About wine

Pie Night.

2010-03-23T07:00:00.000+02:00

There is something magical about pie. Its uniting crust. Delicious innards and heart stopping fat content.

I think the magic also comes from making said pie with a nice person. Collecting the ingredients in a cross-town Sunday dash and putting them all together, to share with some wine and good friends.

Anita and Ben from Rancho Deluxe invited myself and the infamous Kris Wood around to the garage for a Sunday evening pie sharing session. We consulted “Stephanie”, the all encompassing cook book and set our minds on a good old fashioned chicken and leek, with stewed apple and custard for dessert. It was a little trial and error, but really, it all turned out pretty swell. I need to work on my lattice. Perhaps we shall just have to hold another pie night?

[Via http://brownecoffee.wordpress.com]

Paradox files injunction against SouthPeak | News

£50 LEIGH CHEAP WEDDING VENUE PHOTOGRAPHERS CHURCH PHOTOGRAPHY BUDGET FUNCTION ROOM WEDDINGS PHOTOGRAPHS Leigh Sports Village ,Leigh Cricket Club, Leigh Town Hall, Sporting Lodge Leigh Miners Welfare Institute,

2010-03-21T13:44:00.000+02:00

Cheap Budget Affordable Leigh Weddings Photographers

Are you getting married in Leigh? Are you looking for a cheap wedding photographer for your wedding budget? We offer a £50, pay by the hour service and you can have all of your photos on a CD or DVD copyright free. For more details please go through the big logo above.

Cheap Budget Affordable Leigh Weddings.

Wedding photography at all wedding venues and function rooms in Leigh.

Wedding photographs at Leigh Sports Village ,Leigh Cricket Club, Leigh Town Hall, Leigh Miners Welfare Institute,We would be delighted if you choose us to cover your wedding photography in Leigh. If you are looking for a professional yet affordable photography company with Leigh based photographers we can attend your wedding and take spectacular photographs on your special day in Leigh.

We can take wedding photographs at all Churches in Leigh.

civil partnership photographers for Lancashire. Photography at the Sporting Lodge.

Wedding photographs at Christ Church, Pennington Church, St Mary the Virgin Chuch, St Josephs, Living Waters Christian Fellowship Chuch,

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR WEDDINGS IN THE UK

Wedding Venues and Function Rooms

Weddings can take place in the UK at a Church or Chapel, a Synagogue a Mosque, a Temple, or other religious buildings including a function room, the Society of Friends (Quakers and the Kingdom Hall or a Catholic Church. Other religious ceremonies include Asian and Sikh weddings, Muslim, Indian and Henna and Mendi celebrations. You may have a renewal of Vows ceremony, a blessing or a Civil Partnership ceremony. Venues for civil ceremonies may include function rooms, a hotel, where marquee may be set up in the grounds; a Stately Home, a Museum, University, a pubs restaurant, or entertainment centres such a theatre, a tower, an ice ring, football clubs and stadiums, cricket clubs, sports halls, village hall, civic centre, or the London Eye and cafes. Many golf and country clubs now have a license for a civil wedding. Ceremonies may be conducted by a Registrar, a vicar or priest, or religious elder or ship’s captains.

Wedding Dresses Formal Wear and Suit Hire

Attire for weddings include the bride’s wedding dress, Matron of Honour, bridesmaids and flower girls dresses. Men’s suites may be bought or hired. Top hats and tails may be worn. Formal menswear includes suites for the Groom, the Best man, Ushers and Pageboys. The Bride’s Mother will choose a special outfit as will the father of the Bride. A bridal wedding tiara is usually worn and can be set by the hairdresser or makeup artist. Wedding rings and jewellery will have been chosen before the wedding day.

Wedding Cars

Wedding cars are often hired for the occasion and the popular models are Rolls Royce, a Bentley, Beauford, Jaguar or a Mercedes. Limousines are popular including a stretch limo and colored limo’s such as a pink Limousine. Classic or vintage cars are a popular choice for couples who are getting married and wish for something special on their day. Other couples will choose to have a horse and cart as their desired method of transport.

Wedding Themes

Many couples set an active theme for their wedding. This is often based around a colour or colors. Black and white, cream or blue and red are popular choices. The balloons, table decorations, favour, stationary and wedding invitations can all be designed around these colors.

Wedding Accessories.

