GOP

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV)

Dr. David Faust, CCU, recently spoke at Cobblestone and challenged us to find our "GOP" -- He defined GOP as the intersection of your gifts, opportunities, and passion. When those three things come together (or intersect), we ignite! I think he was trying to say that our GOP needs to be our priority -- we need to find that intersection; and throw off everything else that hinders or gets in the way of running the race marked out for us.

I've been asking God about my gifts -- I'm not musical, athletic, scientific, or craftsman material. I can get lost on a one-way street. I often refer to myself as directionally-challenged. I cannot put together a bookshelf or other piece of equipment without very clear directions, complete with pictures and lots of arrows. And, even then, I have to turn the diagram so that it lines up with what's in front of me.

On spiritual gift assessments, I consistently score high in faith, intercession, discernment, leadership, and wisdom. But, my passion is prayer; both in the secret place (or prayer closet); and in more public settings (praying over & laying hands on others). Since we're all called to pray without ceasing, I ask, "Is it possible to be gifted in prayer?" Or, is prayer the passion, and faith & discernment the gift that makes it powerful? These are the kinds of questions I've been pondering of late.

Today's prayer: "God, thank you for calling me by name and preparing a plan for my life in advance of my birth. Thank you for directing my steps along that path and steering me back when I veered off that path. You, by your Spirit, have ignited a passion for prayer in me and I thank you. It was not always that way. You have selected my gifts and I am grateful for your wisdom. O, Lord, now I ask you to set before me opportunities in which my 'GOP' will glorify your Holy Name."

Happy Birthday to Us!

That’s right, The Bruery is turning 1 year old!  So you know what that means; a celebration is in order.  On Saturday, May 16^th, we’d like to invite you to come help us commemorate our first year in the craft beer making business with - well beer of course!

In addition to our year-round offerings, we’ll be releasing Papier, our anniversary ale.  Papier is a Belgian-style Old Ale layered with complex flavors of dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar.  This robust ale weighs in at 14.5% ABV and we think it's the perfect beer to mark our first big milestone. 

We’ll also be pouring Levud’s, which was our very first batch, as well as Melange #1, Humulus Ambre, Cuvee Juene, White Zin, and yes, for all you Melange lovers, #3 will be making an appearance!  

Excited yet?

How about some barbeque to wash down your beer?  Beachwood BBQ will be on hand to satisfy any beer-fueled cravings for the smoky stuff.  And if you need a little something else in between brews, we’ll have some additional treats available for snacking (haven’t had the Bruery Belgian Waffles yet?  Here’s your chance!)

The party will run from 11 AM through 6 PM, and we’ll be accommodating 150 people at a time.  The ticket price is $25 and includes beer tasting tickets, food tickets, and your Bruery glassware.  We’ll also have some commemorative Papier t-shirts available! 

So come help us raise a toast to our first year, and have a great time doing it!  We look forward to seeing you there!

Finest Expressions On Urbanmoms.ca!

Urbanmoms.ca is an amazing online resource for moms and moms-to-be in North America. It hosts numerous interesting blogs on subjects such as latest entertainment news, modern day moms-tips, travelling, crafts and weight management. Experts give advice on education, financial management, fitness, work and life.

They have informative reviews on products that we all use as moms on day to day basis. They also have a section on movies and books reviews that I like to refer to before I hit the book or video store.

Fun promotions and exciting contests are also part of this online community. Their latest contests prize is Hannah Montana Movie DVD!

My favourite stop is the lounge where you get to read member blogs and inspirational stories of mom entrepreneurs. A collection of real life stories about how moms juggle the challenges of starting and manging their businesses while raising little munchkins. This week their Market Place features my story as a mom and an entrepreneur. Be sure to check it out and share your views!

-Zakia

Craft Brewers Conference

Tyler, Rachel, Jonas and I got back on Saturday from the Craft Brewers Conference in Boston where we had a productive and fun time.

This is my third conference and the function of this conference seems to change every year for me. The first year, I was looking for information on how to start my brewery, and focused on the educational aspects as well as getting to know equipment suppliers. I quickly found out when talking to equipment suppliers that new equipment would mostly be out of my reach. At this first conference (in Austin, TX), I noticed how friendly everyone was to each other in this industry and this made me all the more excited to start a brewery and be a part of this family.

