wine wednesday : brownie points for me!

It's been a while since I recommended a wine. 

Not for lack of drinking it, just nothing recently that has inspired me.

I really liked this one, though!

Brownie Points Vineyards 2011 California Red.

If you like a red

with delicious hints of chocolate in it

this one is for you.

Both Hubby and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

(I even bought a second bottle and enjoyed that one the following week.)

I like the cute orange and brown label

and the dessert-like sweetness.

A delicious less-than-$20 pick.

I also appreciated that the label encourages you recognize "fine achievements" such as rescuing a cat or running a half marathon.  Nope, doesn't even need to be a full marathon.  Half is good.
5k would probably work, too.

(I am amused by reading wine labels, if you can't tell.)

Like I need such grand reasons to drink wine.

Heck, I celebrate surviving a day with two toddlers, 

particularly days like today when the pipes froze and we had no water.

Who needs water when you have wine?

Oh yeah - the baby who needs water for her formula.

And me who needs water to clean up all kinds of stickiness throughout the day.

Also, it is nice to be able to flush the toilet.

Thankfully we still had a jug of water in the fridge from the last time the pipes froze.

And I was able to un-freeze the pipes before dinnertime

I'd say that achievement deserves a glass of wine.

 "Have some of your wine, Mama." 

(Said over breakfast.)

"Mama loves wine!"  

shrieked on a regular basis at dinner time when I have my glass.

Yes, my love, I do.

surprise date : wine and guns

I shot a gun for the first time on Friday.

I'd like to say it was a really cool experience and I loved it and now am addicted to shooting things.  

But no.

Opposite.

I knew kind of already that I had a gun phobia.  I once burst into tears and had a panic attack when a friend tried to show me an {unloaded} pistol he had purchased.  I wouldn't calm down until he had put it away in its little box and the box itself was out of sight.

However, my sweet hubby didn't know this and decided to plan a secret date.

I love surprises from Hubby so I was pretty excited.

We left the sweet kiddos with the grandparents for the day and started driving to the secret destination.  I of course was guessing the entire time.  Sky diving?  Hot air balloon ride?  Mini golf?  

The morning weather was absolutely gorgeous - frosty, but sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.

Perfect fall day!

We took the scenic route (Dad, you would be proud!) and I was enthralled with the beautiful Kentucky countryside.  A million times I wished we could have stopped to take pictures of pretty tobacco barns and fields...but we had to our destination since we had a limited window to do whatever activity it was we were going to do.

Finally we turned toward Elk Creek Winery, and I was instantly relieved I wouldn't be thousands of feet in the air for anything, but happily on the ground drinking wine.

But we kept driving past the winery until we got to a place called the 'hunt club.' 

That was when I realized our date included more than wine...

but guns as well.

Gulp.

We were going to be shooting clay targets with a 12 gauge shotgun.

I grew up with two brothers who shot guns frequently on our farm, so you would think I would have done this before.  

Nope.  

I had avoided all gun shooting for 32 years...

but now that streak was over.

I knew I couldn't wimp out.

Our first "station" I watched Paul and pushed the buttons to release the clay targets.

Then, at my turn, I skittishly danced around

not wanting to really even hold the gun.

Finally, after asking if the safety was on about a hundred times,

I held the gun as Paul instructed 

(it was just me and him so I could be as 'fraidy cat as I pleased)

and shot my first shot.

I hated it.

It was scary and loud.  

My teeth rattled from the kickback.  

The gun was heavy.

I kept thinking of how easily it could kill someone

and worked myself up into a psychological tizzy.

I burst into tears, but then, after some convincing, 

shot it again.

(we weren't even pulling the targets...there was no way I would hit any in my emotional state.)

Still hated it.

So for the rest of the time Paul happily shot at each station solo.  I took photographs of him shooting - marveling at how he was surprisingly a very good shot - and of the gorgeous scenery on such a lovely autumn day.  I had a fine time riding down the steep hills in the golf cart through the woods and being the designated 'button pusher.' 

