It's that time of year around here where it's 55-60 when I get off work, and it feels nice to crack a window on the way home, and let some fresh air in the car.
Of course, then I get home, and forget to roll my cracked open window back up again...
And then overnight, the temperature drops down to the 26-28 degree point, and I wake and find that the frost and ice aren't just on the outside of my windshield...it's on the inside of the windshield and the steering wheel...
2.23.2015
Everything IS better on the grill.
A few weeks ago, while watching America's Test Kitchen, they had a recipe for Grilled Caesar Salad...but it was different than what I thought it would be. I mean, I have made Caesar Salad with grill chicken before...but this version called for you to grill the romaine lettuce.
Interesting, and something I filed away as a possible for the summer.
Except, summer(or at least spring) has come early for us in the Northwest, so wanting something lighter for dinner Sunday, I decided to give the Grilled Caesar Salad a try.
It's not very tough. I marinated some chicken thighs in Italian dressing, then grilled them. After that, since the grill was hot, I sliced up a baguette, and liberally coated it with garlic butter, then made some croutons on the grill, before finally doing the lettuce. You just take a head of romaine, and split it lengthwise. Then brush it with olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper before throwing it on the grill...not long, somewhere between 3-5 minutes a side.
Once grilled, you bring them inside and chop them up 'salad size', about 1-2 inch strips, and toss them with some dressing. Throw in the croutons and chicken, and some nice shaved parmesan...and YUM.
My confession is that I didn't make a dressing from scratch, but I did jazz up a store bought one with a little extra oil, some lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
This will certainly be made again as we DO get into summer.
Interesting, and something I filed away as a possible for the summer.
Except, summer(or at least spring) has come early for us in the Northwest, so wanting something lighter for dinner Sunday, I decided to give the Grilled Caesar Salad a try.
It's not very tough. I marinated some chicken thighs in Italian dressing, then grilled them. After that, since the grill was hot, I sliced up a baguette, and liberally coated it with garlic butter, then made some croutons on the grill, before finally doing the lettuce. You just take a head of romaine, and split it lengthwise. Then brush it with olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper before throwing it on the grill...not long, somewhere between 3-5 minutes a side.
Once grilled, you bring them inside and chop them up 'salad size', about 1-2 inch strips, and toss them with some dressing. Throw in the croutons and chicken, and some nice shaved parmesan...and YUM.
My confession is that I didn't make a dressing from scratch, but I did jazz up a store bought one with a little extra oil, some lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
This will certainly be made again as we DO get into summer.
Who woulda' thunk it?
After just kind of making fun of Lady Gaga a few days ago, I need to take back at least 18% of anything negative I have ever said about her, because that lady ROCKED a medley of songs celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Sound of Music on the Academy Award's last night.
If you can sing like that, why would you hide behind 'Performance Art'?
If you can sing like that, why would you hide behind 'Performance Art'?
2.22.2015
So what you are saying is, advertising works.
Watching the Daytona 500, and that means watching a fair number of commercials. Heck...this new 'side by side' thing, where they show the race on a corner of the screen while they still show the commercial means you have to sit through even more commercials than you used to.
I haven't been excited by a video game since mid-2000, when Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate 2 came out...but, if want to try to convince me to play your video game, there are worse forms of persuasion than Kate Upton in an armored bustier.
Likewise, if I am going to drink whiskey, I prefer Canadian to bourbon...but I am much more willing to watch Mila Kunis convince me to drink Jim Beam than I am just about anyone else you could think of(although, Christina Hendricks makes a compelling case for Black Label.)
I haven't been excited by a video game since mid-2000, when Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate 2 came out...but, if want to try to convince me to play your video game, there are worse forms of persuasion than Kate Upton in an armored bustier.
Likewise, if I am going to drink whiskey, I prefer Canadian to bourbon...but I am much more willing to watch Mila Kunis convince me to drink Jim Beam than I am just about anyone else you could think of(although, Christina Hendricks makes a compelling case for Black Label.)
2.21.2015
Curse you, restraint!