My second conference in San Diego, CA came about a month after our first batch, and a week before we sold our first case of beer. (Speaking of which, today is our first anniversary of selling our first case of beer to Hollingshead Deli in Orange, CA. I'll have to stop by Hollingshead's today, have a beer, and thank the Hollingshead family for all that they've done for us.) My second conference came at a time when Tyler was the only employee. We came to the conference to learn as much as we could about the industry as well as try to let our industry know we existed. We donated 12 cases of beer to the conference, and a case or two luckily ended up at the Brewery Owners / CEO Reception, where Greg Koch and Steve Wagner from Stone Brewing Co. first tried our beer. This was the starting point of Stone distributing our beers in Southern California. No one had heard of us, and many were skeptical that we'd be in business a year from then.

Things were a bit different at this year's Craft Brewers Conference. This conference I focused on making and strengthening relationships with our suppliers, fellow brewers, our distributors, and distributors we'd like to have on our team. We also focused on drinking the best beer the Northeast has to offer, something we did quite well I might add! The educational components of the Craft Brewers Conference were a bit lower of a priority this year than the previous two years, but collectively we went to most of the seminars and learned some new things.

Tyler flew the redeye and went to the two day MBAA yeast seminar, where he had the chance to make friends with and pick the brains of some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry. He also discovered new quality assurance procedures which require new pieces of lab equipment that we clearly can't afford right now. Maybe for Christmas, Tyler!

On Saturday we checked out downtown Boston and visited our friend Andrew at the Jamaica Plain Sam Adams brewery. Andrew gave us a great tour, and then drove us to a beer store where we stocked up on East Coast beers, and then drove us back to our hotel. What a great guy-- thanks Andrew! We hope you'll visit Southern California soon.

The CBC is a great place to make friends who share the same passion for craft beer that we do, and it's a lot of fun being a part of this large family. I'm looking forward to the next CBC in Chicago!

Simple Spicy Curry (with help from Maya)

Today was non-stop. I team taught a Stroller Strides class…played at the park with my little one…zipped through Whole Foods (which I love, but that reminds how much less expensive Trader Joe’s is) with minutes to spare before picking up my bigger one…took them both for an impromptu picnic (brown rice sushi from Whole Foods and one of the Whole Food’s bakery’s decadent “granola bars”) at the New Canaan Nature Center…home in time to nap the little one and squeeze in half a workout myself…before taking the big one to his music class and then treating the kids to a (dinner busting) gelato at Gelatissimo. Totally worth it. I tried to give them a goat cheese polenta terrine thingy I picked up at Whole Foods (my little one boisterously asked for it and I thought I had a slam-dunk kid’s dinner, but he probably thought it was a cupcake…) anyway, that totally bombed. But in the couple minutes they were sitting still, turning up their noses, I whipped up this curry for our dinner. Most of the time I try to make something I can also give my kids. Maybe it's subconsciously to broaden their palate, but it's also just to keep things more sane around here. But they won’t touch anything spicy, so this is all for us.

Simple Spicy/Sweet Chicken Curry

1 container Maya Kaimal Vindaloo Sauce
3 zucchini, chopped
3 breasts of all natural chicken, chopped into 1” pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Fuji apple, chopped

Combine everything in a saucepan; bring to a boil then lower heat to low. Pop a cover on it, so the chicken cooks through and the zucchini and apple become tender. I had to run an errand, so I actually turned the heat off after it simmered 10 minutes or so, left the lid on, and when I came home dinner was ready (and the house smells amazing).

As Kaimal says on her website, “I make my products with the finest ingredients and traditional techniques to reflect my favorite flavors of India. I take no shortcuts—so you can.” As long as I recognize all the ingredients in a sauce such as this, I am all for shortcuts.

10 minutes after arriving at Tyler Place last year...

Tyler Place

It must be the 3 consecutive days of sun that has me dreaming of Tyler Place…that, or the fact that this family camp has been a recurring topic of conversation amongst friends this past week. (It couldn't be the mild panic I am feeling that school is out shortly...) It seems that many of us want to plan the perfect family getaway, but we are also in dire need of a break. Tyler Place has it figured out. I cannot wait…

Teacher Appreciation Gifts- May 5-9

Creative Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas
May 5-9 is Teacher Appreciation Week. Suggestions from a teacher for ideas to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with tips that will be helpful and enjoyable for students, families and teachers alike.
Read on...

I Am a Craft Brewer

I Am a Craft Brewer debuted at the Craft Brewers Conference this week, and I had a small part in it. Cheers to Stone Brewing and Redtail Media, it's a pretty remarkable video. If you haven't seen it already, you need to check this out:



I Am A Craft Brewer from I Am A Craft Brewer on Vimeo.

