Now, I keep a bottle of water at my desk at all times, but even though it is sitting right there, I think about other beverages first when I get thirsty. (Funny, since nothing quenches a thirst like water does). My employers even do an excellent job at providing fresh spring water for us in bottles and in a cooler. So, I have no excuse.

According to the American Beverage Association, proper hydration is essential for maintaining body temperature and for transporting oxygen and other important nutrients to our cells. It seems we lose water easily as we perspire, take bathroom breaks, and even just by breathing throughout the day.

Fresh fruits & veggies found at the Easton Farmer's Market

The National Academy of Sciences recommends 11 to 16 cups of total fluid intake for adults and 9 to 14 cups total fluid intake for kids. (The elderly and individuals with special medical concerns usually require more). I know this seems like a lot, but don’t panic-you can and will acquire some of these fluids as part of your daily diet if you are consuming healthy fruits and vegetables that provide their natural fluids to you. I have definitely gotten better at adding those in during this process with so many great fresh fruits and vegetables accessible this time of year.

Getting back to the bloat, this can be a sign that foods you have eaten are not digesting properly. Consuming water with meals aides in digestion. Plus, if you substitute water for the caffeinated beverages that you drink during the day, you’re also helping to eliminate bloating. Caffeine has been found to cause bloating. Not to mention the effects of carbonation found in soda on the body.

Okay, so maybe it’s not as glamorous as a Starbucks Grande Caffé Misto. It’s also certainly not as cumbersome as a towering Big Gulp, but I never need to go far or spend a lot to quench my thirst during the workday and especially during my workouts. Gotta run, or I will be late for one and trainer John will not be happy.

P.S. I will get back soon with the skinny on what it means to be gluten-free…

Now that you are sufficiently thirsty, check out one of these great local resources to grab a cold one when you are out and about.

Liberty Street Tavern
2246 West Liberty Street
Allentown
610-221-8765
libertystreettavern.com

This laid-back place features 300 beers and serves tasty bar food by the chef of the former Cannon’s pub, Kevin Curry.

Interstate Market
480 Industrial Drive
Easton
610-559-7375
Yeah, that place. The one near the Phantom Fireworks and the Chrin Landfill. Choose among 100 different beers and six taps, including Weyerbacher.

Abe’s Cold Beer
1301 W. Broad Street
Bethlehem
610-997-0831
abescoldbeer.com
Often simply referred to as “the six-pack shop,” Abe’s 500+ inventory of regional and international beers is peerless. Mix and match your favorite beers in six and twelve packs. Ask questions. They’re friendly.

Shangy’s: The Beer Authority
40 E. Main Street
Emmaus
610-967-1701
Yes, you have to buy by the case. But oh, the cases you can choose from. It’s like a supermarket of beer–others have called it a cathedral, or wonderland–and it’s in our backyard.

Lehigh Valley Brewfest
October 16
Hugh Moore Park
Easton
lvbrewfest.org
$35 admission in advance; $40 at the door.
Now in its seventh year, the festival organizers, according to Polly Beste, anticipate 2,000 in attendance and at least 35 brewers and a number of tasty food offerings. Last year’s included Weyerbacher and Brew Works, along with Stouds, Troegs,  River Horse, Ommegang, Efes, Unibroue, Yards, and Efes, among others.

Back to school shopping has never just been about school. There is something about fall runways and trends that inspire a need to shop in everyone, school enrollment status notwithstanding. This season can be summed up in one word: classic. From women to teens in lace and pearls to kids donning the perfect denim ensemble, this season is all about clothes that feel like home.

Classic Grace
If Grace Kelly is your style icon, then you are in for a treat. This season’s hottest look for women is the glamorous, refined elegance of a classic movie star. Check out pearls, blazers, and knee-length skirts that offer a sophisticated sexiness that is ultimately more alluring than peek-a-boo miniskirts. Inspired by the buttoned up but never boring models of the fall runways, these ladylike numbers are perfect for long days at the office, but glide easily into evening cocktails with friends. Ann Taylor has the perfect knee-length skirt to fit this trend, and J Crew can top off this look with an exquisitely cut blazer. Try silk blouses in classic colors such as black and grey, but then add a brightly colored patterned scarf to keep things interesting.

Lacey, Not Racey
Even teen retailers echo the ladylike vibe, so expect to see your 15-year-old dressing less like a rock video hopeful and more like your mom. Rose print cardigans, pearl accessories, and plenty of other vintage inspired treasures abound at favorite discount retailers Charlotte Russe and Forever 21. The most style savvy little ladies will also incorporate lace into their looks, which has been popping up in everything from cardigans to headbands. Moms can worry less about their teens becoming band groupies and more about them coordinating an afternoon tea date.

For kids, the focus is the ever versatile, all American fabric that we lovingly call “denim.” From pants to button downs to dresses and jumpers, this classic fabric has taken over kids departments in retailers such as The Children’s Place and GapKids. Pair adorable denim ruffled dresses with brightly colored tights and socks, and even mix different wash tops with bottoms. For back to school, pencils and notebooks are well and good, but the most important purchase will definitely be the perfect denim jacket.

