[RANDOM] CHANGE LAYOUT FINALLY..

i finally changed my layout!..haha..thanks to HARA actually..she's the one who gave linkie to the template site..i already planned to change it long ago but only this time the broadband line is ok, then i decided to customize everything..hehe..now, u can see me..=)so, it's just a random talking anyway..CAN YOU GUYS RECOGNIZE WHO IS THIS?..IT'S JOON! from MBLAQ!..resembles RAIN a lot right?..this

[RANDOM] JUST WATCHING NINJA ASSASSIN..

today..after i finished work at 10pm..i rushed to GSC in dataran pahlawan..well, i worked at mahkota parade, so it's kinda near to the cinema..i watched with my families and we entered the cineplex around 10.30pm..i gave 3.75 stars out of 5 for this movie..woah, i can tell that this show is flooding with blood..the excited part came when RAIN appeared..everybody in the theater was like "oh my,

Antique Row Cafe, Normal Heights, San Diego

In my humble but completely undebatable opinion, fall is the best season for food and drink. Don't get me wrong, a crisp shandy or electric lemonade enjoyed on a hot summer day or a steaming bowl of homemade soup during a wintery storm are delights that can't be replicated. Still, I find the spicy, earthy, homemade tastes hit the spot unlike anything else, and when the sun is still clinging on to the last delicious bits of summer, it's a great time to chow down.

Our latest brunch expedition before the break was to the Antique Row Cafe in Normal Heights. Don't be fooled by the cheap diner-esque feel, on weekends this place is so hopping that there's often a crowd spilling out into the street as they anxiously await a table inside or out. (Note- they even offer coffee and pastries while you wait!!) Inside is a dark maze of bizarrely lined tables winding around oddly placed walls and cramped spaces, but I personally like to hide in a corner to enjoy my meal in a dim setting without worrying about scooting my chair into the obese man next to me or having to step over an unruly child. Bitter? Not as much as that sounded...

Back to the point. This place caters to all sorts of people, and by the looks of it people who enjoy a damn fine breakfast. The menu offered more, of course, but as the Brunch Warriors we focused solely on that menu plus the specials. The Fall special caught my eye, and with Pumpkin Pancakes smothered in homemade applesauce paired with a generous helping of cheesy potatoes and 2 eggs, how could I resist?!? Ashton opted for a standard veg omelet, and we anxiously awaited our goodies.

Our wait was not in vain! Two heaping platefuls were presented to me as my eyes bulged as much as my stomach soon would. Ashton also received a generous helping, and we quickly dug in. Before too long, both plates defeated us, but who needs syrup when applesauce is on the pancakes? They were fantastic, fluffy, huge, well-cooked, and piping hot with great spices. The eggs were also cooked perfectly, and the potatoes were smothered in cheese and hot sauce to make an excellent addition. The cost was definitely on the lower end of the spectrum, and the plates we received could have easily fed twice as many people. The service was okay, and the clientele was diverse, but the breakfast was quick, cheap, and true to the diner feel. Nothing outrageous was found on the menu, but all the expected diner fare was there, and it looked like they had some great specials cooked up. A definite recommendation.


Ashton's scramble


Pumpkin pancakes with applesauce


2 over medium eggs with cheesy potatoes

Cider Making Lesson #1

We all knew it would happen, when one just willy nilly starts brewing something new, there is bound to be a lesson learned. I kegged the cider on Friday and poured up a sample glass on Saturday and sure enough the taste was bone dry. More or less like sucking on a mixture of water, alcohol, and apple skins. The yeast fermented the cider down to a gravity of 1.002 (for non-brewing nerds, that's basically water, i.e. Coors Light). Well not to fear I had an idea. I boiled some water and threw in about a pound of light brown sugar. Once the sugar dissolved nicely, I added this to the cider (or "apple beer", as Mrs. HolzBrew refers to it). Shook up the keg and repressurized. By Sunday, the cider was tasting pretty darn good. Another day or two at higher PSI and it should be fully carbonated, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Crisis averted (probably not the last),

HolzBrew

[RANDOM] cassiopeia and TVXQ!

i dunnoe what is the suitable title for this post..anyway, i just wanted to dedicate this song for the boys and my cassies..it's in malay by the way..i really love this song..and i will just write a part of it which marks deeply in me..sesegar hijau daunanbegitulah..kita diibaratkan..tiada siapa yangbisa memisahkan kita..antara..kita semua..seerat simpulan..yang tidak terbuka..seteguh langit

[RANDOM] just feel to write something..

heyya everybody and all readers!..i'm back!..anyway, i was away for a vacation with beloved family..hehe..we went to cameron highlands..woah..i feel it was a really short holidays..only 2 days and spent one night there..but anyway, it still fun..of course when all the family members are gathered together..hehe..on the other hand..i'm missing to get back on9..can u guys see it?..i'm totally an

APOLOGIES!

