There is something only my husband knows about me
A fact that truly embarrasses me
...it is shameful...but here it is for all to read...

I LOVE simply LOVE to watch bad Christmas movies.

Now I'm not talking Miracle on 34th Street (which I do LOVE btw)
or
Its a Wonderful Life (which is my husbands favorite).

I'm talking BAD here. Really Bad.

Think Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel, Bad.

With actors and actresses that you seem to remember from back when they were somebody, 

Or actors that look just like someone famous but they are not.

Thats right. Me. The girl who hates chick flicks, 

The girl who you would have to tie down and force to watch a documentary.  

Me who hates comedies. 

Mewho will only go see horror movies and the occasional action adventure film.

I spend all of December and half of November watching things with 

 "Jo" from the facts of life (what is her name anyway?) 

and Doris Roberts. You know. Her 

Yes that bad. 

You can flip through a handful of channels at anytime during December 

and one of them will have a bad Christmas movie on.

So I thought I would combine two of my favorite things and give you the 

12 Days of Beer and Christmas Movies

Unfortunately we start off bad, On both accounts. 

The Beer

Snow Roller from 

Magic Hat Brewing Company VT

• 
  

YUK!

ok lets watch some of the movie and come back to this.

I am a true believer that sometimes beers need to breathe and warm some...

The Movie

YUK!

I Love Grumpy Cat and really I didn't expect much in the first place but the plot is awful.

sad loner girl befriends cat that talks to her... they foul an attempted robbery from a mall security guard...he tried to steal a million dollar dog....

Really Bad and not in a good way...

I mean I really just wanted to see Grumpy  being cute and playing in the snow...

but no such luck.... 

Even Grumpy's cuteness couldn't save this one.

Back to the beer

It did mellow a bit but I just don't get it.  Its very hoppy and bitter but yet sweet.

There is just too many things going on for me to enjoy it. 

but I like the ad...

Sláinte!

May the road rise up to meet you...

 Irish phrases with wonderful meanings are beautiful.

 But really, on a day like Saint Patrick's Day,

 the only Irish I want to hear is 

"Ba mhaith leat eile Guinness?" 

 And my answer... 

"Yes, I would love another!"

Anyone who knows me, knows that Guinness is my favorite beer.  

There is simply nothing like it.  

The thick, creamy, smooth, slightly sweet goodness.

 Cannot be matched by another.

So once a year I take advantage of my Irish heritage

 and plan my day around my beer.  

I start by making my famous Guinness Stew.
My husband wants to know how I can call it "famous".
Since this is my first time making it. 
It's my blog and I am entitled to a little poetic license!!!!

 My favorite beer-drinker/helper/guy, who just so happens to have 

the Irish name of Dallas, asks me,

 "Whats the thing in the can?"

 as he's talking he is cutting the can open (yes with my good knifes)

 and the he shows it to me.

We do exactly what you expect us to and go to The GOOGLE.

This is what we found out;

it's a nitrogen cartridge so it pours like it does on draught…

Here's the science of it...in Crystal speak…

The can is fitted with a small plastic hollow ball thingy (Guinness calls it a "smoothifier") it sits in the bottom of the can. Said ball thingy has a pocket that is open through a tiny hole in its top. The oxygen is vacuumed from the can, then they fill it with beer. Before sealing the can, liquid nitrogen is added to the beer. The can is sealed and as the liquid nitrogen gets all warm and snuggly, a pressure is created. The pressure forces a tiny bit of the beer and nitrogen into the plastic ball thingy. When the can is opened, the pressure is released and the tiny amount of beer in the ball thingy is forced back through the tiny hole like a volcano spitting lava into the sky after the natives have sacrificed a virgin to Brian, the all powerful volcano god.  This mixes the nitrogen with the beer thus creating the “smoothifier effect”

Next we drink a Guinness (or four )

Stir the stew,

 prepare the bread bowls,  

have another (or two).

Time to eat!

I would like to applaud Guinness for  the following;

Guinness Drops Sponsorship Of New York's

 St. Patrick's Day Parade Over Anti-Gay Stance

Although LGBT participants are permitted in both Boston and New York's St. Patrick's Day parades, they are prohibited from carrying signs or banners identifying themselves as such.

Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all. We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade. As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation. We will continue to work with community leaders to ensure that future parades have an inclusionary policy.

While writing this, I am enjoying my last Guinness of this, 

most wonderful day of the year, St. Patrick's Day

Slàinte,

       Crystal

Werewolf or Vampire?

Now I have always considered my self a "vampire girl". 

