Adaptable Oatmeal

You might have noticed: oatmeal is infinitely adaptable.  It takes to nearly any flavor you throw at it.  Since I dislike eating the same thing for breakfast every day, oatmeal offers the opportunity to keep my breakfast fresh and delicious.  And when you use a package of instant oatmeal (or some old-fashioned or steel-cut oats you prepared and have stored in the refrigerator, ready to be reheated each morning), it's so darn easy to heat and add ingredients in.  Here are some of my recent favorite combinations:

With almond milk, raspberries, strawberries, slivered almonds, chia seeds, and cocoa nibs.

With coconut milk, blueberries, peaches, cardamom, and dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds.

With coconut milk, roasted peanuts, banana, cocoa nibs, and dark chocolate peanut butter 

(aka heaven in a jar).

With dark chocolate peanut butter, bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon.

With coconut milk, strawberry-chia seed jam, banana slices, slivered almonds, and coconut flakes.

With pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and raspberries.

What is your favorite way to enjoy oatmeal?

The Brief Return of Summer

I may be a little late in the season to bring up all the fruit beers I tried this year.  It's fall, after all.  The time of falling leaves, apples, spice, and all things pumpkin.  And I do mean all things.  I'm determined to make as many pumpkin things as possible this year.  In life, though, it's not exactly acceptable to waste beer, so I translating that into the blog world - it is not acceptable to waste the opportunity to talk about beer, even if it is out of season.

Besides, it's almost 80 degrees Farenheit outside today, complete with sunshine and cloudless blue skies. It just looks like summer, and I am going into fall and winter with a bit of a fuss. I'm not ready to hunker down and bundle up for 6-7 months.

I tried quite a variety of beers made with fruit flavors this past summer. I claimed it was for this blog, but you know it was really because I wanted to taste something new. Or drink some beer.  Both, probably. I won't apologize.

Kennebunk Brewing Company's
Blueberry Wheat Ale

Deep golden color
Moderate blueberry flavor

This brew was refreshing and delicious, one I'd come back to next summer. The blueberry flavor is noticeable but not overpowering.  More importantly, it is a realistic blueberry flavor and not overly sweet or cloying like artificial flavoring.

Dark Horse Brewing Company's
Raspberry Ale

Mild raspberry flavor, though more distinctively raspberry than most others of this flavor

A little too sweet overall to become a personal favorite, this is still a delicious brew and distinctively raspberry in flavor.

Ass Kisser's
Strawberry Wit

Pale blonde color
Very mild (or almost non-existent) strawberry flavor

Seeing this beer mentioned on the amazing blog, The Beeroness, I was excited to try it. I'd seen only one other example of a strawberry beer (Abita's Strawberry Lager), and had high hopes with a nod from a beer lover I respected.  Sadly, my hopes were dashed.  I couldn't detect any noticeable strawberry flavor, and the wit beer itself wasn't as good as I expected.  Oh well, you taste and you learn. I love the bottle, though!

Our New Mermaid Friend

My roommate couldn't resist this charming cast iron bottle opener.  She asserts it must make her some kind of college frat boy, but I doubt they'd got for a charming mermaid bottle opener.

Abita's
Satsuma Harvest Ale

Pale golden color
Mild citrus flavor

I've enjoyed many of Abita's other brews, but had never tasted Satsuma Harvest Ale.  It was lovely, very refreshing with a distinct citrus taste and a very mild sweetness to distinguish it from the citrus-pine flavor of some types of hops.  Though it wasn't memorable enough to become an instant favorite, I wouldn't turn down a glass if offered.

21st Amendment Brewery's
Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

Pale and cloudy golden color
Strong watermelon flavor

This is one of my favorite summer beers, and one of the best gambles I took on a brewery I'd never heard of before.  Your first few sips will overwhelm you with a distinct and somewhat sweet watermelon flavor.  But stay the course! After those first sips, the watermelon flavor settles into the background, transmuting into a refreshing wheat beer that epitomizes summer.  As a wheat beer, it does have a bit more oomph than a pilsner or lager, but this particular beer remains light overall, so you'll reach for one on even the hottest of summer days. I'll definitely be snatching up the first six pack I see next summer.

Shiner's
Ruby Redbird

Golden and pale amber in color
Moderate citrus taste, with just the occasional hint of spiciness from ginger

Upon seeing this in the store, I couldn't resist.  Ruby red grapefruit and fresh ginger flavor this summer seasonal from Shiner.  Though the citrus flavor isn't distinctively grapefruit, it's pleasant and not bitter. It's as if the sweeter aspect of a grapefruit was used here.  I could taste fresh ginger as a muddled and mild spicy warmth only once in awhile, which is disappointing as I love fresh ginger.  Overall, a nice beer for the summer and one I'll pick up again next summer, though it won't be my primary drink.