A few days ago, Commander Zero threw up a post about an interesting piece of gear, the Grabber Outdoors Space Brand All Weather Blanket. Normally in the $19 range he noticed that price had dropped to $10, and was nice enough to share that information.
Not knowing what I was exactly was getting into, but being forever unable to resist any kind of sweet deal, I made an impulse buy before leaving for work Tuesday, ordering 4 of them.
Because the internet is amazing, and we live in a world of impressive convenience(despite my complaning at least once a week about how bad the world is) my shipment of 4 was waiting for me Friday afternoon.
Man...I wish I had ordered 8-10 of them instead of just 10. These things seems like they have the potential to be highly useful, doing the job of several pieces of equipment. They are waterproof, so they would make a great rain parka. They are lined with the same reflective aluminum material that many 'emergency blankets/bivy sacks' are made of...but it is much sturdier than most of those items. Finally, because it surprised me by coming with grommets reinforced in the four corners, you could use it as you would a tarp, either as ground cover, or as waterproof covering for a shelter.
Now...don't get me wrong...it's not a tarp...but it is tarp like. I'm not going to use it to strap down a load of scrap wood or metal in the back of my truck, but, I'm not terrified to unfold it and play with it like those other emergency blankets.
One thing I did notice...unlike the one on Amazon which is listed as 5x7 feet, my packaging says the one I have is 6x6. I'm not sure it makes a huge difference...it's plenty roomy. I think if I was caught in a downpour, I could see myself holing up, and wearing this over my outer-clothing AND a backpack.
The only thing this blanket/parka/tarp is NOT, is quiet. It is not something you want to be wearing if you are trying to sneak past an enemy sentry.
I just wish I had bought twice as many of them...one for each back pack, one for each car, and a few extras.
Not knowing what I was exactly was getting into, but being forever unable to resist any kind of sweet deal, I made an impulse buy before leaving for work Tuesday, ordering 4 of them.
Because the internet is amazing, and we live in a world of impressive convenience(despite my complaning at least once a week about how bad the world is) my shipment of 4 was waiting for me Friday afternoon.
Man...I wish I had ordered 8-10 of them instead of just 10. These things seems like they have the potential to be highly useful, doing the job of several pieces of equipment. They are waterproof, so they would make a great rain parka. They are lined with the same reflective aluminum material that many 'emergency blankets/bivy sacks' are made of...but it is much sturdier than most of those items. Finally, because it surprised me by coming with grommets reinforced in the four corners, you could use it as you would a tarp, either as ground cover, or as waterproof covering for a shelter.
Now...don't get me wrong...it's not a tarp...but it is tarp like. I'm not going to use it to strap down a load of scrap wood or metal in the back of my truck, but, I'm not terrified to unfold it and play with it like those other emergency blankets.
One thing I did notice...unlike the one on Amazon which is listed as 5x7 feet, my packaging says the one I have is 6x6. I'm not sure it makes a huge difference...it's plenty roomy. I think if I was caught in a downpour, I could see myself holing up, and wearing this over my outer-clothing AND a backpack.
The only thing this blanket/parka/tarp is NOT, is quiet. It is not something you want to be wearing if you are trying to sneak past an enemy sentry.
I just wish I had bought twice as many of them...one for each back pack, one for each car, and a few extras.
2.20.2015
Barrel Aged.
I'm not sure how many areas have something like Brew's Taphouse and Growler Fills...it's kind of like a bar, and kind of like a beer store. I mean, like our local Growler Guys, there are 40+ taps of different beers that you can get your growler topped off at....but unlike Growler Guys, they have tables and a few TV's so you can chill and drink beer by the glass.
So, yeah...now we got that cleared up, this weekend Brew's was having a Barrel and Brew's event, with over 25 limited release Barrel Aged beers...all kinds of beers, in all kinds of barrels...wine barrels, whiskey barrels, bourbon, brandy, and tequila barrels.
As someone who has been known to enjoy a premium beer or three, it sounded highly intriguing.
Good call. It was a great opportunity to try a bunch of different beers without getting stuck with a stinker or two, even if I didn't make it through all 28 beers they had.
