Bacon Brats w/ Kraut

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Bratwurst
22 oz. beer
1 can (14 oz.) Sauerkraut
Bacon (1 strip for each Brat)
Pepper
Maple Syrup
Club Rolls
Horseradish and/or Thousand Island Dressing

Toothpicks

Directions:

Poke holes in Brats and boil in beer for 10 minutes. Remove from beer and slice each Brat lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Fill each slice with sauerkraut.

Next, wrap each Brat with a slice of bacon, securing at each end with toothpicks. Sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with maple syrup.

Grill on medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until bacon is crispy on all sides (about 10 minutes).

Remove Brats from grill, remove toothpicks and serve on a roll with horseradish and/or Thousand Island Dressing.

No More Stinky Scrubbers!

In my neverending quest to be as green as I can be (and to keep stinky sponges and dishcloths far away from my galley), I stumbled across these Goodbye Detergent! Original Spaghetti Scrubs.  The yellow ones are made from corn cobs and the red ones from peach pits, plus they claim to last for months and require little or no soap to do their job: all factors contributing to their reduced impact on the environment.  But the part that I like best is the fact that they dry quickly and completely, which translates into NO MORE STINKY SCRUBBERS! 

I bought two packs the other day (yellow ones are coarse, red ones are gentle) and so far, I dig 'em.  The no-stink status will be determined at a later date...  I'll keep you posted.

Second Place

While most people make New Year's Resolutions beginning January 1st, we decided to make the shortest month of the year "Soberuary".  Actually, our friend Mike turned us on to Soberuary years ago but this is the first time we decided to give it a go.  Even though our drink of choice for the next 22 days (and counting!) will be water on the rocks, possibly with a twist, I wanted to mention a new rum we tried the last week of January...

Zaya.

It's 80 proof so it's got a little bite to it.  (Kilo Kai was only 70 proof.)  It's really delicious, but I'm going to give it Second Place behind Kilo Kai because of the extra zing.  If I'm sipping rum, I can't really afford the extra 10 proof.  It might be a winner among men, but I'm not looking for any hair on my chest.  (Although that bite might serve as helpful reminder that I am indeed drinking liquor and not candy.)