What I'm Eating - Cotton Candy & Crickets?!

I'm a foodie always looking for the next best thing in snacks, sips and more. This week, I came across two crazy snacks that I just HAD to try.

//Cotton Candy Grapes

First, let me introduce you to the tastebud wonder that is Cotton Candy Grapes from the Grapery. I stumbled upon this while exploring Fresh Market for some groceries. The label itself claims that the little fruits taste like cotton candy, which I, in possession of a strong sweet tooth, found impossible to believe. I decided to try them for myself. 

What I can say is they DO taste like cotton candy, mostly. The first grape you pop into your mouth surprises you the the sweet taste of that lovely fairy floss. The peel and the fruit, as you chew them more, do start to taste more grape-like, but the original taste is there. As you eat a handful you begin to get used to the flavor, but overall it is fairly convincing.

The fruit is non-gmo and organic, but grown, cultivated, and studied in such a way that it develops this taste. I'm sure over years this flavor-bending trend will find its way to other produce, attracting buyers to have fun and eat healthily.

//Chapul Cricket Bars

Maybe you vaguely remember seeing something about cricket protein bars and powders on an episode of the Shark Tank. I definitely recall hearing about this, and while I was curious at the time, I had no idea where to get some. My family will attest that I'll try any food once, and that I'm pretty meat averse. As such, this sounded like an ideal item to try.

My dad picked up a few bars at Sprouts and I knew now was as good a time as any. I'm definitely afraid of bugs, and was nervous about eating this, even though it's made from cricket flour. I made my dad try it with me and we both came away satisfied from the first bite. This flavor shown above is spicy and bitter, with cocoa, coffee, and cayenne. It tasted like a gourmet chocolate bar with high cocoa content. 

After trying it, I'm definitely curious to taste more cricket-based products in the future. My only question is, are crickets a vegetarian protein?

Practicing Patience when Travel Troubles Emerge

This summer I've done a lot of traveling, whether on foot, by plane, train or automobile. All of these activities require interacting with others, be they pedestrians or people in power, as well as taking what comes your way from fate.

Sometimes you'll afce people in traffic, on the sidewalk, on a train who you'd rather not deal with. Crazy people, cranky folks, drunk scoundrels, you name it and you'll see it. However, you can either pick a fight, stew in anger, or rise above the mess and move on with your day.

Any member of my family will tell you, I can get pretty grumpy at times, and it's easy for me to get frustrated with a bad driver, crying baby, loud passenger, or slow walker. My method of coping with troubles usually used to involve me grimacing and whining to those around me. However, after dealing with lots of crowds, delays, and cities with varying methods of transport, I'm beginning to turn over a new leaf.

Nowadays, when faced with troublesome travel, I grin, giggle, move along, look for a distraction, and try to take it like a champ. I first started shifting my perspective through my experience on the metro in Copenhagen. Here the metro, even if fully packed, was filled with cordial, quiet passengers who wouldn't unnecessarily engage and kept to themselves. I actually found the loudest passengers to be my peers, the Americans. We had very little courtesy for lines, personal space, or silence, which often earned us stares followed by a shrug and an eye roll.

I started to notice what a problem we were causing but appreciated that, rather than confront us and insult our foreign tendencies, the Danes moved on with their day. They simply had a maturity and patience that many in our own community lack. I tried to take this trait back to me with America. When I find myself in a crowd or a closed space with less than ideal company, I don't moan to my traveling partners, but rather try to see some of myself or at least understand why this is happening. I don't glare or sign as I would have in the past, I carry on and focus on my own concerns.

Beyond traveling companions, other tests of patience often emerge to make getting where you're going an trial filled journey. For several of the flights I've taken in the past months, problems have arisen, whether related to technical difficulties in trains or planes, roads closed and diverted, or planes delayed due to weather issues.

My first confrontation with this occurred going from Prague to Copenhagen. I had to catch a flight to get to class that afternoon, and when I heard there were technical difficulties, I lost my cool and asked flight attendants questions they couldn't possibly know the answer to. We only had a slight delay but it got my blood boiling.

My next two experiences with delays were much bigger. 4 and 6 hour delays from various airports to my home airport were seemingly arranged to test me. This time, remembering how foolish I'd felt before, I chose to approach the situation differently. I grabbed a snack, situated myself comfortably, and busied myself with books, articles, anything I could find.

