4th of July

Now that I got my owe camera I have been taking more picture. I just need to get better about updating my blog. So here are picture from 4th of July. We went up to our cabin in Pinetop. It was so nice to get out of the heat and into the pine trees. :) While in Pinetop we went hiking, played card games (mainly poker), went to a rodeo and I was able to meet more of Michael's family. It was a relaxing fun weekend.

Michael's cousin Jake was in the Eager rodeo. He did a fun event call the pickup race... here's the video.

Memorial Day Pictures

So I know it's now August and yes it has taken me this long to post Memorial Day Picture. This last Memorial Day was a ton of fun. We went down to Saint David to Stacy and Artie's house for a day filled with fun!!!!

We ate great food and homemade icecream, played on the quads, zipline and went shooting. What also made it nice was that Stevie came down from Idaho that weekend for Jacob's baptism. So my whole family was there and we talked Michael and the Bayardo family into joining us.

Favorite Bottled Root Beer

In my last post I told you about the Soda Pop Shop. We have been on a search for the Best Bottled Root Beer. My favorites so far are Buckin' Root Beer and Sparky's. The rest of these are also very good. It's crazy how all the root beers taste so different. Try some of these out and let me know what you think!

Also I found a website (www.delicioussparklingtemperancedrinks.net/rbeer/Beers.html) that did a root beer taste test and here is their rankings and what they had to say:

Buckin'- Not in the taste test. Too bad it's my favorite

Sparky's - Made by Knox Brewing Co. of Pacific Grove, CA. This brand is not available in the Midwest, but Kevin Knox kindly sent a bottle for us to try. This brand is sweetened with cane sugar and honey, but the "botanical extracts" and spices give the first sip a bitterness which initially put some of the reviewers off. "It has a lot of flavor, its just not a good flavor." "Has a goofy aftertaste, but the taste of vanilla, honey and molasses is pleasant." After the first sip, most of the reviewers warmed to the taste: "A very interesting combo of flavors with a minty aftertaste." "It smells great and its growing on me after the initial shock." Sparky's website. - Score: 3.14

Iron Horse - A train-themed root beer bottled in Edina, Minnesota. "Thick creamy. Very creamy flavor - not much intense flavor - this is a subtle brew," one reviewer wrote. The testers enjoyed the creamy vanilla taste, but some found it a little overly sweet. - Score: 3.52

Abita - Bottled in Abita Springs, Louisiana. The beautiful label features a stylized homage to Louisiana cane sugar, which is this brew's prime ingredient (also listed in the formulation is the secretive "root beer flavor"). Our reviewers wrote: "Pretty good punch to it, but I wish it was creamier." " Sharp on the tongue. I like this, a root beer that wakes me up with fizz & flavor. A bit bitter in the aftertaste, but just for a moment. A full, bold flavor." "Not very creamy. Contains a wider taste spectrum than it does root beer flavor." "Nice little punch, agreeable taste." Abita Brewing website. - Score: 3.43

Henry Weinhard's - Bottled by Blitz-Weinhard Brewery in Portland, Oregon. The reviewers found this brew flavorful and complex: "Nice appearance, interesting taste, complex, vanilla-y. Not what I would expect root beer to taste like, but still good." "Great full flavor. No initial sizzling burst of carbonation, but this one rolls over my tongue so easily I'm sad to finish the sample." Though some did not care for the flavor: "Creamy head. Subtle yet nasty aroma. Complex, subtle, conspiratorial." - Score: 3.40

Virgil's - Another old-fashioned style root beer with all-natural ingredients: anise, licorice, bourbon vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, wintergreen, sweet birch, molasses, nutmeg, pimento berry oil, balsam oil and oil of cassia. Our reviewers enjoyed the complex flavors, but overall found it a bit weak in taste: "Vanilla aroma, refreshing fizz, but I'm not crazy about the fruity taste which gets stronger with each sip." "Molasses-y but not a lasting flavor. Aftertaste is medicinal." "Cola flavor. Not much root beer here." "In the end, it tastes more like RC than root beer." Virgil's website. - Score: 2.69

Fitz's- Not in the contest, but very good.

All you Root Beer lovers ENJOY!!!!