Oktoberfest!

I did it! After approximately six months of anxious anticipation, I made it to Tulsa's celebrated Oktoberfest.

As anyone who has been acquainted with me for any length of time can tell you, I love beer. Admittedly, I am have something of a discerning palate; you will never catch me drinking PBR, Natty Ice, anything with "Lite/Light" in its name, or any sort of Budweiser. My beer of choice is usually Blue Moon- delicious, widely available, and relatively affordable. Sure, it's brewed by Coors, but it's not like it has those awful commercials.

Anyway, I have been psyched for Oktoberfest since I found out Tulsa held one. I managed to get the day off work and around 7 PM, Johnny and I headed down to the banks of the Arkansas River to indulge in some of my favorite vices- eating and drinking!

We decided to split pitchers. Commemorative glasses/mugs were nowhere to be found and although it's impossible to see in this light, the pitcher has the Tulsa Oktoberfest logo on it. (Johnny is really into souvenir cups. One day I'll take a picture of the collection of Cubs, Pudge Rodriguez, Tulsa Drillers, and Memphis Grizzlies cups we own.) The pitchers were a decent value at $19 ($18 for refills) since we got around 4-5 cups out of them. Our first pitcher was Warsteiner Oktoberfest. I thought long and hard about just getting a pitcher of Blue Moon (<3) but decided it against it because it was Oktoberfest and I ought to drink a German beer. I really liked this- it was smooth and tangy with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It wasn't heavy at all. 

With our pitcher, we had the most delicious Reuben sandwiches imaginable. Johnny and I are something like Reuben connoisseurs- we've had them at a variety of places. Some are good (like the turkey Reuben at that brunch place in South Tulsa- ask Johnny for the name) and some are merely okay (ahem, McAlister's) but this one was amazing. I have no words to describe its perfection or how well it went down with the beer. 

Here, dear friends, is where the photos stop. My phone's camera is woefully inadequate, and I forgot to make Johnny take pictures with his Blackberry's super-fancy-includes-a-flash-and-auto-focus camera. So use your imaginations! 

We wandered around the festival- it's set up very well. There are lots of different tents to explore (Das Sports Cafe, Das Bier Garten) and each features different beers. Food vendors are everywhere, selling everything from schnitzel to chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick. 

I lied, there was another picture. This is Johnny, not me.

A variety of merchandise was also for sale. There were Oktoberfest t-shirts, chicken hats, lederhosen, and so, so many beer steins. There was a carnival with rides and games (complete with giant Ferris wheel) that didn't appear to have carnies nearly as terrifying as the state fair's. The crowd was large and good-natured (due to all the beer, I think). The staff was full of pleasant volunteers. We even ran into someone Johnny went to college with (Scott? Hi, Scott!). 

I was determined to try some local brew, so I ventured into Das Sports Cafe to get a pitcher of Marshall's Oktoberfest. The Marshall Brewing Company is based in Tulsa and I've always wanted to try their beer. This Oktoberfest beer was somewhat dark and moderately bitter. It tasted nice and was 6.0% alcohol by volume, so this is where the recap gets hazy. Johnny and I had bratwursts (amazing) and then he tried the cheesecake pictured above and brought me some sort of bizarre block of French fries. They were disappointing- too greasy and not nearly crispy enough. We listened to a band play for a bit (until Johnny was well enough to drive) and then headed out. Originally, we'd planned to catch Inception at the dollar theater, but I didn't feel up to sitting through a convoluted movie. After a stop at Wal Mart to pick up chicken for the week (I gallantly staggered around carrying some Quaker oats), we headed home. I'm pretty sure I passed out by 10 PM.

All in all, Oktoberfest was fantastic. The beers were excellent, the food was good (disappointing French fry cake aside), and the atmosphere couldn't be better. No wonder Tulsa's Oktoberfest is rated among the best in the nation! I can't wait til next year.

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In which we go the the Tulsa State Fair & attend a Thunder game

It's been a fairly busy couple of weeks around here, which is certainly not a good excuse for lack of updates, but it's what I'm going with. (I can't say for sure what Johnny's excuse is.)

Last Friday, we headed to the Tulsa State Fair. Fairs, to me, are a glut of glorious excess. The greasy fried foods (most on a stick), overpriced games, and colorful spectrum of people make them a favorite destination for yours truly. I'm pleased to report Tulsa's is no different. We dined on such delicacies as burritos, apple fritters, and polish sausages. I drank beer and contemplated sampling selections from the wine garden.

This burrito was tastier than it appears.

This fritter was less tasty than it appears.

We saw adorable baby animals and equally adorable adult animals. 

Adorable alpaca!

We watched some of the draft horse show, but had to leave because Johnny nearly fell asleep (it was very exciting). We spent a good deal of time wandering around inside various buildings, some of which looked awesome:

Check out that sweet horse mural at the top!

