Factual Friday

Um, I love surveys. I’m sorry that this food blog sometimes turns into my diary but because I own it, I can do that. Yeaaaah.

I stole this survey from Katelyn who stole it from Janetha -- two awesome bloggers that you should check out.

1) What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday?

• Sleeping in
• Working out in the morning
• Making pancakes
• Spending the day outside either at the beach or walking around downtown
• Going to a wine tasting, catching a movie, or dinner w/ friends
• Dancing at Trio!

2) List your top three favorite TV shows.

• Golden Girls
• The Nanny
• Jeopardy

(No, I don’t really watch new TV shows.)

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them?

• I’d rather be in them, but I do love taking them too.

4) Why do you blog?

• I love meeting new people through my blog, especially those who share the same passions as I do.
• It’s like a giant online diary.
• It helps me keep my focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly…

• Gmail
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google!!!
• Geek Sugar

6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list, who would it be?

• BETTY WHITE!!

7) List a few of your favorite snacks.

• Hummus
• Iced Oatmeal Raisin Luna Bar
• Bananas
• Pickles
• Greek yogurt

8 ) Do you have a pet? If so, what kind?

• No. No. No. I just have a really big purse.

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without?

• phone
• laptop
• camera

10) What’s your favorite drink?

• Chick-fil-A Diet Lemonade

11) Do you enjoy cooking?

• Of course! But I enjoy eating more.

12) Do you have children?

• My blog is my child.

13) What are your favorite hobbies?

• Playing w/ friends
• Baking
• Blogging
• Exercising
• Reading
• Beaaaachhhh

14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing?

• Outgoing, 90% of the time

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?

• I think this question is dumb. Why would you want to be something you’re not? Embrace yourself.

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress?

• Don’t have one.

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week?

• Spending the day as tourists with Rachel was really fun.

18) Do you live near your family or far from them?

• I have family in SC, NC, MA, and NJ.

19) List three of your talents.

• I can write backwards.
• I can hula hoop for a really long time. 
• I bake awesome cookies.

20) What is your greatest attribute?

• Charm

This week’s workouts:

S: Rest

M: Long run

T: Strength training (lower body), yoga

W: Pilates

T: Kickboxing, strength training (upper body)

F: Rest

S: Pure Barre class

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

What I’m Loving Wednesday

1. The responses to the 2012 Valentine’s Day Blogger Swap. So far, 34 of you have signed up, including 3 guys!  (Good ones, I promise.) I’m even more excited about all the new readers I’m hearing from. Please don’t be shy  --  comment more! It’s very appreciated.

2. New (to me) classes at ESAC.  Since my knee injury last week, I’ve been forced into low intensity workouts. This kills me a little inside, but has forced me into trying different classes. I went to another yoga class and actually enjoyed it for once. I still laugh when everyone says ohmmmmm though. I mean what is that!? I feel like everyone is competing to see who can go the longest. I also went to a different teacher’s pilates class and loved it. Tracy @ ESAC is hilarious and offers a challenging class.

I also found a good article on Fit Sugar on how to keep knee pain away. Perfect timing. My best friend:

3. As if I needed another magazine subscription, I received my first issue of Prevention. This smaller-sized magazine is packed with information on health, nutrition, fitness, and more. I really like it. My first issue contained a fun recipe for Parsnip Beet Sauce With Ravioli. DESTINY.

4. This Kashi bar is delicious. They weren't kidding when they named it a Crunchy Bar.

Speaking of bars, the Luna Peanut Honey Pretzel has been added to my top Luna Bars. If only it had chocolate was an ingredient…

5. I tried this hat on as a joke. A week later I went back to Target and bought it. $3 to look like a nut? Sure, why not. At least my brain won’t freeze in NYC next month.

TELL ME WHAT YOU LOVE!

You can say me, I won’t be mad.

Valentine’s Day Blogger Swap

For some, Valentine’s Day is about spending time with a significant other being all romantical and crap. For others, including me, it is about shoving pink & red colored candies down your throat and rejoicing in your singledom. (I like single – boyfriends get in the way. Literally and physically.)
The past few years that I have been boy-less, I exchanged gifts with girlfriends (Hi Callie, Jenna, Heera!) to celebrate this mushy day of romance. I’m 100% sure that I had more fun and received better presents from these ladies than all of my ex-boyfriends combined. With that said, I thought it would be fun to host a Valentine’s Day Blogger Swap, for both bloggers and readers.
The Plan:
Should you choose to join in on the swap, I will match you up with another blogger/reader to whom you will send a love package by the 14th of February. In return, you will receive a package from a different person. Package content ideas include: candy, snacks, small gifts, trinkets, etc. Be appropriate people. I don’t want to hear about anyone receiving creepy stuff.

