Tuesday, February 28, 2012

A little brown bottle...

Nothing pairs better with these cold winter months than some delicious stouts. Here are a few that we have been trying.
Oatis is definitely one of our top favorites. This oatmeal stout is brewed by Ninkasi in Eugene, Oregon. It is everything an oatmeal stout should be with tastes of brown sugar, coffee, and chocolate. It is a perfect cold weather beer with a lot of rich flavor. 
                                  


Abbey, a Belgian Style Ale, is one of the seasonal brews by New Belgium Brewing from Fort Collins, Colorado. What is not to like about this sweet, creamy, rich flavored beer? Nice spices fill your mouth with hints of brown sugar. It has just the right amount of carbonation. This is a beer that is definitely worth trying when it’s available. Yum!

Alaskan Oatmeal Stout , brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co. in Juneau, Alaska, is an easy to drink stout. It is mildly carbonated, which is something that we like in oatmeal stouts. This stout is only slightly sweet, so it does not make you feel overly full when you finish drinking it. On the other hand, it is also not too bitter making it another great beer from Alaskan Brewing Co.
Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout by Anderson Valley
A delicious oatmeal stout from Anderson Valley Brewing in Boonville, California that leaves little to be desired. It has a great rich flavor with hints of coffee and chocolate with a smooth carmel finish. It is fairly thick, but not too filling. We would recommend this for anyone that likes a good drinkable stout. It is definitely one of our favorites.                                                             

                                               
Slow Elk Oatmeal Stout is part of the limited release series from Big Sky Brewing located in Missoula, Montana. This was not one of our top picks because it lacked the full flavor of a Ninkasi or Anderson Valley oatmeal stout. However, it was not as heavy of a beer as either of those are. Slow Elk oatmeal stout was almost a watered down version of a Ninkasi oatmeal stout. We were not disappointed that we purchased it but would, most likely, purchase a different stout next time. Overall, if you are looking for a full flavored true oatmeal stout skip this. Additional Details.


Finally, while it is not a stout, one of our absolute favorite beers is Koko Brown made with toasted coconut by Kona Brewing. If you like the flavor of coconut you must try this! While we have never been disappointed by anything Kona Brewing has done this is, by far, their best in our opinion. It is only available in late winter and early spring so don't miss out.


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Will You Be My Valentine....

Valentine’s Day is one of our top favorite holidays. Not because we are into the mushy valentines and the oversized teddy bears but just because we think it is fun to give out homemade valentines and special treats to the people we love.  
This year we did something extra special for our Valentines. We made cupcakes! Who doesn’t love to get a box of homemade cupcakes…

Over two dozen eggs, flour, every type of sugar,several sticks of butter and a lot of dishes we made over 60 cupcakes and four types of homemade frosting.
We had a blast making these cupcakes and we hope everyone enjoyed them!
Our little cupcake helper!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Glitter Glue Extravaganza




For many years we have been hand making Valentines to send to people serving in the Armed Forces overseas.  We get out the construction paper, foil, markers, glitter glue and anything else we can think of.  There were years we made hundreds and years we only made a few but everyone was made with love!




A variety of color this year!






We had a few extra hands helping out, or not, for our 2012 batch.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Thank You Mr. Meyer

Meyer lemons, a deliciously sweet yet slightly tart treat that appear for only a few months in the winter, make a drink that will leave you wanting more.
Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange- for their small size they are very juicy. 
In their native China, they are primarily used as a decorative houseplant but thanks to Martha Stewart  they became a favorite ingredient among chefs in desserts, salads, or like we did in drinks!

If you chose you can eat the entire Meyer, peel included!
Now that is enough about lemons…go make a drink.

A Meyers Whipped Lemon Drop
2 parts Meyers lemon juice
1 part simple syrup
2 parts whipped vodka
Shake over ice. Serve in a martini glass with a sugared rim
*You can also use vanilla or regular vodka and if you like your drinks less sweet cut back on the simply syrup or do one part flavored vodka and one part regular vodka.