Turn Up The Heat! – Match.com Stir Event at Sur La Table

April 15, 2013
sur la table

sur la table (Photo credit: h-bomb)

I’m on Match.com

I’ve been on there since the end of February and I haven’t been having much luck. You would think someone who has such a witty blog fully of glowing insights about the state of the universe, would find a plethora of emails from match suitors in her inbox. But alas, I don’t. I do however, have a plethora of emails from Match.com regarding their “Stir Events” Perhaps you have seen the commercial for these. They are off line, (aka real world) events where match subscribers can meet. It’s a nice thing for those of us who are better in person than online (yes readers, I am even more awesome in real life if you can possible believe that!) Getting in to these events are next to impossible however. Match sends you an email and if you don’t react quickly, it sells out before you even get a chance to think about it. So of course when I saw one so close to home (most are in NYC / larger metropolitan areas), I jumped at the chance.

My event was a cooking class at the relatively new Sur La Table store at The Westchester Mall. I figured, worse case, I learn to cook something new. I have to say, I had A LOT of fun! The way it worked is that we paired off guy/girl at 5 stations around the kitchen, then for each part of the lesson the girls would move to a new station, so everyone got to meet – a cooking round robin if you will. The menu, arranged by the delightful Chef Erica Gorycki, included Paella with Chicken and Chorizo, Grilled Asparagus with Aioli, and Lemon and Marcona Almond cookies. You receive copies of all the recipes and an equipment list so you can try these at home (and of course support Sur La Table buying their goods). You also receive a coupon for 10% off any purchase you make the week of the event.

It was definitely a unique way to meet people and was a fun experience even though I didn’t have any love connections. I would definitely go back to Sur La Table for classes and highly recommend trying a cooking class with them. To look up classes in your area, click here. As far as the Match.com aspect of the event; there was no match.com representative there to help organize the event. They tell you to print out your tickets to bring with you, but there was no RSVP list or “check in” so you feel slightly unsure when you arrive. After the event, you get an email of all the people who had RSVP’d for the event so you can contact anyone of interest. I have another Stir Event in a few weeks with LH. This time it will be a Triva event. We will see how that goes….

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All’s Fair in Love and Coffee – Green Mountain Fair Trade BzzAgent Campaign

November 18, 2012

So as you all know, I am a Buzz Agent – I sign up to tests product and share my two cents about them. This month, I was give a box of samples from Green Mountain Coffee‘s Fair Trade Certified line

Fair Trade Certified coffee not only tastes like a good cup of coffee, but it is also good for your soul. Why? By purchasing Fair Trade Coffee, you are helping coffee farmers to have a better quality of life. Fair trade helps the coffee bean farmers get a fair price for their coffee, improves their working conditions, assists in protecting the environment, and supports community development for the area (including new schools, roads, health clinics, and safe drinking water). So while you are getting your morning caffeine kick, you are helping to change the lives of coffee farmers.

The Fair Trade coffee comes in a variety of flavors. In my testing kit, I received four different keurig cups – Sumatran Reserve (on the Bold side), Columbian Fair Trade Select, Vermont Country blend (my personal favorite) and a Wild Berry Blend which I didn’t try simply because I don’t think my coffee should taste of fruit.

Fair Trade Month was in October and celebrities were out spreading the word about Free Trade during live performances. Grace Potter (she sings that Paris…Oooh La La song – if you don’t know it check it out here ) and Michael Franti (he sings the Say Hey  - check it out here and then down load his album Sound of Sunshine which is AMAZING) teamed up with Green Mountain and visited Columbia and Sumantra’s fair trade communities.

So when you tumble out of bed,  and stumble in the kitchen to pour yourself a cup of ambition coffee before you head out to your 9 to 5, make sure it is a Fair Trade cup and make a difference in someone’s life.

