A Caramel Macchiato + Cocktails at MELT

Tuesday started early with a 5:30 am "strength" class. The tuesday teacher is great and she always seems to come up with a different class layout and different exercises to prevent the "regulars" from getting bored in her class every week. This week had a lot of moves using the stability ball, which Rainie and I both decided adds an extra level of difficulty to any move simply because of the added core strength and balance required to do the moves. Her class is called Strength but she does add some cardio moves mixed in which is nice to keep your heart rate up and really makes you feel like you achieved a total body workout at the end. This morning the frequent cardio move was burpeees which no matter how many times I do them I don't think they ever get any easier! Lets just say I think I will be sore tomorrow!

After class I showered at the Y and enjoyed breakfast on the way to work. My breakfast is just the usual overnight oats (yogurt + walnuts + oats + raisins) enjoyed with an adorable spoon Rainie gave me for a gift a while back :) However my coffee this morning was exceptional! I am a fan of 8-o'clock coffee in general but they have a flavored kind I have just discovered, caramel macchiato, and its AWESOME! I opened the bag to make a cup of coffee and it smelled like a Starbucks coffee shop. I added my caramel creamer with it and it was quite delicious! I drank about 12oz. on my way to the gym! I would highly recommend trying it!

Midmorning Snack: Homemade granola bar

Lunch was my usual salad: spinach, bell pepper, bleu cheese, hemp hearts and my favorite addition today... caramelized onions! I also had a handful of peanuts and a bite sized Twix for dessert!

I ate an apple mid afternoon but I was saving my appetite for dinner!

After work a few of the nurses from work and I headed to MELT for happy hour and dinner. They have awesome happy hour specials from 3p-6pm, half off all alcohol (beer, wine and mixed drinks) and $5.00 apps! Our server was nice and she let me try a few beers on tap to see if I liked them but she could tell I didn't love any that I tried, so she suggested a new one they just got in served in a can, called "Summer Love". I figured I couldn't go wrong with a name like that so I went for it, and I liked it, its always fun to try a new beer!

We all chatted and enjoyed happy hour before ordering dinner. I opted for the summer tomato sandwich which is made on Birmingham Breadworks sourdough bread (http://www.birminghambreadworks.com)  pesto, tomato and mozzarella cheese. It was delicious! It comes with fries, pasta salad or fruit salad; I opted for fruit salad just simply because fruit is delicious this time of year!

Robyn ordered the original grilled cheese sandwich which is served on Texas Toast, so clearly that is going to be delicious. The tomato salad looked pretty fancy too and some of the girls had the BBQ nachos which were awesome (they came with fried jalapeños!) so I might have helped myself to some of theirs  too:) -- and as tough as it was I did resist their fried oreos for dessert.

Im so grateful to work with such awesome people! They are definitely the best perk of my job! They make work seem not like work everyday :)

After dinner I headed home and chatted with the family for a little while, packed my lunch for the next day and hit the sack because Rainie and I had a early morning run planned Wednesday!

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Brick and Tin {Restaurant Review}

{Kathleen}

Two weeks ago my sister completed her Dietetic Internship so now she is eligible to take the Registered Dietitian Exam to become an R.D. ! This definitely called for a celebration. My family all attended the graduation followed by a cake and punch reception. Then we had lunch on the agenda.

We originally set out for Chez Lu Lu, but when we got there we found out pizza (the primary reason we chose there) can only be ordered  at dinner time. So my dad suggested Brick and Tin-- "A restaurant- Bar - Bakery" so whats not to love?

There are 2 locations; one in Downtown Birmingham and one in Mountain Brook Village. We chose the one in Mountain Brook Village, and it was full of business people on their lunch hour. We managed to snag a table large enough for all of us in the corner. It is an order and then go sit down type of restaurant. 

Drinks of course came out first... Kelly, Michael, and my dad ordered local beers.  My mom, of course, ordered wine (she isn't much of a beer drinker). 

Then our food came out shortly after. I ordered the Turkey Melt which was smoked turkey + bacon + white cheddar + honey mustard on typical sandwich bread. I though it was delicious. The only thing I didn't love was the turkey-- it was similar to a lunch meat turkey, which I wasn't expecting. I was thinking it would be more of a  fresh sliced turkey, but it was still a great combo with everything else on the sandwich. It also came with a Farrow/Barley side salad which was quite delicious. 

My dad ordered the brisket (per Virginia's recommendations) and he loved it. My mom ordered the spring chicken panini ( chicken + spinach and pecoriono aloli) and it was good (yes,  I tried a bite of hers). She loved it too! For me, it was just a little on the oily side.

And then on to the best sandwich of the meal... Kelly ordered the Siena sandwich ( provolone + gruyere + argula pesto on a poppy seed onion loaf) and in her words "it was LIFE CHANGING". I would have to agree! It was by far the best sandwich out of any of ours. I would definitely order that one next time I go. 

Even though Brick and Tin is a bakery, we opted out of getting desserts. We were all full from lunch... but they sure did look tempting.  So, if you are ever in the Mountain Brook or Downtown area, I would recommend you stop by Brick and Tin to treat yourself to an excellent sandwich, a local beer, and some fresh baked goods.

