NEW ARRIVALS

First off, a lot of people have been asking for the Delerium Tremens glassware. I just got some in today, so they should be around for awhile. Anyway, here's the new stuff.

1.Scaldis 75th Anniversary Amber Ale

2.St. Bernardus Christmas Ale (it took a long time to get, but it's worth it)

cheers,

dave

Peri-menopause and the crap of Hormone Imbalance

Peri-menopause, Pre-menopause, Menopause, and the crap of Hormone Imbalance…. Let's talk about it....

OK ladies (and gentlemen), feeling tired and I mean TIRED, flat, depressed, moody, just not yourself, not sleeping, unmotivated, no life drive and for crying out loud No Sex Drive, dry vaginas (get over the word people…it is a body part), unable to feel about really anything, and for that matter do not feel like doing anything, having night sweats…those unbelievable soak your clothes and sheets….and now I have to get up and I might as well sleep nude, and you wish it was for reasons other than this, craving sugar, walking around in a haze, really having a hard time understanding why you just do not feel the way you used to, feeling like you went to bed one night and woke up a whole different person that just does not feel good. Well….guess what…..YOU DID.

Hormone imbalance is real and a bitter sweet transition of life that hits generally between ages 30-50. This is where we and yes that includes myself as an almost 45 year woman, need to take control of what is happening and continue on the road to being the best we can be with what we have. Being your own health care advocate is imperative all the time and especially when making decisions on HRT (hormone replacement therapy). This has been quite the buzz lately on talk shows and in mainstream medicine for several years. The function of ALL hormones in your body depends on the balance of the other, so the “steroid hormones” directly affect the “sex hormones” and visa versa. The brain is the master switch controlling and regulating hormone levels and specifically coming from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Hormone levels can be affected by damage to the glands, a genetic glitch, receiving mixed messages by the body, or simply wearing out due to the aging process (the last one is usually the BIG culprit to what we refer to “THE CHANGE”). It is very important to realize that all of us are unique in our hormonal makeups and what is “normal” to one may not be “normal” to another. Who better to know your body than YOU? This is why we need to become educated on this very important subject BEFORE age 30 in my opinion, in order to be prepared to make very educated decisions with continuing to have a GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE for the rest of our lives.

Why this subject on the fitness blog…..because who feels like working out or eating right when you have the symptoms described in the first paragraph. So that being said, know the tests to ask for when you make that doctor’s appointment….here are a few…

FSH – Follicle Stimulating Hormone
TSH – Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
Estrogen
Progesterone
Testosterone

It is also important to love yourself enough to walk out of a physician’s office when you are disenchanted with what they say and their only solution is to offer up the birth control pill. Love yourself enough to research your options and KNOW what is out there to get you on the road to feeling good without risking your overall health.

I hope this article will spur you on to pick up a few books to read to GET HEALTHY and STAY HORMONALLY HEALTHY. One of my favorite authors on the subject and pioneer in this field is Dr. Christiane Northrup. Do not waste another day wondering if it is just “YOU”, but take this day to seek out the quality of life you DESERVE….Yes…that is right. Taking care of yourself is never about being selfish but truly caring enough about yourself to know that you are worth having the best life for the rest of your life. You, your spouse, partner, children, family, and friends will be glad you did.

Stay Healthy
Darla

A helpful link http://www.bodylogicmd.com/hormone-library

MADRUGADA OBSCURA

We just got a shipment of Jolly Pumpkin's oak aged Belgian-style stout, Madrugada Obscura. Buy some.

cheers,

dave

New Arrivals

JUST IN TODAY:

1.Santa Cruz Ale Works IPA

2.La Goudale Biere De Garde

3.Amadeus Wit

In case anyone missed the last round of phone calls, BEER OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY IS HERE!

cheers,

dave

Tostada Pizza...

A few disclaimers.... it was late, I was in a cooking funk, I didn't want to eat what was on the meal plan.... so I got a bug up my nose to try to re-create a pizza I from CPK- thanks to Vali Nemetz. I pulled some ingredients together and wha-la! It turned out pretty good, in fact, my non-enthusiastic husband exclaimed "This is the best non-pizza tasting pizza I've ever had!" That's a compliment right?? Give it a whirl, tweak it, and enjoy!

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough (bobli, trader joe's, homemade, Papa Murphy's... you chose)
Shredded Chicken (cooked)
Salsa
black beans, 1/2 can
shredded cheese, you choose the flavor, about 1 cup
lettuce, thinly chopped, I used about 1 cup
tomatoes, dices, I used 1/4
green onions, chopped, I used 2 stalks
avocado, sliced, I used 1/2
sour cream, I used a few blobs
tortilla strips or chips

Directions
So simple! It is a great thing to make with left over chicken. I had made some shredded chicken in the crock pot with a jar of salsa (for a different recipe) and thought I'd use the leftovers here.

