Christmas Beers, part two

THIS is it. This is my favorite Christmas beer so far this year. It's not new but I had never tried it before. 

Say hello......

12 Dogs of Christmas Ale by the Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. is what we picked up this weekend upon the recommendation of our friendly beer monger. (What is the proper term for "beer salesman"? I realize it's probably not monger but I thought it had a nice ring.) When I asked his opinion he let me know that it was a top notch choice. Apparently, the brewmaster at Great Lake Brewing Co. abandoned ship and took the recipe for their beloved Christmas Ale when he went to Thirsty Dog. Hopefully this story is valid because I love a good scandal. While I don't go gaga for GLBC's Christmas Ale like everyone else in the world, THIS Christmas Ale is something worth writing about.

From the site: "Spiced for the holidays with honey, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and Santa's secret recipe." It stands at 8.3 % ABV (alcohol by volume) and carries 21.5 IBU's, relatively low on the bitter scale. 

Holy Christmas in a snifter, batman! Even though this is a dark beer that honey flavor comes through loud and clear. Believe me when I tell you that this is my new favorite. I loved this spice mixture and it reminded me of GLBC Christmas Ale when I first had it and the flavors were clearer than they are now. If this is on tap, it's what I'm ordering. Otherwise, it's $10.99 a 6 pack. Well, worth it.

After going on at length about that, I do have another one for you. It's much less exciting but I didn't want to be accused of neglect.

This is Cabin Fever from the New Holland Brewing Co. I chose it for two reason: 1) New Holland makes a delicious Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, 2) I thought the name was cute.

From the site: "Robust in character yet smooth in delivery, Cabin Fever is a roasty, brown ale and a hearty, comforting companion for long mind-bending winters. Its rye, roast and raisin notes carry off a subtle caramel sweetness and culminate in a dry finish."

I liked this one because I like a reliable brown ale but I don't know that I'd go out of my way to get it again. I was able to buy just one bottle of it, which was lucky. Any time someone at the beer store drops a 6 pack, the bottles that didn't break get sold as singles. If brown ales are your jam, give it a try. Otherwise, move on to more exciting seasonals.

Flu Shot Follies

Settle in for story time, friends. Everyone gather round!

We all know flu shots are important, yes? You've been seeing all the reports on the news about stronger strains, a faster flu season. Not immune to the hysteria, John and I decided we had best get our shots. We had been postponing it for weeks and finally saddled up. Last Wednesday, I stopped at CVS on my way home to get said shot and John was going to stop as well after his hair cut.

I signed into the Minute Clinic and was next in line. Forty-five long minutes later, my name was called. Minute Clinic, this was not. I was hungry and irritated but knew that the shot would be fast and I would be on my way to free Sadie and start dinner. I have had exactly one other flu shot in my life. This was during college because: 1) it was free, 2) I lived in a dorm with a LOT of germ-carrying people. That shot was fine. This one was not.

Breaking my cardinal needle rule, I looked at it as the nurse was filling it with the vaccine. I am not squeamish around blood but I NEVER LOOK AT THE NEEDLE. I'm not sure what made me feel cavalier in thinking I could handle a needle peek. I don't even look at the novacaine needle at the dentist. This needle was a lot larger than I was expecting and nerves started rolling in. The size of the needle was troubling because the pamphlet was touting that the needles they used were 90% smaller than before. If that's true, what did they used to look like??

Shot administered. Nurse says I owe nothing and I'm free to go. Hop off the table, gather my things and head out the store. After about 5 steps up the aisle, things were not going so well. My vision was spotty and I was a little dizzy. Just get to your car and sit down, I said to myself. One foot in front of the other, things are going downhill quickly. I can barely walk a straight line and have to steady myself on a shelf. In an attempt to pull myself together, I stopped to fake look at something on the shelf so people wouldn't think I was a weirdo.

I moved into another aisle and thought, I've got to sit down. Not wanting to do so in the middle of the aisle, I knelt down to pretend to look at something on the bottom of the shelf. It was a dog bed (not a crucial part of the story but a detail nonetheless). My vision is even worse, the dizziness overwhelming. In my ears, the sound of rushing water. Still checking out the dog bed and the next thing I know..........

"Ma'am, MA'AM! Are you all right?"

My eyes pop open and I discover that I'm on my back with a corpulent man is leaning over me. That's right, folks. I passed out in the middle of CVS. I have never fainted before in my life. I sat up, apologizing, and told those gathered around me that I'd just gotten a flu shot and that I was okay. People in line to check out are staring, gaping mouths.

"GET THE NURSE!"

He frantically shouts. A folding chair and a bottle of water are whisked to me. The nurse appears and asks what happened. She asks if I was hungry. I said, "Yes, I was hungry." To which I wanted to add, "because it took 45 minutes to be seen and it's now after 6:00 pm." I'm guided back to the Minute Clinic waiting area and told my vitals will be checked in about 10 minutes when I've had a chance to gather my wits. Twenty minutes later she finishes with the other patient. 