Simple Roasted Veggies

I am all about economies of scale when it comes to cooking. If I am making any of my meatball recipes, or something like chicken enchiladas, I make a batch for the freezer. When I whip up a frittata or protein pancakes I make extra for later in the week, so we can simply heat up breakfast in a matter of minutes...but still enjoy a healthy homemade meal. So last night, when I needed to make a veggie side for dinner, I decided to also roast several different veggies to cut down on prep time later this week.

All veggies were tossed in a little olive oil and kosher salt then roasted in a 375 degree oven for between 20-45 minutes, depending upon the type of veggie. The idea is to cook them until they’re crisp tender. You don’t want to overcook them (to the point when they’re mushy) or they’ll be nasty the night you make them…and even worse a couple days later! Here’s what I roasted, and what I intend to make with each one to give you some ideas:

Leeks (tender spring ones from my CSA delivery) – were eaten last night as a side with our halibut
New Potatoes – the kids had these as a side with their chicken apple sausage dinner last night then I chopped them up in a hash I made for our breakfast this morning; we still have a couple leftover and I’ll crisp them up in a fry pan tonight with the kid’s dinner
Zucchini – always a good addition to a frittata; will be tossed in salads; will toss with a little more olive oil, some lemon zest and fresh mint and serve as a side with dinner tomorrow
Broccoli - chopped some and added it to my son’s Annie’s Mac & Cheese at lunch today; will make scrambled eggs with broccoli and Feta; if I have any left, I’ll toss in a sherry vinaigrette and add some pine nuts and yellow raisins for a nice sweet-tangy room temp side
Carrots – also appeared in my son’s Mac & Cheese; roasting them brings out their sweetness, so my kids like to snack on these; another idea for a side would be to toss carrots in a tangy vinaigrette like this: 1T olive oil + 1T mustard + 2t lemon juice + 2t honey...whisk and add chopped fresh parsley
Peppers and Onions – were used in today’s hash; will be used in the frittata; perfect in the black bean burritos that are a current favorite with my kids (probably because it’s a meal they can eat while moving…); and will be a side to the fish tacos I am making Friday night

So, I have a fridge full of veggies ready to go…but tonight I don’t have to use any of them as it’s my night to pick up dinner from my Supper Exchange (see posting from March 18 if you want to set up your own). Chicken Curry here I come!

"I WOCKET!....I VOWCANO!"

Today, as I struggled to pay attention at a school meeting I was reminded that my life is currently not my own. Not wanting to spend $40-50 on a sitter, I brought my little one along, thinking surely the bag full of Etch-a-sketch, small cars and trucks and the lunchbox we packed full of his choice of snacks would keep him quiet. He wasn’t hungry for the snacks (seeing that it was only 8:30 and he’d just had breakfast), the truck he most wanted to play with made a (loud) whirring sound whenever pulled back, and when he realized bellowing “I VOWCANO! I WOCKET!” in a room filled with attentive moms elicited some giggles (and stink eye) we quickly excused ourselves. This seems to happen to me a lot these days. At first I was really annoyed that I learned nothing about the reading process between K and 1st grade. I was in a resentful mood that perfectly matched today’s foul weather. Then I ran into a friend in town who said she was embracing the fact that nothing was going as she’d planned today and that once she did that, she was much happier. Hmmm, I’d never thought of that tact. Instead I was slowly working myself into a lather because my day was totally off kilter. The meeting was videotaped so working parents could get the information too. My kid is two (quite two). Of course he’d rather be bouncing around at a gym class than a meeting full of moms. When I consider that he’s my job these days, I realize it’s ok for me to borrow one of those meeting DVDs too. Gina was a good reality check. I am going to try to laugh times like these off more. My life may not be my own these days, but it’s a short window when my child is completely dependent on me.

Simple Multi-Tasking Meal: Pasta with Red Sauce becomes Papardelle with (Soy) Chorizo Sauce

Today was one of those days when I needed my meal to multi-task…and I only had a short time to prepare dinner before my kids started spiraling downward. It was so cold and rainy here today that I wanted to give my kids a warm, hearty meal. Got home at 5pm, dinner was ready at 5:30 and the kids were bathed, read to and asleep by 7pm. Delicious success.

