Furthest North IPA

Furthest North IPA

As a surprise contrubution to the Thankstoberfestoween holiday my littlest brother brought 12 bottles of home brewed beer from his "brewery" in Coldfoot Alaska! Isn't that amazing? Coors and their Rocky Mountain water can kiss my keister. This beer was brewed with pure "north of the arctic circle" Alaskan Brooks Range water! Way better.  Anyway he brought two different kinds, a Belgian wheat beer and an IPA (which we decided to call Furthest North IPA).
And they were both delicious! I don't mean that they were "good" or "ok" or "really good for home brewed beer", I mean they were awesome! At least I thought so. And I was equally amazed that they all survived the trip from the far north to my house. I was totally impressed.
Here is a photo of our delish and exclusive Thankstoberfestoween beer!

Thankstoberfestoween Recap

Thankstoberfestoween was a complete success! We cooked (well, mostly mom did), decorated, ate, watched movies, and ate some more. About the only thing I made was the turkey. It was my first attempt at doing so (usually someone else does it). Except for the fact that I cooked it upside down by accident and it looked awful when I flipped it back over, it was pretty good. The photo below is the best picture I have of it because it was still in the bag. It's funny because the first time I cooked a chicken I did the same thing. Anyway there was tons of vegan food that my mom made, and a variety of turkey hats, some home sewn, some bought, and some made out of construction paper were worn. I made headband my mom is wearing and she made the one I am wearing;) The top hat was made by my brother's girlfriend out of an old tie and feather boa. And my vegan brother is ironically the one wearing the cooked turkey hat (that he bought online). LOL.
We sampled some awesome brews (see next blog) brought especially to us all the way from Alaska and went on a pub crawl through downtown to finish the night off! It was super fun, and I can't wait till next year! Here are a few photos of the festivities!

The World Series

I am not a baseball fan. But when I saw that the Tigers were playing San Francisco, I became a little intrigued. I still loosely cheer for the "home" teams, which include the Tigers and the Lions (when they aren't playing us or leading our division), and the Red Wings.
Anyway, I didn't watch the first three games, but I did wear my "Detroit" t-shirt (that I picked up at the airport a couple years ago) in support of the team. As you can imagine there are not a lot of Tigers fans out this way. I only saw one little boy walking home from school in a Tigers jersey.
By the time the fourth game started, I realized that the Tigers probably weren't going to win it. But I was hoping they would at least win one of the games for the Tigers faithful. Especially since they were in Detroit and it was freezing and raining.
Don't ask me what went wrong, or who is to blame, because I have no idea. I just wanted the Tigers to win one. But alas it wasn't meant to be.

Packers Weeks 7 and 8

I know I have been lax in my posting about the games, but I have had a really busy couple weeks and, to be honest, the games really haven't been that great.
This week was especially terrible mostly because of all the guys that were injured. No Jordy, or Kuhn, or Jennings, or Nick Perry and Woodson broke his collar bone again...great.
Rodgers had a pretty awful game. I'm not too worried about it because I know he is a much better player than that. But I think it was just an off week for him. We all have them.
I was happy to see Driver get some play. He's so awesome! And I love how loud the Green Bay fans cheered for him. He's been a great football player, and from what I've read he's an even better person. Plus he has the best smile ever. You just can't be bummed out when looking at a picture of Donald Driver smiling. It's impossible;)
Special teams made a great play (and then almost lost it by trying to pick it up instead of securing it and going to the ground) and that probably was the difference between us winning and loosing that game. The last time the Pack blocked a punt for a touchdown was in...like 1990 or something. So it was pretty great to watch, despite the fact that I was annoyed that they just didn't fall on it.
I still feel like there is a Bermuda Triangle effect happening to our defense in the middle of the field between the LB's and Secondary. I don't know if it's just that the guys out there don't understand what they are doing, or if Capers is making them play differently. It's weird.
And I don't know why they aren't using the tight ends (or fullback when Kuhn is healthy) to block so Rodgers has more time to get a couple big passes down field. If I was McCarthy I'd be dialing that up every three plays. Have Kuhn, or Cobb, or Crabtree or someone extra to help out the O-line, and give the receivers a little more time to get down field.
I kind of feel like the last two games were pretty much the same, i.e. not so great. They have almost been more stressful than fun to watch, and it's just so mysterious to me why we are struggling for every win. Maybe I was just spoiled last year with all our success.
Anyway, I am hoping we have a good game against the Cards next week. If we can just make it to the bye without anyone else getting hurt, I think the Pack can come back and have a great second half of the season.

