Day Drinking

I absolutely love day drinking.  Obsessed with it.  There's absolutely nothing better wearing a sundress, being in the sunshine, with a coozie-covered beer in hand.  I can think of nothing better that I would like to do on gorgeous weekends.  Especially since this winter has seemed so long and cold.  I've got quite a few day drinking events coming up, and I think these would be just lovely for them!  And then alls I gotta do is coordinate my coozie to my dress!

[Modcloth]

 [Modcloth]

[Urban Outfitters]

[Anthropologie]

Looking forward to the weekends!

In my last few months left in NC, I have a lot of traveling and events I'm getting excited for!  Here's what I'm especially pumped for:

Las Vegas -- THIS weekend with these two amazing girls --> RSJ and S$.  Words can't explain how pumped I am for this!!  We are going to run amuck in Vegas.  I miss these girls every day and they are my absolute best friends.  A reunion is much needed after being apart for a VERY long time.

Great Grapes Wine Festival!  I don't know why I hadn't heard of this before.. but I'm excited to go this year.  SSC introduced me to this event -- and what could be better than being outdoors in the spring, with unlimited wine "samples"..?  I can't wait to go and get belig with her and friends in the sunshine.  Who's down??

Trip to NOLA!  At the end of April, I'll be heading down to New Orleans with Dad and Bex (and perhaps Deluxx(x) now that he'll be 21 -- heyohh) and look for housing!  I'm getting so antsy.. words can't even explain.


..and speaking of Deluxx(x) (my dear little brother).  He turns 21 on April 16th.  And believe I will be there for that debauchery.  He's hilarious to me, and I love him tons -- and I can't wait to help him celebrate with him and friends!

Then there's a series of Bon Voyage parties.. for me and others.  One of TP's friends who is a lot of fun is moving to Utah for work and is having a blowout of drinking and hanging out on the lake.. how can you say no to that?!  I have a weakness for booze in the sunshine.  There's nothing more relaxing.


And then there are my going away party(ies?).  TP's husband brews beer as a hobby (jeal) and it is quite delicious.  He has begun brewing a NOLA style beer, and we're going to have a small party with that and all the New Orleans-style food to have a mini-goodbye party.  One of the girls that used to be in the lab (and one of the only med students that was honestly cool and not an utter douchebag) JC got into her residency up in NYC and we'll be saying goodbye to her too!  I hate goodbye parties, but this will be lowkey enough that I won't get all teary like a baby (although I'm not betting on anything).


..then I've got to do some kind of Adios Triangle bar crawl.  It's only approp since I doubt I'll be back here anytime soon (except to visit of course).  Ah! Sad.. ok enough of that.

Big Boss.

One thing I'm sure to miss from the Triangle -- local beer. One of my favs is from Big Boss Brewery, Helle's Belles. And they've got a great design team.

I'm going to have to take a couple six packs down with me to NoLa when I move.

Dinner Party?!

I love a good dinner party... and wish my apartment was a little bigger to host a get together (or rather, my kitchen.) but I've always enjoyed throwing and attending them when I go home. At my mom's house, she keeps things simple and delicious -- perfect for entertaining. At my dad's, I am always more ambitious than I should be.. and sometimes get a (little, ha.) stressed out.. but it all turns up amazing.

Here's some ideas I've stumbled upon that I can't wait to use (one day).

Blinded Beer Tasting {Apple Cyder}

I am by no means a connoisseur.. but this will really put everyone's skills to the test. I wonder if I can even taste the difference between Bud Light and Miller Light? I know.. shameful. I'll branch out one of these days. But I do love the Triangle Brewing Company and Big Boss -- love supporting local businesses.

Pizza-on-a-Stick {Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day}

How great do these appetizers look? Definitely want to try these soon..

Lavender Lemonade {Design*Sponge}

Not only is this drink beautiful -- it looks delicious. Recipe is listed in the link.. the lavender is a great new twist.

Love love these ideas.

Experiment: Beer Bread with Wheat Flour

From the CSA (community shared agriculture) I was in last fall, I received some fresh wheat flour from the farm. It looked great.. and I got 2 pounds. Pretty stoked. I haven't gotten to use it much since wheat flour is said to have much more gluten in it (higher protein = more gluten output), which results in a denser baked good. I decided to test it out with a little beer bread -- the easiest of the breads as far as I'm concerned.

The recipe came from here, and is as simple as can be:
3 cups flour (I used wheat, but they suggest all-purpose)
1TBSP of sugar
1 tsp of salt
1TBSP baking powder
12oz of beer --> 1 reg can.. but if you buy a tall boy, you'll have some left to drink ;)

Mix the dry ingredients together -- then add the beer. Mix until smooth(ish), then pour in and bake at 350 for about 35-45 min (My oven runs hot, so I tend to cook for a shorter time).

The wheat bread made a delicious, yet flat (as you can see) bread. It was a tad crumbly, but add butter on top, and it's great. Def dense, but b/c it was so easy, what do I care?

Next time, I'll prob use all-purpose.. and add some mix-ins. Choc chips? Herbs? I'll go wild.