Grand Rapids Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Good stuff
I'm really bored. Here's a post where you can share some "good stuff" you think other nesties should know about.
Nantucket Bakery's Garlic Cheddar bread is freaking awesome.
Re: Good stuff
Staying on the same food track...
Old World Olive Press. Their stuff is soooo good. Tuscan olive oil is delicious with bread. And their aged balsamic vinegar is amazing too. And their staff is super helpful.
And for serious now, Pickle Soup. I think GRSP also touts this tasty but weird sounding meal. That link is just the recipe I use, and I love it because it's so easy and I always have the ingredients in the fridge.
Nantucket's Pretzel's yummy!!
Lambric Framboise is my "beer" of choice. I wish more of the microbreweries would make something like it.
French Press Coffee.
If you've never had it and like coffee you need to try it. STAT. French press converted my previously coffee hating husband into a coffee lover. I've found that Starbuck's Sumatra makes the some of the best beans for the press.
Ok then.. What beer would you suggest to a person who doesn't like it??
I would suggest trying Michelob's Lime and Cactus beer for a beginner. It's very light and sort of wine cooler like, but not nearly as sweet and it's very crisp. It's fairly cheap too, so if you buy it and don't like you're only out $6 or so.
Interesting Wop. I'm definitely not a beer drinker- but I've only tried a few kinds. B said he only found one kind he liked. It was some kind of wheat beer that he had in Chicago, or Minneapolis, or some other city not in MI.
Also in the summertime Leinenkugel's has a lemonade-beer called Summer Shandy. There are a handful of berry beers out there too. Leinenkugal's has one, and Sam Adams has one too. Both are too sweet for my taste, but again, might be good for a beginner. World Market and a lot of other specialy liqour stores let you buy single beers and that's a great way to try a bunch of different beer without having to buy an entire 6 pack. I like Schuler's on 44th in Grandville a lot. They're very helpful.
You might also want to check out the Michelob Pomegranate Raspberry.
Wheat beers are awesome. Founders has a fruit beer or two usually that are really yummy. Wild blue is really sweet but delicious and will knock you on your rear end if you're not careful.
Cool Wop. I'm willing to try it.. I'll keep that store in mind.
I'd be down for a sampler night. We'll be in town A LOT if gas gets as high as they claim it will. I swore I heard $5 this summer. I heard $4 yesterday. It's already $3.50. My goodness!
What's a good car for gas mileage? B needs a new one in the worst way. He has over 100,000 miles on his. It is my fear that he will break down on 96 somewhere. We were looking at a used Fusion or Focus.
/tangent
Oh! I forgot about this one:
Pepperwood Grove boxed wine! I was always afraid of boxed wine, but saw a wine I really liked at Meijer that they no longer sold in single bottles and decided to pick up the box. It was $16 (on sale) and equals 4 bottles. Great wine at a great price! And it's like having wine on tap! It's nice to know that if I want to have a glass of wine with dinner or after Renee goes to bed, I don't have to feel guilty about opening a bottle just for one glass.
Everyone I know with a Fusion or Focus really likes it, same thing with Honda Accords.
Anything by Leinenkugal. I'm obsessed. Well, when I'm not housing a child in my uterus. Berry Weiss is good, but even their non-fruity flavors are delicious.
I vote we totally do this. Next year.
Ooh you just reminded me. We are about to pay off my H's car. It is a 2006 Pontiac G6 (great gas mileage I think, about 30 mpg). It has 180k miles on it. Fingers crossed that he doesn't crash it right after we make the last payment like he did last time! (Even though it wasn't his fault...still what a bummer!)
Sandy's rules.
JGE - I am with you on that bread. It makes me happy.
I've bought them from Sandy's before. They're owned by Dutchmen (it was in a WZZM article). They're okay.
I heard that American Bakery (I think?) on Leonard used to make really good ones, but they haven't opened back up yet.
I want to find some Polish busias in the basement of a Catholic church somewhere making them like they do in my hometown.
I agree about Sandy's. I also think that any nestie that goes there must do a drive by my house and wave as I'm about a block away.
What is he driving right now? Our infinity has over 200,000 miles
Others have offered some good suggestions.
I actually find, with my friends who "don't like beer" or only drink Bud Light they tend to enjoy hefeweizens, belgian beer or a shandy. Basically beers that are low on the bitterness quotient and higher in sweetness.
I would probably start with a traditional Belgian Wheat (Blue Moon, Hoegaarden) rather than an American Wheat (Oberon). Bell's Winter White is a Wit which falls in the same category and you also might like it. All of those beers will have less bitterness and more of the banana/clove sweetness that non-beer drinkers seem to like.
Belgian beers can appeal to non-beer drinkers because the Belgian yeast has a bubblegum sweetness too it, but since there is a huge variety out there it's harder to find one that may appeal to you. Delirium Tremens is a good example of one that would be sweeter.
The only American Shandy I can think of that comes brewed together is Leinenkugel, as Wop mentioned. Also an easy intro into beer.
100k doesn't always mean the death of a car. I know a lot of people with cars with 100k+ that run and drive fine with a lot of life left. Sure when you get to 100k stuff starts to wear and you might find yourself doing repairs more often, but if you've taken good care of it, it shouldn't be that bad. With all that said, it's my understanding that the Aveo is not a car made for long wear.
Thanks for all of the recs. you guys are beer experts!
We'll see about the car. We are definitely in the "ride it til the wheels fall off" camp.
This thread makes me want beer. And a new car.
B&G, I've had my Focus for 10 years now. It's been good to me.
In the realm of good things: crunching the edges of big ole snow mounds in parking lots with my feet. The sound of the melting trickles heading for the sewers. springspringspringspringspring