Bill's Gun Shop & Range

It might be a little unconventional, but this was a really fun double date.  We went to Bill's Gun Shop & Range last night with our friends, and we each took turns shooting my husband's pistols.  Bill's is great.  The gun shop has an indoor range attached.  You can rent a lane for $15 per person per hour.  You can also rent guns which is great if you are thinking about buying a gun but aren't sure what to get.  Bill's has several locations throughout the Metro, but we opted for Hudson.  We also like Bill's because they are as hands on/off as you'd like.  If you are new to shooting, they can show you how to use the gun and provide more guidance.  If you are an experienced shooter, they let you right onto the lane and respect your ability.  Shooting is kind of an expensive hobby due mostly to the ammo and how fast you shoot through it, but it is really fun to do every once in a while.

Minnesota State Fair

My husband loves the fair so we go every year.  This year I was actually excited to go as well.  I heard rumors of mini donut flavored beer... what can I say, I was intrigued.  We went with our friends, also beer enthusiasts, and it was a fun night.  We foraged for food and were actually really impressed by some of the things we found.

Fried pickles:  The pickle slices were about 1/4 inch thick so you can actually taste the pickle, not just the fried breading.  They come in three flavors - cream cheese, cajun, and one other that I can't seem to remember.  The dipping sauce was a nice touch, but not necessary.  I had a cream cheese one and really it.  I also liked that they weren't greasy at all.  Nice and crispy outside with a juicy pickle inside.

Cheese curds:  I am partial to the cheese curds in the food barn.  They are greasy but amazingly tasty.  The cheese is nice and gooey, not congealed.

Mini donut beer:  You can find this at the Ball Park Cafe.  Seriously, it tastes like a mini donut.  My highlight of the evening for sure.  This would definitely pair well with Sweet Martha's Cookies.  Oh and did I mention it is served with a cinnamon/sugar rim? 

Sweet Martha's Cookies:  A fair staple.  It's really more of an art form.  This style of serving makes it impossible to just eat one.  These also pair well with the $1 milk in the milk barn.

S'mores beer:  You can find these beer at Giggles' Campfire Grill by the lumberjack show.  This was a good beer, but not quite as spot-on as the mini donut beer.  The graham cracker rim and marshmallow definitely garner creativity points.

Walleye Cakes:  Also at Giggles', these cakes were fantastic.  Lightly breaded with several different fish flakes packed with wild rice made this a perfect appetizer.

Apple dumplings:  This is one of my husband's favorites.  For $6, you get a huge apple dumpling with caramel cinnamon sauce and 2 big scoops of ice cream.  Served warm and delicious.

Deep fried candy bar:  I was quite reluctant to try this, but it was actually good.  The snickers was nice and gooey, and the texture was more normal than I expected.  I hate to admit that it was good.  But for sure a half bite was enough.  Just looking at the whole thing was liable to give me a stomach ache.

Oatmeal stout gelato:  I was really excited for this but definitely underwhelmed.  The bitterness of the beer came through, but not the flavor of the stout (which does pair extremely well with ice cream by the way.  Love me some porter or stout floats.)  Maybe it would have been better with chocolate chips or chocolate sauce, but that really defeats the purpose anyway since I wanted to taste the beer.

Prime rib taco and walleye taco:  The prime rib was highly rated by Star Tribune, but it was just okay.  I didn't care for the cheese sauce.  I had the walleye taco which was a little spicy.  It was good but not amazing.   These were from Lulu's in the west market. 

Apple cider popsicle:  This is always good on a hot day.  Not super flavorful, but good.  I would probably opt for the cup of cider or the apple rollover, also from the ag barn. 

What we should have tried:  The chicken in a waffle is getting rave reviews.  I am in love with key lime pie so I maybe should have tried key lime pie on a stick.  The salted nut rolls are usually pretty epic as well.  I decided to ditch the sweet corn since I've had pretty fantastic sweet corn from farmers markets lately.  We are so bummed we missed the Grain Belt blueberry beer!!!!  They sold out :(.  Gluten-free beer battered brat probably would have been pretty tasty.  But seriously, I can't believe the list I just typed out!!!!  Thankfully the fair only happens once a year. 

