It's happy hour, do you know where you beer is?
A new seasonal beer has crossed my path twice in the last few weeks (a thousand miles apart). For me, most seasonal beers blend together: all the summer beers taste the same, same for winter, fall and spring. They're each appropriate for the weather and I enjoy them while they're around - but they're not super memorable. So I was pleasantly surprised by the refreshing ginger kick in Shiner's Ruby Redbird summer brew. Ruby has the perfect body for summer with the added bonus of being affordable and easy to find thoughout the US. (Shown here in bottles in Chicago and on draft at Augustines in Atlanta). Grab a six pack tonight and try it for yourself!
Crock pot pork butt with broccoli, yucca and stewed chick peas.
An indulgent Saturday breakfast to fill our stomachs before we spend a day on the Chattahoochee River (we probably won't have lunch).
It's happy hour, do you know where your beer is?
While I was in Chicago for girlcation Oliver was at a cabin in Northeast Georgia for "Lake Beer Day" (read: guys weekend). I asked him to photograph a few of his favorite beers so we could feature them on the blog. I suppose I should have been more specific with my art direction... His photos are to the left. How many beers is that?!
The spaces once filled with lettuce and cabbage are now dry and bare. We'd like to fill them but we're not sure what to plant. It needs to be something pretty (because it's the front yard), short (because it's the sun facing side of the bed) and different (not something we already have planted). Any suggestions? The space also eliminates all climbers (no cukes, beans, zucchini, etc).
The four varieties of tomatoes squeezed along the side of the house are still doing great. I brought a vine of three ripe Phoenix hybrids to my Mom in Chicago last Friday. The Beefsteaks are growing fast so we've tied them up individually to prevent their vines from snapping under their own weight. Our heirloom is a predictable gangly mess: the tallest of the bunch with a wild tangle of branches and leaves. (I'm hoping this will also make it the tastiest.) And finally, "Black Prince", he's a late bloomer but still has a half a dozen, vibrant green tomatoes.
Topher says "life's a beach" and "you only live once"! Hope everyone is making the most of their summer. We'll be back with a garden update tomorrow evening.
My short girls' weekend in Chicago included vists to the Publican and Hankcock Tower. Red wine poached eggs with prosciutto, sourdough & béarnaise blew my mind! Back to normal posts as soon as possible; we're enjoying our June summer vacation from blogging...
It's happy hour, do you know where your beer is?
The Atlanta Beer Twitterverse wasn't blowing up with "must haves" this week so Oliver and I headed to the Porter in L5P for a bit of fancy beer after dinner on Tuesday. The Porter is a sure thing for "fancy beer" in Atlanta. Since their inception in September 2008 they've been recognized as one of the best beer bars in the world and the best beer bar in the country. We love it not just for the exceptional beer list but also for the food, atmosphere and service. If you're in Atlanta and you like beer then make time to go to the Porter.
The sour beer Oliver and I enjoyed at home last week is child's play compared to the one he ordered at the Porter. The Featherleggy Bulrusher Sour Stout by Anderson Valley is as funkified and pungent a sour beer as I've ever had.
I on the other hand was looking for something to satifsy a dessert craving so I went directly to the Stout/Porter section of the menu. I wanted something thick and chocolately and I was happy to find Left Hand's Jack Black Porter. It's light on carbonation and rich on chocolate. I recommend this one for any chocoholic new to craft beer.
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*Note! Neither of us tried the "Clown Shoes Clementine" (we're not big on weitbiers) but I love the name so I wanted to share it with you. Photos of our beers picks from the menu are below.
Better late then never! A super simplified tutorial on the "cupcake" mini lasagnas Oliver made for the baby shower. Since almost all of the guests came straight from work we wanted to serve something that might be considered dinner but didn't require utensils and a place to sit. Mini "cupcake" lasangas were a perfect, delicious, real food solution. Give them a try at your next party!
What you'll need: wonton wrappers, a cupcake baking pan and the ingredients for your favorite lasagna recipe (we made one spinach and one pork).
Start by laying out the room temperature wonton wrappers as shown in the top left photo. Press the wrappers into your cupcake pan and fill with your prefered lasagna mixture.
(We filled our meat lasagnas with a stewed tomato and ground pork mixture and then topped it with shreds of fresh mozzarella, a bit of ricotta and shaved Parmesan.) Onto that layer a third wonton wrapper and a repeat of your lasagna mixture. Then into the oven for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Oliver embellished the lasganas with a basil leaf and sliced grape tomato before serving them to our guests.
You know what they say about the best laid plans... I'd wanted our June posts to focus on "how to" with post after post about our favorite ways to cook and grow and party. But I guess just because it's summer doesn't mean I'm no longer a grown up. Life has been busy and I haven't been able to to carve out extra time to write. Fortunately for us, food is borderline religion; we always make time to eat well. So I'm back to posting a delicious and healthy meal!
Last night Oliver roasted a chicken with vegetables. (The vegetables are now our Facebook header - speaking of Facebook, have you liked us yet?) Small potatoes, eggplant (from the garden), mushrooms, kale and a glass of red wine accompanied a very juicy free range chicken. We'll be happily enjoying this meal for another night or two.
Leeks, eggplants, and tomatoes are growing fast in our garden. Peppers, strawberries and watermelon are following close behind. For now we're pest free!
We biked up to Piedmont Park this morning to watch the Red Bull Soap Box Derby Race. All I can think to say about it is - it was stupid to plan this time of outdoor event in the sun, at noon, in the summer, in Atlanta. This should have been in the evening. The bike ride home was sweltering. Perhaps I should have waited til I'd cooled down before I typed this post. Regardless, I'm heading to the pool. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
