tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71887544095479189142024-03-13T14:18:05.444-05:00Vino in WonderlandA wine blog dedicated to California wines, but willing to travel abroad, and taste as many yummy dishes as possible.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-3667990002805274982014-05-21T05:00:00.000-05:002014-05-21T05:00:11.852-05:00Recipe: Hot Chocolate Mix<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Don't judge me. I know VERY WELL that it is spring in most of the US.<br />
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Minnesota has not quite gotten the memo; this May is similar to last May; Rain Rain RAIN.</div>
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While I am thankful for no snow, I can't help but find my birth month super depressing here. The weather here is California's March. May should be sunshine-y, warm, and barbecue-y.</div>
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But when the weather is doom and gloom outside, it calls for some happy things to occur inside. Like Hot Chocolate.</div>
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I call it cocoa. You call it hot chocolate. Or whatever. It's all the same. Hot, chocolaty, and delicious.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 cup cocoa Powder (the higher quality, the BETTER the cocoa)</div>
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3/4 c sugar</div>
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1/3 cup finely shopped dark chocolate</div>
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6 1/2 tablespoons powdered milk</div>
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To make 1 serving:</div>
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Heat 8 oz Milk, or any milk substitute of your choice I usually stock Almond Milk in my home.</div>
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Place 3 spoonfuls of your mix in the bottom of your mug. Once milk is heated, add to mug and stir stir stir.</div>
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This is perfection in a cup! The chopped chocolate adds a whole new depth of chocolate favor to the cocoa mix. You can rest assured you are trans fat free too, as most store bought mixes sneak that ingredient in there.</div>
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Add Chile powder, or cinnamon for a spiced blend.</div>
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And enjoy the warmth of your home because it's 40 degrees outside and raining for 4 days at a time.</div>
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Salute!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-24950283213412760932014-05-19T05:00:00.000-05:002014-05-19T05:00:10.049-05:00Wine: Barnard Griffin Reisling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This Columbia Valley Riesling was easy drinking and not atypical. I enjoyed it immensely. I didn't find it dry, nor did I find it sweet. Light fruit notes that are not over powering, this lightly hued wine is a mellow treat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.barnardgriffin.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showdrilldown&productid=338fa803-a78b-c9ec-c4ba-0bc03f68f40d&ProductCategoryID=827ff544-f9da-1df3-533a-513eb26f16b1&WineryID=1B82C40C-086B-9860-08F5-1CCCBD50F59A&WineTypeID=&ProductType=&wineVarietalID=&wineRegionID=&vintage=&lowprice=&highPrice=&WineBrandID=&WineAppellationID=&lowletter=&highletter=&OrderBy=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc,%20P.ProductName%20ASC&ShippingState=MN" target="_blank">Barnard Griffin</a> is very affordable ranging from 10-13 dollars a bottle depending on where you live. It is a nice summer wine, or starter wine for the rest of your evening's wine drinking adventures. I will be buying this wine again.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-56575677897215739602014-05-16T05:00:00.000-05:002014-05-16T05:00:05.903-05:00Recipe: Cookie Dough Ice cream with Cookie Dough Bites<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Taking Ice-cream to the <b>next level</b>.<br />
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I have <i>Zite </i>for my iPhone and iPad, and my usual stream is health, recipes, and natural beauty products. Mostly recipes though because I am crazy serious about food, how its prepared, and trying new things. I just love eating and the dining experience.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">brown sugar is a key ingredient to the "cookie dough" flavor</td></tr>
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So when a recipe for <a href="http://www.takeamegabite.com/cookie-no-dough-ice-cream/" target="_blank">cookie dough ice-cream without any dough</a> popped into my feed (via <a href="http://takeamegabite.com/">takeamegabite.com</a>), I had to make it for the Husband. And threw in a little extra of the egg less dough I blogged about a few weeks back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beginning the tempering process</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mixing </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look at the custard thicken!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">almost there, just have to freeze it</td></tr>
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Toasted butter is the secret here. It adds the complex flavor of cookie dough to this recipe and is genius. Yes, this summer is the summer of mastering the making of ice-cream.... and perhaps wine ice-cream as well!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">perfectly soft and easy to scoop icecream</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-70486968471177968312014-05-14T05:00:00.000-05:002014-05-14T05:00:01.479-05:00Wine: Club W Shipment - Brethren Syrah and Oliver Row Cabernet Franc<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I must say that I am pretty disappointed with these two wines, which is why they are sharing a blog post instead of getting a singular one for each.<br />
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I will say the the Brethren of the Road Syrah was ridiculously disappointing and possibly the worst red I have had in a long time if not ever. It's initial palate and aftertaste was an alcohol fumed red - dry and akin to rubbing alcohol. As I said before I was not impressed. The Hubs, who loves Syrahs, spit his back into his cup and blankly told me he would not drink it.<br />
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Club W Describes this wine as "Berry Tart". I disagree. "Berry Tart" would have provided a flavor notes at the very least.</div>
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The Cabernet Franc was marginally better. If anything it was unimpressive in the sense that it was similar to a table red - a 5$ table red, so this would be over priced at 13$ a bottle. There were no tasting notes that struck my palate - this is something I look for in every wine I drink and is part of my wine consumption experience.</div>
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There were no notes that struck my palate or made this wine remarkable in any sense. It's quite disappointing to have one wine, out of the three, be a worthy wine (see <a href="http://vinowonderland.blogspot.com/2014/04/wine-club-w-shipment-cosmopolitan.html" target="_blank">Cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc</a>).</div>
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I have one more Club W Shipment coming in a few days and I am hoping that this one is more impressive (mostly because their newsletter caught my eye with an illusive Cinsault - not a varietal massively produced here in the US).<br />
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Believe me, I will let you know. But at this rate I think it's more important to support wineries directly. Go wine tasting. Find a winery you like and sign up for the wine club. Tasting wines before you buy them is a safer way to guarantee you will enjoy the wine experience.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-68075384918212540142014-05-12T08:58:00.000-05:002014-05-12T08:58:15.137-05:00Recipe: Soo Berag<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Soo Berag is an Armenian pastry, though my husband insists on calling it "Armenian Lasagna".<br />
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And I would have to agree; the dough is very similar to pasta sheets or lasagna sheets. Which would make one wonder why would you go through the trouble of making your own dough and rolling it out by hand? Especially when we live in a time that pasta rollers are readily available to the home chef. Because, its the experience, if nothing else, that is all I have. It's the experience that transforms my kitchen to my grandmother's farm house, and I imagine her rolling out the dough on her tile counter-tops.<br />
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While the husband was away at a bachelor party I calmed my bump-in-the-night paranoia's with baking, despite that what I was mostly doing was boiling dough. After you boil the sheets of dough they are layered with butter, MonterreyJack cheese and parsley.<br />
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It is definitely an arm-workout if you don't have a pasta roller. After making this recipe I feel the need to invest in one; if for nothing else, perfecting the visual nature of this dish.<br />
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It came out a little rustic, definitely rough around the edges. But it was good, so good that the Husband finished the pan when he came home.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
4 cups sifted flour<br />