Blood pressure checked. I'm asked if I hit my head. Yes, yes I did. On a cardboard display of Russell Stovers candy. OK well, we are liable so come back if your head hurts. I'm sent on my way, crying all the way home of embarrassment and, I don't know what. John took good care of me and did not end up getting his shot that night because it would have taken too long.

The most disconcerting part of the story is not that if I hadn't knelt down I would have been standing when I fainted and could have hit my head on a metal shelf. Or that I had wanted to just make it to my car and sit down and could have fainted in the parking lot, hitting my head on unforgiving pavement. It might not even be that I passed out in front of a lot of people in a drug store. No. The most disconcerting part is that I was "ma'am'ed" and not "miss'ed". This is the second time in as many weeks that I was a Ma'am to a stranger. I may be hurtling towards 30 but I am a miss through and through. Sigh.

I wish I were making this all up but sadly, the facts are completely true.

Moral of the story..........Eat before your shot. Sit down for a few minutes afterward, just in case. And go with a buddy who can catch you if you faint.

Recipe Reblog: Roast Beef

Here's a recipe worthy of your intimate holiday parties coming up!

Roast Beef with Dijon-Caper Sauce: It's not very often that I say to John, "I am really in the mood for roast beef." Perhaps once a year do I buy a large cut of beef to roast or throw in the slow cooker. But the mood struck last week and I did a little digging for the perfect recipe. This comes from Bon Appetit so you know it's good! If you are not super into beef, do not brush this one off. The eye of round roast came out tender as can be when sliced super thin. We followed the recipe exactly and it cooked up to perfection. The dijon-caper sauce finished it beautifully. Please give this a try! It was super simple and will fool your guests into thinking you are a kitchen savant.


And now I'm off to sequester myself in the kitchen with mass amounts of flour in a marathon Christmas cookie baking session!

Christmas Beers, First Installment

I know I already blogged about the gingerbread beers so technically this isn't the first installment but this will be the first multi-beer post. Cool?

This is Southern Tier Brewing Co.'s holiday beer 2XMAS. (duh) It was one of the first ones out this season and we actually tried it a few weeks ago but I forgot to blog about it. I am a big fan of Southern Tier in general and their seasonal beers are unmatched (Pumking anyone?). So, I was pretty excited to try this out.

From the website: "We were inspired by a Glogg party, deciding on the spot to brew a beer in this Nordic tradition. 2xMas ale combines traditional brewing ingredients with fig, orange peels, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger root. "

Sweet sassy molassy, I liked this one a lot. at 8% ABV it's got the extra warming quality you expect from a holiday brew. I loved the combination of flavors too. Nothing screams CHRISTMAS like the spices listed above. Recommended glass is a snifter which is what I used. It really lets the flavors expand. If you don't have a snifter, you should really invest in one. Mine was $2.00 and it really helps certain beers. This 6 pack retails for $10.99 so not the cheapest but expect most Christmas beers to be a bit pricier. 

Sam Adams' has a couple new Christmas beers every year. If you can get your hands on the mixed, seasonal 12 pack, you won't be sorry. White Christmas Ale is new to them this year.

From the website: "As crisp as the first snowfall of the year, this unfiltered white ale is blended with holiday spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel.  The familiar citrus and wheat characters of the ale are complemented by the warmth of the spices for a festive brew that’s perfect for the season."

I liked this one too but John thought they missed the mark on it. If you are a fan of Blue Moon or Hoegaarden, you'll like this one. I know it calls out the same flavors as the 2xMas but these are VERY different beers. The 6 pack usually runs about $8.99 but if you don't want to commit to 6 of these, there are 2 in the multi-pack so you can try them in there.

And for your viewing pleasure, a couple we tried in North Carolina on vacation. 

First, here is only half of the craft beer aisle at Total Wine & More which we discovered in Raleigh. From this side and the other side, you can mix your own 6 pack, priced per bottle. The nice Kroger by us also lets you do that but the selection is tiny. We were like kids in a beer candy store and it took a LONG time to make our choices. They had so many we had never heard of. It was insane! The nice thing about this is the ability to try so many varieties without having to buy a whole 6 pack of something you might not like.

Apologies in advance that I did not instagram these pics all pretty. Please forgive me.

This one was okay but not nearly as gingerbread-y as the Merry Mischief I wrote about the other day. 

This is the End of the World Midnight Wheat by Shock Top. John's had his eye on this for awhile because of the curious addition of chocolate, chilies and other spices. Yes, I said chili. However, there was no heat in this and very little chocolate. Kind of a disappointment.

Festive Ale is the Christmas offering from SweetWater Brewing Company located in Georgia. It was okay but not too memorable. It's also probably hard to come by, depending on your geographic location. Flavors of cinnamon and mace and smooth drinking but not terribly special.

What's been in your glass lately? Any good Christmas beers to put on my list to try?

TELL ME!

Tis the Season!

I know that I was not ready for Christmas things prior to Thanksgiving. Truth be told, I don't even know if I'm ready for Christmas now that it's December. Like it or not, the calendar marches on. In order to get myself into the holiday spirit, I planned a little kick-off weekend for John and me! It started on Friday night with this.

