Dinner Plus Drinks: Recent Episodes
Bridget Leech & Nick Vorpagel
Dinner + Drinks is a podcast about all the things you share over food. Co-hosts Bridget and Nick release Sunday night episodes talking about the delicious things they ate last week, funny kid stories, meal plans for the next week, life, and, of course, all the drinks. Additional interview episodes featuring guests with interesting viewpoints on food and drink topics will be release semi-regularly!Do you have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? A suggestion for a great guest? General feedback you'd like to share? Just drop us a line at hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com with your comments - we'd love to hear from you!This podcast is brought to you by Lake Geneva Country Meats, and previously was called Reduce by Half. You can find the old episodes marked as Season 1 of Dinner + Drinks.Thanks for listening - we appreciate you spending time with us!
We've hit 150 episodes and we have big news to share!
Join us on our walk down memory lane of the last 3 years of podcasting, and learn what the big news is.
The first two minutes of the podcast are recorded with a backup source, then the audio quality gets better. Sorry for the mix-up.
As we shared at the end of the episode, we'll be taking a break until early December, thanks for your patience, and we can't wait to talk to you then.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Hey all - we're a day late, thanks for your patience. The extra day did give us time to decide on this important programming announcement:
Next week's episode will be out around Tuesday, November 22nd. It's our 150th and we'll be celebrating the almost 3 years of podcasting, as well as the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday!
That's enough about the future, here's about what's happening on this week's episode:
- Check out the exciting news about the World's Tallest Glass Tree that's going to be build in Williams Bay, Wisconsin at the Yerkes Observatory!
- If you are interested in history, architecture, and long reads, this NY Times Magazine piece on Spain's Islamic history is great.
- Check out this awesome "Freak in the Sheets" Excel mug that would be an awesome Christmas gift for your local Excel nerd.
- If you're as jazzed about Baskin Robbins' Turkey Ice Cream Cake as Bridget, you can get more details right here.
Have a great week, thanks for listening, we'll talk to you soon as we celebrate 150 episodes!
Bridget & Nick
How are you all doing out there?
We are having great weeks and getting ready for Friendsgiving - more on that after the break. Here are links to what we talked about this week:
- Why give out candy when you can give out potatoes for Halloween treats? Check out the cool story of this Milwaukee women who found children preferred spuds to candy bars!
- If you are a dry shampoo user, check out this list of recalled products, you should maybe not use your shampoo!
- Bridget recommends Asos dresses for fancy season!
- Nick loves a good Ah So wine opener for special bottles. It's easy to master, you'll look cool while using it and not ruin corks!
Have a great week everybody, we'll talk to you soon!
Bridget & Nick
We all know banquet food can be bad, but this week we had an interesting experience with banquet food that needs to be talked out. We'd love to hear your bad banquet food experiences, let us know!
Here are a few links to what we talked about today:
- Babies don't need fancy things! Check out this article from The Atlantic to reassure yourself that no, you don't need fancy things for your baby.
- The McTrain is a real thing. Read about McDonald's attempt to take over the German rails in this article.
- Nick would love one of these Arsenal smart watch bands for Christmas!
- If you want to check out the 90's life hacks we discussed, here's the link!
Have a great week, we hope you avoid bad banquet food, and we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
We had an awesome week full of events and friends. While it was a little overwhelming, there were still plenty of positives, so we hope you enjoy our canter through the week that was!
Check out these links from this week's episodes:
- Busch NA Beer for Dogs
- Milwaukee's New Pro Soccer Team
- Animatronic Santa at Home Depot
Have a great week - we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Guys - do you believe there is cheating in competitive fishing? Yep. There is.
We tried a salted caramel pretzel beer, marveled at the lengths some people go to in order to win a fishing contest, and much more on this week's episode.
We hope you enjoy your week, we'll talk to you soon!
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
We recorded this episode from the back of a truck...full of wine!
We're doing a Truckload of Wine sale at Lake Geneva Country Meats and we took the opportunity to multitask and record while getting ready for the event. If you like wine and you're in the area, you can get more details about this event and a link to buy the wines right here.
If you want to see the awesome McDonald's inspired merch that Bridget shared on this week's episode, you can visit Cactus Plant Flea Market's shop and grab some for yourself!
Have a great week, we'll talk to you next episode.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
In this week's episode, we test out 90's kid energy drinks and Bridget's survival skills, and you may be surprised by the results...or not!
If you want to learn more about some of the things we talked about on this week's episode, here are a few links:
- Alani Energy - plenty of energy, lots of 90's kid flavors!
- Learn about the Twins Fashion Show hosted by Gucci!
- Can You Survive Challenge!
Have a great week, we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Hey there y'all, it's fall, y'all!
We have a bit of fall (or is it autumn?) themed fun after our product recommendations today, coupled with Bridget ACING a quiz about wine at the start of today's episode.
We tried these three wines:
- 1924 Double Black Cabernet Sauvignon
- 3 Finger Jack Cabernet Sauvignon
- Castoro Zinfandel
Here are a few links to things we discussed on this episode:
- Check out this article about how it is now recommending US adults under 65 get an annual screening for anxiety.
- If you're looking for matching Christmas pajama sets, start shopping now! Bridget recommends Cotton:On, Burts Bees, and Old Navy as good places to shop.
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week, and we'll talk to you next week.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Hey there y'all, it's fall, y'all!
We have a bit of fall (or is it autumn?) themed fun after our product recommendations today, coupled with Bridget ACING a quiz about wine at the start of today's episode.
We tried these three wines:
- 1924 Double Black Cabernet Sauvignon
- 3 Finger Jack Cabernet Sauvignon
- Castoro Zinfandel
Here are a few links to things we discussed on this episode:
- Check out this article about how it is now recommending US adults under 65 get an annual screening for anxiety.
- If you're looking for matching Christmas pajama sets, start shopping now! Bridget recommends Cotton:On, Burts Bees, and Old Navy as good places to shop.
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week, and we'll talk to you next week.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
It's the day before Bridget's birthday as we release the episode, so we feel the need to acknowledge her - happy birthday Bridget!
We hope you enjoy our talk this week and stay tuned for next week's episode.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
The passing of Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith is the main subject of conversation this week, and how can't it be? The Queen was an icon and we have lots of thoughts.
If you're a Republican (that's as in you're against the monarchy), and don't want to listen to our Royal talk, then no worries, there's plenty of other chatter as well.
Have a great week everybody, and we'll talk again next week!
Bridget & Nick
Friends, we'll be upfront with you. The highlight of this episode is dental discussion and Nick's new toy / essential health tool:
A Waterpik water flosser.
Yep, Nick has wanted one forever and he finally bought one. His teeth have never been so clean, and he can't wait to go to the Dentist and receive their feedback on his oral health.
Of course, there's lots more chat on this episode, so tune in and enjoy!
Have a great Labor Day weekend everybody, we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Hello friends!
On this episode, we tried four different ready to drink (canned) cocktails. Some were good, some weren't as good. In the end, we enjoyed a delicious wheat beer from Maplewood.
We hope you have a great week and talk to you soon!
Bridget & Nick
Hey there thrifty friend!
In honor of August 17th's National Thrift Store Day, we got in the spirit and had Bridget share tips on how to thrift it up.
Here are a few links to what we talked about today:
- This clip about Thrift Store Karaoke from The Today Show is awesome!
- It's no joke, the Japanese government wants help encouraging its citizens to drink more alcohol!
- These customizable banners are perfect for your favorite inspirational quotes!
- If you have weeds to pull, Nick highly recommends these hand weeder tools. They make life much easier!
- If you're not aware of the USA Mullet Championship, check this out!
- We compared this list of "How to Thrift Shop" from MasterClass to Bridget's tips. What do you think of it?
Thanks for listening - have a great week, we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
On this week's episode, you're treated to an absurd commercial about razors. It's a commentary on society's weird place, but we thought it was interesting. We hope you do as well. Of course, there's much more as we returned to the safety of our studio.
Here are a few links from this week's episode:
- If you've ever driven from the direction of Milwaukee to downtown Chicago, you've probably seen the iconic Morton Salt building. It's now being turned into a concert venue called The Salt Shed.
- If you want to learn all about Jeremy's Razors (and get retargeted by them a million times), you can visit their website here.
- Bridget is a lunch packing machine, and these flat ice packs have made keeping lunch cold much easier!
- Nick is a huge fan of portable tire inflators. You can find them all over, but this one from Amazon is well recommended, and if you use this link, we'll earn a small commission, thank you very much!
Thanks so much for listening, have a great week, and we'll talk again next week!
Hey hey hey, everybody!
We are cooking brats and drinking das bier at DAS Fest, so we weren't able to do a normal episode, but we did a live walkaround of the festival to share with you. We're here Saturday and Sunday, so if you listen, please come hi!
www.dasfestusa.com
Cheers, ergh, prost!
Bridget & Nick
Well, as many of you pointed out, our interview with Alex Lasry may have been the Kiss of Death in his Senatorial race. Shoot. We enjoyed the interview anyway and are grateful for those of you who attended the event and listened!
We got back to a more normal episode this week and talked about these things:
- Bridget found this NPR article on how you can make changes to Instagram's suggested posts in your feed fascinating and helpful.
- Inflation is hitting us all - even this Japanese Aquarium that tried to feed its penguins less expensive fish. Guess what - the penguin wasn't having it.
- Check out these awesome clothes that Bridget found from local store Quotes & Cotton.
- Nick loves the artwork style in the book Build from Red Nose Studio and Simona loves reading along with the very simple book.
- Here are a few random links from Nick:
- Spicy rosé?
- The Velveeta Martini
- The Cultural Tutor Twitter thread on the world becoming less colorful.
Have a great week everyone, we appreciate you taking the time to listen.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
In this episode, we interview Alex Lasry, Democratic candidate for US Senate for the State of Wisconsin.
You can learn more about the Lasry campaign at alexlasry.com or if you would like to donate through the page set up for the Dinner Plus Drinks event, you can visit alexlasry.com/lakegeneva.
If you're new to the podcast, please subscribe and listen to our weekly episodes featuring relatable chat about getting through our crazy world.
Thanks for listening - have a great week, we'll be back next Sunday with a "normal" episode!
Bridget & Nick
Hey friends - dropping in with a programming announcement:
This Friday we will be recording a live podcast at The Bottle Shop in Lake Geneva at 5:30 PM with Alex Lasry, Democratic Candidate for US Senate for Wisconsin.
You're invited to join us, listen to us talk with Alex, and then participate in a live Q & A and have the opportunity to meet him after the pod. We'll even buy you a drink!
If you would like to join us, please click here and use this link to RSVP. No donation is necessary to attend. If the link doesn't work, you can manually type in alexlasry.com/lakegeneva
We'll post the recording as our episode on Sunday, if you don't want to hear it, feel free to skip.
Sorry for the late notice, this opportunity came together quickly and we're excited to offer this unique episode for you all.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
We recorded on July 14th, and Nick was excited to celebrate Bastille Day, while Bridget was excited to celebrate Mac and Cheese Day - just give her the cheese and noodles!
Are you team champagne or team Kraft? Let us know.
- If you want to read this very meta article about Coastal Granddaughter influencers being influence by other influencers to share the Coastal Grandpa style, check out this article recommended by Bridget.
- Nick was interested by this article about Palomino Bar in Milwaukee closing. Bars close all the time, but Palomino isn't entirely closing - they're just limiting what they do. Is this a trend in the post-pandemic (are we post-pandemic?) world?
- Bridget has rid herself of orange hair by using this Malibu Hard Water Hair Treatment. You can try it for yourself!
- Nick and Bridget are both big fans of Indeed Brewing. We've tried their beers before on air and just had another event with them. They're nice people and the beer is delicious. Check them out!
We hope you have an awesome week, perhaps including a getaway like Bridget has planned for this weekend. We'll have details on that and lots more next week.
Talk soon - cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Hello everybody!
This week's episode has lots of links to happy stories, great products and more. Check it out:
- Our very local Lake Ivanhoe (a lake and community around it) has been honored as Wisconsin's first Black-founded community. This NPR article has details on the fascinating history of this community.
- Ken Griffin, a billionaire hedge fund manager, is moving his company Citadel to Florida, but on his way out, he's leaving the city with $130 million of donations to help the organizations he supported continue operating until they can find new donors.
- These two cyclists decided the winner of a race by playing rock - paper - scissors while riding. Incredible!
- Nick is a fan of MobCraft bringing back "Weird Fest" to celebrate their anniversary. If you like unusual beers, attend it on July 30th!
- Bridget did not want to be wrong about crediting YummyToddlerFood.com for the their delicious Whole Fruit Ice Pops recipe. You can use these Amazon links to buy a popsicle mold here or a 150 pack of popsicle bags here to make your kids fun frozen treats and support the podcast!
- If you want to see more hilarious Amazon reviews, check out this article.
Have a great week, thank you for listening and stay sane out there - just control what you can control. It's working for Nick...kinda.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Happy 4th of July everybody!
This week, we had some fun with this Choose Your Own Adventure Book, as well as all of the normal life matters.
If you want to check out the spit that Nick recommended, you can get it at Amazon right here.
Have a safe and fun holiday - talk again next week!
Bridget & Nick
It officially happened and we talked about it.
We also talked about Father's Day, guessing real estate prices, and lots more. It's not all doom and gloom, but we couldn't ignore the Supreme Court.
We hope you have a good week - talk again soon.
Bridget & Nick
We had a ton of fun recording this episode talking about a variety of totally unrelated topics and a surprise trip that Bridget took! It was a fast hour for us, we hope you find listening as fun as we found recording.
Here are links to a few of the things you may find interesting from this episode:
- The LIV golf tour is a hot topic among golf fans. Bridget and Nick discussed this ESPN article detailing Phil Mickelson's response to the criticisms of the tour.
- Bridget recommends these handy zippy pouches!
- Ryan Reynold's Vasectomy (a gin drink, not the surgical procedure) commercial is hilarious. Watch it on YouTube.
- If you want to try the "healthy Coca-Cola" challenge that we did, you can get the details right here.
- Simona loves Butterfly Butterfly by Petr Horacek. Check it out if you're looking for a new book.
We hope you enjoyed listening. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads - have a great week!
Cheers!
~ Bridget and Nick
Hey friends - we hit the road to go see our friends Jeff of Jeff Anderson Photography and Colin of Sinclair Collective in Rockford, Illinois. While there, we hung out at the incredible Anderson Japanese Gardens. They were gorgeous, peaceful, and well worth a visit.
On the trip down, we tried coffee, ate donuts, and talked about what's going on in our lives. We hope you enjoy hearing Nick's thoughts on more bitter coffee, if Bridget approves of Nick's reaction to coffee, and lots more.
We hope you enjoyed listening. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have an awesome week everybody, we appreciate you spending time with us.
Cheers!
~ Bridget and Nick
Hello again friends, did you miss us?
Thanks for understanding our need to take a week off last week. It all got to be a bit too much, but we're back this week with an incredible episode featuring all sorts of fun.
We recorded on National Donut Day, and boy did we arrange a special segment for the ages. Donut and coffee tasting! Hear if Nick can pick where each donut was made and see what he thinks of Bridget's beloved coffee.
Here are other links from this week's episode:
- If you want to order the Dairy Queen individual ice cream cake, check out this blog post that gives you the inside scoop (ha!) on how to do so.
- Nick knows that some people take golf VERY seriously, but punching out your friend over golf etiquette is never a good look!
- Bridget is a fan of the "mattress in a box," especially this Linenspa Dream hybrid model that Lucy got for her birthday!
- Nick is grateful to our friend Josie of Hill Valley Dairy for introducing him to That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life. Buy the book and it'll change your life too!
We hope you enjoyed listening. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for tuning in this week, we hope your upcoming week is lovely.
Cheers!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's just Bridget popping on with a quick announcement this week. We'll be back to regularly scheduled programming next week!
Greetings Dinner Plus Drinks fans! It's been an even crazier than normal week in our lives, so this episode was a lovely way to sit down and reconnect over all of the craziness that has happened.
Here are a few links to items we talked about in this week's episode:
- Check out this LEGO Botanical Collection - it's so cool!
- Want to know the best way and frequency to wash your sheets? Read this article.
- Bridget recommends Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense as a way for you to get a little more SPF in your life!
- Nick is a huge fan of this Cyber Depot charging thingy / surge protector stuff. It's great. You can get it from Home Depot.
- Wagyu beef is so good. Seriously. Learn more about Red Top Farms on their website.
- Bridget made this awesome Egg Roll in a Bowl that looks incredible!
We hope you enjoyed listening. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for tuning in this week, we hope your upcoming week is lovely.
Cheers!
~ Bridget and Nick
We're talking about shopping, gardening, sports, all the things this week!
We hope you enjoyed listening. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for tuning in this week, we hope your upcoming week is lovely.
Cheers!
~ Bridget and Nick
Nick has been busy interviewing people IRL, so we decided it'd be fun to test Bridget's interview skills for her childhood dream job. Thanks to Shannon for another assist on figuring out this segment. Listen and see how Bridget does on the interview!
Here are a few links from this week's episode:
- Bridget recommended three different articles from Nerdist. This one about Hayao Miyazaki returning for one last movie, this one about a Studio Ghibli theme park, and this one about a possible Studio Ghibli Dungeons & Dragons movie!
- Nick challenged Bridget to be as successful at Goodwill as this Texas woman who bought an ancient Roman bust for $34.99.
- If you want to check out the interview questions Nick asked Bridget, visit this page from The Balance Careers.
We had a ton of fun on this episode, and we hope you enjoyed listening. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
As always, thanks for listening, we hope you have an awesome week. Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Things that make Bridget happy and the Lake Geneva Public Library came together this week to make some interesting threads of conversation. We hope you enjoy listening to our journey through our weeks, plus all the fun and games we have along the way.
We have a really fun game this week. Seriously, make sure you listen!
- The Lake Geneva Public Library re-opened this week after months after renovation. If you're local, go check it out!
- We checked out Drinking French by David Lebovitz from said Library and made a Triple Ménace cocktail from Gin, Lillet Blanc, and Yellow Chartreuse (a substitute for Suze). It was delicious!
- Bridget shared this cool organization called Guerrilla Gardening that promotes growing beautiful and tasty things in public spaces.
- How would you feel about booking a plane ticket that then becomes a bus ticket? Well. It's happening. United is trying to put a positive spin on this development, but Nick isn't having it.
- If Bridget is using this coffee cup, maybe give her a little space!
- Nick is a huge fan of the beers they're making at Low Daily Beer in Burlington, WI, especially their Table Beer. It's called 'Buckets' because you can drink buckets of it because it's only 3.5% ABV and delicious.
- When you want to listen to radio stations from other cities - maybe like Seattle, for instance - Bridget recommends using the Audacy Radio app!
- Shout out to The Dating Divas for coming up with this at home version of The Price is Right and thank you to Shannon for playing along!
Thank you so much for listening, we hope you have a great week. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
When we recorded, it felt like we just got done finding all the Easter eggs we hid for both of our kids. We talked about all the wild and crazy things happening in the world as well as our own lives.
Thank you so much for listening, we hope you have a great week. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Happy Easter Dinner Plus Drinks listeners!
We hope you're enjoying a fantastic Holiday (if you listen on release day, sorry it's a bit late, those eggs didn't hunt themselves) or had a great weekend. We had a lovely chat about a variety of topics, including these:
- Bridget found some inspiration in her horoscope in Elle. Are you into astrology? Let us know!
- Nick thought it was really interesting how the cast and crew of the Daniel Craig headlined MacBeth came together to keep the show rolling despite COVID tests.
- Bridget and fam had a fabulous time at RSVR, a VR experience bar in Milwaukee.
- Nick loves Clock Tower Pizza in Lake Geneva - for smash burgers, fresh cut fries AND pizza.
- If you want to play along on our "What have you done in Milwaukee" segment, check out the list from Atlas Obscura.
Thank you so much for listening! We hope you have a great week. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
We recorded this episode on National Beer Day (April 7th) and decided the best way to celebrate would be to try a bunch of cheap beers. Yep. We had a cheap beer taste off. Listen to see what we though of TEN different cheap beer brands and let us know what your favorite cheap beer is. We love to talk cheap beer!
Of course we talked about a lot more than cheap beer. Here are links to products and discussion topics:
- This J. Crew & Liberty Fabrics bedsheet collaboration resulted in luxuriously beautiful sheets that you need to check out!
- A local coffee shop is offering these $5 Cup o' Joe coffee ground buckets to use in your garden. What a cool idea!
- Previously recommended, but still great for your skin, get yourself a tub of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream!
- Pointed out to Nick by Bridget and found strangely interesting by Nick, The Everygirl is a cool blog collective thingy to check out.
We appreciate you listening and hope you have a great week. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Nick did a little rearranging in the studio space and it's a bit more conversationally oriented. We hope you enjoy this week's chat about spring break, April Fool's and lots more, we certainly did!
Here are links to all of the things we discussed this week:
- If you'd like to make a B&T it's .75 oz. Gran Marnier with 4 oz. of sparkling wine. It's a deliciously less sweet version of a mimosa for your morning enjoyment!
- Bridget shared this super interesting article from The Atlantic about what's driving the recent uptick in anti-social behavior.
- Nick is furious with his beloved New York Times for this hatchet job of an article about how horrible gas range tops are for the environment. It's out of touch and loses sight of the big picture.
- These Shrinky Dinks are a fun arts & crafts project to do at home with her kids!
- If you'd like to rock the same chairs as Bridget and Nick, you can pick them up at Target.
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
We started this episode with French 75's, Bridget's favorite cocktail, and made a surprise detour in the middle. Join us for the fun as we visit Gary Con XIV in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!
Here are links to what we talked about this episode:
- Bridget's first coffee discussed on this episode is Cometeer Coffee - a flash frozen, hyper fresh coffee!
- Nick loves his new iPhone 13 Pro Max. The camera is insane. Really, seriously, insane.
- While war is nothing to make light of, the fact that Ukrainian fighters are using Bon Jovi to hype themselves up as they are fortifying their cities AND Bon Jovi is supporting it, is pretty neat.
- If you think the partisan nonsense that are Supreme Court confirmation hearings are something that "has always happened," you'd be wrong. This NPR interview from 2009 details the ridiculous history of why we now have to put up with these shenanigans.
- Tyler picked up a few bags of Smuggler's Coffee's Gary Con special release coffees for Bridget. Check out all the coffee they have available.
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
We've got a lot going on this week - wrapping up St. Paddy's season, talking the horror that is Daylight Savings Time, and lots, lots more.
Here are links to some of the stories we talked about:
- Ralph Lauren is releasing a new collection in conjunction with HBCUs Black Morehouse College and Spelman College to celebrate the history of Black collegiate style. What do you think about the project?
- Nick thinks it's hilarious that OPEC is worried about high gas prices driving people towards electric vehicles.
- Bridget found these adorable custom Easter sunglasses on Etsy!
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Everyone is a little Irish, but Bridget is very Irish, Nick is pretty Irish, and our annual St. Patrick's Day guest Kevin Fleming is an Irish citizen!
We recorded this episode live at Topsy Turvy Brewery in Lake Geneva. They have live music and events happening all St. Patrick's season, so check out their website and social media for details, then stop in to enjoy the festivities.
This week's music is Blueridge Jig by Caleb Etheridge and we hope you find the little bit of fiddle music as enjoyable as we do.
Thanks for joining us for our bit of our Irish-inspired fun. We hope you enjoyed the change of pace, and we'll talk to you again next week.
Sláinte!
~ Bridget and Nick
Nick's back, but Bridget's leaving, so on this episode we talked all about travel, vacation, and the good and bad of leaving one's home. Is it even worth it? Great question.
We'd love to hear your travel tales, so feel free to email us at hello at dinner plus drinks dot com!
Here are our two picks for travel friendly items:
- Bridget recommends these silicone placemats to help a plane trip go faster, easier, and more hygienic!
- Nick used this Embark Jartop Backpack fro Target on his recent travels and really liked it!
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Nick spent a few relaxing days in Washington, DC and in this episode we talk about the trip, the food, the highs, the lows, the impending threat of nuclear war, and lots more! We hope you enjoy the chat about a great city to visit.
Here are some of Nick's favorite places to visit in Washington, DC:
- International Spy Museum - I went to this after we recorded, and my goodness, it was so fun! Super highly recommend.
- National Gallery of Art - they have an impressive collection, are a well-run organization, and [usually] have a delicious gelato bar.
- National Museum of the American Indian - I love this museum on the mall; the food is great and the way the present a complicated story is exceptional.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo - it's smaller than you think, the layout isn't great, but I love pandas, and if you want to see pandas, you need to go here!
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - this place should be required for everyone in the country to witness.
There are plenty of places to go, but those are a few highlights. I'm always happy to share things that I enjoy and provide recommendations if you're traveling, so just reach out if you have any questions!
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's not quite March, but we completed a Wisconsin Snacks Bracket and had a blast doing it! Thanks to Milwaukee Record for putting together this bracket full of delicious and unique Wisconsin food items. If you'd like to play along, you can find a copy of the bracket on their website right here.
Here are links to the other fun things we talked about this week:
- If you want to find the items you saw on TV to wear yourself, Bridget recommends you check out shopyourtv.com or wornontv.net for easy shopping.
- Nick found these Jeopardy Valentine's cards hilarious. Look at them yourself!
- If you're struggling with seat belts getting lost as you're trying to get a kid buckled in, these Seat Belt Buckle Boosters can help save the day!
- Nick is a huge fan of the team at Viva La Dirt League, and if you're a nerd and want to support their hilarious nerd content, you can contribute to their Kickstarter.
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
I've been a long time fan of commercials. You read that right, I actually like them! With The Super Bowl and the Olympics colliding this year, that mens a ton of epic commercials and I'm sharing my thoughts about them this week.
If you want to follow along, these are the commercials I'm chatting about on this episode:
OLYMPICS
Visa
Etsy
Procter and Gamble
Omega Watch
Comcast
SUPER BOWL
Crypto.com
Verizon 5G
Coinbase
Anheuser-Busch /Budweiser
Tune in on Sunday for a full episode of Dinner plus Drinks! Have a great weekend!
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
We're back in studio with this week's episode featuring Winter Olympics trivia plus lots more!
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Hey everybody!
For this week's episode, we took a little tour of the US National Snow Sculpting Competition and the happenings at Lake Geneva Winterfest. We hope you enjoy our little tour and break from prepping for our super awesome Pancake Breakfast. We shared pictures from the event on our Facebook page (Instagram coming on Tuesday) if you'd like to see what we're describing!
We hope you can check out these incredible works of art yourself and enjoy our silly commentary about them. Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Hey everybody, it's Nick here. Unfortunately due to an unfortunate situation, my beautiful baby girl Simona caused an unfortunate setting on our recording board to happen which unfortunately means this week's audio didn't record.
We'll be back next week with a super great episode, featuring some of the things we talked about this week, including an awesome segment talking about plot holes in Disney movies. If you have a plot hole that really drives you nuts, we'd love to hear it. Send us an email at hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com and we'll add it to the list!
Have a great week, sorry for the oops, we'll be back next week!
