This will be the final post about our St. Louis adventure. Did you miss a post about our trip?

• A post including an awesome WORKOUT that we did in St. Louis!
• What a Weekend! (Post about our trip to the ZOO!)
• St. Louis Trip- The Dogs
• St. Louis- The Schlafly Experince

Let’s recap some of the delicious things we ate on our trip to St. Louis.

For lunch on Friday, we decided to stop at the Jay C Food Stores Grocery in Princeton, Indiana. Jay C is a division of Kroger, so we were happy to see many familiar brands (and prices!)

We bought a “Manager Special” loaf of Udi’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread. ($4.59 marked down to $1.90? YES PLEASE! However, I should keep a $1 off Any Udi’s Product Coupon in my purse- this loaf would have cost under a dollar!)

We also bought a bit of Lemon Pepper Turkey and some Farmers Cheese at the deli.  We tossed a couple of packets of mustard and ketchup into our bag from the salad bar, and we also picked up some awesome neon-colored Gatorade G2 drinks. We had bananas and peanut butter in the car to round out the meal!

We ate on a flat rock that was outside of the Jay C’s parking lot. Classy. Silas enjoyed a few bowls of water, and we all had a lovely picnic lunch!

Friday night was our first night in St. Louis, and we were all pretty hungry when we headed to Schlafly for dinner.

Breakfast on Saturday morning was light, since Tyler, Daniel and I wanted to get in a workout at the playground at Lafayette Park. We had a “second breakfast” before we headed to the St. Louis zoo on Saturday afternoon.

We should have brought some more snacks along with us on our zoo trip, we were all pretty darn hungry after visiting with all of the animals!

A trip to Trader Joe’s was a must- we stocked up on some bananas, peanut butter, 2 Buck Chuck and some chocolate for our personal snack stash. And because Trader Joe’s is awesome- we had numerous free samples including: hot coffee, a free WINE TASTING, and some other yummy things that I can’t remember…We also hit up another grocery, Dierbergs, for the rest of the supplies for lunches and dinners.

On Saturday night, Tyler and Emily made Grecian Steak- thin cuts of Sirloin seared with Greek Spices and Olive Oil, topped with Feta and Olives. We had the Grecian steak alongside some blanched green beans and a glass of red wine.

However, before the delicious meal was served some high-class munching occurred- some homebrewed beer (made by Tyler and Emily’s friend) and a cheese tasting featuring Manchego Cheese and a Garlicy Salami from Trader Joe’s.

On Sunday morning, before we headed to church at The Journey (an Acts 29 Church), Tyler had a biscuit craving and he whipped up some delicious homemade biscuits. However, because biscuits are full of gluten, I happily dug into my bowl of oatmeal. We had a wonderful time worshipping together at The Journey, and we had a wonderfully relaxing Sunday. We spent time napping, we spent time by the pool as the boys talked theology, and we had a delicous dinner that I forgot to photograph.

Emily and Tyler made us quick and easy Black Bean Tostadas, but I think everyone would agree that the highlight of the meal was Jack’s Special Fresh Salsa. DELICIOUS.

I think that’s a pretty good wrap up of the meals that we had with our friends- but stay tuned for a delicious Vegetarian Chili recipe tomorrow! One huge last thank you to Tyler, Emily and Apollo for a memorable trip to St. Louis!

We had some delicious meals in St. Louis. Ty and Emily love beer (just like Daniel!) and we took advantage of being in the same city as a wonderful microbrewery- Schlafly.

We had dinner on Friday night at the Schlafly Taproom. Everyone except this gluten-free gal started out with some awesome beers.

Rasperry Coffee Stout, Pale Ale (I’m not sure if that’s correct) and Blueberry Cider

We also had some AWESOME, reasonably priced dishes! I had the Grilled Salmon Salad (baby spinach, AMAZING grilled salmon, red onion, feta and a bacon vinaigrette). Daniel had an amazing “White Pizzetta” with chicken, basil and a garliky cheddar sauce. Tyler had a Roasted Leg of Lamb Sandwich and Emily decided upon the Tap Room Burger. We were all hungry and the food was so delicious! Here is a link to Schlafly’s Tap Room Menu!

We also went to Schlafly again on Sunday- but this time we went to Schlafly Bottleworks! We took a FREE tour of the facility which wrapped up with a FREE beer tasting! Unfortunately, they don’t bottle on Sundays, but we still had a very informative lesson in Schlafly brewing!

Barley grains used in brewing

Emily sniffing the two types of Hops

Daniel illustrating the difference between ales and lagers.