Buffalo Bill's
Strawberry Blonde Ale

Rich golden color
Mild strawberry flavor

In the wake of my excessive excitement and subsequent disappointment over Ass Kisser's Strawberry Wit, I stumbled across this beer in the store.  Seeking to give strawberry brews another chance, I have to say I'm more pleased with this example of a blonde ale...though there still isn't much of a strong or distinctive strawberry flavor. This brew also lacks any hint of the fresh ginger it claims to use, but I think I would've been more put off had I tasted it.  The ale itself is quite nice to drink, as long as you aren't expecting a fruit flavor.

Abita's
Strawberry Harvest Lager

Pale golden color
Mild strawberry taste

Let's make it three for strawberry beers!  This was refreshing and delicious, but, alas, I am still unable to taste a distinct strawberry flavor.  Like Abita's Satsuma Harvest Lager, I'd be quite happy to drink this again.  I'd even purchase a six pack next summer.  Since I have a few left from this year, though, I might try a strawberry and beer lemonade out, inspired by a recipe from The Beeroness.

Magic Hat's
Elder Betty

Crisp gold color
Very mild berry flavor

Magic Hat flavored their lager with elderberry juice, with is a very delicate, slightly tart berry flavor.   While I found this brew refreshing and crisp, I couldn't discern much of any berry or tart flavor.  Perhaps elderberries are just too subtle?

Rivertown Brewing Company's
Blueberry Lager

Pale golden color
Bright blueberry flavor without being sweet

This was the biggest surprise of the bunch. As much as I love Rivertown Brewing Co. (it's local and has a few delicious brews), I've grown wary of buying a new brew without tasting it first. So I considered buying the Blueberry Lager multiple times before relenting and going for it. What a shock! Delightfully crisp and refreshing, light, and full of distinctive and strong blueberry flavor. Without being overly sweet! This is one I will return to each year, though I'd guess a single six pack will satiate my cravings for another year.

To be fair to fall, I've undertaken the duty of testing a variety of pumpkin ales.  My report is coming soon...

Succumb to the Pumpkin Frenzy

I tried to resist the temptation of pumpkin until October.  I really tried. Okay, I didn't try all that hard after a week of seeing amazing pumpkin recipes and having pumpkin-laced everything shoved in my face by stores. Pumpkin, I love you and welcome you back with open arms. We're going to have an intense relationship through at least February. 

So on what would have been my last day of pumpkin resistance, I'm sharing the ways I've given up to pumpkin before October 1st.

Pumpkin Spice Tea from The Republic of Tea

My favorite brand of tea struck hard and fast with this product.  Black tea with pumpkin flavor and warming spices.  Even though the pumpkin flavor is subtle (and I'm quite content with a strong punch of pumpkin), the spice flavor and warmth of tea make this a quick autumnal favorite.

Pumpkin Ale Tasting at The Party Source

We've been loving the various Burgers and Beers tasting events all summer long. It's an inexpensive and fun change from the normal weeknight routine.  We sit on the patio of The Party Source, tasting several beers and devouring a gourmet hamburger with an ever-changing set of hamburger accouterments.

Last night's B&B was Pumpkin Ales. I'd been looking forward to it for months, since I initially read over the schedule.  And it didn't disappoint in the slightest.  

Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road was served with orange flavored, vodka-infused whipped cream. My first exposure to the vodka-infused whipped cream...and not bad. And since my roommate won a can of the whipped cream, I'm looking forward to using it on waffles, crepes, and hot chocolate. Yes, please!  

St. Ambroise, from Canada, had previously been one of my favorite pumpkin ales, along with Buffalo Bill Brewery's.  They're both ales with a good amount of spice and a definite hint of pumpkin. But as I said before, I'd rather be walloped with pumpkin, so my new favorites are O'Fallon Brewery's pumpkin ale and Schlafly Brewery's pumpkin ale, both from Missouri.  

My newly crowned number one pumpkin ale?  Southern Tier's Pumking.  With a strong, definitive pumpkin taste and a lighter dose of spices, this is my favorite. The aftertaste is almost sweet and very mildly earthy and there aren't any molasses flavors.  Don't get me wrong, I love molasses and caramel notes in brews, but here pumpkin is king. (ha, see what I did there?)

I loved Pumking so much, I bought a growler of it. Delight in a jug, I say. Check out their website for more specific info on Pumpking . 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bake one of the six pumpkin recipes I've earmarked.  It's Brittany's Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Soon to be followed by chai-iced pumpkin cookies, homemade pumpkin spice lattes (I very much did a dance of joy when I saw this recipe. Real pumpkin in my coffee??? Yes!), sweet-and-savory pumpkin bites with sage, and pumpkin milkshakes.  Oh, so much pumpkin to eat, so little time!!!

