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Headin’ Up To San Francisco

October 21, 2010 by

In less than 48 hours, I will be in beautiful San Francisco. As you may recall, I was in San Fran briefly last week, as a stopover on my way to Sacramento. I was there so briefly that the only place I actually set foot in was the airport, otherwise I was in a car.

But on this trip, I will be spending four lovely days in San Francisco. Although I will be quite busy with writing assignments, I am hoping that I actually see some of the sites around the city, as well as the trendy restaurants. Maybe I’ll even meet up with a few blogger friends!!

Aside from work and site-seeing, I am also hoping to go for a few runs – naturally. It is true that before I head out on a trip I research my destination like CRAZY – just ask my husband. I almost become obsessed with finding the coolest restaurants, shopping, sites, etc. But I also love to plan out my runs! I go to great lengths to map out routes, plan scheduled runs for my light work days, etc. Knowing that I am keeping to my scheduled runs gives me a sense of familiarity in a new place and helps to keep some kind of calm in my, otherwise, crazy schedule.

And I do mean crazy schedule! San Francisco is just the first leg of my trip. From there, I will head to Napa for a few days, then onto Vancouver until November 3. So, when everything is over, I will have been away from home for 12 days. My stomach hurts just thinking about being gone for that long – especially since Scott and the kids will NOT be coming with me. Oh the things we do for work!

Thank goodness for iPhone Facetime!

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Travel Writing To Feature Walnuts, Grapes, and Gourmet Food

September 22, 2010 by

Grape Harvest

(Photo source)

As some of you know, I have many exciting trips planned, via writing assignments, from now until the end of the year. And now, I finally get to reveal a few of them!

Chicago Gourmet: This weekend, I will be attending Chicago Gourmet as an official Foodbuzz Correspondent. I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Foodbuzz community and to share my coverage of the event with Foodbuzz readers. One thing I am just dying to do is interview Cat Cora, aka the first female Iron Chef and Bon Appetit Executive Chef. Keep your fingers crossed that she can fit me into her schedule!

Walnut Harvest: Just a few weeks after Chicago Gourmet, I’ll be headed to California to cover the walnut harvest. I am a huge walnut fan, which makes it so much easier to say yes to trips like this. I am really looking forward to learning more about how walnuts are harvested, how to cook with them (beyond the typical cereal, oatmeal, granola, etc.), and about their health benefits. For someone who doesn’t eat fish – or seafood – at ALL, it’s extremely important to know that walnuts have as much or even more omega 3 fatty acids than fish. Thank goodness for that!

Grape Harvest (aka Crush): Exactly one week after the Walnut Harvest, I will be heading back to San Francisco, stopping off in Napa to cover the wine scene and the grape harvest. I’m also planning to review a very popular restaurant in Yountville – can you guess what it is?

Foodie Scene: After Napa, I travel up the coast to get a taste of the foodie/tourist scene in Vancouver. Vancouver is fresh off the Olympics and has so much to offer travelers. I can’t wait to explore the city and the sites in the fresh mountain air!

I’ll be planning full stories related to these trips for both RWC and Bistro Chic. You will definitely not want to miss them or the pictures – plus, you never know when I’ll throw in a giveaway!

And speaking of giveaways…

I just realized that I forgot to post who the winner of the Mighty Leaf Tea and Sympathy Giveaway is! The recipient of the giveaway, via random number generator, is…

Lisa Smith
Posted September 20, 2010 at 5:45 am | Permalink | Edit
I Love my green tea! I drink it most during the winter months the P.M.

Lisa – be sure to send me your address and I will send you the very relaxing tea package ASAP! Thank you all so much for entering the giveaway.

Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage of my cross-country adventures!

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More Travel = DSLR!!!

September 16, 2010 by

Jen Bean2

I have big, BIG news! I am seriously bursting at the seems wanting to tell all of you, but I can’t share it just yet. I’ll give you a hint, it involves gourmet food and travel! I’m hoping to reveal the new details next week, so stay tuned!

On another note, because I will be traveling quite a bit in the next 6 weeks, I’m breaking down and buying a DSLR. I’ve been using a Canon S90 point and shoot for about a year and it has served its purpose well. It was good enough to get me by on a day to day basis and took pretty decent photos for a point and shoot. However, because of several very important events coming up this year and next, Scott and I felt it was time to upgrade.