1 pkg Trader Joe’s (TJ’s) Sprouted Wheat Papardelle
1 jar TJ’s Organic Pasta Sauce
1 pkg TJ’s Soy Chorizo
Freshly shredded Parmesan

After preparing the papardelle according to the directions on the package (boiling it for 7 minutes with a dash of kosher salt), I mixed in a healthy dose of tomato sauce and freshly shredded Parmesan for the kids and served it with a side of finger-friendly strawberries, mango, cucumbers and carrots. (The consistency of the sprouted wheat pasta went unnoticed, in fact, everyone really liked it.) While they started eating (underfoot) I simply sautéed the chorizo until browned, added the remainder of the sauce, and stirred in the papardelle until warmed and nicely blended. Then I sat down and ate with them. This made a simple, but healthy, pasta dinner a little more interesting and zesty… and it’s another meal that holds up well until your husband comes home from work if you also eat in shifts at your house.

The REAL "Protein Pancakes" of my childhood

Thank you to Loren Kaplan, my Rustic Canyon neighborhood pal, who located the original Canyon School Cookbook: Cosmic Cookery for Kids. This cookbook from the 70’s contains the real Protein Pancake recipe I so fondly remember my mom whipping up. I thought I'd done a good job of recreating the recipe through memory and the combination of a bunch of recipes I'd found online, but this makes much more sense with the ratio of cottage cheese to flour. Since the cookbook is likely not an easy find, here’s the recipe:

Cosmic Cookery for Kids' Protein Pancakes

1 lb cottage cheese (1 tub)

6 eggs

pinch salt

pinch sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 T soft or melted butter

2 t vanilla

Blend everything in the blender until the batter is smooth with a consistency of sour cream. Bake small pancakes on hot buttered griddle, turning once. Serve hot with a little cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. Also good served with sour cream, applesauce, jam, etc. May be used as a main dish.

Now I know what I am making the kids for supper tonight. Mmmm, I wonder if the cookbook also has my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Toy’s Egg Foo Yung?

Deep Secrets

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him (wow, that includes me)...But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets." (1 Cor. 2:9-10)

I love this scripture. The Message Bible says that since I'm spiritually alive, I have access to everything God's Spirit is doing and that I cannot be judged by unspiritual critics. Do you dream big with God? I do. Sometimes, my dreams are so big that I have to ask God if He's really talking to me or if I'm eavesdropping on a conversation meant for someone else. My eye has not seen everything revealed to me by his Spirit; my ear has not heard everything; and certainly my mind has not imagined (or has not grasped hold of) what God has prepared for me. But, the Scripture says I KNOW these things because God has revealed them to me by his Spirit. How do I know them? That's what I've been pondering. I know them because his WORD tells me that I will heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, and cure those with leprosy. I know them because his WORD says that the Holy Spirit will give me power to do these things. I know them because the WORD says that my God gives me counsel in the night. I also know them because I am one of his sheep and I know his voice; a stranger's voice I will not follow. I know them because he speaks to me in a still small voice and then confirms his voice in numerous ways. I know them because on occasion he uses people or circumstances to shout them to me. And lately, my dream life is overrun with the deep secrets of God, revealed by his Spirit; confirmed in his WORD, through his voice, and through circumstances. WOW, my God cares for me that much. He cares that much for you too. His thoughts toward us are innumerable. How many of those thoughts are you catching?

Today's Prayer: "God, I've been pondering many things in my heart over these past several months. I admit I don't know the future, but I say YES to you. Even when I'm slow to respond or obey, my answer is always YES. Even when the things I sense you saying seem scarey or unattainable, my answer is YES. My answer can only be YES because of your amazing love. Where else would I go? Who else would I turn to? You are the Faithful One, the Holy One, the One I cling to. So, again, I say YES. Oh, and what was the question? Doesn't matter; the answer is still YES!"

Beer Geek Show & Tell this Saturday!

For those of you who've been to a past Show-and-Tell, you know what to do. For those who haven't, Beer Geek Show-and-Tell is where we invite everyone to bring in one bomber/750ml/ 2-12oz bottles of special craft/exceptional home brewed beer to share. And by share we mean having the beer served by the tasting room staff-please don't just bring it for everyone just to look at and drool, that's not nice. Only those who bring beer can partake in the sharing. And, of course, we'll share some fun stuff as well! The tasting room will be open from 12-6p as usual.

See you there!