Other important items for consideration at a wedding are the flowers; a specialised florist stocks beautiful wedding flowers and can make the bridal bouquet, flowers for button holes and bouquets for the Grooms mother and the Mother of the Bride. During the wedding breakfast at the reception some couples choose to have a Toastmaster to introduce the people and those who will be giving a reading of a poem or one of the speeches. An old wedding traditional includes the attendance of a piper with bagpipes or a chimney sweep. A choir, harpist or piano player or a string quartet or wedding singer may be hired for the occasion. Most couples have a wedding cake although a chocolate fountain is a popular choice in addition to or including a cake for the menu. Fine wines, champagnes and Bucks fizz may be drank a the reception. Wedding presents and gifts may be left on show at the venue. Evening entertainment can include a mobile disco with a DJ and a casino.

Wedding Photography

A professional wedding photographer can capture the celebrations with a set of photographs. These can be presented as loose prints, photos in a wedding album or a storybook album. They can be supplied on a Cd or DVD disc copyright free for printing on a home computer of at a high street shop.

[Via http://leighcheap50weddingvenuephotographerschurch.wordpress.com]

Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Great News

Word is Spreading!

2010-03-21T00:54:00.000+02:00

Just for fun, let’s share a little:

http://downtownwinstonsalem.blogspot.com/2010/03/updates-barnhills-installs-new-sigange.html

We love the downtown Winston-Salem blog for keeping our name out there while we work on getting open. Thank you!

This article is cool too because they are also supporting Gusto who is in the fabulous building on the corner from us. If you look at the picture, you can see the corner of our blue awning behind the Gusto store.

http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15155

We’re mentioned in there along with the fact that our building has vinyl siding on it. We have no idea what it looked like before the siding but we have no control over that. That’s a decision for the building owner to make, not the tenant! It doesn’t detract from the charm of the inside of the building and I hope they will come visit us anyway!

http://npaper-wehaa.com/yes-weekly/2010/03/09/#?article=789502 This was a little blurb that showed up in Yes Weekly.

[Via http://onlyatbarnhills.wordpress.com]

VOA News: The jihad against the West is all our fault - Jihad Watch

Wine and yoga don't mix

2010-03-20T01:58:00.000+02:00

The lesson of the week this week was that wine and yoga don’t mix and I need to treat my body nicer. All week I was drained. Some of that drain was not my doing, some of it was. For the bazillionth time, maybe I have learned a lesson.

I felt somewhat exhausted early in the week because my dog was waking me up in the middle of the night several nights in a row to go out. I knew something was wrong and it turned out she had a bladder infection. A trip to the vet and some medicine and she was on the mend and I could sleep again. Right? Wrong.

Tuesday night I did a stupid thing during dinner, I drank way too much wine.

Wine normally doesn’t bother me, then again I don’t usually drink that much with my dinner. Tuesday night, after what was actually a really good yoga class, I had some pasta and poured too much wine. My friend Debbie bought the bottle for me for my birthday. The wine had a particularly high alcohol content 15% alcohol by volume, which I forgot while imbibing. I had a glass and then another. I should have just said no. But, I thought there was only a teensy bit left in the bottle. So, I poured another glass. Bad move.

Regardless of whether there was just a little bit left or not, I was already buzzed. I didn’t realize it immediately, but then I noticed I wasn’t as agile as I should have been. (read stumbling) The decision to pour the final bit was such a bad mistake and I paid for it. I could have just dumped it down the drain, but no I couldn’t do that. Stupid.

I slept so poorly during the night. I was already worn out, and the wine made my sleep restless. I don’t think I ever fell into a deep sleep and I woke up feeling like I’d been through a war. I made it through the day Wednesday, but I was very low energy.

I went to yoga on Wednesday night hoping for a great class. What was I thinking? I always try to do my best physically, but I felt like I had weights holding me down. Class was difficult and I couldn’t figure out why. Duh? Then of course it came to me; dumbass you drank way too much and you felt like shit all day. Why I expected my body to perform at peak condition during class I have no idea. But, at least I may have sweated out the alcohol that was polluting my body.

I don’t drink nearly as much as I once did, but I still drink some. I like red wine. But, this week’s yoga class experience makes me realize I need to treat my body better. I’m not saying I’m giving up the vino because I think a little red wine is good for the heart. That’s what my mom always used to say. But, too much is definitely bad.

