Winesday Wednesday 6/3/15

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

YASSSS WINE. And all the alcohols.

Seriously, if I wasn’t breastfeeding, I would be doing some serious indulging. You know, to make up for lost time.

But turns out, I love my baby WAY MORE than I love my wine. So that’s good.

Just wanted to check in real quick to A) Let you know that Winesday Wednesday is back, so puh-leeeease send me all your boozy photos. Or tag me in them on social media so I can see them and drool over them (while a baby drools all over me. for different reasons) and B) to share with you my latest fave.

Spirit Hills Honey Winery YeeHaa! Sangria. So basically, it’s sangria made with mead. And it’s SOOOO good. Sweet like sangria, with a smooth honey finish. Mmmm, I could sip on this all day errr-day. I actually bought a bottle of their dandelion wine in August before I found out I was pregnant. Which reminds me, I think it’s still on the wine rack. Must go downstairs and check. Then promptly consume. I will let you know how that goes.

Anyways, so yeah this sangria is thebomb.com and what’s even better is that it’s local to Alberta! I love supporting local and I love supporting local alcohol producers even more. I’m hoping Tyler and I can make it down to their winery sometime soon to check everything out since it’s about an hour south of Calgary.

Speaking of summer drinking (were we speaking of summer drinking? I dunno, but that’s how I’m going to segway into my next drink): Stanley Park Sunsetter Peach Summer Ale.

To my Canadian friends- go buy it. It’s delicious. Even for those of you who aren’t beer people. It’s sweet enough that it’s not beer-y, but not too sweet to detract from the beer. You follow me? Good. Let me know what you think.

K yeah, I need the rain to stop now so that I can go sit on the patio and drink both of these.

To round out this week’s comeback post, I got the following from Michael via instagram:

He said: It’s a chocolate and coffee stout from Michigan aged in oak bourbon barrels for over a year. VERY RARE and VERY GOOD. Chocolate-y and vanilla-y and bourbon-y- just incredible.

Michael, first of all- you had me at chocolate and coffee. Second of all, now that I am also a parent, I can appreciate the toys in the background. 😉

So that’s it for this week! Please tag me in your beer/wine/cocktail photos so that I can share next week!

Hey internet strangers!

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Oh hey there, internet strangers. I almost didn’t want to come back from my one month hiatus, but my iPhone sent me this stupid reminder saying I should probably post something. Boo. (just follow me on Instagram, it’s WAY easier 😉 )

But if you must know the goings-on over here the past few weeks, here’s a summary:

STAMPEDE: Oh my gosh, it was so fun this year. We went to the rodeo, the grandstand, AND I won VIP tickets to the chuckwagon tent where my friend Susie and I indulged in all you can eat/drink/pet (the horses, not each other). I wore boots and drank Bud and split a fried snickers with my mom at one point.

GUESTS: Tyler’s mom and my parents came to stay with us. It was a packed house for the week we were all together, so the staggered parts of the visits were a little bit more sane. Lots of food, wine, and sightseeing type things.

MY BIRTHDAY: I ate poutine.

MANICURE: Got my first shellac and now I’m sold. Only crappy part is that it’s $$. Still a nice little splurge, and I’ve figured out how to cut elsewhere to make this happen.

HONEYMOON: Meh, I guess a roadtrip 2.5 years after you get married isn’t really a honeymoon, but whatever. We took the Mustang on a 12 hours ride through BC to Seattle, then rounded back to Kelowna, BC before heading home. Highlights include:

Beer (holy crap, Seattle has a ton of breweries. And even more holy crap, they’re all so dang HOPPY. I got so many tummy aches from trying so many. Tip: Take the Road Dog Tour if you’re in town.
Seattle Aquarium. Best part: Fur seal scratching his ass for a good 20+ minutes. We watched the entire time. Worst part: not a single sting ray or shark or whale or dolphin.
Seattle Duck Tour: Learned a bit about the history of the city.
Mariners game: Can’t beat a baseball game with $11 tickets.
Public Market: we bought cherries and hot sauce, so….WINNING.
Wine tour via Uncorked in Kelowna: loved the wineries and the WINE, but the driver from the tour guide company was terrible. One of our stops was at a vineyard that won the award for the best white wine IN THE WORLD. So obviously we bought 2 bottles
RauDZ regional table. SO MUCH GOOD FOOD.
Okanagan Distillery: I BOUGHT ABSINTHE. The end.

WHOA. Too many couple pictures. But……#PROOF.We also managed to duck 2 fatal accidents on the BC roads, saw a bear and a bunch of baby Big Horn Sheep.

Hmmmm… what else? Oh yeah, discovered Calgary radio stations are crap and play the same 5 or 6 songs on repeat all the time and managed to finally throw together a new playlist:

Oh man, there is just so much to share now that I’m getting into it. I probably should’ve kept notes because I know I’m totally forgetting about 50% of the last month.