While the hours ticked by and I missed my family, I knew I would make it back eventually and knew getting frustrated with airport officials doing their best wouldn't earn me any favors. I laughed as people yelled, red in the face, because I knew it would be all right. And it truly was all right in the end, I landed safely at home without suffering through technical terrors or turbulence.

If what they say is true, that growing older makes you wiser, then I've wizened up in one aspect so far. Enjoy the journey, laugh it off and be patient. You will get there.

//If nothing else, patience is waiting for your nail polish to dry.

What I'm Loving Lately

In the weeks following my study abroad experience, life has slowed down significantly. While I my bemoan my boredom to my friends, family, and anyone who will listen, in all honesty, I've really enjoyed this opportunity to mellow out for a change. With no set obligations and no time to get a job, each day is what I make it, and some are definitely more eventful than others. Besides seeing my high school friends, I've been keeping busy in other ways I'd like to share.

//Barre
While most of my day is spent moving from bed to couch to chair, I am not always loafing. I go to Pure Barre everyday to 'lift, tone, burn' as they say. I love taking classes there because my constant attendance has allowed me to get to know the instructors and other folks working out well. It's a welcoming and tight knit community, and we aren't afraid to break a sweat to tone our booty.

//Workout Clothes
Along the same theme as working out, I've been obsessed with buying work out clothes. I usually work out twice a day, barre then cardio, so to avoid wasting nice outfits, I spend most of my time in workout clothes. To me, the louder, more attention grabbing the outfit, the better. I'm easy to spot in sparkly goal or bright teal tights and a neon bra, and that's just the way I like it.

//Crafting/Dorm Planning
Though I will be in a dorm for  this year, I have visions of grandeur for the appearance of my little home away from home. I've spent a few days creating some quirky canvases, come up with jewelry storage options, and found burlap canvases to hang my photos on. I'm most excited about my gallery wall of inspirational pictures, courtesy of an incredible all-in-one Hobby Lobby pack (I may not agree with their politics but I love their products). My room's main accent color is all gold everything so I am counting down the days to glam it up.

//Online Articles - Buzz Feed and Beyond
As any good millennial knows, it's easy to get lost in the internet, watching videos, scrolling through IMDB or editing wikipedia. I try to use some of my time wisely by reading articles to better understand the world around me. Admittedly, I do find myself taking quizzes on Buzz Feed from time to time, but beyond that I've found several interesting reads lately. My favorite sites to look at as or late are Rookie Mag, Refinery 29, Medium, The Washington Post, XOJane and really anything else I stumble upon.
A particularly interesting article I read from Rookie Mag can be clicked here.

Predicted New Favorite for Next Month: Adult Coloring Books
There has been a recent trend of adult coloring books. I first noticed some of these for sale in various art galleries in Copenhagen, but just recently saw them in bookstores here. At first I wasn't interested but after reading several reviews by trusted bloggers I came to the conclusion that I had to check it out for myself. Yesterday I caved and bought an adorable book from Target that will match my dorm with its gold accents on the cover. I'll be reviewing it in a future post, maybe with some of my own creating pictures.

Yellow Purple Red and Blue (Noms)

Cue the music of Portugal the Man. When I eat healthily, I tend to eat very colorfully. A prime example of this is clear in the delicious, nutritious acai bowl (pronounced uh-sigh-E). I've noticed over the past year or two that these have become very trendy snack. Essentially acai bowls are smoothie bowls with a bunch of fruit, nuts, and other accoutrements on top. You can customize them however you want, but today I'm going to share with you how I like to serve it up.

//Adrienne's Acai Bowl

• 1 smoothie packet of Sambazon Acai
• 1/2 cup of frozen berries
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3 small strawberries
• A handful of blueberries
• 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seed
• 1/2 mango
• 1 fig for garnish

Blend up the acai, frozen berries, and water (or other liquid of your choice, such as OJ) until smooth or at a desired consistency. Carefully transfer the blend into a bowl, the juice is very purple and WILL stain. Cut up your fruits and arrange however you want. I added ground flax seed for additional nutrients (omega-3s) and fiber.

Now grab a spoon, head outside, and enjoy your chilly, trendy treat.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream.

