Tie One On Tuesday!

 Happy Fall everyone! I can't believe that it is officially here at 8:09pm Pacific Standard Time-that is cause for celebration. What better way to celebrate than with a tasty autumn beer.

Now, I know a lot of people don't like fruity or flavored beers but Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is exceptional.Tastes of pumpkin and hints of brown sugar make this beer more like a pumpkin pie than something you find at a keg party on a Friday night. This beer can be a bit too sweet for some but pairing it with some salty goodness balances out the flavors and gets your savory and sweet on.

A lot of people really put down Samuel Adams, saying that it's too commercial or that the owner and his commercials are so annoying (okay, the latter might have been just me) but the Samuel Adams Octoberfest is a wonderful blend of toffee and honey roasted nuts. It's a very easy to drink lager that has just the right bite that will leave you begging for more.

Rogue Mocha Porter is dark, thick and tasty. It's like an wonderful cup of coffee with a nice alcohol taste. Although is smells very hoppy, it goes down as smooth as a Barry White song in the back of a Camero. It starts off with a sweet smokey taste and ends with a little bit of a tingly tart taste....just like the back of a Camero.

As the days get shorter, your thirst gets bigger. These are just a few little treats to wet your whistle. Check out your local breweries to see what seasonal beverages they have on tap, you may find a new favorite.

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

Oh Ms. Lola. Did you know that you have my heart?

And did you know that we have pretty much the same smile and the same keen fashion sense?

Help me Rhonda! The leg is killing me....

You can get a little bit crazy



But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tie One On Tuesday!

It's that time of year again. Time to get out your lederhosen, wash that 22 ounce stein and brush up on your polka moves. It's Oktoberfest! So, tune up your air accordion and let's celebrate.

I don't think I need to tell you that the drink of choice during Oktoberfest is beer, but let's say beer isn't your thing but you still want to partake in the Polka line dancing. Well, this liquid courage is right up your ally. A Black Forest cocktail is so yummy! You could drink it for dessert, or breakfast, or before that big Alpine horn solo.

Black Forest Cocktail
1 oz creme de cacao1 oz cherry liqueur
1 oz cream

Shake ingredients together and pour into glass. Add a little more cream as a floater, then add a cherry.


Still need a little courage do to that chicken dance, well look no further than a German Chocolate Cake Shot
People swear this taste just like the real thing. I think the lime part might have been thought up on a dare.

German Chocolate Cake Shot
1 oounce vodka
1 ounce Frangelico
1 slice lime
1 tsp of sugar
Put 1 shot vodka and 1 shot Frangelico into a  glass. Dip slice of lime in sugar. Bite into lime and while holding the juice in your mouth, shoo tFrangelico and vodka shot. Drink it all down at one time.
Someone please let me know how this goes for you, I'm dying to know.

Finally, the drink that was named after a drunken "accidental" pinch of Helga's cheeks-and I think you know which ones I'm talking about

The Angry German
 1 part Ameretto
1 part Blackberry Liquer
2 parts fresh lime juice
Crush ice
1 dash salt
1 part Jagermeister
Mix together with crushed ice in a glass and garnish with mint leaves

 Okay my little Hansel and Gretel, tip back a few of these little concoctions, dust off your fondue pot, and get your yodeling voice primed and ready.I hear there is an opening for the first chair in the Oompah pah band. Until next time my little Hassenfeffers!

The Leading Man

I've felt under the weather the past couple of days and although a 102 degree fever is not fun, catching up on my favorite movies from one of my favorite actors is a blast.

I adore William Powell. I have mentioned him several times with love for the Thin Man movies but he starred in others that were equally great.

The Great Ziegfeld showcases Powell as a the wonderful Flor Ziegfeld, the famed producer of the over the top stage shows. The story tells the rags to riches to rags life of Ziegfeld. The music scenes are beautiful displays in filmography. The movie won three Oscars, including Best Dance and Best Leading Lady.

Love Crazy is a fun little romp with Powell. He stars with Myrna Loy as a couple celebrating their fourth anniversary. After a series of misunderstanding, the couple splits. William just can't live without Myrna and decides to get her back. He will do anything, including acting insane to win back his bride. This film has all the chemistry that Powell and Loy have together. If you love the Thin Man series, this is not one to be missed.

We see Powell reprise his role as Ziegfeld, even if it's only for a few minutes, in Ziegfeld Follies. This film showcases some of Ziegfeld's greatest finds such as Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. It's a wonderful musical history of Ziegfeld. The scenery is a star in itself.

William Powell was a magnificent actor who started his career during the silent movie era and gained even more success when talkies were invented. His personal as well as professional life proved to be an amazing story filled with beautiful leading ladies such as Jean Harlow and Carol Lombard. I have yet to see a bad movie from him. He was sophisticated, suave and his sense of humor brilliant, what more could you ask for in a leading man?

