Smashing the Burger!

One of the perks of being a blogger is the fabulous events you get invited to.  Recently, Heather (from What Does She Do All Day), her husband John, and I were able to attend an event I was uber excited about.  Anyone who knows me knows my favorite meal in the entire world is a cheeseburger.  (Yes, I know people think I’m crazy but I’m OK with that.)  Well, when I had the opportunity to attend an event at Smashburger, I squealed.  Literally.

SmashBurger, “a fast-casual restaurant designed to be every city’s favorite place for burgers”, was started by Tom Ryan in Denver Colorado.

Tom had the vision to provide a delicious burger experience that the general public could afford.  They pride themselves on using fresh, never frozen beef as well as a myriad of toppings.  They also try to add a little local flare to some of their burgers when possible.  For example, the BBQ sauce on the BBQ Bacon and Cheddar burger (my personal favorite) varies region to region.  In Tennessee, they use a Memphis style BBQ sauce.  In Texas and Oklahoma, they pull from the local resources there.  In North Carolina?  You guessed it.  Local, local, local.  Jake did lots of research into their claims.

For this event, it was the same deal.  Instead of BBQ sauce, though, they were discussing something a little more…adult.  Beer, people.  It was a burger and BEER event!  Sweet!  OK, so I’m not a huge beer drinker, but who would pass up the opportunity to sample free burgers and free booze?  Not this girl!

Smashburger has always served alcohol at their restaurants, but they’ve decided to up their game a little.  They are pairing up with local microbreweries and really delving into the flavors that compliment each other.  For Ohio, the team chose…who else…Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC)!  As a Cleveland-born lady, I was all about this.  I love supporting local companies in any way I can.

To start the event, we were brought nearly every side dish Smashburger has to offer.  My favorite (aside from the Smash Sweet Potato Fries) were the Fried Banana Peppers!  Who knew?

Tom spent a little time talking about starting the company.  Then he introduced Brew Master Luke Purcell from GLBC.  They talked about how they spent a great deal of time really trying to pick the flavors that worked the best together.  It was interesting to me to hear how they did it, especially since most beer tastes the same to me. 

We began the evening with the classic Smash paired with the most versatile beer, Dortmunder Gold.  Next up, the Mushroom Swiss burger along with Eliot Ness.

Then, my favorite burger, the BBQ Bacon and Cheddar with Edmund Fitzgerald.

After that, we had the Buckeye Burger and Burning River (named for when the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in the 1960s…a bit of trivia for ya).  They kind of threw us a curve ball after that with the Spicy (for real, yo) Black Bean Burger and Commodore Perry.  Adding to the non-beef options, we had the Classic Chicken sammie with the Dortmunder again.  Rounding things out, we sampled the Avocado Club chicken sammie with the Eliot Ness.

I was an equal opportunity sampler, but my heart sang when I tried the BBQ Bacon burger.  I knew it would though.  I’ve eaten at Smashburger several times, and I almost always go with this burger.  It is made up of several of my favorite items:  BBQ sauce, bacon, beef, cheddar, bacon, onion straws, and…oh…did I mention bacon?  Next time I go, I’m adding avocado to it.  PERFECTION on a bun!  Geez, my mouth is watering at 8:30am…

Perhaps the most fun of the evening, however, was when we got to go back into the kitchen and smash burgers with Tom.  Here’s a little back story about Bethany.  When I was in college, I worked at a restaurant at UK called K-Lair Grill.  We had all kinds of “diner” type food, but we sold burgers far more than anything else.  I was one of the grill cooks that worked there.  And let me tell you…I could cook and assemble burgers better than anyone.  In fact, I didn’t even have to ask where my managers wanted me when I got to work.  I was immediately put on the grill.  Yep, I was that good.  (So I’m being a little cocky.  And I’m OK with that!  lol)

Well, when Tom said we could go smash burgers, visions of college flashed through my head.  I was all over it.  My friend Katie did me the favor of filming me “in my college element”.  So much fun!

After smashing burgers, we were able to sample a couple milkshakes for dessert.  We tasted the Cookies and Cream as well as the Strawberry.  I am a huge fan of the Cookies and Cream now and it will be hard for me to resist ordering one when I’m in there!

This event was really fun and I simply can’t wait for the next one.  Thanks to Katie at Domestic Debacle for setting it up for all of us!

Disclaimer:  Though I was provided the food and beverages for free, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Appreciate ‘Cha!

We did it, you guys!  Due to your awesomeness, I reached 100 likes on my facebook page!  Thanks so much!

They like me!  They really like me!

As promised, I drew one name from a hat (OK, really I used random.org) and one lucky winner will win a delicious treat straight from me!

That winner is………drum roll please……….Jen!

