Friday, 16 October 09 - POKTOBERFEST!!

First, an apology to those of you who have been waiting on the edge of your seats for this blog to appear. There's so much to share, and only so much time I can get away with sharing it in while I'm at work...

As expected, Poktoberfest 2009 was a blast. There was plenty of good food, great people, and even some prizes and money floating around. Matt and I had been looking forward to hosting in our basement since we moved in, so this was a fun opportunity for us to dress it up all Fall-like and introduce it to our friends!

Before the tournament got started...


We consumed:
- A fridge full of IPA and organic amber Fish Tale beer;
- A big bottle of red wine Tyler brought


- nearly a gallon of hot cranberry cider
*Dump a 64oz. jug of cranberry juice into a crock pot (or regular pot)
*Add 1/2 can of frozen lemonade, a few cinnamon sticks & a handful of cloves.
*Add a bit of sugar or honey if you need it - I prefer it just as it is, but it's a little tart.
*Let it brew on low heat and serve when warm or let it sit and make your house smell delicious all day!

- a gallon of mulled wine (cider?)
*Same recipe as hot cranberry cider, but with a big jug of cheap wine instead of juice...you'll probably need the sugar in this version. I use raw sugar.


- Jalapeno poppers (with lil' smokies)
*Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and top with a pam-sprayed baking rack.
*Slice jalapeno peppers lengthwise, scraping out the seeds (and a bit of the inside walls, if you don't like them too hot)
*Spread a chunk of cream cheese on each piece.
*Lie a lil' smokie on the cream cheese (if you want to - they're awesome without them, too)
*Wrap the combination in 1/2 a slice of bacon and stab with a toothpick to keep it together.
*Every time I make them, I feel like I should have cooked them on a higher temp, because they take forever. I start out with them at about 375 and check every 15 mins or so, usually turning the heat up about half-way through. Plan on them taking at least 45 minutes. You really want the bacon crispy, so err on the side of too done.


- Pumpkin cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting from last month's Real Simple.
*http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting-00000000021359/index.html

- Artichoke-Spinach Dip with a french baguette.
- Kim's fantastic olive tapenade with homemade crackers.
- Pickled Okra.
- Pizza. Lots of Brewery City pizza!

There were enough people for 3 tables in the tournament. I believe we were down to two in this picture:

Aaron wore his Poker Hat for good luck...

...but alas, Brett took the pot ($150 + a really wicked awesome custom-engraved stein)


Overall, we deemed the party a huge success. We met some cool new people, hung out with some friends we haven't seen in awhile, ate & drank some delicious food & drinks, and some people won things! A big thanks to everyone who helped break in the Burdick Basement...

~Kaylene (and Matty)