Beach day

A few weeks ago we headed up to Gloucester for the day.  It's such a quaint beach town, perfect for a hot summer day.  

Sam's not a huge fan of his carseat these days, probably because it gets so dang hot.  What is it about carseats that makes them baby ovens??   We have a Chicco KeyFit30 and Sam comes out of it sweaty every time.  Maybe it'll keep him warm in the winter?  Anyway, due to Sam's transportation preferences, I wore him in the Ergo all day.  He stayed comfy and happy and I ended the day with a baby-shaped sweat stain on the front of my dress.  And no, there are no pictures of that.  It was gross.

 We got there around 11 and decided to have an early lunch at the Cape Ann Brewery. 

 A honey pilsner & a lobster roll for Nick and a pale ale & a giant bowl of clams for me.  No pictures of the food because it was housed.  Seafood=summer.

After lunch we wandered around the town center.  Stopped in a few antique shops and toy stores.  Cannot wait to buy so many toys for me Sam to play with!

A pit stop at Cape Ann Olive Oil Co. netted us a bottle of Chipotle olive oil.  So flavorful and a nice finishing touch on any Mexican dish.  I sampled entirely too much oil and vinegar and left SO thirsty- the espresso balsamic vinegar was surprisingly drinkable.  Would've bought a bottle, but how exactly does one use espresso vinegar?  I can only eat so many salads.  

 Last stop was Hammond Castle.  This modern medieval castle is a gem.  "The Father of the Remote Control" John Hays Hammond Jr. built this for his wife as a wedding present.  Pretty sure I just got a pair of earrings from my husband to be...nice ones, but still...

Don't be jealous of my awesome floppy hat. 

 The castle sits right on the water's edge with pristine views of the Atlantic.

Time to burp.

Sam got a great view of all the interesting ceilings at the castle, as he required a bottle while we were there.  Nick and I traded off carrying Sam and feeding him at the same time.  I'm getting some amazing triceps caring for this kid.


Our first full day out with the wee one went quite well- no true meltdowns from any of us.  High five, family!

Rock Art Brewery

Wine and cheese is so passe! Nothing goes better with some Vermont cheddar than a delicious beer. Magic Hat, Long Trail, Otter Creek, and Harpoon are just a couple of the awesome breweries in Vermont.

Rock Art Brewery is in quaint Morrisville, VT. Over the holiday weekend, my in-laws, Nick, and I visited their new facilities. It's a far cry from their other location- which was conveniently located behind a machine shop and amidst piles of tires. We found that place 4 years ago and were sure we'd stumbled upon a gem. Or that we were going to be crushed by a dump truck.



The new digs are homey and spacious. While we didn't go on a tour of the facilities, the tasting room/retail shop featured good brew and friendly people. $4 got us a taste of four beers + a tasting glass = score!

First up was the White Tail Ale. From the website "Our golden American ale has a crisp body and slightly dry, hoppy finish. This is a real treat for the beer lover. Pale, wheat and torrified wheat malts are used with Northern Brewer and Mt. Hood hops."

I gotta say, this was probably my least favorite but that's probably only because I like my beer dark and malty.

Next up, American Red. "The unofficial name for this beer is “Super Glide”. Malty rich with a hint of spicy hops and roasted grains. This beer is one smooth ride with a clean finish! We brewed this one with American Pale, oats, flaked barley, black, chocolate, red malt, melandolin malt. American hops include Magnum, Centennial, Liberty and Crystal. Enjoy!"

Much better. This was the beer we fell in love with 4 years ago and the one that brought us back today.

Third on the list was the IPA. Not too bitter and a great flavor. I've really started to like IPAs lately.

Last, but definitely not least, was the Ridge Runner. This barleywine is smooth and flavorful and a favorite of all of us!

A quick trip around the store left us with a pint glass and a 6-pack of Ridge Runner. Time to go back to Elmore State Park!

One hot and very happy Betty.

Best way to transport beer between campsites? A collapsed Houndabout trailer. Not just for dogs anymore.

Hingham Beer Works

To celebrate my birthday and soak up some sunshine, we wandered down to Hingham Beer Works at the fancy schmancy Hingham Ship Yard. According to Nick, the shipyard used to be quite the pit, but with a little venture capital and a few chain stores, it's a lovely gathering spot now.

It's a microbrew so we started off with some small pours to whet our appetite. 12 oz. pours of World's End IPA for me and Blueberry Ale for Nick. Nick's had real blueberries in it! The IPA was good, too, not too bitter. You can get beer in 12 oz., 16 oz., or 22 oz. pours- I liked this because I have trouble committing to beer, especially new ones.


We had to wait probably 20 minutes for a patio table but it was worth it! Love the outdoor ambiance.