SO.... back to the recipe... take your cooked dough (like Bobli... if your dough is uncooked, cook it first without any toppings), mix your salsa and shredded chicken together, put the chicken and some black beans on top of the pizza and pop it in the oven for about 5-7 minutes to heat it up. Once it's warm, start adding the toppings, as much or as little of each that you like. First I put on the sour cream and smeared it around, then I put the tomatoes, avocado, cheese, lettuce, green onions, and then crunched some tortilla chips on top. That's it! Simple as pie... pizza pie! :)

Serve with: a green salad or by itself! I think CPK drizzles a little ranch dressing on it too, if you're a fan of ranch you could give that a whirl!

ALASKAN BARLEYWINE

Alaskan Barleywine is here! Winner of the gold medal at the
2007 Toronado Barleywine Festival.
Quantities are limited, so grab it while you can!


cheers,

dave

NEW ARRIVALS: TELEGRAPH BREWING COMPANY

Santa Barbara Based Telegraph Brewing Company produces high quality traditional styles at very reasonable prices. In stock now:

-Telegraph Golden Wheat Ale 750ml

-Telegraph California Ale 750ml

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the way, if anyone missed the Toronado stout night yesterday, you may still have a chance to have some great stuff on tap. If you rush over, you might still be able to get ABYSS, OLD VISCOSITY, FIFTY-FIFTY ECLIPSE, etc. I'm not sure what's left, but it's worth checking out.

cheers,

dave

Stone Cali Belgique

We Just received a small shipment of Cali-Belgique.
It is a California style IPA using Begian yeast strain.


Rami

Rami

NEW STUFF

Some new stuff that's come in over the past few days:

1. Hitachino Nest Commemorative Ale

2. Kasteel Cru

3.Bear Republic "Pete Brown"

4.Green Flash Trippel

5.Green Flash "Le Freak"

6.Green Flash Grand Cru

7.Abbaye Des Rocs Triple Imperiale

8.Fantome Hiver (the new batch. it's awesome)

9.Fantome X-Mas (from this year)

10.Fuller's London Pride

11.Fuller's Vintage Ale 2008

ALSO:::::::::::::::::::::

Be sure to check out MAC TARNAHAN'S AMBER ALE, from Portland, OR. We are selling it in 6-packs for only $6.99 for a limited time. It's a good session ale, lightly dry hopped with cascades.

Cheers,

dave

DFH CHICORY STOUT

We just recieved Dogfish Head's Chicory Stout. Quantities are limited, at least for now. It's a very sessionable stout, made with chicory and Mexican coffee.

cheers,

dave

Just a few thoughts

Well, I started the journey on Jan. 1, 2009, so I am making it an effort to weigh in officially on Thursdays, that way it's consistent.  I'm struggling- my body took a while this week to adjust to eating veggies that I haven't eaten in so long.  I am still hoping to get in touch with a nutritionist somehow.  My doctor's office didn't call me back so I'll have to call again on Monday.  In the meantime since Jan. 1 I have officially dropped 1.6 pounds.  Hopefully more will come off as I add in more exercise.  Right now I'm doing right at 30 minutes or so (I'm doing J.M. 30 Day Shred so it's closer to 25) but within the next week I want to add some more cardio back in (which is what I was doing before I got sick with the kidney stones).  I'm hoping to ward off the pain and the weight both with this.  Anyway, that's where things are right now.  Hope you are having a fabulous new year and that 2009 becomes the year where change happens!

What You Invest Will Be Your Return

What you invest will be your return. Let’s think about our bodies as we do our financial security. Fitting right now during these economic times. Everyone is doing what they can to invest properly, increase their growth potential, increase in healthy returns, and gain security. Well, security does come from a good investment and I am sure we can all agree here. During this time, our stocks can go up or down, and hopefully that invested in stocks is money not needed for everyday life and financial growth, but a bit of extra that is not lost when it is lost.

How are you investing in your health and overall quality of life? Are you seeing good returns from your efforts, are you increasing your growth potential in a positive way? Security does come from a good investment, and believe me, YOU are a good investment. Have you heard the saying, “without good health, you have nothing”….well there is truth behind that statement.