Not your grandma’s meatballs

Not that I have anything against grandmas. In fact, our “Meme and Papa” are visiting now and we’re having a ball. (Hence the reason I haven’t spent much time updating this blog.) But, since the times when our moms taught us to cook, so many interesting ingredients and ethnic cuisines have become mainstream. With that in mind, I am sharing my recipe for Lamb & Pistachio Meatballs. Remember: meatballs are hard to mess up! These ones are amazing, and so easy. As an added bonus, they reheat well and can be frozen. A perfect make ahead meal…and these meatballs are special enough that you could serve them at a dinner party. (We ate them before I remember to take a photo, so I had to poach an image off the Food & Wine site...)

Kofte with Pistachios

1 bag TJ’s (Trader Joe’s) roasted, unsalted pistachios
1 lb ground lamb (which can be difficult to find, so call ahead and order this from your market’s butcher)
1 lb all natural ground beef
2 or 3 yellow onions (depending upon the size of the onion), small dice
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves roughly chopped
hearty dash of cumin
hearty dash on cinnamon
hearty dash of kosher salt
olive oil in which to sauté the meatballs

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and mix with your hands. (Remove your wedding ring, or it will get nasty.) Heat olive oil in a large fry pan. Roll 1” meatballs and sauté until nicely browned then transfer to a roasting pan or cookie sheet. Bake another 15 minutes, or so, until cooked through. Done! How easy was that? Serve with Yogurt Sauce.

Herbed Yogurt Sauce
This sauce pairs wonderfully with the meatballs, but can also be a nice accompaniment to grilled chicken or shrimp, or stirred into orzo for a side dish, used as a dip for pita chips, etc. Lots of options for this simple recipe….

1 tub Fage 0% Greek Yogurt (or you can use 2% or full fat, whichever one you prefer)
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1 bunch mint, roughly chopped
1 bunch dill, feathery part roughly chopped
1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Freshly ground pepper

Combine all of the above and let flavors meld in the fridge for at least one hour. Dip will keep for several days as long as you started with fresh herbs!

I got to enjoy quite a feast before heading off to CPR class tonight (a requirement for my upcoming Stroller Strides classes, not just for a good time): lamb & pistachio meatballs, the cumin/cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes, and the Israeli cous cous with spinach and Feta. Delish. I gave myself a little pat on the back before trotting off to blow hot air into dummies. I’d intended to post the recipe for the meatballs and yogurt sauce when I got home, but instead am sitting here at midnight watching Noggin with a wheezing toddler in my lap, hoping the medicine works….looking at a sleepless night ahead. Assuming I can keep my eyes open, I promise to post some new recipes tomorrow.

I love hearing that so many of you have had such success (and enjoyed!) recreating these meals. It feels great to have a repertoire of some easy meals that are healthy and interesting, doesn’t it?

Hiding and Spying

I'm currently reading a book by Edward T. Welch, "When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man"

I was particularly struck by a comment the author made about the way in which we hide behind walls. He implies we all do it to some degree; some walls are thicker than others. But in our hiding, we peek out through the cracks in our walls to "spy" on the lives of others. This spying takes on many forms. Two examples given by Welch: 1) following TV reality shows; and 2) reading "people-type" magazines. We feel as if we "know" these people if we can just get a glimpse into their lives. And, in truth, it makes us feel better about ourselves when we find out that others struggle with some of the same issues.

And then, it struck me, what about Facebook? Isn't Facebook a form of hiding and spying? We often friend people we barely know; maybe in hopes of actually getting to know them! I recently had someone "unfriend" me and it nearly drove me crazy trying to figure out WHO it was. Never did figure it out. That's absurd; ridiculous even. Apparently, someone I barely knew "unfriended" me and I took it personal. God, help me!

Today's prayer: "God, I pray that my hiding will occur in the secret place of the Most High! I pray that my spying will be done in the enemy camp in order to know and thwart the plans of the evil one. I pray for the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord to fall on me and remain. I pray that I will not succumb to the fear of man. I pray that I will live a life worthy of being spied upon, for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom and bringing encouragement and edification to the Body of Christ. All my hope is in you, the Light of the World."

I want to look like Tracy

Laugh all you want. Fine, so I'll never be 5 feet tall...I haven't had a tiny little body like that since high school (or was that middle school?!)..and I won't be blond with plump pouty lips without some serious intervention, but a girl can dream, right?

