Chicken BBQ and Ranch Burrito

The last time I visited Lauren's family her cousin Connor made this chicken wrap for me that was outstanding. When he first offered this, I'll be the first to admit that it sounded disgusting. For one I'm not really a fan of ranch (prefer blue cheese) and it didn't look too pleasing to the stomach. However, after my first bite I quickly changed my mind and was excited when I got the opportunity to eat another one this weekend. If your ever feeling hungover and need something to help you out in the morning try this tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

(2) Pieces of Breaded Chicken Tenders - Tyson brand works best
BBQ Sauce - Connor uses Sweet Lucy's BBQ sauce, but I'm sure what brand you have in your fridge will work
Ranch Dressing - Again, whatever you have
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Tortilla Wrap

Take two piece of the breaded chicken, and bake in oven for 25 minutes(or until done). Once done cut the chicken into cubes. Get tortilla shell and load with shredded cheddar and top with the cubed chicken. Pour the BBQ sauce the length of the shell two times, and do the same with the ranch. Top off with more shredded cheese and begin rolling up the tortilla to make a burrito. Place rolled burrito in the microwave for 25 seconds. When done, you are welcome to enjoy.

Again, I know it doesn't sound good, but this is amazing. If anyone tries this out please let me know what you think.

Special Thanks to Connor Ahearn

Thomas Hooker: A CT Beer

Before going to CT, I did some research during the week to find out if there were any local breweries or brewpubs I could visit. Although I found a few locations, I was saddened when I found that none of the breweries were within driving distance. As the plan was to enjoy some brews Friday night, I headed to a local beer store that I visited before and approved of their beer selection. I'm not sure about you, but I ALWAYS have a difficult time deciding on what I will be drinking as I am just sooo picky. Lately, I find myself trying to branch out and pick stuff for this blog. Sometime this week, I will be putting together H's Guide to Picking Beer which you can use to make a decision. You'll have to check back later this week for that.

Prior to getting to the beer store, I knew my beer decision would be based on getting something that was brewed in CT. As I scanned the stocked coolers I noticed the Thomas Hooker Beer and remembered this was brewed in the state. This beer brand was one of the breweries I had found during my research. The store was stocked with several different types of this beer, and I grabbed two 6 packs: their IPA and their Blonde Ale. After getting back to the house, I began my drinking of the two beers.

I'm going to be honest, as I drank both of these on Friday I don't really remember what they exactly tasted like. What I do remember was that I enjoyed their IPA over the blonde ale, but that isn't a shocker. The IPA did have a nice hoppy taste that wasn't overwhelming, and the blonde ale had a light taste that some of the non beer drinkers enjoyed. I did notice that this beer tasted very fresh, which definately made the experience that much more enjoyable. I guess you can say that I really enjoyed this beer as I finished both 6 packs and was up until 6AM. At one point I ended up doing a shot which was awful and later found myself in a hot tub.

My Blog Update after CT

I decided to take a few days off from my blog while I enjoyed my weekend in CT. If there's one thing that I learned with life is that it's way too short and quick, and you really need to take the time to enjoy it. Over the next few days I will be producing several blogs related to my favorite thing: Beer. Despite taking the time to enjoy the weekend, I did drink plenty of beer and have much to write about. I am excited to say that I will be finishing up my business cards order and will be placing that during the next few days. I know I'm really late to the "party" but I am now on Twitter, and think you should try to find me. I have no idea how to get you there but I am under the name HLOVESBEER. Try to find me and of course become a follower of me. In the meantime, stay thirsty my friends!

Beer at a Supermarket: Just Not a NJ thing

There's nothing like a rainstorm to wash your car. For the past week my car has been filthy with all the grime and salt that was used to treat the roads during the snowstorms. I've been trying to get my Escape to the car wash but haven't gotten a chance due to work and other obligations. Although it was pouring on my ride up to CT, I did manage to get a free car wash. It's been a few days since I've had beer. I didn't think it would be a good idea to drink last night prior to my 4 hour drive especially having to drive through New York. Our plan today was to visit Lauren's grandmother and prior to going we stopped at two local supermarkets which were well stocked with beer. No liquor, but plenty of beer. As we were on a strict time frame I didn't get a chance to check out the selection and prices. I was happy to see Magic Hat being sold, but didn't notice any local choices. I have yet to pick up beer for tonight, but I'm hoping when I visit the beer store I can find some local flavor.

