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

music

At first hearing of the fast paced rhythm and modern sound of this CD, I wondered why Anglique had fallen so in love and went to all the trouble to send it. I assumed it was another Contemporary Christian artist, Taylor Swift wanna-be. At first, in the first notes of the first song and the first beats of the drum and strums of the guitar. But then I leaned in and listened and I fell deep. I LOVE this album and this girl. She has a beautiful voice and her lyrics blow me away. The song Liquid Love talks about love being the deepest pain but greatest joy one will ever know. It's that cup of joy and suffering Heidi talks about. This is a beautiful, beautiful album. I am wearing it out, singing outloud and loving how it changes the atmosphere when I do.

Shoes

I recently set out to find an extremely comfortable pair of non-slip, non-heel shoes for being on my feet long hours. One of my favorite online shoes sites http://www.6pm.com/ was having a sale on all their Soft Walk shoes. After a little research I learn that this is one of the leading brands among flight attendants and are known to be extremely comfortable. I am a strong believer in that there is no such thing as a comfortable shoe, it is an oxymoron. I prefer bare feet and if society would permit I would follow suit. Don't get me wrong, I love a beautiful shoe and love the look of a high heel, but I certainly feel the pain. I endure it. But I pay a price. I admit that these shoes are pretty hideous and far from feminine or very attractive, but they do make an attempt at being stylish and are worth a try. There are a few styles that could work nicely with jeans or cords in the winter. Mine are these clunky clogs but go perfect with black pants, an apron and a name tag. All Soft Walk shoes were on a one day only sale for $17.95. Their shoes retail for around $100. This discount in price made it well worth the small investment to see if these would live up to their promise of "lasting comfort" and a "massaging footbed". I ordered the shoes on a Thursday and found them on my stoop 5 days later. I have yet to wear them for a full day of standing, but upon trying them on and dancing around the kitchen, I have found them to be the most comfortable shoe I have ever had on my foot. I recommend viewing www.dealnews.com and www.6pm.com periodically for additional Soft Walk sales.

Floor Finish

Carla and I were unpacking groceries at her house the other day. She reached under the sink to show me this product and told me to use it on my hardwood floors. She warned me that it costs more than similiar products but convinced me it would make my floors sparkle. I used it today. Although I can't quite make out my relection, I have found the product to do what it says it will do and to be an excellent floor polish. It can easily be applied with a dry mop. I used my swiffer and a dry Swiffer dust cloth. This is not a cleaner and technically I should have mopped before applying, but I didn't. Retail $7.99

Brunch in the ATL

I love this spot. It really offers little when it comes to ambiance or amazing cuisine. Yet, it has huge, delicious omelets, a seriously diverse menu and easy parking in The Highlands.

They are offering a lunch special this week. Buy One, Get One FREE! Coupon

I recommend the Greek Omelet! You can substitute egg beaters or egg whites and it comes with your choice of TWO of the following: pancakes (regular or multi grain), bagel (plain, whole wheat or cinnamon raisin), toast (whole wheat, sourdough, rye), English muffin, sliced tomatoes, sawmill gravy, grits, fruit, cheese grits, or homefries. I get the multi grain pancakes and oatmeal. It takes two people to eat this entree alone. Abby and I split the massive omelet and pancakes and got a to-go friendly sandwich for lunch at the office the next day.

If breakfast isn't your style, they have salads, sandwiches, and even a Special of the Day Entree' served with "vegetable" sides. You can also order a "real" cherry coke with cherry syrup and the Blue Cheese Chips are incredible and just as good as those at Buckhead Diner.

842 North Highland Avenue. Atlanta, Georgia

Cumberland Island & The Greyfield Inn

Cumberland Island, off the Georgia coast, was cut away from the mainland before the last ice age. About one third of the island is marsh. Thirteen miles of the island are desolate ocean beach. In 1850, the island reached its peak in population at 520 residents, 65 white, 455 black slaves. The abundant live oak were used for ship building. In fact, the timber on the island was once more valued than cotton. As I step onto the island I cannot decide which fascinates me most, the rich, haunting history of slaves and Spaniards or the current symphony of neighing wild horses, scurrying fiddler crab and cries of nearby shorebirds. I am instantly caught up in the feeling that I am in an enchanted far away place. The primitiveness of the island living is evident in the battered pickup trucks, vintage hand pump well and slightly overgrown, but used daily, tennis court.I am no longer in the year 2009, but more like 1954 and certainly not in the United States, but more like Rhodesia before the war and name change. It is a foreign land, with foreign foliage and rusty bicycles.The pace is slow and easy. The ocean air is moist and salve to my soul. I am in another time and another world and 20 years younger. The canopy's of trees become a cathedral and a wild horse, my trusty companion. My veil is blowing in the wind and my sword hangs across my chest. "Cocktails"! Did someone say, "Cocktails?". I am interrupted by a boy in khaki pants informing me of the rules of the house. "Honor bar. Got it."