Nick
On this very special episode, we're joined by the one and only Melissa Jordan of B933 radio in Milwaukee!
We didn't want to subject her to the horror of the Japanese Kit-Kat Taste Off, but we wanted to have a little food fun, so we had a Flavor Fantasy Friday and tried 8 flavors of Oreos! You'll have to listen to get our verdict on each of these flavors. None were as bad as macha Kit Kats, but that's a low bar. Here's the list of Oreo cookie flavors we tried:
- Carrot Cake
- Caramel Coconut
- Chocolate Hazelnut
- Birthday Cake
- Dark Chocolate
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- Chocolate Marshmallow
- Lemon Oreo Thins
In addition to our Oreo excursion, we mentioned a few other products and places you may want to check out. Here's the list:
- Melissa is a fan of her OOFOS sandals that she's getting ready to use for her Disney vacation - check them out!
- Nick is a fan of the $24.95 Philips Sonicare Toothbrush.
- Make a trip to go check out 3rd St. Market Hall in Milwaukee - Melissa loved the food and old school Nintendo.
Make sure you follow Melissa on air and on social media:
- Tune into B933FM.com on air or on the internet from 10 AM - 3 PM
- Her super awesome Instagram
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
This week, I had the hilarious experience of attending a tribute concert. Yes, a Jimmy Buffet tribute concert. It was a gift to my Dad for Christmas and it was highly entertaining.
If you've never been to the Fireside Theater, it is a true experience. You can check out more about it here and read more about the show we saw here. It's dinner and a show all in one.
Anyway, I'm sharing some insights from my audience experience and more fun along the way. Enjoy!
Hi friends - two programming announcements:
- We're no longer going to put the video of each episode on YouTube - based on algorithm changes, we don't have enough people watching to make it worth the time it takes to get an episode on YouTube. We appreciate everyone who watched on YouTube, and we'll still upload audio, but it won't be the full video. We may also have some fun extras on YouTube, so keep an eye on that channel in the future.
- Next week, we're going to have a VERY SPECIAL GUEST. You're not going to want to miss that episode. Or this episode, because this one is also very good!
Here are links to the considerable number of products and stories we talked about this week:
- We used a bottle of Altos Las Hormigas "Tinto" as an at-home COVID test. It did its job!
- If you haven't checked out the Nugget yet, you're missing out. Bridget and Elliot made some incredible forts this past week.
- Nick and Sarah got these very stylish and very comfortable and very easy to assemble counter stools to add to their house.
- Valley View Mall in La Crosse is offering pop up spaces for area start ups - how cool is that? Bridget would 100% check it out if it was closer.
- Nick is loving Wordle, a word game that is simple and fun, yet also a challenge. Learn the story behind it in this NY Times article or play online here.
- Bridget is investing in keeping her body from falling apart with this very affordable laptop stand for her home office.
- And she'll be even more productive because Nick got her a shower notes waterproof notepad! We all know Bridget gets her best work done in the shower, right?
- Nick's love for tacos goes deep, and these Chicken Avocado Street Tacos are probably his favorite of the bunch.
- Bridget had a great meal at DanDan in Milwaukee and was especially thrilled by the General Tso's Cauliflower. Could someone try this recipe and let her know if it's worth making at home?
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
We took a little holiday and New Year's break to re-group, but I'm back with my favorite type of episode - a good old fashioned rant.
Ok, it's meant to inspire you and inform you to take a bit of action locally. Or not locally - I bet there is something similar to this going on in your community as well!
If you've managed to listen to me on my soapbox and want to be sure to take the survey, you can check it out here.
Thanks for listening and tun in this Sunday for a brand new Dinner plus Drinks!
We're back! Did you miss us?
Welcome to 2022 and our normally scheduled podcast. We started the year with something familiar - a moderately priced California Cab - and we hope you enjoy the return to routine as much as we did! Here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- Did you know that Bridget is a twin? Yep, and if you didn't know that, you haven't paid attention to all the times Shannon has been on the podcast! Anyway, Bridget and Shannon thought it would have been cool if they were born on different days, but this story about twins from California takes it to a whole 'nother level
- Nick loves Kwik Trip and if you're not from the Midwest, you need to come here just to experience Kwik Trip. If you can't make it here, maybe just check out the Instagram account of 'KT Girl' who visited all the Wisconsin locations in 2021!
- Check out this super cool Moon light from Target. It's a great reco from Bridget and Nick may invest in one soon. Earth light also available, but let's be honest, the moon is cooler!
- Nick loves reading and his Kindle Paperwhite has helped him read even more in 2021. If you're looking to read more in 2022, you should consider one of these e-readers!
Have a great week everybody, thanks for joining us. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
As promised, here we are recapping 2021, making fun of New Year's resolutions, and looking forward to a bright, beautiful 2022! We hope you enjoy this special episode, we'll be back to our normal schedule next week, with a normal podcast episode on Sunday, January 9th.
she up already guys
Cheers!
Bridget and Nick
Hi guys - as promised here's a recap of how our Christmases went this year. We had fun with this one, and we hope you enjoy listening along.
How was your Christmas? We hope it was grand - send us your funny stories, wins and fails, we love hearing them!
You can get in touch with us using the links below:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
We'll be back soon with a New Year's episode, and then regular schedule resumes on January 9th.
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Hi all - we thought we'd drop in with some Christmas cheer and to let you know we won't have our regularly scheduled episode out this week.
Enjoy our dramatic reading, and we'll talk to you sometime next week!
Bridget & Nick
PS - if you want to watch on YouTube, check it out at: https://youtu.be/knhlPtMwYaM
We played some Mad Libs, talked about last minute Christmas gifts, and so much more on this week's episode.
Here are links to what we talked about this week:
- Check out all of the great products Tattersall Distilling is making. We have their ready-to-drink Manhattan and Old Fashioned cocktails at LGCM, as well as a very delicious store pick Rye whiskey!
- If you're an Old Fashioned aficionado, our friends at Tapped Maple Syrup make a very delicious maple syrup based Old Fashioned mix that we really recommend!
- There are now Excel based e-sports championships. It's for real and it's blowing Nick's mind. Read about the competition on PC World's website.
- If you want to give a gift that comes with choice (perfect for teachers!) Bridget discovered loopandtie.com for easy gifting.
- Bridget also recommends the gifts you can find from Historic Milwaukee. Hint, hint Tyler!
- Nick loves the local candy shops for stocking stuffers. Two that he really loves are Anderson's Candy Shop in Richmond, Illinois, and Indulgence Chocolatiers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Have a great week everybody, we hope you have an incredible Christmas and your preparations aren't too crazy. If you'd like to follow along with us, here are all the links:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Does it make you crazy to see a tree with mis-matched ornaments, awkwardly strung ribbon and some mysterious tinsel in various places? Well, if it does, don't come over to my place because I let me kids decorate the tree!
I am generally incredibly Type A, but when it comes to the Christmas tree, I had to let it all go. My ornaments do not match and that is the joy of it. Each ornament on our tree tells a story - whether it's a childhood nickname, a memory from the past or a hand crafted daycare picture that makes you smile.
Listen in to hear all about my ornament traditions!
Oh, and those ornaments I refer to at the end, you can find them here.
Bridget was in Seattle visiting a very special person and we recorded the episode remotely. Luckily, we were able to be joined by a very special guest for a fun game of Holiday trivia!
Here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- Check out this BBC report about Kerala, the 103 year-old women who learned to read and write!
- A sober bar, cleverly named "Inmoxicated," is opening in Racine. It's a tough sell in Wisconsin, but we wish them well. Check out everything they have happening!
- If you want your tea fast, you need an Electric Tea Kettle! Bridget recommends this Hamilton Beach model.
- Nick is a watch wearer and his trusty Citizen Eco-Drive watch has been with him for many years. If you're looking to gift a quality watch that isn't insanely priced, check out their lineup.
Thanks so much for listening this week! We hope you enjoyed the Christmas trivia and played along with us. If you'd like together in touch with us, here are all the links:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Sugar Plum Fairy Dust - real Hallmark Christmas movie or fake title made up by Nick?
On this episode of Dinner Plus Drinks, we are getting into the Fa La La spirit by quizzing Bridget on if she thinks titles and descriptions of Hallmark Christmas movies are real or fake. Nick put a lot of effort into stumping her, so you'll have to listen to see how she fared.
If you would like to take the quiz yourself (or share it with friends) you can take the quiz right here.
We also talked about these items on this week's episode:
- If you haven't seen it, you can book the Home Alone House on AirBnB!
- Willamette Valley (home to fantastic Pinot Noir) is offering some fantastic ornaments.
- Imagine texting the wrong number and ending up on FaceTime with Tom Brady - it happened to this Michigan High School basketball team!
- Friend of show Noel makes incredible hand crafted gifts at Avenue Artworks.
- Bridget loves Tree Collars like this one.
- Nick recommends this Wyze Smart Plug to solve the annoying issue of Christmas lights not turning on simultaneously.
Thanks so much for listening this week! We hope you enjoyed the episode and are getting ready for a fabulous Christmas season! If you'd like together in touch with us, here are all the links:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
Yes, I kept calling it a pagent throughout the episode...because ya know what, it sounds fancier. It's Christmas Concert Season and it is so very fun!
This year, I had front row seats and got to see all the various kinds of kids at school Christmas concerts. The nose picker, the crotch scratcher, the one who isn't singing at all and so one. It's nothing but fun this holiday season!
And because I promised I would link it...
I can't imagine a world in which you would want to watch a Christmas concert that does not have your child in it, but if you're so inclined, here you go!
We're a little Thanksgiving and a little Christmas this week and Bridget is quizzing Nick on Christmas song lyrics! PS - that's where this week's episode title comes from. Do you know what song that's from?
Thanks to everyone who reached out about our 100th Anniversary Episode. We really appreciate all of the kind words! Most importantly, congrats to the winners of our 100th episode giveaway: John E. and Sue H! We'll reach out to you on Facebook / Instagram to get in touch with you to get you your prizes!
If you want to check out our Holiday gifting product recommendations, here are the links:
- Smiley Face Soft Plush Stickers
- Simple Human Steel Frame Dishrack
Thanks for listening, we hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a successful Black Friday shopping experience. If you'd like together in touch with us, here are all the links:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - have an awesome Thanksgiving!
~ Bridget and Nick
If you have a keen eye, you may have noticed that we skipped a number in the episode titles. You're right! But this is actually the 20th episode, I am just fixing an error made back at episode #3.
Now, onto the show!
I dug into some traditions, starting at Thanksgiving Day and bringing us through Christmas. If you're dying to learn more about them, you can check out my fact finding missions here:
- Why do we eat turkey?
- When did Black Friday start?
- What about St. Nick?
I mention on the episode that parades were going to certainly be a part of the discussion of traditions, but I opted to not discuss the joy surrounding parades, in light of the unspeakable events in Waukesha. If you would like to donate to help families affected by this tragedy, you can do so here.
We've officially made it to One Hundred Episodes of Dinner Plus Drinks!
It's been quite the ride since we started on December 29th, 2019 and there have been huge changes in the world, our lives, and how we podcast. We appreciate all of you who have been with us along the way, and whether you're a new listener, a longtime listener, or an occasional listener, we appreciate you tuning in and sharing time with us.
To celebrate and thank you (it is that time of the year after all), we are giving away three prize packages! Here's how you can enter:
- Enter for a $25 Etsy Gift Card + a candle from Haverly & Co on our Facebook page by commenting with what you're thankful for this Thanksgiving.
- Enter for a $25 Etsy Gift Card + a candle from Candle Mercantile on our Instagram page by commenting with what you're thankful for this Thanksgiving.
- Enter for a $25 Etsy Gift Card by commenting on the episode video with
We would love to hear what you think of this episode, and the podcast in general. If you have feedback you'd like to share with us, just email hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com or go to our website and click the microphone icon in the lower right to send us a voicemail!
Once again, thank you so much for listening. If you'd like to follow along, here are all the links.
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - have an awesome Thanksgiving!
~ Bridget and Nick
The Holiday season is here and many people give gifts of wine. On this episode of Pinkies Up, we're trying to help you figure out how to give good quality gifts of wine that will be appreciated and not break the bank!
Nick has 3 basic rules to gifting wine:
- The recipient must know you got them a nice gift.
- It must be a fairly widely appealing wine taste wise - nothing too out there.
- It must actually taste good!
Bridget gave Nick 6 difference scenarios to come up with a suggestion for a gift. Listen and see if Nick passed Bridget's tests.
Thanks for listening! If you'd like to keep following, here are some links:
- Visit our website
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!
Bridget & Nick
What the heck do I mean by reflecting on brats? Well, we're coming up on our 100th episode of Dinner plus Drinks and Nick and I have been reflecting on a lot of discussions over the last 100 episodes.
So, this week, I'm reflecting on my brat styling technique. That's right, brat styling. You'll have to listen in to see what I mean by that.
We love Thanksgiving, the food, the football, the wine...all of it! We wanted to give you our favorite tips for having a successful Thanksgiving. Enjoy this light-hearted bonus episode and Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
OUR TOP DRINKS PICKS
- Bubbles are always a good pick.
- White wine is a winner - pick a white Cotes du Rhone, dry Riesling, or French Sauvignon Blanc.
- Rosé wines are fine if you want something that's not white but isn't red either.
- If you'd like to go red wine, think dried berry flavors and plenty of acidity. Oregon and French Pinot Noirs are particularly good picks for Thanksgiving, Cotes du Rhone red wines, Barbera from Italy, old-school Zinfandels, and Cabernet Franc!
- You can get more tips here.
OUR TURKEY COOKING TIPS
- Check out Nick's spatchcocked turkey recipe here.
- Or try this smoked turkey recipe.
- Finally, if you want to do a traditional roast turkey, these are the tips we perfected last year.
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
Nick has shingles, it's horrible, and he needs to talk about it. In addition to the shingles talk, we also talk through upcoming Friendsgiving plans and lots more, so we hope you enjoy this week's episode as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Here are links to everything we talked about on this week's episode:
- Is your interest in shingles now piqued? Do you want to know what exactly it is and if you can get it? Learn all about shingles from Mayo Clinic.
- Mollydooker makes really fun, yummy wines. You can learn about why their wine should be shaken (not stirred) by watching this video. We had a bottle of Enchanted Path Shiraz - Cabernet this week.
- Bridget loves these Dick's Sporting Goods holiday advertisements. They're festive and helping her get in the "fa la la" mood.
- The second most expensive house on Geneva Lake just sold, and Crain's Chicago Business has the scoop. We want to know who bought it!
- Shout out to the Antetokounmpo family for celebrating the birth of their second child (Maverick) by hosting a fundraiser for the Milwaukee Diaper Mission!
- Pyrex Bowls - it's leftover season and glass is better than plastic. Bridget recommends finding some at Goodwill or getting a set like these.
- Nick is finding shingles relief with CeraVe Moisturing Cream. If your skin ails you (and it's about to get itchy and dry!), you should get yourself some of this miracle cream.
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may get a commission. Thanks for supporting the podcast!
We are starting to get excited for the Holidays, loving fall, and talking about what brand names are totally worth spending a little extra for their products. We know, we're getting old, but it was an incredible Reddit thread, and Nick had to know how thrifty Bridget would react to the debate of brand name versus generic product!
Here are links to a few of the things we talked about this week:
- Holy cow, these Hallmark Christmas movie themed hotel rooms from Club Wyndham are incredible!
- Check out this story about Pizza Hut's "sexualized ketchup bottle" and let us know if you think the bottle is SFW or not. We vote SFW!
- Heavy duty poultry shears are great to have around the house for spatchcocking your Thanksgiving turkey and lots more!
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
I had plenty of articles to chat about on this week's Dinner plus Drinks, so I'm sharing one of the extra's here. Have you seen that you can rent a one night stay in Carrie Bradshaw's brownstone!?
Drool over the most amazing closet in the actual Air BnBlisting for a replica of Carrie Bradshaw's apartment from Sex and the City.
Find a few articles about the apartment here:
- Article from AirBnB
- Vogue article
- NBC News
Happy Halloween!
We talked true crime stories this week (learn allllll about why we love serial killers on this week's Amuse Bouche) and it was a lot of fun. We also had a few other Halloween related items and updates on the Curder Burger. Thanks Amanda for sharing your Curder Burger experience!
Here are links to the news stories we mentioned:
- Bridget thinks this Smiley Face Forest is cool - Nick thinks it's creepy.
- Nick and Bridget both love these awesome Milwaukee themed costumes young Joe keeps coming up with!
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's Halloween weekend and I've got murder on the mind! Ok, not like that, but I do love a good true crime story or podcast....like so many others.
A few things referenced in this episode are being shared below. Make sure to check them out!
A book I found, ordered and can't wait to read!
Why We Love Serial Killers: https://amzn.to/3mptpFu
My favorite crime podcast recommendations:
Morbid: https://www.morbidpodcast.com/
Crime Junkie: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/
Serial: https://serialpodcast.org/
S-Town: https://stownpodcast.org/
This article is full of reasons explaining why we all love hearing about serial killers. A quick, enjoyable list:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/559256/why-we-love-true-crime
Did you know that "Keep The Balloon Up" (the game you play in your house as a kid) is a legit sport? Yep, Bridget discovered this week that keep the balloon up is indeed a sport, and it helped bring a little joy to an otherwise stressful week!
Here are links to some of the things we talked about this week:
- If you don't believe us, here's the SB Nation story about the Keep The Balloon Up World Cup.
- People really are scalping Curder Burgers!
- Fits Socks are super good socks - you'll thank us later if you pick up a pair or two.
- Nick loves External Hard Drive Enclosures as last ditch ways of retrieving data when your computer breaks.
Remember our new Wine 201 Podcast has just released its first season! You can listen by searching for Wine 201 in whatever player you're using to listen to this episode, or visit the Wine 201 Podcast website.
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
We popped bubbles to celebrate Simona's birthday and the launch of our new Wine 201 podcast!
If you like our wine episodes, and would like to hear us interview incredible people in the world, go ahead and download our Wine 201 podcast. It's a totally separate show and is released in seasons. Season one is out now and features 6 interviews with experts on grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and more.
- Listen on Apple Podcasts
- Listen on Spotify
- Listen and find more information on the Wine 201 website
- Or find the podcast listed just about anywhere you listen to podcasts!
Also, we'd really like to know if you got a Curderburger from Culvers - it's very important you write in and let us know what you thought of the burger.
Here are links to what we talked about on this week's show:
- Check out this awesome Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake ice cream Bridget found!
- Nick's not kidding, a French retiree really did eject from a fighter plane while on a retirement gift joy ride.
- Know your washing symbols - Bridget has another great laundry-related product recommendation!
- Support what is by far the best team the world has ever seen, Arsenal, with a Gunnersaurus mascot stuffed animal!
- Finally, check out these expensive Celebrity Kid's Birthday parties and judge for yourself which one is the most ridiculous.
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's spooky season and I am basically spending 12 minutes reminiscing on my college years. Because those were the years of my very finest Halloween costume creations.
I wanted to release this episode now, so you still had time to get your craft on and make some of the best DIY Halloween costumes for you and your friends or family. I promise, you'll especially love each and every one of these costumes if you grew up in the 90's like I did!
We brought in 4 guests and 3 different types of beer for this one friends - it's the biggest, most epic, and most fun we've had on an episode yet: it's The Wedding Game Episode!
On this episode, we got Bridget to pick a new favorite Oktoberfest beer, dropped some bomb product suggestions, and then, got to playing a fun game that we like to call "Design A Wedding." This game consists of having to make a choice of venue, music, food, drinks, and guests for your hypothetical wedding - cost is no issue. The catch is that you have to pick from the options provided, and you can only select one option in each level of options: epic, great, good, meh, and oh noooooo!
We got some of our favorite people to call in a join us for the game, and we invite you to play along as well. You can find a picture with the layout on dinnerplusdrinks.com or check out the text description here:
VENUE
- Epic: A beautiful, historic mansion with every amenity possible.
- Great: A fancy resort with on-site accommodations for all your guests.
- Good: An idyllic barn that's open to the elements and a bit musty.
- Meh: In a tent in your backyard - it's a bit windy and mosquito-ey
- Oh no: The local VFW Hall - the floors are sticky.
MUSIC
- Epic: Britney Spears and JT perform an incredible concert set for you and your guests.
- Great: An 11 piece live cover band.
- Good: Dueling pianos.
- Meh: An okay DJ that mostly does what you told him.
- Oh no: The guest controlled "iPod experience."
FOOD
- Epic: Gordon Ramsay prepares the food specially and personally for you.
- Great: The best caterer in the area did a special menu for you.
- Good: Your friend who likes to cook put together a food spread for you.
- Meh: A chicken based buffet. Vegetarian option is the side salad.
- Oh no: Subway sandwich platters.
DRINKS
- Epic: All you can drink top shelf everything - let the bubbles flow!
- Great: A nice open bar with call level liquor, good wine & beer, and something you really enjoy.
- Good: Crappy wine pour with dinner, cash bar for the guests with generic products.
- Meh: Got some kegs of Miller Lite and boxes of wine: BYO flask!
- Oh no: 2 liters of soda are available and the bubbler's over there: help yourself!
GUESTS
- Epic: The people who matter to you and can hang at an epic party. No one more, and no one less.
- Great: You get to invite most of your friends, your parents get to invite some of their friends, and your annoying step-uncle has to be there.
- Good: All of your annoying family is there, your parents picked most of the guests, but you got 2 tables of friends.
- Meh: It's all your family, your parent's friends and work acquaintances. You have to talk to each table.
- Oh no: There is no guest list - anyone in the entire world who wants to come can show up.
Let us know your choices, we'd love to hear your picks. Email us or drop us a voicemail on our website!
Also check out these links from the episode:
- San Francisco Street Art
- Historical Women Quarters
- Girls Can Crate
- Northern Brewer
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this episode. We really enjoyed making it and appreciate all of our guests popping on to help us this week. Have a great week, get in touch with us, and stay healthy.
Cheers!
~ Bridget and Nick
Ok, it's not quite what you might consider wedding planning season, but for me, weddings are on the brain! I am helping a family member plan their wedding this week (as they visit from out of state) so we've been planning all week long.
In a previous life, I planned weddings (and have probably planned hundreds at this point), so I' sharing three quick wedding planning tips to help jump start your wedding (or any event really!) planning process on the right foot:
- Make a guest list ... like right away. This will dictate your entire budget and what venue(s) you can even consider.
- Pick a priority - SO important! This will guide all of your wedding planning decisions if you can settle on one mutual priority that is non-negotiable.
- Ask a friend - your (already married) friends are a great (free!) resource Ask them what they regret? What they may have forgotten to do or what they would do differently? What was the best part of the day etc.? You will almost always find a hidden gem of advice in there!
Happy Planning friends!
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @DinnerplusDrinksPodcast
Bridget came up with a genius segment and quizzed Nick on Britney Spears songs. You're going to want to make sure you listen to hear how much Nick knows about Britney Spears, as well as singing from both Bridget and Nick. Congrats Britney on your legal victory, we're happy for you! #freebritney
In addition to the incredible Britney talk, here are a few links from this week's episode:
- Check out the good news about the Culver's Curderburger!
- Nick is a big fan of the James Bond franchise and loved this story about Daniel Craig becoming an honorary Commander in the Royal Navy!
- Do your dry fit shirts sometimes not launder as cleanly as you would like? Check out these washing machine pebbles that Bridget recommends. They'll help keep your clothes smelling fresh!
- Nick is a huge fan of Noel Philips, a travel vlogger type that makes videos showing off reviews of airlines, trains, and much more. If you miss traveling, are curious what air travel is like in Africa, or want to know what trans-oceanic first class cabins look like, visit Noel's YouTube channel.
- MACs Moving and Storage in Lake Geneva, WI is a great resource for moving and storing things! Both Bridget and Nick highly recommend them.
Thanks for listening, it's been a weird week. If you want to learn a bit more and hear some perspective on the burn out and stress that we all have been facing and keeps mounting, make sure you listen to this week's episode of Amuse Bouche. Bridget takes it on with a great article that Nick thinks you should listen to! Find it one episode before this one in your podcast feed.
Quick programming note - there is no YouTube episode this week because Nick's computer got fried and the video was stored on that. Audio only :(
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
No, it's not exactly what you're thinking. Get your mind out of the gutter. Listen in to hear about an article that was able to pinpoint exactly how I have been feeling.
Find the original article here: https://thestripe.com/a-lack-of-stamina/
Find Grace Atwood here: https://www.instagram.com/graceatwood/
And loudly enough for everyone in the back:
“Be nicer to yourself. Easy to say to others, harder to say to yourself.” - Grace Atwood
It was a beautiful fall day, so we decided to hit the road and record live from the patio at The Candle Mercantile in downtown Lake Geneva. Remember when you were in school and it was a nice day outside, so your teacher has class outside? It's exactly the same.
We hope you enjoy this slightly different episode that also visited a few other of our favorite places to hang out in downtown Lake Geneva. If you're a local, now is (arguably) the best time of the year to get out and enjoy our community. If you're not local, it's a b-e-a-utiful time to come visit and check out these spots:
- The Bottle Shop - a wine bar and so much more with spirits, beer, snacks, and an incredible patio to enjoy fall.
- Haverly & Co. - a fun boutique stocked full of great finds at reasonable prices that our friend Emily operates in a back corner of The Bottle Shop's patio!
- Topsy Turvy Brewery - an urban brewery in a renovated church Lake Geneva with a patio made for people watching while sipping on delicious beer.
- Clock Tower Pizza - kitty corner from Topsy Turvy, Clock Tower pizza whips up pizza, smash burgers, and hand cut fries that are worth every single calorie.
We'd like to extend a huge thank you to the entire crew at The Candle Mercantile for their hospitality hosting us. You need to stop in to pour your own fall themed candle, or pick out one of their perfectly scented pre-made fall scents. While you're there, enjoy a glass of wine, beer, or cider, and enjoy a snack at their indoor candle bar or on their patio.
Did you hear our Pinkies Up release this week? It's all about German wine for the Oktoberfest season. You can find it wherever you're listening to this episode, or watch on YouTube to see all of Bridget's facial expressions.
If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
We love Oktoberfest! When we think Oktoberfest, we usually think of beer, but there is a ton of great German wine that you can drink as well. For this episode, we took on the challenge of finding German wines that you can drink for Oktoberfest.
Most people immediately think of overly sweet Riesling when they think of German wine, but Germany makes a wide range of styles and grapes. Some are really good, some...well...you'll have to listen and here what we think.
Here are the wines that we tried:
- Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Sekt Brut - a sparkling riesling!
- Wittmann Weisser Burgunder - a German Pinot Blanc!
- Weinhaus Hegger Muller Thurgau - an offbeat German white wine!
- Villa Wolf Gewurztraminer - an aromatic wine that reminds Bridget of her husband's grandfather!
- Relax Reisling - a very sweet blue bottle riesling!
- The Daily August Pinot Noir - a light bodied Pinot Noir showing off the good work Germany is doing in Pinot Noir.
