Hollie

Spongey is right. I was asked whether crumpets were ‘softer’ which felt hard to answer without waxing lyrical about the crisp one side and wonderful chewiness meets fluffiness.

Today an American asked me how crumpets are different from English muffins and I was at a loss to talk through the distinctions of these vastly different but both excellent bread products.

If you have pet food or supplies you no longer need or can afford to buy some extra to donate to food banks, unpaid workers & those who rely on SNAP benefits are going to need help. For some recipients those animal companions are emotional support animals or maybe even service dogs. #LendAPaw

I’d personally avoid meat and fish for the second meal because I’m also a worrier. I find hard cheese based sandwiches travel fairly well over several hours.

A Czech Pilsner, Hladinka pour.

Found a local brewery with Lukr taps

Love that idea! Thanks! :)

I’m loving baked tofu recently and I’m in the market for new marinade ideas. Any thoughts, anyone? #vegetarian #vegan #healthy #food

Ok, this is officially taking fall too far.

Rice cooker! I use mine so much and it’s really small.

Bright blue sky streaked with sparse white clouds. Sun shining. Sandia mountains. Yellow and green grasses, cactuses, bushes.

From yesterday’s hike

Libraries and post offices should merge, and there should be a coffee shop.

Pick up your pension, get a book, have a coffee with friends. Cut overheads for everyone, reduce loneliness, and save libraries and post offices.

A wide-eyed rabbit sniffing at the ground, in front of a plant pot, surrounded by verdant leaves

Has anyone else seen a lot of bunnies around this year? 🐰

A three story building viewed from a leafy bike path, old dark brick with a new section in the middle.

Between breweries, I fell in love with this building.

A prickly pear sour ale at Young Blood, overlooking barrels and a brewery below

A cask ale at Working Draft, on the bar top with taps behind.

Had a fun time exploring Madison’s beer scene yesterday

Bells Oberon, an American wheat ale.

Enjoyed a few cans of this yesterday.

Relatable!

Good god.

Photo of building in Chicago with old engraving across top reading "gaslight and coke company"

I found where your ex shops.

Beautiful!

Me walking over a log across a stream in the Jemez, NM

A gin basil smash cocktail on a white bar table, served with a basil leaf and plenty of foam.

Blue skies and turquoise ocean water in Hvar, Croatia

I keep forgetting to post. Working on getting better at that. Here are a few highlights from summer so far:

Remembering Martyn Cornell, a beer writing and beer history heavyweight.

This is such sad news. I had the opportunity to chat with him on a few occasions and he was always kind, funny, and supremely knowledgeable. He will be missed.

Jug of aperol spritz, two wine glasses with ice, a rooftop with the sun shining.

Starting the weekend early.

Tabby cat laying on his back, on desk next to a laptop

Good morning Digby

There’s a cosy cocktail bar in the back of Susan’s Fine Wines and Spirits that I love.

Blue sky, rugged mountains dotted with trees, city in background, brown dry grasses in foreground.

Getting into the mountains always feels good

I just cleared space for a glut of books that have been gathering messily around the house without proper homes, and made my husband a short video showing where to find everything. This might be the most romantic thing I’ve ever done.

I’m trying to be patient with myself, ha. Not always easy but I’m having fun with it so far :)

Digital piano, against a green wall

I have an addictive new hobby. Maybe one day I’ll actually sound good if I work at it hard enough!

A small brown glass bottle of Polynesian Kiss bitters.

I’ve been loving El Guapo bitters recently. A few dashes of this was perfect in a Dark & Stormy.