Lake Harriet

I haven't been to Lake Harriet in years #woodburyproblems.  I finally made it back over to that beautiful area for a long run.  I had no clue how very close it was to Lake Calhoun!  There are a bunch of walking paths in that area connecting parks and the two lakes.  I love that it's so interconnected.  That is perfect for a long run or combining a run with a bike ride.

Lake Harriet is just shy of three miles around.  Not only is it a great workout destination, it's a great place to spend a summer day.  You can walk/run/bike/roller blade around the lake, watch the sail boats, rent water craft, have a picnic, lay out on the beach, swim, people watch, or eat a fantastic meal at Bread & Pickle.

Bread & Pickle had fantastic looking sea food plates, appetizers, and small plates as well as a nice tap list and a few creative wine/champagne cocktails. 

For watercraft, they have kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, and paddleboards available.  I've always wanted to go paddle boarding!  I was just there for a run with a bit of a time crunch (due to the 30 minute drive from my house) so I will for sure have to head back to try paddleboarding, lay out, and have breakfast or lunch at Bread & Pickle.  What a little gem of a spot.  Minnesotans really know how to market their lakes :)

Urban Growler

I finally made it to Urban Growler!  This is one of the newest breweries on the scene and is located a stones throw away from Bang Brewing.  I have been stalking their website since about January, eagerly awaiting the opening of their taproom.  It finally opened in late July and I think they held off until they could do it right.  They have good beer, food, a wonderful patio, a beautiful tap room.  I really enjoyed their cream ale, rhubarb wit, and porter.  Check them out this Wednesday for their grand opening.  I'm really excited to see what beer they put out next.  They have an interesting business model in that they locally source their ingredients.  For example, the rhubarb wit was made with rhubarb donated from many local farmers/gardeners.  This is referred to as their Plow to Pint series.  I'm excited to see what other locally sourced ingredients they tap into!

Canvas & Chardonnay - Rochester, MN

It seems like these painting classes are popping all over the state.  I think Wine & Canvas is the most well known in the Metro, but there are also many others with a similar business model.  We treated my mother-in-law to Canvas & Chardonnay last night in Rochester for her birthday.  This was her and my husband's first class!! The class was located at the Canvas & Chardonnay studio in downtown Rochester on Broadway. 

The evening consists of step-by-step instruction from the artist on how to paint the picture.  All of the supplies, including aprons, paint brushes, paint, and canvas, are included in the $35 fee.  They also have wine and beer on sale to enjoy during the evening.  Depending on the complexity of the painting, the class takes about two to three hours.

We signed up for the purple poppy painting.  It's really fun and interesting to be in a room of 50 people, all painting the same picture, and then seeing how differently they all turn out.  It's just a super fun, relaxing evening with a sense of accomplishment at the end.  Even if you have never painted before or don't feel that you are good at it, you will be amazed at the finished product.  The artist breaks down the technique enough that you can copy and actually end up with something that resembles the artist's rendering. 

Check out the photos from our night:

The Artist's Painting

All Part of the Process

C&C Studio

Easels

Finished Product!

I think they turned out pretty well.  Perfect way to end a stressful day.

Hola Arepa

So here's the deal.  This was the most delicious meal I've had in a restaurant in a while.  This food truck-turned-brick-and-mortar restaurant featuring Latin street food is absolutely next level.  I was so excited to go on Sunday to cross it off my list, but after tasting the food, it become clear that I could only put a little check next to it.  I simply must try everything on the menu before I can "cross it off".  Here's a list of the things I loved about it:

• The food is entirely fresh and new - who the heck knows what an arepa is anyway?  (a flat bread made of ground corn that's somewhat pancakey)
• Everything on the menu is gluten-free
• They combine fun flavors such as plantain/shredded beef/black bean, pulled pork/sweet potato
• They have a big patio as well as an open air restaurant
• The cocktails...I can't even
• The chips are homemade, warm, wonderfully salted and the accompanying trio of salsas are fresh with interesting flavors
• The meals are accompanied by yucca fries and your choice of spicy mayo or pesto for dipping
• The meals are all $12 and under and are suuuuuper filling
• yum.