Yoga is about being aware and being in the moment. Often, I know I can get caught up in the moment and lose my awareness. I was enjoying the red wine a little too much and wasn’t paying attention to my body telling me, ‘hey, you are stumbling a little bit you idiot!’

When I was younger I drank a lot and treated my body badly. I smoked for a long, long time. I felt compelled to smoke and drink because my friends did, but I could have been my own person and not done what everyone else did. I wasn’t that strong. It’s a cliche, but I wanted to be cool. I kept smoking until I learned my mother had lung cancer. I stopped. She died. It’s been about 8 years since I smoked. Now it repulses me. The smell is awful and it just looks nasty.

I drank too much too and that really isn’t an attractive thing. I’m definitely not an ascetic and don’t plan to cut alcohol out of my life, but for the most part I have learned to curb my habit.

Having friends (triathletes, marathoners, yogis) who take care of their bodies has benefits because they don’t do things to harm themselves, like smoking. And, they may drink, but if they are going to run, swim, bike or do yoga the next day, more often than not they aren’t downing mass quantities of booze when they go out. There’s always an exception, like the weekend when there was a whole slew of birthday celebrations. But, mostly my friends are too busy to be boozing. The positive influence has had an impact on me.

Back to the yoga, though. Since my yoga practice has gotten deeper I don’t want to eat really bad stuff or drink a lot because the whole point of doing the yoga is to get healthier physically and mentally. What’s the point of trying to improve your body only to pollute it? I still have food challenges, like craving cheese fries on a rare occasion and my cookie habit – I’m working on it.

But, I really try to limit the amount of processed crap I put in my body now. I’m still making progress and I’m not perfect. But, I eat a lot more vegetables and fruits now than I probably ever have. I have even started eating spinach! That is huge for me!

So, now I plan to limit my wine drinking. I’m not saying I’m not going to drink a glass with my dinner on occasion, but I think I will make the occasions fewer. It will be a good experiment to see how I feel sans alcohol. Thank god the wine is all gone that will surely make it easier!

[Via http://yogagirlsadventure.wordpress.com]

Bad News: Android 2.1 update for the Motorola Droid has been delayed

Wine Tasting @ Papadeli - 2010 dates announced

2010-03-18T13:08:00.000+02:00

Clifton-based Papadeli have just announced the dates for a series of wine tasting sessions that they are running at the deli this year. These tasting sessions follow on from similar events that they hosted last year with wine expert Raj Soni.

Further details of the sessions are below – to book, simply email info@papadeli.co.uk with details of the session that you’d like to attend, or phone them on 0117 973 6569.

The wine tastings with Raj Soni last year were superb. Raj is former chairman of the West of England Wine and Spirits Association and is a font of fascinating knowledge about wine. His style is easy and humorous and suitable for all – from novice to connoisseur. The wine is accompanied by delicious papadeli food and the atmosphere is always jovial.

Here are the dates for this year.

Start time 7.30pm

21st April

Burgundy, including Cotes Challonaise, Maconnais and Beaujolais. £35.

18th May

Spanish wines. £30.

22nd June

Loire and Alsace. £25.

21st September

Italy with focus on Tuscany. £25.

26th October

Bordeaux. £35.

23rd November

Champagne, sparkling wine and sherry accompanied by delectable festive foods. £45.

[Via http://bristolbites.wordpress.com]

It's Official: News Media Are Missing The Twitter Boat – GigaOM

Not as clever a title as "Bikinis and Bullets"

2010-03-18T07:08:00.000+02:00

Whew! Yesterday I was in AZ and now am in CA. Let’s backtrack, eh? Get cozy. Seriously. You’re about to read two days’ worth of stories.

Yesterday after I woke up and ate a marvelous plate of eggs, I debated between staying home and going out. I chose the latter, though it did cost me ten dollars to take a taxi one mile or so down the road to the shopping mall. The weather was fantastic and I wore a sundress which felt fabulous. Nobody was home except the dogs and I wanted to bust the cabin fever, so I did what every girl likes to do…shop. After an hour or so, Jake’s friend Anna picked me up and we cruised to Scottsdale so meet Jake at work. I got to see more scenic passes through the valley and the sun felt fantastic. Scottsdale, I learned, is a big city, but it is big in length. Going through the towns is quite lovely. It’s just awesome to see how different things are. Anna and I had lunch at Chik-Fil-A (first time ever) and then we parted ways. Poor girl was in a tizzy about not having her paycheck, and by tizzy I mean ready to deck someone in the face. I do hope she got it, otherwise I feel very sorry for anyone who was responsible.

