H.A. Larson's Blog, page 55

Recent Brews of Note

It's Saturday, woo hoo! What better day to talk about beer? This is actually part two of the brews I drank over my long holiday stretch, so let's get started.



I love me a good cider, and this one did not disappoint. Made by Smith & Forge, t was light, crisp, and not overly sweet, and didn't have that harsh alcohol aftertaste that afflicts some ciders.




I picked up a 12-pack of mixed beers made by Trouble Brewing Co., and this one, Red Flag, is an amber ale, which I always enjoy. This beer, though, was not very strong...or maybe I should say that it didn't have a lot of body. While it did taste good, it just didn't have the oomph that other amber ales have.




Another one out of the Trouble 12-pack, this one is the After Party Pale Ale. I haven't always been a huge fan of pale ales--I will never be a fan of IPAs--but I've grown to like them. This one, like the Red Flag, was tasty, but weak without a lot of body.




The last one from Trouble Brewing, Round Midnight Belgian White, was light and refreshing. Even though, yet again, it was weaker with not a lot of body, it worked better on the Belgian White, which is typically a lighter brew anyway. If you are a beer connoisseur like myself, you won't be a fan of Trouble Brewing Co. However, I think these are the perfect beers for beer drinkers who are expanding their palate from generally poor and weak beers. These are good "gateway" beers to get a taste for proper beers.




Zip Line is a local brewery, and made good beers. I picked up this Winter Ale in a "Mix-a-Six" and it's got the winter spices flavor you expect from a seasonal ale. It's the perfect sipping beer for a cold, winter's night.




Last, but not least, it New Belgium's Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale. I got this from another mixed 12-pack, this one from (obviously) New Belgium Brewing Co. I actually bought the 12-pack just to try this beer. I had heard about it, but hadn't had a chance to try it. I was definitely curious, so I had to pique it. Well, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! It tasted like a good ale, but also like chocolate chip cookie dough. I wasn't sure that would work, but it surely did. I would drink this beer anytime. Loved it!  

Recipe of the Week: Quinoa-Seitan Fritters

Hey everyone, Happy Friday! Sorry I'm posting this later than usual today, but I had a busy morning. Anyway, recently I ran across a recipe that I had wanted to try before: quinoa-seitan fritters. Unfortunately, it wasn't actually quinoa-seitan fritters. While the recipe still looked good, I had it in my mind to make quinoa-seitan fritters. So I did a search on the internet and came up empty-handed. Ultimately, I did what any good cook would do....make my own!
I had a plethora of good veggies lying around as well, so roasted veggies were made as well. I roasted a combination of cauliflower, broccoli, aspargus, and brussel sprouts. Don't they look pretty?




Here are the beautiful veggies sitting alongside the Quinoa-Seitan fritters I ended up making. They came out great! I might try and make them into 'meatballs' next time.




Quinoa-Seitan Fritters

Ingredients:
1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed1 c. vegetable stock
3/4 c. vital wheat gluten3/4 c. breadcrumbs1 1/4 c. vegetable stock1 T. each of olive oil, nooch, parsley, and chives1 t. each of gran. onion, gran. garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and Old Bayoil for frying

Instructions:
1. Bring one cup of vegetable stock to a boil, then add the quinoa. Bring it to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer until all the stock has been absorbed. Remove from heat.
2. When the quinoa has cooled down, put it in a large mixing bowl, then add the remaining ingredients. Mix until well incorporated and strings are starting to form.
3. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, then form into small patties (or fritters if you will) and fry on each side over medium-high heat until crispy. Cook time can vary depending on the stove.
4. Enjoy!

Notes:
*I used Chipotle Mayo and Awesomesauce, both made by Hampton Creek to dip my fritters in, and they were both delicious choices.
*If you want to make the same veggies, here's how it's done: Take any veggie(s) you like and to it add a mixture of 1/4 c. olive oil, 1 t. gran. garlic (or fresh), and 3 T. of miso paste. Stir until well-coated, then bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or so. Cook times can vary.