Consider how strongly we all yearn to feel secure financially and work so hard to be able to LIVE comfortably and to stop struggling. Now, apply that same strength to your physical and mental SELF. Let’s switch up the 401k and IRAs and look at our bodies as the growth bank for a moment, because truly without our healthy bodies, what will those financial investments mean to you?

Investments to positive fitness growth potential are being active, eating healthy, balanced food, drinking water, and quality ME time. I realize that the stocks may be a little high right now, and I am referring to the little extra investment that may be carried on our bodies right now, but with a little investment and time for positive growth potential, you will see a reduction and improvement in your physical health. In the long run, this is what is going to bring you the security to enjoy your future. Also, just like the stock market, do not get frustrated with the ups and downs, simply continue the pursuit of good investing, and you will reap the eventual returns.

Let’s look at how much you are working, and this would refer to your physically active investment. Are you working less right now during these economic times? If the answer is yes, your nutritional investments should reflect a decrease as well. If you are working less, and increasing the amount of nutrition you invest, a negative gain will occur, and the extra stock being carried around will continue to be a burden. If you are working more, and investing less in the nutritional area, a positive gain will occur in loss of the additional stock and increase in positive growth potential (muscle). All this depends too where you are in your stocks. If you are maintaining steady in the market, then simply matching your physical and nutritional investments is probably all that is needed to secure your future.

Security truly comes from a good investment, and although it takes time to build your accounts, do not get frustrated with the ups and downs of the market. Continue to increase your health growth potential through the investments and in time, you will adapt the health returns that will carry you through the rest of your life.

Stay Healthy

Darla:)

DAMNATION 3 LITER IS BACK!

Damnation in Jeroboam (3 Liter) size is now back in stock.

cheers,

dave

NEW BEER: AVERY MEPHISTOPHOLES

It's time to begin training for strong beer week! Come and get Batch 4 of Avery's 15.92% Imperial Stout!

dave

Diagnosis and where to go from here

Well, I got a diagnosis for the health issues that have been going on.  I have medullary sponge kidney.  I've had it since birth but usually people never find out they have it until they pass away.  I also read that if it decides to show up it shows up usually in the 30s and 40s.  Since I am 33 I fit that :)  however, it's not fatal, the only thing that will change will be my eating habits.  No more chocolate, no more parsley, no nuts, and no spinach (among many other things) and then I have a LOT of foods to eat sparingly.  In fact, there are more foods that I can't eat than I can.  I'm hoping to speak to a nutritionist soon so that I can get a better idea on it because I'm overwhelmed with it all.  On the other hand- the dietary restrictions will prevent them from getting bigger which will help me in the long run.  I should note- when I say them- I'm speaking of kidney stones- I have them in the "meaty" part of the kidney and they will more than likely never pass.  So, that's where things stand right now.  Thanks for sticking with me!

Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream

So, thanks to Lisa, who left a request for some frozen treats on this blog- we are going to dedicate to her an ENTIRE week of SCRUMPTIOUS homemade treats to enjoy! Some of them are going to defy the rules of "healthy" but they won't lack in flavor or fun... stay tuned all week to find something that you might like to" treat" yourself with!

Entry #1 of Scrumptious Desserts:

Wow, so this is de-licious, and doesn't exactly qualify with the "healthy" motto of this blog calories-wise, but I always prefer to make something homemade, so think if it that way- you are getting just what you put into it- nothing extra in the fine print that some ice creams add! This ice cream is so yummy AND creamy AND chocolatey good, I couldn't resist including it in this weeks "Naughty Desserts" for all to enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)

1/2 cup unsweetened coco powder

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 TBSP vanilla extract

Directions:

In a sauce pan heat your milk and coco powder until it is smooth and slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). Then remove it from the heat and let it cool. Add your cream, milk, vanilla and spices (including vanilla). Stir and refrigerate until cold. Then pour in your mixture into your FROZEN ice cream canister. Last add your nuts and marshmallows and freeze until hardened.

Recipe from: the kitchen of Debbie Zaballos, my mama

Marin White Knuckle

Happy and peaceful new year to all


We just received a small shipment on Marin Brewing White knuckle. White knuckle is bottled and distributed in very limited quantities, so we are blessed to have this shipment and it will go fast. So come and get it while you can.

We also received a replenishment shipment from Jolly Pumpkin that includes: La Roja, Blanca Calabaza, and Oro Calabaza.

Peace Please!

Rami

Diet....The Dirty Word

Hi Readers…..

How have you been doing? Checking in with you to see how your “ME TIME” is going. Did you incorporate fun moving, healthy eating, and increased water????? Just a little food for thought and speaking of food, that is just what I want to address today.

DIET…THE DIRTY WORD

I developed an acronym for the word DIET and how it affects each and everyone of us.