Go check this place out.   And then go to Lake Harriet to walk it off.  And then go to Sebastian Joes for ice cream.  I like to think in groups :)

JL Beers

We've decided that JL Beers in Northeast is the doppleganger of 7 West Taphouse in Duluth.  Delicious burgers, a plethora of beers on tap, sports bar.  But, it might be the wiser older brother as it has something different and creative - beer cocktails.  They don't serve liquor - just beer and hard cider.  The long list of beer cocktails on the menu contains dynamic duos such as hard cider and summer shandy, hard cider and any number of beers really.  The beauty is that if you've had all the beers already, you can move on the innovative cocktails.  The burgers and fries are good, and it's just a cool late night hang out.    Oh, and they have Sebastian Joe's stout ice cream.  Legit. 

Surly Brewery

We finally made it to Surly.  Can't believe it took so long.  I think they recently changed their taproom/tour situation making it much more visitor friendly.  Instead of signing up online several weeks in advance to get a spot, you now just sign up for the tour at the brewery taproom starting at an hour before the tour starts.  You can even have your friends sign up for you if you are running late.

We hung out in the taproom and sampled a few of the beers and then bought pints to bring into the brewery for the tour.  It's always more fun to visit the taproom than just have the brewery's beer on tap at a restaurant because you get to try the unique small batches that never get distributed.   My favorite for sure was the Cacao Bender which has wonderful coffee and chocolate notes.  I also liked the Bitter Brewer and the Hell - wonderful light summer beers.

I don't usually opt for the tour - kind of a been there done that situation.  But, I really enjoyed this one because he spent more time talking about the opening of their new site than walking us through the brewing process.  The new brewery site will be right off Hwy 280 and Broadway.  They'll start brewing in September and the taproom and all it's fanciness will open in December.  Apparently you'll be able to get married there, there will be a multi-tiered deck, there will be plenty of outdoor patio space, and they are partnering with a chef from Solera to pair the beers with fantastic food.  Another thing I'm excited about - they are keeping the old brewery site in Brooklyn Center and will be using it for small scale, fun unique beers that they currently don't have the capacity to make due to the high demand for Furious.

So, good things to come.  I'm pretty excited to visit the new site when it opens.

Here's what's on tap now:

Pyrotechnics Guild International Fireworks Show

My husband has a special laugh reserved for things that impress and entertain him.  He's a tough cookie so I don't hear it super often, but this fireworks show definitely brought out my favorite laugh of his.  The PGI fireworks show is an amazing display of creative new fireworks, fireballs, and firecrackers.  If you weren't blown back in your chair, blinded, or had your ears ringing during the show, you didn't get your money's worth. 

We first attended the PGI show in 2009 in Mason City, IA when my husband's parents still lived in the area.  PGI is on a 5 year rotation through 5 states so it was finally Mason City's turn to host again this year.  We enjoyed the show so much in 2009 that we made a point to go back this year.  The program is a little tedious as they do various recognitions of pyro technicians and PGI members, and they need time to set up displays and put out resulting fires in the field.  But the fireworks are fantastic.  Some are so bright you can barely look at them, some shake the ground so much the bleachers vibrate, some are so loud they make your heart skip a beat, and some have so much explosion force that they blow you back in your seat.  These fireworks have the brightest colors, fullest color trails, and insane finales that light up the entire sky with tons of fireworks all at the same time.  Very cool show, way more impressive than a normal 4th of July show. 

