BrewMile: Recap of Movin' & Brewin'

Friday, September 23, 2011 - 
We had a great time last Friday at our BrewMile event!  It was a bit cooler than I would have liked, but we had a successful event!

Friends, new and seasoned, all joined us around 6:30 to register, receiving a white or purple bracelet to signify that they were ready to run and drink.  Once the gang was there, we worked our way over to the Monon for a quick one mile run/walk event!  Congratulations to Ryan and Jess for being the first man and woman to cross the finish line in around 7 minutes (yes, my stopwatch stopped working just when I needed it the most!)

After everyone got their fitness in, we worked our arms by sipping on several brews.  Everyone was given a commemorative drinking glass and pretzel necklace to start the festivities.  As mentioned, hubs had two and we also had Flat 12 available.  In addition, guests could bring craft beer to share - we had quite a variety from local breweries, including Sun King, Granite City and a few others.  The drinks were flowing and people were chatting about beer or whatever struck them through the evening.


Of course, we can't forget the beer inspired food.  People, and pups, were snacking on the (and of course, I don't mind - if anything, I encouraged!)


 

Hamburgers and brats from a beer bath were eaten, while people dipped beer bread into the beer cheese dip. There were also stout brownies - a lot of brownies.  Some people were lucky enough to walk away with these rich treats. 



We raised approximately $400 for the cause - couldn't have done it without the support of our Indy friends, new and seasoned!  Who knew playing some beer toss could result in finances?


Thanks to my dear sparkle monster friend, Mal, for passing the photos my way.  I was clearly a slacker of the evening having too much fun with friends!  Hope everyone had a great time!


Weren't able to join us? If you are still wanting to support my fundraising efforts, I would really appreciate it!  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Every dollar counts - I couldn't help fight this disease without the support of my friends and family! 

Sage Chicken Pasta

Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 
'Tis the end of the summer season, and all the herbs are gone. 

Well, almost.  All but sage. 

I'm not complaining.  I mean, you don't buy and plant a herb that you don't like.  And I like sage.  But it is one of the herbs that a little goes a long way.  When you have a lot, expect a long way to be, well, much longer.

Good thing autumn is just about here.  Officially, tomorrow!  I can't wait.  Because sage goes so well with pumpkin.  And other things, like this chicken sage pasta I threw together. 

This is one of the infamous pantry cooking nights.  Scrounging the pantry and fridge, looking for something insanely simple for din din.  This is what we came up with after staring at the monstrous sage plant.

I guess I should have taken a photo of this sage plant.

 
Back to the recipe.  Super simple, trust me!
  1. Cook some noodles - whatever you have in your pantry
  2. Saute up some chicken and season however you like (I believe I sauteed in garlic, added some all Greek type seasoning - stuff like that)
  3. Once the chicken is done, remove and add a tablespoon or so of oil to the pan drippings.  Add panko (maybe 1/4 of cup - really depends on how much pasta you make) and sage.  Cook together until fragrant and the panko is brown and crisp.
  4. Drain pasta, top with juicy chicken and sprinkle the top with your panko topping.
  5. Enjoy!
Then stop yourself as your eating and think to yourself "Didn't we make this about a month ago?"  Well, close, not the same - but I guess that is what happens when you clean out your pantry huh? Or maybe I wasn't craving cheese?  Um, that's weird...but we have been eating mounds of beer cheese dip leftover from BrewMile - I'll post that soon and recap that event.  Be patient my friends.

Super simple.  Plus, comfort food - perfect for autumn.  I know I'm a fan of cleaning out the pantry (but really, it never gets messy...so I'm not sure how that works) and so are a few of you.  Make anything fun lately?

BrewMile: Movin' & Brewin' for a Cause

Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - 
Every year, I walk.  I walk for a purpose, with my Sorority sisters and friends across the country.  I walk to end Alzheimer's, and this year is no different.  Well, kind of.

This year, I decided to amp up my fundraising.  I started think of the ways I could increase my fundraising.  I struggle with the emails - I see who opens them and who doesn't.  And ::sigh::, it can be disheartening.  My local alumnae chapter does some great events (like the Giving Dinner), and I also promote fundraising on within our staff too.  But I wanted to do something for my personal fundraising.  And it had to be something fun. The brain wheels began.

Remember when I ran my first (so far, only official race) 5K?  It made me wish I could run one the Beer Belly run in Wisconsin.  And it got me thinking some more.  Why don't we host one?!  I proposed the idea to hubs, since he would be the one brewing the beer, and he was immediately on board.  I mean, this guy can brew some great beer, and since he loves doing it, why not?  And we have so many friends who lead healthy life styles, but also like craft brew, that this just made sense.

Thank you Bri for the artwork!

