Spanish Saturday Night

After a busy week for both of us, J and I unwound with some Spanish tapas and red wine on Saturday night, made easy by Trader Joe's.

For a while now, I had seen a three pack of Italian cut meats (prosciutto, salami and one other I can't recall) and this weekend when I was perusing their aisles, I came across a similar three pack but this time featuring sliced chorizo, serrano jamon and a Spanish salami.  J and I love Spanish cuisine (so much so that I bought him this Spanish cookbook for Christmas) and I thought that this would be just the thing to transport us to Madrid and tide us over until we can get there in person.

I also picked up a large baguette, some Spanish cheese, Two Buck Chuck (not Spanish but still a cheap and tasty wine) and some shrimp to round out the meal.  I also added some kalamata olives I had in our fridge and some of our good olive oil for dipping that we got as a wedding present from this place to round out the meal.

The whole thing probably cost us less than $15.00 bucks (with leftovers which we had for dinner the next night) which is a lot less than we would have spent had we gone out for tapas instead.  We finished off our cheap but relaxing date night by joining some friends at Schlafly for a drink!

Have you had any cheap dates at home recently?  What about at a restaurant thanks to a coupon or gift certificate?  I'd love to hear all about it!

Random Thoughts on a Saturday Morning

• Last night, J and I went out to Hill Brewing Company (now Ferguson Brewing Company) in downtown Ferguson with Ashlee and JY.  I had a flight of their beers--pretty tasty but not as good as Square One--and some delicious warm pretzels while we chatted the night away.
• This morning we are up early in order to spend some time with my aunt who is visiting the States from Korea where she lives and works as a teacher in Seoul.  I have eggs boiling on the stove--hard boiled for J and soft boiled, choppy eggs for me.

• We made the smoked gouda mac and cheese again last night, this time adding some finely diced chipotle peppers.  They did add more spice to the dish but it was really inconsistent from bite to bite in terms of level of spice.  In the future, I think we will just make it with the adobo sauce for a little flavor!
• I am so excited to one of the first seven people involved in the what would journal project over at scenic glory and can't wait to get my journal in the mail!  I love Lindsay's blog and if you haven't checked it out yourself yet, head on over for a source of daily inspiration and encouragement!
• I'm a bit sad that we are halfway through watching the final season of Arrested Development and wish it would have lasted more than three seasons.
• That is all.

What do you have planned this weekend, friends?  Happy Saturday!

Square One Brewery and Distillery

As I mentioned in this post, J and I went to Square One Brewery and Distillery in Lafayette Square on Saturday afternoon.  We had eaten a big lunch (late lunch since I was out ice skating with my little) so we went just to try their beverages although their food menu, with lots of local food, looked great!

I got a beer sampler because I was unfamiliar with their beers (which they brew on site) and so many of them looked tasty.  I tried the following beers (from right to left):

• Keller Double Pilsner: my favorite of the sampler: a little bit bitter and hoppy but with a smooth finish
• Park Avenue Pale Ale:  my second favorite of the sampler.  A little less smooth than the Keller pilsner
• Bavarian Weizen: the description said it would have a hint of clove and banana flavors.  I definitely tasted the cloves but the bananas was pretty light compared to some other hefeweizens I've tried.
• Light Squared: a beer they touted as a great introduction to micro brews for those unfamiliar with them

The glasses all had their logo printed on them.

J tried a gin cocktail: gin on the rocks with an olive and twist of lemon.  I tried a small taste of it as well but I am not a big fan of liquor so it tasted mainly like lighter fluid to me.  J assured me it was better than that!

Overall, it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon together and we will definitely be back to try their food soon! 

Have you been to any good breweries lately?  Do tell!