Coffee Talk: Writing, Photography, and Resolutions

Good morning, and welcome to another installment of Coffee Talk. I have my cup of coffee, so let's get started.

After my long writing drought, of which you are all well aware, I've been busy making The Box into the tale I want it to be. After having my ah-ha! moment, I've been putting in a storyline that has fascinated me so much, that I've been jotting down notes to turn it into it's own set of stories. I've had a real plethora of writing ideas, almost too much, really, so I've set about trying to put together notes for an idea and then setting them aside for now. If I don't stay focused on one task, I'll never get anything finished! We all know how true that is. Anyway, you can definitely expect many new things from me in the coming year.

As I mentioned the other day, I finally got my new camera! Amateur photography has really become one of my favorite hobbies, and I use photographs constantly here on my blog. Up until I got my new camera, I'd been taking pictures with either my smartphone, or my little pocket-sized Panasonic digital camera. While they've worked well enough, they don't take the good quality pictures I've been desiring for quite some time now. So, I'm now the proud new owner of a Nikon Coolpix L340, and, so far, I love it. I mean, look at this moon picture I took!




I've never taken a picture of the moon that didn't look like some bright, blurry, round blob in the sky. In this picture, you can even see the surface of the thing! I'm just so excited to have an awesome camera that I feel like a kid on Christmas...which is kinda what this is.

Now that 2017 has been upon us for a little while, (Wait, what? nearly half of January is over already?!) I've really had some time to think about what I want to happen in this new year. I know, I know, we're supposed to make our New Year's resolutions on January 1st. Well, I don't. I do see the new year as a fresh beginning every year, even though some people scoff at that. It's not like we can't make resolutions any other time of the year, I get that, but there's something about ringing in the new that gets us in a "new" mood, I myself included. 
For this year then, I think I've decided to ramp up my own path towards healthiness. I was steady last year, but didn't make much new progress. My biggest resolution is to write, baby, write! After my drought last year, it's been refreshing to come into this new year raring to go. I have ideas seeping out of my mind, and I can't wait to share them with the world. My last resolution then, is to find a new routine to help facilitate all these ideas into a neat, organized, structure. Wish me luck!

Well, my coffee is done, and it's time to get ready for my day. I hope yours is a great one.
-H.A.

Recent Pictures

Hi there! Well, it's Monday and back to the grind. I have some random photography from lately, just bits and pieces into some of the things I've done or seen. 


A view from inside the Desert Dome at the Henry Doorly Zoo.
Holiday week, I took my kids to the Henry Doorly Zoo. As it was cold, we mainly stuck to the indoor buildings, one of them being the Desert Dome. The structure is impressive.



The trees in my neighborhood look very dark and grim.
I shot this one with my Samsung phone. 



The morning sky recently. It looked so serene and beautiful.
Right before the holidays, I dropped my daughter off to school one morning and was greeted with this sky.

Now, here's where things get cool--for me at least! Remember how I talked about getting a new camera? Well, I got my camera! Nature Girl and I got out this weekend, braving the cold, to test it out, and, man, does it take great photographs.



The only thing that remains of this famous Omaha restaurant is it's sign.



A view of State Street coming off 72nd Street, Omaha, NE.



A view of the Missouri River from NP Dodge Park. The floating circles of ice/snow look like frozen lily pads.



The Moon during mid-afternoon.
The moon was perfectly visible when we were out and about, so I figured it would be a great way to test my new camera. I have to say, it's pretty exciting to see such a good quality photograph!



A large leaf rests gently on top of a light snow layer.


 
A set of stairs linking one area of Hummel Park to another.

I cannot wait to take lots of photographs with my new Nikon Coolpix L340. In case you're wondering (haha), that's the exact camera I picked out. I also purchased an accessory kit to go with it, so I have a cheap tripod to practice my amateur photography with.
I hope your day is grand! 
-H.A.

