Weekend: Slowfest and Bootcamp

Funny, those things (Slowfest and Bootcamp) are pretty much polar opposites!

Friday night Brian and I attended Slowfest in Boston’s South End. This was a festival of local food and “session beer”. I had never really heard the term “session beer” before, and I think it’s something that is just starting to become popular now. Basically, session beer is a beer that has an alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage of less than 5%.

Here is a definition from beeradvocate.com

“session beer
n.
Any beer that contains no higher than 5 percent ABV, featuring a balance between malt and hop characters (ingredients) and, typically, a clean finish - a combination of which creates a beer with high drinkability. The purpose of a session beer is to allow a beer drinker to have multiple beers, within a reasonable time period or session, without overwhelming the senses or reaching inappropriate levels of intoxication. (Yes, you can drink and enjoy beer without getting drunk.)”

In the past when I’ve attended beer fests with the boy, there are usually lots of high ABV beers and other “extreme” beers, as that’s been the big thing lately. As someone who can get buzzed off a few beer samples (oh how things have changed since college), I think session beers are just what I need!

I tried various beers on Friday, but I have to admit I was more there for the food :)

Some highlights…

When Pigs Fly Breads: Red Pepper Hummus with Sesame Seeds & Garlic Bread

Yeah this bread tasted JUST like hummus…but in bread form.

Cheese! Various cheddars from Whole Foods

Gelato #1 – Firenze Artisan Gelato…my first sample was the Watch City Chocolate Porter Gelato.  Chocolate+Beer+Gelato = awesome!

From The Independent restaurant in Somerville (my old apt was so close to this place): roasted pork and cole slaw on an Iggy’s brioche bun!

So good!!

Pizza and organic salad from Stone Hearth Pizza (they brought in little portable grills to freshly bake their pizza’s)

The dressing on this salad was awesome!  It was a mustard-apple cider vinegar vinaigrette!  So good!

Gelato sample #2 – Lemon Sorbetto

Perfect refreshing bite at the end when I was getting so full!

The best thing I had there, and of course no picture, was a Burrata cheese made by Fiore Di Nonno

Out of Somerville! This cheese was fresh mozzarella stuffed with MARSCAPONE! O.M.G. So creamy and delicious! I went back a few times for this cheese!

I think my favorite beer of the evening was Grey Lady by Cisco Brewers which is their Belgium White Ale…it was so refreshing! I’ll have to find some of this beer for the summer.

 

After that I was in need of a good sweat session! Saturday morning I had signed up for a Bootcamp Blast!

These are great because you just sign up by the day before whenever you want to join. It’s an intense 90min outdoor workout.

Before bootcamp I had a muffin and coffee for some energy. I wanted one of my Berry Muffins but didn’t want the cheese inside (dairy + exercise usually is not good with me)…so I scooped out the goat cheese and added some almond butter!

Delicious!

Bootcamp was just what I needed…the weather was GORGEOUS! Sunny and just about 70 degrees. This one wasn’t as cardio intense as I remember the last one I did to be, but I still burned 600 calories and my abs and legs are still nice and sore today :)
This reminds me that I need to re-focus my abs workouts…I haven’t felt sore abs in far too long.

Post workout I had a late breakfast/early lunch.

Egg Sandwich with ham, cheese, and tomato. Plus a side of fruit

• Watermelon
• Kiwi
• Banana

Watermelon just tastes like summer to me.

                 

That’s my Friday/Saturday…I’ll save Sunday for later.