beer jelly beans1

Beer Jelly Beans

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beer jelly beans1

Jelly Belly® has now come up with the perfect flavor for my Easter basket…Draft Beer Jelly Beans.

So now I can drink my favorite beer while snacking on my favorite candy.

When I first opened the bag, I have to admit I was a little put off. When they say these beans have “notes of wheat” they aren’t kidding. The smell is a little overpowering at first. Maybe it’s just not what you’d expect from a bag of candy, but I still couldn’t wait to try them…

It was the most interesting flavored candy I have tried I can say that for sure. These Draft Beer Jelly Beans are awesome – if you like beer, and I do. It’s the kind of thing that you have to keep tasting, over and over, to really pick up the beer flavors.

You can also combine them with other jelly beans to make “cocktails” like for instance, two beer jelly beans and one red apple jelly bean = apple cider shandy.

Or two beer jelly beans and one peach jelly bean = beer sangria.

But I wasn’t really doing that. I’m just letting you know that you could…

The people over at Jelly Belly have said that normally their factory has an overall “sweet and fruity” aroma but when these beans are on the line the whole place smells like you’re in a brew house. Not a bad job those people at Jelly Belly have!

The draft beer has been one of their most requested flavors over the years and they have finally perfected it, much to the thanks of adult candy lovers everywhere.

So while it’s not like I’ll be filling my kids easter eggs with these jelly beans, I think that once in a while the treats around the house can be just for the adults.

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030698039983lg

Grill Light Giveaway

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I’m keeping with the grilling theme this week and giving away this Grill Light giveaway!

It mounts right onto the handle of your grill and gives you the power of ten LED lights.

I like to grill year-round and where I live it can get really dark very early during the fall and winter months. We don’t even have street lights to light things up at night. So when I say it’s dark -it’s dark.

Even when I turn on all the outside lights, it’s still hard to get a good look at what’s on my grill. Holding a flash light seems to be the only option to really get a good look but with one hand on the tongs, I need a free hand for a beer…so that option is out.

This Grill Light is the perfect solution for night-time grilling. Especially if you live out in the country like I do.

Try cooking up my Tailgate Steak Sandwich or some Grilled Halloumi Cheese Kabobs for your next barbecue with your new Grill Light. You’ll thank me when your filet comes out perfectly instead of too rare or too well done because you couldn’t see the thermometer in the dark.

I’d love to hear about your favorite recipes for the grill, send them into me or tell me what you’d like me to try next!

Good luck!

*photo courtesy of lowes.com

Enter in the Rafllecopter widget below to win!

 
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beer glazed ham steaks

Beer Glazed Ham Steaks

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beer glazed ham steaks

I thought I’d start off the week with these Beer Glazed Ham Steaks to get ready for Easter.

Most people who are having a large family Easter dinner will be making a whole ham, or a spiral sliced ham, that feeds like 100 people.

I love ham, and all the things that you can make with leftover ham so this usually isn’t a problem for me, but there have been times when we’ve been on our own for Easter or we’ve decide to do something different for the main course like a leg of lamb.

So whether you’re just cooking for two, or you just don’t want to cook that 20 pound ham, these Beer Glazed Ham Steaks will be perfect for your Easter meal.

I used a brown sugar glaze for these ham steaks mixed with beer instead of using orange juice or pineapple juice like most recipes call for. Because everything’s better with beer right?

You actually marinate the ham steaks in the beer for an hour…

While the ham is soaking in the beer you can make up the glaze. Just brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, mustard and of course, the beer.

I like a light beer for this recipe like a Michelob Ultra so that the beer flavor doesn’t take over the ham too much.

You’re going to pan-fry the ham steaks for a few minutes on each side to give them some color.

Then pour your glaze all over the ham steaks.

ham steak glaze

Stick them in the oven for about 20 minutes and they’re done! Beer Glazed Ham Steaks.

beer glazed ham steaks

This recipe will definitely become one of your favorites – and it’s so easy to make you don’t have to wait for Easter to have it! 

Beer Glazed Ham Steaks
Serves 3
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Ingredients
  1. 3 -8 ounce ham steaks
  2. 1 T. dijon mustard
  3. 1 cup brown sugar
  4. 2 -12 ounce light beers such as Michelob Ultra
  5. balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. Marinate the ham steaks in one of the cans of beer for one to three hours.
  2. Make the glaze by combining the brown sugar, mustard, balsamic vinegar and 1/3 cup of beer from the second can. Mix well and set aside.
  3. Take the ham out of the beer and pat dry.
  4. Sear the ham steaks in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 3 minutes per side.
  5. Place the ham steaks on a foil-lined baking sheet and pour the glaze over to coat well.
  6. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the ham to a platter and spoon additional glaze from the roasting pan on top. If you didn't use all the glaze to coat your ham you can heat it up and serve it as a sauce on the side.
Mantitlement http://www.mantitlement.com/
brucejuice2

Bruce Juice Cocktail

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brucejuice2

What a week I am having…

First with a trip to the Yankee Stadium home opener and also my trip to Brooklyn to watch Bruce introduce the E Street Band to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

So now I feel like I need to come up with a new cocktail to celebrate all the good times I’ve had. I definitely wanted to use some local brew or spirits that are made right here in New Jersey to represent…so I came up with my version of a Bruce Juice Cocktail.