Woodbury Farmers Market

I love the Woodbury farmers market because it's kind of a no-frills farmers market.  I mainly go there for produce as the vendors are plenty.  There aren't many vendors other than produce vendors - there's a honey vendor, Great Harvest Bread Company, True Dough, a salsa stand, and the Golden Fig.  No food trucks or arts and crafts so it's a quick trip for the essentials.  It runs from 8am - 1pm on Sundays June - October.  This past Sunday I picked up apples (eep! fall is approaching!), sweet onions, egg plant, tomatoes, and sweet corn!

Meal plan for the week
Apples - I eat an apple every day.  Sometimes two because I like them so much.  I'll just eat them plain, with peanut butter, or I saute them in coconut oil with a little cinnamon.

Onions - We really just like these grilled so much that I won't do anything else with them.

Egg plant - still not sure about this.  Maybe slice it up, drizzle olive oil, and grill?

Tomatoes - I love to chop these up and cook them with eggs or put on salads.  I will also add them to guacamole.  Sometimes I just have a craving for roasted tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese melted on top with a balsamic drizzle.

Sweet corn - We love to roast corn on the cob on the grill.  Drizzle with butter and salt and wrap in foil and roast on the grill for about 30 minutes.  Or, put into rolling boiling water for 7 minutes.  Tried and true.  I think I won't eat all of my corn on the cob with butter, I'll probably cut some off the cob after cooking and add to a rice, black bean, and tomato side dish. 

I not only love walking through the farmers markets and looking through EVERYTHING, but I also love the challenge of using all the produce before it goes bad. 

The Bicycle Brewery Tour

Yesterday we set out on adventure.  Our purpose was not as noble as finding new lands, new civilizations, medicines, or even new sights.  No, our purpose was to visit new breweries and taste new beers.  Nine people, five breweries, three modes of transportation, one common goal.  Armed with backpacks full of water bottles, snacks, gum, maps, and sweaters, we embarked on our adventure.  Battling obstacles such as 30 minute limits on Nice Ride bikes, city traffic, finding the subjects on our bingo sheet, and time, we achieved our goal and had a fantastic day.  We called ourselves the Urban Explorers. 

Let me preface this post by saying that nobody was drunk at any point during the brewery tour as we shared pints or flights, ate food, and had enough physical activity and time between breweries to metabolize quickly. 

What is this bingo you may ask?  Well, we made bingo cards with scavenger hunt type things like find someone with a tattoo behind the ear, find someone with your name, find someone wearing a bro tank and jorts, find someone wearing a fanny pack, etc.  We also had challenges like get something for free, play a yard game, and get a non-alcoholic drink.  Everyone pays $3 for the card and whoever wins get the pot.  You have to take pics of the subject to prove that you got bingo.  It was very fun and added more thrill to the day.  No, I did not end up winning.

We chose Sociable Ciderwerks as the rendezvous point to begin our adventure.  Everyone trickled in between 3:00 and 4:00pm.  We had a cider, did the inaugural toast, handed out the bingo cards, and set out for the rest of the adventure.  At Sociable, we tried the Red Flesh cider which is an infusion of the Freewheeler.  We also had the Spoke Wrench which is a stout cider.  I like this one because it is quite sour.  The Helles beer was probably the standout though.  Still not sure if I like it because it literally tasted like a meat and cheese platter in liquid form.  Very very odd.  But I give them props for always having an unusual and unique beer on tap.  I really like it when people in general take liberties and push the envelope to create something new and interesting.

Next we walked to Logan park to pick up the Nice Ride bikes.  Here's the deal.  You have a 30 minute time limit to get to your destination or you get charged an additional fee.  Additionally, you are at the mercy of the rack as there may or may not be enough bikes available to take or slots to park your bike.  You also have to find a Nice Ride station close to your destination to cut down on the walking distance.  This added an extra element of problem solving to the day which was super fun.  We had a few mishaps but it worked out well for the most part.  