4 eggs<br />
1/4 cup water (add until dough combines)<br />
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese<br />
1/4 -1/2 cup dried parsley<br />
1/2 a stick of melted butter for brushing the dough<br />
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To make the dough, mix the flour and eggs in a mixer at a low speed until combined. Gradually add water until dough comes together. Once it has come together let sit in a bowl with a kitchen towel over it for 4 hours. This is to bring it to room temperature and make the dough more pliable for rolling.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">I divided the dough with a bread cutter into 8 portions and cut those in half to make a total of 16 sheets. They were not symmetrical by any means.</span></div>
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As I was rolling the dough, I boiled a large pan with water in it. I used a pan and not a pot because it was easier to lay the dough in and fish it out. I waited roughly 30 seconds - until the dough resembled cooked lasagna noodles and floated to the top of the water.<br />
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After removing the dough from the boiling water I lightly blotted it with a kitchen towel and commenced brushing it with melted butter, then layered it with cheese and parsely.<br />
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Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.<br />
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The whole process took 30 minutes, between rolling, boiling and layering. Not too bad.<br />
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I baked it off at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the edges were golden brown<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look at all those layers married with butter and cheese!</td></tr>
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You can enjoy this Berag warm and cold. It's insanely good with a cup of coffee and a good read.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-82644504001113397602014-04-30T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-30T05:00:05.363-05:00Recipe: Coconut Ice cream with Amaretto & Cookie Dough<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The husband has found a new love for cookie dough icecream. He has been a vanilla lover all his life and doesn't open up to change in the taste bud department.<br />
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But what does he dislike about Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream? The chocolate part. </div>
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So I took it upon myself to find an eggless cookie dough recipe that would quench his hungry need for doughy, sugary bites mixed into his icecream. </div>
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I have an insatiable sweet tooth. I have ice cream or chocolate every night after dinner. I just do. A couple of peaces of rich dark chocolate. Two scoops (a serving size) of real ice cream or gelato (vs sugar loaded lighter counterparts) sends me to slumberland.</div>
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Making ice cream is hard. Half of it is getting the right texture. If it doesn't taste and feel the way you know ice cream should, you aren't going to eat it. And then it's a waste. And after you spent all that time and effort, you surely want to eat it.</div>
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So when I stumbled upon a coconut milk recipe I had to see how coconut fared versus all my failed attempts at dairy milk ice cream. (<a href="http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2011/08/big-girls-test-kitchen-coconut-caramel-ice-cream.html" target="_blank">Coconut Caramel Ice Cream by BigGirlsSmallKitchen</a>). </div>
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Texture wise, it was great. I adapted the recipe from 6 eggs, to 3 eggs with a tablespoon of cornstarch, beat together and then tempered in. I topped it off with a shot or two f Amaretto Liquor.</div>
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Now enter the <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-truffles/" target="_blank">cookie dough balls</a> by Bakerella. These are addictive, delicious, and actually the base of a cookie dough pop recipe. Eggless, did I mention eggless? Yes.</div>
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We are definitely taking Ice Cream to the Next Level in this household.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-43645511685731493912014-04-28T10:48:00.000-05:002014-04-28T10:48:08.457-05:00Wine: 60 Degrees North Merlot 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am normally not to into Merlot. Really, if there was a wine I was not so into, its Merlot. I would rather have Barbera or Sangiovese. I would rather have a Syrah or a Zin. I would rather have a Cab or a Pinot Noir.<br />
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60 Degrees North is a California Winery located in Oakville, which geographically is a bit north of Napa. </div>
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When poured, the wine has a gorgeous deep berry color. The label is fitting - juicy raspberries tumbling into view. I would call this wine juicy but dry. After noting the color, the nose is the next thing that is lush: those berries make an appearance followed by spicy peppery notes, and more sublte dry woody oak ones. </div>
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Once it hits your pallate it immeadiatly coats your tongue in a light velour of texture. This wine is not heavily tannic. The berries bring a burst of juice to the taste party as far as full bodied taste goes, but there is no sweetness. The spice and woody notes quickly come into play and though you would think it would make this a dry dry wine it isn't heavily dry.</div>
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With all that said, I enjoyed this wine. I found it very easy to drink. I think it would hold up nicely at a BBQ ribs, a steak dinner, or as a simple red table wine. The Hubs was not so fond of it. Maybe it doesn't pair well with ranch dressing (he sipped it after our dinner salad) but it did pair nicely with meat loaf. </div>
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And it defintiely went well with chocolate.</div>
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At 11 dollars a bottle I think this was a hit and worth sharing.</div>
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Salute!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-75993282200515238232014-04-25T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-25T05:00:01.481-05:00Recipe: Spicy Egg Drop soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's that sniffly time of year where allergies run rampant. Nothing warms me up better than a cup of hot broth (did I mention it's home made?). Even still, nothing clears my head better than adding a little spice to mix.<br />
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Ingredients:</div>
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1/2 to 1 whole jalapeño, seeds and veins removed, minced</div>
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1 carrot, grated</div>
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1 celery stalk, minced (preferably a central stalk that has a lot of leaves. They add a lot of flavor to the soup.</div>
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1 minced garlic clove</div>
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Kosher salt and course brought pepper to taste</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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3 eggs, beaten</div>
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3 cups broth (I used home made turkey stock)</div>
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Prep your vegetables while heating a soup pot on medium heat. Coat pan with olive oil and add vegetables, cook until softened. </div>
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Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat. At this point you can add egg noodles directly or bring those to a boil in a separate pot and add later. The husband isn't a fan of egg noodles. If you are omitting a carb option you can now turn your attention to the eggs.</div>
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Take your whisked eggs and gradually poor into the warm broth, whisking the broth with your other hand. They will look like tiny little egg ribbons and cook quickly. </div>
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Pour over warm noodles or rice, or dish into a bowl and serve. The jalapeño gives the broth a nice spicey kick to clear out your sinuses. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-84082093214612766292014-04-23T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-23T09:59:54.049-05:00Bella Vino: Vina Robles Red 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Bella Vino is a tasting bar in Fig Garden Shopping Plaza in, alas, Fresno. I got to meet up with a friend who recently moved back to the Central Valley from Minnesota. We have a mutual appreciation for wine and good food so it only made sense to meet at a tasting bar.<br />
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Bella Vino is a lovely place. It was a quiet afternoon when we entered but it had a romantic and rich ambiance, decked with dark hard wood floors, shelves and tables. And I know they know their wine when I saw bottles of Alban white and red on the shelves (one of our faves!). </div>