- Villa Wolf Dornfelder - a slightly sweet German red wine.
We hope you enjoyed this episode and if you aren't already, please join us for our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks episodes. You can subscribe and follow along with us on the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!
Bridget & Nick
It's Bridget's (and Shannon's) Birthday!!!
We had to celebrate and have a little bit of fun. We hope you enjoy our celebration of Bridget on this week's episode. Here are links to what we talked about:
- Kenyan engineer Nzambi Matee is recycling plastic into bricks that are stronger than concrete. She's getting some much deserved recognition for this amazing idea. Check it out!
- COVID has been bad for a lot of things, but it has sparked new interest in certain outdoor hobbies like birding. Congrats to "The Nest" a new bird boutique in Greendale, Wisconsin who is taking advantage of the trend and thriving.
- Norm MacDonald recently passed away - his interview on Conan with Courtney Thorne-Smith was legendary. Take some time to watch and enjoy.
We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode. Also a big shout out to listener Beth who said hi to Bridget - we appreciate everyone that listens and it's great to get to talk to you in person!
If you like what we're doing, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's my birthday! Ok, not quite yet, but it's in just a few days.
I'm taking a quick walk down memory lane of my top 5 favorite birthday parties. Plus, sharing a few fun birthday traditions that you can start this year for any birthday celebrations you may have coming up!
Make sure to catch this week's Dinner Plus Drinks which will drop on my actual birthday. I'm told it's full of fun and surprises, so we'll see what Nick has in-store for me.
Greetings friends! On this episode, conversation somehow managed to drift to Mr. Bridget (aka Tyler) a lot. It was good to sit down (well, actually stand up) and talk about a crazy week.
Check out these links!
- Bridget found this article encouraging us all to stop chasing success and start enjoying life to be very helpful. Read it for yourself.
- Nick is delighted to find that Dad Jokes can be used for good! Tanks Good News brings us this story about dad jokes helping a neighbor get motivated to recover from surgery.
- If you want to look like Nick, Tyler, and (according to Bridget) every other Dad in the world, you should go to Clear Water Outdoor and buy yourself a Patagonia Better Sweater. If you ask for "Nick's Boy Sean," and Sean himself helps you, he promised a 15% discount on your purchase!
We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode. We always aim to be a little ray of sunshine in your week, and we hope we're making that happen. If you like what we're doing, here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
I'm wrapping up my chat about public schools and a bit about the documentary Waiting for Superman.
But it's always great to see the other side and this article was helpful in doing such:
Harvard Educational Review
After our little recording snafu last week, we're back with a full episode, we hope you didn't miss us too much! In this episode, we talk about childcare apps, determine how Nick would do in 5th grade, talk about the Nugget, and lots more.
Here are a few links to what we are talking about:
- Bridget's Nugget is ordered and en route - hopefully it can be kept a secret from the kids until Christmas. Nick and Sarah also have one ordered: did we talk you into getting one? Let us know. You can learn more about the foam play couch on their website.
- This Grandma is a wizard at making incredible art using MS Paint. Props to Bridget for finding this story. You can check out the artwork here.
- Buddy Rich is one of the best drummers ever and if you want to listen to some jazz to help clear your mind, Nick recommends you check out his music. You can listen on Spotify here.
What's on your mind? Do you have any good news to share? We'd love to hear some stories of happiness that aren't from fictional universes!
Here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's back to school time and it is a lot. As I was panicking about my son's first year of full-day classes in our local public school, my Father-in-Law introduced my to a documentary that fascinated (and horrified) me.
I'm here to tell you a bit about the movie and specifically about how school systems deal with teachers that are doing a less than stellar job.
This one has so much information, it'll be broken up into 2 parts! Enjoy part 1 of 2.
Resources:
https://www.netflix.com/title/70129364
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/movies/24waiting.html
Nick made a bit of an oopsy doopsy with our recording this week so that only the video portion of our recording actually recorded. That's obviously a problem for a podcast.
We're sorry we messed up (well Nick), so here's a little explanation, plus a few fun kid corner stories for you to enjoy for the week.
We'll be back next week!
I admit, it's a long one. But man, if you like thrifting (or want to like thrifting) this one is for you! I'm sharing some of my latest thrift store finds and a few quick tips on shopping at a thrift store (pssst, sneak peak below):
- Try everything on!
- Don't flip through every single item on the racks
- Target (and other retailers) donate their (new with tags) items to thrift stores when they've gone through their sales cycle.
Happy Thrifting!
Nick messed up this week and incorrectly picked what wine Bridget would like better out of a few that were sampled. He feels pretty bad about this, so in this episode, he sought to correct his bad friend behavior by getting to know how Bridget thinks just a little bit more.
Here's what we talked about this week:
- Bridget found this sweet video featuring kids that are starting businesses to do good in their communities. It's really uplifting!
- Nick is fascinated about Bridget's take on this story about 15 year old Olivia Moultrie fighting for her right to play professional soccer - and then scoring her first professional goal!
- If you're looking for kids books that are fun for parents and kids, Nick highly recommends the Mother Bruce series of books by Ryan Higgins.
We changed up our format a little bit to focus on what the show's all about - unwinding with friends, talking about the good things in life: food, drinks, and kids! Let us know what you think about the tweak and if you have any topics you'd like us to discuss. We're here for you and appreciate the feedback you share with us. Here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
As usual, I could go on and on about this topic, but I actually kept this one pretty quick...mostly because I speak way too fast. But social media sure has changed and businesses are taking advantage. The influencer culture is here to stay and I'm here to talk about it, so listen in!
Referenced in the show:
BamaRush New York Times article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/style/bama-rush-explained.html
Under the Influence Podcast - a must listen!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza/id1544171101
So you can see both sides of the story:
https://www.instagram.com/girlgangz7733/
Don't forget to say hello and let me know what you think at hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com
We're back to our normal programming after 3 weeks of Olympics episodes and we're talking two related and fun topics: Taco Bell & Poop. Also other things. Here's a run down of links to this episode's topics:
- Shoutout to Mackenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates for donating their wealth to support gender equality projects, among other causes.
- This Taco Bell Defy restaurant concept may be the coolest thing to come out of the pandemic.
- Nick loves his Uline Industrial Packing Table. Check it out - there are lots of possible uses for the table!
- Bridget is feeling this Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa meal as an end of summer recipe.
- Nick wants to show some appreciation to Kim for this Crispy Hot Wing recipe.
Keep up with the show or get in touch with us with your questions and ideas using these links:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!
~ Bridget and Nick
Happy Oktoberfest Season!
Yes, that's right, Oktoberfest is just around the corner and some of the best beer of the year has already hit the shelves.
Check out this well-written (and entertaining) article to learn a bit more about Oktoberfest beer: https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/best-oktoberfest-beer
If you want to try Bridget's Top 5 Fave Oktoberfest beers, get them while they're still around:
- Munsterfest - 3 Floyds
- Festbier - Maplewood
- Oktoberfest - Lakefront Brewing
- OctoberFest - Sam Adams
- Oktoberfest Marzen - Hacker Pschorr
Honorable mentions: Staghorn, Spaten
If you're wondering where I got my info on the history of Oktoberfest in Munich, you can check it out here: https://germanculture.com.ua/german-holidays/oktoberfest-traditions/
🍻 Prost! 🍻
It's the last episode of our Dinner Plus Drinks Olympic Games!
We had two final events with the standings tied between Bridget's Team Greece and Shannon's Team Ireland. Who will win? There is plenty of last minute drama and fun in this week's episode, tune in to hear the results of this riveting competition.
A huge thank you to Shannon for joining us and representing Team Ireland so well in this Olympic Game series. We hope you enjoyed a break from our "routine" episodes and had fun celebrating the Olympics with us. We'll be back to our normal episodes next week.
If you've had fun, here's how you can follow along with us and get in touch with us to share feedback and ideas:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Congratulations to both of our "athletes" for a competition well contested. Thanks for listening, have a great week, we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick and Shannon
Is always striving for greatness the answer? What if we just practiced being content with right where we are? I'm getting aaaallll philosophical on you this week and diving deep into answering life's questions.
I even found some scientific research to back up the thoughts in my head. You can check it out here (and, for real, check it out because it's great!): https://bit.ly/2VDS1iv
And, as promised in the show, if you need a few quick tips for experiencing contentment:
- Practice mindfulness.
- Identify your well-being contingencies
- Radically accept all emotions.
Have a great weekend and challenge yourself to find some contentment!
We are in the midst of the Dinner Plus Drinks Olympics!
Shannon and Team Ireland are competing feverishly against Bridget and Team Greece for the title of Dinner Plus Drinks Olympic Champion. In this episode we reveal the results of last week's competitions (food, drink, and Team of Champions), plus participate in some super fun short games of skill. Watch on YouTube to see all of the fun, or listen to Nick channel his inner Bryant Gumbel and commentate on the happenings.
Thanks for following along on our Olympic fun! If you have comments, feedback, or ideas for next week's closing ceremonies, here's how you can get in touch with us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great week - we'll talk you soon for the Olympic Closing Ceremonies!
~ Bridget and Nick and Shannon
I love the Olympics and perhaps equal to the sports, I love hearing the fun factoids and interesting information that surround the athletes. Plus, stories of perseverance, fortitude and sportsmanship are inspiring and amazing.
This week, I'm sharing some of the bits of fun I've found. Some stories you've heard, some you probably haven't heard. So get ready to get inspired!
__
If you're looking for more inspiring moments, check this article out to peak at The 25 Most Inspiring Olympic Moments of all Time: https://bit.ly/3fdeyto (it's #10 for me!)
And if you, like me, were curious about the flowers each athlete is receiving, read all about their meaning here: https://n.pr/3xhl0pw
Happy Olympics watching - have a great weekend!
P.S. This one is a little long - I was just so inspired :)
Welcome to the Dinner Plus Drinks Podcast Olympics!!
We love the Olympics, so we decided to put on our own Olympic competition featuring Bridget competing against her twin sister Shannon!
First, we had to choose countries for these two competitors to represent. Shannon lucked out and drew Ireland to represent, and Bridget was assigned Yemen! However, after the Bucks victory, we decided to reassign Bridget to represent Greece in honor of Giannis.
After a short break, and regrouping at the Athlete's Village, the competitors shared some of the wonderful things they learned about their countries and recommended drinks, food, and products we should try from each country. Nick is going to cook each recommended meal this week and his wife Sarah will declare a winner!
Most importantly, both Bridget and Shannon assembled a Team of Champions - 3 famous people from each country to represent and fight for the pride of their nations. We need you to vote for your favorite team. You can find a post with the Champions on both our Instagram and Facebook. Comment on the post letting us know your favorite team and we'll announce the winner on next week's episode!
We have 3 weeks of Olympics fun planned - we hope you'll join us as we play games and revel in the spirit of International fun. If you have suggestions for contest, please write in and let us know your ideas. Here's how you can follow along with us and check out our social channels:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Let the Olympics begin!!! We hope you have a great week watching the games - go USA! We'll see you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick and Shannon
Bucks in Six! Holy cow, the Milwaukee Bucks are the NBA Champions and it has been amazing to watch. A city and a team that once was barely a blip on the radar is now a destination.
Having spent over a decade in Milwaukee, I love that city. I grew up there. Not actually growing up since birth, but I really grew up as an adult. Tune in to hear a small brush of what I love about the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Bucks.
A few sites that I reference during the show:
- OnMilwaukee article (Bucks Bandwagon): https://bit.ly/3wXkJIf
- Milwaukee Record article: https://bit.ly/3zrloU1
Have a great day!
Nick had a rough time with offshore tech support but thankfully, a Plain Spoke Cocktails Bourbon Smash got him in a good place. We're excited for the Olympics and plenty more - you can expect some Olympic fun to start soon, but in the meantime, here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- Nick loved this Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese that he made to celebrate National Mac & Cheese Day. You should make it too.
- When it comes to creative ways to get hired, Lukas Yla's Donut Box resumé delivery scheme impressed Bridget. Get details on My Modern Met.
- Jason Sudeikis took a very public but also very understated stance in support of 3 young English soccer stars who have endured horrible racist abuse in the past week. Nick would love to tip his cap to him and also remind everyone to report when you see racism on social media. Check it out on Sports Illustrated.
- Bridget is looking for a foam play mat set for her kids - it's between Nugget and Foamnasium. What do you recommend? We'd really like some help on this one because Nick is looking too!
- For all your party needs, Nick recommends the Chambong - the classiest way to slam some sparkling wine.
- Bridget's family eats a bunch of pork but rarely grills it, this Grilled Pork Loin Roast recipe may change that trend - it's easy, feeds a bunch, and very tasty.
- Nick loves a good green sauce, especially in the summer. He also doesn't want to hear your "don't put sauce on steaks" nonsense. This Ribeye Steak with Mojo Verde recipe is bomb.
Thanks for tuning in this week, we hope you enjoyed a little time with us. We love having you listen!
Please be sure to follow us, subscribe, or whatever is the easiest way for you to keep up to date with the show. Here are all the links:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may make a small affiliate commission. Thank you for your support!
No, you don't have to run a marathon to be considered a runner. I'm sharing all about the running community and how I think t hey are some of the most supportive, honest and uplifting athletes out there.
Ways to can be involved:
- Be a spectator at a race
- Join for the post-race party
- Start a couch to 5K program
- Cheer someone on!
- Talk to your kids about sportsmanship
If you want to learn more about Mary Cain's amazing running club, here is the article I referenced:
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a36856632/mary-cain-forms-womens-pro-running-team/?utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=socialflowFBRW&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3nlSGmWH_cIlZK1RYB98DvhteIPszF2Gk3oAydwX_nr-isLy4mOsVrYls
This is another great resource: https://www.womensrunning.com/culture/news/mary-cain-creates-atalanta/
And lastly, here is Atalanta's website: https://www.atalantanyc.org/
If you want to get started and find a run/walk/race near you, here is a great resource: https://runsignup.com/Races
Enjoy the Olympics and happy running, walking or moving your body in any way!
When I was editing this episode and saw it was coming out on 7-11, I had to call it "oh thank heaven," because who can't get that saying out of your head? It doesn't really have anything to do with the episode, but it's what we're going to roll with - Nick
What we did talk about was a wide variety of topics, and on this episode it was Nick, not Bridget, that was unable to choose from multiple stories, so you'll get a lot of Nick thoughts this episode.
Most importantly, if you didn't watch the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest, you need to see this introduction for Joey Chestnut, world hot dog eating champion!
Here's what we talked about:
- Bridget tried this vegan hot dog substitute and it wasn't bad! You can try it yourself if you'd like.
- Nick is elated that giant pandas are no longer endangered!
- Congratulations to Zaila Avant-garde, the first Black American spelling bee champion, and an accomplished Guinness World Record holder at age 14!
- Bridget tried Super Goop Glow Screen on her vacation and it was a super awesome product to protect yourself from the sun and look good!
- Nick is loving Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It's been out for a while, but if you haven't played it, it's definitely a worthy installment in the franchise.
- We talked vacation tips and went through the 10 tips on this Lifehacker article. Let us know what you think of them.
- Bridget is looking forward to a delicious One Pot Spaghetti Bolognese this week.
- Nick wants to make this Grilled Steak with Beer Mustard Sauce recipe again.
- But there were so many good recipes on this week's meal plan, Nick had a really hard time choosing, and you should check out the whole plan.
Thanks for tuning in this week, we hope you enjoyed a little time with us. We love having you listen!
Please be sure to follow us, subscribe, or whatever is the easiest way for you to keep up to date with the show. Here are all the links:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may make a small affiliate commission. Thank you for your support!
We played a snippet of "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" by George Frideric Handel using the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. The song was performed by the Advent Chamber Orchestra, November 2006 Roxanna Pavel Goldstein, Musical Director; Elias Goldstein, Orchestra Manager.
Thanks for tuning in to this week's Amuse Bouche! Get ready to listen to my scratchy voice (sorry about that!) and two quick tips about what's working in our family.
Hugs or High Fives
We're aiming to teach our kids early about boundaries and consent and found that offering them the choice on hugs or high fives has been a fun way to do it.
Here's an interesting article on the topic if you're interested!
https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/2987-high-five-or-hug-teaching-toddlers-about-consent
Highs and Lows/Joys and ConcernsWhether you have kids or not, use highs and lows (or joys and concerns) to get people talking about their day.
Enjoy our regularly scheduled Dinner + Drinks release on Sunday and don't forget to follow us in all of the places you can find us:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great weekend!
Nick is often asked what's better - American or French wine, and in this episode of Pinkies Up, we put four American wines against four French wines to see what Bridget thinks are the best!
In this episode, you'll learn some general differences between American and French wines, what causes those differences, and we'll help you find the right wine for you. Bridget's opinion is what determines the answer in this episode, but you can decide for yourself at home!
Here's a list of the wines we tried today:
ROUND ONE - SPARKLING WINE
- Scharffenberger Brut Excellence - Mendocino, California
- Charles Armand Blanc de Blancs - Vin Mousseaux, France
ROUND TWO - CHARDONNAY
- Hess Select Chardonnay - Monterey, California
- Cave de Lugny 'Les Charmes' Chardonnay - Macon, France
ROUND THREE - PINOT NOIR
- Calera Pinot Noir - Central Coast, California
- Louis Latour Pinot Noir - Burgundy, France
ROUND FOUR - MERLOT
- Coppola Director's Cut Merlot - Sonoma, California
- Chateau Tour d'Auron - Bordeaux, France
This was a fun way to explore the difference between what Nick and Bridget like, and you can easily recreate this episode at home with friends and / or family. It's a great little party game. There's no right answer, just personal preference!
We hope you enjoyed this episode and if you aren't already, please join us for our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks episodes. You can subscribe and follow along with us on the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!
Bridget & Nick
Happy Birthday America!
If you listened to this week's Amuse Bouche, you heard Bridget talk about some of her family 4th of July traditions. If you haven't listened, you're missing out, these short Friday episodes are a great way to get just a little bit more Bridget in your life! On this week's Dinner Plus Drinks, we talk 4th of July plus lots more.
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
- Hooray, the NCAA is finally letting athletes make money from their own likeness. Both Bridget and Nick support this step. You can read more about it (if you're so inclined) on this NPR story.
- Good work to this Canadian high school teacher who built a portable stage and wheeled it around the entire town so each graduating senior could walk the stage after COVID cancelled their traditional graduation ceremony.
- Bridget is taking some beach friendly drink (and wallet / phone / sunglasses) holders to the cottage with her this weekend. Check them out!
- Nick really strongly believes that the rice cooker is well worth keeping a single use kitchen appliance in your house. Get an inexpensive, basic one like this one from Amazon and you'll have perfectly cooked rice every time.
- Bridget is super intrigued by this Green Garlic Rubbed Roast Chicken recipe (see if you can find some!)
- Nick is all over this Southwest Pork Tenderloin Bowl recipe.
Thanks for tuning in this week, we hope you have an awesome Holiday! Please be sure to follow us, subscribe, or whatever is the easiest way for you to keep up to date with the show. Here are all the links:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may make a small affiliate commission. Thank you for your support!
Man, this episode makes me sound like I actually have it all together and have all of the right conversations. Don't worry, I do not! I recorded this one as a reminder for myself - basically my very own hype session.
But, if you're heading out on an extended family vacation, here are a few quick tips for making it the best it can be:
- Spend the whole week ahead laying out things to pack. Add to the pile throughout the week.
- Set some simple boundaries (more on that below)
- Lower your expectations!
Boundaries are super hard to set - at least for a type A person like me – and I found this article from Tiny Buddha to be helpful:
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-set-difficult-boundaries-in-a-compassionate-way/
And, finally, take a deep breath, you can do it. Extended family vacations are all about combining styles and taking a major attempt at going with the flow.
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
(And yup, I talk really quickly, so I'll work on that)
We've reached 100 episodes in our feed, and even if this is only Dinner Plus Drinks #79 (we also have special episodes and Pinkies Up episodes in the feed), we couldn't let a good reason to celebrate go by without notice!
This episode has plenty of '100' themed fun - including an incredible Jeopardy segment where Bridget tested her intelligence versus 100 themed questions, and lots more. Here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We also talked a lot about Milwaukee because Stephen A. Smith talked crap about the city - calling it a "garbage city" and he can take a hike.
- Bridget recommends AJ Bombers as her favorite place to eat in Milwaukee. The Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls are 🔥🔥🔥
- Nick recommends either Cafe Benelux for frites & bier or Kopps for burgers & custard.
- We drank a bottle of Yalumba 'The Tri-Centenary' Grenache, made from vines that are over 100 years of age. So delicious! If you want to drink a bottle of wine with some serious history, this is a good bottle.
- Smuckers Jam and The Today Show do an awesome "Today Celebrates" feature for people who reach 100 years old!
- Congratulations to Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders for coming out and sharing that he is a gay, active football player.
- Rareform.com features incredibly cool bags and the like made from reused billboard material.
- Bridget highly recommends you try these Grilled Shrimp Skewers coming up.
- And Nick says cook brisket! Smoke it! Texas style!
Did you catch Friday's release of the first episode of Amuse Bouche? Amuse Bouche is our new weekly podcast that features a little bite-size piece of Bridget's musings. In this week's episode, she shared some of the quirks and idiosyncrasies that make Bridget who she is. Tune in every Friday for a little extra bit of fun in your life.
Thanks for tuning in this week, and for all the support over the past 100 releases. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you! If you had fun, please be sure to follow along or send us a note - we love hearing from you. Here's how you can follow along and reach out to us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
Welcome to episode 1 of Amuse Bouche where you are getting little bits of Bridget before the weekly episode of Dinner plus Drinks.
If you're wondering a few quick facts about Bridget, listen in to this episode to learn all about her love for food trucks, hip hop music and thrift shopping.
Every Friday, tune in for fun! I so appreciate you listening in. If you've enjoyed this episode, here's how you can follow along for more Amuse Bouche and weekly episodes of Dinner Plus Drinks:
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com
I would love to her from you, so please send along a note. Thanks, as always, for your support!
Thanks for listening to a little bit of Bridget!
This episode features one of the best product recommendations we've ever had - so make sure you check out what Nick has to say in the break. You (and your hair) will thank him next time you see him.
Here are links to what we talked about on this week's episode:
- FOMO is returning - check out this article from The Cut talking about FOMO returning.
- Buffalo Chicken Tenders are out of stock at Culvers...this is a disaster!
- Bridget is a huge fan of this book by Katie Sturino - Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life.
- Nick's hair is brilliant thanks to John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette shampoo. Get yourself some!
- Nacho Chicken Casserole is on Bridget's agenda this week.
- And Nick is feeling this BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese AND this Tomato Basil Bacon Grilled Cheese sandwich this week.
Thanks for tuning in this week, we appreciate you joining us! If you had fun, please be sure to follow along or send us a note - we appreciate your support. Here's how you can follow along and reach out to us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may make a small affiliate commission. Thank you for your support!
Bridget has never had Chicken McNuggets. Shocking, right? Well on this week's episode, we corrected that travesty after our product recommendation break. You're going to want to learn what Bridget thinks of them. We promise, it's wonderful.
- If you're looking to buy a shockingly affordable house in the hipster neighborhood of Bayview in Milwaukee, check out this house. It also happens to have a bar attached!
- Bridget wants you to check out the summer fun lineup of wearables from Holst and Lee. They're really cool!
Thanks for tuning into this week's episode. If you're driving, maybe swing by McDonalds for some tasty Chicken McNuggets, a delicious serving of fries, and an incredibly refreshing ice-cold Coca-Cola beverage.
Since you're here, we'd appreciate if follow along or send us a note - your support means a lot to us! Here's how you can follow along and reach out to us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's been a week. Bridget has an... infection situation that you'll hear about on this week's episode, plus lots more fun as we get summer kicked off! Here are links to what we discussed this week:
- If you'd like to read some follow up on the story of Naomi Osaka, you can read this NY Times article.
- We drank a can of Indeed Brewing Company's Lucy Session Sour beer in honor of sweet (and sour) little Lucy turning two this week!
- This story about a boy named Joe decorating a restaurant (with permission!) with his doodles is sure to cheer you up! See some of the doodles for yourself on this article.
- Follow up to last week's cicada cooking chat - if you're allergic to shrimp (like Nick) you're allergic to cicadas too. Don't eat them.
- Lucy loved this Paint Your Own Tea Set - it makes a great gift for any child in your life.
- It's summer time and you may need new sunglasses. Both Nick & Bridget recommend Shady Ray's as an affordable, stylish, and quality option.
- Bridget is super excited to have some homemade Fried Chicken Tenders this week.
- And Nick is all over these Chipotle Mojo Pork Tacos. Mmmmmm tacos.
Thanks for listening to our horror stories this week! If you weren't scared off by all of the craziness this week, and enjoyed listening, please be sure to follow along or send us a note - we appreciate your support. Here's how you can follow along and reach out to us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may make a small affiliate commission. Thank you for your support!
We are all about destroying wine snobbery and we know boxed wine is popular in many households...including our own. It's convenient to have a box of "house red" for a glass when you don't want to open an entire bottle, or for when unexpected company drops by. We wanted to figure out what the best boxed wine is, so in this episode, we tried 5 different boxed wines to give you our answer!
Here's a list of the wines we tried:
- House Wine Original Red Blend - a blend of Cabernet and Merlot from Washington State. From the producer, "Our vivid Cabernet and Merlot Blend bursts with aromas of juicy red currant, cherry and plums. House Red Blend drives flavors of bright red raspberries to the middle palate and lengthens out with a velvety finish."
- Wine Cube Red Blend - a California red blend. From the producer, "This bodacious boxed vinter's wine acts as the perfect pairing for anything from delicious roasted meats to flavorful pasta dishes."
- Bota Box Nighthawk Rich Red Wine Blend - a bold, dark, jammy red blend from California. From the producer, "Nighthawk Black Rich Red Wine is dark, bold and fruity with aromas and flavors of blackberry pie and bittersweet chocolate, and a smooth lingering finish. As the campfire dies out, the only sounds you may hear are that of nature, like the Nighthawk, on its nightly hunting adventure."
- Shania Organic Monastrell - a little harder to find Spanish wine from a smaller producer. From the producer, "Dark cherry in color, the flavors of cassis and blueberry gain intensity in the mouth. Tannins are fine coupled with a bright acidity to form a solid length and savory finish."
- Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon - a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the best known box wine producers. From the producer, "Black Box Wines Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied, displaying enticing aromas of black currant, toasty oak, and a hint of vanilla. Ripe blackberries and chocolate fill the palate with balanced tannins that lead to a soft, lingering finish."
You may be surprised by Bridget's pick, so listen to our thoughts and let us know if you have a favorite boxed wine. We'd love to hear your feedback!
We hope you enjoyed this episode and if you aren't already, please join us for our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks episodes. You can subscribe and follow along with us on the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!
Welcome to summer - it's Memorial Day weekend, and we're excited to get all things 'Sconsin going - outside living, grilling, beer, etc. etc. etc. Bridget and Nick did a "How 'sconsin are you" quiz (you may be surprised by the result) and we'd like you to take the quiz too. We're offering prizes for perfect scores. It'll be a good prize, we promise.
