The time is flying by...I was looking through emails and noticed that we had an email from Carol. Lounge About already? Well, we are going to go and I hope that everone can go as well. Lots more fun when lots of people go!
Anyway I was wondering if you beer makers would want to start planning to make camp beer. I know these days I like to have the dark, rich beers but in the summer time lighter beer is easier to enjoy on a hot day.
Here is what I propose. Each of us make a beer of choice for camping to share (about a 12 pk). Then I would also like to get together some evening and make a brew with Scott, Pete and Matt and myself after work some time and make a camping brew. I know scott would love to do a brew with us. (we could even make some spent grain bread) Maybe that could be a light brew... fruity...hmmm...so many choices. I just had a apricot wheat beer that was wonderfull.
Maybe part of the lounge about we could brew a batch as well...I already bring the kettle and cooker...
Any takers?
Friday, November 3, 2006
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Grandma Emma
Well, I think most of you had met my Great-Grandma Emma at least once. I just thought I'd pass on the news that she passed away last night. She had a massive stroke the end of last month and has been in the hospital and nursing home since that time. I guess last night she decided it was her time to go be with my Great-Grandpa again. She was 96 and she lived a very good life and I feel honored that I was able to spend so much of my life with her. Prayers would be greatly appreciated!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Tulips
We are going be planting our Tulips today. Last year we had about 100 planted around our yard and garden. Each year they are supose to grow more bulbs and get better beds and more spring flowers. I just I can't wait till spring!
Friday, October 20, 2006
Apples!
The girls and I went to the apple orchard last Sunday with the girls' Brownie Troop. Man, do we have apples. This is going to be a photo post, so apologies to anybody on dialup. Here's Morgan, a happy apple harvester:
Emma didn't want to pose, she was on a mission. She ended up collecting nearly twice as many apples as Morgan. Here's Emma's back on her way to find more:
Here's the entire troop (plus one Brownie's brother), on a break from picking apples:
We had an absolutely gorgeous day for it. I thought that this picture with the Honey Golds on the ground turned out especially well:
After we had way more apples than we really need, the girls all played on the hay pile:
And then they went through the shrub maze.
The girls all agreed that the maze will be harder once the shrubs are taller.
Then we finished up the afternoon with a hayride:
We had a great time. But we're a little appled out. We've had an apple crumble, an apple crisp, and just plain apples. I've given some away to friends. And we may make the rest into applesauce and freeze it, just out of sheer self defense.
Flag of Our Fathers
Dale & I just returned from seeing this movie...In our opinion it gets four stars!
After watching this movie, I feel even more honored to be a daughter of a WWII veteran. I know that Dad wasn't in Iwo Jima, but I still was moved with the notion that my life could've never existed, if Dad had been injured or died while serving in WWII.
I was also touched when I heard (again) that this generation of men went to war, saw & did what they had to, came home, got married, & raised a family...& not only lived a "normal" lives, but raised a decent generation of kids. Wow...that really is big!
If you have a notion, see the movie...you won't be disappointed. And, don't forget your kleenex.
After watching this movie, I feel even more honored to be a daughter of a WWII veteran. I know that Dad wasn't in Iwo Jima, but I still was moved with the notion that my life could've never existed, if Dad had been injured or died while serving in WWII.
I was also touched when I heard (again) that this generation of men went to war, saw & did what they had to, came home, got married, & raised a family...& not only lived a "normal" lives, but raised a decent generation of kids. Wow...that really is big!
If you have a notion, see the movie...you won't be disappointed. And, don't forget your kleenex.
First Snow
I woke up to a suprize this morning in Bemidji, The first snow that may stick??? Its a nice bit of snow, perfect for a hunter tracking in the woods. It sure is prrtty out there, with pine trees white and a starlit morning!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Our Newest Dream
Nancy and I think a hot tub would be a great addition to our back yard (out the kitchen door) and I was wondering if anyone has much experience/feedback about hot tubs. It could be our 30th Anniversary Present (Dec 16, 1976)to each other!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
"Dog Movie Star"
"Nevis collie chosen for 'Lassie' movie remake" reads the the secondary headline.
The Pioneer (Bemidji's own daily newspaper) reads:
It's a secret that was bound to come out, at least in northern Minnesota. A local collie named Mason is starring in the new movie, "Lassie."
Producers for the movie flew to Nevis to view Mason and he was chosen immediately because they were looking for a dog with four white socks, a nice blaze on his face, a white tip on his tail and a full white collar ruff. Mason was flown to LA for three months of training, and then went on to four months of filming in Ireland. He appears in about 85% of the film, with a second dog, Dakota, doing the stunts.
Mason has now returned to his former status of being a farm dog, but with a frequent flier miles!
Lucky Mason...I wonder if he knows that he is a movie star?? I wonder what Morgan & Emma think about that??