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We settled for a bottle of Vina Robles Red 4, straight out of Paso Robles. This 2011 Vintage was a blend of Syrah 35%, Petite Sirah 25%, Mourvèdre 25%, and Grenache 15%. I had had the pleasure of tasting at Vina Robles before, only I was a little too far down on the wine train and can't remember what I tasted, other than that it was very good.</div>
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I am glad my "drunk taste buds" hold a good memory because this was an excellent easy drinking blend. Juicy but still a robust red. Not so tannic, but notes of spice. </div>
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A perfect wine to have with friends.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-34954554546886523652014-04-21T15:38:00.000-05:002014-04-21T15:38:43.348-05:00Home sweet home, California<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Pardon the hiatus but I was catching up from a week back home. Getting back into the flow of your usual routine is hard when you spend over a week in another time zone.<br />
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I was fortunate to get to spend a lot of time with my family and take a stroll through memory lane with them. I got to see some friends as well, which was nice too. It's hard making friends in new places but it's nice knowing your life long friends will always be there for you.</div>
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I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder lately. Fresno gets so much trash talked about it. I recently spoke to someone who was from the Central Coast area of California who replied "I am sorry" when I mentioned I took a trip home to Fresno. Well, I am not, and I don't think he should have been sorry for me either. </div>
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Every town has it's ups and downs, crimes and beauties. I think it's the beauty you take from it that speaks volumes of personal character.</div>
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In any case, returning home in April when the citrus and jasmine blossoms were bursting in bloom, roses scenting the air with their fragrant scent, and hyacinths and narcissus bursting into color, is almost other worldly. I left Minnesota while it was layered with snow and came to a land that was fully immersed in spring. And the lucky part? Now that Minnesota is budding I get a second spring all over again. It is absolutely glorious. </div>
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So let me share with you what makes Fresno such a special place.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Chaffee Zoo</span></div>
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A few years ago, or more than a few, Measure Z was voted into effect to take a portion of tax dollars and allocate them to the zoo. I got to experience the new Sea Lion Exhibit that was opened in 2012. It's nice to look forward to more exhibits in the future and to see the fruition of those measures that were voted on a few year back.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby tigers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cute sea lion</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nonini Winery</span></div>
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My sister and brother in law indulged me. They took me to my favorite local winery and tasted the wines with me. The owner, Jim, is such a personable man and so passionate about his grandfather's vines and wine making techniques. It's hard to not be enthralled. He ages his wines in oak and/or red wood. He makes good wines from 60-80 year old vines that warm the body and the soul.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nonini Tasting Room Sign.</td></tr>
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Going to grandma's house rekindles so many memories. Farmland childhood memories. Making mud pies with my sister, or playing on the swing. Eating home cooked meals. Fireworks off by the vineyards. And her garden, which was full of so many flowers. Naturally, it has reduced in size because of the lack of upkeep that occurs in aging, but it's still a place of memories. And it instills a need in me to cultivate those plants myself, to create a little bit of "home".</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Grapes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange Blossoms</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Art Hop </span></div>
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I have a ton of memories of going to Art Hop in downtown Fresno with my girlfriends; we drank wine, ate a lot of hummus and pita chips, admired local artists while keeping an open eye to cute guys. There was never any cute guys, but there was great art and the beginnings of a strong appreciation for hummus. I took my mom to her first Art Hop experience recently. In your late teens and early twenties you are finding yourself. You blow off family to hang out with your friends. You search for love in all the wrong places. And then one day, all the puzzle pieces fit. You marry. Your friends marry. You start your family and they start theirs. But you also remember how special family is. And you savor it. And you just savor life.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LgpigIZ3QDA/U1V8e1JtECI/AAAAAAAACyg/UqcJcnMnpcI/s640/blogger-image-490174043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LgpigIZ3QDA/U1V8e1JtECI/AAAAAAAACyg/UqcJcnMnpcI/s320/blogger-image-490174043.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down Town Fresno as the Mural District</td></tr>
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And at some point you realize that "home" is not a place. Home is where your heart is. Mine is spread over California, from the Central Valley to the North. But a big chunk of it is in Minnesota, with my Husband. Home isn't a place, it's a feeling.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Mom, myself, and her '73 Chevy Malibu</td></tr>
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</div>
</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-83908078496188778392014-04-11T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-11T05:00:07.799-05:00Wine: Club W Shipment - Cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We paired this juicy little treat (yes, juicy) with my <b>ultimate macaroni and cheese. </b> This led me to a food coma and carbohydrate overload but it was well worth the <i>sacrifice.</i><br />
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Cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc isn't a traditional Sauv Blanc. It is juicy with tropical notes that the label notates as mango. I did pick that up; mango, pineapple, and a soft juicy base. When I describe this wine as juicy, in no way am I saying that it is sweet. It has a nice dry and crisp finish so the overall fruitiness isn't overpowering.. <br />
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I am actually pleasantly surprised by this wine. I was expecting a traditional grassy and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc. This was more like a wine cocktail gone very right.<br />
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This wine is very easy to drink, by itself or with food. Club W did a good job suggesting this wine. At 13.00 dollars a bottle, I wouldn't object to drinking it again.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-21874466580461218682014-04-09T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-09T05:00:11.669-05:00Recipe: The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few years ago, when the Hubs and I first moved in together, I was still in college. I remember our first Christmas season as a couple. Really, it's one night in particular that sticks out in my mind. It was right after Thanksgiving and I was studying for finals. We didn't have many left overs left, a ham bone with bits of ham still on it, some pasta, milk, and cheese. That is when the Hubs decided to make the most decadent macaroni and cheese we have ever had. It is the <b>ultimate</b>.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 onion thinly sliced</div>
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2 cups cubed ham</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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Kosher salt</div>
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4 tbsp butter</div>
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4 tbsp flour</div>
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1/2 tsp paprika</div>
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1/4 tsp dried mustard</div>
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Dash of tumeric</div>
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3 cups ham stock</div>
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1 cup half and half</div>
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8 oz shredded cheddar cheese</div>
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8 oz shredded provolone</div>
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Parmesan </div>
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Pank bread crumbs</div>
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16 oz elbow macaroni<br />
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If you have a left over ham bone, carve as much meat away from the bone as you can. Throw it in a pot of water and make it boil - this is your ham stock. You can buy ham stock if you have no bone to boil.</div>
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Cube your ham that you have carved, or dice it. Whatever size you cut is really a personal preference.</div>