I feel like all I have done the past couple days is cook. On Friday night I made a simple and delicious Bouillabaisse (that I prepped earlier in the day then simple added the seafood last minute) so we could enjoy a relaxing dinner with my parents who are visiting. On Saturday I whipped up copious amounts of Protein Pancakes (see my March 21 posting for that recipe) so I’d also have a healthy yummy breakfast before school this week. I also made a big batch of my Mango Chicken Quesadillas (multi-tasking the kid and adult versions, see posting on March 24 for that recipe/ideas) because we’re having friends come up for a visit and lunch on Monday (and if you haven’t figured it out by now, I am all about preparing things ahead of time so I get to enjoy my company…). Then I took the night off of cooking Saturday and let someone else serve me and clean up. This morning I made a Soy Sausage and Cheese Frittata and fruit salad for Easter brunch. After hunting for eggs with the kids, I whipped up Lamb & Pistachio Meatballs... a Greek Yogurt Dip with Roasted Garlic, Dill, Mint and Parsley... Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cumin, Chile Powder and Cinnamon...and an Israeli Cous Cous side that I made up as I went and it ended up with wilted spinach, dried cranberries, Feta and pine nuts in it. But ironically, when we opened the fridge this afternoon my mom lamented that the (scrumptious) Bouillabaisse was going to go bad if we didn’t eat it today, so we ended up having that for Easter dinner. No one complained that we were having leftovers. In fact, everyone ooh’d and aah’d about how good it was again this evening. So, on a random Monday night we’ll enjoy our Easter Lamb & Pistachio Meatball feast! Nothing like making a Monday special.

But if you’re getting full just reading this litany of foods, then you understand why I also made an investment in Tracy Anderson’s video. Mmm hmm. I ordered the video after asking a friend with a couple month old baby how her tummy was so flat after having her fourth child. I’d heard about the videos, but am always a little skeptical of a DVD workout. You know I love my Stroller Strides classes, and I do treat myself to Go Figure classes here and there (if I can wake up early enough on a weekend morning to rally…or get my husband home early one night/week which rarely seems to come to fruition). But on those days when the day passes me by, the kids are finally put down and I need to rally and do something for me, it’s nice to have an alternative I can pop in. Her cueing isn’t great, but I am still impressed. I mean, I am using my sore fanny as a proxy, and that’s as good as any these days.

Sweet Dreams

Need I say more about why I am too tired to post the Turkey Chili recipe from today? For those who cannot figure out what on earth this photo captures: this is the "spaceship" (or as he pronounces it: "paceshit!") my son gleefully built during his "nap" today, before he collapsed mid-project-- and it pretty much sums up my day.

And a Quick 'Asian' Inspired Dinner Too

I’m all about spring cleaning these days, so I am determined to work through the ingredients I have in my pantry…plus the random assortment I amassed during yesterday’s grocery shopping trip. I don’t have much time to cook dinner during the week. I tend to assemble dinner while I am giving my children a snack, and then pop it in the oven while we play before dinner (or they play and I squeeze in a workout, some emailing, and a phone call if I am lucky). This afternoon, I assembled dinner in less that 30 minutes again and it’s cooling down for the boys. It smells amazing. This time dinner has a little more Asian/SE Asian influence (all ingredients from Trader Joe’s for anyone who would like to try it at home):

Pork tenderloin + TJ’s Peanut Sauce: seared the pork tenderloin in a bit of olive oil, then transferred it to a roasting pan and coated it in peanut sauce; roasted at 375 until it reached an internal temp of 160 degrees. If you wanted to dress it up, you could sprinkle some chopped peanuts and cilantro over the top to make it look pretty...

For one veggie, I tossed a bag of organic baby carrots + a little olive oil (would be great with sesame oil too, but my husband isn’t a fan of sesame) + a drizzle of honey + some grated ginger + kosher salt + pepper and roasted the carrots in the same 375 degree oven until they were crisp tender. If you were using sesame oil, and wanted to be fancy, you could shake some black sesame seeds over the top before roasting them. That would be pretty….

There’s really nothing ‘Asian” about the other veggie side, but everyone likes it and I had all the ingredients on hand: 1 bag organic frozen spinach (thawed) + hearty scoop of organic whipped cream cheese + a splash of half & half + small handful of shredded Parm + lemon zest. Combine all of the above in a saucepan and heat on low until melted/combined.

And pictured above, I combined 1 bag of TJ’s brown rice (from the freezer section, heated according to pkg) + with diced mango + fresh mint + a splash of rice vinegar + kosher salt + pepper.

Have to run because we’re going to sit down to an early dinner. Early dinner + early bath + early bed = relaxing evening for you-know-who.

Quick Mediterranean-Inspired Dinner

Against my better judgment—and totally against my efforts to save money by shopping with a list—yesterday I went to Trader Joe’s hungry and with a 2-year-old who was not in the mood to market. I came out with a heaping cart of really random stuff. The upside, I got to concoct dinner in a loosey goosey manner, trying to put a dent into all of these random ingredients I came home with. It was a hit, and the house smelled amazing….