You can take our "How 'Sconsin Are You?" quiz by following this link. Good luck, we'll email you back your score and prize if you get a perfect score!
In addition to the quiz, we talked about all of our normal fun. Here are links to discussion topics on this week's episode:
- We lost two icons in the children's literature world: Lois Ehlert and Eric Carle. Click through to read more about each of these extraordinary people.
- If you'd like to learn more about tennis star Naomi Osaka's decision to protect her mental health by refusing to do interviews, you can read this New York Times article.
- Get outside and explore your local / state / national parks! Wisconsin has these awesome Explorer Program for kids to get excited about being in the parks.
- If you're buying a new grill, Nick strongly recommends Weber Grills. They're great! This Weber Spirit 3 burner gas grill is a great middle price range option.
- Bridget is about side dishes this week and she can't pick between this Tomato Basil Cheddar Biscuit recipe or this Bacon Wrapped Asparagus recipe.
- Nick absolutely loves these Korean Vietnamese BBQ Pork Chops.
- The above recipe is adapted from the excellent Korean BBQ cookbook by Bill Kim.
That's it for this week - we hope you have a relaxing weekend full of friends, fun, and delicious food and drinks. If you enjoyed listening, please be sure to follow along or send us a note - we appreciate your support. Here's how you can follow along and reach out to us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may make a small affiliate commission. Thank you for your support!
Okay, we're going to skip to the chase and just let you know that Nick got a Peloton this week and it's ridiculous. Tune in for lots of Bridget poking fun at Nick's overpriced way of shredding some calories plus plenty of other fun!
Here's what else we talked about:
- Check out this article from the Chicago Tribune on how you can make cicadas into 'tasty' food. Thanks for the help Bridget?
- Nick loved these ideas that the New York Times shared about how you museums can become even more relevant post-pandemic.
- Bridget recommended a beer! Things We Don't Say is a project designed to bring awareness to mental health through beer. Learn more about it from one of the participating breweries, 1840 in Milwaukee.
- If you have Disney Plus (and you probably do), Nick suggests you check out Earth Moods. It's soothing and pretty!
- Bridget is into trying this Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa because it's summer and mango salsa makes everything delicious, including fish!
- Nick went chicken this week and picked Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs as a great thing to eat this week!
That's it for this week. We hope you enjoyed listening to what we had to talk about this week. If you did or if you have suggestions on things you'd like to hear, please get in touch with us! Here's how you can follow along and reach out to us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
We learned that Miller Brewing is launching a hard seltzer...to outer space to rid humanity of it. We couldn't be more pleased and may even drink a fine Miller product for the first time in FOREVER to applaud their efforts. Here's what else we talked about on this week's episode:
- If you want more information about Miller's hard seltzer launch, read this article from OnMilwaukee.
- We're incredibly impressed by this New Orleans based glass recycling program caled Glass Half Full. You should check them out!
- On the list of "why we love sports," this effort by AFC Ajax, an Amsterdam football (soccer) club to share their championship trophy with their fans is awesome. Read about it on ESPN.
- Bridget gave this personalized flower necklace from Etsy as a Mother's Day gift. It's absolutely adorable and a great gift for a birthday or anniversary too!
- Nick uses his Skullcandy Hesh 2 Wireless Earphones all the time when working outside or when he needs a quiet office experience. You can buy a set on Amazon.
- Bridget is making this super delicious Cuban Mojo Chicken recipe this week.
- Nick discovered this amazing list of ways to fancy up popcorn from Bon Appetit. Check it out and enjoy popcorn for dinner!
That's it for this week. We hope you enjoyed listening to what we had to talk about this week. If you did or if you have suggestions on things you'd like to hear, please get in touch with us! Here's how you can follow along and reach out to us:
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to follow the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may receive a commission.
Happy Mother's Day!
Without you Mom's nobody is here. You're all wonderful, and we love all of you. We have a big episode this week with lots of talk about everything from traveling with toddlers to tacos to frosé to Billie Eilish. We had to go to backup audio for this episode and we apologize for the less than stellar audio quality, but we hope you enjoy what we have for you this week.
Here are links to everything we talked about this week:
- If you haven't seen the Billie Eilish British Vogue cover and have no clue what we were talking about, you can check out this NY Time article for reference.
- Bridget highly recommends AirPods and Nick agrees. They're super de duper awesome and we recommend buying yourself or someone you love a pair.
- Nick got Sarah a really cool print of Simona from Still Novel for Mother's Day. She opened it early and we can confirm the gift wasn't spoiled and she loved it.
- Bridget is hoping someone will make these Individual Beef Wellingtons for her.
- Nick loves curry and this Easy Butter Chicken is a really simple and easy introduction to curry. Here's hoping Simona loves it!
What do you think about the Billie Eilish cover? It's a really fascinating and complex situation - just like her. We'd love to hear from you in whatever way that makes sense for you to get in touch with us. Here's how you can stay up with all of the things Dinner Plus Drinks and get in touch with us to share your travel tips and more!
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may receive a commission.
We love rosé wine - it's pink, refreshing, and a harbinger of spring and summer fun! There are SO MANY different bottles of rosé available on store shelves and on restaurant wine lists now, and they all seem to blend together. They are made from different grapes, come from different places, and have different price points, but the question is, do they all taste the same?
On this month's episode, we tried 5 different rosé wines from around the world to get the verdict on if they all taste the same or not. Listen and find out what we think. Here are the wines we tried:
- Fleur de Mer Rosé - Cotes de Provence, France
- Borsao Garnacha Rosé - Campo de Borja, Spain
- Hogwash Rosé (in a can!) - California
- L'Oliveto Rosé of Pinot Noir - Russian River Valley, California
- Josh Rosé Prosecco - Italy
There are plenty more bottles of rosé you can try, but these are all available for under $15 and representative of a "typical" bottle of rosé that you can find on any store shelf.
What do you think of our conclusions? We hope you try this test for yourself at home (with some friends!) soon and let us know your thoughts on the question of does all rosé taste the same!
We hope you enjoyed this episode and if you aren't already, please join us for our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks episodes. You can subscribe and follow along with us on the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!
Hello friends - we're officially getting old as we talk about the weather, rain, grass, vacuums and many other old people things. We're sure you can relate to these fascinating and vital subjects, however, and we'd love to hear your opinions on these subjects as well! If you're not into these everyday topics, don't worry, we talked food, news, and, of course, funny kid stories.
Here are links to what we talked about this week:
- If you're a thrift shopper like Bridget, this article about Goodwill may make you think about where you shop.
- RIP Michael Collins, "the third man of Apollo 11." You can learn more about his extraordinary life beyond being the lesser known member of the first moon landing mission in this NYT Obituary.
- This Food52 Might Salads cookbook looks like a super way to up your salad game.
- The Vorpagel household loves their Shark vacuum cleaner. You should get one too. Check it out on Amazon.
- Bridget loves this bacon egg cup recipe for easy and fast protein packed breakfasts.
- Nick is feeling this Italian Baked Chicken and Pasta recipe for a yummy weeknight dinner.
Thanks so much for listening, we love getting together with you every week and appreciate that you join us. We'll have a Pinkies Up wine episode coming out this week with a delightful spring theme. We hope you'll tune in for that episode as well!
Here's how you can stay up with all of the things Dinner Plus Drinks and get in touch with us to share your travel tips and more!
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may receive a commission.
Nick had a short getaway in Kansas City this week, and he is here to tell you all about the great things of the city...as well as what he thinks he could do better. Hint, there's a lot of barbecue talk. Also - sorry for the coughing, it's allergy season and not great for Nick!
Here are links to what we talked about on this week's episode:
- Learn about the mental state of "languishing" from this NY Times article.
- Enjoy the tale of the rise and fall of the European Super League in this entertaining article by the NY Times.
- Anthony Bourdain's posthumously released World Travel: An Irreverent Guide is a great book to check out.
- The Kindle Oasis has made Nick read so much more. It's durable, works in the dark, and lets you take books everywhere!
- Check out this Chorizo Bite recipe that Bridget talked about from this week's meal plan!
Here are some places that Nick recommends visiting in Kansas City:
- National WWI Museum & Memorial
- The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- American Jazz Museum
- Arthur Bryant's BBQ
- Joe's BBQ
- Gate's BBQ
- Boulevard Brewing
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this recipe, even with all the coughing. We're glad you spent the time with us.
Here's how you can stay up with all of the things Dinner Plus Drinks and get in touch with us to share your travel tips and more!
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, have a great week; we'll talk to you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may receive a commission.
Please give a warm welcome to our special guest Colin, our friend and talented video production guru from Greyspot Visuals. You may have seen their work featured on the LGCM social channels, or watched our Hard Seltzer Taste Off that Colin filmed. You can check out their work right here.
On the day we recorded this episode, Colin was in town to film a segment about how LGCM makes liver sausage. We were between shots with time to spare, so we invited to join him this week's episode as a special guest. We had a great time recording a slightly abridged version of our weekly podcast with him - we hope you enjoy what we have for you this week!
We appreciate all the support you show us by following us on whatever channel makes sense for you. We especially appreciate when you tell your friends about the podcast and encourage them to listen. Y'all are great!
Here's how you can stay up with all of the things Dinner Plus Drinks and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
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Cheers everybody, no special episodes to be released this week, but we'll be back next Sunday just us and normal pod!
~ Bridget and Nick
Our long time listeners know that Nick is obsessed with fun flavors of Kit Kats and spent much of the early pandemic trying to track down mint Kit Kats. Which are delicious. As part of our research into flavored Kit Kats, we discovered that there are literally hundreds of Kit Kat flavors in Japan. We decided we need to taste these flavors and share our experience with all of you.
Luckily for our wallets, we didn't have to fly to Japan to try all of the Kit Kat flavors, instead we purchased a Japanese Kit Kat Variety Party Box from Bokksu.com. Bokksu is a company that's set out to empower Japan's traditional snackmakers by sharing their authentic food and stories with the world. We were just happy to try the 18 flavors of Kit Kats in the box.
Flavors ranged from odd (Azuki Red Bean & Strawberry Sandwich) to normal (plain Kit Kats) to really fun (Mt. Fuji Strawberry Cheesecake) and everywhere in between. Join us on our journey down the Kit Kat rabbit hole.
If you would like to try your own Japanese Kit Kats, or any of the other authentic Japanese snacks available on Bokksu, use this link to save $15 on your first order. We also tried the OFU Smoked Crackers and Peanuts as a salty snack to go with all the chocolate, and may stock up on ramen soon!
We hope you enjoyed this bonus episode and would love to hear if you have any other taste off ideas for us to try! If you'd like to stay in touch with us, here's how:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, we'll talk to you soon!
~ Bridget and Nick
Guys, we recorded a day early this week and missed some really important news - the passing of Prince Philip. It would be weird if we didn't discuss this on the pod (we know you guys want to know what we think about it), so we got together and recorded this emergency bonus episode. It's 16 minutes long and we totally get if you want to skip this one but we enjoyed recording it. We hope you enjoy listening
We'll be here tomorrow with our normal weekly episode. Talk then!
If you found us with this episode and would like to follow along, here are the links to do all of the things Dinner Plus Drinks:
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
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- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
The most important thing you need to know from this episode is that after a lengthy and frustrating "repair process," Bridget finally has her laptop back. You can rest assured she's properly prepped for this episode now that she has her trusty Macbook by her side instead of a PC or a tablet!
We released a lot of bonus content this week, we hope you enjoyed our wine episode and our emergency Prince Phillip discussion. We recorded this episode a little earlier than usual and missed the Prince Philip news, so we thought a breaking episode would be a fun bonus for your Saturday night listening!
Here's what we chatted about on this week's episode:
- If you want to celebrate Grilled Cheese Day on Monday, 4/12 in style, try this amazing BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese sandwich that Nick made this week.
- Bridget shared this amazing story of William Cabaniss (not cannabis as Nick originally thought) who has raised over $100K for his local food bank by making and selling vanilla extract. Check out the story on People.
- Nick has always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt and this parade of mummies through the streets of Cairo blew his mind.
- Bridget is a HUGE jelly bean fan and recommends these Nerds Easter Bumpy Jelly Beans which can be found year round as Big Chewy Nerds.
- It's BBQ season and Nick has been delving back into one of his favorite cookbooks - Franklin Barbecue by James Beard award winner, Aaron Franklin. Get yourself a copy and get BBQing!
- If you're looking for a new podcast and like films and pop culture, Nick recommends Film in Black and White.
- Morbid is a true crime podcast that Bridget is really enjoying right now!
- Bridget is recommending this Honey Chipotle Pork Kabob recipe for your spring eating this week.
- And Nick is thrilled that his all time favorite recipe is on this week's meal plan. It's Tri Tip with Chimichurri Sauce that you should definitely try!
Thanks so much for listening - we appreciate all the time you spend with us! Did you like our bonus episodes this week? Have any good would you rather questions? Send your feedback our way, we appreciate it.
Here's how you can stay up with all of the things Dinner Plus Drinks and get in touch with us:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may get a small commission. Thanks!
We want to help you drink your feelings on a rainy day, so on this episode of Pinkies Up, we find the perfect wine to drink on a rainy day! Our "normal" wine drinker Bridget lays out some guidelines and the question, and our wine expert Nick picks a few bottles to try. Here are the types of wines that we thought would work well for your rainy day drinking!
FULL BODIED WHITE WINES LIKE CHENIN BLANC
-----If you are looking for a wine that lifts your spirits on a rainy spring day, a full bodied white wine that has some tropical fruit notes will fit the bill perfectly! They're not so light that they feel better for beachside drinking, but they also have delicious fruit flavors to put you in the mood of a beautiful summer day.
We tried a bottle of Secateurs Chenin Blanc from South Africa. It's a great value, and you should be able to find a great bottle of South African Chenin Blanc for about $10 - $15 that will fit the bill perfectly.
Other types of wine that would fit this bill include White Rhone varietals or blends from grapes like Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne, or an Albariño from Spain or California.
LIGHT BODIED RED WINES LIKE GRENACHE
-----Another way of trying to lift your spirits on a gloomy day could be drinking a light bodied red wine. We particularly like Grenache (or Garnacha in Spain) because the yummy red fruit flavors are balanced by a bit of spice on the backend. It'll let you feel the rainy mood, but also be refreshing instead of heavy.
We enjoyed a bottle of Little James Basket Press made by St. Cosme in the South of France. It's under $15 and easy to find, but you shouldn't have a hard time finding good wines made from Grenache in the South of France or value priced and delicious Garnachas from Spain.
Other types of wine that would fit this bill include Pinot Noir (not Bridget's favorite!) or a Gamay from Beaujolais in France.
CABERNET FRANC
-----Cabernet Franc is the less well known parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. It has more vegetal notes and a ton of aromatics - particularly notes like graphite or pencil shavings. These aromatics perfectly match the smell of rain falling on concrete and if you want to have a full bodied wine to warm you up that also heightens the aromatic intensity of sitting on the patio drinking wine, Cabernet Franc is a great pick!
We drank a bottle of Zuccardi "Q" Cabernet Franc from Mendoza, Argentina that is an exceptional value. You can also find excellent Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux, France, the Loire Valley in France, California, and even Northern Italy!
RICH FULL BODIED RED WINES LIKE MONASTRELL
-----If you really want to lean into the "sad" feelings of a rainy day and just want a big, bold red wine to enjoy with the rain, a Monastrell is a great pick. This is a full bodied wine with plum, blackberry, smoke, earth, and tobacco notes. It also packs a punch with wines made from Monastrell (aka Mouvedre) usually clocking in around 15% ABV.
We sipped on a bottle of Albacea Monastrell from the Juan Gil family. These wines are super values and incredibly yummy. They're also great with BBQ in addition to rainy days!
Other types of wine that would fit this bill include a rich Malbec from Argentina, or a jammy Old Vine Zinfandel from California.
We hope you enjoyed this episode and if you aren't already, please join us for our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks episodes. You can subscribe and follow along with us on the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!
Are you intrigued by our incredibly punny Star Wars episode title? You should be! It's amazing and you need to listen to understand just how awesome our title inspiration is - or you can just check out this week's special episode cover art. We had a lot of fun sharing fun things that happened, product recommendations, and making Bridget choose her ideal Easter basket.
Here are links to what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We love Loon Juice cider! We sell it at Lake Geneva Country Meats, so if it sounded interesting to you, grab some next time you're in the area.
- The new Macaroni and Cheese Bratwurst at LGCM is amazing, and so is the announcement video. Check it out on the LGCM YouTube.
- If you have the same design aesthetic as Bridget (and Nick to be fair), you should check out this article on a Century Play Set on the A Beautiful Mess blog.
- Tiny homes made by 3D printer are now a thing! Read this My Modern Met post to see how amazing it is.
- Bridget was influenced by many influencers to try Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer (whatever that is - Nick) and is now a huge fan. You should be influenced by her to try it yourself!
- Nick says go play Star Wars Squadrons. Just do it. Lots of pew pew pew!
- Bridget is feeling this Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Thigh recipe.
- Nick is renting lenses from BorrowLenses.com to shoot some new recipes for the site. Do you have any recommendations on what he should cook?
Happy Easter everyone, we appreciate when you follow, rate us, review us, and share with your friends. Here are the links to do all of the things Dinner Plus Drinks:
- Watch on YouTube
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- Visit our website
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- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may get a small commission. Thanks!
Hi podcast friends - you've probably heard us talk about how much we love Seipp Brewing's new Columba Bock beer, we've featured it as one of the things we're drinking. You may also remember us talking to Laurin Mack, the brand owner of the beer last year as she launched the brand. This year, she launched a second type of Seipp Beer - Columbia Bock - and we teamed up with her and Dave Desimone, site director of Black Point Estate & Gardens, to have a virtual launch party for the delicious new beer!
This episode is an edited replay of the Zoom call that we had on March 25th, 2021. Our attendees were able to ask questions and enjoyed the beers (as well as beer brats made with Seipp Beer) during the evening. You don't have the beer in hand as you listen, but we hope you enjoy hearing from Laurin and Dave. They both have some really cool things to share!
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting Seipp Beer and Black Point Estate & Gardens. We love being able to highlight the awesome things in our backyard, and both Seipp and Black Point qualify as awesome. We hope you feel inspired to book a visit to Black Point or drink a six pack of Seipp Beer this summer.
Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Visit our website
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- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's a rainy tired week here but Nick helped Bridget rediscover something awesome that seems appropriate for this weather - Sweet Little Rain! This coffee shop trick combines two of Bridget's favorite things, and to learn what it is, you'll need to listen to our product recommendations - we think that's what you call a tease, right?
Heads up - we really want to get your input for next week's "would you rather" questions. Whether you have a favorite one that you like to ask people, or a dastardly one to ask Bridget and / or Nick, we want to get your ideas! We'd love it if you use our website to leave us a voicemail that we can play on next week's episode with your question. It's easy to leave a voicemail - just follow these steps:
- Go to dinnerplusdrinks.com
- Click the blue microphone in the lower right corner
- Hit start recording then fill out your name and email and submit the recording.
It's super easy, especially if you do the process on a phone! Thanks for your input, we're going to rotate segments a bit, and we want to get your input. You can also email hello at dinnerplus drinks dot com with the question, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram!
Here are links to what we talked about on this week's episode:
- New Zealand and their PM, Jacinda Ardern, passed another awesome law - paid time off for miscarriages and other unexpected ends to pregnancies. Both Bridget and Nick give the Kiwis two big thumbs up for this one!
- Nick would like to extend a big congratulations to friend of show John Ehlke for winning six(!) awards in the Best of the Midwest Media Fest for his work with the City of West Bend. Check out his work and support some of the awesome small businesses he's highlighted!
- Click here to learn about how you can get free gardening kit's at Lowe's every week in April!
- My Modern Met has an awesome roundup of everything Sweet Little Rain.
- With all these gloomy spring days, Bridget is feeling this Fajita Chicken Mac & Cheese recipe.
- And Nick is getting in the Easter spirit with his favorite Bourbon Ham Glaze recipe.
Thanks for listening to this week's episode, it's always fun to spend time with you - our awesome listeners! If you can please follow, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
We had quite the eventful St. Patrick's Day week, including a visit to our alma mater - Badger High School. On this week's episode, we share some hilarity occurred there, as well as general St. Patrick's Day fun and all the usual things. Here's what we talked about this week.
- Check out the video we filmed with the Badger ProStart students on YouTube here.
- Our Seipp's Columbia Virtual Beer release event is on Thursday, March 25th. You can buy tickets on our Eventbrite page.
- If you want to make real Irish Colcannon Potatoes, not the fake ones Bridget made (although they sound super delicious), you can check out an easy recipe on the LGCM website.
- If you've ever seen a "I closed Wolski's" sticker and wondered what's it about, check about this OnMilwaukee article about the Milwaukee institution.
- For beautiful pictures and a fascinating story about how Romania is working to build a huge national park, read this New York Times article.
- Bridget found a super awesome rubber body scrubber that she highly recommends. It's under $6, so use this link to get it from Amazon and try it yourself!
- Bridget is going to be making these Pineapple Teriyaki Pulled Pork sandwiches this week - they're super easy to do in the slow cooker!
- And Nick was really happy with the Chicken Cheese Steak Sandwiches that he made for this week's meal plan. Get the recipe here or watch his step by step instructions on YouTube.
Thanks for listening to this week's episode, we appreciate you spending time with us. Do you have any hilarious COVID panic buys or cool hobbies you've started since the pandemic? Send us a note to let us know, we'd love to hear how the past year has affected you!
If you can please follow, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody, we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you use our link to purchase products, we may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support!
Very exciting news - on this week's episode, we're joined by Lucy and Simona for Kid Corner! If you want to hear what they have to say, you'll have to listen to the end. You can also watch on YouTube to see how freaking adorable they are on camera. In addition to Lucy and Simona's podcast debut, we try the brand new Decoy wine seltzers (Nick was super pumped about them), play some crazy fun Irish-themed would you rather, and lots more fun.
Here are links to what we talked about on this week's episode:
- Bridget loved this story about a figure skater performing RIVERDANCE ON ICE! You need to watch the video here.
- Nick wanted to give some serious props to our podcast host Buzzsprout for their response to a DDOS attack. You can read about how they responded on their blog post about the incident.
- If you're interested in starting your own podcast, we'd recommend watching Buzzsprout's "How to Start a Podcast in 2021" video. It's fun, easy to watch, and informational.
- Bridget is getting crafty with this 4000 (!!) piece clay bead set. Hit her up if you'd like a bracelet.
- Our friend Sean Payne pointed us to Sister Golden, an artist that makes incredible artwork from flowers and other natural items. You need to check out the website.
- Bridget stole Nick's recipe idea for the week of cooking Irish Colcannon Potatoes.
- So Nick is going to instead get in on the Beer Can Chicken recipe.
We hope you enjoyed this week's episode and that our kids didn't ruin it for you. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up to have them get a taste of the podcast life!
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
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- Visit our website
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- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Sláinte, everybody! Enjoy St. Patrick's Day, and we'll see you next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
It's a weird week as we close in on the anniversary of realizing corona virus was a serious thing and would start changing our lives forever. It seems strange to break life up into "before" and "after" corona when it's only been a year, but it still seems like a huge divider. Bridget has had quite the week with illness in her house and it's a fitting topic of conversation for how we generally feel this week!
Don't despair, we opened some Irish beer (made by Guinness, but not Guinness Draught) and soldiered on with some joyful conversation. Here's what we talked about this week:
- Check out this story that Bridget shared about how two young entrepreneurs are making leather out of cactus. It's a neat and environmentally sustainable way to reimagine a classic product.
- Nick loves this NY Times story about Dolly Parton getting a dose of her own medicine. Literally she helped fund vaccine development and finally got her vaccine shot!
- Bridget found this awesome site called Saturday Morning Pancakes that has a lot of hilarious merch with punny sayings and hilarious 90s hip-hop references. You need to check it out.
- If you love beer and live in the Chicago-land area, you need to check out Solemn Oath Brewery. They currently have an awesome outside beer garden of trees and geodesic domes. It's amazing. The beer is freaking awesome as well.
- Pickle Brined Fried Chicken Sandwiches are Bridget's recipe pick from this week's meal plan.
- Perfect for Chicken Schwarma salads, or just a delicious grilled chicken dinner, Nick is suggesting the Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast recipe.
We hope you enjoyed this week's episode and were able to laugh at our frustrations. At least someone is, and if you can't laugh along with friends, what's the point? We appreciate your sympathy and support!
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
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- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great week everybody - we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
On this episode of Pinkies Up, we set out to make your life just a little bit better by finding the perfect wine to drink with pepperoni pizza! Whether you're doing take out, eating at your favorite pizza place, or eating a frozen pizza on a Thursday night, having a bottle of wine the complements your pepperoni pizza is going to help put a smile on your face. The wines we tried are easy to find, affordable, and versatile, so watch the episode to see what we think worked best with the pizza!
Our wine expert Nick set out some standards on what a wine should have to complement pepperoni pizza:
- It should have good, crisp acidity to stand up to the tomato sauce.
- It should have red fruit (not black fruit) flavors to go with the sweetness of the tomato sauce and spice notes of the pepperoni.
- It should be "wet" to help you chew the crust, especially when you have crispy crust!
To fit within those standards, Nick recommends four different types of wine. Here's an outline of the recommendations:
DRY ROSÉ
A dry rosé wine from Spain or France (like the Rosé All Day we drank) is crisp and refreshing with just enough red fruit to balance out the tomato and pepperoni flavors. Especially in the summer time, this is a terrific pairing with the pepperoni pizza. If you're not a red wine drinker, try a bottle of rosé instead of a white wine like chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. It'll work much better!
SPARKLING RED / CHILLABLE REDS
If you like sweeter wines, try a sweet, bubbly red like Lambrusco to go with your pizza. It has plenty of fruit and the bubbles are super refreshing. If you prefer something a little less sweet, try a red wine that can be served chilled, like the Keep It Chill red wine that we tried. You'll have lovely red fruit flavors and a cold wine to enjoy after the hot pizza!
SANGIOVESE BASED ITALIAN REDS
This is the no-brainer pairing, and it's a classic. Sangiovese is Italy's most popular red grape, and for good reason. It has nice acidity, is medium bodied, and pairs perfectly with pizza and pastas with red sauces. We recommend having a less expensive, more basic Chianti or Sangiovese for your pizza - it'll have more red fruit flavors than an aged version. We enjoyed the Castelluccio "Le More" Sangiovese which comes from Romagna and generally has more red fruit flavors than a Tuscan Sangiovese.
NERO D'AVOLA
If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, we'd suggest you try a Nero d'Avola with your pizza instead of reaching for that Cab. Nero d'Avola has a similar full body, but instead of dry black fruit flavors that don't work with the pizza, this wine has red fruit flavors. It's a great way to have a full bodied wine that works with your pizza. We enjoyed the Morgante Nero d'Avola on this episode.
We hope you enjoyed this episode and use what we learned to find a great bottle to keep at home to enjoy with your next pizza. We know it seems like a small thing, but we believe if you can make your life a little more delicious, it's well worth it!