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Preheat your pan over medium heat on the stove. Thinly slice your onions. My mandolin made quick work of this, with few tears. Mandolins come in handy, but knifes work just as well. Mince some garlic too.</div>
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Add olive oil to coat the pan, and then add the onions and garlic.</div>
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Caramelize, caramelize, caramelize! Keep an eye on the heat and the onions. They can easily burn. You can add sugar to help it come along faster, but this is where I usually sprinkle kosher salt on the onions to help them sweat more. Once caramelized, remove the onions and garlic from the pan and set aside. Sear diced ham until edges are a little brown (you may need more olive oil for this). </div>
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Add 4 tablespoons of butter, and 4 tablespoons of flour. Add your spices. Whisk to form the rue. Let the rue cook a couple of minutes, careful not to burn it. It will darken a bit more (it's hard to tell with the spices but it will). A rue is the base of a bechamel sauce. We are making a cheesy bechamel.</div>
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Add 3 cups of warm ham stock and whisk, whisk, whisk. You are looking to beat any flour lumps into submission. Add the half and half (it's okay if it's cold, the temperature is up from the warm ham stock), and keep whisking. Reduce to a low heat setting and shred your cheese.</div>
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Shred the cheddar cheese.</div>
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Shred the provolone.</div>
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Whisk the cheeses into the warm bechamel.</div>
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At this point, if your ham stock is at a roaring boil, go ahead and add your pasta and cook it. If you want your ham stock to cook longer, turn the cheese sauce down low. Once the pasta is ready, drain, and add to the cheese sauce, with the onions and seared ham. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.</div>
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Mix to combine.</div>
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Behold the cheesy, creamy goodness.</div>
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Oil a baking dish and spread the macaroni, cheese & ham mixture evenly into it.</div>
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Coat with Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.</div>
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Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, covered with aluminum foil. Remove foil, and cook an additional 10 minutes until the crust has browned.</div>
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Remove from the oven and enjoy!</div>
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Mushrooms are a fantastic addition if you have them. The cheeses are also more of a preference. I love cheddar, and I love how provolone melts. But cream cheese works just as well if you have it. And Gouda is flat out amazing.</div>
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Happy Eating!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-4974640301285231382014-04-07T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-07T05:00:06.248-05:00Vino Volo: Dallas/Fort Worth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Recently I was lucky enough to get to take a trip home to warm & beautiful <i>California</i>. It was a solo trip (I risked the Hubs killing off my vegetable seedlings), as well as my second time flying alone. I am not the best flier. I am a panicky person; it happens to the best of us. But since I had previously forged the way, this trip was easier to handle. The more you fly, the easier the process gets.<br />
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Or maybe it was just that I was so completely stoked to finally have a layover at an airport with a <b>Vino Volo</b> and a couple of hours to kill. A little wine to calm my nerves?<br />
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Vino Volo is a tasting room I first crossed paths with back in <a href="http://vinowonderland.blogspot.com/2012/07/vino-travels-vino-volo.html" target="_blank">2012 at the Dulles Airport in Washington DC.</a><br />
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What better way to wait for a flight than to casually sample wine flights or drink full glasses of multi regional wine? And if you are hungry you can take full advantage of an artisan menu equipped with tapas style delights.<br />
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This time I enjoyed the Shades of White (<strike>feeling reminiscent of a 50 shades reference</strike>) wine flight and was pleasantly buzzed by the time I took the tram to my terminal. <br />
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Here is what I tasted:<br />
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2012 Pinot Grigio - Cantine Settesoli, Italy: this wine is light and crisp. It is easy to drink but lacks some defining pizazz that would make me say "I have to have a bottle of this". It has a sweet nose, and is very opaque in color. It carries strong melon notes of c antelope and some sweet notes of honey. Summer BBQ or deck wine.<br />
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2012 Sauvignon Blanc - MaiMai Haukes Bay, New Zealand: New Zealand wines are exciting to me. This is not your average class act of a Sauvignon Blanc by any means. Grassy, juicy nose, more yellow in color but still pale. There are sweet notes of pineapple that makes this wine almost juicy but it has a nice dry finish the brings you back to a grassy, minerality or earthiness. It's easy drinking and worth sharing. At $9.00 a bottle, this wine is more than a deal and I would gladly tuck two bottles under my arms and prance off into the night. <br />
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2011 Chardonnay - Hill Family Castle - Napa, CA: Looking at this wine, I was pleasantly surprised. Its a classic Chardonnay; rich buttery yellow. A little mirky and thick but not so that it lost it's opaque qualities. The nose is mellow, slightly oaky, and the taste is smooth, buttery and filled with oak. It's not just the buttery oak that resonates in this wine; it's a toasted bread, warm and full bodied. It is dry. It warms the entire palate as it rolls over your tongue. It gives the body of this wine something to talk about. There are fruit notes in the background, some apple, but they are not overwhelming and it's a good mix. It isn't quite your typical chardonnay. It brings back taste-bud memories of Roussanne wines. This wine is also worth a purchase to at least make a good chocolate and cheese plate (buttery triple cream brie, super soft and milky milk chocolate, and some dry roasted almonds to really balance out your meal).<br />
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By the time I was done at Vino Volo, I was toasted in a wine filled bliss.<br />
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In short - when traveling, make the most of your time. Seek out what you love and indulge in it.<br />
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Salute!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-33135127686071330122014-04-04T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-04T05:00:07.810-05:00Wine: Nimble Hill Reserve Gewurztraminer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have talked about <a href="http://www.nimblehill.com/ourwine.html" target="_blank">Nimble Hill</a> before. It's a delicious vineyard, winery and brewery in Tunkhannock Pennsylvania. Every time we visit my in-laws, we either stop here or have my in-laws get a couple of bottles for us.<br />
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Buying wines outside of that grapes growing region can be tricky. Red wines don't always grow well in Pennsylvania and can be watered down in taste. But that's not the case with this winery, and certainly not with this wine since we are talking about white wines. Gewurztraminer grows in this region, and it grows well.<br />
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Typically, we chill our white wine glasses, and take our white wine from the wine fridge to the refrigerator for optimal chilling. It helps keep the wine as cold as possible for as long as possible and maximizes your drinking experience.<br />
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I had the Hubs pick a bottle of white to pair with dinner - spicy chicken <a href="http://browniesfordinner.com/2010/05/11/easy-pad-thai/" target="_blank">pad thai </a> - and he did an excellent job with this pairing. I am not sure if he is paying attention when we go wine tasting or if he just got lucky in his pick, but he paired this meal extremely well.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7W-g05gURUQ/UzBSyIEUxsI/AAAAAAAACsY/vt_YdLx5PB4/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7W-g05gURUQ/UzBSyIEUxsI/AAAAAAAACsY/vt_YdLx5PB4/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+054.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ingredients for the pad thai</td></tr>