So, what am I looking for in a DSLR? I want one that is small, takes great pictures of food/sites without too many fancy lenses, and one that is of high quality/brand. Now it’s time for a little blogger help! For all of my Healthy Living Summit, Fitbloggin, and Bookieboo/Mamavation friends out there…

What DSLR do you use and why do you recommend/not recommend it?

Check back on Sunday for a fun giveaway announcement!

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Running With Cake On Tour

September 2, 2010 by

Napa Valley Grapes

(Photo Source)

The summer is not even over and I am already gearing up for a very busy Fall! For the most part, my busy schedule will be attributed to work and all of the travel I will be doing for my job. Let’s take a look at where I’m headed….

Running With Cake On Tour

  • New York: September 2010
  • San Francisco – October 2010
  • Napa Valley – October 2010
  • Vancouver – November 2010
  • San Antonio – March 2011
  • Orlando (?) – April 2011
  • Baltimore – May 2011
  • Las Vegas – June 2011
  • Hawaii – October 2011

As you all probably know from my Bistro Chic blog, I love to travel. But this schedule is insane! I only hope that Scott and the kids will be able to join me on some of these trips, fingers crossed!

In all of these places, I’m hoping to try some fabulous restaurants and take equally fabulous pictures of my food and the sites. Napa Valley wineries here I come! Also, I’m already planning a blogger meet-up in San Fran, but if any fellow bloggers want to do a casual meet up in any of the cities listed above, let me know! Rest assured, I will be bringing my running shoes on all of my adventures – you never know when a race might break out!

Do you have a favorite restaurant in any of the cities listed above? If so, leave a comment and let me know!

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So Glad to Be Home

May 20, 2010 by

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Hey all! I’m so excited – I am going to the Healthy Living Summit!!! As of today, it looks like there are still tickets available. But I’m sure they will go fast, so if you’re thinking about going, I suggest you buy your ticket ASAP!

I just returned from my 5-day stint in Washington, DC. It was a great trip but a little long for its purpose. Plus, my throat was on fire the whole time and still is. I’m heading into the doctor tomorrow. At first I didn’t think it was strep, but now I’m pretty sure it is. The weird thing is that other than my throat, I feel fine. Whatever I have, I need to get well ASAP because I’m headed out of town again next weekend.

To help with the pain and soothe my aching throat, I’ve been drinking hot tea like it’s going out of style. I must have had 2 teas each day while in Washington. My tea of choice these days is either Tazo Awake or just about any brand of English Breakfast (love Harney and Sons!). If I’m using a bag, I steep it for about 3 minutes or so, then add a bit of skim milk – no sugar. Ahh, sooo good! I even tried a couple English Breakfast lattes that were quite yummy. However, please be aware that even tea lattes made with skim milk have anywhere from 100-150 calories per drink. Keep that in mind if you’re watching calories!

I have to say that I am so glad to be home and back sleeping in my own bed. The room that I had for the last week overlooked the lobby/bar area, just one floor up. So, it was very noisy from about 6:30 AM to well after midnight. This went on for 4 nights in a row. Then, last night, about 12:15 AM, I was fed up and called the front desk. I asked them when they planned to turn the music down so that people could sleep. After all, it was after midnight on a Wednesday – it wasn’t like it was 9 PM on a Saturday. The woman said she would let the lobby/bar know that I filed a noise complaint. Well, the music and noise were still going strong at least 30 minutes later. Ugh – not happy! I finally fell asleep, so I don’t know what time the music actually shut off. So much for my complaint – I really didn’t expect that kind of service (or lack of) from a Marriott hotel.I don’t think I’d stay there again, and if I HAD to, I would definitely ask for a higher floor.

Anyway, enough of my hotel ranting, I’m off to bed. Have a great night!

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A Star-Spangled Evening

May 19, 2010 by

Hey all! Today was my last full day in Washington, DC, and what a day it was! So, what did I do today? Aside from working from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, I….

  • Ran 5 miles around the White House and Washington Monument
  • Got a massage and facial
  • Ate some awesome bread pudding with butterscotch sauce
  • Watched the movie Leap Year, with Amy Adams, on my computer
  • Attended a private after-hours event at the Smithsonian!