What's your favorite pumpkin recipe?

List Love: New(ish) Things

I may or may not shop a bit too much. Here are some of my more recent purchases that I absolutely love:

1)  Cuisinart Immersion Blender in Tangerine
It was on clearance, and I'd wanted one for awhile.  Since it was still wintry soup making season, I went for it.  It's first task was to make the most luscious gravy (a la Nigella Lawson) from caramelized onions, sherry, and reduced beef broth.  While it has pureed some soups, it's used a few times each week for a smoothie in the morning.  My favorite use, though, was to make a pumpkin milkshake--vanilla ice cream, milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and graham cracker crumbs!  Bonus: it's way easier to clean than my clunky blender.

2)  A Lovely Assortment of Bowls from Anthropologie
While I love the boho chic style of Anthropologie, I've never bought any of their clothes (not a style I can pull off and a bit out of my price range).  I have, however, purchased plenty of cookwares. And a macaron cookbook, since I'm determined to master the art of Parisian macaron making!  Using them or even just looking at them on the shelf makes me feel so creative and elegant, which, I realize is an odd juxtaposition. But they do.

3)  Sephora Collection Be You Lip Stain
Orange is one of my favorite colors, so you can guess how excited I was by Sephora's collaboration with Panetone that named tangerine to be the color of the year.  This lip stain goes on like a gloss, but the pH matching pigments in it create the perfect coral color for your individual lips.  Normally, these self-adjusting cosmetics fail miserably...but this one is perfect, at least for me. It's bolder than I would typically wear, but it is such a lovely coral, I can't resist breaking it out this season.

4) Bandha Criss-Cross Sandals from Patagonia
I'm a Patagonia addict...now expanding into their shoe collection.  I took a major risk and wore them for the first time on my trip to Puerto Rico.  They were amazing! I wore them each day and my feet never hurt once. They have support in the sole from a metal shank, so walking around all day was painless (unlike my stylish and comfortable super thin soled sandals that leave my feet and calves screaming).  I already want them in blue...

5)  Annie Chung's Gochujang Sauce 
The new "it" condiment, if foodie sites and magazines are to believed.  After tasting it, I have to agree.  Mixed with ketchup, it's a delightful change from my curry-ketchup combo for sweet potato oven fries.  Added to ground beef (with plenty of other spices), it made delicious burgers. It's savory and slightly spicy, but different from either soy sauce, sambal oelek (Thai chili paste), or sriarcha.

6)  The Sweet Life in Paris by David Leibovitz
I know I'm behind the times, but I read this book for the first time and loved it. Like laugh out loud and make Eric read that sentence loved it.  It's a quick read, but witty and insightful and fun. Plus you get a recipe with each chapter! You know I'll be trying some of those very soon.

7)  Chia Seeds from Nativas Naturals
Another newly popular food item, chia seeds look like a flattened poppy seed.  But they're packed with nutrients, like iron, minerals, and omega 3's.  I add them to smoothies (I like the mild crunch they add in), oatmeal, or muffins and quick breads. I am obsessed with this chia pudding recipe from the blog Running to the Kitchen; the chia seeds swell after absorbing liquid overnight, so that it's like a healthy tapioca pudding. It's made my breakfast rotation at least once a week!  I'm looking forward to trying another recipe for that blog for chia-strawberry power muffins.

8)  Oiselle's Simplicity Tank and Patagonia's Nouli Tank
With my newly discovered passion for spinning classes, I realized I need to wear moisture-wicking clothing if I didn't want to soak through my usual cotton workout t-shirt.  These two tanks are my favorite to wear to spin class--they're incredibly comfortable (and longer than usual sweat-wicking tees!), flattering, sweat-wicking, and make me feel like a rockstar. Since I've been adhering to my cotton tee and soccer or running shorts ensemble for years, wearing a more fitted top made with performance material feels strange...but I admit I'm becoming a fan. I wouldn't be surprised if those white cotton tee's made their way to the back of the dresser drawer.

Patagonia Nouli Tank

Oiselle Simplicity Tank

9)  Saucony Triumph
Sticking with the exercise theme, these are my new shoes.  There's nothing like new shoes to reignite my desire to workout.  The sole is updated from the previous Triumph (incarnation number ?) and feels a bit different, but it's still the shoe for me.

10)  Ben and Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt
Uh, genius! Why didn't we do this before?  It's two things I adore--Greek yogurt and ice cream!  I've only tried the strawberry shortcake flavor (strawberry Greek fro-yo with shortcake pieces and strawberry chunks) so far, but don't worry, I'll be sure to check out all the other flavors in no time.