Okay, I did try to shoot one more time, two or three more shots.

Ugh.

But my hate had lessened to a strong dislike.

yes, I understand I look ridiculous holding a gun.

So while I wasn't a fan of shooting guns myself, it was still a fun morning.

(Plus, dearest Hubby, I saved us some money on bullets.  

You're welcome.)

+ + + + + + 

Then it was off to the portion of the date I could fully appreciate:

the winery.

We ordered lunch in the beautiful lodge, 

and I had a strawberry and brie salad that was honestly the most delicious meal I've ate in a long time.  All that fresh air and gun shootin' had given me quite an appetite...

...and a thirst!

We did a wine tasting, ate our lunch, walked around the art gallery and talked while drinking a surprisingly good cabernet franc, then ordered another glass of wine to bring out for a stroll through the vineyard.

Nice work, babe.  

You got me to try something new, and I love a new experience once in a while.

Plus, you topped it all off with some wine drinking.  Good man.  

g

{cork trivet}

Anyone else have about a million wine corks being saved, 

waiting for the perfect project to use them for?

Well, if you know me, you know I drink a lot of wine,

and I started saving my corks from the very beginning.

Let's just say ' a while ago. '

Anyway, my mother-in-law gave me a Christmas gift this year which 

gave me the perfect excuse to use some of my corks...

...a corkboard trivet kit!

This one, by Oenophilia, can be found at wine shops, party stores, and {here.}

OR...you could make your own using:

• a small frame with sturdy backing
• glue
• corks

Um, easy, right?

So I recently looked through every single one of my corks and picked out the ones I loved - either because they were from a bottle we drank on a special occasion or had visited the winery, had a cute saying or design, or just were a favorite wine.

I had some 'help' doing the picking and arranging.

Once I'd chosen the corks, I had to design my trivet.

I went for a fairly simple 'brick' pattern.

Then I simply glued them onto the backing of the frame and let them dry!

The finished product:  love!

Made a lovely addition & conversation piece 

to the table of our dinner party that night!

Happy, happy Tuesday!

g

made my day.

1. running with baby. {always does.}

2. finally choosing a font for the little one's first birthday invites.  anyone else geek over free, cool fonts?

i completely do. 

3. fabric arrived!!!  for a future attempt at being crafty {which I'm not.}  here is a sneak peak:

4. it was 'world malbec day' yesterday.  aka an excuse to open that bottle of malbec I've been eyeing on the rack for a while.  was not disappointed!   {espuela del gaucho, malbec, 2010}

5. yoga class!  enough said.
6. flipping through the current Martha Stewart Living magazine and seeing Louisville featured.  We live in Kentucky, visit there a lot, and now I reeeeally want to go to this coffee shop:

{full article}

7. blueberry pancakes for dinner.  with malbec.  below are not my blueberry pancakes.  I burnt three and the others were not photo-worthy.  note to self: do not 'facebook' and make pancakes simultaneously.

{recipe}

What made your day?
g

wine wednesday: middle sister 'rebel red'....& tuna farfalle with mushrooms

I guess you could call me a "middle sister."  I am a sister.  I am in the middle - of an older sister and brother, and a little brother.  So I thought it was fitting for me to try a Middle Sister wine.  Any excuse to try a new wine, right?  :)

After checking out 'the girls' on their adorable website I had to choose this fine lady - "Rebel Red":

I wasn't disappointed.  It actually reminded me a lot of the Cupcake Red Velvet that I recommended recently here - very fruity but yet has substance, delicious particularly when it first hits your tongue, with a strong taste of raspberries.  Yum!  Especially as summer is just around the corner.  This tart but smooth red lives up to it's quirky, rebellious name.