If you liked this episode, please join us for our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks episodes by subscribing and following along with us on the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
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- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Cheers everybody - we'll talk to you soon!
~ Bridget and Nick
Hey everybody, we had a pretty down week caused by decisions that were made by the Lake Geneva City Council in regards to planned pop up dinners we were going to hold in downtown Lake Geneva. We took some time to express our feelings about that decision in this podcast and moved on to more positive things like some really delicious food talk and funny kid stories. It was a much needed bit of therapy - thanks for your support!
Here's a rundown of things we talked about this week:
- Bridget loved this interview between James Corden and Prince Harry. You can watch it on YouTube.
- We enjoyed a bottle of Gramona "La Cuvee" Cava, a delicious Spanish sparkling wine that's great for celebrations and commiserations!
- Milwaukee is now involved in the Floral Heart Project, a public art project to bring beauty and remembrance to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Nick is astounded by the idea of "wet water" which is used by firefighters to help put out fires faster. It's crazy. Check it out for yourself!
- Bridget found these awesome Stacking Rocks as a way of keeping the kids entertained while developing motor skills.
- Sonic the Hedgehog Coloring Books are awesome! Get one for your kid or buy more for Elliot! He won't say no to more coloring books.
- Bridget is excited for the Pork Chop and Waffle Sandwiches on this week's meal plan.
- While Nick is feeling some Slow Cooker Short Rib Barbacoa Tacos. They're incredibly yummy.
We appreciate to you listening to this week's episode, it was quite refreshing for us! You guys are the best, and we appreciate all the support you show us.
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great week everybody - we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
If you love Harry Potter and puns, you probably are curious about the title of this week's episode - you're going to have to listen to our news stories to find out where the reference comes from, and we promise it's pretty awesome.
Here are links to everything we talked about on this week's episode:
- We'll be hosting a series of Pop Up Dinners in downtown Lake Geneva starting on Saturday, February 27th. You can get tickets and details about all 3 of our dinners on Eventbrite.
- We enjoyed a bottle of the Symington Altano Duoro Red Blend from Portugal. It's a delicious every day red wine to enjoy with burgers, pasta, or whatever you're eating on a weeknight.
- The storms and electricity challenges in Texas are horrible, but one man - Jim "Mattress" Mack - stepped up to show incredible kindness. Read his story on CBS News.
- Nick absolutely loves that Scotland names their snowplow trucks - "gritters" to the Scots - and enjoys watching them move around Scotland. Check out a news story about this uniquely Scottish custom from cnet.
- Bridget is a big fan of these Hape wooden dollhouse furniture sets that are a great quality for all of your kids' play needs.
- Simona has been stepping it up big time on the arts and crafts, and these dauber markers help keep her from drawing all over everything.
- Bridget is looking forward to this Fajita Chicken Macaroni and Cheese recipe from our weekly meal plan.
- While Nick is super pumped for making a big batch of chimichurri sauce and putting it on a grilled flank steak. Get the recipe right here.
Thanks for listening to this week's episode, we have fun recording each week, and we're glad to do our best to bring some joy into your life. We hope you enjoy our chat and recommendations!
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great week everybody - we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
We're bringing you this episode early so you know to come and visit us at our donut and bacon themed pop up shop in downtown Lake Geneva on Sunday, February 14th. Wherever you are, you need to come get the donuts - they're DELICIOUS!
Okay, shameless promotional plugs aside, it's been quite the week. We've had a Super Bowl, Valentine's Day is here, Mardi Gras is almost here, and it's snowing like crazy. We're here with a fun episode full of great times and random news. Here's what we talked about:
- Amanda Gorman was awesome with her Super Bowl poetry, but Nick wasn't so sure about the National Anthem performance. What did you think - yay or nay? Send us a line to let us know your thoughts.
- We are THRILLED Bubly has come out with Bubly Bounce - caffeinated sparkling water in fun flavors. Check out this Adweek article about the launch that includes a fun launch ad featuring none other than Michael Bublé.
- Bridget made some bomb Sirloin steak sandwiches in her slow cooker, but if you want to cook like Nick, try these Slow Cooker Cochinita Pibil Tacos. They were so good.
- Bridget couldn't stop laughing about this story how the University of Toronto Anthropology Department keeps getting confused for an Anthropologie store, and who can blame her?
- Nick delighted in this utterly Wisconsin story about Department of Natural Resources officials misappropriating caviar.
- If you love coffee as much as Bridget, you may want to check out this handheld frother to take your coffee to the next level without breaking the bank.
- Nick recommends this Jaccard Tenderizer to tenderize steaks, meat cutlets and all other types of things. It's easy to use and a game changer when it comes to turning less tender cuts of meat into tender delicious things.
- Make yourself a light and delicious meal that's right up Bridget's alley with this Ginger Pork Lettuce Cup recipe.
- Or get into the Mardi Gras spirt and enjoy a LGCM Mardi Gras Jambalaya like Nick will be!
Thanks for listening to this week's episode, we hope you enjoyed and are also looking forward to all of the fun this week promises!
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great week everybody - we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
This week's episode was recorded live at our Lake Geneva Country Meats Sausage Shack Pop Up with special guest Kevin Fleming! We recorded during after we closed the shop for the day and the annual Streets of Lake Geneva Cocoa Crawl was occurring. If you watch on YouTube, you can see the stream of people going by the store!
We took a laid back approach to this week's episode and enjoyed a Guinness (it's good for you!) while we chatted with Kevin. You're going to want to make sure you listen to this week's Kids Corner because Bridget really delivered one heck of a story this week.
Thanks for listening - we hope you enjoyed this week's episode and the fun we had at our Pop Up Sausage Shack. You can join us at next week's "Nothing says love like bacon and donuts" pop up on February 13th and 14th from 7 AM - when the donuts sell out. You can find more details here.
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Visit our website
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great week everybody - we'll talk next week!
~ Bridget and Nick
On this episode of Pinkes Up, we seek to find out what is the best type of wine to drink with dark chocolate. Trust us, it was hard to do the research on this episode, but we got it done for you!
On Pinkies Up, we try to help normal wine drinkers learn more about wine in ways that are unpretentious, fun, and helpful. On this episode, Nick drops a few pro tips about sparkling wine throughout the episode while Bridget shares her love of bubbles and offers opinions about what every day drinkers would enjoy. If you'd like to watch this episode on YouTube, just click here!
On this episode, we used Milwaukee's own award-winning Indulgence Chocolatiers Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Bars and Snack Factory Dark Chocolate Pretzel Crisps for our chocolate. Here's a list of the wines we enjoyed with the chocolate:
- Le Charmel Pinot Noir
- Renacer Punto Final Malbec
- Josh Reserve Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon
- Offley Tawny Port
- Schmitt Söhne Berenauslese Riesling
We also tried an Oktoberfest beer from Maplewood Brewing based on the recommendation of Julie Waterman (owner of Indulgence Chocolatiers) made in our previous podcast episode. You can listen to that episode here.
To find out what wines we thought worked best with the chocolate and to get general tips on pairing these items together, you can listen to the episode, or visit our website for more details.
We hope you enjoy this episode and go find the perfect bottle of wine to enjoy with your chocolate. If you have favorite wine and chocolate pairings, we'd love for you to get in touch with us and let us know your tips.
You can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
If you like the series, please consider subscribing to our channel and leaving us a review. Pinkies Up is a part of the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, which you can also subscribe to and follow in your favorite podcast app. We appreciate you listening and spending time with us - enjoy your wine!
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
We're giving this episode a Dad joke title because it is coming out a little later on Sunday than we normally release episodes and it's about chocolate!
We were unable to record our normal weekly episode this week due to time constraints, so we dug into the audio archives and pulled out an interview Nick previously did with Julie Waterman of Indulgence Chocolatiers in Milwaukee, WI on a past podcast episode. The interview was conducted in 2018, so some things are different (pre-COVID!), but we still think it's an interesting interview.
Why did we choose to release this audio for this week's episode? It's because on Wednesday we will be releasing our newest Pinkies Up interview that will be answering the question "What Wine Pairs with Dark Chocolate" and it will be featuring Indulgence Chocolatiers Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt! We hope this episode helps get you pumped UP for Valentine's Day, and wine and chocolate pairings in general.
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Thanks for your understand with this audio archive episode. You'll be hearing from us this Wednesday, and Friday we'll have an episode recorded live at our new popup store with 2 weeks of fun, food, drinks, and, some awesome kid stories. It's going to be well worth the wait!
Cheers!
~ Bridget and Nick
If you're a fan of the Dad jokes, Nick really over-delivered on this week's episode...if you don't like the Dad jokes, then maybe be prepared for some serious groans! In addition to the jokes, we talked about terrible jobs, gave some shout outs to our favorite things from the Biden / Harris Inauguration, invented a new drink, and talked about some delicious food. Here are links from this week's episode:
- We made a new cocktail that we call the "Green & Gold" for your Green Bay parties! Just pour a shot of Packer legend LeRoy Butler's new Leap Vodka into an ice filled rocks glass, then top with lime seltzer water. Garnish with lemons and limes. It's not super imaginative, but it's green and gold, just like America's favorite football team!
- Bridget is getting into slow cooker meal prep thanks to these super convenient Menu Planning Meal tins from Passionate Penny Pincher.
- Bridget shared this awesome story from Good Morning America about an Iowa teacher who is building thousands of desks to give kids who are learning from home a good work space.
- Nick loved the Tank's Good News round up on Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman and her journey to being the youngest poet ever to perform at a Presidential Inauguration!
- Bridget found that these Vietnamese coffee pour overs from Copper Cow Coffee are super convenient for coffee on the go.
- Nick is channeling his inner dad and suggests you stay safe with a portable tire inflator you can carry in your car in case you have a flat tire!
- Bridget is going to feed her entire family with this One Pot Spaghetti Bolognese recipe.
- And Nick is going to feast on these Bourbon BBQ Chicken Wings.
Thanks for listening, and a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our "bad jobs" segment. We laughed / barfed at your stories. Be sure to follow us on social media for next week's question!
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Go Pack Go! We hope have a Championship game win to talk about when we chat again on next Sunday. Have a great week everybody!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you use our links to purchase items, we may receive a small commission.
Happy Inauguration Week everybody!
We want to promote a celebration of America and all of the wonderful traditions that bring us together, so on this week's episode, we put an Inauguration theme to the podcast. Join us as we share funny stories from past Inauguration, talk favorite fictional heads of state (thanks social followers for the input), talk about Presidential meals, and play a Presidential themed game of Interesting Questions with Bridget & Nick!
Here are links to what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We opened a bottle of Black Stallion Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley (super delicious) to enjoy. It was one of the wine's served at President Trump's Inauguration!
- Bridget shared this article from the Architect of the Capitol about the teamwork required to make a Presidential Inauguration happen.
- Nick loved this list from the History Channel about 10 Unexpected Moments in Inauguration History.
- Bridget suggests getting yourself a Madam Vice President Sweatshirt like this one.
- Nick can imagine nothing more patriotic than these Andy Roddick America Tennis Shoes.
- This week's LGCM Meal Plan has a listing of a few different Inaugural meals - check it out and maybe try one for yourself!
Thanks for listening - we really hope you enjoyed our little detour into the Presidential Inauguration. We had fun doing the research for this episode, and we hoped you enjoyed all the tidbits. We'd love to hear if you have any of your own Presidential "would you rathers" - feel free to send them our way and we'll do our best to answer them!
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Enjoy the Inauguration and all the festivities that go along with a new President. No matter what side of the aisle you're on, it's a great excuse to celebrate America. We'll talk to you again next Sunday!
~ Bridget and Nick
Bridget was right - just because it's 2021 doesn't mean that the craziness is ended!! We cover a wide range of topics on this episode from Dry January to the madness at the Capitol to some very helpful (maybe) financial planning tips from Nick. Here are links to what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We got some great community comments on Dry January - thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram for future discussion topics and please share your thoughts!
- We tried Nova Easy Alcoholic Kombucha as an attempt at a "healthy" alcoholic drink for the New Year. Our thoughts were mixed, but you can try it for yourself at LGCM.
- Like much of America, Bridget was touched by Alex Trebek's message on his final episode of Jeopardy! He didn't know it would be his last episode, but he still managed to share an inspiring message. You can get the highlights here.
- Nick thought the NY Times story of Fred Kast, the official scorer of the Golden State Warriors, who retired from his role after 57 years was an interesting tale of paper based scoring still existing in a digital world. You can read the story here.
- If you're looking to drink more water in 2021, a big ole' Yeti Tumbler will help you accomplish this goal! Bridget loves hers and you can buy one from Amazon by clicking here.
- Nick loves that Acorns helps him slowly and steadily save money through rounding up his credit card purchases. If you'd like to give it a try (and help Nick get a referral bonus!) you can use this link to sign up.
- It's Slow Cooker Week at Lake Geneva Country Meats, and Bridget is recommending this Italian Stuffed Pork Meatball Sandwich recipe.
- And Nick whole heartedly recommends this Slow Cooker Beef Osso Bucco recipe.
Thank you so much for listening! We hope you enjoyed this week's chat, and particular thanks to everyone who shared comments on our discussion topic.
If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can follow us and get in touch with us through the following channels:
- Watch on YouTube
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Get links to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app
- Or email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ com
Have a great week, stay safe, and stay sane - we'll talk to you again next Sunday!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you make a purchase using our links, we may receive a commission, and the same for signing up using one of our links.
Happy New Year!
On this week's episode, we have a fun conversation about what New Year's means to us, how we celebrate, and favorite memories. We also share some of the things we are looking forward to in 2021 and chat about the all the normal things as well. It's good to start trying to get back to normal a little bit!
Here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We drank a glass (or two) each of Gramona La Cuvee, a Spanish sparkling wine that is made by a sustainable, family owned and quality focused producer.
- Bridget and Nick each shared a roundup of some of the good news stories from 2020. If you need to be reminded of the good things that happened in this dumpster fire of a year, click here to see Bridget's round up, and click here to see Nick's round up.
- Bridget's cousin Ruth (click here to see her Instagram account that showcases her beautifully designed house), helped Bridget find this Daily Planner by Lavendaire. It offers flexibility and planning as well as a daily dose of gratitude.
- Nick will once again recommend the Ink + Volt planner. He's used it for many years, and it has always helped him reign in the daily chaos just a little bit.
- We're starting our 2021 with a meal plan featuring recipes that'll bring a little spice to your life! Click here to check it out.
- Bridget picked a recipe that Elliot will probably love - it's pork - and is super easy to make in a slow cooker. Check out this Sweet and Spicy Thai Pork Loin recipe right here.
- Nick picked this Chorizo and Queso dip recipe from the meal plan that is one of Sarah's favorite treats. She even makes it herself for family get togethers! Check it out here.
Thank you so much for listening! If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Happy New Year, friends! We'll talk again soon - if there are any topics you want us to take on this year, be sure to get in touch and let us know.
~ Bridget and Nick
On this New Year's themed episode of Pinkies Up, we answer the question "what's the best Champagne under $15?" by trying 7 different sparkling wines to let you know what wine you should be drinking this New Year's Eve!
On Pinkies Up, we try to help normal wine drinkers learn more about wine in ways that are unpretentious, fun, and helpful. On this episode, Nick drops a few pro tips about sparkling wine throughout the episode while Bridget shares her love of bubbles and offers opinions about what every day drinkers would enjoy.
Here's a list of the bottles we tried:
- Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Spanish Sparkling Wine
- Segura Viudas Brut Cava
- Zonin Brut Prosecco
- Gran Passione Extra Dry Prosecco
- Korbel Brut California Champagne
- Mawby US Brut
- Charles Armand Brut de Brut
These wines are widely available, and most of them are available for purchase at Lake Geneva Country Meats.
We hope you enjoy this episode and that it helps you find the perfect bottle of bubbly for all your celebrations - whether it's welcoming a New Year or celebrating the successful completion of a project at work.
If you like the series, please consider subscribing to our channel and leaving us a review. Pinkies Up is a part of the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, which you can also subscribe to and follow in your favorite podcast app. We appreciate you listening and spending time with us - have a happy New Year and enjoy your wine!
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year friends!
We forgot to tell you on last week's episode that we're taking a break from our normal full length episode this week due to the Holidays, but we do have a super awesome Pinkies Up episode that is being released right after this episode. This episode of Pinkies Up is all about budget friendly sparkling wines for New Year's Eve, and you aren't going to want to miss it. Nick also still had a fun Kid's Corner story about Simona to share, so you don't have to go too long without hearing about our kids. Because we know you all love that part of the podcast the most.
We hope you enjoyed an awesome Holiday season full of love, cheer, and great food and drinks.
See you in the New Year - and don't forget to listen to Pinkies Up for wine advice!
We're still apart - don't want to get anyone sick before Christmas! - but we are in a festive mood as we talk about Christmas traditions, house decorating, and lots more on this fun episode of Dinner Plus Drinks. We hope you enjoy hearing some of what we're looking forward to this Christmas and hope you'll send us some of your Holiday traditions. We love hearing about the fun things all of our podcast friends are doing!
Here are a few links of things we talked about on this episode:
- Bridget shared the story of how a Father & Son honored their Wife & Mom's memory by spreading $208 of free coffee. It's amazing - check it out here.
- Nick loves stories of retirees going back to school to earn degrees, and found this story of a Grandma and Granddaughter graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga together really awesome. Read it here.
- Bridget loves to collect themed ornaments to commemorate each year, and this years, she found cross stitch templates on Etsy to make at home. These ornaments are pretty funny, you can find them here.
- Nick recently purchased a DJI Mini 2 drone. It's amazing. If you need a gift for someone who loves tech toys, get this. Learn about it on DJI's website.
- Nick also recommends Ultra Bright LED Christmas lights in the C6 size. They're perfect! He bought his at Home Depot. You can get the details here.
As always, thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed our Christmas talk and would love to hear your Christmas stories and traditions. You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Have a very Merry Christmas - we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Bridget & Nick recorded this episode remotely in the direct afterglow of our first ever Christkindlmarkt. It was a monumental undertaking to make this event happen and we used this episode to discuss the whole journey of getting this event off the ground. Listen to hear the travails of this event and enjoy the happiness of an all's well that ends well.
In addition, we announced the winners of our 50th Episode giveaways. Here they are:
- Apple Podcast Review - Sue the Turtle Doctor
- Facebook Post Share - Mary Kutz Rima
- YouTube Subscriber - Apryl McCoy
Please send us an email to hello at dinnerplusdrinks dot com and we'll get your gift cards to you. Thanks to everyone who entered and support us each week!
Thanks for listening, this week, we hope you enjoyed our crazy Christkindlmarkt stories! We hop you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends. Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Have a great week - we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Friends, loyal listeners, and casual acquaintances, it's our 50th episode! We are celebrating with recaps of some of our favorite moments over the past 50 episodes, which is conveniently roughly a year. When we started this journey together, we could not have predicted what was going to happen this year, but we've gone through it together, and we're incredibly grateful that you've been along for the ride with us.
To thank you for your support, we're giving away 3 - $25 Amazon gift cards. Here's how you can enter:
- Publicly share this episode's post on our Dinner Plus Drinks Facebook page.
- Review our podcast on Apple podcasts - if you've already reviewed us, you're already entered, thank you!
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel - again if you're already subscribed, you're already entered, thank you!
As always, we'd love to hear your feedback. If you have a favorite moment or suggestions on what you'd like to hear on future episodes, please shoot us a note at hello at dinner plus drinks dot com. Subscribe, share, and talk to your friends about us. We appreciate all of your support.
Have a great week and good luck!
Bridget & Nick
*Enter before Friday, December 11th. We'll select one random winner from each contest and announce them on our December 13th episode.
Welcome to Pinkies Up, a series where we answer questions "normal" wine drinkers like Bridget have about wine. In this episode, we find out what wine pairs with Christmas cookies!
It's a festive time of the year, and you're probably going to be baking and eating Christmas cookies. You're also probably a little stressed from the hectic schedules, so you may want a glass of wine with your cookies. However, with so many types of cookies and so many flavors, how do you pick a wine that makes those cookies taste even better?
In this episode, we tried many different types of cookies and Holiday treats and found out that rich, sweet wines often pair the best with the sweet cookies. Here are a few of our favorite pairings:
- Peanut Brittle pairs great with Tawny Port like Offley Tawny Port.The sweetness of peanuts and sugar needs a really sweet wine to match up. A tawny port has both sweetness along with nutty notes in the flavor profile that work excellent with this treat.
- Sugar Cookies pair well with buttery Chardonnays like Josh Reserve North Coast Chardonnay.
Sugar cookies are buttery and sweet, plus a bit of a crumbly texture in your mouth which can get dry after chewing. A rich, full bodied Chardonnay that has oak aging for buttery flavor is a perfect pairing.
- Gingerbread Cookies pair well with Gewürztraminers like Lucien Albrecht Gewürztraminer.The spicy notes of these cookies are highlighted by the perfumed and baking spice aromas and flavors of this aromatic white wine while the sweetness in the wine helps make this dry cookie a little bit more enjoyable.
- Peppermint Cookies pair well with Australian Cabernet Sauvignon like Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon.
Peppermint's combination of sweet and peppery flavors is perfectly matched by Australian Cabernets from places in South Australia like McLaren Vale, Barossa, and Coonawarra. These are generally full bodied styles of Cabernet that have hints of menthol, mint, or eucalyptus in them. These flavor hints really bring out the best in the peppermint!
- Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies pair well with Australian Cabernet Sauvignon like Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon.
Australian Cabernet also works well with these cookies because the rich, full body and black fruit flavors of the wine is lovely with milk chocolate. The full body also helps cover up some of the chalky texture of the cookie part of this cookie.
- Shortbread Cookies pair well with Sparkling wine like Gran Passione Prosecco.
Let's face it, shortbread is a dry cookie. Pairing it with a crisp sparkling wine like a Prosecco brings a little sparkle to the match that the cookie needs. We especially like looking for an "extra dry" sparkling wine because, weirdly enough, extra dry sparkling wines have a bit more sweetness than brut sparkling wines. The little extra sugar helps the cookie a bunch!
We also tried caramel corn, fruit cake (ick ick ick), stroopwaffel, and one more surprise treat and came up with fun pairing ideas for these treats. Watch to see all of our thoughts.
Have a great Holiday season, we appreciate you tuning in! We hope this episode gave you a bit of seasonal joy! Let us know what you think of our pairing suggestions and if you have any of your own favorites by sending us an email at hello at dinnerplusdrinks dot com.
If you like the series, please consider subscribing to our channel and leaving us a review. Pinkies Up is a part of the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, which you can also subscribe to and follow in your favorite podcast app. We appreciate you listening and spending time with us - have a beautiful Thanksgiving and enjoy your wine!
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, whatever that looked like this year. We both had a relaxing, fun Holiday, highlighted in Bridget's case by Oyster crackers... You'll have to listen to find out exactly what that means, but here are the links to what we talked about in this week's episode:
- Bridget is loving the Holderness family videos. You've probably seen some of them before, but if you haven't checked them out recently, their Thanksgiving parody of Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is pretty awesome. Watch it here.
- Nick loves this story about a man whose house / coffin making factory was almost hit by a meteorite and now has more than a million dollars from it - he hopes this good luck omen will lead to him having a daughter. It melted Nick's #girldad heart. Read the story here.
- If you're buying books for Holiday gifts, shopping at your local independent bookstore has lots of benefits. Use IndieBound.org to locate one near you and learn about the difference local bookstores make in our communities!
- Nick loves the Geneva Lake Museum, and right now they're hosting an amazing Parade of Trees. Take your kids / grandkids and enjoy a stroll through the pretty trees. Get details here.
- Bridget is particularly excited for this Sheet Pan Indian Beef & Cauliflower recipe from this week's meal plan. It uses a Tri-Tip steak and a delicious Indian seasoning base to feed a crowd.
- Nick is feeling this very easy to make Sweet & Savory Pork Tenderloin recipe that is made in a slow cooker.
Thanks for listening, if you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Have a great week - we'll talk to you soon.
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Happy Thanksgiving!
It's been a crazy lead up to this Holiday and we just want to take some time to talk about Thanksgiving, relax, and enjoy some wine. We hope you enjoy our meandering chat about all things Thanksgiving and we hope you'll share your own favorite Thanksgiving traditions and what you're doing in this odd year.
Thanks for listening, if you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Happy Thanksgiving - we'll be back next week with a more normal episode!
~ Bridget and Nick
Loyal listeners, we want to know are you Team Bridget (stay and cower in basement) or Team Nick (drive away from a tornado and not die) when it comes to tornados? We're still not sure if we had a for real tornado in Lake Geneva, but we sure had a big storm, and it caused some MAJOR debate on this episode of Dinner Plus Drinks. As always, we want to know your feedback, so be sure to hit us up and let us know your thoughts!
Here's what else we have on this episode:
- Nick made a delicious Cranberry Orange Fizz cocktail. It was refreshing but also very Thanksgiving. The recipe is 4 parts cranberry juice + 2 parts gin + 1 part triple sec + 1 part orange juice. Shake to combine, pour over ice, and top with cranberry Sprite (or similar soda). You can also garnish with frozen cranberries or muddled thyme!
- Bridget was incredibly inspired this week by Chris Nikic becoming the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman. This is an incredible accomplishment and you can learn more about Chris and support his 1% Better Challenge by visiting his website.
- Nick thought this story about the use of analytics in high school football was fascinating. Do you think too many resources are being put into high school sports? Let us know, we debate this subject a lot! Click here to read the article from the NY Times.
- Bridget highly recommends BestStamps4U - a local small company - for making custom stamps for Holiday gifts. It's a thoughtful, unique, and useful gift!
- Nick is excited that our friends at The Candle Mercantile in Lake Geneva have their Holiday scents out. They're open for local pickup and also ship all over the country!
- Bridget is excited to try these Roast Beef Cheddar Pockets for Sunday football snacks.
- Nick is all over these Bourbon Glazed Steak Bites. They're so yummy!
Thank you so much for listening! If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Have a great week, we'll talk you to soon!
~ Bridget and Nick
Votes still weren't counted when we recorded this episode, and we wanted to know the results, just like the rest of you! Obviously, when the episode is released, we're now aware of the results, but this episode stands as a monument to that weird point in time where we were pretty certain who the President would be, but we weren't totally certain.