This Friday is our fundraising event, BrewMile!  We'll be movin' and brewin' for a cause with friends at our place.  For a $25 donation, participants will run one mile in hopes for a prize from a local brewery (Flat12 Bierwerks) and then spend the evening drinking several home brews.  Beer that is currently on the roster includes:
  • Bitter End - hub's ESB
  • Banyan - hub's premium bitter
  • Upside Down Blonde - Flat12's hybrid pilsner/wheat
If participants bring a local craft beer to share (or any microbeer - minimum is a growler), they'll receive a $5 discount.  In addition, we'll have a 50/50 raffle and some door prizes donated by the Indiana chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

Of course, you know me, there will be food - all beer themed!  The menus includes beer cheese dip, beer bread, brats/hamburgers in a beer bath and stout brownies.  Nom.  We'll have the nifty pretzel necklaces too.

Interested in attending?  Shoot me an email (angieahrens@gmail.com) if you live in the area.  It is currently a facebook event, but I'm happy to provide further details.  The more the merrier!

Can't make it? Consider donating to my fundraising.  Every dollar counts - I'd appreciate any and all your support.  Shout out to Michelle, Myky and my mom for starting the fund!  Always - if you know anyone else who would be interested in donating, please spread the word! 

Cheers!

Quinoa Dumplings & Heirloom Tomato Salad

Thursday, September 8, 2011 - 
Remember the quinoa stuffed peppers?  Well, I had so many leftovers of the stuffing I just couldn't get rid of it.  I quickly looked in the pantry to see what else I could do with them.  Remember, we were avoiding the grocery store and only utilizing what we had in our pantry/fridge/freezer and the wonderfully fresh veggies from our friends CSA. (And yes, I know this post is delayed - my apologies!)

We didn't have much.  But, we always have flour since we make a lot of our own bread and pasta. 

With a little water and flour, I knew I could have a quick dough for some dumplings.  I hesitated because of the starchy quinoa mix being stuffed in more starch.  But, the quinoa is the only ingredient in the mix (there is also meat and veggies) so I shrug my shoulders and give it a go.  I mix 2 cups of flour with just a bit of water to make a dough, then I kneed it until it is perfect consistency.  I let it sit while I mix up the salad dressing.

I was keeping the dressing simple.  Red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper were whisked together before streaming olive oil into the mix.  That's it.  Maybe two tablespoons of vinegar, one of mustard and a few tablespoons of olive oil gave me a slightly zesty dressing.  Perfect for the heirloom tomatoes and greens from the CSA.

After making the dumplings, I cooked the dumplings in some boiling, salted water until done.  And viola, a quick dinner utilizing leftovers, basic pantry items and fresh veggies.  It was quite simple and delish with a little hoisin sauce to taste.

Who else loves to clean out the pantry, get creative in the kitchen, and end up with a great meal?

Guest Blog Post: Feta Grilled Corn

Wednesday, September 7, 2011 - 
Over at Nosh with Nina, I was asked to guest post a few weeks ago.  We 'met' via twitter, and it just took me a while to find the time among the travel schedule of mine.

Well, it is now posted (yay for me getting it done!)  Go check it out for a quick (and ridiculously easy) recipe for that corn you bought from the Farmers Market!  Grilled feta corn is always a delight!

Oh, and the reference to the state food - the link was forgotten (my bad) - check out this poll from SoGoodBlog (found via wibia).  What are your thoughts?

Enjoy!

Happy Dance is in Order!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 - 
Remember the conference I attended in Orlando 7 weeks and 3 days ago? 

Why do I specifically remember the days?  Well my friends, that is because that is the date I took the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) exam.  I like to compare it to the GRE or other long, professional tests.  Three hours of multiple choice questions - a professional exam that left me anxiously awaiting the results for 7 weeks and 3 days.  It could have been 8 weeks (that is what they reported), so I'm glad to say they saved me the 5 days.

And good news, I passed!



The CMP is the highest designation in the meeting profession, and I am happy to report that I have joined the ranks!  I'm very proud of myself in this moment - I think everyone can say that a few times in their life - it took a lot of studying (though I could have done more) and and preparation to take this test.  

Thank you everyone for your support and all the congratulatory wishes on facebook and twitter.  Had plans to cook tacos tonight, but I may need to alter that for some celebratory drinks and dinner!

Halloween Theme...It is Here!

Sunday, September 4, 2011 - 
I began this blog back in the day to showcase cooking, events and entertaining myself through every day events.  I think every day is a celebration, so when there really is a holiday or celebration, I love to celebrate it a bit more. 

Halloween is one of my favorites.

Last year, we had a Tim Burton inspired get together.  I personally loved decorating the house with each room having its own movie theme.  Hubs and I dressed up as Alice and the Mad Hatter.  The year before was a Clue theme, complete with a murder-mystery game.  Mr. Green and Mrs. Peacock were our characters that year. 

You see, the theme isn't just a theme, it is also the costume.

This year, after going back and forth on a variety of options, hubs and I finally landed on our theme.

Heaven and Hell. The classic battle between good and evil, angels and demons.  Evil villians, angelic princesses (of course, my Disney reference of the day) or anything in between.  The options for costumes are endless.  And I know hubs and I will have a great time transforming our house into a classic heaven vs. hell venue.

Let the fun begin!