What is your favorite dish from Brick and Tin?

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One Month Anniversary + Comedy Club Night

Yesterday marked a whole month of marriage for JT and me... And what a fun month it has been! I love having him in the same town, cooking dinner together, and just getting to hang out so often. We should have done this whole marriage thing sooner. 

2 things I learned this month:

1) Men require less sleep. I mean, what is so wrong with a 9:30pm bedtime?

2) Men can eat more often. Ok, I can technically eat more than JT in a sitting, but he could eat like every 2 hours! 

1 thing that surprised me about being married:

1) How much fun it really is! I thought it would be a harder adjustment, but it's been easy! Of course, it's been a month;)

I started my day with a jog downtown and through Railroad Park. 

We had plans to go to the Comedy Club to celebrate Jeff's birthday so I knew I would have to skip out on the afternoon run with Virginia and Kathleen. I ran a quick 3 mile route in the morning before work and remembered why I love a.m. exercise. I love the stillness of the morning before the world comes at you fast. It's also about 10 degrees cooler than these 90 degree afternoon runs.

The only trouble with morning runs is I still need time to wake up just a little before I hit the pavement. So, I have to wake up in enough time to allow for one cup of coffee or else I talk myself out of running. After I ran, I had one more cup of coffee and ate breakfast of cucumbers, goat cheese and half an avocado. Then a banana once I got to work. Pretty random breakfast combo but I was feeling salty foods after sweating so much!

Yesterday was a pretty busy work day so lunch was eaten in a bit of a rush, but delicious nonetheless.

• Mixed salad greens 
• 1 ounce of almonds
• 2 tablespoons Blue Cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried cherries
• 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
• plain Balsamic Vinegar (Ken's Reduced Fat Raspberry Vinaigrette is also really good on this type of salad mix.). 
• For some more protein, I had my favorite Chobani--Coconut flavored. I always freeze them, then put one in the refrigerator at work until lunch time and it is the perfect, creamy, almost frozen, yogurt treat. 

Snack: apple at 3:30pm. As long as clinic allows, my snack is at 3:30 pm. I've found setting a snack time helps a lot! If I get hungry around 3pm, I can convince myself to wait 30 more minutes. 3:30 is perfect for me because it provides an hour before we run too! I used to not have an afternoon snack and I would over-eat as soon as I walked in the door after work. Adding this snack has really helped me make it until an appropriate hour for dinner!

Speaking of dinner: My mom's subs were on the menu. JT had his on a bun, but I opted for a Spinach Tortilla to make it slightly lower cal. They are delicious! Ham, provolone cheese, pepperoni, banana peppers, lettuce, and Italian dressing. 

 

The Comedy Club options are less than healthy so JT and I agreed on dinner at home before the show, then sharing an appetizer. We had the Spinach and Artichoke dip, which was an ok version- a little too salty...not too bad though, we finished it! I also drank Blue Moon during the show. Dinner at the show is not pictured because it was really dark in there, but I did get this shot of some of my favorite people!

During the summer, would you rather exercise in the morning or the afternoon?

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BrewFest, Friends, and a Symphony in the Magic City

Friday Fun included BrewFest with our dear friends and neighbors, Max and Lauren. Jessica and Kaleb met us there and we had a blast sampling craft beers from all over the U.S. 

Where should we start?

Meet the West family-some of my favorite people!

Saturday night’s agenda included a fun wedding festivity for Ryan and Angie. After feeling so loved and special on my own wedding day (and the whole wedding season for that matter) I find myself more excited for others who are getting married. What a fun time in life! I even got to catch up with Courtney!

Sunday’s Church of the Highlands service was followed by lunch and a walk to the Redbox for a movie night. On the way back, we walked by Railroad Park where Symphony in the Summer was happening so we found a spot on the lawn to enjoy the music before heading back home. Overall, we walked around 4 miles and it was a fun chance to get outside and just talk to each other. I also really love Railroad Park. They offer free exercise classes in the evenings, biking is coming soon, and they often hold special events. When I first started working in Birmingham, still living in Jasper, I would get to work early to run at Railroad Park so I have some weird connection to the place. Plus, I see it pretty much daily since we finish our run with a lap around the park before heading back to the hospital. It's peaceful in the morning and bustling at night, making it the perfect city park for anyone to enjoy.

(Sunglasses would have been helpful.)

Birmingham is really getting better and better over time. There are so many fun things to do, especially during the summer. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have this husband (!!) and these friends are around!

What is your favorite Birmingham summer activity?

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Local Eats and Treats: Little Donkey and Steel City Pops

(all in one night!)

Big news- I (errr...JT and I) joined the YMCA! I am still a fan of running and free workouts like Nike Training Club, but Kathleen and Virginia have been trying to get me to join the Y for a while now so we can all go together. Today's the day! We started off with a bang with YCross and... it was intense.

After that class, I could barely lift my arms all the way up to my face to touch up my makeup! Virginia is not allowed to pick the workouts from now on. Kidding- it was a great workout to lead up to meeting these beauties for dinner. 