1 pkg all-natural chicken tenders
1 tub crumbled Feta cheese
1 jar roasted piquillo peppers
½ jar pitted kalamata olives
1 large can organic diced tomatoes
1 tub (fresh) organic cherry tomatoes
1 bag frozen artichoke hearts
Zest of 1 lemon
½ pkg fresh mint, I tossed in whole leaves
splash of olive oil
splash of sherry vinegar
dash of freshly ground pepper
(the Feta added enough salt to the dish)

I tossed everything together (which took mere minutes) and roasted it at 375 (in a big ceramic baking dish) until the chicken was cooked, stirring twice to meld flavors. Served it with green beans, which I blanched.

My older son who does not eat meat (“or anything with a mother”) avoided the chicken, so I heated a package of TJ’s multigrain pilaf, stirred in some of TJ's shredded "Quattro Formaggio", then topped the rice with a hearty side of the tomato/olive/Feta mixture, three things he does like. Mmmm.

Dynamite

"But you shall receive power [dunamis: dynamite miraculous power, force, might, strength, enabling power through the Holy Spirit] when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." (Acts 1:8)."

"I get excited about the dunamis power of God. With God's power (dynamite!) all things become possible. God takes ordinary people and through the Holy Spirit brings power to their speech, their preaching, their witness, their worship, their prayers, and their life. The Spirit of God and power go hand-in-hand. Paul himself said that his speech and preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (see 1 Cor. 2:4).

Today's prayer: "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I give thanks to you for your incredible working in and through my life. I give thanks that you allow me to participate in what you're doing. I give thanks that you called my name before time began. I give thanks to you for orchestrating the events in my life to bring me to this particular place in time. I again say YES to your plan for my life. I know it's going to be a wild ride."

Simple Sunday Supper: Jambalaya

As part of my older son's “Spring into Service” weekend, I spent a windy, drizzly Saturday morning picking up (unmentionable) trash at Veteran’s Park in Norwalk, the afternoon helping to oversee a volunteer project at The Tiny Miracles Foundation’s office, and capped it off with dinner at Rio where I got serious indigestion from inhaling two margaritas and an order of chicken fajitas in record time because my kids would have rather been home with a sitter… when will I learn that the need for a break is mutual?

The first thing I did today—no wait, first I made French Toast and Southwestern Egg Wraps for breakfast (can you say short order cook?...)-- then I did a big PR submission on behalf of The Tiny Miracles Foundation, (quickly, very quickly) read Monday through Sunday’s New York Times (that were in the kitchen staring at me every time I walked by the growing pile of old news), and took my husband on a tour of the ground wasps that seem to have set up an intricate underground maze in our backyard. Now, I feel I deserve a break. I’m not going to the supermarket, and its way too pretty to spend too much time at the stove today. Thankfully, with a little help from my buddy “Joe”, as in Trader Joe, I was able to quickly whip up Jambalaya. I risk posting this “recipe” because many a friend has received this Jambalaya when they’ve had a baby or were in need of a yummy meal. But, it’s just too easy and delish not to share…

2 packages Trader Joe’s Jambalaya*
1 package Trader Joe’s chicken sausages**, thinly sliced
3 bell peppers (we’ve got 2 red and 1 yellow on hand), ½” dice
1 bag organic frozen peas, prepared according to the pkg
zest of 1-2 lemon(s)

Sauté the chicken sausage and bell peppers in a bit of olive oil. Heat the Trader Joe’s Jambalaya according to package. Combine Jambalaya, sausage, peppers, peas and lemon zest. Done! Oh, and it pairs nicely with TJ’s cornbread (over by the muffin mixes) and a salad.

* TJ’s Jambalaya is found next to the pasta and all of the prepared Indian sides in the Darien store. It comes in a 10 oz. pouch.
**I recommend TJ's Chicken Apple sausages for those who prefer a mild Jambalaya or Chicken Andouille Sausages for those who want a little kick.

Classy Kid and Cookies

I had pipedreams of going to a Parent’s Association meeting at my son’s school all by myself today…enjoying a (hot) cup of coffee with fellow moms….actually hearing what the speaker had to say…and capping my morning off with an organic latte and a treat at Le Pain Quotodien. Instead, I had our little one in tow. The novelty of my purse full of pens, play-doh and little cars and trucks quickly wore off, as did drinking half & half through a skinny straw. At the ripe age of two, my son decided it was time to go…and right then. So he did his attention grabbing “Dammit!” yell a couple times over and we quickly exited the meeting.