We rode to Boom Island Brewery.  Thankfully it didn't start to rain until we were inside and then quit raining by the time we left!  Between everyone's purchase, I got to try all of the beers at Boom Island.  My favorite for sure was the Framboise - a raspberry wheat.  Very smooth.  The Wit, Saison, and Hoodoo were also , but I really didn't like any of the others.  I'm not a huge Belgian fan I suppose.

Next we rode to Sisyphus Brewery in the Loring Park area.  They don't have many on tap, but the ones that they have are all good.  I tried the Oatmeal Pale Ale as well as the Imperial Brown Ale.  Delish. 

By this point we were getting hungry.  Our next stop was Day Block Brewing in Minneapolis.  We had amazing pizzas, bacon flights, and beer!  My absolute standout for the day was Day Block's Berliner Weiss.  Oh my goodness.  Perfect in the summer on a hot day.  And the bacon flights.  I can't even.  They are worth trying.

The last stop of the night was Dangerous Man.  We biked there in the dark and got to enjoy the view of the skyline from Broadway Ave.  Unfortunately they had run out of the beer that I was really excited to try so I went with the Cream Ale which was okay. 

Throughout the day I just kind of marveled at how beer and adventure bring people together.  I didn't know four of the people in our group, but it is easy to hang out with people who share a common goal and interest.  It really was a fun day.  We had planned on taking the Green Line to St. Paul and hitting at least two breweries there, right off the Green Line route, but we ended up not having enough time.  I think we were a little ambitious with our plans :)  So while we didn't fulfill our entire mission and hit every destination, as my friend Dea says, the point is not the destination, the point is that the journey is the destination.  Enjoy the moment, live in the here and now.  Whatever you are doing at this moment has purpose and meaning.  You may never reach what you think your destination is, but you sure can enjoy the journey. 

Canterbury Park!

I decided to organize an outing with my coworkers so I sent out an invite to Canterbury.  It didn't occur to me that not everyone knows what Canterbury is.  And when you try to look it up on our work computers, the site is blocked due to its affiliation with gambling.  That made me even more eager to write about Canterbury which happens to be one of my must-do activities every summer.

Canterbury Park hosts horse races!  It's located about 30 minutes south of Minneapolis in Shakopee.  It is a little ways out there, but still close enough for an evening out.  I like to go on Thursdays because it's dollar night.  Admission, a program, pop, chips, and hot dog are each one dollar.  They do other promotions throughout the summer as well such as ladies night, 80s night, food truck night, and so on.  Canterbury also has an affiliation with Mystic Casino so you can play black jack and other card games there if you'd like. 

Here's  how this goes:

The first race is at 6:30 on Thursday nights.  I like to get there around 5:45 to look through the program, place a bet, buy a beer, and find a seat.  The races are run about every thirty minutes.  So there's not a whole lot of action, but I love the pacing of the night.  Thirty minutes is about the perfect time to celebrate a winning bet, mull over the next bet, place it, grab food or drinks, and hang out with your companions until the next race starts.  There is plenty of seating outside so it really makes for a fun evening out in the summer. 

I generally am not very lucky... which could be due to my strategy.  First of all, I like to refer to the process as "voting" for my favorite horse.  I decide on my favorite horse based on the name and color of the jockey's outfit.  Sometimes the odds and the announcer's pick will weigh into my decision making factors.   I keep my bets pretty small, but it's fun to have a little skin in the game and gives me a horse to cheer for as it races around the track.  I think I ended up $10 down last night.  I'll just consider that the entertainment expense for the night.  It's always a fun night out and it's still entertaining even if you aren't placing bets. 

Haha, shoot.  I didn't notice I got these guys until after I got home!  I was hoping for a nice clean finish line shot.  But you get the idea.

The Sample Room

My sister is moving from downtown to Northeast.  I'm pretty excited about it.  We explored their new area and found the Sample Room!  We had dinner there and enjoyed the small plates on their menu.  And by small plates, I mean what a regular plate should be in size.  Just enough to satisfy you, but not more.  For food, they have an assortment of salads, meats, pastas, and appetizers for around $10.  I had the fish and chips which was really good.  My husband had the burger which he enjoyed.  My brother in law really really enjoyed his reuben.  I had never had a reuben before but thought it was really good. My sister had braised ribs which were good too. 