Weekend Getaway to Kansas City

Good morning and Happy Saturday! I hope your weekend is off to a great start. I know mine sure is. I slept in, made a delicious breakfast sandwich, and am enjoying a fresh, hot cup of coffee. Later, I'll be doing our weekly skypecast, but for now let's get down to business here. 
I mentioned recently that I would tell you all about our weekend trip to Kansas City to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. That happened this past weekend, and we had a great time. My husband's weekend is Friday and Saturday, and he had taken Thursday off as well, so we slept in Thursday, got ready, and made the three hour journey south to Kansas City. 
We checked into our hotel, then drove down to the Crossroads District. There, we met up with an old college friend of mine, Kevin, at the Pawn and Pint. Here in Omaha we have a place like it called Spielbound, and it's a cool place to grab a coffee or a beer, a bite to eat, and play board games. Now, I'm not talking about kid games--although they have those--but rather adult board games. There are tons of games out there of every kind: strategy, cooperative, card, and the list goes on. Anyway, we met up with Kevin, who I haven't seen in years, and we played games. I ended up in a Settlers of Catan tournament, which I've heard of but have never played, where I made it to the finals. At that point, it was getting late so we left.
From there we had a drink at the Up-Down bar, which was very crowded, so we moved on to Snow & Company, which wasn't crowded. We got a flight of blended drinks, which were freezing, but delicious. 
The next morning, after breakfast, we headed down to the Nelson-Atkins museum. It's located across the street from the Kansas City Art Institute, so we wandered the grounds a little bit. They have some sculptures and such. We spent a good few hours inside the museum, which is fantastic. If you are ever in KC, go there! It's free for Pete's sake. 


Sculpture on the grounds of the Kansas City Art Institute.


Sculpture on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins Museum.


Egyptian coffin at the Nelson-Atkins Museum (NAM).


An Assyrian friese at the NAM.


Knight on a horse at the NAM..


Penitent Magdalene at the NAM.


Asian sculpture at NAM.


Bodhisattva of Compassion at the NAM.


Moogamhl the Four-Faced at the NAM.


Shiva Nataraja at the NAM.




Wall art at the Bloch Museum section of the NAM.
After our time at the museum, we were ready for some lunch. Of course, I wanted to find a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, and Eden Alley had good ratings. Located in the basement of the Unity Church, this low-key restaurant is spacious, open, and peppered with beautiful works of art. Their food was delicious, and I always love a place that doesn't serve soda.


Grilled Tofu Ruelke sandwich at Eden Alley.
I ordered the Grilled Tofu Ruelke sandwich, and it was so tasty! We got a hummus plate, which was great because I believe the best hummus is homemade, not the kind in the tubs from the store. We ended it with a shared piece of green tea spice cake.


A view of Boulevard Brewery's smokestack.
After lunch, we headed over to Boulevard Brewery. It was busy so the tours were full, which was fine by me. I've toured enough breweries to know that once you tour one, you've pretty much seen them all. I had been here a few years ago with my friend Audrey, and they had the tiniest tasting room. Fortunately, they built a whole new building for tasting, and it reminded me of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, only not quite as large. (I think someone took some inspiration from there. *wink*)


A Boulevard flight, going clockwise from top left: Test Summer Saison, Collaboration #6, Dark Truth Stout, and Cranberry Orange Radler.
You all know how much I appreciate good beer, so we each ordered a flight. A flight, for the unfamiliar, are a popular way for breweries and specialty bars to let people sample their wares. You get a set amount of smaller sample-sized glasses to try. My husband and I each picked our preferred four drinks, and relaxed in the tasting room for awhile.
After that, we went back to the hotel to relax for awhile before heading back downtown to get dinner.