Thanks to a flurry of activity such as moving, new job, holidays, etc. I took what was supposed to be a short break from blogging! Thanks to the infinite wisdom of Cox Communications, this break was extended much longer than it should have been, and I still do not have access to my computer. To everyone desperately waiting, hoping, praying for an update, I assure you they are coming. I've stockpiled a few choice items that have just been ripening and are ready to hit the web. Once we get this whole internet shenanigan figured out (hopefully this week) we'll be back in business! Stay tuned...

Holy Mother of Bourbon

Many beer aficionados are aware of the bourbon barrel fad that has passed through craft brew nation the last 3 or 4 years. Quite honestly, at times it seems like some late adopters have just started doing it in order to keep up with the Joneses. That's a shame because a well thought out bourbon barrel brew is a spectacle to behold. Well I haven't had a bourbon barrel brew lately that really stood out amongst the crowd, until this evening. While browsing the new arrivals at Norm's, I came across Backwoods Bastard by Founders. As a kid who went to school in southern Virginia (Go Hokies!) is apt to do, the bourbon barrel brews usually catch my eye. I couldn't resist.

The thing that really made this beer stand out from the other bourbon beers is that the bourbon flavor was big and fresh and in your face. This beer isn't for the faint of heart. Seriously, Mrs. HolzBrew had one wiff of it and turned up her nose. You've got to love bourbon (not just tolerate it) in order to appreciate this one.

Here goes:

Look:dark brown to deep copper in color. A thin tan head slowly forms during then pour and then instantly fades. The carbonation level is fairly low.

Smell: The initial nose is sweet maltiness followed by a pronounced woodiness. Then a bit of char and a whole lot of bourbon and alcohol.

Drink: The first sip is a malt and bourbon explosion. The alcohol is hot and spicy on the back end. Lots of bourbon in this one the scotch malts fill in the background.

Overall: Personally I love the fresh and biting bourbon side of this beer. Browsing some of the reviews on beeradvocate some people feel this is "over-bourboned." They are right, but thats why I like it. It's an A in my book, but if you have an aversion to bourbon this might rank fairly low to you.


“How well I remember my first encounter with The Devil's Brew. I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon -- and went right on stumbling for several days thereafter.”

-W. C. Fields

Switching over...

Just a quick reminder to my readers that I haven't stopped blogging, I've just temporarily moved locations (and changed subjects, a bit): head on over to my Bavarian Bride wedding planning website here!!

http://weddingdiplomat.blogspot.com/

[PICS]MIR WITH HIS NEPHEW~

credit: ABM+sarang@blogspothe is the son of Cho Dong Won who happens to be The CEO of j-tune and Rain’s BFF. Rain is this child's godfather and Mir as the uncle..how lucky this kid is, right?..=)

[NEWS] JYP NEW BOYGROUP..CROSSFIRE..

credit: allkpop+sarang@blogspotRumor has it, JYP Entertainment has a new boy band in the works who will be debuting soon. The group name is Ship Ja Hwa or translated into English as "Crossfire."Apparently the new boy band will have 5 members and some of the members are from Cube Entertainment, JYPE's sister company.In addition, they will supposedly be introduced through a variety show from Mnet,

[NEWS] JAEBUM WAS WITH 2PM DURING THEIR COMEBACK STAGE!

credit: DONGA NEWS; hazyfiasco@2ONEDAY; kbites+sarang@blogspotAfter starting their activities as a 6 membered group, it has been revealed that 2PM’s leader Park Jaebum also participated in their comeback through an international phone call. Before they prepared to get on stage on KBS Music Bank, 2PM gave a phone call to Park Jaebum in Seattle and gave a promise to show their best stage along with