At the American History Museum, I got to take a photo with Revolutionary War musicians. They asked me if I could add a little color to my coat – they must be comedians in there spare time. At the Natural History Museum, I was able to rub elbows, err…stones, with an Easter Island statue – me no dum dum (random Night at the Museum reference)…

Plus, I covertly took a photo of America’s own pride and joy – the American Flag – aka the Star-spangled banner…

Whew! All in a days “work”. Now, I’m off to pack. I have to work our 1/2 day conference tomorrow then I’m flying back to Chicago mid-day. See you all tomorrow night as I write from Chi-town!

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Gettin' Tarty in Austin

April 26, 2010 by

Hey Y’all – I’m blogging live from Austin, TX! Hence, the Y’all. One thing I will say about Texas is that it’s HOT! It was 86 degrees today, which is so hot for me coming from 55 degrees in Chicago.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

The warm weather made me temporarily lose my head and walk right into a Tart frozen yogurt cafe. Why do we not have one of these cafes in Chicago! This is a made-to-order “yogurt bar” where you can portion out as much yogurt as you like and top it with whatever you fancy. Then, you take your creation up to be weighed and voila! $5.00 later, you are enjoying your very own frozen yogurt creation!

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera on me at the time of the yogurt purchase, but I had a mixture of the following:

  • Tart yogurt
  • Blueberry yogurt
  • Strawberry banana yogurt
  • Chocolate yogurt
  • Mini M&M’s
  • Walnuts
  • Butterfinger crumbs

Now before you jump to conclusions, I took very small portions of each yogurt and less than a teaspoon of each of the toppings. It ended up being a small-medium size yogurt – and I enjoyed every bite! I am so glad that frozen yogurt is low in calories (please tell me it is!!!)

Gotta run, my meetings start very early tomorrow! Have a great night – y’all 🙂

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Dessert at Disney World

April 8, 2010 by

Hello all! Well, despite only getting about 6 hours of sleep, I woke up at 6:15 AM for my morning run at Disney World! Believe me, if there’s anywhere you’re motivated to run that early, it’s Disney World. Besides, I wanted to get my run in before the conference started at 8 AM. I ended up going only about 4 miles, due to time constraints.

I won’t bog you down with details of the conference, but I will say that Disney puts on an awesome “show” for business professionals. And, the food is amazing!!! Seriously, I’ve wanted to take pictures of everything, but it does really seem strange to take photos of food when everyone is standing around me. I’m going to attempt to take a few photos on the sly tomorrow.

However, I did get some pics of my fabulous dessert at Citrico’s, a Mediterranean-themed restaurant in the Grand Floridian resort…

This was a banana chocolate lava cake – sooo good, but definitely pushed me from the “I’m slightly full” stage to the “I’m stuffed” stage – totally regretting eating it now. And yes, that dark swirly, crown looking thing was made out of chocolate – and I did try a bite or two! Our server also gave us each a little bag of biscotti to take home as a “gift”. I scored two – yeah!

Heading to bed now. Have to be up and at ’em by 6:15 Am again for that brisk morning run to the Magic Kingdom!

Have a great night!

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POM Wonderful Care Package

April 5, 2010 by

Hey All! As you may have noticed, I’ve been slightly increasing the distance of my early morning runs. On Friday and Sunday, I did a 10K on each day – Friday in 50 minutes and Sunday in 48 minutes! This morning, I ran 5.5 miles in 42 minutes. I just can’t seem to slow down – he he! I’m trying to recruit some of my friends to run the Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon – so far, no takers 🙁

Although I’ve been loving these fast and furious runs, my legs are not very happy. My hips and calves are very sore. It’s been ages since I’ve been sore from running – I almost forgot what it felt like!

When I arrived home from work today, I had two surprises waiting for me. Surprise #1 – a care package from POM, special delivery from Fitbloggin – yeah!

The great folks at POM sent Scott and I 8 bottles of pure pomegranate juice. I never really tried pomegranate juice until Fitbloggin, but I’m so glad that I did (mmm…memories of POM martinis!). After Baltimore, I ended up getting the flavored POM juices at the store and loved them – so did the kids. Just wish they didn’t have so many calories in them 🙁

Surprise #2 – Scott stopped off at a bakery on his way home from class and bought me French macarons…

I have honestly never had macarons that were so huge! They were easily 4 inches in diameter, which is very uncharacteristic of a French macaron. But they were delicious!