Do I look older? No major wrinkles yet or gray hair. I've already informed Nick that I won't be graying with dignity- bring on the dye!



With dinner, I had a sampler of 4 oz. pours. From left to right: watermelon beer, peach hefeweisen, Back River red, and Buckeye Oatmeal stout. None really rocked my socks and I couldn't even finish the peach one. Microbrews are so hit or miss.

Nick had a white ale- he liked it. I tried a sip- not my bag.

Appetizers included nachos! Yummy and thoroughly coated with the good stuff.

And pretzel bites. These were strangely hard and not really pretzel-y at all. We didn't eat many of them but I brought them home and used them as croutons on my lunch salad. Much better.


Dinner for me was the world's smallest portabella mushroom sandwich. There were two small slices of roasted red pepper, a TON (too much) of herbed goat cheese, and a really sad little mushroom. I was underwhelmed but still cleaned my plate. A girl's gotta eat. I gotta say- being a vegetarian at restaurants is hard sometimes. At home, I can make whatever I want, but at most restaurants I can get a veggie burger or a veggie sandwich. Perhaps I should hit the city for some veg haute cuisine.


Nick had the steak tips. He said they were awesome- I tried a super small bite. Beefy. I did snag several bites of mashed potato- yum!

We skipped dessert- we were stuffed with beer and nachos!

Instead, we took a walk down the shipyard and read all the funny boat names. One was called Payback...interesting...

The sunset was especially gorgeous- I luck out with great weather and a great husband on my birthday!

It is important to that Betty Cupcakes is a serious lightweight and definitely cannot handle 24 oz. of beer. Silliness and a WICKED early bedtime ensued.

New York State of Mind

The empire state and I are colliding all week.

First, my BFFLTDDUP (best friend for life til death do us part) rode in to town on Saturday all the way from Long Island. I wined her and dined her on the Potato and Mushroom Gratin and the husband treated us to a beer tasting. We sampled Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti and Don de Dieu. Major chocolate flavor in the Yeti- that is a stout that will put hair on your chest. If you're into that sort of thing.

The Don de Dieu was tasty, but better on tap. We first tried it at The Publick House- they serve french fries in a paper bag! You must go.

Bought both beer a few weeks ago at the Craft Beer Cellar. That place totally rocks! They have tons of beers on the shelves and a wide selection in the fridge. The ladies there are super knowledgeable, but let you browse at your own pace. I see more beer in my future.

After all that beer drinking, we needed a day of moderation and healthy living...NOT! We ate mad brunch at the S&S Deli and then feasted on cheese and chocolate at The Melting Pot. Do I know how to feed a girl or what?

The good times will continue to roll this week when the husband and I take Manhattan! We're staying in style at the Holiday Inn Express- holla at ya free breakfast! Then we'll skip over to the Bronx and crash with a friend there. Shows will be watched, pizza will get ate, walking will be had by all!

Gingerbread with brown sugar buttercream frosting

Let's pretend this is an artsy shot and not one that I took because I still don't understand the finer techniques of a point-&-shoot digital camera.

My name is Sarah and I bake square cakes. I don't bake them to be cool or different. I bake them, simply, because I have no round cake pans. I know, I should get some and conform. Boo.

I do have a cake stand, but it's nestled safely in my basement. I once had a lovely three tiered cookie stand that was unsafely perched atop the refrigerator. Strangely enough, it came crashing down (on me) one fateful, glass-filled day. So, you see, I could use the cake stand, but really, it must be saved from my treacherous grasp and wayward storage.

Since we've already discussed a few of my faults, let's move on to another.

I don't know when to quit.



Too much of a good thing actually exists.

I know! I was shocked, too.

I met this too-good thing today in the form of delicious gingerbread doused with brown sugar buttercream. Sounds awesome in theory, right? Spicy cake topped with a lovely condiment. But no, it's actually just too much. Separately, they are excellent, which is why I am sharing these recipes. Don't blame them for my excessive behavior.

But I ask you, implore you, beg you- DO NOT BE LIKE ME. Don't combine them. Leave the tender spiced cake alone. Pair the boldly sugared buttercream with another cake.



Now, I am left with a conundrum. As you see, I only ate a small square of this cake. I should not eat anymore, for reasons already discussed. Do I send this cake with the husband to work? It's not much to look at. Decisions, decisions.

Adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book Guinness Gingerbread

2 cups of Killians Irish Red beer, reduced to 1 cup
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 8 inch square Pyrex baking dishes.

Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the reduced beer, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and canola oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Batter will be very wet.

Split the batter between the two pans. Place on the middle rack and bake 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.


Brown sugar buttercream

Soften 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter. Measure out 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar. Blitz in mixer with 2-3 tablespoons cream until fully combined.