Jen, please shoot me an email (onegirlstaste@hotmail.com) and let me know what your favorite (mailable) dessert is!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Soapbox Available

I love blogging.  Ever since I started way back in August of 2009, I have been cooking, baking, and exercising my way through life and telling all of YOU guys about it!  I’ve met some awesome real life friends through my blog and even more virtual ones.

I’d like to take the time to get a little input from my favorite readers.  Yes, this means you!  Do you have a topic you’re interested in?  A recipe you’d like to share or a kid’s craft you love?  Have you been on an awesome vacation and want to give others ideas on where to go and what to do?  Do you have a favorite restaurant you’re just dying to talk about?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then now’s you’re chance!  I’d like to start some sort of reader show and tell if you will.   Drop me a line and let me know what you’d like to talk about.  If I get enough participants, I could make this a regular post.  Wouldn’t that be fun?  Kinda like being back in grade school.

I really hope you’ll join.  Jake hopes so too.

Ten Months in Pictures

Time really flies, doesn’t it?  I posted back at the beginning of the month that I had forgotten to update you all on Jake’s nine month birthday.  I opted to, instead of skipping over that month, post the ninth month instead of his tenth month.  (PS…he turned ten months on 10/8.)  Then, I forgot about updating you on his tenth month!  Phew!

Instead of going over the same things over and over again, I decided to make this mainly a picture post.  When I read monthly updates, I skim the contents and focus mainly on the pictures anyhow.  Two birds…

I’m also giving you guys a heads up that I am going to try to keep up the thrice weekly blog posts, but with the holidays coming up my schedule is going to get pretty hectic.  November is typically one of our busiest months of the year (it’s the main time for people to purchase food supplies and, yes, even Christmas decor) and it goes without saying that December is busy.  I also work 6 days a week in December, so needless to say that one day off I have is pretty jam packed.  I’ll do my best, but in years past I have let my blog go by the wayside in November and December.  Just sayin’…

Without further ado, here’s my boo boo:

We had such a fun month.  Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Wes came for a visit, we went to the park and the Renaissance festival, Jake tried on Grandpa Wes’s hat and felt grass for the umpteenth time (still not a fan), and discovered he likes apples of all kinds (edible and electronic).  We tried a new treat: banana bites rolled in cereal.  He fell in love.  And we also got some new Halloween skeleton jammies.  It was a fun month!

Birthday Weekend

My birthday was last Wednesday.  I requested to have the following weekend off to celebrate with my boys.  And celebrate we did!

Jake and I started the morning off by hanging out at home while Daddy ran some errands and stopped by at work.  It was a gorgeous weekend so we had the doors and windows opened the whole time!  We waved bye to Daddy through the screen.  Daddy, don’t go!

Little man is standing all by himself (supported by various inanimate objects of course)!

Such a cutie pie!

This was one of the first weekends I’ve had off that I haven’t had somewhere to go and some place to be!  Jake and I hung out all weekend long!

We played with a big diaper box!  He looked under it,

tasted it,

but ultimately decided it was best for riding.

Then Jake helped Mommy with the laundry.

I couldn’t ask for a better helper!  After our chores were done and Daddy came home, we all took a trip to a local park.  What fun we had!  Daddy and Jake played on the swings.

And Daddy took Jake around on the playscape.  I think Jake liked being up high!

Playing is serious business.

He lightened up eventually though!

I’m thinking he didn’t know what to think!

Then it was Mommy’s turn to carry him around.  Cheese for the camera!

Baby’s first slide! Wheeeeeeeeeee!

As we were leaving, we saw the cutest little chocolate lab puppy!  Don’t get any ideas, Jake…

It was a great weekend!

Barenaked

Ladies!!  BNL!!  The Ladies!!  I don’t care what you call them, they are still amazing in concert as usual.  Sunday evening Carolyn, my sister-in-law Shannon, and I went to see them in concert at the Fraze pavilion here in Dayton.

It had been super hot all weekend (I’m talking over 100º) but miraculously started cooling down on Sunday morning.  By the time we went to the concert, I think it was about 80º or 85º.  It was actually a pretty pleasant night!

(Notice the thrilled-looking guy in the bottom right corner…)

We grabbed some cocktails and made our way to our seats.  A couple things to note:
1.  The Fraze takes only cash, so don’t forget to bring some!
2.  They have a yummy punch made with passion fruit rum, grenadine, Sierra Mist, and orange juice that is very good.  It’s actually relatively strong!
3.  Those Daily’s Frozen Pouches are super sweet and not very strong.  I suggest the punch instead.

4.  Bethany and rum do not mix.  I didn’t drink much last night but this morning I have a slight hangover headache.  #Fail!