And finally… taste testing time!

We had a wonderfully informative and hoppy (pun intended) time at Schlafly!

Good friends, good beer, good times!

Howdy everyone–

So my beautiful wife has been wanting me to post on here for a while, but since she does most (all) of the cooking and picture-taking I don’t have much to add to her posts.  However, one thing I love that she doesn’t is beer– good beer.  And as Holly is gluten intolerant and hates beer, I’ve finally found a way to contribute to our blog without repeating everything she already said.

I’m no expert on beer, but my homebrewing ex-roommates have turned me into a moderately enthusiastic beer connoisseur.   I’ll share a little of what I know, review exciting new brews that I’ve sampled,  and probably do some research on the finer points of beer culture to share with you.

Some basics:

First off, tasting beer is a four or five-step process, depending on who you talk to.  There are typically five things you want to look for when experiencing a beer (in the following order):  Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel, and Finish.

1. Appearance is an obvious step. What does your beer look like?  What color is it– amber, black, copper, red, opaque/transparent/translucent?  When the beer is poured (whether from a bottle or draught) what type of head appears on top of the beer?  As your drink the beer, does the foam stick to your glass or recede with the level of liquid?  Does the beer have a thick or thin consistency?
2. Since much of our experience with flavors and taste is linked to our sense of smell, it is important to examine the
   

   The nose knows.

   Aroma that the beer brings to the table.  Much like wine, aroma varies greatly from one brew to another and people can think of all kinds of ridiculous words to use when describing it.  I usually take a couple swirls and sniffs. The first time around, I just notice what jumps out at me.  Stouts and porters often give off scents of chocolate or coffee, while IPA’s normally hit you in the face with strong hops aromas.                 The second sniff, I try to examine the odors more deeply and try to pick up on the less distinct notes in the brew.   These might include cherries, oats, cardamom, orange peel, etc.  **It is important to note that many factors will change the aroma as you drink the beer, including the temperature, the type of glass used, etc.  Try to take a whiff every now and then as you’re working through the beer and notice different characteristics that pop out.

3. 

   Hops are one of my all-time favorite smells and tastes.

   Now comes the best step, Taste.  If your beer has a really big head on it, let it get down to a manageable level and then give it a sip.  Don’t swallow immediately.  Let the beer work around your mouth and notice where the flavors are hitting your palette.  This is when you’ll be able to begin describing the flavor and intensity of the beer– there might be roasted, tart, woodsy, or bready characteristics and the intensity might be muted, harsh, medicinal, or balanced (among many hundreds of other descriptors).  And in case you were wondering, yes, you are allowed to dislike a beer.  If you’re just beginning to get into beer, you’ll probably dislike many of the harsher beers, but I’d encourage you to revisit them after a while because your tastes will most definitely evolve.  Many of the beers I hated at first have become some of my favorites.

4. Okay, almost done.  One should also pay attention to the Mouthfeel of a beer if they want to fully experience it.  Beers have varying degrees of carbonation, viscosity, alcohol, foam, and body, all of which can influence a beer’s attributes.  One might say it feels velvety, tingly, or warming and could describe the body as thick, dense, full, or light.
5. You’ll notice that steps 3-5 really kind of piggy-back on each other as you’re sipping and swallowing the beer, but each is step distinct and important.  Finally, we come to the Finish (no pun intended).  After you’ve swallowed a sip of beer, certain unique tastes and sensations will linger that weren’t readily apparent while your mouth was full of liquid.  If the alcohol level is high, your throat and chest may feel warm and you’ll likely notice that boozy finish in the back of your mouth.  With lower alcohol levels, such as with some lambics (a type of fruity beer), one could easily mistake the drink for some bubbly juice.  You’ll notice new flavors staying in your mouth and throat between sips– sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re bad.  I’ve been initially impressed by a few beers only to be ultimately turned off to them based on certain lingering flavors that didn’t jive with me.

Congrats, you’re ready to begin delving into the deep dark world of craft beers.  Again, I encourage you to revisit the above steps as your beer warms and changes; don’t just do it on the first sip.  Many beers are actually better when a little warm.  There are plenty of places to get some good brews for those in the Lexington area, most notably The Beer Trappe.  They can be expensive, but they carry many obscure and foreign beers– plus the atmosphere is awesome and their bar always has something good on tap.  If you want a lot of variety and flexibility, Liquor Barn is the place to go.  They’ll let you mix and match beers so you don’t have to commit to a full sixer of one brew, and you’ll be able to broaden your horizons more easily and economically.  Just keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid to take risks.  Good luck!