Some of the buildings looked innocuous but contained amazing stuff:

Johnny's Christmas present!

We managed to keep our spending under control and declined a number of good deals for things like hot tubs, pickup trucks, exercise machines, and sequin purses. We left, uncomfortably full and somewhat sweaty, several hours after arriving. It was totally worth it.

Johnny and I returned to action on Thursday to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder face off against the Memphis Grizzlies in a pre-season game played in Tulsa. Johnny is something of a basketball fanatic while I'm more of a casual fan; nevertheless, we both enjoyed seeing superstars like Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, and James Harden play. I mostly enjoyed shrieking "JEFF GREEN TWEETED AT ME!" every time he came on the floor. Johnny received a tweet from Grizz, Memphis' mascot, which seemed to make his night. (We are hardcore Twitter users and follow members of both teams. And Jeff Green tweeted at me a few times back in January. THAT'S RIGHT.) The crowd was a bit sparse, which made me think hard about jumping seats. I mean, here's our view: 

I think that's Jeff Green down there. He once tweeted at me.

Instead, I focused my efforts on eating a bratwurst, drinking two beers (Blue Moon on tap, hello! I love you, Tulsa sporting venues!), and devouring chicken strips and fries. (I see you looming, 5K, and I laugh!) Johnny spent most of the first period attempting to figure out the gender and age of a person sitting next to me. The game itself was good, though I won't bore you with the details. Balls were passed, baskets were sunk, I'm pretty sure a dunk or two happened. The starters/stars played for most of the first half and the second half saw the second string. The Grizzlies beat the Thunder (I think I am glad? So conflicted on who to root for.) but the pre-season doesn't really matter. 

Inspired by the sweet NBA action witnessed Tuesday, Johnny and I have devoted several hours of our lives to playing  NBA2K11. (For those not in the know, this is a basketball video game. Not as fun as NBA Jam, but somewhat more realistic.) I have committed to playing with the Grizzlies, which is proving endlessly frustrating, since giant Marc Gasol is little more than a sentient tree and Rudy Gay can't seem to sink a shot to save his virtual life. I digress; the point is, we've had some srs funsies playing. Feel free to join me on my quest for greatness (or ability to simply play an entire game without taking an accidental full court shot) by adding me on the PS3 network- I'm stejpeck.

We'll be back with more posts soon- Johnny will tune you in to the secrets of getting rid of all that extra buttermilk (seriously, why can't you get it in the same size container that heavy cream comes in?) and Oktoberfest is happening in a week (and I have the day off!)! Until next time! 

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Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Since moving to Claremore, I've come to understand that living in a neighborhood (one with a name and signs for mailboxes and all) is unlike living anywhere else. I've never lived in a neighborhood before. I grew up on a small farm, and while neighbors were within walking distance, interaction with them was limited to inviting everyone over for a bonfire or a swim in the pool a few times each summer. In college, I lived in a house affectionately known as "The Commune"; I had at least 3 roommates at any given time and while the house was on a street with other houses, those other houses were far enough away and filled with people who wanted as little to do with a bunch of noisy college kids as possible (unless it was to call the police). When I struck out on my own and moved to Wichita, I rented a tiny apartment in the city. So this idea of a neighborhood filled with people you actually interact with is a bit new to me.

Here's where we live:

We are the house marked with "A". And now, I present the Guide to Steph & Johnny's Neighbors:

1. Neighbor Dan
Neighbor Dan cornered Johnny in our garage about a month ago in an effort to introduce himself. He's an older gentleman- maybe 70 years old- who's a retired dentist and Oklahoma native. He introduced himself to me about two weeks ago and we had a nice chat about technology and polo. Here's the thing about Neighbor Dan (we have no idea what his last name is; he simply said "Let's stick with first names for now!"): he does yard work for us. When he originally spoke to Johnny, it was to tell him he'd be happy to mow the side of our yard that borders his. A couple of weeks ago, we caught him sweeping grass clippings and leaves from our driveway and putting them in the trash bin for us. Neighbor Dan is very cheerful about all of this and insists that he likes the work- it keeps him busy. Neither Johnny nor I feel very good about having an elderly yard man. We're not the greatest about keeping the grass short and the pine needles picked up, but we feel very strange about having our 70 year old neighbor do it for us. There doesn't seem to be any stopping Neighbor Dan though, so I think we're just going to bake him some diabetic-friendly blueberry muffins and call it a day.

2. Herd of Children
Over the summer, Johnny and I saw a number of children playing a game of baseball in the front yard of this house. We figured it was nothing special- perhaps some extended family had come to visit or the kids had friends over. After a few weeks of seeing the baseball team practice, it became clear that this family simply had a LOT of children. The herd of kids can often be found playing in the front yard and wandering around in the street.