So...first flight, going from left to right: Paradise Creek's Quad(Tequila Barrel Aged), Bellevue Scotch Ale(Whiskey Barrel), Paradise Creek's Scottish Stovepipe(Brandy Cask), and Stone's Bang Bang(Bourbon Barrel).
I was quite surprised with my response to these first 4 beers...My favorite was the Tequila Barrel Aged Quad, and my least favorite was the Paradise Creek Scottish Stovepipe...which is weird, because I had previously had the Scottish Stovepipe AT Paradise Creek in Pullman, and I really liked it. However, while this started life as that same beer that I liked, the time it spent in a brandy barrel did not agree with me...plus it had has some extra things added to it to make it a 'sour' beer. Just not something I would voluntarily drink again.
The Bang Bang and the Bellevue Scotch were both solid, tasty beers...just not as good as the Tequila aged Quad, which for a 11% alcohol beer was surprisingly smooth with a light citrus that I picked up as coming from the tequila.
For my second sample flight, I went DARK.
Here we have Elysian's Bourbon Barrel Aged Split Shot, an espresso milk stout; and then The Abyss, an Imperial Stout from Deschutes which is aged in Bourbon, Oak, and Pinot Noir barrels; Hale's Ale Imperial Stout(aged in Rye Whiskey barrels); and last but not least, Laurelwood's Moose and Squirrel Imperial Stout(Bourbon and Pinot Noir Barrels).
Let's get the negative out of the way first...I DID NOT like the Hale's Imperial Stout, but, as a disclaimer, I do not like Rye Whiskey, which I'm sure has something to do with it. I liked it even less than the Sour Brandy Barrel Scottish that I had in my first flight.
Picking a favorite among the remaining three is tough. I would probably say the Moose and Squirrel is 3rd, with The Abyss and Split Shot tying. Actually...I'm going to give the nod the Abyss because when my beers were brough over, the head on The Abyss was perfect, and it had a better nose
All in all, with my limited experience, bourbon barrels seem to be fairly ideal for aging beer...it had the most mellow effect on the finished product. There were quite a few IPA's that were aged in gin barrels, but since I don't like either gin, or IPA's, I stayed away from those ones. I am thinking I might try to swing back by Saturday afternoon...even eliminating the IPA's from my list, there were still a few beers I was smart enough not to try the first time around, including a Chardonnay Barrel aged Saison that a number of people sitting around me were raving about.
But that will have to wait until after I go to the gym in the morning.
So, yeah...now we got that cleared up, this weekend Brew's was having a Barrel and Brew's event, with over 25 limited release Barrel Aged beers...all kinds of beers, in all kinds of barrels...wine barrels, whiskey barrels, bourbon, brandy, and tequila barrels.
As someone who has been known to enjoy a premium beer or three, it sounded highly intriguing.
Good call. It was a great opportunity to try a bunch of different beers without getting stuck with a stinker or two, even if I didn't make it through all 28 beers they had.
So...first flight, going from left to right: Paradise Creek's Quad(Tequila Barrel Aged), Bellevue Scotch Ale(Whiskey Barrel), Paradise Creek's Scottish Stovepipe(Brandy Cask), and Stone's Bang Bang(Bourbon Barrel).
I was quite surprised with my response to these first 4 beers...My favorite was the Tequila Barrel Aged Quad, and my least favorite was the Paradise Creek Scottish Stovepipe...which is weird, because I had previously had the Scottish Stovepipe AT Paradise Creek in Pullman, and I really liked it. However, while this started life as that same beer that I liked, the time it spent in a brandy barrel did not agree with me...plus it had has some extra things added to it to make it a 'sour' beer. Just not something I would voluntarily drink again.
The Bang Bang and the Bellevue Scotch were both solid, tasty beers...just not as good as the Tequila aged Quad, which for a 11% alcohol beer was surprisingly smooth with a light citrus that I picked up as coming from the tequila.
For my second sample flight, I went DARK.