The Pioneer (Bemidji's own daily newspaper) reads:
It's a secret that was bound to come out, at least in northern Minnesota. A local collie named Mason is starring in the new movie, "Lassie."
Producers for the movie flew to Nevis to view Mason and he was chosen immediately because they were looking for a dog with four white socks, a nice blaze on his face, a white tip on his tail and a full white collar ruff. Mason was flown to LA for three months of training, and then went on to four months of filming in Ireland. He appears in about 85% of the film, with a second dog, Dakota, doing the stunts.
Mason has now returned to his former status of being a farm dog, but with a frequent flier miles!
Lucky Mason...I wonder if he knows that he is a movie star?? I wonder what Morgan & Emma think about that??
Sunday, October 8, 2006
Leaves Leaves Everywhere
Tis the season...not for shoveling inches of snow, but mulching feet of leaves. This move has been a "little" wake up for the actual time and energy it takes to care for a large, beautiful yard. We went from a single tree, to a yard full of maintence. We are enjoying it (as is Kane) but can't seem to keep up~~
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Beer Delivery Systems and the Enjoyment of Homebrew
I copied this from a Web site about home brewing.
If you have been to Leener's you have seen the large variety of drinking glasses designed for beer. First impressions might be that every brewery is trying to look different and all the fancy shapes and sizes are nothing more than marketing. While marketing and presentation is a factor, it is not the reason for so many drinking vessel choices. To understand the beer glass we must understand glass and its influence on beer.
Drinking beer requires the delivery of beer to the mouth. Who would think that something so simple would need to be engineered, that’s right engineered! God gave us cups, cupped hands that is, and they work fine for gulps of water. But their not very practical for beer. Hollowed out gourds work a little better but they are not durable. Clay pots hold up better but if you have ever had three or four clay pots of beer you know that all that lifting can wear you down. To avoid such unpleasant exercise during an activity who’s purpose was not to exercise, the ancient Egypt’s designed a beer delivery system which allowed multiple individuals to suck beer directly from the fermenter. An invention that later became the hookah and thus the phrase ‘sucking down a few beers?'. May be.
The stone jug eventually gave way to the wooden bowl. Light and durable but requiring two hands. At this point in history beer drinking became a ceremonial function as well as a good time. The need to use two hands to drink left the drinker defenseless in a time when life was cheap. With both hands full and all vision obstructed by the bowl, the offering of drinking to someone health was actual a show of trust. Ceremony and protocol lead to embellishment. The wooden bowl became as important as the drink itself. The rim of this bowl was inlaid with gold and the vessel was called a mazer. For the connivance of the drinker the mazer was fitted with two handles at opposite sides of the bowl. This was great for protocol but the problem of two fisted drinking while trying to enjoy a roasted boar and watch your back, all at the same time remained. A stem and foot were added and mazer began to look like a chalice. Witness the birth of stemware?
At this point it must be noted that this is not a world history of the invention of drink ware. Different cultures certainly developed different solutions to this common need of delivering beer to the mouth. I tend to get lost in history and lore. Home brew will do that to you. Lets get back to the glass.
Until the Industrial Revolution, when the mass production of glass came about, beer was served in clay, wood or metal vessels and it was a good thing. Beer was not an attractive beverage and the vessels concealed the hazy, murky liquid within. Then came glass. The advent of glass put the beer on display. Suddenly the beer drinker was forced to look at what was being consumed and it wasn’t pretty. The brewing industry was about to change.
All beer is brewed by the consumer. If the consumer likes it there will be more. If not, there will be less. Brewer’s had to respond to the demands of drinkers with cleaner, brighter beer. This resulted in new technology such as secondary fermentation, laagering, cold conditioning, filtration and improved mashing methods. It is obvious that the brewers did their part and a lot more. Glass is a flexible medium for the artist. Any shape, any size, any design. Beer is a flexible medium for the brewer. Aroma, flavor, texture, alcohol, body. Why not match the design of the glass to the character of the beer. Why not let the glass punctuate the brew, accent the colors, highlight the high points and accommodate the flaws.
There are two reasons to drink beer and neither of them is drunkenness. The first is because you like it. The second is the sensations it gives you during the drinking. Think of the beer glass as a turbo charger on these sensations. Technically the beer glass is far more than a delivery system to the mouth. The sensations and enjoyment of beer are far more complex than the tongue and taste alone. They start with the eyes. The glass made appearance important and brewers made appearance impressive. Taste starts with smell. The nose prepares the taste buds.
Overtime, the matching of beer styles and drinking glass has been refined. Refined to the extent of being nationalistic and even trademarked. The word Pilsner automatically recalls the image of tall slender glasses designed to demonstrate the beers carbonation with rising bubbles and concentrate the delicate aroma of Nobel hops without overpowering the malty sweetness of a refreshing beer.