Like any self respecting sweet tooth, I consider myself quite the ice cream connoisseur. Be it a classic grocery store pint of Ben and Jerry's, a tiny scoop of artisanal ice cream from a local shop, or a hit-or-miss home made frozen treat, give me some sweetened frozen cream and I'll eat it. 

Over the past few months, my food photography has definitely been devoted in part to my love of ice cream. I know I'm not alone in this love, so I've decided to share some shots of my favorite scoops.

//Bruster's Ice Cream (Roswell, GA)

I worked at Bruster's for two years in high school, surviving swarms of families during the summer, endless lines of teens during the football season, and complete desolation during the winter months. As a member of what I called the "Bru-Crew," I sampled my way through all of the flavors, trying  them during quiet moments in the shop. Pictured above is Black Raspberry Chocolate Chunk, a summer special that almost feels healthy with its fruity touch. Some of my other favorite flavors include Birthday Cake (yes I am a child) and Graham Canyon.

//Jeni's Ice Cream (Nashville, TN)

Jeni's, also known as heaven on earth, is a small ice cream chain with a few locations mostly along the East Coast. They source all their ingredients locally and responsibly, from the dairy in its cream to the cocoa in its chocolate chips. Jeni's tiny scoops are a bit pricey, but one sample spoonful (or three) is enough to persuade any skeptic. With anything from plain vanilla, to jasmine, absinthe, beer or goat cheese based ice cream, there is truly something for everyone's taste here. Many trips have been made to my local Jeni's with family, friends and dates. Personally, my favorite flavors are Bramble Berry Crisp and Brown Butter Almond Brittle. I like to top it all off with Salty Graham Cracker "Gravel." 

//Ice Cream Cart outside Imperial War Museum (London, England)

My ice cream addiction spans time zones and borders. Pictured above was a surprising treat purchased during my study abroad class by my professors. My class was waiting for our peers to arrive outside a museum we were set to tour when the professors realized they had money leftover in the travel budget to spoil us a little bit. Together we lined up alongside a random nearby ice cream cart and chose whatever our tastebuds desired. I went for a perfectly spiraled soft serve on a sprinkled cone with a large chocolate flake on the side. In the sweltering London heat, this cold sugary treat was the perfect thing to keep me going for the rest of the afternoon.

 

// Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Copenhagen was my home base during my study abroad time in Europe this past summer. Like any self-respecting tourist, I eventually made my way over to one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, Tivoli Gardens. In addition to gorgeous buildings, a range of rides, and many surprisingly nice restaurants, there are loads of spots to get sugar in its many forms. I stopped at an ice cream shop near the entrance with my friends to grab a waffle cone. The ice cream I chose, which is hidden beneath the toppings in this picture, was nougat flavored. On top I went the way of the Danes and added whipped cream and jam, which is a fun zing to add to an overall creamy dessert. I cannot recommend the combination or the park enough.

//Angelato at the foot of Petrin Hill (Prague, Czech Republic)

One weekend during the summer of study abroad, my friends and I popped over to the Czech out Prague, which apparently is also the surface of the sun as far as heat. We took many frequent air conditioning and ice cream stops, but found this small local chain to be our favorite respite, with its unique flavors and friendly, English-speaking staff. For a VERY cheap price I was able to get two scoops on a gorgeous dipped waffle cone. I took advantage of their odd flavors and selected Rice Ice Cream and Parmesan Ice Cream. Before you discount my taste completely let me explain. The "rice" cream, as I call it, tasted like a tapioca/rice pudding type of treat and the Parmesan flavor simply had a sweet cream base with savory bits of parmesan throughout. The combination worked out better than you would imagine and fueled me up to trek around the Petrin Hill in the heat of the sun.

To check out more of my ice cream exploration, follow me on Instagram at @avecadrienne, I'm always on the look out for a new shop and new flavor to try.

For the love of Avocado Toast

Lunch of the day!

Oh how I love avocado. Creamy, nutritious and delicious. I, for one, have been especially excited about the growing popularity of avocado toast or "avo-toast" (as my foodie friends and I call it) in trendy restaurants. You can jazz up the simple any way you like, but I usually go with a classic approach.

Here I mashed half of a perfect avocado on Ezekiel bread and sprinkled some salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil on top. With it I paired my take on a caprese salad, using arugula, chopped Roma tomato, mozzarella, and splashes of olive oil and vinegar. This is the perfect refreshing lunch for a 90 degree day.