Dracula, Barnabas Collins, Angel, Spike, Team Edward and my favorite Collin Farrell, the list goes on.....

Now to be fair werewolves haven’t really been portrayed as the hot sexy, heartthrobs that vampires have been.  

I don’t watch true blood but I have seen Joe Manganiello one of the shows werewolf's. Can we say yummy?

 And there’s a new show premiering in 2014 starring Laura Vandervoort as a werewolf, kinda girl-crush worthy…

Now my friend Dillon insists that werewolves are better than vampires, so when I saw the werewolf beer, I said "why not?  I’ll give it a try."

The beer, Newcastle Werewolf

The brand is owned by Heineken and produced at their 

John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorksire, England.

The initial smell is sweet and Carmely, a little hoppy. However the sweetness does not extend to the taste.

The flavor is buttery and raw. You can taste the rye, which makes it bitter… it is very dry for a fall beer. Now I love bitter and dry so I did enjoy this.

The body is a medium weight . 

                           I liked the taste.

                     But if you are a “girly beer” drinker this is not for you.

Would I buy this again? Yes, at Halloween and if it was in stock. 

While its not a beer I would search out, I would order it if it was on the menu at a bar.

Hey there bitches.  

Today I need a beer. Not just want, but need. My day was stressful.

Why? You may ask.

 Well, I had lunch with my friend Wibby (ok her real name is Mary Elizabeth but that is so NOT her). That in itself is not a reason for stress. In fact we had fun. We always do. We have been friends for 33 years, and thats almost impossible since we are both just 29 years old. {Crystal ducks behind couch waiting for lightning bolts to strike.} 

The stress came into play when Wibbs got stuck in traffic and I had time to kill. I decided it was time to bite the bullet and go bra shopping.

 I HATE BRA SHOPPING!

For those of you with a cup size of an A, B, C you simply walk into a store, say ooh thats pretty, pick up a few and without even trying them on you make your purchase and skip along your way.

For those of us with a D or larger cup, no such luck! Bras that big are either ugly and look like something your great grandmother wore under her house coat or slutty as hell (picture Fredricks of Hollywood for fat ladies), NO! WAIT, DONT, you may need those retinas in the future.

Now I recently lost some weight, not enough that you would notice (9 pounds woohoo for me) but enough that my bras are too big. Why do we always loose it there first? I mean really, riddle me this Batman. It is so not fair. 

So now comes the dilemma, do I go down a band size and keep the same cup size or do I keep the same band size and go down a cup size? How the hell should I know? 

Solution take two of everything in the fitting room.
I swear I would rather have my toenails pulled out... 
Problems in dressing room; back fat - I would have been much happier without the triple mirror, if I cant see the back fat it doesn't exist, right?... Lifts but doesn't separate...Separates but doesn't lift...Lifts, separates, hides back fat, but is three inches thick. Really who needs a bra that thick? I mean everyone has nipples! Its not a secret for crying out loud....

Hooray! Success . I pay and go to lunch with Wibby!

Where was I? Oh yes beer. BEER!

Tonight I chose an IPA from Stone Brewing Company, in Escondido California.
Yes, they also make Arrogant Bastard.

This beer is aptly named RUINATION, because if I had gotten the wrong bra I would be ruined....

    Unlike the bra debacle I got it right on my first try.

            I LOVE this beer. It has it all!

It's hoppy and bitter and citrusy and 7.7 proof.

Now I must confess I am a Guinness girl so I love bold, bitter flavor. 

I am truly shocked to find a beer that I enjoy this much on my second posting.

I WILL be purchasing this again. and to think i picked it out because I thought the little guy on the front was a cutie.

It just goes to show,

 You CAN judge a beer by the bottle!

Posrt Script;
Here they are, yes I bought two. Hey, I'm worth it! annnnd don't even get me started on price!

Friday night, My first Beer 4 Bitches Blog.

Tonight I am trying out  Coffee Porter by Haand Bryggeriet, from Norway...

I must say I wasn't thrilled with my first taste. The coffee flavor was slightly overpowering.
 After a few more sips, this time with a sweet  cracker spread with a provolone chianti cheese spread from my favorite Italian market Altamontes in Doyelstown PA. I saw the light. This isn't a slam down outside on a hot summer day beer. This is a sophisticated dessert beer. Perfect after dinner or with sweets.

Will I buy this again? maybe. I think my sister might like it. She hates beer but loves coffee. 

At 6.2 proof it wont take much to get you there, which is a good thing because I don't think I could drink more than one bottle of this.