I Heart Traffic

There's nothing like working til 11 and then being stuck in traffic comparable to rush hour on a Friday evening. It took well over a hour to get home, which wouldn't be too bad expect that I'm exhausted and been at work since 9:30 this morning. While stuck in traffic I did watch a young woman get the pen test by a police officer. Although I have no idea what the outcome was I always enjoy watching people do the DUI test. Don't lie, I'm sure you do too.

I'm heading up to CT this weekend (to visit the GF family) and plan on drinking some beer. I've been looking up local CT breweries and brewpubs and will try to visit one. Assuming I can find one within driving distance, I will be sampling plenty of beer. I did get some exciting news when I found out about a Philadelphia bar crawl in April that I will be participating in. What's even better than the awesome beer that I'll be drinking is that it benefits cancer. Check out their site and consider joining in on the fun.

http://www.crawlforcancer.org/

A Relaxing Sunday

Last Sunday reminded me how happy I am that I work Monday thru Friday. Not sure how many of you don't work weekends, but I'm certain you'll agree that it's a great feeling waking up Saturday or Sunday and having nothing to do. After a late Saturday night, I spent the majority of my Sunday morning/afternoon sleeping, laying on the couch, and watching movies all while still in my northface sweatpants. After being hungover for most of my day I went to the Tortilla Press in Pennsauken for dinner as they were offering their Fajita Family Night. For $11.95 per person, we were served chips with homemade queso, salad, a taco, and a huge portion of chicken fajitas with all the fixings. I know this is a beer blog, but I would like to praise Chef Mark's fajitas, as they are some of the best I've ever had. Sunday night was the first time I had the chicken fajitas, as I normally order the shrimp. I have no idea what he marinates the meat, peppers, and onions in but it's out of this world. Before we got to the restaurant I questioned if I would order a beer. After some serious thinking I actually opted to stick with ice tea until I saw another patron in the restaurant enjoying a Dos Equis XX. Our server gave me the option to order the lager or amber version, I chose the amber. As I drank my beer, I couldn't help but think about the commercials and ads I've seen about the most interesting man in the world. I tried picturing myself hanging at his table, and getting some valuable advice on how to live my life. Unfortunately, when reality set in I realized I wasn't as cool as him drinking this beer. My favorite Most Interesting Man ad is the one where he talks about wingmen and lets us know that it doesn't take more than one guy to talk to women. What's your favorite most interesting man ad?

Late Night at Bobby Ray's

One of the benefits of living in New Jersey is that last call is around 3AM, as oppose to 2AM in it's neighboring state Pennsylvania. We got back into town around 1:30 and weren't ready for the night to end so we headed to Bobby Ray's on Westfield ave in Pennsauken. Despite this being a local bar this was only my second time there, with my first time being during one of the Phillies playoff games. As a beer junkie, the one thing that excites me is going to a place with a nice draft beer selection, and Bobby Ray's did not disappoint. A handwritten message written on a chalkboard is displayed over one of the entrances showing the listing of the 22 draft beers from their current rotation. I went with the Stone IPA which is not something you normally see on draft, and with each beer poured into a Bobby Ray's glass mug it was an unique touch. I was impressed with their current selection which included Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Riverhorse Lager, Flying Fish Exit 4 and Pennsauken Crick. Yes, I said Pennsauken Crick, which I did try and liked. The bartending staff was friendly and approachable with any questions pertaining to the selection and bar. It was also great to see the owner, Bobby Ray Harris, assisting with the many duties of running a bar. Be sure to check out their website which provides information on their upcoming events and daily specials. Because of the staff, beer selection, and what I saw from the food menu shown on the website, I absolutely will return. With Thursday being Beer Pong night, I will need to find time out of my busy week to attend. Since it's opening in 2010, I heard many positive feedback about one of Pennsauken's newest establishment, and was glad to see that it lived up to the hype.

http://www.braysplace.com/

Atlantic Gaga

Tonight was a crazy night. Last year I had gotten an email from ticketmaster or some automated email group that I subscribe to giving me the option to buy Lady Gaga tickets before they went on sale to the public. If there's one thing that I know about my girlfriend is that she loves Lady Gaga. I missed out on Lady Gaga tickets the previous tour so I knew I could not make the same mistake.

