Brewhosue Bingo for the Pats vs Bills Game

Have a Sunday Funday this weekend at American Fresh Brewhouse in Somerville! American Fresh Brewhouse is Assembly Row's very own Gastrobrewery brought to you by Somerville Brewing Company. Located 35 feet from the Assembly Row T stop you'll find 24 draught lines, beer cuisine, lunch, dinner, pints and flights.

This weekend, you can enjoy all that the Brewhouse has to offer...including bingo. That's right! Swing by for a brew or two and some bingo fun while tuning into the Pats vs Bills game. Grab a bingo card and win prizes including gift cards, tickets to American Fresh Brewhouse's Comedy Show and Spent Grain Bread Making class, brewery merch, and much more!

Enjoy the brewhouse's special game-day appetizer menu, including half-price Nachos, Pretzels, and Dips during first hour of the game! Stop in for fresh IPAs, porters, sour ales and more while playing to win, just like the Patriots. It's the perfect Sunday Funday activity before celebrating Christmas.

Grab your buds, head over to American Fresh Brewhouse and devour the details of bingo and the Pats vs Bills the best way we know how. Cheers!

Wedding Wednesdays: We Love Welcome Bags

Chances are you won't be able to greet all your guests upon their arrival, so a wedding welcome bag (or basket) of goodies is a great way to say, "Hello, we're glad you're here!" right away. (This is especially true if you're having a destination wedding or hosting a lot of out-of-towners.) Check out our breakdown of everything you need to assemble the perfect prewedding goody bag that'll make your guests feel right at home!

Local Ingredients

The whole idea behind the welcome bag is to make your guests' stay more comfortable, so keep them from raiding the minibar. Fill their bags with sweet and savory snacks that will tide them over if they arrive after dinner or if they have a late-night hankering post wedding dance party.

Get Creative: Give out-of-towners a taste of local flavor with snacks that are representative of the setting. For example, locally grown Florida oranges, Cape Cod potato chips or Vermont cheddar cheese.

Sip, Sip, Hooray!

Throw in a drink or two, like bottles of water. You'll keep guests hydrated without sending them to the hotel gift shop. Add a custom label to show off your wedding colors, motif or monogram.

Get Creative: Swap out the bottle of water for something that speaks directly to the theme of your wedding. Try coconut water for a tropical destination wedding, miniature bottles of wine for a vineyard soiree or locally brewed beer for ranch nuptials.

Weatherproof Essentials

Take a cue from the season and stock up on items that'll help your guests brave the elements. Sunglasses, bug spray and fans will beat the heat, while pashminas, tea bags and hand-warmers are perfect for a fall or winter wedding. Ponchos and umbrellas are other must-haves if rain is in the forecast.

Get Creative: Hotels often provide a few complimentary toiletries, like shampoo or lotion, but not everything is covered. Kick up your welcome bag with a few extra pampering products, like sunscreen for sunny days or lip balm to combat the chilly temps.

A Few of Your Favorite Things

Add a personal touch to your bag by including items you love or things that speak to you two as a couple. Maybe it's a signature sweet, a book of crossword puzzles or a mix of your favorite beats. These details that capture your quirks make fun welcome bag additions your guests will surely love (and get a good laugh out of).

Get Creative: Give your guests a little context by personalizing each item with a note explaining its significance. For example, John used to do the crossword puzzle every Sunday morning with his grandfather, or Emily is infamous for keeping a stash of sweets in her purse.

Hangover Helpers

Don't let your guests regret that last glass of champagne. Create a special hangover kit, complete with a bottle of water, Advil, Alka-Seltzer and Emergen-C (even Bloody Mary mix helps) to help them combat any morning-after ailments that might keep them from enjoying the rest of the wedding festivities. Your friends and family will thank you—trust us.

Get Creative: A bad hangover isn't the only "emergency" your guests might encounter. Add in some Band-Aids, stain remover or a mini sewing kit to help guests deal with whatever disaster might come their way.

Get your guests excited upon arrival with the help of these fun-filled bags and devour the details of a warm wedding welcome they'll love!

Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Peppermint Patties

The perfect treat for the holiday season! Feast on these homemade peppermint patties at parties or in the comforts of your own home. Chocolate and peppermint - you can't go wrong! Check out this delicious recipe.

Ingredients:
7 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons extra-virgin or refined coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon food-grade peppermint essential oil or 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (see note)
1 1/2 pounds bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
Crushed peppermint candies for sprinkling, optional

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, milk, corn syrup, coconut oil and peppermint on low speed until combined. Shape the dough into two round circles, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Sprinkle a liberal amount of powdered sugar on a clean countertop or on a piece of parchment paper. Unwrap one disk of dough and place it on the counter or parchment. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, too. Roll the peppermint patty dough to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into rounds with about a 1 7/8-inch or similar-sized cutter.
3. Reroll the scraps until all of the dough is used. Repeat with second disk of dough. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes or overnight.
4. Melt the chocolate (We use the microwave on 50% power and cook for 1-minute increments, stirring in between; We melt until it is mostly melted but there are still a few small lumps of chocolate - we stir these in until fully melted. This will help to avoid blooming on the set chocolate.)
5. Using a fork, dip the frozen patty rounds one-by-one into the chocolate. Tap the handle of the fork on the side of the bowl to drizzle off the excess chocolate, scrape the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl and gently place the dipped patties on parchment-lined baking sheets using a butter knife to gently slide the patty off the fork if needed.
6. Sprinkle the dipped patties with crushed mints, if using. Let the chocolate set, about an hour. Store patties in the refrigerator.

Perfectly peppermint and crafted to make you smile! Enjoy this homemade recipe and devour the details of any holiday happening with this treat.