Made in Sonoma Guest Post

Bonjour from France!

Imagine me prancing along the streets, taking a large bite of a buttery croissant and capturing the moment on my camera, because that is probably what I am doing right now. Eeeeeee!

I will be blogging as much as I can while in France, but since it has been a full day of traveling, I wanted to be sure that ya'll had something to read. Kelli H from Sonoma has kindly done a guest post for me today. I adore her and her puppy Ryder. I hope you enjoy her post. I'll eat a French macaron for each and every one of you. 

 Hi, I talk to food readers! My name is Kelli H, and I blog over at Made in Sonoma. You can expect to find lots of vegetarian recipes on my blog, as well as brew reviews, and me rambling on my random thoughts. I especially enjoy sharing recipes that I actually make for dinner.  I have a love for the craft beer industry, and believe beer is an art, just like wine. I provide brew reviews on my blog, because I love trying new beers, and I hope they inspire my readers to try something new.

I decided to share a recent find. I found this recipe from another blog, and I’ve really fallen in love with it. It’s vegetarian, which for me, is important! My favorite kind of cooking is vegetarian meals, because they are so inexpensive. I live with my fiancé who is going back to school, so we live on a budget. Let’s face it, meat is expensive, so if I can make a filling vegetarian option, that’s what I’m gonna do!

This doesn’t taste exactly like a sloppy joe, but it’s very close. I actually think it tastes better! I love topping them with shredded cheddar and some raw onions, but feel free to play around with toppings.  I promise you won’t miss the meat with this recipe.

Another reason I’m so into these, is that they are really fast to make! If you have 20 minutes, then you have plenty of time to make this dinner. It’s great with a large side of kale chips. David and I share a whole thing of kale chips with these and call it a night. We’re pretty wild like that. They’d also be great with a fresh garden salad. The ingredients really don’t get much easier. There’s no excuse not to try these.

2-Bean Sloppy Joes

Recipe adapted from A Couple Cooks

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green onion or celery stalk (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

Burger buns, toasted

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Onion to garnish

1. In a medium-large sauté pan, heat olive oil, sauté onion and celery/green onion for about 5 minutes or until soft.

2. Stir in kidney beans through remaining ingredients. Stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Top burger buns with sloppy joe mixture, shredded cheese, and onions.

Onto the brew review!

Brew Review: Lagunitas Undercover Shut Down Ale

Date: 6-11-12

Location: Petaluma, CA ß Sonoma County!

Type: American Strong Ale

Availability: Limited Release

Price: $9.49/6-pack

Alcohol: 9.8%

IBU’s: 66.6

Aroma: Mostly malts with slight citrus hops

Appearance: Medium-deep amber and clear

Body & Texture: Full-bodied, nicely carbonated. Could taste the alcohol in my mouth and while swallowing.

Aftertaste: Malt with slight bitter undertones. Leaves a sweet aftertaste.

Overall Impression:

This is a pretty strong beer. It’s got a high alcohol percentage at almost 10%. Although I could taste the alcohol in my mouth, there wasn’t an alcohol aftertaste. It felt pretty light for practically 10%. It’s more on the malty side than on the hops. For 66.6 IBU’s I would expect it to be more bitter, but the bitterness is masked by those malts, which is what I think makes it on the sweeter side. I probably wouldn’t drink this beer every day, but I’d definitely have it again. The color is really gorgeous,, and the beer kind of warms you up. If you’re a fan of Lagunitas beers, like I am, than I suggest you give this one a try. It’s a limited release, so make sure to try this one soon!

Thanks, Aubrey for letting me post on your blog today. I truly enjoy reading your blog, and can’t wait to read about your trip to France, you lucky duck!