We bottled our wine! 60 bottles….and it’s like….half gone. Ok, ALMOST half gone. Sangria and pinot grigio. PS: everyone come to my house for a drink!

That’s it for now. See you next time (hopefully sooner than a month!)

Winesday Wednesday

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Happy Winesday Wednesday, folks!! Man, these weeks sure do fly by–I feel like I’m always posting alcohol (well, because I AM).

This week, I am gonna share most of the drinks I had while in Chicago. Most all my bevies had me all:

Actually, pretty much all alcohol has that effect on me. Minus the super duper hoppy IPAs. Even then, I’m a sport and will drink it.

OK—here we go!

Fridays beers at the airport: Shock Top and Goose Island’s Green Line Pale Ale

You know, just your standard drink-in-the-airport beers. Helped pass the time. And relax me.

I ordered the Lakeshore when we went to the Signature Lounge. It was a really great drink to have for happy hour- especially when I had jest met up with friends and had an excellent view of the city from 96 stories up! The Lakeshare consisted of Belvedere vodka, sparkling wine and raspberry liqueur. Yum!

Margaritas were had with dinner. It’s pictured in the last post.I really love margaritas. Like, the real ones- not the ones with that yucky sour mix. I could drink them all the days. When our kitchen is done, I’m gonna have a party and make everyone a margie (or 2 or 3 or…)

Ole!

Then there was the terribly strong martini from the piano bar….

And rounding out the evening with a Revolution Brewery Bottoms Up Wit. Delish!

The 3 beers I chose to sample during our bike tour on saturday were:

Three Floyd’s Gumballhead- wheat ale with a tiny bit of citrus. I REALLY liked this one, but majority of the people in our group thought different. Weirdos.
Lagunitas PILS- on the hoppy side, but dang was it super refreshing as a bike-tour stop!
Bell’s Oberon Ale– another summery beer! Wheat ale that was a bit spicy and fruity and delicious all in one! PS: the sample for this one was entirely too small!

Dinner that night was accompanied by a delicious red: Estancia Reserve Meritage. It was PERFECT with our steak dinners. Plus, I’m pretty sure I can drink it on it’s own. I loved this wine!

We also managed to down another bottle. The second was Ramsay Cabernet Sauvignon. This was another good drinking wine that we enjoyed all too easily with conversation at the bar.

Noms.

Some of my other choices for the weekend were more Revolution beers and Goose Island beers- the places we went to had mostly IPA selections, which some times isn’t as appealing to me. Womp.

Ok, so that’s all the cool crap I’ve got to share! I hope maybe this helps for some suggestions 🙂

Michael shared some new stuff, too! He wrote:

So I went to Philadelphia again for the weekend and had some delicious brews and eats. Before going there, however, I had a strong IPA by Maui brewing company called Big Swell. Lots of hop flavor on this one. Good stuff for a Hawaiian made beer. In Philadelphia, my wife and I went to this restaurant with her former college roommate called Sbraga ownedand operated by the Top Chef. I had a Hof Dormaal there with my meal and it was fantastic. It is a strong Belgian blonde ale with hints of banana, clove, and other spices throughout that went perfectly with all of my tasting dishes. We then left and went to Nodding Head brew pub. I got a “Just Annuder Stout” which I wasn’t too impressed with but still decent enough to drink the whole pint. It was more dark chocolate/coffee flavor than I expected but with the addition of lactose sugar (not dissolvable by beer yeast), it was more than tolerable and had a creamy finish. The interesting thing about this brew pub is it is one of the smallest in Pennsylvania, yielding only 7 barrels of beer per year. Helps keep costs and alcohol taxes down I guess! I took a pic of their brewery equipment which I will include with this. What you see is exactly how much equipment they have.

I’m not a big-time lover of stouts, but there are a select few that I really like. I try to avoid getting them at restaurant or bars just in case they ruin a meal! Thanks, Michael!

For your entertainment:

Woman With No Pants Steals Two Boxes of Franzia. Sounds like my nightly college routine.
Easter themed cocktails. Let’s be honest. We’re all too lazy to buy and make this stuff. Prosecco and wine it is!

When I look at myself in the error after I’ve done my makeup (drunk):

How I professed my love (before Tyler):

How I picture all my nights out with friends:

See ya next week! (If you have anything you want to show off in future posts, send them my way!)

Winesday Wednesday

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

**Edited to add some extra goodies to the bottom of the post!**

Funny how now I’m becoming more consistant with Winesday Wednesday posts and nothing else. (Question: what do you like best about this blog? WW posts? Randomness? Should I post more recipes/workouts? WHAT DO YOU WANT, PEOPLE?!!!) Let’s get to it.