3. Teenage Delinquents
Speaking of wandering around in the street...There's at least one teenager living here and he has at least two teenage friends that like to hang out at his house. They are generally found playing a game of Frisbee at 10 PM in the middle of the street. I'm pretty sure I saw them smoking joints while sitting on the curb once, too.

4. Friendly Crazy Lady
Another elderly resident of the neighborhood, Friendly Crazy Lady has flagged us down a couple of times during our evening jogging/walking sessions. She's incredibly nice, but has asked us things like "Is that Mars? Do you see it? Here, take my binoculars."

5. Unpleasant Baby Mama
I don't know if it's because she just gave birth or because that's just how she is, but this young woman is decidedly unpleasant. We've encountered her a few times on our jogs and she never says hello or waves or acknowledges that we exist. She's always pushing a small baby in an elaborate stroller. When Friendly Crazy Lady inquired about Mars, this woman was nearby and refused to even say hello to Friendly Crazy Lady. Perhaps it's just my Southern upbringing talking here, but I feel you should at least greet someone who's speaking in your general direction.

6. Parks In Our Yard
Technically, they just park in the street in front of our yard, but the idea is the same: they're clearly on our side of the property line. These people own a pickup and a PT Cruiser (ugh, no good can come of a PT Cruiser) and have various Jeeps and PT Cruisers (who owns multiple PT Cruisers?!) in and out of the place on weekends. For the life of me, I can't understand why they park in the street in front of our house. They have plenty of room in their driveway for two cars, but frequently, one car will be in the driveway and one will be in front of our house. Johnny hates them and regularly contemplates doing something horrible to their truck.

7. Boat In The Street
Like Neighbors #6, Boat In The Street has a habit of taking up valuable driving space. However, instead of doing so with their car, they choose to do so with their boat. It's often found sticking halfway out of the driveway or jutting into the street at a weird angle. I don't know why it isn't in a marina or storage facility or in their backyard, but I really wish they would move it. I'm always afraid I'll hit it.

There are a few more neighborhood people not covered here- the police that never seem to go to work, the kid with the grind rail for a skateboard in his yard, the guy who has his dogs and kids trained to not leave the driveway, and the psychos with a giant ferocious dog on the loose, but that's another post for another day.

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Justifying Appliances Pt. 7382916

In college, impulse buys topped out at $10 meals at Taco Bell and tickets to crappy movies starring saucy actresses of the day. But once society announces that you have "grown up" and have a "real job", everything changes. This is Justifying Appliances



Google Ads fascinate me. How a change in browsing behavior, outside all personal perception, can be announced almost immediately in any given sidebar. Never have researching appliances, shopping for gifts, and receiving scary pro-life/birther/tea party chain letters from the grandparents been of greater personal (and professional, if you forget to take "Dane Cook Butt Sex" in white/transparent font out of your sig) detriment than today, and every day future and past accompanied by Google ads!

Forgive me for potentially stating the obvious, but I am convinced that something similar goes on with the mail. 4 months ago, and I had NEVER received a Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon in the mail. Since then? I have received at least 5! 20% off any singular item!!!

But what to use them on?

Set on towels, comforters, etc. And while Stephanie can always do with more throw pillows, I have seen that episode of Seinfeld too many times to make way for that (besides, using a 20% off coupon on a $10 throw pillow is just so... bourgeois).

Which leaves us with small appliances! First and foremost? Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer! Rarely necessary, but OH so pretty, today I will justify this purpose by making chocolate chip cookies!

This recipe was taken from Cook's Illustrated:


2 and 1/8 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
12 tablespoons cooled, melted butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
1-2 cups Chocolate Chips


Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl (w/fork, not standing mixer). I prefer to just use my 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup for this, because it is the only time I ever get to use it, but a bowl does just as well. Set this stuff aside.

Put the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter into the bowl of the standing mixer. Using a low speed, and the paddle attachment, you should get something equally pretty to this:



Once you have a nice homogeneous goo going on, add the egg, the yolk, and the vanilla. Faint of heart may prefer to turn off the mixer for this step. This will not hurt the cookies, but may hurt your ego. Use caution!

Continue on a low speed until an even blend is achieved, then incrementally add the dry ingredient mix using whatever level (/lack) of caution you are comfortable with:



No need to scrape the sides, just be patient and the mixer will do all of that for you!

Once you have again attained an even blend, add the chips. An elevated speed (medium low) may be desired at this point:


Let this go for awhile, probably 10-30 seconds after last chip has been added, and then turn everything off, and take in your amazing extraneous appliance aided accomplishment!!!



If the dough comes out kind of soupy, like in the picture above, put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Divide into ~24 balls on two baking sheets, and bake at 325F for ~16 minutes. A useful trick I have found is to watch the cookies and wait for the tops to "crack", this will give you a slightly crispy outside with a soft (but not gooey!) inside.

The best part about this recipe though, is that the paddle attachment is not dish washer safe, which means you have to lick it clean :D

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