A Packers Story

My new Packers bracelet!

Last Sunday my BF and I donned out Packers gear and headed for a quick walk around the outdoor market we have every Sunday morning downtown. I had my Charles Woodson jersey on, he had his Aaron Rodgers one on so we had both the offense and defense covered.
Anyway, we were just heading into the market when we heard a honk and a "Go Packers!" We turned and saw a man, and a little girl in an SUV giving a thumbs up. We smiled and waved back. (I love it when we meet fellow fans.)
We continued into the market, and as I was perusing a fruit called ju-ju- beans (or something like that), the same man walked up with his daughter and said she had something she wanted to give me. She was probably about 9 years old, and kind of shy, but she handed me a green and yellow rubber bracelet that says "GO PACK" in big black letters! It was so cute, and such a sweet gesture!
I was so surprised and was immediately smiling from ear to ear as I thanked her for it. I felt like I won the lottery! It turns out they weren't even on their way to the market, but decided to park and find us so she could give me the bracelet anyway. Isn't that the cutest thing you've EVER heard? It totally made my day! I'm still wearing it even now.
I don't care what anyone else thinks, I know Packers fans are the BEST!

A Perfect Fall Day!

Last weekend my Sweetie and I went to San Martin to visit a farm that had a pumpkin patch, a real life corn maze, pumpkin competition, and a bunch of other stuff. It was SO fun! Here are a couple photos from our awesome Autumn adventure;)

Week 6: Packers vs. Texans

AR to critics: "Shhhhhh".

We did it! We won! And Rodgers got six, count 'em six touchdowns (tying Matt Flynn's record from last year.)! Our offense is back! Wheew. I knew they had it in them!
The defense had a pretty good game too. My only concerns there are the multiple injuries we sustained and the difficulty we had holding Houston on third down. But really, the defense really showed up and had a great game! And the back up guys really did a spectacular job.  But let me start at the beginning.
First of all, I thought the play-calling was great on McCarthy's part. I also thought Rodgers had a good game.  He seemed a little fired up, who knows why, but it was really exciting to see some life in the offense. He missed a few throws, but he wasn't intercepted. That one pass to Jordy in the end zone looked like a bullet, and the offensive line did a nice job. Saturday, Lang, all the front guys really gave Rodgers time to get the ball down field. It was a beautiful thing to see. I thought the backs Green and Kuhn did a nice job blocking up front as well (something I think McCarthy should do more often), and Green had a few 9 yard runs that were nice to see. He was able to keep the pass/run balance in check, which is exactly what we needed to get those big plays down the field. It was exciting to see James Starks back on the field too, even if it was limited.

I'm still not liking Jermichael Finley's play. He is dropping too many balls, and being too much of a diva outside the locker room (complaining about not being targeted enough etc.) and I don't like it. He is the only person on offense right now I have a bad feeling about. And those instincts are ones I trust. I don't think he is the right personality for the Packers, and I don't think we should keep him next year. Cobb had a great game. I am glad to see him making good decisions on punt returns, and making plays on offense. I think he's settled down a little since last year, and he appears to be becoming a true professional. Jordy had a great game, and pulled in some great passes, and James Jones had an outstanding catch for a TD (one handed and around the defensive player!) and a nice grab on the sideline too. I can't say enough about how much he has improved this year. The last couple years I've not liked his inconsistency and lack of dependability, but he's had a complete turn around this year, and I really think this could be his break out year. I hope so! Even Tom Crabtree got a TD! It was a great play call, and I am glad he got to see some action other than blocking. Over all the offense was just great. Sure the Texans had a ton of penalties that helped us out, but even if you don't count those, the offense still had a much better game than last week, especially protecting Rodgers.

AJ Hawk bringing the pressure!