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

As you all know, I am a huge fan of the terrier, specifically Jack Russel Terrier. They are compact little bundles of evil wrapped up in cute furry coats. I mean this in the most sincere form of love. My girls know they are beast but one flash of those big brown eyes or one wrinkle of the nose and that's it, I am putty in their paws.

When I read about this wonderful rescue on the Terrierman blog, I knew I had to pass along the cause. Cold Noses, Warm Hearts is a wonderful book about not only terriers but other little furry monsters that have taken over our hearts. The profits from this book go to Russell Rescue and I'm not talking about a measly 10% of the profits but a whopping 100% goes to  the rescue. You heard me right,100%! How did they do that? Well, two very awesome people ponied up the cash for printing so the rescue can get all the proceeds. Isn't that amazing?
Here's the deal. The book is only 11.95 and right now they are offering free shipping in the United States. Seriously-11.95 goes into rescuing a silly little Jack Russell. C'mon! You can afford 11.95! Buy a couple of them and give them as gifts. You will be doing a great service. Lola, Jujube and even Pete will be forever in your debt and if you are lucky, smack a kiss on you.

So, do your part to help a rescue animal. Even if it's not this book, check out other rescues and see how your donation can help.

Salivating Saturday (A Day Late)

I know this is a day late but I was under the weather yesterday and couldn't post. I didn't want anyone to miss out on this recipe so I decided to post it today. 

WARNING! If you are not a meat eater, stop reading this now. If you do indulge in the some meat eating action read on.

Today's recipe is brought to you by OMP.

Walter’s Good Burgers

 These are named after my favorite character from the Big Lebowski – Walter Sobchak and the famous line from Donny where he says – “Those are good burgers Walter.”

There really isn’t much measuring involved with this recipe. I pretty much put in the amounts I feel look right. If you want to add more cheese? Then more cheese! Bacon? Pile it on.

Okay, here goes.

Ingredients:

1 pound of lean Hamburger (or enough for 3 or 4 good size patties).

Cheddar Cheese

Bacon (usually three or four pieces)

Worcestershire sauce

Garlic powder

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Drop your hamburger into a large mixing bowl. With this recipe I like to use the good stuff (93% fat free). You don’t want a lot of flare-ups on the grill with these babies!

Cook your bacon until it is nice and crispy. Pad oil off of and crumple up into a large mixing bowl w/raw burger

Shred your cheese and add that to the mix

I usually do three or four shakes from the Worcestershire bottle into the mix

Few shakes of the Garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Now – get your fingers in there and mix it all up real well. You want the cheese and bacon incorporated with the burger.

Pat out your burgers and get ready to grill! Heat it up and throw them on.

The trick to making sure these are done? Watch the cheese in the mix. If it is getting liquidy and bubbling up, then it is time to flip. The same can be said about after the flip. Look for that cheesy goodness bubbling up out of the burger (mixed in with those delicious juices). Throw it on a bun, condimentize it and enjoy!

Feel Good Friday!

 When I grow up print by stephaniecorfee

We made it to Friday! Yahoo! No bones broken, no teeth chipped, no people to bail out of jail (man, I've been at work for too long this week). So it's time to kick back and relax. The weekend is upon us and we can enjoy the crisp weather tickling our noses.

Remember earlier this week when I told you I was going to mix things up a little on the blog. Well, Feel Good Friday is no exception. I am a HUGE fan of themes! So, I thought-why don't I make Fridays still feel good but with a different theme every week. Here is the first of many Feel Good Friday Theme Parties...Enjoy!

PS-See if you can guess the theme....

This is like a page out of my middle school diary. 

Stephanie Tillman is hysterical. She takes cute little animals and gives them crass personalities. The title of this piece is Middle School. If you like her stuff, she has an etsy shop-check it out!

When I was a kid, I wish my mom would have made me a lunch like this. I got a ham and mustard sandwich every day for a whole school year. I made the mistake of telling her that I liked ham and mustard.Every day....for a whole school year....ham and mustard....yes, I am serious. The good news is, you don't have to burn your kids out on the same old boring lunches, Just Bento has great recipes, the cutest products ever and great ideas on spicing up a boxed lunch.

As you know, I live in the Pacific Northwest where 6-9 months out of the year it is gray and rainy. I am always looking for a bag to brighten up those gray days and make me look super cute. This amazing green bag is perfect for books, laptops, extra set of clothes. The best part about it? It's affordable! Check out The Leather Store on Etsy for some beautiful bags at great prices.

I'm wondering if I can teach my little ones to read.  Knowing those monsters, they would check out books that were not age appropriate.

Are you feeling good? Feeling like you could conquer the world with cute bags and bentos? Well, get your sizzle on you little pieces of bacon! Have a fab weekend! Don't study or work too hard!

In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back.