The Greyfield Inn was built in 1900. My room is rather predictable and more museum-esque than comfortable, but nice and pristine and all a part of the escape to another time. The crisp white bedding and spartan antiques take me back and I find myself day dreaming again. I spend most of my day on the huge pillow strewn swing on the front porch, slipping inside intermittently to freshen my cocktail, scribbling my order in a spiral bound notebook with a dull pencil and take another dusty book from the library shelf. I spend a lot of time in the parlor too, when no one else is there, starring at the picture of Lucy Carnegie Ferguson. You can read her story in "Strong Women, Wild Horses". She bears a striking resemblance to her granddaughter, Gogo who splits her time between the island, Morocco and Martha's Vineyard. You must find her and ask about her jewelry. She makes it in this tiny little white shed near the Inn. If you don't get a chance to see it there, be sure and visit her shop on Sea Island in the Harris Teeter shopping center.

The Inn is the only accommodation on the island. Rates are around $500/night and include breakfast, lunch, cocktail hour hors d'hoeuvres and dinner. The food is good, not excellent. My favorite part is cocktail hour, not because of the cocktails, but the extravagant oyster roast centered around it: shucking oysters, by a fire, on an island, on the lawn of the palatial Carnegie estate. Lunch includes a picnic and a "midday exploration". I had my picnic lunch at the Dungeness Ruins and suddenly found myself dreaming again about what this palatial estate what have once been like and wishing the remaining bricks could talk. Park Rangers provide pick-up truck tours and answers to all your questions.(The book below, Bed & Breakfasts & Country Inns offers a One Night Free coupon and can be purchased for around $15 on http://www.amazon.com/).

One can also camp quite comfortably on the island. Do not go in the slap dab middle of the summer. You will burn slap up and you may die. There is nothing worse than a hot Georgia summer on an island in a tent with mosquitoes. I do not say this in jest. I am quite serious. Do not camp in June or July or August or even September. Consider yourself warned. You really need to make reservations if camping and pack light. Site costs are between $2 and $4 per person per night and are limited to a 7 night stay. About 10 miles from Sea Camp is a place called Brickhill Bluff that is a favorite for spotting dolphin and manatee. If you prefer restrooms and shower facilities, you may pitch your tents at the Sea Camp Campground. There you also have a grill, fire ring, food cage and picnic table.
$80 will cover round trip ferry rides, park admission, campsites and bicycle rentals for one couple for a day.

If you need to say overnight in St. Mary's, try The Spencer House Inn, owned by Mike and Mary Neff. 1-912-882-1872

Strong Women, Wild Horses

Coming soon... A review of Georgia's largest barrier island, Cumberland. This book is an excellent historical review and general juicy good gossip of the island. Read this before or during your stay and the story will come to life.

C-A-N-D-Y

"I don't like candy". That is a big fat lie. Last Christmas I got a package in the mail and inside the box, along with the gift were tons of little chocolate covered things in tiny boxes and individually wrapped and I sat them all aside and said, "I don't eat candy". Three days later they were gone. I do like candy. I love candy. It is good. I think it was the first word I learned to spell. When I was little Mom would spell it when referring to it, thinking I could not understand. Now, I limit sugar to baby kisses as often as possible and don't buy it and don't even go down the candy aisle, but I still breathe and am very much alive and just looking at candy makes my mouth water. I confess that I am truly not a big fan of hard candy or fruit flavors, although I did have some Korean or Asian Candy of somesort that was handed to me while on the back of a covered truck in Mozambique by a non English speaking Korean boy that was pretty amazing. But I attributed the experience to the fact that I was just really hungry. I have a rule that it has to be chocolate to be worth the calories. Plus, chocolate is good for you...right? Well, dark chocolate is...isn't it? This week a coworker left a bag of Hershey's Kisses out for the taking. They were the dark chocolate kind, in purple wrappers, so I took one. I walked back down the hall and grabbed another, but this one was orange. I put it in my desk drawer. I had lunch. I wanted something sweet. I opened the drawer. I pulled out the orange kiss. Its tiny paper flag read Pumpkin Spice. Oh my. It was pretty good. I had no idea Hershey had launched a line. Evidently they have. Years ago. They have peanut butter and candy corn and mint and caramel apple and all sorts. My quick research on the matter tells me they sell them exclusively at Target and only during certain seasons. They all get mixed reviews on their goodness. Not a single one of them are remotely good for you. There is way too much fat content. But I say you can have 1. But just 1. Everything in moderation. I found this site. I could stay on here all day and drool. I have changed my desired occupation. I now want to write exclusively for this blog: http://www.candyblog.net/