You may be wondering, “Oh Naseem, why ever did you go meet Jake at work?” Well, you see, yesterday we commuted to San Diego, so we rented a car, and I needed to drive the rental car back to Jake’s while Jake drove home in his car. No big deal, right? Not until I saw Jake whip the car around the corner and pull next to his Civic. No big deal that we drove a frickin 2010 silver Mustang to California. Awww yeah ladies and gentlemen, we rode in style, and this girl got to breeze down AZ freeways behind that wheel with the radio blasting and the biggest shit-eating grin on my face. I. Felt. Fabulous.

We got home, packed, changed, got directions to Bengt and Bitta’s (Theresa, if you will) place (friends of Jake and Kate), then left almost as soon as we came. Despite a few holdups earlier, we made great time in getting ready and hit the road between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. From the Phoenix area, it’s about a six hour drive to San Diego, but the trip was made bearable by good company and even better conversation. We peeled out of the valley area and drove through Maricopa before we hit I-85 W, and it was here that I really saw the desert, even asking Jake to pull over so I could photograph the mountains and cacti, completely disregarding my open toed sandals and the possibility of snakes and other creatures. By the time we got on the open stretch of road that would carry us into California, the sun was beginning to set, the mountains were turning purple and hazy, and I experienced a sliver of the otherwise vast sensation of what it might have felt like to be a cowboy or a New Englander in the 19th century meandering Westward into the vast depths of our nation. After a while, we pulled into a rest stop for bathroom purposes, and I wandered around photographing the sun actually lowering herself over the desert, finally tucking away beneath the horizon line so all that was left in sight were blue and violet washes in the sky kissed with streaks of glimmering copper clouds. By this time, it was dark, and I felt content with the desert photos I had. We piled in the car and continued Westward. We stopped again in Yuma, AZ to eat and stretch, and it was here the drive got interesting.

The road we took (85 W) grazes the U.S./Mexico border by about five miles or so. Yuma is about, oh, approximately thirty minutes from the AZ/CA border. Jake and I stopped at a gas station and ate at Jack In The Box, which was good but oh so greasy. We felt refreshed after the food and I bought myself a too-sweet hot chocolate, but hey, it’s vacation. We then piled back into the car and continued. Shortly after leaving Yuma, we came to a check point of sorts, indicating that we approached the state border. It wasn’t much of a check. We went through a toll lane and the gentleman at the booth asked us where we were coming from. We answered “Phoenix” and he waved us on, wishing us a good night. All was dandy and then about fifteen minutes later, we noticed that traffic started getting slightly backed up. Then we noticed the bright ass lights rigged up alongside the road. Another check point, although it looked makeshift. Patrolmen were walking along the shoulder with drug-sniffing dogs. No speaking was involved here, you simply drove by very, very slowly, the dog would sniff the vehicle as it passed, and if old Fido didn’t start barking up a storm, you were waved on. At first it seemed like it was a rather epic event but ended up being a little disappointing. We did, however, see ATVs cruising around to our left, shining lights into the bushes, and Jake explained to me that Border Patrol ride ATVs at night looking for illegal crossers sleeping in the shrubs. On our left we saw nothing but vast blackness and occasionally, bright lights indicating the country border check points.

After these escapades, we started ascending into the mountains. The pressure change was annoying at first. We climbed 4ooo feet just zooming along on these roads. There was nothing but utter blackness and I could see every star in the sky. I craned my neck at odd angles to gaze upon them. Seeing the silhouettes of the mountains against the velvety blue of the night sky made me feel small and insignificant and filled me with admiration and reverence.

When we came out of the mountains, we had about thirty minutes left of the drive, and oh what a lovely thirty minutes, as we had descended into the San Diego valleys and the lights just glittered as we drove on. We reached our destination in the Del Mar neighborhood shortly after 11:00 p.m., where we were greeted by Bengt and the chipper puppy, Rossi. He showed us around and we had brief conversation before all three of us retired. What a lovely home in a lovely neighborhood. The best part? The comfy bed. I fell asleep almost immediately after hitting the sheets.