What You Need to Do:
Email me: christinaorso @ gmail dot com
Please provide me with your name, address, and some information about yourself. Let me know things I can tell the person who will be sending your goodies. This information can include: your favorite colors, favorites candies, hobbies, interests, etc. If you have a blog, provide me with a link. If you have any allergies, you might want to list those as well. I would imagine we’d each spend around $10-15, but really, it’s up to you. Get creative! Have fun!

Rules:
You must sign up for this by noon on Monday, January 23rd. You will receive your partner’s information by January 25th. Please be sure to mail out your goodies in time for your partner to receive them on Valentine’s Day, February 14th.
Grab the button to spread the word!

<a border="0" href="http://www.hungrymeetshealthy.com/2012/01/valentines-day-blogger-swap.html" target="_blank" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSImbS3e_BAJ0bPwrmmwcbi4nlOfOfqCHo0tbJfNYKkCOP7J0CIBJzWZzPSa_WTocIQL1GJtkVU-wN0HnIWmh1bWq-yfMf6Ew3memrVLQDpeB_Y7Rc5A6HypJZkqsREa_Yk5QJAqfglRs/" />

In love & chocolate,
xx!

Weekend Update Part II: A Tourist In My Own City

In case you missed it, you can catch up on Weekend Update Part I! Please don’t miss out on my awesome dance moves in that video…

Sunday: Sunday morning, my friend Melissa and I went over to Sandpiper Nursing Home to volunteer. Volunteering twice in one weekend? YES! So fulfilling. Every Sunday, Melissa and 2 of her family members visit the home to do Sunday School with the residents. We listened to her grandmother speak, sang songs, and chatted with some of the residents. They were so cute, and I had to laugh because half of them were either asleep or falling asleep!

A bit later, Rachel and I took advantage of the sunny weather for a bridge run/walk. It was in the low 50s but beautiful out. We walked the majority of the bridge and down the pier at Mt. Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park for a total of 4.62 miles.

Unfortunately my knee started acting up on the incline of the bridge. I must have done something nasty to it during my 10-miler last week. I told Boding about the pain, and he came right over to the rescue! With him he brought “something to heal the pain, something to dull the pain, and something to forget about the pain.” In other words, he brought over glucosamine pills, wine, and a movie. He truly is my brother from a Chinese mother.

Monday: Rachel and I decided it was imperative that we take advantage of our day off and be tourists in our own city. To start off our day, we walked from her apartment to Gaulart & Maliclet French Café, otherwise known as Fast & French. This quaint little restaurant on Broad Street is one of my new favorites. Its menu has everything from breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks, dinner, wine, coffee and more!

I had the Croq’ Baguette: ham, Dijon, Swiss & mozzarella. There was so much cheese on this warm, crusty bread. I really wish I had ordered the tomato vegetable soup to dip it in. It was perfect. Even better, my sandwich with tax was around $6. Score.

Rachel’s lunch was just as delicious. She ordered the Sandwich Provencal: black olive tapenade with tomato, basil, and goat cheese on a baguette. If you like olives, you must try this.

We agreed that we have to come back for some wine and cheese…oh, and brunch and dinner too.

Our next stop was Goat. Sheep. Cow. to pick up what we both consider “the best piece of chocolate we’ve ever had in our life.” Remember when I blogged about Sweeteeth Chocolate? Yep, their “Sea is for Caramel” bar is incredible. It was the perfect post-lunch treat.

But dessert didn’t stop there. As we walked from Church Street down East Bay Street, popping in stores here and there, we landed at Charleston Candy Kitchen where snagged a piece of chocolate praline.

We then moseyed down to Market Street Sweets and picked up another praline sample! As if our teeth weren’t already hurting, our final dessert stop was at Godiva where we both got a Crème Brulee truffle. I promise that we both saved this piece for later, as our teeth were at risk of falling out of our heads.

On our walk back Rachel’s, I found my dream house. I’m not in love with the structure, but look at those colors! Hot damn. Purple and lime green are my favorite, but on a house? Yikes.

We covered 4.3 miles and felt like accomplished tourists. My poor knee hates me, but the company and fun was well worth it!

On the way back to my house, I snapped a pretty picture of the sun setting from the Cooper River Bridge.

Oh Charleston, how I love thee.

Weekend Update Part I

Friday: Charleston friends, you know Joe Girard, the afternoon DJ for 95sx? Well he’s a good buddy of mine and I think you should vote for him in the Charleston City Paper Awards! He deserves it! Speaking of Joe, he and I went to a tweet up on Friday night. Random! We were invited by a mutual twitter friend who I had never met. A few girls that I knew (in real life) were also going, so we figured the party was a great way to meet new people that we had already connected with online. It was so fun! Just like blogger meet-ups, but Twitter style. It’s also one of the few opportunities you get to introduce yourself by your twitter handle. Too bad mine is my actual name!