Anyhow, back to my boyfriends.  They had three openings acts:  Cracker, Big Head Toad the Wet Sprocket Monsters (otherwise known as Big Head Todd and the Monsters but we had problems calling them the right name all night long), and Blues Traveler.  Remember Run Around?  It was a fun song from my high school days. 

Not bad, but they are no Ingrid Michaelson (the opening act for the previous two BNL concerts we attended).  LOVE INGRID!

Starting Now is one of my favorite songs by Ingrid.  It helped me deal with some hard times in the past.  Actually a lot of Ingrid’s songs helped me.  That’s how I deal with things sometimes…blare music and sing at the top of my lungs. 

But I digress (that was for you, Jo!).  After listening to the opening acts, partaking in adult libations, and making fun of super tan ladies people watching, our men came on.  Yay!  They started withAnother Postcard, which has never been my favorite song, but it did get the crowd up and moving.

They played a pretty decent set consisting of several chart toppers and a few lesser known songs.  They also played a new song off their next album.

One of my favorite things about BNL is Ed’s freestyling.  He always includes a song about the city he’s in.

Another favorite part of every BNL concert is when they play theBig Bang Theory theme song!  (I dropped the ball on this and started recording more than halfway through.)

Barenaked Ladies always put on a great concert and tonight was no exception.  We all had such a fun time!  I love the Ladies!

11 Things Tag Post

Rules

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Tag them on Twitter, Facebook or their blog.

My 11 Things:

1.  News, for the most part, bores me.  At least politics.  I can get behind entertainment news however.
2.  I never thought I would enjoy nursing.  Turns out it is one of my favorite things about being a mama.
3.  My best friend, Carolyn, and I can text each other random lines from Friends or Big Bang Theory and the other person will text the following line back to the first.  It can happen anywhere at any time without notice.  We have nearly a 100% success rate.
4.  I own approximately 20 cookbooks.  I can’t remember the last time I made a recipe I didn’t find online.
5.  I start and stop couponing at least once a year.
6.  Every time I hear a new Zelda game is coming out, I could the days down until I can get a copy for myself to play.  I have yet to complete an entire game.
7.  I am addicted to amazon.com.  I’d be surprised if you receive a gift from me in the future that did not come from said website.
8.  Barenaked Ladies are my favorite band.  I will do whatever I can to see them in concert as they put on the best show I’ve ever seen.
9.  I was anti Twilight for a very long time until one day I decided to rent it from the library.  That night I sat riveted on my couch as I watched the love story between Edward and Bella unfold before my eyes.  I watched the movie again the next morning before I had to return it to the library.  Following this, I read all four books and rented the movie again within a week.  Needless to say, I’m in love with the series.
10.  People think I’m very talkative, but making small talk is one of the hardest, most intimidating things I can think of.
11.  My favorite place in the entire universe is Maui.  Every time I get the chance to visit, I always say I’m going home.  I believe in a previous life I was Hawaiian.  It’s really the only explanation. 
11b.  (Bonus thing about me.)  I have a tendency to overuse emoticons.  I just can’t help myself! 

1. Which states have you visited?  Hawaii, California, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine (24/50)
2. What’s your favorite talk show and why?  It’s a toss up between Rachael Ray and The Chew.  I have been watching Rachael Ray for the last few years, but The Chew is new and so far I really like it.  I’m a huge foodie and both of these talk shows center around that theme.
3. If you could live abroad, where would you choose?  Italy.  No question.  I’m half Italian and love the culture.  I would love to study Italian cooking there.
4. If you could change something about your home/where you live, without worrying about expense or mess, what would you do?  I would like closer to the beach (preferably I’d live on Maui).  The only bad part would be visiting my friends and family.  That’s honestly a big reason why I haven’t seriously considered moving to Maui in the past.
5. What’s under your bed?  I don’t think anything.  Jeff doesn’t like to store things under there.
6. How far away from your birthplace do you live now?  I was born in Strongsville, so about 3 hours. 
7. Do you sing in the shower?  Depends on my mood.  We have a TV in the bathroom too, so if there is something good on I’ll be too busy watching it to sing.
8. Would you rather swim in a pool, lake, or beach?  I would prefer to swim in a pool, but I like playing in the ocean (bobbing along with the waves). 
9. What was the last movie you saw?  Contraband.  It was just eh.
10. Who was the last person you received a text message from? Why are they important to you?  Carolyn.  She is my absolute most bestest friend ever. 
11. Do you like to ice skate?  I wouldn’t know.  I’ve never been.  I have, however, been roller blading and I’m guessing based on that I would not be very good at ice skating.