My first thought was to come up with new cocktail using Busted Barrel Dark Rum. This rum is produced by Jersey Artisan Distilling, which is the first distillery to open in New Jersey since prohibition ended. I took a ride down to the distillery and met Co-Owner Brant Braue who is no doubt one of the hardest working craftsmen that I’ve met, priding himself on making rum that was popular in colonial times and beyond.

But then I heard about the Carton Brewing Company in the Atlantic Highlands, NJ. They make a beer called Boat Beer Session Ale that has a grapefruit flavor in the background that fit perfectly for the citrus flavor that I was looking for. So then I came up with a new idea, to create a Mantitlement’s signature Bruce Juice Cocktail.

I started playing around with the ratio of the beer, the rum, and the orange juice and this is what I ended up with…2 ounces of Dark Busted Barrel Rum mixed with 2 ounces of orange juice, then topped it off with a good 4 ounces of Boat Session Ale.

It turned out to be the perfect blend of flavors that I was looking to have in this Bruce Juice cocktail – the citrus flavor from the Boat Beer and the orange juice make it taste like summertime, and the rum for the extra kick of boozy flavor.

I can see myself now with a Bruce Juice Cocktail down the Jersey Shore sitting on the beach, listening to Glory Days…and yes, I’m gonna drink ’til I get my fill!

brucejuice2

Bruce Juice Cocktail
Serves 1
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Ingredients
  1. 2 oz. Busted Barrel Rum
  2. 2 oz. orange juice
  3. 4 oz. (or more) of Boat Beer Session Ale
  4. orange slices for garnish
Instructions
  1. Add the rum and orange juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well.
  2. Pour into a glass and top off with at least 4 ounces (or more) of Boat Beer Session Ale.
  3. Garnish with orange slices.
Mantitlement http://www.mantitlement.com/
mantitlementsign2

E Street Band Induction

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Finally, the E Street Band  will be inducted  into the  2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for “Musical Excellence”. So, I decided to take a spiritual journey down to the Jersey Shore by Belmar to check out where it all began. I don’t why I waited so long but I guess its one of those thing that always gets put on the back burner.

And yes I am on the corner of  E Street & 10th Avenue.

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In 1972 the original members “Phantom” Danny Federici (keyboards, accordion), “The Tennesee Terror” Garry Tallent (bass), Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez (drums), Clarence “Big Man” Clemons (saxophone), would meet at David Sancious (keyboards) home at 1107 E Street. They would practice in his parents garage which was squeezed between the house and southside fence. And NO, Southside Johnny didn’t get his name by hanging out by the fence. During the early years Vini Lopez was asked to resign and was briefly replaced by Ernest “Boom” Carter. 1974 is probably a point in time that would change the Band forever because Carter, Sancious, and briefly member Suki Lahav (violinist) would leave the E Street Band to go on new careers. This left a huge hole in the band, that would be filled by the Legendary “Professor” Roy Bittan (keyboards) & “Mighty One” Max Weinberg (drums). Bruce’s long time friend/song writer/previous band mate “Miami” Steven Van Zandt (guitar, vocals) was asked to join the band in 1975.

The E Street band remained the same up until 1984 when Van Zandt took a leave of absence, which was quickly filled with “Lefty” Nils Lofgren (guitar, vocals), & his now bride, “Red” Patti Scialifa (guitar, vocals). From this point on the E Street Band has grown through out the years with violinist, Soozie Tyrell, “Miami Horns” Richie Rosenberg (trombone) & Mark Pender (trumpet) and with the passing of Clarence, his nephew Jake Clemons replacing him on the saxophone.

I know there are a lot more new members of the band currently, but my point here is to reminisce about the past. Being from Jersey, I have been so fortunate to just jump in the car an hour before a show, like the time at Madison Square Garden in New York City and score tickets in the PIT (floor standing room area), which could only be explained as some sort of religious experience for any Bruce fan. Unlike most bands who act like you should be thrilled to be in their presence, the E street Band looks thrilled to be in ours.

I know all good things come to an end but I think the Boss has figured out a way that the Band will live forever by the ever growing family that is now the E Street Band.

“So tonight rest assure that, Sparks fly on E Street when the boy- prophets walk it, handsome and hot

All the little girls’ souls grow weak when the man-child gives them a double shot

The schoolboy pops pull out all the stops on a Friday night

The teenage tramps in skin-tight pants do the E Street dance and everything’s alright

Little kids down there either dancin’ or hooked up in a scuffle

Dressed in snakeskin suits packed with Detroit muscle

They’re doin’ the E Street Shuffle”

CONGRATULATIONS! E Street Band 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame INDUCTEE, and yes I am still that old guy down in the PIT, waiting for Bruce to tell me “You’ve just seen…the heartstoppin’, pants-droppin’, booty shakin’, earth quakin’, love makin’, viagra takin’, history makin’, Legendary E STREET BAND”.

It just NEVER gets old.

Ok -maybe I have problem, but it’s an awesome problem to have!

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Read more: Bruce Springsteen – The E Street Shuffle Lyrics | MetroLyrics