The Jacknife sandwich from Char Bar with a side of carrot slaw.
My husband really wanted to eat some Kansas City BBQ while were there, because KC is known for the Blues and BBQ. I did some research before we left home, and discovered that the Char Bar serves a good selection of BBQ, but has a few items for vegans. Their main vegan offering is the Jacknife. This sandwich is made from smoked jackfruit and topped with avocado and fried onions. I told the waiter that I was vegan, so we left off the cheese and the fried onions as they were battered with buttermilk. I also ordered the carrot slaw, which had nice heat to it, and some smashed potatoes. If you order those potatoes, make sure you request no cheese. Even though there's cheese on them, it doesn't specify that on the menu. This is something I've noticed more and more of lately. Almost everything has cheese on it, and it won't say that on the menu oftentimes. So, if you're vegan, be aware of stuff like this. Anyway, the food was delicious, and we had leftovers for later.


The Bram Wijnand's Jazz Trio + guest at the Majestic.
Being a fan of the Blues, I tried finding some live blues going on in the city. I found one act playing, but the bar was absolutely packed. On accident, we drove by The Majestic which has a sign in the window stating that they play live Jazz. Jazz is another favorite of myself, and my husband especially, so we found a place to park and went in. Downstairs in the Majestic is an old, authentic speakeasy, and it was here that we found the live jazz. We had a few great cocktails and enjoyed the show. Later in the evening, a man came and joined the trio on vocals for a few songs, which you can see in the photo.
The next morning, we packed up and headed for home. We stopped in St. Joseph, MO, on our way to grab some lunch at Gyro Paradise.

The falafel gyro with kalamata olives, sumac onions, and babganoush at Gyro Paradise in St. Joseph. 
Their falafel sandwich was crazy-good, and I enjoyed some delicious pita and hummus on the side.


A view inside a tree at Squaw Creek Wildlife Refuge.

From there we stopped at Squaw Creek Wildlife Refuge where we took a short but strenuous hike. We needed it after all the food we had been eating!


A view down the treacherous stairs at Squaw Creek.



A view from the top of the Loess Hills at Squaw Creek. 


Squaw Creek is located in the Loess Hills, my favorite, and we made it to the top. What a gorgeous view and a fantastic end to our wonderful trip. We came home feeling refreshed and relaxed. A few days away by ourselves, without the kids, had a good calming effect and gave us some much-needed adult time. 
Have a great weekend, and see you on Monday.
-H.A.

Memories of Ireland

Good morning, everyone. This morning, I'm walking down memory lane as I remember my amazing trip to Ireland back in 2014. While there, we visited Dublin, Limerick, and Galway. We took the rail to get from city to city and I must say that train travel is a far superior method of getting around. I enjoyed the train trips we took immensely. I was smart enough to take a few video clips, on my phone, of the journey, but I realized that I'm down to the last one of my clips. The reason behind this is that I didn't think through the fact that my phone will only hold a few. While I had saved them initially to my computer, I got a new computer awhile back, and some files got overlooked.
Anyway, I want to save this for posterity, so what better way than to put it here? Besides, it's a fun glimpse into another country. This then is a video clip of the Irish Countryside as we traveled from Limerick to Galway. Enjoy!

Portrait of Omaha: Lauritzen Gardens

Hey everyone! I hope you're having a good week. I went back to work yesterday, but I didn't mind as I felt pretty relaxed after a nice stretch off. As I mentioned previously, I got out and about last week. One of the things I did was take the kids to Lauritzen Gardens on Tuesday, right after Christmas. Lauritzen Gardens in a botanical center right here in the heart of the Midwest. With over 100 acres of of flowers and plants, it's a nice way to spend a day. 
Last week they offered free admission, so I decided it would be nice to go there as it had been a few years since our last visit. They have many acres of gardens, but in the winter, nothing is growing outside. They have a small indoor center, but not really worth paying the admission price for what little you can see in the winter as opposed to the warmer months. Anyway, with free admission, I figured we'd make a stop here before taking a winter's hike at Neale Woods.
Unknown to myself, the Gardens had expanded their indoor area by adding on a huge conservatory back in 2014. We were truly delighted, then, to be able to wander in this beautiful glass-walled area of the Gardens and admire the plethora of beautiful plants. There were so many that I had to pare down the amount of pictures I added to this post. It was so hard to choose! I am no plant person, by any means, so I cannot label all these for you, but they are beautiful to see nonetheless.
I am including it as part of my Portrait of Omaha series, as it fits the profile perfectly of a unique and interesting place in Omaha. If you are ever in the area, make a stop here. Kenefick Park is located on the grounds as well, so if you like trains this is a fun bonus. For more information, click on these links: Lauritzen Gardens and Kenefick Park.