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Dinning in the Dark with Ms. Brown

September 8, 2012
Ms. Brown’s perspective on Dinning in the Dark
Dinning in the dark was an exciting experience, that I was fortunate to share with my good friend Souzapalooza.  The idea was one of Souzapalooza’s bucket-list items and I am grateful to have been a guest.  The idea and concept of “dinning in the dark” was not foreign to me.  While an R.A. in college, I was required to participate in a training day where I was blindfolded and had to complete everyday tasks without sight, in anticipation of a blind student moving into the residence hall.
While dining, I was not nervous about what might happen but I was concerned about putting food into my mouth that I could not see.  This became a moot point because I gently touched the food on my plate and was able to identify some items simply by touch, then taste (i.e. shrimp, jello, bread).  It dawned on me that an individual who may have been blind from birth would not be able to identify shapes or food items because they wouldn’t know what to expect or have something to reference too.  The restaurants entrance, was a modern bar with typical tasty but overpriced drinks.  My party was guided to our table by our server who had lost his sight in a tragic violent accident when he was in his 20′s.  His enthusiasm and confidence provided a sense of trust and relaxation as he guided each of us to our seats and explained where our utensils were.
Dining in the dark is an amazing opportunity for several reasons including; providing the visually impaired with employment opportunities that would not otherwise exist; allows each individual the chance to understand what it is like to tackle daily obstacles that we take for granted (i.e. pouring a glass of water, walking from room to room, choosing food when there is no way to see what your choices are).  It’s also amazing to have such an opportunity and share it with friends and acquaintances as they have this same experience for the first time.
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Ka-Ka’s Dinning in the Dark Experience

September 7, 2012

Dinning in the dark was an intriguing experience. At first I felt very anxious, I was anticipating the worst. However LH was nervous enough for all of us so I didn’t really express my anxiety. The event and the experience was very well organized. I expected the food to taste amazing since the other senses were dull. However this wasn’t the case. I had a very difficult time figuring out what I was eating all the tastes just sort of blended to together. I think spending so much time figuring out how to eat without dropping food and where the food was on the plate took away from the experience. I would have never ate what they have given me if i knew in advance what it was. At the end when i found out I felt very sick to my stomach. I think if you could pick your meal it might have been brought a positive to the experience. If you know what its suppose to taste like there might have been a better comparison level to whether the effect of not seeing positively impacted the taste of the food. Over all I wouldn’t have changed the experience … I can now say I have dined in the dark.

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Dinning in the Dark – The Souzapalooza Experience

September 4, 2012

|Source = Own work |Date = 2006-05-26 |Author = A.M.R.

A few months back, there was a Bloomspot deal for dinner at Dans Le Noir. Dans Le Noir is a relatively new restaurant in Manhattan, where you eat in the dark. Let me be clear, not in dim lighting, or candle light, but PITCH BLACK DARKNESS. Have you tried this? This has been one of my bucket list items since seeing it on Rock of Love years ago.

Here is how it works. Everyone meets in the bar area, where we go over the menu which is limited to four pre-fixed meals – Red (for meat eaters), Green (for vegetarians), Blue (for seafood lovers), and White (which has no limits – it is pretty much the Chef’s choice as to what you get). The staff also reviews if you have any allergies or food preferences to make sure you get a meal that is safe and to your liking. Once that is established, you are ushered to a locker room to secure your valuables and any light exuding items such as watches or cell phones. Then we are lined up and asked to follow our visually impaired server to our seats in the light sealed room.

Eating in the dark is an amazing experience. Just navigating the table and your interactions with your fellow diners is a feat in its self. Where is your silverware? Where is your napkin? Who is sitting across from you? Where is the water? How do I not spill it all over myself? Is anyone listening to me speaking? How to I get someone’s attention with out completely interrupting them? How do I find the food on my plate? Is this chicken? What am I chewing?

I invited 5 people to tag along with me. I asked everyone to write a review to post of the blog since each persons experience is very unique. I have two of them – some people were slackers – YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!  However, those I did receive will be posted over the next few days; hopefully you will be influenced in to trying Dans Le Noir for yourself.

 

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My Summer Vacation

June 27, 2012

It is now here! The time of year that all the kids are out of school and get to celebrate Summer Vacation! Gosh how I wish I had one. Sadly, being a member of corporate america, I get the standard two weeks worth of vacation and work 9-6 Monday through Friday the other 50 weeks of the year.

Sigh!