Household Products

Laura Steen knows everything. She really does. As a military wife, she has learned resilience and is strong and wise and stunning and funny and wonderful. Poor thing, she has to move a lot and therefore often references things in life by her location. I catch her saying, "Oh yea, I've been doing that since Clarksville" or "I've had this since Hawaii". She recommends Thrift...since Deridder. How, pray tell did we get on the conversation of clogged drains you ask? The answer is simple. We discuss everything. Yes, everything. Bras. Hairloss. Wrinkles. Boys. Girls. Babies. Clothes. Mold. Mildew. Airconditioning units. Jesus. Mothers. Sisters. TJ Maxx. Clogged Drains.

Laura says you simply follow the directions. She uses her tea kettle on the stove and boils water and uses that to flush down the powdered drain cleaner. She says you can hear it working!

Designs for the Home

Aunt Phylis introduced me to Nambe' and I love it. Nambe' was established in 1953 and named for a village near Santa Fe. "Martin Eden, a former metallurgist with Los Alamos National Laboratories, develped an eight-metal alloy that retains hot and cold temperatures for long periods of time". Their unique designs are displayed in art museums all over the world. They now make crystal, dinnerware and flatware. You can find Nambe' at Neiman Marcus and Macy's. There is one tiny, okay, not so tiny drawback with Nambe'. It all used to be made in Northern New Mexico. It is now cast in India or China. They state that it is the same alloy and that the move overseas was a necessity during the current economic times. I am trying not to hold this move against them. Would I rather have overseas Nambe' or no Nambe'? India schmindia.

testimony jars

I made these. I think they turned out great. You know how at work you do a million good things and no one says a word, but you screw up once and you never hear the end of it? Well, sometimes I think that is what we do with God. As long as things are going great, all is well, but something bad happens and we raise our fists at God and blame Him. I created these little jars to fill them up with all the good things God is doing in life, those tiny and some really huge miracles that prove Him alive, in a good mood, a kind Father who is working daily in our lives. Just jot down the testimony and drop them in!

Let me know if I can customize one for you. jgracedavis@hotmail.com Retail: $4.99

Household Cleanser

Linda Kronenthal of Yorktown, Virginia is known for her Out-of-this-World oatmeal and her Shag moves on the dance floor. Linda taught me how to make perfect soft scrambled eggs. Linda can dance her way around a kitchen and recommends this do-it-all cleanser. She claims there is no elbow grease required when using this stuff and it works wonders. They describe themselves here:

If you're looking for a cleanser you can trust to clean your stainless steel, porcelain, ceramic tile, plastic, copper, china, fiberglass, imitation marble, tile, grout, chrome, and composition sinks--trust Bar Keepers Friend. Bar Keepers Friend, the Can Do Cleanser! Our motto is, "Once Tried, Always Used! Bar Keepers Friend will be your "cleaning friend" for life!" Bar Keepers Friend is safe around food areas. Phosphate, bleach, ammonia & fume free. Eliminates fingerprints, dirt, oil, smudges, spots, grease, and more.

Bar Keepers Friend can be found were most cleaning supplies are sold.

Retail Price: $2

Shoes

These are fun, comfortable, eco-friendly and if you can catch the sale, inexpensive shoes. I discovered the website from my favorite websale site, Deal News.

Simple Shoes deeply discounts their clearance items and offers free shipping. I bought this pair for under $10! The same day I wore them for the first time, I found a display of Simple Shoes in Neiman Marcus, a practically identical pair was $90. They are comfortable, well made and made from organic, eco-friendly products, recycled tires and inner tubes! I even got this nifty little sleeve for my laptop for under $5. These retail for around $30.At one time they had these neat, but somewhat ugly, "Sew it Yourself" shoes for $5 (Retail $90). They came with an instructional DVD, needles, thread and thimbles. Who would pay $90 for shoes you have to make? Not me. But I did pay $5. I admit. They looked like fun! And $5!! I got them for Catherine and Gracie. I envisioned us all sitting around the kitchen table one cold rainy day and sipping cider and sewing our shoes and pretending to be Laura and Mary...and as always, I play the spoiled, high-maintenance Nellie Oleson.