Score? Toddler: 1, Mommy: 0.

With our playgroup cancelled and the weather totally foul, I was in no mood to play trains or Candyland…again. So, I suggested we make some cookies. After all, what is a pity party without cake or cookies? If you’re looking for a rainy weekend activity, I can confirm (10 cookies later) that these are worth whipping up.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (from the inside of the Quaker Oats lid)

(makes about 4 dozen cookies)

1 1/2 sticks organic butter, softened (or done so in the microwave for 20 seconds)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons vanilla
1 ½ cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
hearty dash of cinnamon (2 Tablespoons or so)
sprinkling of ginger (1/2 or 1 teaspoon, optional)
3 cups Quaker oats
copious amounts of semi-sweet chocolate chips (at least a bag, come on these are cookies…)
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional, but the chocolate is not in my book)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (for easier clean-up).
Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; mix.
Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger; mix.
Add oats, chocolate chips and cranberries (or any other ingredients you’re adding); mix.
Form drop cookies and bake 10-12 minutes, or until a nice golden brown.

11 Months In Business

I thought I'd attempt to write a new blog entry, seeing as how it's been a few months since I've written anything of substance on here. Our anniversary is coming up and this is a good opportunity to think back to where we were only 11 months ago. We sold our first case of beer to Hollingshead's Deli on April 28th, 2008, so I've decided to roll over our anniversary date to the month of May. Close enough, right? Last night Tyler, Rachel, Jonas, Jay and I sampled all of the barrels of our anniversary beer, picking out the most exceptional barrels for the single barrel versions of Papier. I couldn't help but feel a little sentimental that we were tasting our fifth batch of beer brewed last April, when things were vastly different than they are today.

In the beginning, I wondered how we were going to sell 15 bbl (465 gallons) of beer, the smallest volume we typically produce of any single batch. Tyler and I were the only people working here, and we brewed the beer, sold the beer, and I attempted to run a business. Within a few weeks of our first releases sitting on store shelves, we received complaints of over carbonation. Luckily, we were a new brewery, and people drank the beer anyway and understood we didn't really know what we were doing at this point. I bought back beer from places that weren't selling it well. I'm still sitting on 30 cases of grossly over carbonated Black Orchard and waiting for a great idea on what to do with it. A not so great idea was bobbling for apples in Black Orchard, which we attempted on Halloween.

In June, Stone Brewing Co. started distributing our beer in Southern California, which is one of those events that made my life a lot easier and gave us the opportunity to grow quickly. Steve, Greg and Arlan recognized we are making great beer and I recognized I cannot do everything and do it well. I could now see it was possible to sell 15 BBL batches of beer.

In September, we opened our tasting room, which has wildly exceeded my expectations. I expected the tasting room to be a place where we'd get the occasional visitor wanting to check out our brewery. It has become a North Orange County attraction, and we recently hired Stef, Tasting Room Manager, and James, to run the tasting room.

Our beers were distributed exclusively in Southern California until November, when I decided to branch out to other states. Stone was doing a great job for us in Southern California, but we had extra capacity and I felt it was important to build ourselves in other markets. Over the past 6 months, we've partnered with the best distributors in states that have an exceptional beer culture. We're now in Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Northern California, and will soon be in Arizona and New Jersey.

The Bruery family continues to grow. My wife Rachel joined us full time in September, and Jonas joined the team in December to help brew and handle our expanding distribution. Bryan joined in January to spread the word of our beers in Southern California. Jay will shortly join us full time as assistant brewer as our production needs increase. Ben, who once helped us brew, is now working with us as our marketing director. My brother Chris is working in Portland, Oregon to build our account base there.

We're currently undergoing a major expansion, bringing our fermentation capacity from 75 BBL to 210 BBL. The work is almost complete and we're prepared to fill the new fermenters in the next two weeks. The fermenters couldn't have come at a better time-- we're almost out of beer and struggling to keep up with demand. In the next few months, we'll also be adding a faster bottling line.

In another 11 months, I wonder where we'll be. I honestly have no idea. Maybe we'll have maxed out our fermentation capacity and trying to fit more fermenters in our now cramped space. Perhaps we'll be constructing a new brewery. Whatever the future brings, we know it'll be shaped by our hard work and high expectations. Thanks for supporting us!