We also talked about many, many fun topics on this episode. Here are links to more information:
- We really enjoyed our bottle of Truchard Tempranillo. If you want to attend our virtual wine talk & tasting with Anthony Truchard (winery owner), you can RSVP and get details here: https://fb.me/e/29nSGht46
- Bridget loved this video of a neighborhood man making his driveway into a racetrack for the area kids. It's really neat! Watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=655870441786247
- Learn about what English soccer player Marcus Rashford is doing to combat childhood hunger in the United Kingdom here: https://www.bbc.com/news/education-54841316
- This swan sale story has some really fun stories and pictures about people who traveled to Lakeland, Florida to take home a pair of swans. Read it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/01/us/lakeland-swan-sale.html
- For unique Holiday gifts, check out this Etsy shop from Hudson and Mila. They make some beautiful tie-dyed creations and also support the children's autism community: https://www.etsy.com/shop/hudsonandmila/
- Thanksgiving is coming soon and Nick put together a list of accessories and gadgets that are super useful. You take a look at the list on the LGCM Thanksgiving website here: https://lakegenevacountrymeats.com/thanksgiving-at-lgcm#recommendations
- If you're looking for an easy and tasty weeknight dinner, Bridget recommends this Korean BBQ Chicken Tender recipe: https://lakegenevacountrymeats.com/recipes/korean-bbq-chicken-tenders
- And if you want to make the most delicious tacos in the world, Nick recommends this Pork Carnitas Made in Lard recipe: https://lakegenevacountrymeats.com/recipes/pork-carnitas-made-in-lard
We just released our newest Pinkies Up episode. Nick tried to find a Pinot Noir that a Cabernet drinker like Bridget would enjoy. If you haven't listened already, you can find out the results for yourself. Find the episode in this stream, or watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/0yjOh5vMDBY
Thank you so much for listening! If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it. Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Have a great week, we'll talk you to soon!
~ Bridget and Nick
Welcome to the newest episode of our wine series Pinkies Up! In this series, we answer questions 'normal' wine drinkers like Bridget have about wine.
With Thanksgiving almost here, and Pinot Noir being our number one wine recommendation for the Holiday, we wanted to find out what Pinot Noir you should drink if you love Cabernet. Nick is a huge fan of Pinot, and Bridget is an avowed Cab lover. Nick tried three different approaches to finding a Pinot Noir that Bridget would enjoy. Here are the approaches (and wines) Nick tried out.
- Try a Pinot Noir that doesn't taste like a Pinot Noir! Meiomi Pinot Noir is a big, fruity wine that really has much more in common with a Cabernet than "traditional" Pinot Noir. Nick thought that perhaps the bigger body of this wine, combined with the ripe fruit flavors (both unusual for classic Pinot Noir) may be something that Bridget enjoyed.
- Try a Pinot Noir that has some tannin in it! Cristom Pinot Noir is made using techniques that bring out tannin on the back end even though it has a lighter body. Many Cabernet drinkers like the dry tannins at the end of the wine, and maybe a Pinot Noir with tannin would appeal to Bridget.
- Finally, we just decided to try a really expensive, really well made Pinot Noir. The Domaine Parent 'Les Epenots' Pinot Noir from Pommard in Burgundy, France is a big, masculine style of Pinot Noir that comes from some of the best lands for Pinot Noir you could imagine. Maybe just having one of the best possible bottles of Pinot Noir would be something Bridget would like.
Listen to the entire episode to see what Bridget ended up deciding, and then try some of these approaches at home. You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel if you'd like to see our faces and check out the bottles of wine while you listen. Click here to watch on YouTube.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Pinkies Up! Let us know what you think of this series and if you have a favorite Pinot Noir by sending us an email at hello at dinnerplusdrinks dot com.
If you like the series, please consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your favorite podcast player. We appreciate you listening and spending time with us - have a beautiful Thanksgiving and enjoy your wine!
Cheers!
Bridget & Nick
Friends, we are anxious right now, and we're guessing some of you probably are as well. We're anxious about the election, we're anxious about the growing spread of COVID, and we're a little antsy about the change of seasons as well. We talk through some of our concerns, but also have some good news and are excited to share our Halloween costumes! To see the costumes, just check out this episode's cover art - we updated it with the pictures.
Here's everything we talked about on this week's episode:
- Bridget is getting great satisfaction from these beautiful color palettes drawn from movie scenes. They're really cool, check them out!
- You know Nick loves the NY Times, and they recently did some reporting on a very important subject for Lake Geneva Country Meats: how will coronavirus impact Thanksgiving turkeys!
- You know Bridget has a love of items with clever sayings, and these microwave safe cookware items have some great ones. Check them out on Instagram.
- Nick is recommending a Christmas gift pack of Korean pantry staples with the following items:
- Doenjang (soybean paste) is savory and can be used for a number of applications outside of Korean food when you want to add savoriness to a dish.
- Gochujang (hot pepper paste) is a spicy paste used in conjunction with doenjang to make a spicy and savory rub or marinade for your favorite Korean BBQ dishes.
- Rice syrup is a traditional sweetener that brings something different to the table than honey or sugar and is a Korean staple.
- Bridget is going to get her comfort food on with this yummy Italian Sausage Stuffed Shell recipe.
- And Nick is going to bring a little spice to his life with this Thai Sweet Chili Pork Chops with Chopped Salad recipe.
We hope you had a great Halloween and that you make it through this next (very stressful) week with your sanity intact! If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Thanks for listening, we'll be back next week to help get through whatever happened!
~ Bridget and Nick
*If you purchase items using our links, we may receive a small commission. Thank you for helping support our podcast!
We're starting a new tradition on the podcast - having a special true crime edition! If you're a long time listener, or even if you have only listened to one previous episode, you're probably aware that Bridget loves true crime podcasts. Since it's the spooky season, we decided to take on the genre ourselves, and explore the unsolved disappearance of Kerry O'Brien-Krueger. We also had a delicious fall themed cocktail - we have the recipe below!
Kerry disappeared from Burlington, Wisconsin (just down the road from us) in 1989, and her case still hasn't been resolved. She left behind a husband, daughter, and many relatives that miss her, and haven't had the chance to have closure. It's a heartbreaking case in many ways, and we discuss some possible theories as well as facts from the case.
What do you think happened? Do you have theories? We'd love to get your feedback and interact with you on this episode. You can reach us via email at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com or find us on Facebook and Instagram and get in touch that way. You can also watch us on YouTube if you prefer getting content on that channel.
Most importantly, if you have any info that could help with this case, you can call Heather Spranger at the Burlington Police Department at 262-636-3367 or email her at heather dot spranger /at/ racinecounty /dot/ com. You can also anonymously reach out to Crime Stoppers by calling 888-636-9330.
SPICED APPLE CIDER MIMOSA RECIPE
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- 2 cups Sparkling Wine
- 1 cup Apple Cider
- 2-3 shots Spiced Rum
Stir all ingredients and garnish with apple slices and cinnamon sticks. Enjoy!
Nick has been busy with a week of celebrating Simona's birthday, and as of recording, the celebrations weren't over yet! Tune in to hear all the plans of how Nick & Sarah were going to celebrate their darling baby girl turning 1, plus a cocktail recipe, lots of great product recommendations, and more fun kid stories. Here are notes & links from this week's episode:
- The podcast got off to a tasty start with our Rye Whiskey Mule drink. Here's the recipe: 1.5 oz Rye Whiskey + 3 oz. Apple Cider + 2 oz. Ginger Beer. Serve ingredients over ice in a rock glass or copper mule mug and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
- If you want to enjoy a romantic evening with your significant other, look no further than renting Bernie Brewer's old chalet at Lakefront Brewery!
- If you're scared of snakes (like Bridget), don't look at this article about the largest python ever captured in Florida.
- Bridget highly recommends these Notorious B.I.G. family pajamas. They're pretty funny!
- Nick loves this A to Z World Food database which is available for free if you have a Lake Geneva Public Library card and access the site through the library. You can see Nick do a demo on how to use the site right here.
- Bridget is going to be making this Apple Cider Pork Cutlet recipe.
- Nick is going to be making this Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Stew recipe.
Thanks for listening, we appreciate you spending time with us. If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Have a great week - we'll be back next week with more fun!
~ Bridget and Nick
Holy chicken, on this week's episode Bridget & Nick both had some delicious chicken they wanted to rave about. It must be (yet another) sign of an impending apocalypse. We talked about the end of Oktoberfest and an upcoming birthday party plus lots more on this week's episode. Here are all the links:
- Bridget is excited to watch the new Hulu documentary 'A Woman's Place'.
- Nick thinks this story from the NY Times about how some people can't smell icky fish smells is hilarious.
- If you get a flat tire, like both Bridget & Nick's wife Sarah did this week, this portable tire inflater is a super handy tool to have!
- Bridget is loving the environment and enjoying using this countertop compost bin from Amazon.
- Nick's daughter Simona's birthday is coming up and we're getting the party started with a "1" shaped pretzel from Milwaukee Pretzel Company.
- For all the chicken talk on this episode, Bridget switched up her meal recommendation and went with this delicious Sheet Pan Tri-Tip Steak with Brussels Sprouts recipe...because she loves Brussels Sprouts, of course.
- Nick owes his family this BBQ Bourbon Chicken Pizza recipe sometime soon. It's one of the family's favorite recipes.
Did you see our newest episode of Pinkies Up was released this week? In this episode of our wine series, we answer the question "Is All German Wine Sweet?" while we're dressed up in festive German clothing. You can listen online here or watch on YouTube here.
Thanks for listening, we appreciate you spending time with us. If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello /at/ dinnerplusdrinks /dot/ com.
Have a great week - we'll be back next week with more fun!
~ Bridget and Nick
*We may earn a small commission if you purchase products using our links. Thanks for your support!
Welcome to our series about wine - Pinkies Up! In this series, we talk about questions normal wine drinkers have and try to answer them in unpretentious ways. This episode, recorded during the height of the Oktoberfest season challenges Bridget's idea that all German wine is sweet.
We recorded this episode live on Zoom with a group of customers who were also curious in this question. We were able to get comments and questions from our group of tasters, so we hope you enjoy what they had to say. Here are the six wines we tasted for this episode:
*Szigeti (pronounced Ziggity!) Blanc de Blanc - this Austrain sparkling wine is crisp with green apple and citrus fruit flavors and just a hint of salty minerality on the end.
*Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner - this Austrain white wine is the perfect wine to try if you love Sauvignon Blanc, but want something with a little less grapefruit and more apple flavor.
*Dr. Hermann H Riesling - this German riesling is medium-dry, not too dry but also not too sweet, and the perfect wine for when you want something easy drinking and a little fruity but not over the top sugary.
*Schmitt Sohne Riesling Auslese - if you love sweet wines, this one is for you! This German wine is packed with honied apricot and peach flavors.
*Paul Achs Lust & Leben Red Blend - this is a fresh and fun red blend made entirely from Austrian native grapes. It's medium bodied with flavors of juicy cherry and raspberry.
*Villa Wolf Pinot Noir - Germany is starting to be able to make really delicious Pinot Noir in some warmer areas of the country. This one has dark red fruit and clove notes. It's super yummy.
You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel if you'd like to see our outfits and keep track of the Zoom conversation. Just click here to see the video.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Pinkies Up! Let us know what you think of this series and if you enjoy German and Austrian wine by sending us an email at hello at dinnerplusdrinks dot com.
If you like the series, please consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your favorite podcast player. We appreciate you listening and spending time with us - have an awesome day.
Prost!
We got the answer to the question you all wanted to know - what is the best way to water your plants in an environmentally responsible manner. Okay, maybe that's not what you all wanted to know, but we did talk about it in this week's episode. Also featured is chat about Oktoberfest, delicious food, kids, and much more. Here are the links from this week's episode:
- If you love being scared, but don't want to get out of your car, we have just the thing for you...a haunted car wash!
- Nick and Sarah love watching tennis, and Nick is fascinated by this article in the NY Times about if using an underhanded serve is a good tactic or poor sportsmanship.
- Bridget found an awesome guide on how to make really cool looking tie-dye clothes by using colored tissue paper. Get the proper tissue paper here.
- If you want to drip irrigate your garden and save water, here's a starter kit from Amazon.
- Bridget is going to try out this Mustard Breaded Pork Chop recipe.
- Nick is going to make SCHWEINEBRATEN - it's so much fun to yell the name, but it also tastes delicious!
Thanks for listening, we appreciate you spending time with us. If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Have a great week and enjoy the fall weather...prost!
~ Bridget and Nick
*We may earn a small commission if you purchase products using our links. Thanks for your support!
We're both sad about the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She's one of the great American examples of hard work, persistence, and sticking to your values paying off. We talk about her passing, America, Bridget (and Shannon)'s birthday weekend, lots of delicious food, and plenty more on this week's episode. Here are the links to what we shared on this week's episode:
- If you'd like to get some bomb pins and support causes that were championed by RBG, check out these Dissent Pins recommended by Bridget.
- If lifestyle bloggers sometimes drive you crazy, check out The Daily Tay!
- Nick thinks that it's totally awesome some airlines are offering flights to nowhere for those who missing flying!
- Bridget's eyes keep getting worse, but luckily she can get a good price on glasses from Zenni. Check them out for yourself if you need affordable eyewear!
- Nick has been using the A to Z Food America and A to Z World Food online databases for recipe and food culture research. They're available free with a Lake Geneva Public Library card - check and see if your library has access too!
- Finally, Nick is really excited to make this German Sausage and Kale Stew (say it with us) aka GRUNKOHL recipe this week.
We will be recording a live edition of our Pinkies Up wine series on Thursday, October 1st. You can join in the fun via Zoom - ask us questions, heckle us, whatever! You can click here to get more details about the wines we'll be trying, and purchase them at Lake Geneva Country Meats or a fine retailer near you.
Thanks for listening, we appreciate you spending time with us. If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody and have a tremendous week!
This is a very special episode celebrating a very special set of twins - our very own Bridget and her sister Shannon! The twins are celebrating their birthday this weekend, and we had a celebratory bottle of Gruet Sparkling wine and learned all about this fantastic duo. We hope you enjoy Shannon's guest appearance.
Here are the links from this week's episode:
- We enjoyed a bottle of New Mexico's own Gruet Winery Brut Rosé sparkling wine.
- Bridget really enjoyed this Costco Gnocchi kit - super easy to make!
- Check out this Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken recipe. Nick made it and Bridget wants it.
- Nick thinks the Dave Grohl - Nandi Bushell drum off is adorable. Check out the conclusion of this intense battle here.
- Shannon and Nick both endorse the Hatch Rest+ Baby Sound Machine, Light and Monitor.
- Bridget thinks Nothing Bundt Cakes are delicious and there's now a location near us!
- Shannon has the analog version of Ticket to Ride and Nick has it on his phone. It's a great game to play with the whole family!
- Nick got his Dad recommendation on with this lawn mower pick! The Kobalt 40-volt electric lawn mower does a great job and is super quiet.
- Finally, this LUCI solar inflatable light is a great tool for outdoor adventures.
- You know Bridget's son Elliot loves a good pork recipe, and she's looking forward to this Grilled Pork Loin Roast recipe from this week's meal plan.
- It's almost fall, and that means soup season. Nick really enjoys this Cheesy Ham Soup recipe.
Thanks for listening, we appreciate you spending time with us. If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody and Happy Birthday Bridget and Shannon!!!
*We may earn a small commission from any products you buy using our link. Thanks for the support!
We're enjoying the shift to fall weather, the return of football, and so much more. We hope our enthusiasm for the week inspires you to "sleigh" your upcoming week. Here are the links from this week's episode:
- Bridget is bummed she did not get in on the Willy Wonka-style contest to win the Jelly Belly factory. Check out the story here.
- Nick is fascinated by the idea of paying $47 for milk with extra high melatonin to help you relax.
- Bridget loves this new collection of Get Out the Vote accessories. Check out this necklace.
- Nick would really like to spend too much money on this Argentinian-style wood fired grill. If you buy one, let us know if you like it!
- Bridget is so excited for football to be back and is recommending this Green and Gold Bratwurst recipe and this Taco Brat Dip recipe.
- Nick is a huge fan of chicken thighs - they're yummy, can be cooked in so many ways and affordable. Check out this One Pot Chicken Thigh and Veggie recipe or if you like spicy food, this Grilled Piri Piri Chicken thigh recipe is a great one to try!
Did you see the new wine series we released on Wednesday? The series is called Pinkies Up, and answers questions normal wine drinkers have about wine in non-pretentious ways. This month's episode answered the question of if a normal wine drinker, like Bridget, can tell the difference between a $15 and $50 bottle of wine and if it's worth it. Listen here or watch on YouTube here.
Thanks for listening, we appreciate you spending time with us. If you can please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends, we'd really appreciate it! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may earn a small commission from any products you buy using our link. Thanks for the support!
Welcome to our brand new wine series called Pinkies Up! In this series, we talk about questions normal wine drinkers have and try to answer them in unpretentious ways. We are excited to have this series out, and hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making the episode!
For our first episode, we set out to answer the question of "Can you really taste a difference between a $15 bottle of wine and a $50 bottle of wine?" To find the answer, Nick brown bag tasted Bridget on 4 bottles of her favorite type of wine - California Cabernet Sauvignon. Bridget shares her thoughts on each bottle, and then had to guess a price range for each bottle, plus Nick drops a lot of tips along the way to help you understand why wine costs what it does and make you a better wine shopper. Listen to see if she thinks you can taste the difference, and if it's worth spending the extra money on the more expensive bottle!
Here are the wines we tried today:
- Matthew Fritz Cabernet Sauvignon - North Coast, California - about $15 retail.
- Buehler Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley, California - about $30 retail.
- Greenwing Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley, California - about $30 retail.
- Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California - about $50 (or more) retail.
You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel if you'd like to see Bridget's reactions to each wine. Just click here to see the video.
We'd love to hear your feedback on this series! Subscribe and review the podcast, or send us an email at hello at dinnerplusdrinks dot com. We appreciate you listening and spending time with us.
Cheers!
Happy Labor Day everyone! We have a slightly different episode for you this week as we talk through some of the things that are on our minds as we get to the official / unofficial end of summer. The audio quality on this one takes a bit of a hit after about 12 minutes, for which we apologize, but we appreciate you listening through it!
Here are a few links from this week's episode:
- It's tough going to virtual school. Here's an article about a young boy struggling with virtual learning.
- Bridget really enjoyed the book "The New Parisienne: The Women & Ideas Shaping Paris" by Lindsey Tramuta.
- Nick was thrilled to get this combo badminton / volleyball set for outdoor fun.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may earn a small commission from any products you buy using our link. Thanks for the support!
This episode is out a little later in the day than normal because Nick was recovering from a post-event hangover. To learn what that it and to discover Bridget's probably much more effective recovery technique, you're going to need to listen to this week's (self proclaimed) very excellent episode. Here are links to what we talked about this week:
- Both Bridget and Nick agree with this article about your brain capacity being less than optimal through the corona virus times.
- Bridget is thrilled Stephen Colbert chose to apologize to Milwaukee for "dumping" on the city during his Democratic National Convention coverage.
- Nick wants to know how treating elephants with CBD oil to treat anxiety ends up for the Warsaw Zoo!
- Bridget is super excited for this Grilled Leg of Lamb Gyro Sandwich recipe.
- Nick is insistent that all Americans should get out and make this Texas Smoked Brisket recipe for Labor Day weekend!
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
Long time listeners know that Bridget and Nick are huge proponents of Bubly sparkling water, and you can often see us drinking the water during the show (if you're watching on YouTube). We've gotten several requests to do a seltzer water taste off, pitting different brands of water against each other to see if we can tell the difference and to see which one we like best.
For this taste off, we recruited our friend Mike Mason from Lake961 to be an impartial and inexperienced judge (he has never had seltzer water!) and tried five different types of seltzer water, all in lime flavors. Here's what we tried:
- La Croix
- Bubly
- Good & Gather
- Spindrift
- Perrier
Enjoy listening as we work our way through a fun time of deciding which water tastes best!
You can also watch this episode on YouTube, and if you liked what you heard, please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers!
We both had a slightly uneventful week that still happened to be filled with delicious food and anticipation for a BIG week coming up soon. That may not be the best pitch for listening to a podcast episode, but we still managed to have fun talking about life, recommending recipes, drinks, and products, plus answering some important kid questions. We hope you'll join us on this week's episode. Here are links to what we talked about:
- We drank a bottle of this totally delicious Zuccardi 'A' Torrontes from Argentina. It's floral, light bodied, and very refreshing for summer.
- Check out this picture of the AMAZING peach croissant creation that Simple Bakery & Market made this week. Bridget and Nick can't stop eating them!
- Bridget, the world's most enthusiastic thrifter, is super excited that AOC shared her love of thrifting as well!
- Nick really enjoyed this article (and the associated virtual tour) about the special gallery exhibit for the artist Raphael's 500th birthday. It's an interesting look into how art exhibits work during COVID!
- Bridget loves refrigerator magnet calendars to promote organization and planning in her household. Much like this one!
- Nick has been on a Korean food kick and is enjoying the Maangchi website, her YouTube channel, and, of course, her cookbook. Check her out if you want to learn some easy and delicious Korean recipes!
- Bridget picked a chicken recipe to share this week - Thai Chicken Satay.
- And Nick is excited for Baby Back Rib Day and will be making these Chinese-inspired Hoisin Baby Back Ribs.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may receive a small commission if you purchase products using our links. Thanks!
It's August in Wisconsin, and we're feeling fairs...even if they're cancelled. Fortunately, Bridget and her family got to revel in the fun of fair food and Bridget's favorite fair game (Skee Ball) thanks to a socially distant carnival food and game event at the Walworth County Fair. We talk about the fun of the fair and fair foods plus lots more, so join us and enjoy a slightly longer than normal episode. We hope you like this week's chat, and be sure to let us know your favorite fair foods by dropping us a line at hello at dinnerplusdrinks dot com!
Here are the links from this week's episode:
- Bridget applauded these female Members of Parliament from Poland for color coordinating as the Rainbow Flag to protest the discriminatory policies of Poland's President. See the picture here for yourself - it's pretty awesome.
- Nick is impressed by this Argentinian man's dedication to his father: he sailed from Portugal to Argentina by himself to return home to see his Father during coronavirus lockdown.
- Bridget recommends these awesome themed bath bombs for kids as a way to make bath time more fun.
- Nick was a big fan of this book 'Spiced: Unlock the Power of Spices to Transform Your Cooking' and stocked up on spice containers to make his own blends at home.
- Bridget is a huge fan of this Drunken Crab Leg recipe - it's an easy recipe and also a treat.
- While Nick has a taste for our Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken Thigh recipe.
In case you missed it, we released a special interview episode of the show featuring Jon & Kristy from Just North of Memphis BBQ. We had a great time and learned a lot as they shared their stories from the BBQ circuit, told us how they got hooked on BBQ, and shared some BBQ tips! You can listen online by clicking here, or watch on YouTube by clicking here.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may receive a small commission if you purchase products using our links. Thanks!
"Barbecue is an opportunity for world peace" - that's the philosophy of Jon from Just North of Memphis BBQ and Catering. On this special interview episode, Jon and his wife Kristy, the owners of JNOM joined us to talk all things barbecue. Throughout the course of the interview, we talk about what exactly barbecue is, how the couple got involved in barbecue, stories from the road, and, of course, a few tips on how to make great barbecue at home.
Whether you're a rib fanatic or not, this is an interesting interview with people who are passionate about what they do and feeding good food to good people. We hope you enjoy the episode and check out what Just North of Memphis has to offer! If you'd prefer to watch this episode on YouTube (we recorded it via Zoom), you can click here to watch online.
You can find Just North of Memphis online on their website (where you can purchase their rub and sauces for shipping to you) or you can join their Facebook group. They are still offering pop up catering and will get back on the circuit as soon as things open back up, so follow along to see when you can try their dry rubbed deliciousness next!
Thanks for listening to this special release of Dinner Plus Drinks podcast. We hope you found the interview as interesting as we did. If you're new here, please subscribe to keep getting episodes delivered to you and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line at hello
Have a great day!
You're going to want to watch this episode on YouTube, because you can see our brand new studio! Nick (with some help) turned an unfinished area of his basement into what will be our mostly permanent home for the podcast's weekly episodes. In addition to our joy of having a studio space to call home, here's what we talked about this week:
- We each enjoyed the first fruits of fall - which is almost here, we guess? - a can of Oktoberfest Beer from Revolution Brewing. Let us know if you think it's too soon for Oktoberfest beer, and what your favorite one is!
- Bridget rather enjoyed this cheeky ad from Durex encouraging people to cover up for safety! It's great to see finally a little humor at coronavirus' expense!
- As detailed on last week's episode, Nick's football club (soccer team to Americans), won a trophy and he's ecstatic. Since the club couldn't celebrate with the traditional open top bus parade for the supporters (fans), Arsenal brought the trophy to a few specially chosen people.
- If you're in Lake Geneva, and love coffee, Bridget recommends you check out Inspired Coffee Shop, which not only serves coffee, but also provides employment opportunities to adults with disabilities. Their tagline sums up their mission: "Great coffee. Greater purpose."
- Nick really likes clean, brightly lit spaces, and these Beyond Bright LED Lights will definitely do the trick if you're looking to brighten up a garage, basement, or any other space!
- Bridget is a tacoholic and this week she's looking forward to the Chicken & Avocado Street Taco recipe on the meal plan.
- Nick is extremely excited to make BBQ Pork Mac & Cheese. It's a little trashy, but so delicious.
We're excited to be bringing you a special episode this upcoming week - look for an interview with John and Kristy, owners of Just North of Memphis BBQ & Catering to be released on Wednesday, August 12th. If you enjoy eating barbecue, want to hear stories of barbecue competitions, or pick up some tips on how to make better barbecue at home, this will be a great episode for you!
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may receive a small commission if you purchase products using our links. Thanks!
As frequent listeners will know, we love tacos. We love them so much, we decided that we should make up a taco week at Lake Geneva Country Meats and dedicate it to the love of all things taco. That week is now, and we're here to talk tacos - plus lots more! Here's what we talked about on this week's episode!
- Bridget is a huge fan of the "Can't Stop Us" ad from Nike. It has all the feels!
- Nick found an awesome way to keep your identity secret while you claim lottery winnings - dress up as Darth Vader!
- Bridget picked up a set of lidded Pyrex bowls from Goodwill are super useful. You can get the same set at Amazon by clicking here.
- Nick thinks that taco holders are mostly useless - but this taco holding divided plate with space for tacos, beans, and rice is super useful!
- Bridget's recommended Taco Week recipe is this delicious and convenient Taco Rice Bowl recipe.
- While Nick recommends this incredibly easy to make (but very flavorful) Chorizo Taco recipe.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may receive a small commission if you purchase products using our links. Thanks!
We had a ton to celebrate this week, and we share all of the good news on this week's episode, which just so happens to feature a very special surprise guest. This is a fun one, so we hope you'll tune in. Here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We opened a bottle of Mawby Us Brut. This bottle of Michigan sparkling wine is among the best bottles of Midwestern wine we've ever had. It's perfect for celebrations, but also is priced at a price that you can afford to drink for everyday wins as well.
- CONGRATULATIONS to Bridget's sister Shannon who delivered a beautiful new baby boy this week. We're so happy and excited for their entire family!
- We're very concerned about Kanye West. Fortunately, after recording, he issued an apology to Kim and the rest of his family. Hopefully he's on a path to a better place!
- Our special guest is Bridget's other sister Brittany who works for the Washington Nature Conservancy and worked very hard with a lot of other people to get The Great American Outdoors Act passed by Congress. We're so excited to see this bi-partisan legislation passed - congrats Brittany!
- Bridget highly recommends getting gifts from Parks Project for your nature loving friends.
