Happy St. Pat’s!

 

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

To celebrate this craziness, I offer you a glimpse of Wilhelmina O’ Hannigan in all her holiday finery.   (Yes, she seems to be a Red Sox fan…)

 And, also, to recommend a favorite libation:  The Black & Tan.  

A few of my favorite beers are Bass, Harp, and Guinness.    Though it’s undocumented, my Hub has some Irish blood in his veins.  I base this purely on how his mother looks and how she can behave (which is probably extremely politically incorrect) but I KNOW she is Irish!     She was adopted and has zero papers nor leads on where she came from.   She only knows her mother’s name was Mary.   

Back to the beer:    According to this website that I found when I googled ‘How To Pour a Black & Tan’, there is no definitive correct interpretation of what beer is required to make a true Black and Tan, so feel free to use Bass or Harp or Smithwick as your ‘first’ beer.

This source claims that the Bass/Guiness combo is referred to as Black & Tan, and a Harp/Guinness combo is called a Half & Half.     As long as you use a pale ale and then a dark stout…    Wikipedia gives a very good description of the history of this drink and other stuff… 

I will quote the Wikipedia HOWTO here:

“To prepare a Black and Tan in the American way, first fill a glass halfway with the ale, then add the Guinness Draught (from the can, bottle, or tap). The top layer is best poured slowly over an upside-down tablespoon placed over the glass to avoid splashing and mixing the layers. A specially designed black-and-tan spoon is bent in the middle so that it can balance on the edge of the pint-glass for easier pouring.”

Please enjoy your beer responsibly and have a great day.  

Project Runway – Lady Wrestlers!

OK – I soooo picked the winning tiers and the losing tiers tonight!   Hub is OOT  (Out of Town) and I had a beer.   a FEW beer(S).

And was so wise to remember that it was, again, a Project Runway night!   I did NOT remember that Wednesday is my day to water the houseplants, however.  oh well.

SO….    I loved Jillian’s!   Loved the Royal Blue!   LOVED the sportiness of it!   and agreed with the winning design for Chris.   Based on how much it fit not just physically but in style, too, and how much it was loved by the lady that was the inspiration.

I was worried about Sweet P.   and then….   NOT.   A gal with tattoos?!  not loving and embracing this challenge?!   Why that blows all preconceived notions about gals with tattoos enjoying a little wild-side.   Doesn’t IT!?!!?!!    This should have NOT been the stress test that she made it out to be.

                         [I’m sorry….  too many punctuations?]

SO….  again.   SO….   this is the beer talking…

Which, btw, I’m currently in love with Sam Adams WHITE, which requires a slice of lemon.  In a frosty mug.    AND also Guinness Extra Stout – low calories and yummy!

Where was I?   Drunken reviews of Project Runway, oh yes.

Rami’s pink disaster.  ugh.    If you didn’t know before, you could have picked it was his.

AND?!   How cute were the guest judges?  (Maybe ‘cute’ isn’t the correct word here…)    Another terrific reminder that success and what you really want to do is not at all worthy of considering what other’s think of you.  And I mean that in a good way.   Glitter!  Makes me smile.

Well.   That about covers this episode.

G’nite. 

Pub Dogs

So, the day I had all to myself!   What to do?  What to do?    The ground was covered with snow and I, alas, did not have my snowboots.    I also became quickly aware that walking to the nearest shopping center – across the highway – would not be a great idea.     Traffic, snow, no direct path, no non-snow covered safe walking path, etc.

     

Oh yea!  The hotel has a pool and hottub!      This picture does not truly demonstrate the beauty displayed through these floor to ceiling windows – the thick snow glistened in the cold sunshine.   I think I killed a couple of hours, attempting laps, just soaking, and reading one of the three books I completed on this trip.

 I decided to find lunch.        I quickly decided against the nearest establishment (next to hotel) – too cowboy?    [Gosh!  It was so disappointing, I can’t even remember what restaurant it was!  Not a Longhorn but something like it…]    So, I found a stretch of businesses that included a flower shop, a dry cleaner, a Subway, and…   a Pub Dog.

    PUB DOG!?   

  This is the place that gives you TWO beers when you order one.    They also give you two waters when you order ‘water’. 

  I had a simple well-made tasty pizza with my two Hoppy Dog Ales.

And, then I enjoyed chatting with customers and servers while sipping two Thirsty Dog Ales, and I think I tasted a few other flavors before heading back to my reading.

 The bar was the central feature of the entire place; it stretched the length of the establishment.    TVs are not prominent but they do have them hanging across one wall.   Behind the bar, were booths up on a platform.     Definitely a party kind of place…   The menu was almost entirely pizza with staggering variety and all with clever names.    The servers were extremely friendly.    I’m sure I was not typical of their lunchtime clientele.

I called the hub during this to make him guess what I was up to while he was slaving away at work…   hee hee hee.

I am not skilled at beer critiquing but I can say:  the beer was good.    [If you need to know where I’m coming from in a beer taste comparison land, my favorites are Bass, Harp, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams…    I can drink Coors Light but detest Bud Light.]

My husband is a lucky guy;   I like to drink beer and watch football.      And explore brewpubs that serve good beer!

And THAT is my beer adventure for the burbs of Baltimore brought to you by the travel-with-the-husband “What’s a Girl To Do?” Gal.

Teaser Alert!

I really want to post one of those ideas I had awhile back about BEER.

Remember, I told you about this fab pub I found on my latest travels?  I thought I had screwed up and took photos from my phone – which is NOT good due to my being a scrooge and NOT buying email service nor the device that allows me to connect phone to PC…

THEN!!!

I realized that I had my other previous prior cellphone with the cool camera and I already own the device that shares data between phone and computer, so I am able to share.

But I have to do it later.

I have pie to make – pie TINS to buy, a goose to purchase, some port for the goose fixin’ recipe, gifts to drop off, books to deliver, maybe a stop at the library first, take the dog to daycare, print a few more Xmas cards – address & mail, etc.  First.   oh!  crap – it’s trash day…  gotta run

SO PLEASE DO COME BACK LATER!    It will be my next post and probably will be later today.

Happy Friday, “C”