Lindemans Pêche Lambic: a truly sweet beer
Posted on 01. Jul, 2009 by Sheila.
I would like to conduct an experiment where I would invite a group of women for brunch who believe that drinking beer is “unladylike”. I would bring out a bottle of Lindemans Pêche Lambic, peel off its golden foil cover, flip off the bottle cap, unscrew the cork and let it make it a gentle “pop”! They will think, “Ooh! Mimosas! My favorite brunch drink.” But there’s no orange juice, I tell them, because this is a peach flavored bubbly that is sweet on its own.
The women take dainty sips, “How lovely! It’s so light and fruity! What is this delightful drink?” they say. I bring the bottle over, point to the label and casually say, “Oh, it’s a Belgium Lambic ale. You know, BEER.” Then I take a swig from the bottle and throw out an evil laugh. Suckers! Who’s so ladylike now, huh?
Yes, I would drink this beer for brunch. Just like these imaginary uptight ladies, I didn’t know there was such a thing as beer that is truly sweet and mild. It doesn’t even have a heaviness that you would expect so you could get away with small polite burps. The presence of the fruity peach taste is comparable to a wine cooler but in beer form. This is a great alternative to moscato or port wine to pair with desserts. I can easily drink this anytime because it’s practically juice. Delicious, buzz inducing juice.
Lindemans Lambic beer also comes in apple (pomme) and raspberry (framboise) flavor but peach is my personal favorite. I get mine at Trader Joe’s. You should get some and try my fantasy experiment. I’d love to know what happens!
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Red, white and blue inspiration
Posted on 29. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
In honor of Independence Day, here are some of my favorite color inspirations that would be perfect for an outdoor bbq party. You don’t have to sweat and get hat hair from wearing an Uncle Sam hat or wear an oversized tee shirt bedazzled with the American flag. Gotta look good for America right?
Clockwise: Corey Lynn Calter | Orla Kiely | Built By Wendy | Anthropologie
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Recipe | Chocolate Macaroons
Posted on 24. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
I think my dad and possibly five other people in the world might say that their favorite American candy bar is Hershey’s Mounds. Remember those dark chocolate-covered coconut bars? Surprisingly, they still exist. My dad will happily eat any coconut confection you give to him, unless you pour white chocolate all over it, which would cause him to cringe in horror. For Father’s Day I wanted to make my dad a coconut-y treat and what else could I choose but the classic Coconut Macaroon.
Perhaps my dad is just getting older and his palette has changed, but he has recently developed a low threshold for anything sugary. The man who used to pack soda in his lunch bag everyday for work suddenly realized that it’s too sweet. Oh well, more for me! [...]
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Recipe | The Manly Steak Sandwich. Grr.
Posted on 18. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
Why is it a manly sandwich you ask? Only because I stumbled upon the recipe in Esquire magazine’s website flanked between a picture of some half-naked woman and Scarlett Johansson giving me a come hither look. Maybe it’s another one of those subliminal messages telling you that this sandwich will attract the ladies. You could say it worked because that sandwich sure got me! Oh, that was bad.
I had one piece of rib-eye steak in the freezer and I was in one of those moods where the idea of eating it plain just felt… too meaty. But for some reason a steak sandwich sounded less heavy and more like a well-rounded meal. A quick Google search led me to Lee Hefter’s steak sandwich and as the executive chef at Cut steakhouse, I figured the man must know how to do it right. It’s also one of his favorite sandwiches so of course I had to try it out for myself.
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Etsy Kitchen Finds
Posted on 16. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
1. Wool felt rectangular placemat, FitzFelt
I know what you’re thinking. They’re just pieces of felt, right? But these are not like the ones you played with in elementary school. FitzFelt’s products are 100% wool felt imported from Germany and they’re sustainable. As simple as they are, the quality and pops of color make them really stand out.
2. Tenugui (hand-dyed Japanese towel), tezome
I’ve been meaning to get a tenugui because I like the idea that it can be used a multitude of ways. Tezome has a great line of patterns and each towel even comes with a handmade card.