And you can't have wine without good food, right?  Well, you can...but you might get drunk that way.  So I paired miss 'Rebel' with a yummy pasta - tuna farfalle with mushrooms.  Oh, and anchovies.  I'd never cooked with anchovies before, so I was a little skittish at first.   However, they get sauteed, chopped up very finely, and end up adding a lot to the flavor.

Hubby gave this one his 'seal of approval.'

For the full recipe, click {here} - so good!

So here's to all you 'middles' out there -- with the responsible 'oldests' to live up to, and the adorable, spoiled 'babies' who unintentionally stole your thunder.   Raise your glass, ladies {or gents!}  :)

g

mama&baby weekend: girl food and chick flick reviews!

It was our first solo weekend together...just me and this guy...

...well, and this guy, too:

Believe me, I missed my Hubby greatly!  However, there were two perks to a weekend alone {well, after baby went to sleep}:

1. I ate whatever I wanted!!!  I love cooking, and especially love cooking for Hubby; however, sometimes it's nice to choose foods completely based on my own whims.  When I was single and living on my own I lived on: pizza, rice, cereal, and store-bought pastas.  My tastes were simple {carbs!!!}, my budget was small.   Now I know how to cook...but still crave some of my old indulgences.   Let's just say that one of my meals may or may not have consisted of a whole box of Raisinettes and tater tots dipped in barbecue sauce.

Okay, well I wasn't completely unhealthy!  Friday night I made this pear and arugula pizza, a recipe I posted about {here} -- was just as delicious this time around.  I basically ate one of these myself:

 This is the wine I drank this weekend {not all at once, don't worry!}

I won't give it a resounding plug  -- it was nothing to rave over.  But I will share a fantastic red on Wednesday, I promise!

#2.   Chick flicks!!!  I rented two.  Friday night I chose one that I had really high expectations of: My Week with Marilyn.  All the Oscar buzz had me thinking this would be a fantastic film.

But while Michelle Williams does an amazing portrayal of "Miss Monroe" - the overall film wasn't that great, in my opinion.  I was mistakenly expecting to admire Marilyn and come away from the film with warm, fuzzy feelings about her.  Not even close, in fact, I realized how little I knew about her life and personality.  That is all I will say.   Oh, and Kenneth Branagh was a standout, of course, as Laurence Olivier.

The other chick flick I rented was What's Your Number? a comedy starring Anna Faris.

My expectations were low, even though I adore Anna Faris.  I pretty much want her to be my best friend.  Anyway, the movie ended up being hilarious.  I highly recommend renting for a light-hearted watch  - would be great for a girls night in!

Overall, the weekend had it's lovely moments {Kentucky winning!!!} and it's not-so-lovely {Baby Cormac decided to regress back to waking up during the night and became extremely clingy to me without his Dada around.}  I love all the snuggles and kisses I got from him...but there was also a lot of screaming and crying, particularly surrounding bedtime.

Any other mamas have these issues when daddy's not around???

Also, I'd love to hear other opinions on the two movies...

Happy {almost} Monday!

g  

wine wednesday: cupcake red velvet

Every Monday evening I cook dinner and open a bottle of wine.

{usually red...on rare occasion a chardonnay.}

Then each night of the week I have a glass with dinner, 

keeping it fresh by using an airtight topper and keeping it at the correct temperature.

Sometimes Hubby will have a glass with me, or at least have a taste of mine.

I love this, because I always like other opinions on wine.

Sometimes we agree...sometimes we disagree.

On this one, we both agreed:

I didn't tell him the name before he tasted it, as "Cupcake" sounds a little girlie and I didn't want any type of "manly bias."   Immediately he said how good it was.  Even when I told him the name, he wasn't scared off.

I'd seen this label many times in the checkout lanes of our local party liquor store, boasting it's cheap price {I paid 8.99} and had always bypassed it, afraid it would be too cheap and girly with no substance.
Plus, I might be the only person in the world who doesn't like red velvet cake...so the name was a bit of a turnoff as well.