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This Gewurztraminer was light and easy to drink. Initially, it's a little sweet on the tongue, but soft with notes of lychee and a little peach. The mouth feel is velvety, and there is a crisp finish that is slightly dry down the throat. Not too sweet. Not too dry. Perfect.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j4U0CT5iI5g/UzBSx3PNosI/AAAAAAAACsU/dcFnSPGu-xQ/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j4U0CT5iI5g/UzBSx3PNosI/AAAAAAAACsU/dcFnSPGu-xQ/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+058.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Salute!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-45671808430181580482014-04-02T05:00:00.000-05:002014-04-02T05:00:01.814-05:00Spring Vegetables: Caramelized Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms over Romaine with Gouda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Brussels sprouts are my favorite. <strike>Everything is my favorite, really</strike>. I do prefer them to cabbage. Chopping them up and cooking them down in olive oil with garlic, onions, and mushrooms is one of my favorite preparation methods.<br />
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Another? Cooking them down with olive oil, brown sugar, and a little mustard.<br />
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They are super versatile. They make excellent sides, or as part of a main dish:<br />
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They are even good served on top of a bed of romaine, with diced up Gouda cheese [that gets all melty, and goey, and happy].<br />
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If you aren't a fan of mustard, maybe try adding a little balsamic vinegar instead and finishing the little sprouts with a coating of Parmesan for a different spin. Add some walnuts for crunch and you have a decadent warm spring salad. And if it's not the lunch hour, try pairing with a Pinot Gris, Syrah, or Garnacha.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-17268399180601495572014-03-31T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-31T05:00:01.621-05:00Recipe: Maple Wheat Rolls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Do you have luck making wheat breads? I don't usually. I find that mine are either akin to sand paper, or too yeasty. The Hubs usually will not even try whatever I make. He isn't a fan of wheat. It's the sand paper thing.</div>
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However, there was hope for me recently!<br />
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I fou<span style="font-family: inherit;">nd <a href="http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2009/06/soft-wheat-sandwich-rolls/" target="_blank">this recipe on pinterest by A Hint of Honey</a> but had to make some adaptations due to lack of ingredients. It still tur</span>ned out soft and delicious.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">1 1/4 cups warm Almond milk </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">2 tsp. active dry yeast</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">1/4 cup maple syrup</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">1 egg</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">2 Tbsp. butter, softened</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">1 1/2-2 cups white flour</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">1/2 tsp. kosher salt</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">I have never baked bread with almond milk before. We don't consume dairy milk on the regular (it goes bad before we can drink it/cook with it). It was pretty darn interesting to see the yeast grow in warm almond milk. It was super fizzy and active. And it worked out just fine.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">In a mixer, combine the egg, creamed butter, and maple syrup. Add the yeast and almond milk mixture after it has proofed for 8-10 minutes.</span><br />
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Once combined, add your your salt, and flours, 1 cup at a time. Once they are all combined, turn out onto a floured surface (I used white flour for this), and knead until combined and smooth.<br />
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Let rise until doubled in size (60-90 minutes). Punch down and form 12 rolls. Put on baking sheets and let rise again until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.<br />
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I can't possibly eat 12 rolls by myself in a matter of days because we established before, the Hubs is not a fan of wheat bread. <strike>I mean, I probably can eat that many rolls but I wouldn't like my hips any more by day 2.</strike><br />
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So I stored the left over buns in a plastic bag ziploc bag in my freezer. This idea has been GREAT. I heat buns up one at a time in the microwave to defrost it (30 seconds and POOF, soft warm buns). They freeze very well, and are super delicious with melted butter. The maple syrup isn't over powering or super sweet. The combination of flours defeated the sand papery texture I had been doomed with accomplishing before.<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-72151969595609500762014-03-28T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-28T05:00:01.865-05:00Wine Clubs: Club W<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Over the summer, I vaguely remember reading about Club W. It wasn't until I saw an add in my Facebook feed that I thought "I need to try this".<div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U1n2MKyd1n8/UzBNf8ecLqI/AAAAAAAACrs/OJWWclPgzU8/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U1n2MKyd1n8/UzBNf8ecLqI/AAAAAAAACrs/OJWWclPgzU8/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+045.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.clubw.com/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Search&utm_term=Ad&utm_campaign=057ga-e" target="_blank">Club W</a> offers a wine club experience that is not exclusive to one winery. They select wines for you based off of a quiz you take when you sign up. It's personalized to your palate. Pretty cool right? It is. Their website is pretty slick too, streamlined for ease of navigation and includes a fabulous stockpile of recipes for pairing with the wines. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mxHUD8HJwGA/UzBNheXDczI/AAAAAAAACr8/gZOYEaJzy5U/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mxHUD8HJwGA/UzBNheXDczI/AAAAAAAACr8/gZOYEaJzy5U/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+046.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got my first shipment last week. First shipments are discounted, you just pay for shipping and sales tax. So for a total of $28.85 after shipping ($6.00) and tax ($3.85), and a $20.00 discount. I would definitely recommend having it delivered to your place of work if you live in a small town. Since it is alcohol, signature's are obviously required at time of delivery. They shipped this shipment via Fedex (not sure if they consistently do that), which can be a pain if you live in a small town that doesn't have a Fedex and the closest one is 40 miles away.#smalltownproblems. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqZssWwPyJY/UzBNgaTMMQI/AAAAAAAACrw/nM9fd9EqtRs/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqZssWwPyJY/UzBNgaTMMQI/AAAAAAAACrw/nM9fd9EqtRs/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+049.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyway, shipping was pretty quick. I am just letting my wines rest a week. I am a firm believing that travel makes the wine disturbed and resting it will allow it to settle, and the flavors to recover from shock.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_uQiPignc2o/UzBNh5MyfjI/AAAAAAAACsA/A0rArMSqY9M/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_uQiPignc2o/UzBNh5MyfjI/AAAAAAAACsA/A0rArMSqY9M/s1600/vinowonderland+march+14+050.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am, however, very excited to try these wines:</div>
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2012 Oliver Row Cabernet Franc - Columbia Valley WA</div>
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2012 Brethren of the Road Syrah - Mendocino CA</div>
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2012 Cosmopolitan Sauvignon Blanc - United States (literally, that's what it says for origin).</div>
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Keep an eye out for updates!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-45173358385826242442014-03-26T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-26T11:06:32.071-05:00Recipe: Egg and Cheese Barag<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Growing up, I got to experience family recipes and a sense of heritage. My mom's parents were farmers. My grandmother farmed, but she also took care of the home. And it seemed like every time we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house she always had some type of cookie, or pastry, or cake made for my sister and I to eat.<br />
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Barags are an Armenian Pastry. Now, I don't know how "classic" this term gets because I think in my family, it's just a word we use for pastry, or rather bread pastries stuffed with something in like egg and cheese or sauteed onions, rahan (opal basil) and walnuts. The "r" is actually pronounced as a "d".</div>
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If you can't pronounce "barag", that is okay. You can call these "boats", because really they are like little canoes filled with an egg and cheese mixture and baked.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1/2 of a <a href="http://vinowonderland.blogspot.com/2013/02/recipe-home-made-bread-pizza-buns.html" target="_blank">prepared bread dough recipe </a>or a loaf of frozen bread dough</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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1-2 cups of grated cheese</div>