Wine and cheese have nothing to do with Christmas but I love both of them. They also got us in a festive mood to do this.

We put up our tree! More and better pictures another day. I was getting too frustrated with my phone. Guys, my tree skirt is missing. I have pulled out all the holiday storage bins and it is nowhere to be found. How does this happen? It's not as if I could have used it during other times of the year. We have zero idea of its whereabouts. I didn't like the skirts at any store we went to on Saturday and didn't feel like braving Saturday at JoAnn's to buy fabric to make one. I've got to remedy this next weekend. No tree deserves to go skirt-less.

On Saturday night, we had tickets to go see Scrooge, the musical. Growing up, my mom always picked a holiday play, show, or concert for us to go to and I always enjoyed it. I haven't done the best job of keeping up that tradition. This is the year that changes. Dayton actually has several Christmas events to choose from but I picked this one because it was at a small theatre I had never been to, and it was the cheapest ticket. Let's be honest. Frugal almost always wins with me.

The show was put on at the Dayton Playhouse which is located in the Wegerzyn Metroparks Garden.....in a not so great area of town. But we forged on. It's a small theatre but has been producing plays and musicals for 25 years. OK, I had extremely high hopes for this production. Having never seen Scrooge as an adapted musical of Dickens' Christmas Carol, I didn't really know what to expect. Guys, this was pretty terrible. I hate to even write that because I know how much work and effort and time and love goes into putting on a musical. This, however, was not really the cast's fault. (Although I do have to fault the cast for the finale song. Not a single person was smiling. Not one. No one smiled during the curtain call either. What is that about?!) The script and the songs took a lot of liberties and strayed quite a bit from the classic. I suppose as an adaptation, that's its right. The general theme was there but, yikes, pass on this one. John was beside himself with horror because he thought he was going to see a regular version of the show. When Scrooge started singing a song called "I Hate People, I Hate Women" I thought he might croak. Now I feel like I should pick a different show to redeem it but we are running out of weekends. Better luck next year....... At least we got out for a new experience, right? And we supported local theatre, which is good. Hopefully their other production choices are more successful.

And there you have it. Decorated. Christmas play watched. Mostly shopped. Exterior lights lit.

Bring on the mistletoe!

Wish List

I didn't put these on my Christmas wish list so I don't expect to see any of them under the tree. But, if I had been a really extra good girl this year, Santa would be bringing me the following:

Source

The Uba Hoodie from Lululemon is just delicious. At $178 it's more than slightly out of anyone's price range. Sigh. I like the white but I think I'd get more use out of the black one.

Source


This one is by Brooks and is a STEAL at $110, right? It's the Utopia Thermal Hoodie. It features my new favorite thing about long sleeve and zip up hoodies....thumb holes! They keep your sleeves down. I think the Lulu one has thumb holes too. All the cool kids are wearing them. This one matches my beloved Brooks Adrenalines though. Brand loyalty, yo.

Source

I am dying over the simplicity of this bag. Talk about a classic! The Transport Tote from Madewell retails for $168 but I feel like you would carry this for a lifetime. I get a new bag from John almost every year and this would definitely be on my list for him if I didn't already know what he purchased (I was with him). But, if you're looking for a workhorse of a bag, check this one out.

Source

These beautiful boots are the Melissa Button from Frye. I am ashamed to tell you their retail price but I'll do it anyway. If you've got $328, they can be yours! I am in love with the color and their casual style. I have brown riding boots but they're chocolate and these are not. Big difference.

Source

Ugh. These classic Ray-Ban Wayfarers. I know that I could get knock-offs much cheaper but because I have now gone several years in keeping my sunglasses alive, I think I could graduate to a designer pair. I used to lose or break all sunglasses. No longer. These are $150, well worth it.

What's on your wish list? Reasonable or not?

November Running Round Up

I honestly don't know what happened to my mileage this month. I ran three times in Raleigh but that doesn't account for the low numbers the rest of the month. My new love, hot yoga, may have played a part. More on that another day. At least one day that would have been a long run, I chose to sweat it out in the studio instead. Anyway, here's where we stand:

Nov 3: 5 mi TM in 43:42, 8:45 avg pace

Nov 6: 1 mi TM in 8:35, sore legs

Nov 11: 6 mi TM in 53:16, 8:53 avg pace

Nov 19: 2.5 mi OT, hilly

Nov 20: 3.1 mi OT, 32 mins, hilly 

Nov 22: 3.1 mi OT, ?? Mins

Nov 25: 4 mi TM in 34:14

Nov 27: 3.5 mi TM in 29:49, 8:42/8:30/8:18/4:19

Total: 28.2 miles

Only one more month this year. It feels so strange typing that. I wasn't going to count up my total mileage until the very end but I cheated and did it a couple weeks ago to see where I stood. But, you'll have to wait until the end of the month to see if I accomplished my New Year's Resolution for 2012, or not.........