3. Hibiscus flower table runner, Kainkain
Kainkain offers kitchen and other home accessories that not only have nice designs but are very affordable. It’s not often you get both. Check out their cool pillows, too!
4. Dishwasher magnets, inkjet
A scene from the other day… Boyfriend putting a dirty glass into the dishwasher. Me: Aaahh! No, the dishes in there are clean! These magnets might be handy so I can be less of a spaz.
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Hitachino White Ale: beer for the lightweight
Posted on 14. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
Hoppy? Malty? Say what? The key words I need to hear from a bartender when ordering beer are pale ale and fruity. Really, just tell me it’s light beer and I’ll drink it.
Hitachino White Ale is one of my favorite special beers that my boyfriend discovered when we had dinner at Campanile. When the bottle came to our table my first reaction was ooh, I like the label’s design. Then I took a sip and was as impressed by the taste since it fit my girlish beer requirements. Mild, fruity, not too bitter and yet gives a good buzz. [...]
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Recipe | Mint Citrusade: a trio of lemon, lime and calamansi
Posted on 09. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
I’m not a very outdoorsy person but one of my happy places is sitting outside in the shade on a breezy day with a cool drink in hand and a massive bbq spread on the table. Never mind that the bugs attack me even though the citronella candle is a foot away or that I feel my face swelling up from the pollen. I feel instantaneously relaxed in this setting. [...]
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Recipe | Snacking on Apples & Nutella
Posted on 05. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
During my health nut phase, I ate a lot of peanut butter and apples as my healthy snack. But one day I was reaching for the peanut butter in the pantry and I saw the Nutella jar sitting innocently right next to it. Hmm, I thought. I slathered on the Nutella and it was even better than I imagined. You would be surprised how well they go together. Try it! You can use any apples you’d like but so far I’m sticking to my favorite, the Fuji apple. The one above as you can tell are Granny Smith apples but it didn’t wow me like the Fuji did. I thought the tartness would complement the Nutella but the sweetness of the Fuji apple fits much better.
And if you’re curious about the calories, it has the same amount as reduced fat peanut butter but with more sugar (of course) and less vitamins. But we don’t really care about that stuff, right?
One more tip: stir in a small spoonful of Nutella in your oatmeal. Hmm-mmm! Dessert for breakfast.
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Cool Anthropologie card
Posted on 03. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
I signed up for Anthropologie’s “Anthro” card and while I’m still not sure how it works exactly, it was free and came in this cool little bag! Great packaging is always a nice surprise when all I’m used to getting are tri-fold brochures with the card slapped on with rubber cement. It might seem much to have a bag hold a card but I can use it for other things like holding jewelry or as a mini wallet for quick errands. And it’s being green, right? I think that’s what all the cool kids like to hear nowadays.
The description of the perks are written on an accordion-folded paper inside the green card:
Welcome to anthro
We feel that the better we know you, the more we can do for you.
To put it quite simply, we want to offer you old-fashioned service -
No obligations, no catch!
Let’s unfurl the possibilities.
Ease
receipt-free returns
Point-of-View
we’ll share our likes and loves
Early Bird
see it first buy it early
Sprout
shower us with suggestions and together we’ll grow
what we hold dear…
The handmade look of the packaging fits perfectly with Anthropologie’s style and it really adds a personal touch. Signing up for this card just encourages me to shop, or more like gawk, at the store more often. Although somewhat pricey, they go beyond the cookie-cutter style and everything I have bought from there somehow feels unique and extra special.
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Recipe | Hawaiian-Inspired Chocolate Cupcakes
Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by Sheila.
I volunteered to bake cupcakes for a friend’s baby shower and got instantly inspired when I found out her favorite flower is from her home state of Hawaii: the plumeria. Opportunities like these push me to try new recipes and it was also a chance for me to finally play with fondant. I know most people think it’s the most horrible thing ever but you’ve got admit that it can sure make a cake look pretty. [...]