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kosher salt and pepper to taste</div>
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.</div>
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Beat the eggs and add 2 cups of cheese. Grandma always used mild cheddar and Monterrey jack but a shredded Mexican blend works nicely too. Use whatever tickles your fancy. Add salt and pepper.</div>
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Divide tour dough into 4 or equal portions (about 6-8 inches in length), Form into a long log, and with your dough cutter or hands, shape out a hollow center.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Divide egg mixture into the center of each log. Y</span><span style="text-align: left;">ou can brush olive oil or cream over the bread to help golden in the cooking process.</span></div>
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Cook for 25-35 minutes, or until the egg mixture has solidified in the center of the bread and the bread crust has turned golden. Cool for a few minutes, and enjoy. </div>
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Recipes like this take me back to when I was a little girl, around family. It's nice when the food you eat can take you to places you miss.</div>
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Happy Eating!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-49755049994402798222014-03-24T08:21:00.001-05:002014-03-24T08:21:21.612-05:00Recipe: Peanut Sauce with Pork & Rice Noodles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sometimes you have a lot of leftovers but you don't want to eat <b>just </b>leftovers.<br />
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Lately we have been making a fabulous pork shoulder roast. But that's what Sundays are for right? A big brunch and a dinner that takes hours to cook while you lounge around, enjoying the rest of your Sunday.<br />
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What to do with all the leftovers before they can get boring and over-done? Make your own sweet and spicy peanut sauce and mix it all together with rice noodles, that's what!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ePkMLN-j0g/UzArpiPHp5I/AAAAAAAACqI/2ewTKZhe7rQ/s1600/pork+satay+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ePkMLN-j0g/UzArpiPHp5I/AAAAAAAACqI/2ewTKZhe7rQ/s1600/pork+satay+sauce.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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8 oz of rice noodles* prepared to the package instructions</div>
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1- 2 lbs diced pork (or chicken, or beef, ground meat, or tofu)</div>
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1 yellow onion, diced</div>
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1 clove of garlic, minced</div>
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Peanut Oil</div>
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3 tablespoons soy sauce</div>
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2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar</div>
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2 tablespoons brown sugar</div>
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2-3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter</div>
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1/4 teaspoon turmeric</div>
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1/8 teaspoon curry powder</div>
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Optional - a squirt of srirracha sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes</div>
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kosher salt</div>
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In a large pan or wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sprinkle with kosher salt.</div>
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Let cook until the onions are translucent, and have softened. You don't have to caramelize the onions, but I like mine to be caramelized because I look for that when I am layering flavors.</div>
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While the onions and garlic cook, dice your meat. If you are using fresh/raw meat, your cook times may increase but it's no big deal. If you haven't diced your left over meat, dice while the onions cook.</div>
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Once the onions have cooked down, add the meat and stir. Add the soy sauce**, the rice wine vinegar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, turmeric, and curry powder. Stir together - the heat helps the seasonings combine and form a thick, creamy, peanut-y sauce. The turmeric and curry give this dish a gorgeous yellow color (think of all the little micro nutrients those spices will give ya!)</div>
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Once the meat is cooked through or heated through, add your noodles, and toss until everything is coated.</div>
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I usually plate this dish over a bed of romaine lettuce; it adds a soft crisp layer, and the warmth from the noodles and pork wilts the lettuce a bit, making it buttery in texture. You can also add other vegetables, baby corn, mushrooms, peas, you name it.</div>
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This dish is also good without the noodles. Just make the onion, meat, and seasoning mixture, and serve inside butter lettuce for a delicious appetizer, or entire meal.</div>
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Now you are thinking, what do I drink with this? A Riesling or Gewurztraminer would be ideal to me, but I don't see how a Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Gris could steer you wrong. </div>
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Happy Eating!</div>
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*When preparing rice noodles, I typically boil a pot of water, and once it has reached a rolling boil, I dump it into a big bowl that has the dried rice noodles in it. Let the rice noodles soak up the water for 10-15 minutes, or until mostly soft. How is this different from regular pasta? Well, you are removing the cooking from the heat source. If you let the noodles sit too long, and then cook with the noodles, they virtually disintegrate into tiny little 1 inch pieces which are still edible. But really. Half the fun of eating whole noodles, is eating whole noodles, right? After 10-15 minutes, drain the rice noodles in a colander, and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside until you are ready to add to your main dish.</div>
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**I always use low sodium soy sauce, but use whichever you prefer. The saltiness of this dish may vary based on that.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-38929891334369910282014-03-21T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-21T05:00:04.022-05:00Wine: Bolla Moscato<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At the last Crescendo wine tasting night we tasted one of the best Moscato wines that I have ever had.<br />
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And I drink a lot of Moscato, come summer.<br />
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At 10$ a bottle, with a special tasting discount marking it down to $7, I couldn't resist stocking up for summer (which will get here eventually? right?)<br />
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Bolla is an Italian wine. My first experience with the Vinter dates back to -<a href="http://vinowonderland.blogspot.com/2011/11/wine-sangiovese.html" target="_blank">2011 - where the Husband and I shared a bottle of Bolla at my favorite Italian</a> place back home.<br />
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This wine is lovely. It's soft, bubbly, and lightly sweet so it will please most peoples palates. It's not an "in your face, I already feel a cavity coming on" syrup, like some sweet wines can be.<br />
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Apparently the "Suave" is the sweeter version, if sweetness tickles your fancy.<br />
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Honestly, I don't pair Moscatos with desert because for me it would be too sweet. They are usually enjoyed in a casual drinking setting, with other snacks; a really good loaf of french bread and a plate of artisan cheeses. That's a meal that makes me weak in the knees.<br />
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California friends: go stock your wine fridge. Summer's calling on you early, and now is the time to drink Moscato on the patio. I will be patiently waiting in the North here for all the snow to finish melting.<br />
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Salute!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-55781098101982039662014-03-19T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-19T08:05:00.248-05:00Recipe: Jalapeno Poppers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This weekend was a nice, lazy weekend. Sometimes you just need a weekend of binging on Netflix and comfort food.<br />
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When we lived in California, it seemed like Jalapeno Poppers (or Jollies as my Husband calls them) were a weekend staple with wine and friends. Entertaining weekends and "Comfy Weekends" aren't quite the same thing. But when you are eating the same food you would serve for both occasions, it can take you to a nostalgic place.</div>