These are on sale now for under $15 :

Product Recall- Travel Press

Remember when I recommended the Bodum Travel Press? Well I take all that back. I completely recommend a French Press and those that travel well, such as a stainless steel one. But this plastic one is no good. Around the press is a piece of rubber that is supposed to act as a suction and prevent grounds from coming through. Well it ain't so. It does not work. Also, the cup creaks and pops when you pour in hot water and I just know that one day the pop will be followed by a crack and that's not good.

Eau de Toilette

I love most all things L'Occitane. On my recent trip home from Africa, I stopped in the duty free shop in Johannesburg and was mesmerized by all the cosmetics and sweet fragrances and stayed in there for hours. I hope the security guy didn't notice my kneeling down in the middle of the aisle, hoisting up my Lycra capris and using the Display lotions to moisturize my poor, dirty, dry legs. I found another fragrance for my arms, and then Dior for my face, of course. Then I used this L'Occitane Honey and Lemon Eau de Toilette on my pillow. Yes, it smelled like burning trash and so I covered all that up with Honey and Lemon and it then smelled like a sweet honeycomb and it smelled soooooo good. I snuggled with it close all 16 hours home and fell in love with this sweet, warm smell of Honey and Lemon. Retail $46. P.S. My birthday was August 1st.

Cosmetics- Eyeliner

Christine gave me this for my birthday one year. It is my favorite and I have found nothing that quite compares. No pencil liner can compare to this liquid version. The tiny brush takes some practice, but once you get it down you will never go back. This creamy liner brushes on deep, smoky, eye-defining color. It is long-wearing and waterproof, sorta. Surely nothing is truly water-proof. I always wonder how they define that. Basically I assume it means it won't run if you cry your eyes out at work one day. But if you decide to go swimming on your lunch hour, you may look like a raccoon when you get out of the water and need to remove and reapply. The whole water-proof thing confuses me, but I love the way this goes on and the deep, defining color.

It can be smudged while still wet for a smokier effect. It is easily removed with eye make-up remover or my favorite, Vaseline.

Travel Necessities

I took these to Mozambique and found them to be one of the most handle little things ever. On my way there I had a layover in Johannesburg and stayed in a little Inn with no washcloths or towels. I was not overly surprised, it was $50 a night and would I really want to use washcloths at a low end hostel anyway? The answer is no. So I pulled out my handy, thick, soft durable little disposable washcloth. I hung it out to dry and it dried quickly and I was able to use it again the next day. Some even come with soap already in them so all you need is water. And if the soap is gentle enough for a babies-well you know- then surely it is okay for me. Carla found these and told me they were good. Laura uses them too. Both use them on their babies and thrifty Laura cuts hers in half because she claims they are just too big for Owen's little-well you know, but I recommend them for everyone.

You know how you go to visit someone overnight and they let you use the guest bathroom and the towels are always white and fluffy and new and monogrammed and you wind up spending about an hour over the sink with hand soap and hot water trying to scrub clean the fancy Supima cotton washcloth that you just used to take off your make-up and it is now covered in black mascara stains!!!? No? OK, well maybe it is just me. But from now on I am putting some of these in all my over-night bags so that I am never without one. And you can invite me over and I will not ruin your towels.

just for fun!

These are so much fun. I did this one for Catherine who is turning 12 while I am gone! They are called Wordles and you just enter a group of words or any text and it randomly places the words in a colorful array, like this one.



You can "scramble" the words for a variety of colors, fonts and arrangements. Make yours here.

Luggage

Here is a great bag at a great deal! I have been on the lookout for something like this for awhile. I have borrowed Mom & Dad's yardsale bag (see Luggage entry below) for every major trip over the last few years. Now I have my own.

This bag retails for $169.95, but is on sale for $50.99 with Free Shipping.

They have it in Plaid and Polka Dot patterns. I got the Polka Dots. The 2010 version of this bag retails for $289.95 and appears to be almost identical other than color patterns. You can get it HERE

"Pack your Burton Wheelie Double Deck for your European snowboarding vacation. This 70-liter bag holds enough to travel comfortably for a week or two. Burton's new KLIPH space-saving handle system means the Double Deck's telescoping handle doesn't take up any precious cargo room. This system also lets your clothes lay flat in the bag to keep them wrinkle-free, so you'll look put-together when you meet that Austrian hottie. Skate wheels make this bag easy to roll through customs, and an attachment strap lets you put your backpack on your Double Deck for easy transporting. This bag features shoe storage and toiletry kit to help you stay organized".

Product Description- Two weeks. Four Countries. One bag, no problem.

