"To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all life's problems." Homer Simpson

Baltimore beer week has come and gone, but the celebration of all things malt, yeast and hops is still celebrated in my house. I'm one of those strange women that enjoys a good pint at the end of the day, compared to the glass of wine that seems so stereotypical. Sure, a nice glass of heavy red wine, such as shiraz, is great, but I'm happier with a lager. I especially love to order beer at dressy occasions just to get looks. I imagine on-lookers thinking, "My word! That nicely dressed woman is ordering a lager! She best sip that out of a glass. So help me if she doesn't raise her pinky whilst drinking!"

Beer, to me, is a great celebratory drink and fits any occasion and mood. Let's discover the beer moods of Jen:

Mood: "It's summer!" *sunburn* Beer: Red Stripe
Mood: "It's fall!" *allergy sneeze* Beer: Sam Adams Oktoberfest
Mood: "I need to relax." *snore* Beer: Blue Moon
Mood: "St. Patty's Day!" *green dye overload* Beer: Smithwick's
Mood: "You're driving, right?" *hiccup* Beer: Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA

And, I personally like serving beer with food more than wine. Go out and buy some Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen and pair with Indian food. Fabulous. My new favorite pairing is a mix of two wonderful items of the season: Blue Moon's Harvest Moon Pumpkin ale and curried pumpkin seeds.


This unassuming pumpkin turned jack-o-lantern was the inspiration for this pairing -- a fall version of peanuts and beer. After his surgical procedure, I whipped up this recipe from the goodies waiting inside. Muwa haha

Curried-Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds

- seeds from a medium pumpkin
- tsp of curry
- tsp of cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp of ginger
- 1/8 tsp of nutmeg
- 1 tbs olive oil
- pinch of salt
- pinch of sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Thoroughly wash seeds to remove pulp and dry completely under paper towels. Combine seeds and all ingredients in a bowl and mix. (note: feel free to add/delete spices according to your taste) Add more olive oil if needed to incorporate ingredients.

Add to cookie sheet and WATCH in oven. The seeds should take no longer than 20 minutes to brown. Stir in pan once the first side browns.

Once lightly brown, remove from oven and place seeds in a bowl to cool.



Cheers to fall.