D: Depressing
I: Illogical
E: Extreme
T: Taxing

How many times have you heard someone say they are on a DIET!!!! The media has once again hit us with sooooo many to choose from….Low Carb, No Carb, High Protein, Low Protein, No Protein, No Carb, No Fat, High Fat, Low Fat, All Soup, All Vegie, All Meat, No Meat, All Fruit, All Shake, No Sugar, Fake Sugar, Low Calorie, High Calorie, Eat for the blood type, Eat for the body type, Eat for the hormones, and for goodness sake…do not mix carbs, proteins, and fats together! Wow, this makes even my head spin. No wonder we as people are so confused about how to eat, what to eat, and when. Friends…..eat for health…how easy is that? Throw the DIRTY WORD out the window and implement a healthy NUTRITION PLAN that says YES…EATING IS GOOD! It is all about food selection. Eating 5/6 small meals per day is key to keeping your metabolism on fire. Restriction of the GOOD STUFF (FOOD) means Retention of FAT!!!

Stay Healthy!

Darla

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Thighs

I originally got this recipe from my sister Danika and I know she won't mind if I share. Prepare yourself for its mouth-watering-goodness. Another perk- thighs are cheaper than breasts and a nice change up if I don't say so myself :)

Ingredients:

1-2 packages of chicken thighs

Glaze:

1 TBSP cornstarch

1 TBSP cold water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Whisk these ingredients together over low heat in an small saucepan until it begins to bubble. Preheat your oven to 425. Lightly grease a pyrex dish, wash chicken thighs and cut off excess fat (warning, thighs are fattier than breasts so be prepared to trim them up a bit). After the thighs are prepped and in the dish, brush on the glaze, stick in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, turn them all over, brush on more glaze and cook for another 30 minutes (watch for them to get that yummy, dark glazed look and then they are done and ready to pull out!) You can also glaze the chicken at the 15 minute mark on each side to give them more flavor.

Serve with:

I love to serve this over a serving of chewy brown rice, the thighs are always really juicy and it's a nice compliment to the rice.

The Butt.....read on.....

Good Evening Readers….

Let’s talk about the BUTT…no, not but…I mean the backside, bootie…yes…BUTT. This is a subject ALL women love to discuss. Hence the famous question “Do these pants make my butt look too big?” Let me start by saying thank goodness all women are built in beautifully unique ways giving character to each of our personal backsides. I will also share that there is no such thing as spot reduction. So when you point to your BUTT and say I want that gone….sorry, you have to look at the whole picture. Fitness is a head to toe achievement. Now, moving on….I will share some exercises that will firm up the bootie in addition to your nutritional and cardio program. Take into consideration the muscles making up the Gluteus (Butt)…Gluteus Maximus, Medius, Minimus, and Piriformis, and the direction they take on the body. The Gluteus Maximus…the large muscle of the butt is a hip extender (takes your leg backward)…any exercise that extends the hip such as running, butt blaster, lunges, etc will benefit the backside. The Glutes Medius, Minimus abduct the femur (leg), so exercises that involve taking the legs out to the side benefit these muscles…the seated abduction machine is great for isolating these muscles. The opposing muscles (adductors – which are worked by taking the leg back to the mid line of the body) are also isolated and benefited by the seated adduction machine. OK ladies you know the machines that everyone tends to avoid because you feel like you have to cover your crotch…or OMG…the whole world is staring at me sitting in this contraption. Throw those ideas out the window and start isolating these muscles correctly. Adjust the machines to a challenging weight, and FOCUS…even place your hands the side of your bootie to help you feel the contraction as you push the weights out…and yes into a split like motion…for crying out loud….no one is looking…work the damn things. Now, move to the adduction machine, place your hands on your inner thighs and repeat the same focused contraction taking your legs back together. Moving on to the lovely Piriformis…an external rotator of the leg. Cable machines are good too work the Piriformis as you can play with the leg angle. Also, this wonderful muscle assists in leg abduction, so guess what….when you are working your Medius and Minimus, the Piriformis is along for the ride. All of us want to achieve the APPLE BUTT, and applying a healthy nutrition and fitness program will get us to the Genetic Apple we are all supposed to have.

Train On and Stay Healthy!!!!

Darla

Happy New Year!

We start a new year and that means setting goals.  Due to the kidney stones I have had to readjust my lifestyle once again.  So my goal this year is just to get healthier- in my food choices and in my exercise.  I'm clearing out my tickers and starting fresh for a new year!  Thanks for your support and I look forward to seeing the scale go down in 2009.