Product Features:
IXIOM Wheel System
EVATPU Back PanelsLighter, Faster, Stronger
Comfort Cush Telescoping Handle
Volume-Enhancing CRAM Zones
Hideaway SnakeStack External Backpack Attachment

Product Details:
Product Dimensions: 30 x 15 x 16 inches ; 12 pounds
Shipping Weight: 12 pounds

(apologies for the one-armed mannequin)

Recipes- Curried Rice Salad & Pimento Cheese

These recipes came from Mama Deane's Ladies Luncheon. These are easy and delicious. Just add a bowl of fresh fruit, a plate of sliced tomatoes (don't forget the salt and pepper shaker) and a pitcher of sweet tea, with lemon wedges and voila! a Ladies Luncheon. Add men if desired.

Curried Rice Salad

Near East Rice Pilaf Mix(Deane uses Chicken Flavored, I prefer Original)

A few green onions, sliced thin

1/2 green (or red) pepper, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup lite mayo

12 pimiento stuffed olives, sliced

2 6oz jars marinated artichoke hearts

3/4 tsp curry (or more!)

Cook rice as directed, cool in large bowl. Add green onions, pepper and olives. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade and cut in half. Combine artichokes with rice and toss with dressing of reserved liquid and mayo. Chill.

Virginia is for Lovers Smokin' Hot Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

Here is Mama Deane's non-edited version of my request for the recipe. I love non-edited recipes (see Granny McCarley's Sweet Potato Pie)

okey-dokey: I put into a bowl some of that Three/Four Cheese shredded mix that comes in a bag... a whole 8 oz bag Then I add some extra shredded sharp cheddar cheese....about a cupThen I start putting in Cayenne Pepper and Onion Salt, basically to taste....probably a half of a Tablespoon of each. If it is too pungent, add more cheese. Then I add quite a bit of Hellmann's mayonnaise. Maybe 2 full cups.Then I dice up some Red Roasted Peppers......they come in a jar and can be found in the section with pickles, etc. About 1/4-1/2 cup depending upon your taste.This whole recipe depends upon your taste. These are the ingredients, you just have to fool around with it until you get it the way you like it. It is good on crackers or bread. Glad you like it. I fix it every time my Ladies group comes.They're all coming again this week for some crazy healing, deliverance and breaking off of some generational sins. We just have a grand time when we get together. You didn't really get to see those prissy little southern wimmin in action. They can really go at it!

Precious.

International Travel

Booking international travel on your own can be tricky. I have often used travel agents to book flights when traveling outside the U.S. from country to country. Agents can be helpful, but it is nice to see your options firsthand and make the choices yourself, and you save money in booking fees. Discount airfare sites like Expedia and Orbitz don't offer you the ability to search internationally, once outside the U.S. While traveling to Europe, I wanted to be able to search flights from London to various European countries. In the past, I used Ryan Air to book those flights. Ryan Air is still a good place to go if you want to fly within Europe.

http://www.ryanair.com/

Yet, outside of Europe, these flights can be almost impossible to find. You have to know which airlines fly out of which countries and go directly to their sites. In the case of intra Africa airlines, the sites are not user friendly and not always in English. When trying to book flights to Mozambique, the Mozambican Airlines site kept telling me there were no flights available, but it was simply that I was not searching within the few days each week that there are flights out each week, but the site never displayed a flight schedule and I was searching the wrong days of the week. Also, sadly, I had major trust issues with these international airlines and was very uncertain about paying thousands of dollars and entering credit card information on their sites. Also, prices are often in the local currency and require you to do the math. www.vayama.com is a California based site that allows you to search and book international travel. With Vayama you no longer need to book your flights through an agent and can do it all yourself. Airfares are offered on 100-plus airlines flying between the USA and over 190 countries. It has an interactive map that shows you where you are flying, displays flight schedules, 3-D seat maps and offers pricing in US dollars. It is safe and very user friendly.

Magazine

You are gonna love this magazine and their website is pretty helpful too. Clean Eating is all about eating food in its most natural state possible. This means avoiding over processed, refined foods, like sugar and flour, staying away from saturated and trans fats, and fried foods. It is not a diet, but a lifestyle. The site has recipes, menus and shopping lists! I love shopping lists. They just help give me ideas of new things to add to my diet and keep me from walking aimlessly up and down the aisles. With clean eating you will find you really no longer spend much time in the aisles in the middle of the store, but hit the ends, for produce, lean meats, seafood and dairy. According to the site, Clean Eating Magazine is like "having your own dietitian, cookbook and instruction manual rolled into one beautiful magazine". I recently subscribed to Vegetarian Times, not that any of you were considering that one, but just in case you were, don't bother, I was disappointed. Check this one out instead. www.cleaneatingmag.com

Thanks for the recommendation Laura.