500 dollars later we had tickets. I got good seats in section 112, second row, seats 1 and 2. After months of waiting for this concert it was finally here. With the concert at boardwalk hall so we went to CAESARS and decided to eat at MIA. I've eaten there before, and had ordered Victory HopDevil beer and a piece of meat that was marinated in the same beer (My type of meal). I was a bit disappointed when I saw the beer menu, well I mean heard the beer menu from the server. It was obvious that this place was known for wine as they had a wine cellar that rivals the other Atlantic City restaurants. If you love wine as much  as I love beer this place is perfect for you. I went with a Yeungling which is always a safe bet with dinner, however when you go to a nicer restaurant it's disappointing to realize they aren't concerned with the beer lovers. Although the menu lacked a solid beer selection, the food was amazing. KUDOS has to be given to the chef who came out of the kitchen multiple times to yell at the servers asking them to serve food. It's great to see a chef take pride in their food and getting it served hot.

After dinner we headed to the casino and I quickly realized why I don't gamble any more. I swear each time I lose my money quicker and quicker (I'm sure everyone can relate). I might be compulsive and extreme in many ways, but I'm able to control my spending habits in a casino. Needing a break from the casino we headed to Trinity Bar at CAESARS pier. Every restaurant was crowded with some people waiting close to 3 hours. This time last year we had lunch at The Trinity, and knew of their unique beer selection and warming atmosphere. With this bar being an IRISH bar, it was great to see more than the steroetypical IRISH beer - Harp and of Course GUINESS. I ended up going with the DOGFISH head 60 minute IPA. The bartenders were helpful and were great, as they were personable and able to hold conversations with patrons. As I scanned the bar I saw thier bottle section on the wall and noticed Magic Hat Circus Boy. You can say I'm in love with Magic Hat, but I was thrilled this was served. Again, as I mentioned before its not often I see Magic hat and when I do its #9 on draft. I don't think I've ever had anything else at a bar/restaurant. After ordering this beer I felt like a celebrity as I saw everyone in the bar trying to figure what I was drinking. At one point I did order another circus boy, and Lauren ordered a shot recommended by the bartender, 100 proof the Knot. Thanks Bartenders!

I'm skipping to Lady Gaga, as this is long enough. Not sure how many of you have seen her live but she rocks out during her show. I'll be honet I actually like her and find her songs very catchy. What made it better was that Lauren enjoyed it. I'm not big into concerts (prefer sporting events) but I did find out and do the following:

Almost walked into the ladies room- well I did while looking at my phone. I felt like the woman who walked into the water fountain

They dont take debit/credit card. In the words of Randy Moss' Straight cash homie"

People dress up for Gaga in a Gaga way. One dude wearing the outfit from bad romance

I saw plently of Gagas impresonators, which I took pictures with

Lauren got interviews with some station from Rochester New York - I have no idea why they are down in AC

Even on the boardwalk you can buy a bootleg t shirt for $10.

I really enjoyed the concert but still don't understand her. It was nice to see her in real clothes and not performing in an Egg or meat suit.

Side note: On the way down I did jam out to Africa by Toto

The Beer Mecca: Philadelphia

I realized last night that my life is quite boring during the week. I had two opportunities to go out last night but had to pass on both because of work. Besides, I was so exhausted from the week. The first option I passed on was going to Iron Hill Brewery and drinking out in Media with my bud Rich. The second option was hard to turn down as my old college roommate Mike was in town and had two spots at Lucky Strike bowling in the city. Unfortunately as I passed on both, my night consisted of work then coming home and drinking a freshly brewed ice tea. To feel like I was drinking beer I did have it in a pint glass.

Not sure if any of you check out http://www.philly.com/ but yesterday the website was devoted to several articles pertaining to beer. What I gathered from these articles is that the Philadelphia area is really becoming a mecca for beer, which is an amazing thing. It's great to see other people so passionate about beer, and to realize how it much it had evolved. Please check out the article below which talks about brewer Matt Hall, and how he made a career out of brewing beer at Yards Brewing company. As someone who wants to make a career out of beer (writing not brewing) it spoke volumes and provided additional motivation. Enough of yapping, get to reading:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110218_How_to_build_a_career_in_beer.html


I'm heading down to AC tonight, and will be seeing Lady Gaga. Should be interesting, very interesting. I do have dinner reservations for MIA at CAESARS. Got my fingers crossed that they serve local craft beer.

Home Before 8

The best part of my day was coming home and realizing no one was there. I left work tonight at a reasonable time and to my delight I hit very little traffic. Anytime I get out of work at a normal time I have to deal with the rush hour traffic on I-76; at times the traffic is nightmarish. God forbid if there's an accident or extreme weather conditions as my commute can take over a hour. I mentioned my craving for an IPA the other night, and grabbed the cold Long Trail out of the fridge. I ended up sitting on the couch and didn't bother turning on the television. I just sat there in silence drinking my IPA. I can honestly say I was completely content and relaxed. When it comes to IPAs I consider myself a professional as this is my beer of choice; I could live off them. Out of all the IPAs I've had I would rank this beer brand near the bottom of my list, however I didn't care. I was just happy to be out of work, and more importantly drinking a cold craft beer.