However, just because I don’t have the two month recess that my little friend Pam has to recoup from the strain of first grade and prepare for second grade, that doesn’t mean I am going to be a slave to the corporate grind. I have a few things planed:

  • I am taking a tone and burn class at the gym – the same one I signed up for in March. I have been enjoying it so I enrolled in another eight week session
  • I am taking an art class – it is a two session class where I am going to replicate a painting – should be interesting after my Bob Ross experience
  • I am dinning in the dark with a few friends – Don’t worry, I will tell you all about it
  • I am training for my 10 mile Disney Tower of Terror race in September – I have already logged 33 miles during the month of June!
  • I am trying out a new restaurant – MP Taverna – with the Doc to celebrate her summer vacation (she needs to recoup from her school year too!)
  • I am having tea at the Plaza just like Eloise – a special date in celebration of my little friend Pam’s 7th birthday.

So what are YOU doing for your summer vacation!

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Well Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! Try New Healthy Surprise Snack Subscription Service

June 6, 2012

I just finished eating the most delicious snack I have had in a while – Two Moms in the Raw Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bar. It was filling and delicious and was delivered straight to my door thanks to Healthy Surprise.

What is Healthy Surprise? Healthy Surprise is a new snack subscription program that collects quality snacks and ships them right to your doorstep on a regular basis. Their products are all natural, organic when possible, vegan, and both dairy and gluten-free. As you may remember, I had signed up for a snack shipment program in the past – Lollihop. They have since shut down; so I was very excited to be contacted by Healthy Surprise to review their snack box.

So what do I think of Healthy Surprise?

I received their “Healthy” sized box which is supposed to accommodate 2-6 people, providing 32-40 servings. It consisted of:

  • 4 bags of Gone Nuts! Raw and Sprouted Nut Blends (2 In Thai Lemon Curry Flavor, 2 in Spinach Pest Flavor)
  • 1 bag of Go Raw Pumpkin Super Chips
  • 1 bag of Go Raw Pizza Flax Seed Chips
  • 1 bag of Myrna’s Skinny Crisps
  • 1 Two Moms in the Raw Gluten-Free Cranberry Nut Bar
  • 1 Oskri Coconut Bar in Cherry
  • 2 bags of Home Free Mini Crunchy Vanilla Cookies
  • 1 Bliss Bar in Honey Gold
  • 1 bag of Hail Merry Vanilla Maple Almonds
  • 1 bag of Happy Hemp  seeds
  • 1 bag of Bare Fruit Granny Smith Apple Chips

It is quite a robust collection of snacks! I am really glad I was sent this box! I have found quite a few new treats that I would definitely try again. As I mentioned earlier, I was really fond of the Two Moms Bar, as well as the Skinny Chips (they are kind of like Stacey’s Pita but they are gluten-free!), the Bare Fruit chips, and the Gone Nuts! (Thai Lemon Curry is a spicy treat!)

The price of the box is well worth the money. Try buying this stuff at Whole Foods and see if you can get it for less – Good Luck! Rather than wasting your time, why not log on to Healthy Surprise’s website and enter the promo code “SOUZAPALOOZA” and get $5 off every Healthy Surprise purchase! At the very least, check out their blog full of intersting thinks to do with your snacks, like the “Coco-Loco” – Yummy!!

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Souzapalooza’s Links to Love – Great Posts From the Internet

March 19, 2012

I haven’t done a links to love in a while, but there are just so many great articles out there I wanted to share them. Here are some of the favorites I read this weekend:

Thin Mint Trifles from Pass the Sushi – It is Girls Scout Cookie season after all! These trifles look to be a tasty treat and not terribly calorie laden if you follow the sugar-free options of Jello and Cool Whip

10 Reasons Why You Do Have Time To Workout from Time Management Ninja – The TMNinja reminds us that working out is a choice and if there is a will, there is a way!

QUIT: Not Feeling Fab on a Daily Basis from Cordelia Calls It Quits – Cordelia reviews her strategies for clearing closets (channelling her inner Stacey London and Clinton Kelly of TLC’s What Not To Wear) so it is always full of clothes that are flattering, fabulous, and fits her own personality

44 Healthy Foods for Under $1 from the Greatist – This may be my favorite post. To all those who think eating healthy is too expensive, why don’t you check out this post!

Bad Body Image Day Songs from Feministing (by way of Galadarling.com) – A great little list of songs to listen to when you are having a “bad body day” – although I am sure it would be just as useful if its a bad hair day too!

What blog posts are you reading?

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