Tonight is a packing night because I’m headed out to Orlando early Wednesday morning. I’m going to have 4 days of sun and warm weather – kind of. I will mostly be attending a conference indoors, but will have a day or so to roam around Disney. If you all remember, my last trip to Disney in early March ended up being a very cold trip. It only got above 70 degrees on one day while we were there. At least this time, I can pack lighter clothes because the weather is supposed to be in the 80s!

Alright, must get to bed. I’m hoping to do an easy 3-4 miles tomorrow to give my legs a break. Night all.

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Fitbloggin: Saturday in Review

March 21, 2010 by

Hey All! I’m back from Fitbloggin and had a fantastic time! Saturday morning was the official start of the conference. Instead of going through every detail, here are the highlights. The morning started with a 5K run that was attended by about 50 women. Although it was not a competitive run, I am very happy to say that I was in the top 6-8 of those who finished first!

The run was followed by a fab oatmeal breakfast sponsored by Quaker and then two sessions – one on SEO and one on how to get noticed by traditional media. The morning sessions were followed by a fabulous lunch spread…

We had small sandwiches, fresh fruit, and some awesome mushroom bisque!

After lunch, my husband Scott (who was the Fitbloggin speaker on SEO) and I took a walk around the harbor in Baltimore. We even tried out our new New Balance running shoes…

His and her shoes for his and her bloggers – perfect! My husband is a loyal New Balance customer. I, on the other hand, have been loyal to Nike for YEARS. I’ve been running for a very long time and have been through many brands and styles of running shoes. Years ago when I tried New Balance, I felt that they were clunky and didn’t really offer much support for runners – hence my loyalty to Nike. However, I may be a changed runner! New Balance so generously gave away a pair of their 740 shoes to all conference attendees -woo hoo! They were much lighter than I remember and had more cushion. I really like these shoes and will definitely consider the New Balance brand on my next running shoe purchase. Thanks New Balance for letting us try out your shoes!

On our walk, we headed to the Italian pastry shop in the harbor area…

My obsession with patisseries/bakeries has enable me to sniff out any that are in a 1 mile radius…

I just had to sample a few of the homemade Italian cookies – naturally.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped off a the historic lighthouse…

The afternoon sessions and keynote by nutrition author Dave Grotto went by so fast! Then it was time to let loose a little with some Jell-o shots!

Ok, not really Jell-o shots, but it was definitely a reception sponsored by Jell-o. There were several flavors of Jell-o as well as their new mousse in caramel, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate – so good!

Scott and I left the reception early to make our dinner reservations at the Mediterranean/tapas restaurant Pazo. We were really torn between restaurants. This one actually had mixed reviews – some people loved it and some people didn’t like it at all. When I first walked into the restaurant I knew I would like it. It had a strong Spanish feel to it which I love!

After ordering some vino, we perused the menu, which was a mix of traditional and modern tapas and main entrees. Scott and I love to eat tapas style, so we focused on the small plates…

We had eggplant puree with some super yummy and salty bread followed by a salad made with hearts of palm, roasted red peppers, and vinaigrette.

I almost forgot to mention the fantastic sunflower flatbreads that we had for a starter…

This is by far the BEST flatbread I have EVER tasted!! We liked it so much we took two containers of the bread home with us!

We opted not to eat dessert there, but instead, walked around Fells Point to scope out the bars and desserts places. I loved Fells Point! The cobblestone/brick streets gave the area so much character. Although there were many dessert places to choose from, we decided on gelato from Pitango and we were not disappointed in our choice…

They had at least a dozen flavors of gelato on display. It was so hard to decide! But the staff were great and were very open to let you test any or even all of the flavors. Thanks guys! Loved the bourbon vanilla and milk chocolate with chocolate chips! We also enjoyed some authentic Italian hot chocolate…

Seriously, this is NOT your mother’s hot chocolate. The consistency was thicker than cream and had a mild, milk chocolate flavor – wonderful! The only thing I would recommend is to have cookies or biscotti in the cafe for purchase so that customers can dunk them in their chocolate!

Ok, that’s all for now. See you all tomorrow with a recap of Sunday – Exploring Baltimore!

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