[PICS] BIG BANG 2010 CALENDAR~

credit: as tagged+soompi+sarang@blogspoti really want this calendar!..the boys are so adorable..hahaha

[NEWS] JOON INJURED IN TODAY'S PERFORMANCE

credit: absolutemblaq@worpress+sarang@blogspot“Joon hurt his ankle today!!! =(((he landed wrong while flipping during Oh yeah @ HanYoung’s Rock U show =(apparently he was on his manager’s back and went to hospital, but they say its not too serious .. =(““Update on injury (these are fan accounts from Bestiz btw, so not sure how accurate)Joon didnt appear at their 2nd schedule for today, just the

[AUD] PREVIEW: BREAK OUT FOR TOHOSHINKI NEWEST SINGLE!

this single will be coming out on 27th january 2010..hehe..the song kinda catchy..i like the "break out" part of course!..and i miss them on being 5 again..=)

[RANDOM] HAPPY ONE MONTH DEBUTING MBLAQ!

i'm already home right now!..hehehe..i totally forgot that mblaq debuted date was on 15th..aish..sorry for the late wish, boys..hehehe..hope you guys will be more successful in the future..i really enjoy watching you guys..hehehe..love seung ho, joon, mir, GO and thunder..hehehe..btw, here some pics MBLAQ FOR VOGUE!..trying to kill with your abs, joon?..haha

Abandoned Breweries

I love pictures of old breweries or old breweriana, such as old beer cans or funny old beer advertisements. I particularly find artistic pictures of abandoned breweries fascinating. I'm not sure what it is about an abandoned brewery that seems interesting. Perhaps its that I find it appalling that a functioning brewery could be left to rust. It seems like a crime. Regardless, the following pictures from the web are some my favorites. The photographers have a real gift, the ability to capture the essence and despair of a place.

Old Stella Artois Brewery
(http://www.opacity.us/)




Heurich Brewery (former DC brewery)
(http://dckaleidoscope.wordpress.com/)



Gunther Brewery (former Baltimore brewery)
(http://www.spiritsoftheabandoned.com)



May your mash tuns never rust,

HolzBrew

[RANDOM] I'M GOING BACK HOME TODAY!~

I'm writing this while waiting my parents to come and fetch me..hehe..all my housemates already gone home yesterday and only nurul and me are going back today..but nurul already left me..huhu..and now i'm all alone..aish..but it's ok..i can sit here while downloading videos..haha..if in the morning the broadband kinda faster than the usual time..i'm still pissed off coz cannot find mblaq-good

[RANDOM] what a day..

i supposed to post this entry yesterday but the line was not so good so i decided to post it today..i went out to shopping mall, accompanied my friend who wanna bought some clothes..we didn't expect that the unfortunate event will befell on us..haha..when we were enjoying our meals..heavy rain was pouring hard..and included with the windy breeze..woah..my back totally soaking wet..hahaha..but the

To Fruit or Not to Fruit

Few ingredients rouse greater passion than the addition of fruit to a beer. Many people are strongly opposed to fruit in their ales and lagers. Heck, the Germans enacted the Reinheitsgebot literally outlawing the addition of "foreign" ingredients, such as fruit, in their beer. Many guys won't even touch a beer if there is any indication of added fruit, as if drinking "fruited" beer is equivalent to drinking a Zima. Beer brewed with fruit additions at either the end of the boil or during secondary fermentation can add take a beer and add another layer of complexity. I think a critical point of a decent fruit beer is that it should be a beer with fruit, not the other way around. Meaning if it just tastes like alcoholic fruit juice then it ain't worth brewing or buying, but if the fruit enhances or adds another aspect (e.g. added acidity or sourness) to the beer then it can be a welcomed addition.

To experiment, I recently brewed a Belgian Brown ale and split it, one half of the batch remained untouched and the other half was racked onto several pounds of sour cherries for a month. The result was definitely interesting, the two beers didn't taste like they were brewed in the same kettle. The untouched brown (or brune or bruin) was more viscous, malty, and sweet with some moderate hop bitterness on the back end. The "cherried" version was tart, with a thinner body (and not surprisingly a lower final gravity), and ended with a blend of hop/fruit bitterness. To be quite honest I enjoy the regular brown more, but I think this was a cool experiment. Next time I think I will blend in some sweet cherries.