Saturday: Around noon, I went downtown to volunteer with my friend Dane from work. This particular group, called God’s People, meets every other Saturday for a picnic in the park, offering food, clothing, and other goods to the homeless. Not only do they provide meals and such, but they establish friendships and help them get off the street. It was really nice to see how everyone connected and I would love to go again. If anyone is interested in volunteering, please let me know!

After that, Boding and I went to a wine tasting at Winestyles in Town Center. I’ve been to their wine tastings several times and always have a lot of fun. You taste 5 different wines, learn about their pairings, and meet new people. We tried 2 whites and 3 reds. My favorite was The Federalist – a rich, full-bodied Zinfandel with bright berry character. I had no idea I liked Zinfandel. It had such great flavor.

After some shopping, we headed over to Papa Zuzu’s for dinner. Papa Zuzu’s is a casual, family-run Greek restaurant in Mt. Pleasant. Everything is made to order and extremely fresh. We started out with a platter of warm pita bread, hummus, and tzatziki sauce. Delicious.

I had the standard Chicken Gyro with a side of cucumber salad. Holy moly, this thing was huge. I could only finish half and was stuffed to the brim. It was loaded with chicken and lightly topped with tzatziki sauce and tomatoes. Boding got the lamb gyro and I can’t even begin to tell you how jealous I was. The meat was out of this world. If they weren’t closed on Sunday, I would be there tonight. Get there now!

Later that evening, I met some friends at the bowling alley. Ummm have I ever told you how much I love bowling? I really do. And I get kind of competitive. Guess who won all five games? This girl! Oh, such dorky things I’m proud of.

It’s like a trophy case on my blog right now. My friend Chris pointed out that my bowling name (well, what shows on the screen), XTI, sounds like a stock symbol.

Now don’t think that my bowling skills have pumped up my ego or anything. I’m still the same dorky little girl that cannot dance. I’m so white. It’s great. Enjoy a little clip of Boding and me dancing to “Can’t Touch This.”

Points of Interest:

• :24 – Boding’s face. Omg.
• 1:46 – I think I just choked on my gum.
• 1:49 – I tell my roommate, Jenna, to join in. She declines.
• 2:14 – Oh, just blowing a bubble.
• 2:37 – Hi Jenna! Watch her stand on the table to blow the candle out. She’s even shorter than I am!
• 3:17 – “Yes, I have the crown!” Competitive little brat.
• 3:24 – Ironic that I have the crown, as I pretty much lose it here.

Weekend Update Part II coming soon!

Hope you all have a wonderful day off. Happy Birthday, Mr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!

Tagged on Thursday / Factual Friday

Thanks to Amanda, I was recently tagged in a blog game. So fun.

1. I get more excited about new food products than I do about new clothes, shoes, movies, books, etc. My friend Jess picked up the new Peanut Honey Pretzel Luna Bar just a few hours before I did and I was going nuts! I picked it up from Whole Foods right after kickboxing class. My thoughts on it are coming soon.

2. Running and strength training will always be my go-to forms of exercise, but I’ve fallen head-over-heels in love with my kickboxing class.  My teacher does a great job at mixing up the music and routines. If you’re an East Shore member, be sure to check it out or come with me!

3. I absolutely cannot stand when people stand too close to me. Unless you are a close friend of mine, please back up at least 2 feet. My bubble does not want to be popped. The worst is when someone stands too close to me in line. EEEEEEEEK.

4. My favorite things to learn about are: Egyptian history, the science of baking/cooking, personality disorders, nutrition, the Holocaust, the Spanish language (my major in college), and grammar. Random, I know.

I like this lady.

5. I don’t think I will ever understand fashion, decorating, gardening, how to play an instrument, or how to match colors. I might not be a woman.

6. I have no shame in admitting that I love to read my horoscope. I am a true Cancer: loving, protective, devoted, loyal,  stubborn, sensitive, overly competitive, and moody.

7. I am the oldest and have 3 younger brothers. Maybe this explains #5.

8. My favorite candies are: peanut m&ms, pretzel m&ms, heath bar, kit kats, and sixlets. I also love gummy worms (but not bears) and Swedish fish.

9. I can’t read maps. Okay, so I am a woman.

10. I am easily distracted, scatter-brained, and clumsy. All three of these traits lead me to live a very amusing life. Adderall makes me boring.

11. I have been bitten by three different dogs: a Scottish terrier bit my face at 3 (still have a scar), a Chihuahua bit my leg, and a Boxer bit my thumb. Although they were all small, I don’t like big dogs now.

Instead of tagging others (I hate doing that), please watch my current favorite video. Enjoy!

HAPPY WEEKEND!!