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At this point in our lives we are still establishing those kind of connections here, so as you can imagine, it's usually just us. In comfy pants. And lots of ice-cream and wine. But I digress.</div>
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On a good note that translates to MORE JALAPENO POPPERS FOR ME!</div>
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So I decided to post a step-by-step guide to how I make Jalapeno Poppers. I do have some variations, which I mention at the end of the post, but all are equally delicious.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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5-6 large (4-5 inch) Jalapenos</div>
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1 block of cream cheese </div>
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1 clove of garlic</div>
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1 pack of thin sliced bacon (thick is okay, just a longer cooking time)</div>
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1 cup of shredded cheese</div>
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10 mushrooms, diced</div>
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Olive Oil</div>
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pepper to taste</div>
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kosher salt to taste</div>
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1/2 tsp paprika</div>
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1/2 tsp tumeric</div>
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Equipment:</div>
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I have my trusty Santoku knife, but my favorite kitchen hardware for the removing seeds and veins of jalapenos is a melon baller.</div>
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I typically line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and let the poppers cook on top of a cooling rack. It helps the little guys cook, and helps with clean-up.</div>
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Let's get started!</div>
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Turn a pan on medium heat on the stove.</div>
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Mince your garlic.</div>
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Dice up your mushrooms.</div>
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Once the pan is warm, add olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the mushrooms and garlic. Enjoy the sizzle. Stir. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Let it cook until the mushrooms are brown, and have reduced in size.</div>
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Start halving your jalapenos, and taking out the seeds and veins (unless you want these puppies hot! then leave them).</div>
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When the mushrooms have cooked, remove from heat.</div>
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Add cream cheese to a bowl, add the mushrooms (which will incorporate easier as they are warm). Add the paprika, turmeric, and pepper. Mix until combined. Add shredded cheese.<br />
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Start filling up your poppers, and I mean LOAD 'EM UP!<br />
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Then when they are all full, wrap with bacon! Note: if you have big jalapeno poppers, the will easily use 1 piece of bacon a piece. If they are smaller, or if you dare to use Serrano Chilies, well, use a kitchen scissors to cut the bacon strips in half before wrapping for Maximum Bacon Usage.</div>
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I baked these guys up for 30 minutes at 390 degrees. I rotated the baking sheet once, halfway through the cooking time.</div>
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These turned out to be cheesy, crispy, savory perfection. Paired with a couple of Yuenglings, who wouldn't be content?</div>
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Lets talk about alternative fillings. Are you not a fan of mushrooms? That's okay. I think artichoke hearts, minced up and seared in olive oil, would be just as fabulous (and add a little bit of a buttery texture. Yummo!) Or even artichoke hearts and chopped spinach! If that is too fancy, try simply caramelizing some shallots and garlic. I think the "extra fillings" add a little extra something special. You can add whatever spices you want too. Just be careful with Cayenne ad Chili powder. I added them one, and it made pretty fire-y poppers. They were almost too painful.<br />
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Looking for something lighter than bacon but with some crunch?</div>
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Typically, I usually skip the bacon and just coat the top of the popper with Panko Bread Crumbs - for that crunch without the fat of a deep fryer. When we do have bacon in the house - all bets are off though. It usually is devoured pretttttty quickly.</div>
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Well, I hope you enjoyed this step by step how-to for Jalapeno Poppers. It's not too labor intensive, and it's so worth it in the went.</div>
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And you don't need to pair these with just beer; White Wine (Viognier and Pinot Gris) or Red Wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zin, Barbera, Sangiovese) pair excellently. I know. Because I drank just about everything with them.</div>
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Salute!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-8170191637749286822014-03-17T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-19T08:06:10.972-05:00Recipe: Gouda Quesadillas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The other day I made tortillas at home. I made them with the visions of grandeur that I would take one of my favorite grilled cheese recipes, and stuff it in a tortilla shell, and stuff my face with zero amount of shame.<br />
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Gouda Grilled Cheese was birthed after a night of copious amounts of wine, a left over cheese platter and sour dough bread.</div>
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Whenever I had any leftover Gouda in the house that made it to a Saturday or Sunday morning, I would make sure to have sourdough bread. The assembly was simple - butter the outsides of two slices of sour dough bread, which are sandwiched around Gouda (reaaaaaal good Gouda). Sear in a panini press until golden, crisp, and melty.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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Sourdough Bread or Tortillas</div>
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Gouda</div>
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Jam</div>
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Place your sliced Gouda into your tortilla. Fold in half (or top with another tortilla). Close your panini press, or flatten with your spatula on a hot griddle. Flip. Sear. Once golden and melty (and believe me you will have melty Gouda everywhere!) plate and spread with your favorite jam or preserves.</div>
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Then, spread the top with your favorite jam; mine being a seedy raspberry preserve. Lastly. Devour every last bite and leave no evidence behind.<br />
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Indulgent, but still on the lighter side. And an excellent breakfast!</div>
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Now take that thought process and apply it to tortillas. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-51287576374539527672014-03-14T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-14T05:00:15.910-05:00Wine: Tobin James James Gang Reserve Port<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Recently we went on a ski trip in Pennsylvania. Really, the Husband did all the skiing, and it was good that he was finally skiing with people (his college friends) who were at the same level as him, versus me (very inexperienced and sloppy).</div>
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The last of his college friends are getting married this year. So it was fun to chat up with the fiance's while the guys braved the slopes. I had so much fun looking at their wedding plans, the beautiful dresses, color schemes, and menus, and simultaneously with a glass of port. <br />
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Weddings are fun and exciting and I am glad to be an attendee and get to witness the happy day of others. <br />
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I also have been reflecting on the last year. We have been in Minnesota for a year now. I never thought we would really be here. It was something we discussed at times sure, even before our wedding a couple of years ago. But I think there was a smug part of me that always thought "yeah, that will never happen. How can we leave California?"<br />
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And then one day we did.<br />
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Winters are bad. I don't think I will ever 100% like winter. Because as soon as I soften towards it, I just a s quickly go back to despising it. But here we are, in a state that has 4 beautiful seasons. And I am happier now. I miss my friends and family, but I get to see them, talk to them, facetime with them. And they can come and see us. And after a year, change is not so bad.<br />
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Wine certainly helps.<br />
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Let's talk about this Port, shall we?<br />