- Nick extolled the virtues of having a library card - check out everything you can get at the Lake Geneva Public Library!
- Brittany shared Subpar Parks, an Instagram account that beautifully illustrates hilariously bad reviews of our National Parks.
- Bridget is going to be making some Beef Empanadas (or maybe chicken, because, you know Bridget) this week.
- And Nick is super excited about this Arrachera Taco recipe - just don't make it gringo style, please!
In case you missed it, we released a special episode this past week with Laurin Mack, proprietor of The Conrad Seipp Brewing Co. We talked about how she brought back this extinct beer brand, some of the challenges faced, and lots more. You can listen in your favorite podcast player, or click this link to be directed to your favorite place to listen.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
On this special interview episode of the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, we spoke with Laurin Mack, proprietor, owner, queen, and head of The Conrad Seipp Brewing Co!
Laurin is a direct descendent of Conrad Seipp, a legendary brewer in Chicago history, and builder of Black Point Estate & Gardens on Geneva Lake. The brand disappeared with Prohibition, but Laurin is bringing it back, and the BEER IS DELICIOUS. In this interview we talk about:
- Who Conrad Seipp was and what his brewery was all about.
- How Laurin got interested in reviving the family legacy.
- Why this beer (and its historic connections) matter in a world full of beer.
- Laurin's plans for the future of The Conrad Seipp Brewing Co.
Thanks for watching this episode. We release our weekly episodes every Sunday, so if you like this interview, please subscribe to get updates. You can also watch our interview with Laurin on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/9mvCrJ5MYq4
Learn more about The Conrad Seipp Brewing Co. at:
seippbrewing.com
Learn more about Black Point Estate & Gardens Historic Site:
blackpointestate.wisconsinhistory.org
Listen to all of our podcast episodes at:
dinnerplusdrinks.com
You can find us on social media at:
facebook.com/dinnerplusdrinkspodcast and instagram.com/dinnerplusdrinkspodcast
Okay guys, Nick got super excited when Bridget said she wanted to talk about Keeping Up with the Kattarshians. It's not exactly what it sounds like, but it's pretty close to what it sounds like - you can watch cats (kats?) on television. You must see it to believe it. Don't worry, we didn't only talk about internet shows, we also talked about these things:
- We enjoyed a glass of Hubert Brochard "Les Carisannes" Sauvignon Blanc, a crisp, delicious wine from the Loire Valley in France. It's part of the new "Wines for Summer" section at Lake Geneva Country Meats.
- You can learn more about Keeping Up with the Kattarshians on their website.
- And check out what Alex Trebek has been up to while he's been off air.
- Bridget highly recommends these mini silicone popsicle molds.
- Nick suggests you check out our new event - Gaze and Graze!
- Bridget is going to make this super easy and delicious Beef Tri Tip and Brussels Sprouts sheet pan meal.
- And Nick loves this Mustard Breaded Pork Chop recipe.
We'll be back this week on Wednesday, July 22nd with a special interview episode featuring Laurin from Seipp Brewing Company - be sure to tune in, we think it's a really interesting chat!
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you purchase products using our links.
Without spoiling the "fun" on this episode, Bridget has had a few unexpected repairs around her house this week. It's been a wild 2020, and the hits just don't seem to stop! Here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We took a quick sample of Seipp's Extra Pale Pilsner - a pre-prohibition style lager that's reviving a famous Chicago beer brand. Hopefully we'll have the brewery's proprietor Laurin on the podcast soon to take a deep dive into the story behind this beer!
- Bridget is a huge fan of thrift shopping and is excited to see that Walmart is entering the clothing resale market with ThredUP.
- Nick would love it if Lake Geneva could get a floating theater like this Drive-In for Boat in Paris.
- Bridget learned about Pet Cube from her sister - their range of smart cameras for pets is awesome. Check them out on Amazon.
- Nick has been using pepper flakes from Flat Iron Pepper Co. - he particularly loves the dark and smoky blend as a way of adding a subtle smoke flavor to food without using fake liquid smoke.
- On this week's meal plan, Bridget is going to make this Simple Baked Halibut recipe.
- And Nick is going to have a go at creating this Senegalese Chicken Yassa recipe.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! Remember, you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you purchase products using our links.
Happy 4th of July everybody, we hope you enjoyed a great Holiday weekend full of food, fun, and fireworks! We were in a celebratory mood this episode, and Nick's daughter Simona even made her debut appearance! Here are the links from this week's episode, and remember, you can watch us on YouTube! Click here to watch this week's episode.
- Nick loved eating these Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos.
- If you're looking to do a little research on family history during your social distancing, the J.D. Biersdorfer wrote this great article for the New York Times with a ton of resources for you to use.
- Bridget had an awesome time on vacation using Stand on Liquid paddle boards which are available to rent from Clear Water Outdoor, if you're in the Lake Geneva area!
- Nick got targeted to buy Milwaukee Bears merchandise from The Original Negro League Baseball Shop. It is super cool looking, and a way to honor a part of American history that is both inspiring and discouraging.
- This week's meal plan is full of comfort foods like Bridget's pick of Pork Chop and Waffle Sandwiches and Nick's pick of Pickle Brined Fried Chicken Sandwiches.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
It's Nick's birthday! We celebrate a little bit, talk about all of the great food we ate this past week, and get into the crazy happenings around our world. How are you feeling about the world right now? Things are opening, things are closing, and it's a lot to take in. We'd love to hear how you're feeling about everything that's going on.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
Nick had a rough week, getting in not one, but two accidents involving motor vehicles! Luckily, he's still here to talk about the week, drink some wine, and, of course, talk about kids! Here are the links from this week's episode, and remember, you can watch us on YouTube! Click here to watch this week's episode.
- The Domaine du Viking Vouvray Brut is a delicious sparkling wine for summer. You can learn more about the producer on the importer's website.
- You can find the really cool Cheese & Wine Pairing Board video that Nick & Bridget made on the LGCM YouTube page.
- Bridget thinks it's awesome that the Dai-Ichi Yochien preschool in Japan was designed to include a courtyard that doubles as a puddle to splash in. Check out this news story.
- Nick is thrilled that Diego the Tortoise has been able to retire from his job as the savior of his species!
- Bridget had an awesome time with this Acrylic Paint, Brush, and Canvas kit. You can have hours of fun with this kit!
- Bridget is looking forward to this Basil Pesto Pizza (pizza is delicious and so is pesto, this is a win win!).
- Nick loves this Japanese Pork Cabbage Roll for a crunchy and fresh summer meal.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you use our links to purchase products.
The theme of this episode is Bridget has a hard time choosing. Whether that's a good news story to share, a recipe to make, or which kid to talk about, she has a hard time choosing, so she just shares it all!
Remember, if you'd like to watch us instead of just listen to us, you can watch this episode on YouTube by clicking here.
Here's what we talked about on this episode:
- It's rosé wine season, and we tried something that Nick had never tried before, a rosé wine from Corsica called Domaine Vetriccie. It's refreshing, with zesty grapefruit flavors that are quite enjoyable. Have you ever tried Corsican wine?
- Bridget is going to travel to Amsterdam to check out this Willie Wonka style chocolate factory that's under construction.
- She also loves that statues of slave owning historic figures are being replaced by Air Dancer inflatables instead!
- Nick loves European soccer and thinks it's awesome that Borussia Monchengladbach has installed cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands to help make up the atmosphere.
- Bridget got Lucy these sweet Jelly Sandals from Old Navy. Did you ever have jelly sandals as a kid? Are you also subjecting your child to these torture devices?
- Bridget also chose to share an adult product recommendation - these Silicon Straws available for $10.99 on Amazon.
- Nick recently installed his Ring Doorbell Pro and loves the sense of security it provides, as well as how easy it was to install. Do you have smart home recommendations? We'd love to hear them!
- If you loves peonies as much as Bridget does, you need to check out the official Instagram account of the French Conservatoire de la Pivoine.
- Bridget is going to be making this Chorizo & Queso Dip sometime this week...
- ...while Nick will make dinner a breeze with this Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken Thigh recipe.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you use our links to purchase products.
We start this podcast with a discussion of the murder of George Floyd by members of the Minneapolis Police Department. As white people, we'll never know what it's like to be treated differently by police because of the color of our skin, but we have a responsibility to try to understand, and then do something to make the world better. We discuss our feelings, the conflict we have between still enjoying our lives while acknowledging the tragedy, and share ideas on how we can take small steps to make the world better. We hope our discussion helps you process your feelings on this incredibly complex topic.
If you're not interested in this discussion, skip ahead to 6:30 for a more normal podcast listening experience. You can also choose to watch this episode on YouTube at this link.
Here are links from this episode:
- Bridget is reading books about racism with her children to help educate them on the subject. Here's what she has coming to start the process:
- A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory
- Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o
- Nick recommended three cookbooks by black authors:
- The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History by Michael W. Twitty
- Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin
- The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis
- Bridget is super pumped to be getting her husband a birthday dinner from The Plate Collective.
- And be sure to enjoy this Chimichurri Pork Tenderloin recipe at home this week.
Thanks for listening, we hope this week's episode helps get you through what has been an incredibly difficult week.
If you're new to the podcast, and enjoying listening, please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you use our links to purchase products.
There have been some pretty exciting developments in the world this week, chief among them, Crayola is now offering a Colors of the World crayon pack that lets kids everywhere have exactly the right skin tone color for who they want to draw. We talk Crayola, space launches, and so much more on this episode.
We recorded this episode on video, so if you'd like to watch us as we talk with you, check out our YouTube page.
Here's what we talked about on this week's episode:
- We discovered what exactly a slushie beer is by enjoying Son of Shakey, a Vanilla Milkshake IPA from Maplewood Brewing. Have you tried a slushie beer? We have a limited amount available at LGCM right now!
- Nick fully supports John Krasinski selling "Some Good News" to keep the series going. How do you feel about this feel good project continuing?
- Bridget is a big fan of these Zen Pig books to help fill your child's day with gratitude. Do you have any tips on how to teach children gratitude? (Nick note - Elliot is a very grateful child, and Bridget is a wonderful parent.)
- Nick is going to keep sharing products he is buying while he's setting up his house. This week he FINALLY got TV's up, and is cutting the cord. To facilitate this, he has a Roku Streaming Stick+ (or two) and it works great with all the various services. Bridget also heartily endorses this product, so get yours right here.
- Bridget is going to be making this Easy Beef Stir Fry recipe at home this week.
- And Nick cannot tell you how much he loves this Pork Carnitas Made in Lard recipe. They're by far the most superior taco you'll ever eat.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extra content, or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you use our links to purchase products.
On this week's episode, we talked about a week of very high high's that were also punctuated by some lows. To celebrate the highs, we opened a can of Indeed Brewing Company's 'LSD' Honey Ale. It's a honey ale with a blend of lavender, sunflower honey, and date added to the beer. Hear our thoughts on this rather unique beer that comes in a totally beautiful can, plus get the rundown on everything else we have going on this week!
Here are links from this week's episode:
- Bridget loves the "Dad, how do I" YouTube channel that shares practical advice on how to do things like change a tire, or stop a running toilet.
- Bridget plans on keeping Lucy occupied this summer with this inflatable & covered baby play pool from Target.
- Nick has ordered couches from Burrow, an online furniture place that uses sustainable American products and craftsman to make modular couches. He's excited to get them. If you want your own, you can shop using this link and save $75 on your first order over $300!
- Bridget is going to find some Dill Pickle Hummus (anyone have some they can share?) but also loves this Spicy Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe on our meal plan.
- Nick is going to celebrate National Brisket Day by making our Texas Smoked Brisket recipe.
- Also, if you have any ideas on for Lucy's golden birthday party - she turns 1 on June 1st - please share them with us! Bridget needs ideas to make this special!
Finally, please remember to spare a moment on Memorial Day to think about our fallen heroes and the sacrifice they made so we can enjoy this weekend.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you use our links to purchase products.
Wisconsin is back open for business, and while Bridget & Nick aren't sure about how they feel about that, one thing is certain...Nick loves tomatoes. If you have never gotten excited about tomatoes before, Nick's enthusiasm on this episode is sure to get you jazzed for this incredibly delicious fruit. If you don't love tomatoes, don't worry we talk about plenty else as well!
Here are links from this week's episode:
- Tune into our Virtual Bar Trivia with Grant from 3 Sheeps Brewing on Wednesday, May 20th at 8 PM. Here's the link to watch.
- The Seattle Times reports that Seattle is permanently closing 20 miles of roads to traffic, and Bridget loves it!
- Toshua Parker operates a grocery store for a small town in Alaska by taking a weekly 7 hour ferry ride - each way - to stock up for the town of Gustavus. Nick applauds his commitment to his customers.
- Bridget and her son Elliot are having a blast playing with Magna Tiles, and she highly recommends them to all parents!
- Bridget will be eating this Thai Chicken Satay recipe this week - everyone loves food on a stick, right?
- Nick is going to be making our Chorizo Rice Skillet recipe for #TacoTuesday.
- You can check out the entire week's meal plan by clicking here.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you use our links to purchase products.
It's been a momentous week for Nick - he moved into a new house, celebrated an anniversary and more. Bridget has her anniversary coming up, plus she's celebrating Mother's Day with a fancy cocktail - Mom's choice! Listen and enjoy catching up with Nick & Bridget.
Here's are links from this week's episode:
- Check out Bridget's Taco Takeover Facebook Live replay!
- Learn more about Amsterdam's greenhouse hut restaurants - do you think they'd work in America?
- Bridget loves this Kate Spade Picnic Blanket but this Wal-Mart brand one works too.
- One of Nick's favorite books to recommend for interesting reading is Salt: A World History by Murk Kurlansky.
- Bridget's recipe recommendation this week is our Baked Cut Up Chicken recipe.
- Nick enjoys the ease and flavor of our Sheet Pan Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin and Vegetables recipe.
- You can check out the full meal plan by clicking here.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
Cheers everybody!
*We may get a small commission if you use our links to purchase products.
Craziness has officially descended at LGCM, and Nick and Bridget have an informal podcast for you this week talking about how we're doing at what is hopefully the halfway point of the initial corona virus socially distant period. We share some of the things we're doing in our personal lives, ask for advice, and also have some interesting facts from the last few weeks at LGCM. Most importantly, we announce the winner of our candle smell off benefitting Kisses from Keegan!
Thanks for listening, we 'll be back next week with a more structure episode! Let us know what you thought of this episode, we hope you enjoyed. As always, we appreciate when you subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends!
If you like, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
This week, Bridget has brain fog, but she found an article to explain why it's happening (link below), and Nick is more upbeat and ready to face the world. Here's what we have for you this week:
- Boston NPR has an article from a clinical neuropsychologist detailing why you may be feeling a brain fog right now. It's just how Nick and Bridget are feeling. Are you?
- We tried two wines that were left over from our Thursday night virtual wine tasting with Charlie Master of Master Wines:
- Kin & Cascadia Cabernet Sauvignon, a Washington State wine that has a lovely combination of full red and black fruit flavors and is great for every night drinking with your meal...
- ...and Exem Bordeaux, a blend of Merlot & Cabernet from France that's a bit drier than Bridget likes, but right up Nick's alley, another perfect every night drinker.
- We talked about the best things we ate this week...even if they weren't really the best. Nick and Bridget both enjoyed Nick's Blueberry Fruit Salsa from our LGCM Chopped Challenge. Click here to watch the replay. Sorry for the early audio issues!
- Bridget is excited to attempt Homemade Nashville Hot Chicken this week, and Nick's going to make some Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas. You can check out the entire meal plan here.
- Are you a Parks & Rec fan? Bridget is a huge fan, and they're coming out with a special new episode to benefit Feeding America!
- Nick can't believe that Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, conducted his NFL Draft from a $250 million super yacht. Actually, he really shouldn't be that surprised.
- Bridget found these awesome full wall coloring pages you can enjoy at home, and she also highly recommends this Instagram account of a travel photographer who is now taking shots of "wild things at home."
- Nick cannot recommend the NY Times enough. Subscribe to their digital edition, or check out NYT Cooking for awesome recipes.
- Plus lots more random facts, Dad jokes, kid talk, and lots more.
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this week's episode, and please subscribe, rate us, review us, and share with your friends! If you like, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
Stay safe, cheers everybody!
*We may make a small commission if you purchase products using our Amazon link.
Both Bridget and Nick are a little bummed about the extended Corona shut down, but they rallied through to provide a fun episode after all. In this episode, we talked about:
- The Rioja-style Pork Chop recipe Nick cooked during this week's Virtual Wine & Food Cookoff Challenge versus Chef Nelly from Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. You can watch the cookoff here.
- Nick is pumped up about The Last Dance (a documentary about the Jordan-era Bulls) coming out on Sunday.
- Bridget loves seeing good news on sharelemonade.com.
- Nick is all over this Eero Home WiFi system for better coverage and faster internet in your house.
- Bridget loves these leggings - with pockets! - that are comfy and practical.
- We talked about this week's meal plan, and Bridget is excited to make this Crustless Quiche recipe, while Nick is looking forward to this crunchy and flavorful BBQ Chicken BLT Salad.
- Plus lots more: Kid Corner, Dad jokes, cooking tips, and general frivolity.
Remember, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
Thanks for listening, we hope you have a great week, stay safe, and we'll talk again soon!
Nick & Bridget
*We may get a small commission if you purchase products using our links.
We wanted to do something fun for the Easter release of Dinner Plus Drinks, so we checked out some of the most unique traditions different people have for Easter celebrations. Some of the traditions seem super cool, some are a little creepy, but it was fun to learn about all of the different traditions throughout the world.
Remember, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this episode. We'll talk to you again soon - have a great Easter!
SOURCES:
Wanderlust - 'The World's 12 Craziest Easter Traditions'
Woman's Day - '14 of the Most Interesting Easter Traditions from Around the World'
We put our non-elastic banded pants on to record this episode and talked about all the things happening in our lives, but most importantly, Bridget needs to know...has anyone tried whipped coffee? Please, let us know if you have tried this whipped coffee sensation. It's vital that Bridget finds out if it's good or not!
Additionally, we talked about:
- Our Spring Candle Smell Off episode that you can listen to on this feed, or watch our Zoom recording on YouTube. If you'd like to enter to win the candles that Bridget and Nick made, you can donate to Kisses from Keegan by clicking here and putting "Lake Geneva" in the dedication field before Friday, April 10th.
- A spring like beer that's great for grill side drinking from Maplewood Brewing.
- Some great news stories.
- An Easter preview.
- The usual kid stories.
- Plus lots more.
Remember, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or drop us a line at hello
Thanks for listening - talk to you again soon!
LINKS FROM THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:
- This is where you can donate to Kisses from Keegan. Be sure to put "Lake Geneva" in the dedication to have a chance to win candles!
- Nick absolutely loves this Southwest Pork Tenderloin Bowl recipe.
- Oakfire Pizza in Lake Geneva makes a killer margherita pizza.
- Bridget is all over the Wyze Camera to monitor Lucy (and her husband sometimes too).
- Nick loves Out of the Park Baseball - it's a fun way to simulate baseball even when baseball isn't here.
- Here's how we recommend cooking ham - and our Coca Cola ham glaze recipe is fun too!
*We may get a small commission if you purchase products using our links.
Candles are serious business - especially when you're trying to raise money for charity! In this video episode (click here to watch on YouTube!) of the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast, Bridget and Nick entered mortal combat to determine who could design the most spring smelling candle. To accomplish task, we reached out to our friends Liz and Leigh Ann at Lake Geneva's Candle Mercantile and teamed up with Kisses from Keegan, a local charity that grants wishes and joyful experiences for local kids fighting cancer.
After consulting with the candle experts Liz and Leigh Ann, Bridget and Nick each designed a custom blend of 3 different spring scents. Liz mixed up the candles and judged the results. You'll have to watch to see who won!
Both of these candles can be yours - just head to Kisses From Keegan's website by April 10th, 2020, and make a donation (any size will do!) with the dedication to "Lake Geneva" and you'll be entered to win. We'll pick a winner, and you'll get one of Bridget's candles, and one of Nick's candles. You can judge which one is best for yourself and enjoy a fresh smell of spring in your home!
Thanks for watching and thanks for your support of Kisses From Keegan!
LINKS:
Kisses from Keegan: https://kissesfromkeegan.org/
The Candle Mercantile: https://thecandlemercantile.com/
Dinner Plus Drinks Podcast: https://lakegenevacountrymeats.com/blog/dinner-plus-drinks
Dinner Plus Drinks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCujM_kLDH38kxDxuUAivf0Q
Dinner Plus Drinks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinnerplusdrinkspodcast/
Dinner Plus Drinks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dinnerplusdrinkspodcast/
How are you holding up guys? Bridget and Nick are here with a little sanity and distraction. On this week's episode, we talk about:
- Parenting during social distancing.
- Some yummy food we ate + recipe ideas for this week.
- A bottle of wine that's perfect for family video chat Pictionary.
- Happy news stories from around the world
- A new segment featuring random, fun facts
- Plus lots more!
We love that you're listening to the podcast, and we love how you're helping us grow. This week, we have a few specific things we're asking you to help us with, if you have a few spare moments. Here's what you can do:
- Check out our first ever video episode - We Judge Hard Seltzer. Hard. Click here to watch on YouTube, and please subscribe to help us get more people following us on YouTube!
- Tell us what you're doing to keep yourself fed, your kids busy, or any other Corona Virus tips you have. Just record a voice memo or video of yourself telling us your tips, and email it to hello
dinnerplusdrinks com. We'll feature some of our favorite tips on our next podcast episode! - If you want a Salt Dough Easter Egg from Elliot, just let Bridget know. Email her at bridget
lakegenevacountrymeats com with your request. - If you have random facts you'd like Nick or Bridget to share, please share! You can email nick or bridget
lakegenevacountrymeats com with your favorite facts. - Finally, please review, rate, and share our podcast. We're committed to providing a little bit of joy during socially distancing, and we appreciate your support. Remember, you can also follow us on Facebook, and Instagram!
Have a great week, stay safe, and thanks for listening!
LINKS FROM THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:
- Find happy news stories at The Happy Newspaper and Tank's Good News.
- Support a hard working local business, and get some yummy Easter chocolate from Anderson's Candy Shop in Richmond, Illinois.
- Get Nick's favorite pens or favorite Sharpie pen from Amazon for your writing pleasure. Yep, they're all purple.
- Bridget recommended this Italian Sausage Stuffed Shell recipe and Nick recommended this Grilled Pork Tenderloin recipe.
- You can check this week's full meal plan right here.
- You can watch our International Whisk(e)y Day Virtual Tasting and Happy Hour right here.
*Note, we may get a small commission if you purchase products from the links we provide.
In our first ever video podcast episode, we hit the road to meet our friends at Greyspot Visuals and judge five different hard seltzers. We tried to guess the flavor, and then picked our favorites. The five seltzers we tried are:
- Bud Light Seltzer - Mango
- Cloudless Hard Seltzer (made by 3 Sheeps) - Clearly Citrus
- High Noon Seltzer - Pineapple
- Topsy Turvy Brewing - Dive - (experimental flavor from a almost open Lake Geneva Brewery)
- White Claw - Black Cherry
You can watch this episode online on our brand new YouTube page or listen along and enjoy the fun. Interact with us via our Facebook, Instagram, or reach out to the D+D Mailbag at hello
LINKS:
Greyspot Visuals website - videographers, photographers, and creators of great LGCM content like this video about how we make corned beef, or this video about how we make ham, and this video about entering the 2019 Wisconsin Cured Meat Championships.
Greyspot Visuals Instagram - if you love pretty pictures, you need to follow Greyspot.
Kinbrook Photography - Igor's new wedding photography venture. He's a fun guy, and an excellent photographer.
The corona virus is changing all of our lives, but we're still here for you! This week's episode has Nick & Bridget talking about how their lives are going in the current situation, plus meal plan tips for your shelter in place situation, tips on how you can start a "not pinky up" wine cellar, tips on how you can support local businesses in these trying times, ideas to entertain your kids, and lots more.
Thanks for listening, stay healthy, and have a great week. If you want to get in touch with us with ideas for future shows, or questions you may have, reach out to us via the D+D Mailbag at hello
BRIDGET & NICK'S RECIPE PICKS OF THE WEEK
- Nick is using ground pork instead of ground beef right now, so he's loving this Japanese Pork Cabbage Roll recipe.
- Bridget stocked up on ground beef, so she loves this Lula Beef Kebab recipe, a traditional recipe from the Caucus area of Europe.
- Find ideas on new recipes to make to bring a little deliciousness to your isolation with our Weekly Meal Plan.
- We also took a mailbag from Jenny who asked about our favorite chicken recipes. Nick loves this Garam Masala Spatchcocked Whole Chicken recipe. Bridget loves all chicken. She likes buffalo chicken wraps, stir fries, and salads. There are literally too many recipes to share all of her favorite recipes.
RANDOM NEWS STORIES THAT ARE ENTERTAINING US THIS WEEK
- Check out Marble Racing! It's so cool! Nick is using it as a substitute for normal sports action.
- Bridget is keeping up with The Happy Newspaper and Tank's Good News. Here are a few of her favorite tidbits:
- Medical TV shows are donating their medical supply "props" which are perfectly good medical supplies to actual hospitals!
- Louis Vuitton is making hand sanitizer!
- PS - also check out these penguins roaming around the Shedd Aquarium.
A FEW IDEAS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS ENTERTAINED:
- Explore.org has a ton of really neat webcams you can watch!
- Check out this list of YouTube videos letting you take virtual rides of some of your favorite roller coasters without having to leave your house!
Want to get in touch with us?
We switched up our normal format and are sharing our 4 tips to keep you eating nutritious, delicious, affordable food no matter what your situation during the Corona Virus crisis. Here are our practical, panic free tips:
- If you're at home with kids, try making fun recipes that they can make with you, involve them in the process, and try themed meals around their favorite characters!
- If you know someone in quarantine that needs food, try bringing them freezer meals that they can make as needed.
- If you want to limit your social contact through shopping less, try stocking your freezer, most meat lasts 6 months, and try defrosting it in cold water.
- Finally, if you're wanting to want to save some money while still eat great, look for recipes that use ground beef, pork shoulder, or pork chops, and use whole turkeys and whole chickens that are affordable and yield multiple meals from one item.
These tips are good year round - not just during a global pandemic - and we provide more detail in the podcast. We also have a bit of fun talking about stocking up on wine, providing product recommendations to keep your kids busy, and our ever popular kids corner segment!
You can get more detailed information, recipes, and links to our product recommendations at dinnerplusdrinks.com.
We know it's difficult time, and we hope you found this episode helpful. If you did think this was useful, please share our podcast with your friends. You can follow us and share on Facebook or Instagram, or just tell them to search for Dinner Plus Drinks on their favorite podcast app. If you'd like to keep getting episodes, please subscribe - the next episodes will be less depressing, we promise! Finally, if you have any questions about what we talked about today, you can email us info
Thanks for listening, stay safe, and talk to you soon.