Here we have Elysian's Bourbon Barrel Aged Split Shot, an espresso milk stout; and then The Abyss, an Imperial Stout from Deschutes which is aged in Bourbon, Oak, and Pinot Noir barrels; Hale's Ale Imperial Stout(aged in Rye Whiskey barrels); and last but not least, Laurelwood's Moose and Squirrel Imperial Stout(Bourbon and Pinot Noir Barrels).
Let's get the negative out of the way first...I DID NOT like the Hale's Imperial Stout, but, as a disclaimer, I do not like Rye Whiskey, which I'm sure has something to do with it. I liked it even less than the Sour Brandy Barrel Scottish that I had in my first flight.
Picking a favorite among the remaining three is tough. I would probably say the Moose and Squirrel is 3rd, with The Abyss and Split Shot tying. Actually...I'm going to give the nod the Abyss because when my beers were brough over, the head on The Abyss was perfect, and it had a better nose
All in all, with my limited experience, bourbon barrels seem to be fairly ideal for aging beer...it had the most mellow effect on the finished product. There were quite a few IPA's that were aged in gin barrels, but since I don't like either gin, or IPA's, I stayed away from those ones. I am thinking I might try to swing back by Saturday afternoon...even eliminating the IPA's from my list, there were still a few beers I was smart enough not to try the first time around, including a Chardonnay Barrel aged Saison that a number of people sitting around me were raving about.
But that will have to wait until after I go to the gym in the morning.
I'll be there for you!
Through the magic of Netflix, my wife and I have recently started re-watching Friends...and I've got to tell you, it's an interesting experience revisiting something like Friends 8-10(wait a minute...that can't be right)...20 years! later. 1994 was 20+ years AGO??!?!?!?
Wow...that's a conversation for another time, I guess.
Anyway...Friends. Watching that first season(might not be 'again'...I'm not sure I watched Season 1 of Friends) is kind of tough. It's like they were trying to stuff these characters down your throat...'Look, Rachel is a spoiled rich girl who doesn't know how to make coffee, but works in a coffee shop!'. Watch us force feed Chandler one-liners because he's the funny one! Phoebe is SOOOOO kooky, and Joey...he's a well meaning sweet hearted man-whore!
Even worse though is the laugh tracks...very over the top. The laughter doesn't feel that forced on more modern comedies like 'New Girl' or 'How I Met Your Mother'.
One the positive side though...all respect to currently 46-year old Jennifer Aniston, who is aging beautifully, but...good gravy, I forgot what a stone-cold fox 27-28 year old Jennifer Aniston was...and those short, short skirts and short sets they had her wearing all the time...hubba hubba.
Even more impressive/surprising, is Courteney Cox...who is 5 years older than Jennifer, and has aged 5 more years since the show...but dang...there were a few years, like seasons 2-4, where she was just as pretty, if not prettier than, Jennifer Aniston.
And Lisa Kudrow was not bad looking either...
Wow...that's a conversation for another time, I guess.
Anyway...Friends. Watching that first season(might not be 'again'...I'm not sure I watched Season 1 of Friends) is kind of tough. It's like they were trying to stuff these characters down your throat...'Look, Rachel is a spoiled rich girl who doesn't know how to make coffee, but works in a coffee shop!'. Watch us force feed Chandler one-liners because he's the funny one! Phoebe is SOOOOO kooky, and Joey...he's a well meaning sweet hearted man-whore!
Even worse though is the laugh tracks...very over the top. The laughter doesn't feel that forced on more modern comedies like 'New Girl' or 'How I Met Your Mother'.
One the positive side though...all respect to currently 46-year old Jennifer Aniston, who is aging beautifully, but...good gravy, I forgot what a stone-cold fox 27-28 year old Jennifer Aniston was...and those short, short skirts and short sets they had her wearing all the time...hubba hubba.
Even more impressive/surprising, is Courteney Cox...who is 5 years older than Jennifer, and has aged 5 more years since the show...but dang...there were a few years, like seasons 2-4, where she was just as pretty, if not prettier than, Jennifer Aniston.
And Lisa Kudrow was not bad looking either...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)