New Releases

1. New Belgium "Lips of Faith"-Biere de Garde

2. Avery Maharaja Batch #10

3. Avery 16th Anniversary Ale

4. Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

5. Schneider Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse

FYI: We will be open all day on the 4th of July!!!

cheers,

dave

Fresh Fruit Juice Popsicles...

Happy 4th of July! Here's what we are serving for dessert today to the little ones- and to the adults that can't resist! I just juice some fruit- today's fruit is watermelon- I put it in my Vitamix for 10 seconds or so, and then pour into these nifty popsicle holders I found at Target for $3.49. Pop them in the freezer in the morning and they will be ready in a few hours! You can use any variety of fruit to make these, and you can use a juicer or blender if you don't have a Vitamix. They are great for a refreshing treat any day of the summer!

SIDE NOTE: For those of you who live in Bakersfield- Vitamix is coming to Bakersfield Costco around August 17 & 18th for those of you who have asked where I purchased mine. 

Fiesta Fajitas from Scratch

You can make these yummy fajitas with chicken or beef- your choice- they are quick and easy and a real crowd pleaser! This recipe was borrowed from my sis- Danika Stokes! I love this recipe because you will most likely have all the spices in your cupboard already- so no seasoning packet is need!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken or beef, cut into long, thin strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into long, thing strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into long, thin strips

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. cumin

2 TBSP salsa

2 cloves garlic

salt & pepper to taste 

tortillas

**Optional toppings: grated cheese, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro...

Directions:

 Heat up your frying pan with a little olive oil, then add your meat (chicken or beef) until browned. Set the meat aside on an extra plate while you heat up a little more olive oil and cook your bell peppers and onions, adding your seasoning, garlic, and water and salsa. Mix it around, add your meat back to soak up the flavors. Let simmer for 5 minutes uncovered. Warm up your tortillas, dish some fajita yummies onto the tortilla, add your toppings and enjoy!

Serve with: I serve these fajitas solo sometimes, they are really filling and it makes a lot. You could serve them with some black beans, spanish rice, or a side salad if you're an over-achiever.

Trail Mix for Munchikins....

So, when I am on the go with Emery, I make sure to take a snack trap (love those little cups) full of something that will keep her busy when we are out. I decided to throw it all in a jar instead of making a small bowl of it everyday and I leave it on the counter for a quick go-to on my way out the door. There really are endless possibilities, so feel free to change it up- I try to keep it as nutritious as I can... Here we go:

Ingredient Options:

Raisins (Brown and Yellow ones)

Dried Cranberries

Dried Apricots (cut up into bit size pieces)

Dehydrated Bananas, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Mangos (see Trader Joe's/Lassen's/Whole Foods)

1 type of dried cereal (Cheerios, Puffins, or Shredded Wheat)

As your kids are older, you can add all sorts of raw nuts like:

Pepitas

Sunflower Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

Cashews

Almonds (slivered or whole)

Pistachios

The list could go on and on! One bit of info that I want to pass on to you that my dentist told me, was to be careful when eating dried fruits. Because they are so sticky, they have a tendency to hang around and cause cavities because of the amount of sugar they have in them. For me, not a reason to avoid them, just something to take into consideration. Try to swish with water to get any remnants off and brush when you have the chance!

The "WORKS!!!" Hamburgers

So with the 4th of July coming up, I was thinking what can I serve to a group of people that's fun, festive, and easy enough for me to enjoy the day as well??? Now, because this is a special holiday, I can't claim that this is exactly "healthy", but it's not double fried!

The "WORKS" Burgers:

Ingredients:

Your choice of patties, beef, turkey, or veggie

Buns, whole wheat or white

Typical toppings (ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles)

Guacamole

Platter of Different Cheeses

Bacon (I love Trader Joe's Apple Smoked Bacon)

Sauted mushrooms

Grilled Onions

Directions:

Guacamole: 2-3 avocados, 1 large clove of garlic minced (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder), S & P to taste, 1/2 tsp lemon or lime juice. Throw in some chopped tomatoes or onions if you have them. Chopped Cilantro??? why not! Mash it all up and chill it in the fridge with a pit in the bowl to keep it from turning brown.

Bacon: cook it in your non-stick frying pan (you don't need any oil or butter, the bacon has enough fat!) remove and set on a plate lined with a paper towel to cool.

Sauted Mushrooms: Slice 4 cups mushrooms, heat 1-2 TBSP butter in a frying pan, add mushrooms, 1 TBSP white wine, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 large clove of garlic, minced.

Grilled Onions: Use a sweet onion slice it thinly in rings, coat it lightly with olive oil so it doesn't stick to the grill, and put it on when you grill up the burgers. Grill it to your liking.

Serve this with: corn on the cob, watermelon or fruit salad (maybe a pasta or potato salad if it's a big crowd) and finish it up with a Rootbeer float for dessert! It's the 4th of July for Pete's sake!

Cucumber Salad

This is a refreshing addition to any meal, great for summertime- perfect for a BBQ or the 4th of July! 

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced

2 Roma Tomatoes (or large handful of Grape?Cherry Tomatoes- use what you like/have)

1/4 red onion, sliced as thinly as you can get it

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 TBSP basalmic vinegar

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic, minced OR 1/4 tsp garlic powder

* a shake of dill, or some fresh parsley, or chopped fresh basil if you feel up for it! 

Directions:

Slice your cucumbers, chop your peppers, slice your onion, and wash your tomatoes. Toss them all in a bowl. Pour olive oil, vinegars, and seasoning on top. Toss it to make sure everything is evenly coated. Refrigerate and let marinate for an hour or two before serving. Taste, add more S & P if needed, toss and enjoy!

So it's been a while

A LONG while and I realized that I need to get my rear in gear.  I have had surgery which SHOULD make it easier to exercise once I have been cleared to do so.  I realized that while I was keeping up over here and documenting my food choices I was making much better choices then what I am making currently so, I'm going to start over on this July 1.  :)

Breakfast: 1 whole wheat bagel with cream cheese (just a thin coating), 1 banana, 16.9 oz. water