Both Bridget and Nick are Irish, so we decided to theme this episode for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday! Recorded live at Fleming's, one of the finest Irish stores you will ever find, we are joined by Kevin Fleming, proprietor of Fleming's, to talk Irish drinks, food, our favorite St. Patrick's traditions, plus all of the usual Dinner Plus Drinks fun.
We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you did, please help others find our podcast! You can subscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform, leave us a rating, and follow us Facebook or Instagram. We also love when you email us info
Thanks for listening, have an awesome St. Patrick's Day, and we'll talk to you next week!
EPISODE LINKS:
- You can learn more about Fleming's in Lake Geneva on their website.
- Check out the LGCM St. Patrick's Day page for Corned Beef recipes, plus some authentic Irish recipes.
- Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Lake Geneva Country Meats at our Pop Up Pub. Get details here.
Nick took a trip to Las Vegas this past week, but still found time to record the podcast. In this episode:
- Get tales of Nick's adventures on the Las Vegas Strip.
- Learn Bridget's fun twist on the classic Mimosa cocktail.
- Get our picks on what you should cook this week.
- Nick's got the Dad jokes lined up for you.
- Check out our product recommendations of the week.
- Hear what Las Vegas (via Nashville) restaurant Nick thought lived up to the hype.
- And finally, engage in the always fun kid corner segment featuring tales of parenting young children.
You can stay updated on new episodes and expanded content on discussion topics from episodes, as well as behind the scenes peaks, like us on Facebook or Instagram! We also love it when you subscribe, tell your friends, and leave us feedback. You can leave a rating on your favorite podcast platform, or shoot us an email at hello
Have a great week - we'll talk to you next week!
BRIDGET & NICK'S RECIPE PICKS OF THE WEEK
- Bridget loves these kid friendly Philly Cheesesteak Melts that you can make on a sheet pan.
- Nick can't wait to get home and make and make these bright, yummy Grilled Greek Pork Chops with Greek Pasta Salad.
- Get inspired to make some delicious recipes at home this week with our Weekly Meal Plan.
PRODUCTS WE'RE LOVING THIS WEEK
- Bridget highly recommends these Zutano baby booties - they stay on moving kids and keep them warm! Nick is checking them out ASAP!
- Nick leaned on his Apple Airpods super hard while traveling. They're super convenient, provide great quality audio, and have a really useful Siri integration. I know Apple can be a cult, but they're a truly amazing product if you love listening to music / podcasts / talking on the phone during your day.
*We may get an affiliate commission if you purchase items using these links.
RANDOM NEWS STORIES THAT ARE ENTERTAINING US THIS WEEK
- Bridget found YET ANOTHER new Kit Kat flavor - Lemon Crisp. What do you think of this flavor? Yay or nay?
- Nick greatly enjoys the mobile game Plague Inc. Unfortunately, due to the Corona Virus, the game, which simulates worldwide epidemics, got pulled from app stores in China. Crazy, right?
Hello loyal listeners, thanks for tuning in to this episode! We talked about lots of things we love in this week's episode, but the overall theme is that we want to bring joy into your life. Everyone has ups and downs in life, and we want you to be part of our lives. It makes us feel better to talk about the things that happen to us on a day to day basis, and we hope some of our experiences resonate with you. We also love hearing from you and commiserating / celebrating your daily happenings. It means a lot to us that you make us part of your weekly routine - thank you for being part of our team!
Remember, if you want to stay updated on new episodes and expanded content on discussion topics from episodes, as well as behind the scenes peaks, like us on Facebook or Instagram! This week, we shared video of our "What We're Drinking" segment on our Facebook page. Did you like seeing us in person, or should we just stick behind the microphone 🤔
Have a great week - we'll talk to you next week!
RECIPE LINKS
- Beer Braised BBQ Country Style Ribs - Nick loves taking these overlooked cuts of meat and transforming them into something delicious. Be aware these aren't the baby back ribs you're used to - they're more like a pork chop / pork roast hybrid.
- Rita's French Onion Soup - Bridget loves a good family recipe, and thinks this recipe from the Leahy family sounds perfect as a "warm you up on a winter night" type of recipe.
- Check out this week's meal plan for all of our picks on what to eat this week!
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION LINKS
- Bridget loves the irreverent products from Blue Q. You can check out their designs and purchase from Blue Q online or in downtown Lake Geneva at Geneva Gifts and Fudge.
- Nick bought some sweet new shoes from Clear Water Outdoor in downtown Lake Geneva. They are Teva Highside '84 shoes, and in 4 days of wearing them, he's been thoroughly impressed. They're comfy, supportive, and not slippy. You can get your pair at Clear Water Outdoor, or if you can't go in person, you can buy them online at Amazon by clicking here.
*We may get an affiliate commission if you purchase items using these links.
NEWS STORY LINKS
- "Kit Kat Is Apparently Releasing A Birthday Cake Flavor, So Every Day Can Be A Party" - the newest Kit Kat flavor promises to be amazing. Please send to Nick for reviews. Thank you!
- "This Peeps Pancakes Set Helps You Make Bunny-Shaped Pancakes In A Flash" - I hope we can all agree peeps are gross, but pancakes made in the shape of peeps? Adorable! Perfect for Easter breakfast. You can order online here.
As a millennial, I have a lot of anxiety. (Haha - everyone loves a good millennial joke!) One of the things I have anxiety about is trying new types of foods and not being "inauthentic" about "someone else's" cuisine or culture. I think a lot of other people feel this way as well, and I wanted to talk to a culinary expert about this dilemma.
On this episode we're joined by Chef Nelly Buleje of Grand Geneva Resort and Spa to talk about this topic. In Chef's own words, "he's as Latino as Latino comes" but his signature restaurants are an American-style steakhouse, and a high-end Italian restaurant. Some people might have a hard time making this work, but Nelly is totally comfortable in his shoes, and loves what he's doing. He shares how he approaches learning about food, appreciating other cultures, and staying authentic to the spirit of a cuisine.
Nelly is a fun guy, and this is a fun chat. We hope you enjoy it, and come away with even more confidence to experience and enjoy new foods.
Grand Geneva Resort and Spa is hosting a "Winter Wine Dinner: a night of dry aging, curing and sous vide" on Friday, February 28th. This meal will feature 5 courses of delectable food will be paired with wines from the Duckhorn Wine portfolio. It's sure to be a great event, and one you don't want to miss. You can get tickets at grandgeneva.com or by clicking here.
Two years ago, when the podcast was named Reduce by Half, we had the opportunity to talk to Chef Joe Muench the renowned Chef / Owner at Maxie's restaurant in Milwaukee, part of the Black Shoe Hospitality Group. Chef Joe is an expert on the cuisines of Louisiana, and on this episode, he shared his expertise on Cajun and Creole cuisine. You'll learn some of the backstory of the cuisines, plus a few tips on how you can cook Louisiana at home.
We have lots of new listeners, and this is a great interview, so we wanted to re-release it for you all to discover. Thanks again to Chef Joe for his time, we hope you'll all go check out Maxie's for some delicious, and authentic Southern cuisine!
You can check out Maxie's menu, make reservations, and more by clicking here.
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Bridget has a strong opinion on conversation heart candy - are you surprised? Tune in to this week's episode, where Nick and Bridget start with an honest discussion of one of the most controversial Valentine's candies and go on from there. Topics on this week's episode include:
- Bridget is excited for a themed fundraiser, which is no shocker if you know her. Check out a picture of her and her husband's outfits on dinnerplusdrinks.com.
- Nick talked about the "fake pho" at home and talked through how you can make this meal at home.
- Bridget shares her opinion on the LGCM Easy Mardi Gras Jambalaya recipe.
- Nick and Bridget pick two recipes from this week's Cajun meal plan that they're excited to try at home this week.
- We share two product recommendations to help you stay warm during the frigid cold winter - boots from Bridget, and a hat from Nick.
- Nick offers advice on the best cut of meat to use for stew if you don't have precut stew meat.
- New segment! Random news stories, featuring a cool new service the Milwaukee airport is offering, and one of the most intimidating proposals ever.
- This week's kid corner (finally) features a story about Bridget's daughter Lucy, and Nick brags up on his daughter Simona's Valentine's Day outfit a bit. You can check out a picture of Simona on dinnerplusdrinks.com.
- We announce the winners of our social media contest! Thank you to everyone who entered!
Remember, if you want to stay updated on new episodes and expanded content on discussion topics from episodes, as well as behind the scenes peaks, like us on Facebook or Instagram! You can also send us feedback via email at hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com.
Have a great week - we'll talk to you next week!
RECIPE & MEAL PLAN LINKS
- LGCM Easy Mardi Gras Jambalaya recipe
- Cajun Spatchcocked Chicken recipe
- Cajun Pizza recipe
- This week's LGCM Meal Plan is full of Cajun recipes
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION LINKS
- Sorel Women's Out n About Plus Boots
- Mad Bomber Wool Aviator Pilot Hat with Rabbit Fur
*We may get an affiliate commission if you purchase items using these links.
NEWS STORY LINKS
- Milwaukee Airport is Offering Coat Check
- Soldier Uses Heart of Tanks for Wedding Proposal
Nick is bummed that the Super Bowl & Winterfest is over, but Bridget is looking forward to Galentine's Day. Listen to all of our food tips, pop culture chat, and more. Here's what we talked about this episode:
- We started by announcing our new social media channels! Find us on Facebook or Instagram at @dinnerplusdrinkspodcast. Check them both out to enter to win a $25 LGCM gift card!
- We may have found a white wine that Bridget actually likes!
- Nick shares something that he ate that was delicious but Bridget makes a bold prediction about what will be her favorite thing she ate this week.
- We share our favorite recipes from this week's meal plan.
- Bridget has a Valentine's Gift suggestion, and Nick has a must have BBQ accessory to recommend.
- Listener Katie asked us to share some podcast picks, and we obliged!
- Nick dropped a bit of meat knowledge about Dry Aged Beef.
- Bridget shares an adorable story about her son being very proud of his father, and Nick is looking for sleep advice.
Thanks for listening, remember to check us out on Facebook and Instagram and enter our contest - you have until 11:59 PM on Thursday, 13th to enter! We also appreciate when you subscribe in your favorite podcast app, leave us ratings, and write reviews. You can also email our mailbag at: hello@dinnerplusdrinkspodcast.com.
Have a great week - we'll catch you next week!
WINE & RECIPE LINKS
- Get more information about the Telmo Rodriguez Basa, a Spanish white wine we enjoyed on this episode. We previously talked about Spanish white wines on our Wine in 2020 podcast.
- Check out Nick's Taco Rice Bowl recipe - it's convenient and yummy!
- Take a look at this week's meal plan for lots of recipe inspiration.
- Bridget's recipe pick of the week: Seared Scallops
- Nick's recipe pick of the week: BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos
PRODUCT LINKS
- Hooray Heroes - Bridget's pick for personalized books for all sorts of occasions!
- RAPICCA BBQ Gloves - Nick's pick for a great quality of heat resistant gloves for BBQ & more!
*Note - if you purchase using the links we provide, we may receive a small commission from certain sellers.
PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS:Bridget loves crime podcasts. Here are a few picks:
- Serial - the OG crime podcast.
- S-Town - "better than Serial" - Bridget.
- Crime Junkie - Bridget's current fave.
Nick loves sports podcasts but also timely news podcasts. Here are a few of his favorite podcasts:
- Arseblog Arsecast - Nick has an obsession with Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League. This podcast covers the Arsenal.
- The Bill Simmons Podcast - one of the most popular podcasts in the sports world, a
Bridget and Nick had an awesome week(end) packed full of Lake Geneva Winterfest, SUPER activities, plus some new experiences with a certain child's nose. Here's what you can enjoy on this week's SUPER fun episode:
- We popped a bottle of English sparkling wine from Ridgeview Wine Estate. It's awesome.
- Nick shares some of the tiniest food that will ever be the best thing he ate.
- Nick & Bridget relate their experience with one of the happiest food days of the year.
- We talk about this week's meal plan - there are a lot of winners on this week's plan!
- Product recommendations to keep you warm and make you a better leader.
- A mailbag question from Tony about how to celebrate Valentine's in style - without too much difficulty.
- Bridget has a parenting win to share...
- ...and Nick has a snot sucking report to share.
Thanks for listening - you can find links for everything we talked about below. We hope you'll share your feedback with us by sending us an email at hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com. As always, we appreciate you sharing the podcast with your friends, however it makes sense for you to do so. We also appreciate you subscribing, rating, and reviewing the podcast.
Have a great week!
WINE & RECIPE LINKS
- Check out our podcast with Simon Roberts, winemaker at Ridgeview Wine Estate.
- BBQ Tri Tip Biscuit Sliders - the best thing Nick at this week.
- Check out our One Bite Croissant Review of Simple Bakery & Market's croissants.
- Bridget's recipe pick of the week: Spicy Portuguese Beef Kabobs.
- Nick's recipe pick of the week: Bouef a la mode.
- Our complete weekly meal plan.
- A Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fig Sauce recipe to make your Valentine's Day super fancy AND easy!
PRODUCT LINKS
- NoseFrida Snotsucker - a little gross, but it works!
- CC BeanieTail - warm, fashionable, and works with your pony!
- The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of Walt Disney Company - an excellent leadership book by Robert Iger.
*Note - if you purchase using the links we provide, we may receive a small commission from certain sellers.
Lake Geneva Winterfest is almost here! In this episode, we hit the streets and interview 7 different people involved with the event to give you an overview of everything happening. If you don't want to listen to the entire episode, but know you want to learn more about a particular part of Winterfest, check out the chapter markers for easy skipping!
If you're checking out the podcast for the first time, we appreciate you listening. We release weekly episodes every Sunday, and the audio quality is much higher, we promise! Check out more of our episodes, then give us a rating, write us a review, and subscribe to our feed. We hope you like what we're making.
If you have feedback, please send us an email at hello
Check out these links to get more information about what we discussed on this episode:
EVENT LINKS:
- VISIT Lake Geneva's Winterfest Page - a full listing of events, plus more information on the US National Snow Sculpting Championship.
- Geneva Theater Winterfest Film Fest - complete information on the film festival!
- Dueling Bourbon Whiskey Night at Champs - buy tickets online and get more information on their Facebook page.
- Lake Geneva Cocoa Crawl - get updates on this fun and FREE family event in Downtown Lake Geneva.
- Polar Bar - we're pretty excited to be a part of this awesome event!
- Team Dino Fight - keep up to date with what Heather and the rest of her team of snow sculptors is up to on their Facebook page!
We had to take a road trip during our normal recording time, so we decided to make a special road trip episode of Dinner Plus Drinks! Recorded in the car, this episode features awesome chat about:
- The hydration capabilities of still water vs. carbonated water.
- All time favorite road trips.
- Road trip food - including a great tip from Bridget on how to organize road trip snacks.
- We share two winning recipes from this week's meal plan.
- We recommend two products that we were both using during this road trip.
- Lake Geneva Winterfest, with a preview of a special podcast we're releasing next week.
- Nick gives an overview of one of his favorite cuts of meat - beef short ribs.
- Kid corner talk including a pro parent tip from Bridget to Nick, and Nick's tips on where to drive if your kids love car rides.
Check out our blog post for this episode for pictures, links, and our mailbag form, or keep scrolling for links to all the recipes and products we discussed this week.
We'd love to get your mailbag questions, or feedback in general. To get in touch, fill out the mailbag form on the blog post for this episode, or email hello
Thanks for listening - please subscribe, share, and rate!
MEAL PLAN RECIPE LINKS
- Honey Apple Maple Glazed Salmon
- BBQ Chicken Tenders
- Check out our full weekly meal plan right here.
SHORT RIB RECIPE LINKS
- Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
- Stout Braised Short Ribs
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- BBQ Korean Short Ribs
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION LINKS
- Plastic Jewelry Box Organizer - this is the perfect tool to divide up road trip snacks into convenient portions. We like the adjustable dividers on this box.
- Hydro Flask Coffee Mugs - Bridget loves that they keep her coffee piping hot. You can get them at local retailers like Clear Water Outdoor in downtown Lake Geneva, or on Amazon.
- Shady Ray Sunglasses - Bridget helpfully took a picture of Nick talking about these sunglasses while he was talking about them. You can see the picture above, and buy them at this link. Nick likes that they're classically styled, a good quality of construction, and not a ton of money. He wears the Signature Series Blackout Polarized versions.
Come along with us on Nick's adventure to find Mint Dark Chocolate Kit Kat bars, plus enter our first ever Dinner Plus Drinks giveaway! On this super awesome episode:
- We share how you can win a free LGCM t-shirt just by reviewing us on Apple Podcasts!
-
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- Bridget takes a great guess at where this week's wine comes from, and how much it costs.
- Bridget tells you what pizza she always orders at Oakfire, and Nick gushes about how much he loves Kit Kat bars.
- We talk about this week's meal plan, including a grown up hamburger helper recipe, and a recipe that uses a vastly underrated LGCM sausage.
- We recommend a play couch for your kids, and a tool Nick uses all the time in his photography.
- Nick answers a reader question about "unbecoming fat" in ribeye steaks.
- Bridget stresses about if she's a terrible parent, and Nick wants to know why his daughter will do something at daycare but not at home.
Check out our blog post for this episode for pictures, links, and our mailbag form, or keep scrolling for links to all the recipes and products we discussed this week.
We'd love to get your mailbag questions, or feedback in general. To get in touch, fill out the mailbag form on the blog post for this episode, or email hello
Thanks for listening - please subscribe, share, and rate!
RECIPE LINKS
- One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese
- Chorizo Sausage Tacos
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION LINKS
- Oakfire
- Kit Kat Mint & Dark Chocolate
- Nugget Play Couch
- Foamnasium Blocksy Kid Couch
- Replica Surfaces
Have you ever wondered about tenderizing meat? Does a meat mallet work? What makes some cuts more tender than other cuts? If you've ever wondered this episode is for you. Here's what we talk about this episode:
- How does the internet know everything we've talked about? What is Tik Tok??
- We drink a bottle of Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon. We chose this bottle because we're donating 10% of the sales of Australian wine sold at LGCM from 1/13-1/19 to Australian Firefighters!
- We pick our favorite recipes from this week's meal plan, including a one pot recipe and a Mediterranean recipe you can make to brighten up your winter!
- We share product picks to help you cook better AND keep your windshield clear of ice this winter.
- We answer a reader question and give you the lowdown on just what works and doesn't work when it comes to tenderizing meat.
- Bridget lets you know the shelf life of kid's face paint, and Nick shares his anguish about children's clothing colors.
Check out our blog post for this episode for pictures, links, and our mailbag form, or keep scrolling for links to all the recipes and products we discussed this week.
We'd love to get your mailbag questions, or feedback in general. To get in touch, fill out the mailbag form on the blog post for this episode, or email hello
Thanks for listening - please subscribe, share, and rate!
RECIPE LINKS
- One Pot Spaghetti Bolognese
- Greek Grilled Pork Chops with Greek Pasta Salad
- Keto Indian Chicken
- This week's complete meal plan
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION LINKS
- A fabulous Garam Masala seasoning mix available at LGCM.
- Anova Sous Vide Cooker
- Prestone Windshield De-Icer
- Nick's favorite Meat Mallet
- Jaccard Meat Tenderizer
OTHER LINKS
- Learn more about our Australian wine sampling event on Saturday 1/18.
Happy New Year! Nick & Bridget are back chatting about food, drinks, kids, and New Years! Here's what we discussed on this episode:
- We cracked open a can of Maplewood Brewery's Juice Pants IPA and enjoyed the low bitterness, high tropical fruit flavors.
- Bridget reported back on her how lobster tail cooking went.
- We previewed this week's LGCM meal plan. It's packed full of nutritious lean meats, perfect to help you eat healthy in 2020!
- Nick & Bridget offered tips on two different planners they use to help organize their lives.
- Nick broke down the deal with coulotte steaks - an innovative steak that Bridget enjoyed on New Year's Day.
- We answered listener questions about how to get kids to try new foods.
- And we told stories about letting kids stay up for New Year's Eve in Kids Corner!
Check out our blog post for this episode for pictures, links, and our mailbag form, or keep scrolling for links to all the recipes and products we discussed this week.
We'd love to get your mailbag questions, or feedback in general. To get in touch, fill out the mailbag form on the blog post for this episode, or email hello
Thanks for listening - please subscribe, share, and rate!
RECIPE LINKS:
- Baked Lobster Tails
- Sous Vide Whole Tenderloin
- Southwestern Chicken Bowl
- Steakhouse Marinated Flank Steak
- This week's complete mealplan
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION LINKS:
- Knorr Brown Gravy
- Urban Accents Mesa Rosa Chipotle Spice Blend
- Ink+Volt Planner
- My Next 90 Days - Savor Life Planner
- SOAIY Aurora Night Light Projector
*Note - if you purchase using the links we provide, we may receive a small commission from certain sellers.
Listen online, get all the links, and provide feedback on the blog post for this episode.
We wrap up our series of 2019 look backs and 2020 look aheads with this interview. This episode, we are joined by Travis Stockstill, who may be better known as @americanbutcher on Instagram. Travis is a talented butcher, who in addition to his day job, hosts The Meat Block podcast, and is a member of Team USA for the the 2020 World Butchers' Challenge. We discuss:
- Travis' journey to becoming a butcher.
- Cuts of meat, flavors, and other meat trends in 2019.
- What we're expecting to 2020, how we feel about meatless meat, and more.
- Team USA, the Butcher's Guild, and the World Butchers' Challenge.
Do you want to support Travis, and learn more about what he does? Here are some links:
- Travis' Instagram @americanbutcher
- The Meat Block podcast on iTunes
- The Meat Block podcast on Stitcher
- Travis' Patreon - if you're not aware of Patreon, it's an easy way to support the content he is creating through a small monetary donation.
Want to get in on supporting Team USA and their battle to be crowned champions at the World Butcher Challenge? Get more info here:
- The Butcher's Guild - a fraternity of meat professionals, and the organizer of Team USA.
- World Butchers' Challenge Team USA 2020 - learn more about the team!
- Butchers of America Go Fund Me - support Team USA with a monetary donation!
Thanks for listening - we'd really appreciate your feedback on these episodes! Please rate, subscribe, and review. You can always drop an email to hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com or fill out the contact form on the blog post for this episode.
Cheers!
Welcome to the first episode of our weekly Dinner Plus Drinks podcast! Bridget and Nick are here to share about food, drinks, and life. On this episode:
- We pop open a bottle of LGCM exclusive sparkling wine called Bubbles for your Troubles.
- We talk about the Holiday season and what we were eating.
- We look forward to New Year's and Surf & Turf meals.
- We share the first of many kid stories.
Looking for Surf & Turf recipes? Use the link at the bottom of this episode to visit the blog post for this episode.
We'd love to hear your feedback! Email us at hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com, or fill out the contact form at the bottom of the blog post for this episode.
Thanks for listening - please subscribe, share, and rate!
Blog post for this episode with recipe links & contact form.
In this Dinner Plus Drinks interview, we speak with Jeff Siegel, The Wine Curmudgeon, about wine trends in 2019, and look forward to 2020. Jeff writes and podcasts at winecurmudgeon.com where he shares his tips on how to find affordable wines for every day drinking, as well as news items, reviews, and much more. He's the perfect person to take a look at industry wide trends. In this episode:
- Jeff shares how he came to be "The Wine Curmudgeon."
- We discuss trends we saw in 2019 including:
- The trend of wine "premiumization."
- Wine regions & styles that we thought were important in 2019.
- Plus, a few more topics!
- Finally, we take a look forward into 2020 and talk about a variety of topics like:
- Shipping wine to consumers.
- Nutritional labeling on wine.
Get links to Jeff's website, plus our picks on wines that come from regions we discussed in the podcast on the blog post for this episode. Visit dinnerplusdrinks.com or visit this link.
We continue our exploration of what happened in 2019 and prognostication into 2020 with John Brewer, the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Excalibur Seasoning. During this episode, we discuss:
- How Excalibur Seasonings became one of the leading suppliers of flavor to meat processors.
- John's journey from graduating meat cutting school to becoming the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Excalibur Seasoning.
- Some of the major flavor trends in 2019, plus a look forward into 2020 from John's perspective.
- A few quick questions on based on John's favorite flavors, items to cook, and more.
We'd love to hear your feedback on the new format, and see what flavors you're excited for in the New Year. Email your comments to hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com or fill out the comment form on our episode page!
Thanks for listening - please subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. We appreciate your support.
Welcome to our newly relaunched podcast! For the first ever Dinner + Drinks Interview, we're talking craft beer with Nick Scofield, Sales Director at Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville, Illinois. This episode is the first of a series of 4 podcasts looking back at 2019, and taking a glimpse into 2020. In this episode:
- Nick gives us the background on Solemn Oath Brewery, a Great American Beer Festival award winning brewery located in Naperville, Illinois that produces about 7,000 barrels of beer a year in a variety of different styles.
- Nick shares how he worked his way up to be Sales Director at the brewery, and what keeps him on the road selling beer every day.
- We talk about some of the trends we saw in 2019 - the good, the bad, and the interesting.
- Finally, we take a look forward into 2020, and make predictions about what we expect to see in the craft beer world!
To see Nick's (errr host Nick, not Solemn Oath Nick) Five Predictions for Craft Beer in 2020, and get more information about Solemn Oath Brewery, visit the episode page on our website at: dinnerplusdrinks.com.
We'd love to hear your feedback on the new format, and see where you think craft beer is headed in 2020. Email your comments to hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com or fill out the comment form on our episode page!
Thanks for listening - please subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. We appreciate your support.
LINKS:
- Episode page
- Solemn Oath Brewery website
- Solemn Oath Brewery Facebook
- Solemn Oath Brewery Instagram
- Solemn Oath Brewery Twitter
We've been off air for too long, but we are now relaunching the podcast with a new name, a new format, and new co-host. Here are the details:
- The podcast will now be named 'Dinner + Drinks' and be a podcast about all the things you share over food.
- Dinner + Drinks will publish every Sunday night, last about 20 minutes, and feature Nick and a co-host discussing recipes, meal plans, drinks, life, kids, and more.
- In addition to the weekly podcast, we'll have a Dinner + Drinks Interview series that will publish semi-regularly featuring in-depth interviews with interesting people primarily in the food and drink fields. We want to take time to get their perspectives on interesting topics.
- The first Dinner + Drinks episode will launch on Sunday, December 29th.
- We will have a series of 4 Dinner + Drinks Interviews focusing on a look at 2020 in flavor, meat, beer, and wine. These episodes will publish on December 26th, 27th, 28th, and 30th.
We hope you're excited for the changes, start downloading the episodes again, and love the show. We appreciate all your support of Reduce by Half, and we'll be keeping the feed the same. You'll still be able to find all of the Reduce by Half episodes right here. We'll be designating them as season 1 of the podcast for easy sorting.
The name of this podcast feed will change to Dinner + Drinks pretty soon, and the cover art will update too. We can't wait to get publishing again. If you have any questions, or suggestions for guests, topics, or just have general meat questions, please send an email to hello@dinnerplusdrinks.com
Thanks for tuning in - we'll talk again soon. We promise!