Welcome Mari!

May was an eventful month for our family...


A new granddaughter...


a vacation...



and a nasty virus (I'm better now!).

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Since I'm very calorie conscious these days...down 13 pounds so far!...I often have to skip cocktail time. However, I found this "guilt-free margarita" recipe just in time for summer! One regular margarita can contain up to 250 calories (or more if you add some yummy amaretto or grand mariner...sigh!).

Here's the lower calorie (105) and low carb (2g*) recipe to try:

• 6 ounces of diet lemon-lime soda
• 1.5 ounces of tequila
• 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar-free lemonade (or try another flavor)
• 1/4 tsp orange extract (optional - but good!)
• 1 ounce of lime juice*

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over crushed ice in a margarita glass. OLE!

*Carbs: 2g using bottled lime juice or 2.5g for fresh lime juice

Seattle Beer Week is coming!

The first ever Seattle Beer Week is scheduled for the 7th through the 17th of May - a ten day week! It will highlight the best of what Seattle and the Northwest beer community has to offer - from the numerous award winning breweries and world class pubs to a community of beer lovers like no other. Seattle Beer Week is 10 days of bubbly fun at over 100 different events all around the greater Seattle area. The schedule is filled with brewer dinners, mini-beer festivals, and special limited edition brews made just for the event.

The kick off event is May 7th from 5-7 pm at Pike Brewing in the lower level of Pike Place Market. They will release a never seen or tasted before Double IPA as the inaugural commemorative brew.

But wait! There's more!

You know the night can't possibly end at 7 pm...that's inconceivable! (Vizzini, The Princess Bride) Both before and after the kick off there are numerous places to enjoy a tasty beverage or three.

• The Pub at Pipers Creek is featuring a Boulder Beer Happy Hour with a release of the new India Brown Anniversary Ale (4-6 pm)
• Beveridge Place Pub is featuring a full night of Cask beer
• Bottleworks is having an Iron Horse Brewing tasting.
• The Park Pub is holding a Boulder Beer Brewers night (just in case you missed the one at Pipers Creek) featuring great beers, swag, and the release of the new India Brown Anniversary Ale (7-10 pm)

For more information, here's a great calendar of events and here's the official Seattle Beer Week web site.

Burp...

Hooray, hooray, it's the first of May!

It's also the first day of Beltane...a Celtic quarter day and the start of
the Celtic summer season. Summer? Good grief...Spring has only just
begun and in some places they're still getting snow! Celebrate by
placing a May Day bouquet of flowers on your door (or a friend's door
as a special surprise!) and light a Beltane bonfire outdoors (or in your
fireplace) tonight. If you're in the city, you may want to just light a
candle...LOL!

Beltane is also a fertility festival. If you're in the mood, you just might
want to snuggle up with your sweetie by that nice romantic blaze
...who knows what might happen!

Last night, 30 April, the Beltane Society held their annual Fire Festival
on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's a "spectacular revival of the
ancient Celtic fertility festival in the heart of the Scottish capital;" a
"unique and wild procession of fire, drumming, and revelry." If you
were fortunate and got to attend, tell us all about it and send a link
to your photos!