Several years ago I brewed a west coast style pale ale and added grapefruit to the secondary fermentation. The fruit really enhanced the natural citrusy taste of the cascade and centennial hops that I used. Thinking back to that beer makes me wonder, why I haven't tried this combination again, perhaps a future brew.

A commercial beer brewed with fruit that I think is worth a try is Dogfish Head's Aprihop.

-HolzBrew

Dr. Dremo's ... Back in the Saddle?

As reported on Yours for Good Fermentables (TM) there are plans to revive Dr. Dremo's, an old car dealership that became an old brewpub (Bardo Rodeo) that subsequently became a funky and eclectic bar. Almost every young Arlingtonian has some story about a fun and possibly blurry evening at Dremo's. One of the few bars at the time where you could regularly play beer pong, flip cup, etc.

Dremo's closed its doors in January 2008 because the landlord's wishes to redevelop the land, which currently sits idle. Read the interview with Dr. Dremo's owner Andrew Stewart about the possible re-opening of said Dremo's here in Clarendon in 2010.

-HolzBrew

PS - At lunch I oddly came across this article about Steven Tyler quitting Aerosmith. It's odd because "Back in the Saddle" is one of my favorite Aerosmith tunes.

[RANDOM] FINALLY...

woah..haven't blog for a while ne~..anyway, today i juz wanna say how happy i am..hahaha..these few days i try to explore photoshop and today i'm able to do gif words..haha..even i know all of you already expert in this software but not me..huhu..i'm juz a fresh beginner anyway..gonna try explore more and let see what we can do next..hehehe..all this while i have no idea how people made nice and

[PICS]Heaven's Postman Brochure

credit: as tagged+dnbn+sarang@blogspotthere are many pics that i haven't upload..i cannot upload since the net is too slow..so decided only post these 2..i really love JAE in this pic..hehehe

[PICS] MBLAQ TVIAN PHOTOSHOOT

credit: as tagged+absolutemblaq+sarang@blogspotRain's boys look effin' good in this photoshoot..heheaish..i really can't take my eyes off from joon's smile in ths pic..killer smile i suppose to say especially when he is performing..hahacaps really suit with Thunder perfectly..he looks cute and adorable..GO really handsome looking like this..heheheMIR is looking so cute wearing those glasses..hehe

[RANDOM] How Can They Treat JaeChunSu Like This?

when i opened people's blog..it is full of their disappointment of Yunho and Changmin stand behind SME instead of their so called best brothers, JaeChunSu..i'm being part of it..why they are behaving like this..and the 3 members must make decisions before 10th or 11h this month if they want to continue being with DBSK..well, if i'm not mistaken regarding that matter..i'm having my finals right

Hopsploitation

Disclaimer: No hops were harmed during the writing of this post.

A few weeks back I placed a sizable (for me at least) hop order from the good people at http://www.freshops.com/. I purchased approximately 24 oz. of hops in variety of types. I've been itching to use them, so that's how it went down this afternoon. After brewing strange concoctions for the past couple of months like tripels with agave syrup, cherried belgain browns, cider, and wooded wild yeast beer, I decided to get back to my roots. What's that? Aggressively hopped west coast styles.

Enter the HolzBrew Hopsploitation. My main inspiration for this recipe was Nugget Nectar, the Imperial Amber Ale brewed by Troegs. I was at Norm's last weekend browsing the shelves and wishing I'd come across some Nectar. Unfortunately it is a seasonal and doesn't come out until February.

I decided to shoot for something close. I started with a split of approximately 50/50 pilsner and munich malt, which I think is fairly on point. I threw in about 6oz. of 120L crystal malt. My OG ended up at 1.064, probably a little lighter that I was shooting for, but that should put me around an ABV of 7% which is close to NN. Now for the hops. According to the Troegs website they use: Nugget, Warrior, Palisades, Tomahawk, and Simcoe. I did mine a little different: Nugget, Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo. The IBU calculator at rooftop brew, put this batch well past 120 IBU, but I think that's probably somewhat overstated. I'm fermenting with straight up California ale yeast from white labs, 'ole faithful.

I've got an empty keg that is begging to be filled with this IPA/Imperial Amber (What's the difference? Seriously, if someone can explain the difference to me I'd appreciate it.)

Life's better when it's bitter,

HolzBrew