December's LVJ Subscription

Good morning, and Happy Monday! It's the start to another week, but this time it's in an entirely new year. How about that? Anyway, I hope your week is grand. I figured today would be a good day to show you all my December LVJ subscription, so let's get started.



Here's the card that comes with each month's sub. It's much like the Thanksgiving edition, except this one is (obviously) Christmas-themed. 




LVJ subs come with three bags each month. Here are December's bags.




First up, Perfect Pepperoni! It's a test flavor by the looks of the bag, but I know they make this on occasion as it can be purchased at times in limited quantities. I bet you can figure out what I'm going to make with this! Yep, you guessed it....PIZZA! Is pizza a food group? If not, it should be.




Maple Bacon is one of their standard flavors, and it's always delicious. I mean, how can you go wrong with two flavors such as this? Maple-smokey goodness.




Another test flavor, Cowboy Steak looks yummy! Anything that claims to be steak-like usually gets my attention. Even though I'm vegan, I like the heartiness that vegans inject into items like this. I can't wait to try it. I'm almost thinking of soaking it for awhile, and then trying to make a "steak" sandwich out of it. I'll keep you posted.

Coffee Talk: Vacation, Lovecraft, and the New Year.

It's New Year's Eve! I imagine most of you have plans of some kind or the other. Whether it's a party, a small gathering, or curling up under a blanket, I know you'll have a good night. We're going pretty low-key here, although we might get over to a friend's get-together before 2017 arrives. 
As I've mentioned before, this has been a great week off for me. I've seen friends, spent time with my family, gotten out and about, and eaten great food, all while having a lot of fun. My week was capped off by a relaxing & calm two-day trip to Kansas City with my husband. It was an early anniversary trip, and we had a blast. It was also the reason I didn't get this post out today at my usual time. Some of the things I've done over this week, including the Kansas City trip, will be featured in some upcoming blog posts so stay tuned for those.
I was featured in a digital copy of The Lovecraftian Herald, which you can see here. You can find me three posts down on the left. My blog post about Lovecraft and Poe is the reason I was featured, and that's always fun. Check it out if you'd like! 
I've also gotten some research done for The Box as it's now in it's End Stage. The first third of my books are always the Beginning Stage, the second third is the Mid Stage, and the last third is the End Stage. The research I'm doing now is related to the ah-ha! moment I had earlier in the week, and it's a great development in the story. I will be putting up one last teaser before it's finished, but we have a little while yet before that happens.
As 2017 looms over us, it's that time of year when people start reflecting inwardly about how far they've come (or lack thereof), and where they'd like to go (or see changed in themselves) for the coming year. It's a time when people envision a do-over, a restart, a reboot, or a new beginning if you will. It's the time when people make resolutions and start out with the best of intentions.
As for myself, I've had a great year, personally and professionally, and for that I am grateful. I am like most people though, in that I am reflecting upon my life and, while I'm thrilled with how good life has been this year, I definitely have things I would like to see change and happen. It's time, then, for my own resolutions, and I'm hoping that 2017 will be even bigger and better than this year. I hope your year also proves to be better, or just a great, as 2016 was.
Outwardly, we also reflect on others. We think about our friends, the world, and those who's lives impact ours in some way. To that end, I hope that we all take the time here and there to make other people feel good, to reach out to those who need us, and to consider others when we have opportunities to have more than we need. I don't mean that you should give everything you have, but say a kind word to someone who looks down. Complement a friend on how they look. Give a few bucks or a sandwich to that homeless person. If you have a few extra dollars, donate to a charity you admire. 
There are so many ways to project the inward and outward reflections we make as we contemplate this year and the next. They can either be good or bad, depending on the choices we make. Life is a series of choices, and choosing well makes all the difference in the world. Try, then, to make the best choices you can make.
Wishing you all the best, this year and every year,
H.A. 