I think what I liked the most was the idea of a sampler of alcohol.  They have several flights you can choose from for wine and spirits.

The sampler room has a different, refreshing menu, a cool ambiance inside the restaurant, and a relaxing patio outside the restaurant.  Definitely worth checking out if you find yourself in Northeast looking for a place to dine.

Theater Night! Spoon River and the Guthrie

Every summer my friend and I see a show at the Guthrie.  We both love the theater, and thoroughly enjoy our girls evening out.  We start with dinner at Spoon River which is located right next to the Guthrie.  Thankfully we've been able to sit outside on the patio the last two years.  Then we head over to see the show!  Last night we enjoyed My Fair Lady.

Spoon River
I really can't say enough good things about this restaurant.  Everything I've had here has been amazing.  Last night I opted for the Spoon Burger which is a lamb/quinoa burger.  The burger was accompanied by a delicious salad.  I also ordered the Spoon Bloody.  It's made with Thai basil and gin so it has a different flavor than I am used to but it complimented the lamb burger very well.  I had wanted to order the chai-tini which is made with Verdant Tea's housemade chai tea (which I've already gushed about) and a mixture of rum and other alcohols.  Unfortunately they ran out of the chai!! 

My friend ordered the salmon which is served with fresh veggies and potatoes.  She really enjoyed her meal. 

Sea Change
Sea Change is located right inside the Guthrie.  The meals are expensive so we decided just to have a martini before the show.  We had the lavendar martini which was pretty epic.

Guthrie
First off, My Fair Lady was really well acted.  We laughed several times.  Dr. Pickering was hilarious. 

We generally sit in the balcony in the first or second row which are pretty good seats.  That's worked really well for us and the tickets are a bit cheaper than the lower level.  Next we'll have to try rush tickets which you get the day of the show at the box office - tickets that haven't yet sold for that night's show.

If you have time, I also suggest hanging out by the Stone Arch Bridge or checking out the Guthrie's endless bridge that looks out over the Mississippi River, Stone Arch Bridge, and St. Anthony Main.  Very cool. 

Cahoots Block Party

Last night we celebrated the genius and ingenuity of Minnesota breweries at the Red Stag block party in Northeast.  Eight breweries formed four teams and created four new beers.  Everyone votes on the best collaboration beer and a portion of the proceeds go to the winning team's charity.  Perfect.  I can drink and make a positive difference in the world.  The block party was packed - there were food trucks, many different drink specials in addition to the four featured beers, and a solid line-up of bands.  Unfortunately we didn't make it over until 7:15 and the event ended at 8.  We missed out on the Sociable Ciderwerks/ Schell Brewery collabo as it had already sold out.  That was the one I was most excited about.  What we did get to try was the 13th Task made by Fulton and Dangerous Man (dry-hopped golden ale).  This was a solid choice for summer - a definite crowd pleaser. We also enjoyed the Mark made by Bang and Summit.  The beer was crafted to stay true to Bang's fully organic process.  Then we had the Red Smoke Rye made by Bent Paddle and Fitgers.  This one was nice and smokey and had a 6.8 ABV.  Had this been more of an Oktoberfest setting, this for sure would have been my favorite.  I spent all day in the sun (which was amazing) so I enjoyed the 13th Task the most.  Apparently this is an annual event so I'll definitely be back next year!!! (and earlier in the day).  So there you have it - a true Minnesota celebration - beer, food trucks, music, the great outdoors.  Unfortunately they haven't posted the results yet.  I wonder if the 13th Task won!! 

Motorcycle Basic Rider Class

I'm a firm believer in setting goals and having a bucket list.  Life is so short and time flies so fast, I have to set goals with due dates to keep myself on track and know that I'm making the most of my time here.  One of the things on my list for the summer was to get my motorcycle license.  My husband and I agreed that the best way to do that was to get my permit (check) and then take the Basic Rider Course and test for my license through the class.  So that's what I did this weekend!!!!