Swimsuits and Beer

One of the best reasons to have subscription to Sports Illustrated is for the Swimsuit Edition. For the past three years sometime around the month of February, I am blessed to get one of the most talked about magazines in the mail. For those that haven't checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and purchase this magazine, It's worth it. I knew I would be getting this magazine any day after hearing the guys on 610 WIP talking to one of the models from the magazine. I just didn't know when. After a long and stressful day at work, I was grateful to come home and see it arrived. I was even more grateful to have a beer while I read it.

I swear that my past few weeks have been the same. Every week day I go to work, and most likely I ended up staying late. Real late. Because I'm such a workaholic, I really don't drink much during the week, mainly on weekends. With work being as busy as ever, I desperately needed a beer when I got home. I was wanting to grab one of the beers from my beer club, but I had forgotten to put them in the fridge. Since I didn't want to drink a warm beer, I ended up taking one of the brews from 6 pack I made at the Shop Right.

The first beer from the pack that caught my eye was an IPA; I don't remember the brand but it looked delicious. As I thought about my initial selection I decided to go a different route. Since I never tried Brawler by Yards brewing company, I went with that. Despite Yards being a Philadelphia based brewery, I haven't had much experience with this brand. I usually don't see this beer on draft, and when I do its not my normal choice. Several weeks back I did order Yards IPA at The Dandelion, which I enjoyed. Remembering my previous experience, I had high expectations.

Before my first sip I wasn't sure what to expect. Taking my first look at the bottle I couldn't figure out what kind of beer it was. The label had BRAWLER across it and had a man and some beast looking guy about to brawl (clever label). Further examining the bottle I notice the beer was considered an ale, and once poured I saw it's nice amber color. The taste of the beer was smooth and had a heavier taste. This beer is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy ale beers. The label states "Crafted in the style of an English session ale, this malt-forward, ruby colored ale is great for when you want to go a few rounds." I can honestly say after dirnking this beer it didn't make me want to fight, but it did give me the desire to read my magazine.

I'm done writing. Going back to reading.

My Favorite Time of the Month

It's that time of the month again!

A 6 Pack To My Liking

I finally took advantage of the create your own 6 pack for $9.99 at Shop Rite. So far, I got to try the Brooklyn Lager (which I've had before) and the Hopsecutioner (which I never even heard of before). Both were enjoyable and I do plan to drink the rest by weeks end.

Red Beer for a Red Holiday

The thought of Valentines Day didn't cross my mind yesterday. After looking at houses with Lauren we wanted an early dinner and headed to Bahama Breeze believing we would beat any Sunday night crowds. Obviously we were wrong, dead wrong. I guess plenty of couples were celebrating Valentines Day because this place was mobbed with some overdressed people. When we checked in, the hosts informed us that there was anywhere from a 30-45 minute wait. Unfortunately the wait was closer to a hour and half. Usually when there's a long wait I'll head to the bar and grab a drink or two, but with the bar being so packed I didn't dare to venture.

By the the time we got seated I was craving alcohol. My feet were sore from standing, I was hungry from not eating all day, and I was a bit tired from the day before. I've frequented this chain numerous times, however more often my drink of choice will be water or unsweetened ice tea. On occasions I'll order a Mojito, which I highly recommend. Every time I go to Bahama Breeze I always check the drink menu thinking maybe they will offer some local crafts beers, but each time it's the same outcome. I was surprised when I saw that the menu listed Victory Brewing, but when I inquired about it the server had no knowledge of what kind. As I wanted a beer, I decided to go with their house Caribbean beer Aruba Red which I never had. At 3.99 for a 20 ounce draft the price isn't too bad. Too bad the beer wasn't as good as the price. I tried imagining I was on some Island sitting at a beach bar drinking this beer, but I didn't have much luck. I ended up drinking my first one, and ordered a second one. I couldn't have enjoyed the beer too much because I ended up leaving half of my second beer on the table, which is a very uncommon for me. Don't get me wrong the beer wasn't horrible; it just had a crisp light taste similar to Budweiser, and if you've read my blog before, you know my feeling on Bud. The next time I go to Bahama Breeze, I'll stick to ice teas and mojitos