The Little Donkey, in Homewood, is a fresh Mexican restaurant with a fun and exciting atmosphere. We posted up at a quaint outdoor table and enjoyed an appetizer trio of guacamole, queso, and salsa while we chatted about life. I decided on The Bowl with chicken which was a delicious combination of rice, beans, seasoning, chicken, and guacamole. It came with a side so I got their famous elite corn (off the cob) and added it to the bowl. 

Anna and Lauren graciously let me photo their selections too! Both of them had tacos (Anna chose steak and chicken, Lauren went with chicken). They were served on top of fresh, authentic corn tortillas and alongside black beans. 

I copied Anna's drink of choice and went with the Paloma. A cocktail made from grapefruit, lime, tequila, and Agave nectar. Wonderful choice...the waiter agreed.

The meal was delicious, the atmosphere was fun, and our waiter was great! The Little Donkey is a gem of a place that you should make plans to visit! Because Steel City Pops was right next door, we felt obligated (as citizens of this great city) to stop on in for a treat. 

The brownie inside the pops is relatively new so we all opted to try it. Mine was coffee brownie, Lauren and Anna went with vanilla brownie. They were delicious as usual, but I probably won't go with the brownie one next time. The inside was a little chewy but as Anna pointed out- it is frozen so you can't do a lot about that--but that I can handle. It's just that the Steel City pops are simply amazing on their own, the brownie took away from the simple deliciousness!

Don't worry, I got a strawberries and cream one to take home to Mr. Robinson so his life could be complete. 

What flavor pop would you choose?

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2 New {to me} Birmingham Eats

March has been a crazy month! I will update you pronto on all the exciting things that have been happening. But for now, these mouth watering food pictures will have to do.

Last night we had an Abbott sponsored dinner at Ocean in Birmingham. Abbott produces infant and pediatric formulas so for dietitians, this is kind of our version of a "drug rep dinner". We eat delicious food and watch a presentation based on scientific research made to help us better understand a specific topic. Katie, our Abbott representative is really great at making these events fun and educational. Last night's seminar was about nutrition and pediatric cancer and the food was all about deliciousness.  It's a pretty expensive place that I probably wouldn't have tried in any occasion other than this. But let me tell you, it was such a fun night filled with friends and amazing food! From the wonderful fried green tomatoes, the feta bites on the salad, the salmon with mushroom risotto, to the trifecta of desserts I sampled. If you're in Birmingham, you should try it!

I sampled Virginia's steak and decided you just couldn't go wrong with any menu item. Kathleen, Virginia and I ordered different desserts so we could sample them all and while the tiramisu cheesecake and chocolate cake were close to heaven, the creme brûlée stole my heart!

The next morning, Kathleen and I took advantage of my new downtown BHam locale to try some fancy morning coffee. We both get ready really fast and are used to commuting so we had extra time before work. We really wanted to try Revelator Coffee but they open at 7:30 so we drove a few streets over to The Continental Bakery, which is one of the cutest places I've seen! We walked around taking in the scenery while sipping coffee and still made it to work by 7:30! I could get used to this!

Birmingham pros: What downtown location is a must try?!

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Mercedes Half Marathon Recap

My favorite running buddy, Kathleen, (plus my favorite supporter, JT) and I were at it again this weekend. We have completed four half marathons together. Kathleen has me beat by one that she ran in Savannah solo this past fall. We first ran and finished the Mercedes Half in Birmingham, Alabama two years ago as our second race. Our first was in Gatlinburg for the Santa Hustle and our most enjoyable one was the Seaside School Half in Florida last Spring. The weather was simply amazing! We opted to do the Mercedes again this year because I am getting married and couldn't commit to a weekend of travel, so Kathleen graciously agreed to stay local with me. The Mercedes race is a pretty big deal. It's a Boston qualifying race so people come from all over the world to run. It's always fun, but we are already talking about our next one since seeing new cities by running is one of our favorite things to do!

This half marathon was our slowest yet at a 2 hour and 7 minute time. There are quite a few reasons why we finished in more time than our previous runs. We did stop at water stops and we took a restroom break around mile 8. Both of those really add up when seconds count in a race. However, we were both really relaxed for this race and enjoyed jogging and talking. It seems I have lost my competitive streak in my old age, just kidding...I did squats at the gym two days before the half and boy, was that a huge mistake. The tops of my quads ached from working them out just two days before so it made my running stride a little off which resulted in more pressure on different parts of my calves and feet than I am used to. Needless to say, they ached more in this race than the previous ones and I will be forever reminded not to try a new workout routine two days before a long race. Lesson learned, friends. Overall, another successful Mercedes Half Marathon! I did get the post race message for the first time and it made my legs instantly 25% better! You can probably find me in that post race line from here on out. I would definitely recommend trying it.

After the half, we met J.T.'s family and friends at the bowling alley to celebrate his dad, Frankie's, birthday. Bowling is not my sport, but Frankie, J.T. and the other guys were pretty good! We even got to see Gracie...she was the cutest one there, but she's not a fan of the bowling alley. 

Three games later, my fitbit was happy, but my body was shot so I headed home while they went to dinner.

What race should we do next? Share your favorite half-marathon below!

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