I have nothing but good things to say about the class.  You start out in a classroom on Thursday evening and go through all the basic principles of riding, techniques, and road rules.  Then you take a written test at the end of the night.

My husband walked me through the basics back in April, but I hadn't ridden since.  On Saturday morning, they walk you through everything very step by step.  The class is designed for people who have never taken the class before.  They provide the bikes, but you bring your own safety gear.  You learn where all of the controls are, how to operate the bike, and you slowly get into maneuvering and riding the bike.  You go through 16 drills throughout the course of the weekend.  You just stay in a parking lot and they demonstrate each drill and let you loose to ride through it and practice.

Sunday is more of the same, but you build on the skills you learned on Saturday.  You end Sunday with a test.  They test your ability to ride around a corner, make a u-turn in a small space, stop abruptly, and swerve.  I passed!!!

The instructors were amazing.  They really make you feel comfortable and give you tips of things to work on and use positive reinforcement for things you do right.  The class does get to be a little long - each day is 5 hours.  But, it truly is amazing how you can go from having absolutely no clue how to ride to actually feeling comfortable and making decisions as you ride. 

Now, riding through drills in a parking is one thing, now I have to be really careful about actually getting out into traffic and doing real life riding. 

I rode the gray one on the left!  A Suzuki TU 250x

Summertime Cocktails

It's hot outside!  Here are some of my favorite refreshing summer cocktails:

Elderflower Power
1 shot St. Germaine elderflower liqueur
1 shot Prosecco (Trader Joes has tasty, cheap Prosecco)
fresh squeezed lime juice used to balance the sweetness of St. Germaine
top with sparkling water

Sangria
1 bottle rose wine
1 cup coconut water
1 cup orange juice
peaches
strawberries

Let these chill in the fridge over night and then add a bottle of Prosecco and a cup of sparkling water to serve

Gin and Tonic
Sparkling water
1 shot 45th parallel gin or Hendrix gin
cucumber slices
fresh squeezed lime juice

Angry Cocktail
1 bottle Angry Orchard hard cider
shot of orange juice
shot of Malibou

Pina Colada Frozen Cocktail
2 shots Malibou
2 shots pineapple juice
1 shot orange juice
coconut cream (up to you how creamy you want it)
ice cubes

Margarita
fresh lime juice
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 shots tequila
1 shot triple sec
blood orange juice (this is from Byerly's)
ice cubes

Izzy's Ice Cream

While it's extremely easy and convenient to grab a pint of ice cream as you walk through the freezer section of the grocery store, there must be something about buying from an actual ice cream store.  This is evidenced by the long lines of patrons at places like Izzy's, Grand Ole Creamery, Sebastian Joes during the summer months.  It seems that people would rather wait in line for twenty minutes than just grab a pre-packaged, commercial pint.  I totally get it.  My husband and I recently visited Izzy's. 

Izzy's is a St. Paul institution.  With more than 100 flavors to choose from, there is definitely something for everyone.  Not only are there 100 flavors, but there are so many combinations and ways to enjoy your treat.  Ice cream sandwiches, shakes, malts, floats, multiple flavored scoops in each cup, etc.  My husband got the ice cream sandwich which is two chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese ice cream in the middle.  Wow, delicious.  I got the kiddie scoop with a little Izzy scoop on top.  I decided on two flavors - chocolate cheesecake and Irish moxie.  Irish moxie was made of ice cream with Jameson whiskey, oreo, and almond.  Kind of an odd conglomeration, but it was amazing.  They've also been known to have Summit Oatmeal Stout flavored ice cream.  I'll probably have to go back at some point to check that out. 

So there you have it.  I much preferred visiting the ice cream shop to buying from the grocery store.  Support a local business, get a unique flavor, use your creativity to create what you are really craving, and enjoy it out on the patio!