Category: Uncategorized

A Brewery in the Middle of Nowhere: Gravity BrewWorks in Big Flat, AR

Has anyone ever heard of Gravity BrewWorks? Neither have I, until recently. We go camping, hiking, biking, etc. a lot around the Mountain View area, which is in a dry county. We have some friends that drive from Stone County to Baxter County, which is a wet county, to get their regular dose of beer. They told us about Gravity BrewWorks and how much they love it, so we checked it out.

About 30 minutes from Mountain View, on Highway 14 East in Big Flat, you will find Gravity BrewWorks This is a small “nanobrewery” that opened in November of 2013. One of the owners used to be the head brewer at Vino’s in Little Rock. They focus on a small number of house-brewed batches, which allows them to really focus and make sure these are great beers.

THE ENVIRONMENT

In the middle of Nowheresville, you will find this very nice brewery. The large sign out from makes it hard to miss.

The inside is open and modernly decorated. There is a bar up front and tables with some games to play throughout the rest of the room.

There is even a large, clean bathroom for when you break the seal.

The people that work there couldn’t be more kind. Two ladies were working this day and both were very helpful. They offered us samples of each beer, answered any questions we had, and just made easy small talk with everyone there. We felt immediately right at home here.
There were some locals enjoying a beer while we were here, as well. They were very kind and easy to talk to, as well. It was a very nice, homey environment. Just right for a brewery, in my opinion.

THE BREWS

On the day we stopped by, there were four brews on tap, all of which we got to sample.
1. Falling Star ESB (5%)- This is an English-style ale that was lighter than the others, but pretty bitter. Spoiler alert: We got some of this one in a growler.
2. Blacker Shade of Ale (5.3%) – You guessed it, this was a dark beer. It was full of deep, rich flavors. A great sipping beer, but one I wouldn’t get a growler of. (I am not a huge fan of dark beer)
3. Hoppy Together IRA (6%)- This Indian Red Ale was a nice hoppy beer without being overly hoppy. It still had depth and flavors that I enjoyed, even though I am not a hops fan.
4. Bel Hop Belgian IPA (6.3%)- This was hoppy! That is all I could taste and I am NOT a fan of hops. If you are, you will love this beer!

The prices were surprisingly affordable as well…much cheaper than many Little Rock Breweries we frequent.  Each beer is labeled with a letter, which shows you how much it costs on the menu. With all options of pints ranging from $4.25- $5.75, that is pretty great price-wise, especially for a brewery with no near competition.

We decided to purchase a couple of their 32 oz quart bottles for $3 a piece. We got the Falling Star in one and the Hoppy Together IRA in another.  I was happy to see 32 oz bottles available. I would never have been able to drink a 64 oz of either of these brews before it went flat. So, the 32 oz is a nice option to have on hand when going to any brewery.

If you want to stop by, their tasting room is open Thursday- Saturday, 12-8pm.

 

 

Original Recipe + Cute Story + Ladies’ Home Journal= $400 and fame!

Did you know that if you send in an original recipe with a story behind it, Ladies’ Home Journal may publish it and pay you $400 for it? Seriously, it is true, and here’s how it happened for me.

A coworker told me about this opportunity. Apparently, this has been something LHJ has done for years.  So, I gave it a shot. I actually sent in two recipes with stories behind them. Within a couple months, I was contacted by LHJ, told the test kitchen loved the “man catcher brownies” recipe and they want to publish it with the (excessively cheesy) story. You can imagine my shock and excitement! I was interviewed via telephone by the woman who was writing the piece to make sure the story and recipe were correct. I was sent a $400 check, and then a two page spread with my recipe, story, and picture were published in the next month’s mag.

After this, these brownies became a little more popular. Locally, I was interviewed on KARK 4 news one morning. In other states, a few newspapers did experiments on this recipe, many bloggers blogged about it after trying it themselves. And most exciting, Hoda and Kathy Lee tried them on the Today Show.

Of course, my “fame” was fleeting, but it sure was fun and exciting for a while. And that $400 went a long way for me! 

Now if fame and fortune aren’t as important to you as chocolate, then here is the recipe for those gooey, caramel-y, nutty brownies.

Recipe Video:

 

 

Ingredients:
-1 15.25-oz pkg German chocolate cake mix
-2/3 cup of evaporated milk
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
-30 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
-3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
-1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix german chocolate cake mix, melted butter, and 3 ounces evaporated milk until a thick batter evolves.
3. Add about 2/3 of the batter to a brownie pan (9″x13″ is ideal) and press until evenly distributed.
4. Cook in oven for 7 minutes.
5. Melt the 30 caramels and the remaining 3 ounces of evaporated milk on medium-low heat. Stir continuously for about 10 minutes.
(Remember to take your brownies out after 7 minutes, letting them cool until the caramel sauce is finished)
6. Drizzle the caramel sauce on top of the cooked brownies. Then sprinkle the chocolate chips and chopped nuts on top of the caramel sauce.
7. Add the rest of the uncooked brownie batter in patches or crumbles on top of the chocolate, nuts, and caramel. It doesn’t have to be pretty.  You don’t want to over it all either. Leave some space open so that the caramel, nuts,and chocolate can peek through.
8. Add the brownies back to the oven for another 8-9 minutes, or until brownies are puffy on the top.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think in the comments. Or if you have had a recipe published in LHJ, please share!

“Man-Catcher” Brownies (Turtle Brownies)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 15.25 oz package German chocolate cake mix
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 30 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix german chocolate cake mix, melted butter, and 3 ounces evaporated milk until a thick batter evolves.
  • Add about 2/3 of the batter to a brownie pan (9"x13" is ideal) and press until evenly distributed.
  • Cook in oven for 7 minutes.
  • Melt the 30 caramels and the remaining 3 ounces of evaporated milk on medium-low heat. Stir continuously for about 10 minutes.(Remember to take your brownies out after 7 minutes, letting them cool until the caramel sauce is finished)
  • Drizzle the caramel sauce on top of the cooked brownies. Then sprinkle the chocolate chips and chopped nuts on top of the caramel sauce.
  • Add the rest of the uncooked brownie batter in patches or crumbles on top of the chocolate, nuts, and caramel. It doesn't have to be pretty.  You don't want to over it all either. Leave some space open so that the caramel, nuts,and chocolate can peek through.
  • Add the brownies back to the oven for another 8-9 minutes, or until brownies are puffy on the top.
     
Keyword man catcher brownies, ladies home journal, published, amy westerman, turtle brownies, caramel, chocolate, nuts,