSC_2062(Look, I’m Asian!)DSC_2063

In summary, Snowpocalypse 2011 meant great things: shopping for unnecessary crap, watching mindless television, baking, exercising, and drinking champagne for football games. I decided that work is overrated and anyone willing to financially support these habits of mine should feel free to call me on my telephone. I may or may not silence your call and text you back. That's just what I do.

WAR EAGLE!