I’d Like to Eat: And Drink These Beers

July 16, 2015August 23, 2015Leave a comment

The top shelf of our fridge. There is no beer in the Nemo sippy cup I swear!

This summer has been a hot one and what better way to cool off than some yummy summertime brews. This is when we enjoy the crisper and lighter weight beer options with a penchant for pale ales, radlers, pilsners, and my favorite – IPAs. I find that these are great to bring along with you on outdoor adventures where a refreshing beverage will be appreciated Here is list of a few of our favorites thus far this summer…

Stiegl Radler – A grapefruit based beverage that is very bubbly and crisp. Part juice. Part beer. All good.

Ginger-Lemon Radler – Boulevard Brewing, zesty with a wonderful ginger bite.

Not Your Father’s Root Beer – The name says it all. I think I will try this on vanilla ice cream.

Twain’s Berry Tart – Visit this Decatur, Georgia based brewery and try this not too sweet balanced treat.

Terrapin Recreation Ale – A summer session ale that packs great flavor that pairs well with anything served at a BBQ. It comes in a can so it is perfect for the pool and beach!

Prince of Pilsen – Three Taverns does it again with this Eurostyle Pilsner. Good intro for craft beer noobs.

Glimmerglass – Ommegang consistently delivers and this one is another winner. If you have never tried a Saison/Farmhouse Ale start with this one.

As you can tell from the photo above we have a few beers waiting to be loved in our fridge. Find out what I think about them by following me on Twitter @mpinkelton, or by friending me on the most marvelous beer app around Untappd.

Don’t know a Saison from an IPA? Check out this easy to understand beer term glossary from craftbeer.com.

Let me know what beers you are loving this summer!

Five Ways to Get Away from Your Little Kid and Get Some Me Time aka Waste Time on Pinterest

June 30, 2015August 11, 2015Leave a comment

You are looking at one of my happy places.

Oftentimes you need a little non-kid time even when you have kids. This does not always come at a convenient hour (after the kid has gone to sleep), so here are a few ways to grab a couple of minutes in your happy place. Mine happens to be the wonderful world of Pinterest. Yours may be Candy Crush, knitting, binge watching something on Netflix. Whatever it is, these tricks are guaranteed to get you a few minutes in your magical zone where no one is asking you to wipe their butt.

1. Let them play in the dirt. Dirt is awesome because it hold surprises like grass, leaves, bugs, rocks. Add toy, cars, shovels, buckets and other “good in the dirt” toys. Add some water to the equation and those suckers are making mud pies and stomping in puddles. Estimated Pinning Time: 20-30 minutes

2. Feed them. A nice plate full of several different new food choices (baby bento box). Persimmons, mangoes, yogurt covered raisins, purple carrots, whole grain crackers. An array of new visually appealing things on the plate will grab their attention. Tell them they will get a donut or ice cream if they eat it all and you have added at least three more minutes onto your Pinning time.MOTHER OF THE YEAR! Pinning time: 15 minutes

3. Take them to the playground. Those other parents who are on their phones know what they are doing! Seriously, I float somewhere between helicopter mom and DFACS being called. It is a happy medium I think. Make sure he doesn’t try to jump off of the TOP of the swing -Pin a pair of boots. Remind him not to eat woodchips – Pin some Ikea bedding. Tell him not to climb UP the slide – Pin fall decorating ideas. We all win at the playground! Pinning time: 15-30 minutes but this may vary if there are no other kids there, you need to push them on the swing, or those moments when they say, “Ma! Look at me!”

4. Put them in the tub- I don’t know about your kid but mine would stay in the tub playing all day if he could. He does a lot of imagination play, talking to his toy dinosaurs and drawing and writing with tub crayons while I hangout and relax. (This only works for those kids who are past tub-drowning age and you do need to be just outside the door and look in on them periodically) Pinning time: 20-25 minutes

5. Sit them on the toilet with:

An Oriental Trading Company/Toys R Us catalog
A Look and Find book
An iPAD/smart phone. I’m sure I will hear people gripe, “Screen time, blah blah blah.” I respect your choice and your child rearing regime. But I get a little bit of Maria time, am able to talk uninterrupted to my husband, wash the dishes or take a crap myself with this trick.
Just think about how much time you have wasted doing a tinker-stinker or looking at that JCrew catalog on the can. Put a small stool under their feet so their legs don’t fall asleep (like mine do) and enjoy your Pinterest time. Pinning time: 15-20 minutes

Happy pinning! Or pedicuring! Or Dove chocolate eating……

What We Are Reading- June 24th

June 24, 2015January 4, 2017Leave a comment

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

My favorite books to read are ones where one or more of the characters is just a wee bit weird. Let’s just say that I can relate to that personality trait and I found those types of characters in spades in this novel. Blackberry vines, a trip to Antarctica, and mean mommies set the tone for this wacky comedy/mystery. I found this gem in a Little Tiny Library in our neighborhood and I will be returning it there to be enjoyed by the next person as soon as I learn exactly where Bernadette has gone.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Of course my husband is reading something sci-fi and awesome. This Ray Bradbury classic was written in 1950 and is an episodic tale/collection of short stories telling the story of the human colonization of Mars. Many moons ago I read Fahrenheit 451 and loved it but haven’t read anything else by this sci-fi genius. I am a big fan of this type of story telling and look forward to reading this one after I find out what happened to that chick Bernadette.

The Ultimate Book of Vehicles by Anne-Sophie Baumann and Didier Balicevic

My son calls anything on wheels a vehicle. “Look at all of those vehicles! There are three red vehicles!” I think it is one of his favorite words. Vehicle is not a word that I knew when I was four years old, but somehow he does. That being said, this book is one of his favorites because it is full of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and many other moving things. To add to the “moving” theme, this book is a pop-up/pull tab lovers dream come true with dozens of moving parts for kids that make the pages come to life.

I’d Like to Eat- Anything at Makan

June 10, 2015June 24, 2015Leave a comment

Last night I enjoyed a fine meal with an old friend at Makan. This Chinese/Korean spot located in the Marriott Courtyard in downtown Decatur has been open for nearly a year and it is a great addition to the local food scene. Everything from the service, to the spirits, to the delectable food was perfect.

We tried several options from their Happy Hour menu which serves half priced delights from 5-7pm. I highly recommend their Pork Belly Buns and House Seasonal Kimchi. My husband will be surprised by that second choice as I usually don’t like Kimchi but recently it has been growing on me. The recipe they use includes ginger which is one of my favorite flavors. For the main course I enjoyed their spicy ramen with overnight pork. This dish is perfect for the colder months or, if you are like me, for people battling seasonal allergies. That hot kick really opens your sinuses up.

I washed it all down with this crazy, cloudy beverage that is presented in a tea pot and drunk from a bowl called Kooksoondang- Draft Makkoli. It is a wine/saki type drink that is served cold. I am adventurous in my cocktails and this adventure did not disappoint. It has the full flavor that you usually find with saki but somehow they dialed it back a notch and it was quite pleasant. Of course I had to take a photo of the bottle because it is not possible that I will be able to remember that name to find it on a menu.

A few photos from my pretty meal…

Check out Makan’s menu and learn more about their Wednesday night bar-b-que and weekend dim sum brunches at here.

What yummy food have you eaten recently???