Beers of Late

Good morning, and Happy Wednesday! I'm really enjoying my downtime from work. I've gotten to spend quality time with both of my kids (at the same time no less), I've been catching up with friends, and I'm generally feeling much more relaxed than I have in quite some time. I also had an 'ah-ha!' moment yesterday while working on my latest book, and, trust me, that's a very good thing! 
Anyway, as I've mentioned before, I do love to imbibe in some good spirits, and I especially love trying new flavors. With my birthday and the holiday recently I've gotten to enjoy some wonderful drinks, and I'd like to share them with you. 



First up is some Strawberry Mead made by the local Moonstruck Meadery. I've enjoyed their mead on several occasions, courtesy of the Nebraska Renaissance Faire, but had never gotten a chance to visit the meadery itself. With my birthday looming over the horizon earlier this month, I was searching for a good Groupon that my husband and I could use on the special occasion and ran across one for the Moonstruck Meadery. We ate a meal and sampled different meads via a flight, and, of course, brought a bottle home. Delicious!




Good old Leinenkugel's Cranberry Ginger Shandy. Hardly a beer, but tasty and flavorful anyway, it's a good sipping beer for the holiday. 




Typically, my husband and I will each get a "Mix-a-Six" and then a 12-pack sampler to enjoy. In this vein, then, we purchased a 12-pack sampler of Sierra Nevada beers. This brewery has dark, robust, and deep beers. This one is Maple Scotch, and I had never seen it before, but I really fell in love with it. I've had plenty of scotch ales in my day, but never one that tasted this good!




Abita Brewing Company's Turbodog is a Brown Ale. I've enjoyed Samuel Smith's Brown Ale before, and I've enjoyed the fruity, but not sweet, offerings by Abita before, but never an Abita brown ale. It's good, but not great.




Another from the Sierra Nevada pack, Kellerweis is a Bavarian-Style Wheat beer. My favorite beer of all time, Franziskaner Heffeweissbier, is a Bavarain-Style Wheat beer. While this Kellerweis is good, it cannot touch the awesomeness of Franziskaner.  




I've seen Coney Island Brewing's other offerings of Hard Orange Cream Soda and Hard Root Beer, so when I saw their Hard Ginger Ale in the Mix-a-Six section, I thought I'd try it. This is odd, mainly because I'm not a ginger ale fan, but something compelled me to grab it. I'm so glad that I did! If they made just ginger ale, I'd probably drink it because it was that good. It was an extremely rich and tasty ginger ale with alcohol that you couldn't taste. In other words, it's dangerously delicious. 10/10 will buy an entire 6-pack of next time.




Last up is the Coffee Stout by Sierra Nevada. I love me a stout once in awhile, and this one did not disappoint. It's got the heavy body you'd expect in a stout, but with the flavor of cold-brewed coffee. For those of you who might not think they would go together, flavor-wise, you wouldn't be more wrong. The dark and rich body of both drinks completely complement each other, and Sierra Nevada has brewed the perfect blend.


And there you have it: the beers I've been sampling as of late. I would like to point out that I do not binge drink, I enjoy drinking beers as a past time, and not simply a means to get completely drunk and stupid. So, please, drink well--meaning drink good, quality beers on occasion--but drink responsibly. Have a great rest of your week!
-H.A.