Author Archives: Dan

About Dan

I'm Dan.

Marzen

This is my second attempt at a Marzen.  The first was too high gravity and was a dry beer.  I’m hoping this one is more drinkable due to the lower ABV. Og: .1071 Style Information Name: Marzen Recipe Type: All … Continue reading

Posted in All Grain, Home Brew, Lager | Leave a comment

Caramel Cream Ale

This beer was designed to emulate the caramel cream “bulls eye” candies that I used to eat as a kid, and I think I hit it dead on.  The beer is sweet, creamy, a hint of vanilla…  It is delicious. … Continue reading

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Abbey Ale

This is a fairly sweet, easy to drink Trappist (Belgian single) ale.   2014 Steeped grains at 165F for 30 minutes Sparged grain bag in 1 gal of water @165F, added to brew pot. OG: 1.060 @78*F = 1.063 (.005 … Continue reading

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Belgian Tripel

The 2nd place winner at the 2015 Brewfest, this is a tasty beer!  This beer is bold.  It starts sweet, hits with a bold malt flavor with hints of fruit and ends with a slight dryness due to the ABV, … Continue reading

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Homemade Bacon

Makin’ Bacon! Beautiful, delicious, pork belly goodness…  Bacon can be found in any grocery store meet section.  But let’s face it, that stuff sucks!  I wanted thick, smokey, peppery, delicious (my mouth is watering as I type this) bacon.  So, … Continue reading

Posted in Big Green Egg, Pork | Leave a comment

Corn Meal Crust Pizza

Crust 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 cup ground yellow cornmeal 2 tsp Coarse Sea Salt 1 Pack Dry Active Dry Yeast (I used Fleischmann’s) 1/2 tsp Sugar Hot water (100*F to 120*F) Olive Oil This produces a very dense, cracker-like crust. Start by … Continue reading

Posted in Food and Cooking, Other | Leave a comment

Dirty Simple Rice and Shrimp

This is intended to be a very quick, easy way to cook up some good Cajun food. 1 box Zatarain’s Dirty Rice 1 lb uncooked shrimp 3 Bell Peppers (difference colors are nice) 1 Large Onion ~2 stalks Celery ~6 … Continue reading

Posted in Food and Cooking, Seafood | Leave a comment

Creamy Italian Chicken and Pasta

1 Box Rigatoni Pasta (or any pasta that a sauce can “grab” onto) 3-4 Chicken Breasts 1 Bundle Asparagus 1 Package Mushrooms 1 Sweet Onion 3-5 Cloves Garlic 3-4 Strips Smoked Bacon Parmesan Cheese (get a block of cheese and … Continue reading

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Braised Beef Ribs

These are dirt simple short ribs that are very tasty.  It just takes a little time. 6-8 Beef Short Ribs 8-10 shallots 3-4 carrots ~2 tsp coarse salt ~2 tsp coarse black pepper 2 cup red wine 2 Tbsp dry … Continue reading

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Delmonico Steaks

This is now my go-to marinade for rib-eye steaks.  So tasty! 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (low sodium) 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire 3 Tablespoons Dried Onion 1-1/2 Tablespoons Dried Rosemary 4 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning 2 teaspoons Coarse … Continue reading

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Dan’s Chili

1 lb Stew meat 1 Large Can Black Beans (30 oz or 1 lb) 1/2 Bunch Cilantro 2 Poblano Peppers 2 Bell Peppers 3 Jalapeno Peppers 1 Can Tomato Puree (about 3 cups, 29 oz) 1/2 Onion (Yellow) 1 Tbsp … Continue reading

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Hailey at 15 months

Nov13 – Dec12 Big eater Has begun to show preferences.  Will shake her head and say “no” in reaction to things she doesn’t want to do. Pointed at Dan and said “dada”.  First time connecting the two. Showing a lot … Continue reading

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Hailey @12 months

Happy first birthday, little Sweetie Pea! This year has been a whirlwind.  It is hard to remember those newborn cries and squirms, the early smiles, the first laughs, and a baby who couldn’t cross the room in a matter of … Continue reading

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Seven tips for plumbing a basement

Today I took one of the first steps in a very long journey of finishing the basement. The task at hand was plumbing. This involved breaking into the existing lines in the house and plumbing new lines to both what … Continue reading

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Hailey @ 11 months old

Our little sweet heart is now 11 months old. Here is a look back at the previous month and all the things she can do. Her attitude is really starting to show through. She’s developed a whole new arsenal of … Continue reading

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Birthday Chocolate Oatmeal Vanilla Stout

Recipe Notes: This is called Birthday Chocolate Oatmeal Vanilla Stout because the plan is to brew it on my birthday weekend and have it ready for the party on Hailey’s birthday weekend.  Also, because if it is half as delicious as planned, it … Continue reading

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Hailey @ 10 Months Old

Dan thinks there’s a better way to label these posts to make sure it’s clear how old Hailey is and what timeframe we are describing.  So just to be clear, Hailey hit the 10 month mark on 7/12, so here … Continue reading

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Red Beard Irish Ale

This is meant to be an easy drinking, well balanced red with a little extra color to show it off.  The Carared is the namesake. Ingredient rundown: American 2 row for economy (so maybe this is actually an American red…) … Continue reading

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Cedar plank grilled pesto salmon

This is by far one of our favorite dishes.  It is simple, easy and delicious. 3/4 lbs salmon fillet (with skin) 4 oz pesto (we cheat and use Christopher Ranch brand store bought pesto) 1 cedar plank Coarse salt and … Continue reading

Posted in Food and Cooking, Seafood | Leave a comment

Duck Wheat Ale

With this, I am attempting to stay as close to a true Witbier as possible.  The only divergence from the “standard” is adding a little more bitterness with hops.  This should get me closer to my goal of a “chewy” … Continue reading

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