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2010 Vintage, and Tobin James describes it as a Portuguese style Port. It is very smooth and not super sweet. People are turned off by super sweet Ports all the time, so this one is refreshingly not. And it has a nice raisin flavor that I love. It is easy to drink pairs amazingly well with chocolate and pretzels. Or chocolate covered pretzels. Or chocolate covered raisins. But then again port and chocolate are soul sisters, so that's no surprise, right?<br />
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Anyway. If you aren't a Port fan, this bottle of Tobin James is a good one to get you reacquainted and maybe make amends with your taste buds. After all, there is always a new "spring of hope" to look forward to.<br />
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Okay, that was a cheesy ploy at making a spring from the doom of this long winter joke. Never mind. Just drink wine until spring comes and you will be okay. Okay? Okay.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-401028150033758042014-03-12T05:00:00.000-05:002014-03-12T05:00:06.068-05:00Recipe: Flour Tortillas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We aren't much of a "Sliced Bread" household. Maybe it started around the time I was adding whole grains and more fiber to my diet, that my IBS symptoms flared up. And maybe its when the Husband and I went *almost Paleo* for a year in 2012, that we really gave it up. But I do have a soft spot for warm fluffy tortillas, and I would cheat being Paleo for a crisp, panini pressed tortilla stuffed with cheese.<br />
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In fact, my typical "grilled cheese" is a quesadilla. But really, who doesn't love pan seared bread with melty, go-ey, savory cheese? If you don't, the existence of your soul may be questionable.</div>
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Lately, and ironically when the Subway Plastic Bread scandal started, I stopped buying my "enriched carbohydrate" products, or, well, breads. While I am no longer Paleo driven, I am what I think of as "Carb Conscious. (really, it's hard to be 100% paleo when you have IBS - Coconut Flour and Coconut Oil are not the best friends of your digestive track, and after my first attempt at biscuits with coconut flour, I was in a bought of nausea so intense I would have through I was stuck on a merry-go-round of doom).</div>
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What do I mean by "Carb Conscious"? Well, there is a distinct difference between eating a bunch of processed Breads, cakes, cookies, and chips, vs preparing and eating whole grains yourself. Examples: I will eat sweet potatoes, rice, or lentils, in substitute of sliced bread and butter. Now this isn't all the time. Sometimes, we give in. Sometimes, nothing quite compares to a hot dog bun at a summer's BBQ. Sometimes, hot bread and butter are the exemplary complements of that bottle of wine you are downing.</div>
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And if you are going to eat baked goods - why not skip the cruddy preservatives and extra salt and funky stuff and make your own, fresh, fluffy, soft bread.</div>
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Tortilla's are a great place to start for people who definitely don't that the patience for yeast based dough.</div>
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<a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/lodge-round-fry-pan/?pkey=cfry-pans-skillets&cm_src=fry-pans-skillets||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-" target="_blank">A Taste of Home has this awesome olive oil tortillas recipe</a>. They are soft, fluffy, and savory. And the Husband devoured them last Saturday with breakfast burritos. Literally. They were all gone.</div>
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The recipe makes 8, 6 inch tortillas. I think I will need to double the recipe to make "burrito" or "Husband size" tortillas, because he has always been a fan of a bigger shell. Start to finish, cook time was less than an hour. And while the cost of buying grocery store tortillas may even itself out in a "to make or to buy" analysis, I know exactly what is in these tortillas (and if you are afraid of GMO flour, you can always find/order a brand that is Non GMO.)</div>
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Even if you aren't the most avid cook, try making homemade tortillas. Really. Just try. Because, like in most cases involving food, nothing beats fresh off the skillet.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188754409547918914.post-48711465859741780762014-03-10T11:21:00.004-05:002014-03-10T11:21:46.932-05:00Equipping your Kitchen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sunday afternoons used to be spent going to Fig Garden shopping plaza in Fresno, where I would scour Banana Republic for a good sale on work slacks or a cute new top. After Banana Republic, we would stroll into William Sonoma, and lust over kitchen gadgetry and appliances. I could live in that store.<br />
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The Husband would lust over meat grinders, cutting boards, knife racks, and cast iron pans. I would lust over glassware, pasta rollers, cook books, and kitchen linens. Really, I felt like it was the Anthropologie of the culinary world.</div>
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There are only a few staples you need in a kitchen, and they don't have to be pricey. And really it's a matter of cooking preference. Please understand that when I say need, I mean need based off of your cooking style and what you typically make and eat. I don't always like the lists you see on Pinterest or in magazines of "Top 8 Kitchen gadgets you didn't know you needed". Because if you didn't know you needed it, you probably don't. With that said, here is a list of my kitchen staples:</div>
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9" nonstick pan</div>
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10 inch cast iron skillet</div>
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Panini press</div>
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Santoku knife</div>
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Salad spinner</div>
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I don't really like cooking with non stick cookware, because if it scratches I am too paranoid to cook with it ever again (cancer, leaching chemicals into the food, not so cool, right?). In spite of all of that we keep a high quality non stick pan in our house that serves one purpose and one purpose only; eggs. We purchased <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-d5-stainless-steel-nonstick-9-inch-omelette-pan/?pkey=cfry-pans-skillets&cm_src=fry-pans-skillets||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-" target="_blank">this one from William Sonoma</a> about 2 years ago. The trick is to clean it with a warm damp cloth. We don't let it sit in the sink and soak in sudsy water, usually we clean it immediately after use and it saves on the wear and tear of the pan itself.</div>
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Cast iron skillets are perfect for steaks, burgers, & and other animal protein you fancy. They also make the fluffiest pancakes, awesome baking vessels for sticky buns, and well... Are just an awesome source of added iron to your food. Seriously. If you don't own a skillet, get one, because it is one of the most fabulous ways to prepare and eat Rib-eye steaks. Again, <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/lodge-round-fry-pan/?pkey=cfry-pans-skillets&cm_src=fry-pans-skillets||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-" target="_blank">I got mine from William Sonoma</a> a year or so ago. It takes a little maintenance to make sure its stored well when its not in use but for those who adore cooking, it should be no problem to maintain.</div>
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A month before my now Husband and I moved in together, he got me a trove of birthday gifts with a common theme - all were from Giada De Laurentiis' line at target, porcelain bake ware, kitchen utensils, and my Panini Press. I actually use it in lieu of a toaster or toaster oven. It's great for paninis, quesadillas, or ever garlic toast. It usually sits out on out counter because I use it several times a week. Unfortunately, it looks like they no longer make her Panaini press because I cannot find a link to it online. </div>
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When I was pursuing a degree in dietetics I had to purchase my first real knife set (and carry it around campus. It was crazy to think of all the sharp objects I was wielding inconspicuously around FCC!). I prefer a mid sized Santoko knife to regular Chef knives; I find the grooves help veggies not stick to the blade. And for little hands, large chef knives can be bulky. This has been the perfect fit for me.</div>
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Our salad spinner was a wedding gift and I use it almost everyday. We eat salads at least once a day, and I am very good at shredding, chopping, and washing my own lettuce. The husband hates soggy salads, and the salad spinner has greatly reduced his amount of complaining. I am just happy he ends up eating his greens, so then we both win.</div>
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I hope you enjoyed a peek into my "Kitchen Necessities". It is fun to find new gadgets, but its even better having dependable hardware that lasts.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0