Onto the defense. They started out strong,and finished strong, with just a slight decrease in the middle due to injuries. I know they had to adjust because Raji was out, so Pickett moved to nose tackle, and then they shifted other guys around, and so taking that into consideration, I am actually really pleased with the level of play. I would have liked to see a little stronger pass rush, but it was still pretty great. Three sacks on Schaub was great. I loved the one that A.J. Hawk got!
I think Tramon Williams did a good job considering he was matched up with Andre Johnson. And all the guys that had to fill in, McMillian, Hayward, Bush, made some great plays on the ball. Hayward really showed up. They just really did a nice job. The whole team did.
They came together as a team and found their motivation I guess, and not a moment too soon. I'm not sure what happened last week in practice, and will probably never know, but who cares?!? They really got it together and played like I knew they could!!! And what did I say last week? If they just did that, they were sure to win! And they did! Hooray!
In the post-game interview Michelle Tafoya asked Rodgers what he had to say to all the critics after coming up with such a big win. His answer? "Shhhhhh." I was laughing so hard! Good one ARod! Just another reason why I think he's such a great QB, he is hilarious! On a more serious note, I'm glad he's not worried about the team. And I'm glad that he seems to have not been too worried about it last week when I was freaking out (a little) either. That's the true sign of a leader.
Anyway, it was a wonderful Sunday of football (finally) and a wonderful game, and for the first time this season I feel like the Pack is truly back!

Blame it on the Rain

First rainy morning on my patio of the season!

Despite the fact that I've already had a couple challenging moments this morning, I am in a fairly good mood. This is surprising since my modus operandi when confronted with a "problem" is to dwell on it obsessively and clench my jaw until I have a headache. But not so today. Despite my frustration I am actually feeling pretty good. I think it's because it rained this morning for the first time in....oh geez, months for sure! It was a light barely-there rain, but it still rained, and it was lovely and cool and invigorating. And I believe it soothed my brain just enough to keep my chin up. It's the first day of rain...yay!

Glass Pumpkin Patch

I went to the glass pumpkin patch sale last weekend at the high school. I try to go every year despite the fact that I can't afford to buy anything there, not even the smallest little one. They are beautiful but so expensive. And then where on earth would I store them when it wasn't Autumn? Still I love to go and look, and take pictures of all the ones I would have bought if I were rich, and lived in a giant house with lots of closets. If glass pumpkins don't get you in the mood for fall, I don't know what will. Here are a few photos of some of the prettier ones to inspire you!

Dinner Party Success!

I had my Leif Erickson soiree last night, and it went off without a hitch! It was super fun! I really like making up new recipes and trying things out. And I was finally able to use my little amuse bouche dishes I got from my mom from France 3 or 4 years ago! For those of you who don't know what amuse bouche dishes are (I certainly did not before I got them) they are little single appetizer dishes, and they come in all shapes and sizes (see the white dishes below). The food came out pretty well (see above for menu, and below for photos). My idea with the food was a more sophisticated version of classic "bar" food, (i.e., wings, pretzels, hot dogs, etc.) since we were drinking beer. And we tried a bunch or really neat beers too. The most unusual was called Saison de Buff, and it was made with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. And boy could you taste it! It wasn't something I'd drink a bottle of, but the small glass I had paired well with my cheese appetizer, and I bet it would be great for cooking.
We also tried a couple pumpkin ales, and a few other seasonal beers. It's clear why they are considered fall brews. They were all of the darker variety, and nutty, with hits of fall spices, and even a little smokiness. I generally prefer IPA's, but it was nice to change things up a bit. And I have a couple extra bottles left over that I am going to save for Thankstoberfestoween! Hooray!

We ate, and drank, and even watched a History Channel documentary about Leif Erickson! All in all it was a really fun night, and a nice first ever Leif Erickson Day celebration!
Here are some photo's from the "party" (lol, there were really only three of us, my mom, my friend Kelly and I.)

Ambiance

The Menu

My pumpkin patch!

Da Beers.

A nice pair.

Pretzels and Honey/Thyme Brie dip

Cheers!

Cheezy

Thanksgiving meatballs and gravy.

Learning about Leif 

Buffalo pinwheels on cole slaw

Hot Dogs!!!

Chicago style;)

Bad picture but delicious Pumpkin Soup!

Cinnamon roll and home made grapefruit sorbet/ice cream.