Let me know your favorite way to do avocado toast so I can be inspired! 

Sunny Days and Lazy A

Guess who's back (back...back...). Back again. Adrienne is back, tell your friends.


But really, this blog so far has been the epitome of a failure to launch scenario. I keep setting up an itinerary and outlining my plans for blogging, saying I'll post XYZ content on a certain schedule. Incase you haven't noticed, I've yet to have any of my plans come to fruition. 

So  I'm going to be honest. I do want to run a blog, but I make no promises about it. I'll try my best to post when I can. Wish me luck and be sure to stay "Avec Adrienne" to hear all about my exploits.

Enjoy a goofy picture of an outfit I like below: 

Update

Well, let’s just say I failed on most of New Year’s Resolutions, particularly the one about regularly blogging. As many may know, school can really get in the way of hobbies. 

Second semester was full of recruitment, new friends, new relationships, and lots of great music. I could honestly write a book on the ups and downs of this past year, but I’ll spare you the boring details.

I’m here to announce that, in T-minus 72 hours, I will be preparing to board a plain for a six week voyage to COPENHAGEN! It’s not all fun and games, I’ll be taking classes. However, I have the weekends to explore, and I really am excited about my classes. I am HOPING (not promising) to keep this blog up to date on my travels, sort of as a public diary of my time. I’ll give you any tips or tricks I come up with along the way, as O know I’ll learn a lot. 

On Going Home Again

"Spring" Break is right around the corner for me. Even though it snowed last night and is incongruously also snowing in Georgia, I will be back in the sunbelt state of Georgia for the next week.

I didn't plan to go home for break. In fact for months I did my best to avoid going to boring suburbia in favor of planning an exciting excursion to the mountains, to the sea, to the city, or anywhere but my house. But as people chose service trips, family vacations, or their own home stay, I found myself forced to choose my last resort, to head home.

If you asked me last semester, or maybe even last month, if I was ok with this I would have boldly said no and talked about being free, independent and mature. But today I found myself counting down the days, the hours, until I'm back in my familiar stomping grounds.

Some may not feel the same and may agree with my former statement. However, I see this week at home as an opportunity. I have freedom and also no obligations or "FOMO" (fear of missing out). I can watch movies, gab with my mom without feeling like a child (which is how I feel when I call her from college), and RELAX. I plan on taking a ridiculous amount of bubble baths, baking as much as I possibly can, and seeing the few friends I can pull out of class around schools in Georgia.

I'm also so glad to be able to catch up, get ahead, and review assignment. While boozing it on the beach may be some people's ideal vacation, it's not conducive to studying, which is necessary in my circumstance given the rigor of my classes.

I know in the future I will want to travel during break, but right now snuggling with my pets back home sounds best. Not to mention I don't have to worry about my less than spring break bod.

Moral of my story is, there is no shame in going home, being with your family, and not partying it up during your one free week.

Nashville Predators Game - Perspective From A Hockey Novice

Last night I had the privilege of going to an incredible hockey game. Prior to this I had only been to one other hockey game in my entire life, and that was the Atlanta Thrashers (note: they no longer exist, shows you how often I participate in these events). I was invited to go to this game with a friend and figured it would be a great time, even though I knew little about hockey. After going, I have to say, I am now an official convert and will be a Nashville Preds fan for a while to come.

It's not because they won. Going into the game, prospects were good, because the Preds were apparently number one. However, they played against the Anaheim Ducks, the number two in the NHL. I lucked into one of the top games of the season thus far. In the end the score was Preds 2, Ducks 5. Despite the unfortunate end, I loved every minute of my time.

First off, the passion of the fans is AMAZING. Countless guests in the massive arena sported hockey jerseys, which can run as much as $130, so they're invested for the long haul. I saw families young and old in attendance.

I suspect that Carrie Underwood was hiding somewhere in the building, because her husband is one of the players. There were also players as young as 19, my age, playing. So inspiring.

No matter where you sit during a hockey game, the action is fast paced. The players sprint/skate the entire time, and there is always the chance of an ice fight breaking out. For how long the game was, there is constant turnover to keep you on your toes.

The Nashville Preds have earned a new found fan with me.

On Failing and Loving it

It's February........ I may have failed a bit!