11 questions:

1.  What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
2.  Do you like mayonnaise?
3.  Which season do you love the most?
4.  What singer/band is your favorite?
5.  Do you like board games?  If yes, which one is your favorite?
6.  What was your most memorable vacation?  Why?
7.  If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you bring with you?
8.  Are you a stomach, back, or side sleeper?
9.  How many times a day do you check your email?
10.  What is “your drink” at Starbucks?
11.  If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you have as your last meal?

11 Tags:

Abby @ Sugar and Spice
Carolyn @ Perfectly Imperfect
Kristen @ Baby Makes Three
Jamie @ Food in Real Life
Alison @ The Next Big Adventure
Jenna @ Eat Live Run
Megan @ What’s Megan Making
Brittany @ A Healthy Slice of Life
Emily @ Daily Garnish
Ashley @ (Never Home) Maker, Baby
Ashely @ The Edible Perspective

Such a fun tag!

 

Zumba for Wii

I have had a revelation in the past few weeks…I hate the treadmill.  OK, so hate is a strong word, but when I think of a fun workout, the treadmill does NOT come to mind.  What does, however, is ZUMBA!  Zumba is a fun, dance based cardio workout that uses many Latin forms of dance to get you up and moving.

I first heard about Zumba at a Relay for Life gathering I participated in for work.  I saw a demonstration and thought “Wow!  That’s for me!”  Being as I’m kind of intimidated by group classes, I never went.  (I can be a perfectionist so trying new things ALWAYS scares me because I’m afraid I’ll look stupid…even though no one ever looks perfect on their first try.)

My friend, Carolyn, started doing it at her gym though and said she really liked it.  I went to visit her one weekend and we went to a Zumba class.  I was hooked!  I was still scared to do it at my own gym, though eventually I got over those fears and started going every Tuesday night.

After I got pregnant, Zumba became more challenging for me.  I would constantly be out of breath and my heart rate would hover around 175 the majority of the time, sometimes getting up in the 190s.  It was too much.  To my dismay, I stopped going.  Even after I lost the baby, I didn’t go back.  I’m not really sure why…

Anyhow, I have wanted the Zumba DVDs to have at home for a while so I could get in some form of cardio without having to drag my butt to the gym.  They are $60, which isn’t really a lot, but it was more than I wanted to pay at that time.  Then I saw Zumba for the Wii!  How fun!  I ordered it, Just Dance, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (gotta have fun, right?) when they were Buy 2 Get 1 Free at Best Buy.  I just received Zumba in the mail last night so this morning I had to try it!

Basically, you put the controller belt around your hips and make it tight enough so it doesn’t slide around during your workout.  Then you choose the program you want to complete, hit start, and dance around like a fool.  I completed two programs this morning and I have some pros and cons.

Cons:
*There is an annoying lady that talks over the music telling you “Keep it up!  You’re doing great!  Great job!” etc.  She doesn’t say anything productive and talks to you even if you aren’t doing anything.  The good news is you can turn her off!
*You never really know if you’re doing anything right because they don’t give you any feedback based on your actual movements.  The good news is Zumba isn’t about doing things “right” but more about moving your body.
*During the cool down (and actually during the workouts themselves) you’re not sure what they are really doing.  You are watching a simulation of a person, not an actual person.  She doesn’t talk to you at all so you just have to follow her moves.  Since she’s a simulation, she’s not 100% crisp and clear.  It wasn’t too hard to follow her, but that’s only because I have done all those cool down moves before.  If I was new to working out, I wouldn’t be 100% sure what she was doing.

Pros:
*The dances are fun and really get your heart rate up.  Mine got up in the 170s at some points!  They incorporate slower paced music and dances with faster ones to really work your heart rate (which is better for burning calories).
*The time FLEW by!  They have a timer on each dance so if you are getting tired, you can look and see “OK, just 2:24 left in this dance!”.
*They have tons of programs to choose from at all different levels.  I like that they have a 20 minute program and a 45 minute program for each level (beginner, intermediate, and expert).
*They have a workout calendar included in the game and it tells you which program you should complete on the given day.

All in all, I really liked this game!  It was a great way to burn some calories without leaving my house!  I am still going to continue to go to the gym for now because I think it is important to incorporate some running and arc trainer, but if I find myself staying at home more often to do my cardio, I might say SEE YA to my gym membership!

Side note:  I got Just Dance in addition to Zumba as another game to use to workout.  I did about four different dances and, while they may be fun, the game will not be used as a cardio replacement.  Some of the dances were better than others, but overall the game just wasn’t what I was looking for.  If you want a dancing game that gets your heart rate up, try Dance Central on the XBOX 360 Kinect.  It is SO FUN!  I’m contemplating getting the Kinect just for this game…

What is your favorite at home workout game/video?