On the Home Front
Home trends continue to feature casual elegance that is equal parts livable and beautiful. Pottery Barn offers country inspired prints and fabrics that echo the coziness of a farmer’s kitchen. In an effort to return to this simple way of living, PB features an array of toile print duvets, table runners, and window dressings that will have even the most mundane room feeling warm and cozy. If your taste is strictly modern, try dressing your pristine white couch with a couple warm hued, brightly colored throw pillows that can easily be switched out next season. Embrace home décor options that evoke long nights of flickering candlelight, surrounded by your loved ones.

Now that school is back in session, it can only mean one thing: tailgate parties! Make yours the best with these helpful hints and recipes for the perfect parking lot soiree!

The Basics:

1. Wear your team colors! An inexperienced tailgater might not think of this, but it is important to be a true blue fan—or green, or crimson…
2. Arrive 3-4 hours early, and stay 1-2 hours after. In order to get maximum tailgating time, 3-4 hours early gives you time to set up games, stoke up your grill, and get cooking!  Staying 1-2 hours after gives you enough time to pack up, and beats the traffic jam out of the parking lot!
3. Seek out an optimal parking spot, preferably near a grassy area. This allows your tailgate party to have a wider space for sitting, playing games, and just hanging out.
4. Have a banner (or two!) that everyone can see from a distance. This way, your group can see where you are, and others can see you. Pretty soon, your tailgate will be the happening spot in the parking lot!

Must Haves:

1. Jumper cables. You never know when your car battery might die, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
2. Extra ice. You can NEVER have too much ice! Remember you can count on some of it melting quickly.
3. Rain gear. Another just in case—because you won’t want to stop tailgating because of weather.
4. A portable grill! How else are you going to cook delicious food for your tailgate?  tailgating.com offers the Margaritaville Tailgating Grill, which easily attaches to your tailgate, and comes with small, but helpful features.
5. A cooler. This is an absolute must have!  How else are you going to keep your drinks cool?  And in addition, amazon.com offers a bottle opener that easily attached to your cooler with a catch to collect the caps. What could be a more perfect combination?

Now that you have a grill, you’re ready for perfect tailgating food. And what’s better or easier than chicken wings? Here is an easy recipe for those hot, spicy wings:

Suzie’s Hot Wings
Chicken wings, tips discarded, any amount
1 Bottle of Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1 Bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce

Soak wings in zesty Italian dressing overnight or several hours the morning of. Grill over medium coals slowly about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the grill and soak with Louisiana Hot Sauce. Place back on grill for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Maybe wings just aren’t your favorite meal. Try this recipe for a hot, vegetarian chili. Just make it up the night before, and warm up in a pot with your tailgating grill!

LisKat’s Vegetarian Chili
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can light red beans
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes

Mix tomatoes, beans, pepper and onion in a large pot over medium to high heat. Use food processor to make chili thicker. Process 3-4 cups of chili at a time until preferred thickness. Once blended and thickened, add cumin, garlic, and red pepper flakes to taste.  Also, try adding  any of the following to completed dish: cheese, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

So where in the Valley can you tailgate?  Here are some of the Valley’s biggest games to check out:

1. Lehigh vs Lafayette:  This college football rivalry has been the nation’s most played, and it calls the Valley it’s home. The Lehigh versus Lafayette game draws in not only the college alumni, but Valley residents as well. Add this game to your tailgating list!  Watch their 146^th meeting on November 20, 2010 at noon at Lafayette’s Fisher Stadium in Easton.
2. Easton vs Phillipsburg: Although they are high school teams, this rivalry has been Valley favorite. Easton and Philipsburg have rivaled each other since 1916, making it the Valley’s longest high school football rivalry.  See this awesome high school rivalry’s 103^rd meeting Thanksgiving Day at Fisher Stadium at Lafayette College at 10:30 a.m.

For more tips about tailgating, check out tailgating.com.

While you read some intriguing cover stories in our September issue, there were others that were also highly notable.

Making that list are:

December 2008

The “Trifle Heard ‘Round the World” Cover

We are still hearing about this cover. That trifle, which I actually made, was very popular with readers. We received inquiries about this lovely holiday dessert long after the holidays were over. Want the recipe? We still have it. E-mail me at editor@lehighvalleystyle.com. It was yummy!

January 2009

The “Woman in Chandelier” Cover

This cover stemmed from a wildly successful makeover contest feature we did. There was no Photoshop trickery involved here. Our photographer Olaf Starorypinski and contest winner Andrea Motsko of Whitehall stood at the very top of two 15-foot ladders at American Hairlines of Bethlehem to give us an amazing backdrop for this first cover of 2009.

April 2010

The “Who’s That Girl?” Cover

Why it’s my multi-talented editorial assistant, Jana Hoffman. Although Jana does dabble in modeling in her spare time, she was not actually booked for this shoot. However, she was willing to stand in as a live prop to much critical acclaim. She certainly had many readers asking, “Who’s That Girl?”

For a Saucon Valley Couple in Love with Wine and the West, Bigger Really is Better.

Online Exclusive photos by Donovan Roberts Witmer