I was supposed to post at least one blog a week, but here I am, two blog posts behind and failing in many of my resolutions. One might assume I would be upset but honestly I've had some of the best weeks of my entire college time recently. That's not to say that any of the previous weeks were bad, but my mom lately has been on a constant high. I think it's because I love my classes, my friends, my pledge class (more on that later), and the activities I am involved in now.

In regards to my resolutions, I am sticking with the Vegetarianism quite easily, though staying away from dairy is not always as easy. Picking a major: I plan on doing a intra-univeristy transfer so that I can double major in Human & Organizational Development and Political Science. Obviously I failed at weekly blogging, but I've been volunteering often enough. I have made some attempts to explore, but with limited funds and without a car it's a challenge. Daily challenges were a fail from the start. I never write down good things or take pictures.

My last issue is fitness. This semester has been much busier than I expected, so even working out 4 times a week is a challenge. Some how I have managed to lose my holiday weight, but I am not near where I would like to be just yet.


Life is going well. More posts to come I promise.

Week 2 Update

So we are midway through January already-YIKES. Some of my resolutions are going swimmingly, others are taking a bit more work, especially with school back in session.

With a week and a half of classes under my belt, I’ve already laughed and cried enough times for the rest of the month. All of my teachers are incredible and I really think I’ll be committing to a major (or two) soon.

What has the most of my attention right now is the future, whether it is the end of this week, next month or this summer.

By the end of this week, I will be sitting in a room with 500 other girls finding out if and where we received bids. Rush has been a great process so far, one I will do a full post on once it’s all over. From stressing over hair and makeup, to awkwardly making conversation, to consoling my friends and perhaps future sisters, the ups and downs are more extreme than a roller coaster. But like I said, this all will be done by Sunday.

Looking a month ahead, a lot has to be done. Housing registration is bound to be a mess, but I haven’t even registered yet so that is all up in the air. A new semester means new clubs and deadlines, so I need to finish my applications and HOPEFULLY get selected. By this time next month it will be Valentine’s Day, so the real question is, will I have a date? (HA)

Summer that sought after season that seems so far away is also in the forefront of my mind. I’m working on an application to study abroad, but if that falls through I have no idea what will become of those lazy dog days.

Wish me luck on my endeavors.

-A

That Old Cliche - New Year, New Me

Just like everyone, I start off the year with lofty aspirations of what I can accomplish, setting goals that I will leave behind before January even ends. Now I’m not going to claim that this year will be any different, but I would like to try to make a change. By blogging about my goals, I’m holding myself accountable and letting the whole world see my intentions. Keep me on task!

Here are my goals:

1. Focus on my core and explore fitness

I’m content with how I look. I go through ups and downs of body love and body shame but overall I’m proud of my appearance, and I’m not going to ask for others’ permission to feel good about myself. However, I do have one feature I would like to work on. Like many women, I wouldn’t mind a tighter core. I work out regularly enough, but I intentionally avoid the areas that challenge me rather than tackling trouble areas. Starting this year, I want to flatten my belly, using muscle building techniques and doing yoga at least once a week.

2. Have patience and understanding

While I’m not a pessimist, I may not always be the cheeriest of my friends, a fact I would like to change somewhat. Rather than indulging in fanciful discussions or listening to unreasonable arguments I often find myself cutting people off and sharing the reality of the situation. Yes, it is important to be realistic in life, but there is also no harm in being gentle and throwing reason to the wind from time to time.

3. Pick a major

I’m in college, and come December of 2015, I will be 3/8^ths of my way through my undergraduate education. I need to get serious and explore my options. Future me, at this point I’m considering a double major in PoliSci and History of Art with a minor in Managerial Studies. We will see what I’m thinking in 12 months.

4. Become a vegetarian (and be healthy)

I hardly eat anymore because I really don’t enjoy it all that much. I’ve been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian for quite a long time, and I figure a new year is a new opportunity to try again.

Just being a vegetarian does not mean I would be all that healthy. So I’m tacking on the intention to eat healthy to continue with a healthy lifestyle. By cutting out soda, reducing dairy intake, and cutting desserts to once a week I know I will see a big change.

5. Do these things weekly:

-Blog

-Volunteer

-Explore a new place in town

6. Do these things daily:

-Write down one good thing that occurred

- Take a Photo a day

I’ll follow up on my progress with these throughout the year, and give a find review at the end in 364 more days.