Belgium has been called the Disneyland of Beer and the Abbey Ale brewers accent that image by drinking from bowls, giant snifters and large chalices. The brewer monks who live on beer alone during fasting don't want to miss a thing. Their glassware is designed to put your whole face in the beer. Belgian Ales are actually felt with the eyes, nose and mouth.
Glassware is not without controversy. In England the traditional dimpled mug with handle is now near its end. Pub owners concerned more about space than beer, are using the mixer or top hat instead. This glass is the one used in most American brewpubs too. With it's wide mouth, slanted sides and narrow foot the mixer does offer the drinker access to the hop and ale yeast characteristics made famous by English Ales. But then their purpose is storage. When stacked upside down and right side up next to each other they take up little space compared with the dimpled mug but the mug is still better for enjoying English ales.
If you have been to Leener's you have seen the large variety of drinking glasses designed for beer. First impressions might be that every brewery is trying to look different and all the fancy shapes and sizes are nothing more than marketing. While marketing and presentation is a factor, it is not the reason for so many drinking vessel choices. To understand the beer glass we must understand glass and its influence on beer.
Drinking beer requires the delivery of beer to the mouth. Who would think that something so simple would need to be engineered, that’s right engineered! God gave us cups, cupped hands that is, and they work fine for gulps of water. But their not very practical for beer. Hollowed out gourds work a little better but they are not durable. Clay pots hold up better but if you have ever had three or four clay pots of beer you know that all that lifting can wear you down. To avoid such unpleasant exercise during an activity who’s purpose was not to exercise, the ancient Egypt’s designed a beer delivery system which allowed multiple individuals to suck beer directly from the fermenter. An invention that later became the hookah and thus the phrase ‘sucking down a few beers?'. May be.
The stone jug eventually gave way to the wooden bowl. Light and durable but requiring two hands. At this point in history beer drinking became a ceremonial function as well as a good time. The need to use two hands to drink left the drinker defenseless in a time when life was cheap. With both hands full and all vision obstructed by the bowl, the offering of drinking to someone health was actual a show of trust. Ceremony and protocol lead to embellishment. The wooden bowl became as important as the drink itself. The rim of this bowl was inlaid with gold and the vessel was called a mazer. For the connivance of the drinker the mazer was fitted with two handles at opposite sides of the bowl. This was great for protocol but the problem of two fisted drinking while trying to enjoy a roasted boar and watch your back, all at the same time remained. A stem and foot were added and mazer began to look like a chalice. Witness the birth of stemware?
At this point it must be noted that this is not a world history of the invention of drink ware. Different cultures certainly developed different solutions to this common need of delivering beer to the mouth. I tend to get lost in history and lore. Home brew will do that to you. Lets get back to the glass.
Until the Industrial Revolution, when the mass production of glass came about, beer was served in clay, wood or metal vessels and it was a good thing. Beer was not an attractive beverage and the vessels concealed the hazy, murky liquid within. Then came glass. The advent of glass put the beer on display. Suddenly the beer drinker was forced to look at what was being consumed and it wasn’t pretty. The brewing industry was about to change.
All beer is brewed by the consumer. If the consumer likes it there will be more. If not, there will be less. Brewer’s had to respond to the demands of drinkers with cleaner, brighter beer. This resulted in new technology such as secondary fermentation, laagering, cold conditioning, filtration and improved mashing methods. It is obvious that the brewers did their part and a lot more. Glass is a flexible medium for the artist. Any shape, any size, any design. Beer is a flexible medium for the brewer. Aroma, flavor, texture, alcohol, body. Why not match the design of the glass to the character of the beer. Why not let the glass punctuate the brew, accent the colors, highlight the high points and accommodate the flaws.
There are two reasons to drink beer and neither of them is drunkenness. The first is because you like it. The second is the sensations it gives you during the drinking. Think of the beer glass as a turbo charger on these sensations. Technically the beer glass is far more than a delivery system to the mouth. The sensations and enjoyment of beer are far more complex than the tongue and taste alone. They start with the eyes. The glass made appearance important and brewers made appearance impressive. Taste starts with smell. The nose prepares the taste buds.
Overtime, the matching of beer styles and drinking glass has been refined. Refined to the extent of being nationalistic and even trademarked. The word Pilsner automatically recalls the image of tall slender glasses designed to demonstrate the beers carbonation with rising bubbles and concentrate the delicate aroma of Nobel hops without overpowering the malty sweetness of a refreshing beer.
Belgium has been called the Disneyland of Beer and the Abbey Ale brewers accent that image by drinking from bowls, giant snifters and large chalices. The brewer monks who live on beer alone during fasting don't want to miss a thing. Their glassware is designed to put your whole face in the beer. Belgian Ales are actually felt with the eyes, nose and mouth.
