Beer

I discovered this beer when traveling to Colorado. Or perhaps I was travelling somewhere else because it seems like I had this for the first time in the Denver airport and it must have been a layover because I think I was on my way somewhere versus headed home and there is no way that if I had actually arrived in Denver and that was my destination that I would have stayed in one of those stinky bars for a beer. There is no logic to any of my reasoning, but when going somewhere, it is celebratory, deserving of a beer even in those gross airport bars that all remind me of a Shoney's sort of. You know, cheap silverware, paper placemats, stinky bleach smell? But coming home, I just get a People Magazine and a package of M&M's Dark and wait for my plane. But, in Denver, in one of those shady gross airport bars where the food is NEVER good, they were pouring this on draft. I was instantly won over. It tastes like what beer is supposed to taste like, fruity and spicy like Belgian beer. But evidently was brewed by this guy in Colorado. This company, New Belgium, makes a wide variety of all sorts of beers and they all look and sound amazing. I have enough guilty pleasures in my life as it is so I have not pursued tasting the variety of beers they make, but I can only assume them all to be delicious. I have had their "1554" beer and it is good too. It honestly reminds me of the typical cheap beer you get at the grocery store in Holland. But this Fat Tire stuff is delicious. It is deserving of having a meal planned around it. Seriously. A Spinach salad with cranberries and goat cheese and glazed pecans would make this come stuff come alive. A 12 pack of Fat Tire is only a few dollars more than a typical Import and honestly so much better than most anything out there. Trust me. Oh yea, my Master Chef "friend" recommends it too! Seriously. I had forgotten about that. Chef Walker, my acquaitance, called "friend", made the comment once that it was the best beer made and all he drank. And he has a very discerning pallate. So there you have it. I am actually having one now. Nothing compares.

Diggin' these

Was on the phone with Carla last week as she grocery shopped. I blabbed about my day and she told me Kroger had Emerald Almonds buy one get one free. My pescatarian lifestyle has made almonds as staple in my diet. I love them. Typically just raw. She said these didn't sound good to her...cocoa. But she got me a jar at my urging. Not sure if I have just overlooked them or never seen these before, but they are surprisingly, amazingly yum. Roasted almonds, rolled in cocoa powder. Yes, a little bitter. Yes, a little sweet. Aren't most things? I put them in my vanilla ice cream last night. Fit for a queen. The only itty bitty drawback is that they use sucralose. Not sure why they just didn't use sugar. So, even though they are trying to kill me, I still highly recommend them.

Photo courtesy of blisstree.com