So yes, it’s Winesday Wednesday and I have a wonderful vino to share with you:

Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon– an Argentinian wine I found to be very smooth and rather sweet. Sweet as in NOT DRY, but not sweet as in Moscato or Boxed Wine or Candy sweet.

I picked this up Saturday night and only had a small glass, so I’m very glad I have the majority of this bottle to enjoy later. I’m also glad Tyler is still on his beer/rum kick so I can have my wine selections all to myself. This wine was priced at $22 (keep in mind, that’s Canadian prices. I guarantee it’s significantly cheaper in the US…as is everything else) and it’s something I wouldn’t mind purchasing again.

Look at my mom getting all crazy and setting out 2 bottles of wine and 2 glasses. I’m guessing these are probably both just for her.

Just kidding. Maybe. The wine on the left is a pinot grigio from Adirondack Winery which is local to my parents. I already made a mental note to head up there next time I visit. And in case you can’t read my mom’s fabulous wine glasses, they read: “Mommy’s Suppy Cup” and “Serving of Fruit”.

Michael sent some more goodies over to share as well! He wrote:

This passed week I had a few old standbys and some new ones that just came to Maryland. First up is the Limbo IPA by Long Trail. Love this beer and love this brewery. Visited it the day after a friends wedding a few years back and the venue was really close to the brewery so I said why the hell not? Fantastic decision on my part. As IPAs go, this one is more floral but not so much in the way of hop bitterness, making it very drinkable. Second is one of my go-to beers from Maine Beer Company called Peeper. It’s an American pale Ale and is one of their best. Fruity, spicy, hoppy, etc. All of those things work perfectly together to make a well balanced beer. No one thing overpowers another which is excellent. Lastly is the picture you already saw from my excursion to a relatively new alehouse near me. It’s a shame I am moving in a few months to another county because this place is good! Pictured is the Stone Enjoy by 4-20-14 IPA in the snifter and an empty sample of Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale.

Funny story: I used to drive by Long Trail every time I drove to/from my parent’s house to college. Talk about having a brewery in the middle of nowhere! PS: I really want to try that IPA now!

Other things of interest:

Love wine so much, you want to sleep with it? Or at least, sleep in the contraption that houses it? Tray A Wine Barrel Hotel
I forgot to give up anything for lent. This guy didn’t: he gave up everything BUT beer on his Beer Diet for Lent
Summer is right around the corner, so before you slap on the bikini for those sweaty summer months, whip up a batch of Pina Colada Cupcakes.
Want to know where your state ranks in wine consumption? Check it out here. Also, I probably helped NH a bit with all the boxed wine I housed in college.
8 Things Karen Walker Taught Us All. If you don’t know who Karen Walker is…shame. She really educated me on juice boxes.

Recap the Week

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

How was your week/weekend?

Want to know about mine? Of course you do, that’s why you’re here reading this. WELL- here goes:

Monday: I woke up and attempted to get ready for work. I got halfway through straightening my hair and did a big -ol’

– and got back in bed. My cold really hit hard on my energy level and my head felt like it was struck one too many times by a baseball bat. The only productive thing I did all day was successfully watch the entire second season of Downton Abbey under the covers with a giant roll of tp in lieu of kleenex.

Tuesday: I went to work. BOOOOOO. Attempted a run during my lunch break (managed 2.5ish miles?) and went to the Kings of Leon concert.

Wednesday: Umm… nothing? I don’t remember Wednesday, although I believe I hung around Starbucks during my lunch break and apparently ate a burrito for dinner since it’s the only picture on my phone from Wednesday. I also apparently wrote a Winesday Wednesday post. I worked out too, but of course I forget what I did.

Thursday was nice because I took a bath. Yes, I’m at the point in my life where I remember a day based on bathing technique.

I also did a 5k with a neat push/pull upper body workout (in case you’re wondering how much I’m actually working out while recovering from a cold.)

Friday was fun because I wore stretchy pants to work and ate a salad for lunch and the sun was out and I ate pizza for dinner and went to bed really early because I’m old (read: that doesn’t really make a day fun for me. I’m trying to be sarcastic, but I can’t really tell if it’s working).

Saturday: Tyler went in to work for a few hours, so naturally I napped. Until 2pm. HEY, I’m still in recovery OK?! I also managed to get in a sweaty 60 minute workout, go to Home Depot and buy a sink (hashtag marriedpeopleproblems) and swing buy the ol’ second home (liquor store) for a bottle of wine.

Today (sunday) I ate bacon then went SHOPPING. I haven’t been to the mall in forever, and 3 hours there really did me in. I did manage to find 2 pair of jeans (ok, one might be jeggings), a top, and a workout tank. PS: I bought one pair of jeans from American Eagle— a store I haven’t been in in over 10 years and actually wound up buying a pair that were a size smaller than what I used to get in high school. So that’s cool, right? Also, apparently jean jackets are coming back and now I’m mad at the infinity pairs I’ve given away over the years.