Glassware is not without controversy. In England the traditional dimpled mug with handle is now near its end. Pub owners concerned more about space than beer, are using the mixer or top hat instead. This glass is the one used in most American brewpubs too. With it's wide mouth, slanted sides and narrow foot the mixer does offer the drinker access to the hop and ale yeast characteristics made famous by English Ales. But then their purpose is storage. When stacked upside down and right side up next to each other they take up little space compared with the dimpled mug but the mug is still better for enjoying English ales.
Poor Kirby-Poor Nancy and Gary
Kirby is a dog that loves to run and chase in the woods. Last night, he came home after being gone for almost two hours smelling pretty skunky. Needless to say, he is tied outside and I have to go to town to get "the remedy". He will be getting a bath in the following:
1-Quart Hyrogen Peroxide
1/4 Cup baking soda
1 TSP Dish Soap
Wish me luck!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Back in the Brewing Biz
I haven't brewed since we moved from our old place in St Paul to our new place in Eagan. All the brewing supplies got put in a dedicated brewing supply room (more like a root cellar) and there they've sat since, nearly two and a half years. But over Memorial Day weekend I harvested some fresh hops from the plant I have at my in-laws and that put the brewing bug back. So this weekend, we're brewing!
I got the makings for an Extra Pale Ale tonight at Northern Brewer. The recipe is:
1 lb Dingemans Caramel Pils grain
6 lbs Gold Malt Syrup
1 oz Chinook hops
1 oz Cascade hops
My plan is that I'm going to try dry hopping with the fresh hops. So after adding the Chinook hops at the beginning of the boil and the Cascade at the end, I'll move the wort to the primary fermenter. Then, when it's time to move to the secondary I'm going to add some of the hop flowers to the fermenter. It shouldn't make the beer any more bitter, but it should make it an extremely hoppy variety. Should be interesting!
I got the makings for an Extra Pale Ale tonight at Northern Brewer. The recipe is:
1 lb Dingemans Caramel Pils grain
6 lbs Gold Malt Syrup
1 oz Chinook hops
1 oz Cascade hops
My plan is that I'm going to try dry hopping with the fresh hops. So after adding the Chinook hops at the beginning of the boil and the Cascade at the end, I'll move the wort to the primary fermenter. Then, when it's time to move to the secondary I'm going to add some of the hop flowers to the fermenter. It shouldn't make the beer any more bitter, but it should make it an extremely hoppy variety. Should be interesting!
Clarence and Verna
Clarence was one on the first guys we met after moving to Turtle River. He was a jack of all trades but made his living as a plumber and we were constantly in need of one. Clarence was the same age as Dad(Bryce) and he would work circles around most guys in the trades. When he was 72, he built his own house. Not "had it built" but he built it. I helped roof a big steel pole barn after he finished his house. The last full year he worked he plumbed 12 NEW homes and would open/close about 40 lake cabins for people plus run plumbing service calls. He worked up to couple of months before his death earlier this this year. Clarence loved his family very much and took care of Verna as long as he could. He had saved a bit of money for his old age and ended up using most of it for Verna's care. People told him he should put Verna in a nursing home, because she was in a wheel chair and it was difficult for him to take care of her. He would not have it. He privately paid for people to come into the home round the clock to help take care of Verna.
One of their favorite things to do was sit around the kitchen table and enjoy splitting a couple of beers and talking about the day. One day he invited me to join him and I did but I brought a home brew. Verna loved it and so I stopped by from time to time to enjoy a home brew and visit with them. She said it was just like her dad made.
I was called on Sunday about Verna's death (she ws 85) and was asked to help at the funeral, carrying the coffin from the church. This was a sad day for me.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
CD Mix up
The pictures of the 60th that I sent out got a bit mixed up. Did everyone (except Bonnie) get two different CDs and are the different? Let me know and I can send you the correct one you may be missing.
Nice View
This is what you see when you are eating supper at Nick's and Scott's house! We had a great time and I just wanted to share these photos!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
The Fair
Just to wrap up this year's State Fair, the good folks at Belly du Jour have a nearly six minute video homage to the variety of food on a stick available at the Minnesota State Fair. The boy at the end's comment about his deep fried candy bar is your reward for watching the whole thing.
Friday, September 15, 2006
The United Way
We had our "United Way" company auction today. Our company goes out and collects donations then auctions the items off.
Nancy and I donated 4-six packs of home made beer (some is not even cooked yet) and three bottles of Chianti. They auctioned them all off for a grand total of $137.00! Isn't America great!
Nancy and I donated 4-six packs of home made beer (some is not even cooked yet) and three bottles of Chianti. They auctioned them all off for a grand total of $137.00! Isn't America great!
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