Then I saw on Tori Spelling's reality show Home Sweet Hollywood {don't knock - I loooove her!} that she was selling it in her vintage furniture store, and I knew I had to try.  I trust all things Tori when it comes to entertaining.

Red Velvet does not disappoint.  The first taste of each sip is the best.  You get this amazing blast of rich fruitiness.   Then it finishes very evenly.

We both enjoyed it so much that we ordered it recently when out to dinner for Hubby's birthday.  Paying $30 for the bottle at the restaurant after paying $8.99 at the liquor store was a hard one for me to swallow, but Hubby is worth it.  :D

fyi- It goes lovely with sushi!

Cute label, delicious flavor, excellent price = get a bottle!

g

14 days of loves: day 7 {wine lover's healthy weight loss plan}

While roaming through the cookbook section of Half Price Books the other day I came across this little gem: The Wine Lover's Healthy Weight Loss Plan.  

I was intrigued. A diet consisting of wine!  Lose weight while drinking lots and lots of wine!  Okay, not really.

Written by a cardiologist and wine lover, the book gives a lot of background on the history of wine in the human diet, the amazing health benefits {only when in moderation...which is one glass at dinner for women, two for men} and the French Paradox -- basically extensive research done in regions where there is a high percentage of the population drinking wine in moderation their entire lives.  Oddly, or maybe not oddly, this research shows that moderate wine drinkers live longer than non-drinkers.  Some vino-for-thought, eh?


I drink a glass of red every night at dinner.  Not only is it heart-healthy due to the antioxidants, but since I view it as my "treat" I tend to not feel like I need to eat any dessert.  Calorie saver!  100 instead of 400 - woo hoo!  :)

The book gives a compelling argument for enjoying a glass with dinner each night.  Also, after giving you a lot of really interesting information on why wine can enhance your life in many ways and help you live longer, it then has a whole slew of delicious, healthy recipes that are based on a Mediterranean diet - supposedly the healthiest way to eat.  In sum, instead of striving for a low-fat diet, rather choose foods that contain "healthy fats," lots of fruits and veggies, fish {rich in omega-3's,} whole grains, and only cooking with olive or canola oil.

Oh, and red wine.  Of course.

I strongly desire to introduce my children to very, very watered down wine when they are the right age.  I want them to grow up knowing the health benefits, and that wine should be a regular part of the dinner table.

It's okay if you think that sounds crazy.  I don't mind.  Neither do all the Europeans that do it.  The practice is probably not any crazier than a person letting their kiddo eat mac n cheese every night, or cereal for dinner, just because they don't like what you cooked.  Also, wine {again, in moderation!} has more health benefits than soda.  Yet many parents don't mind letting their kids chug that down like it's water.   Just sayin'.  To each his own when it comes to nutrition, values and parenting strategies.  :)

Especially to wine-drinkers, I recommend this book.  But even if you aren't, it is enlightening.  I loved the subject, the writing style, and can't wait to try the recipes!

Salud!

g

fleaing and beyond

 What a beautiful weekend for a flea market!  

My lovely friend Laura and I adventured downtown to check out The City Flea holiday market.  It was smaller than expected but a fantastic location.  

Various booths sold handmade wares,

such as these sassy feather clips:

It was cold, so Laura designed a gorg earwarmer:

My find for the day was this vintage jar - j'adore!

 After we headed to our local urban market, which was teeming with folks enjoying the beautiful, albeit frigid, sunny day...

Hit up the wine shop for a tasting...

Four Italian wines tasted...and generous pours!

 These people we met mistakenly thought I was a professional photographer...uh, because my friend told them I was...ha! :)

Then we got some delicious Vietnamese food...

 ...and Vietnamese coffee!

{it brews in the tin on top...and that is a layer of condensed milk at the bottom of the glass - sweet goodness!}

A fabulous day of 

fleaing, wine and delicious eats!

Hope everyone had an equally lovely weekend!

g