This morning we woke up shortly after 9:00 a.m. and sauntered downstairs where I met Bitta, a sweet woman with pretty eyes and the nicest disposition. She insisted we make ourselves at home and help ourselves to whatever we fancied. Wishing us a good day, she departed for work and we set about making eggs and toast and coffee. Rossi jumped at our ankles and we had a lovely morning. After breakfast, we washed the dishes, cleaned up, and got ready for THE BEACH THE BEACH THE BEACH. A trip to Target was required and Bitta lent us her GPS, TomTom (Watson, we call him, for he has a mild British accent), who led us in a loopdeloop around several highways and local streets, unnecessarily complicating the commute to Target. By the time we were ready to actually go to the beach, it was nearly noon.

The day was spent at Mission Beach, about fifteen minutes away from the B & B resort. Primarily a college beach with white sand, tan skin, and clear water, it was probably the most beautiful one I have been to. There was a rollercoaster on the boardwalk too and some shops, but different from other boardwalk shops I’ve seen on the East Coast. Also, this was a monumental first trip to the Pacific Ocean for me! The parking gods blessed us too, as we found a spot in a public lot right across from the main street that divides the parking from the ocean, and we secured a spot right near the entrance. The beach gods also smiled upon us, because not only was it a clean beach (minus all the washed up seaweed, miscellaneous oceanic flora, and buzzing creatures above said flora), but it was not busy at all. We found a good spot to hunker down, and after slathering on sunscreen, I ran into the waves much like a child. They were cold, but I didn’t care. The seaside is my holy place, its waves my deities, and I always feel so calm and content whenever I am near them. Temperature does not faze me and I felt so lucky to be splashing around in clear water. Many seashells and rocks were collected and many photographs snapped. We stayed on the shore for a few hours, then packed up and sauntered along the gorgeous boardwalk, with its marvelous properties and beautiful people. We ended up exploring on top of a jetty but I felt slightly nerve wracked hopping from rock to rock. I kept thinking I was going to slip, fall, bust my knees, bust my camera, misstep and tumble, but it was fine. Slow going (barefoot at times), but great actually. I got some splendid photos.

Around 5:00 we left the beach and got a taste of California rush hour. After getting back to the B & B resort, we showered quick and departed shortly thereafter to University Heights to visit my Aunt Victoria. What an adorable neighborhood, really old and battered with a charm of its owns that no hoitey toitey neighborhood can match. Auntoria was cooking away in the kitchen and her house, though tiny in size, was big in warmth and attitude. The three of us schmoozed and drank wine and feasted on her fabulous appetizers. Eventually I ended up taking her headshots for her business cards and we had fun deviating from this track and taking silly pictures. Auntoria is a licensed acupuncturist and a shaman so she showed me and Jake her new “toys,” which include a moya drum and tuning forks tuned to planetary frequencies. Her new dig is sound healing and we had a blast being zenned-out by her forks, so much so that we ended up getting sleepy. After a great evening with lots of hugs and laughing, she sent us on our way. Jake and I stopped in Normal Heights, the adjacent hood, to a funky coffee shop so we should buy beans for Bitta and Bengt as a thanks-for-lettings-us-chill-here gift. We got home, oh, around 11:00 ish, and I started writing this at 11:15. It’s now 12:05.

Tomorrow is our last day here. We plan on taking a trip to the Meditation Gardens in Escondido and spending another day on the beach before departing this beautiful city at 6:00 p.m. or so. We had entertained the idea of taking a day trip to Los Angeles to visit friends and see the city, but that would require getting up in five hours to avoid traffic. Yeah not happening.

Thanks for sitting tight and reading! If you went through this whole thing, you deserve a high five. Vacation ends Saturday, but look for a new post Friday-ish.

xoxo,

n

P.S.: 12:10

[Via http://naseeeeem.wordpress.com]

UK gov backs British Inspiration Awards News | Eurogamer

Shhhhh....

2010-03-18T01:43:00.000+02:00

Patrick and I went to wine country in October and visited this adorable vineyard in the Anderson Valley. (Sidebar – if you’re going, Anderson Valley tasting by FAR outshines Napa Valley tasting.)

Anyway, Husch vineyards was a beautiful experience. The most adorable little cottage tasting room and some truly amazing wines. It was the first place we ever actually, REALLY considered doing a wine club. The wines were fabulous… Their Chenin Blanc is so romantic and we shared a bottle of it on the beach the next day (all the while fighting off sea gulls and Ivy’s prying hands).

We decided to bring home their 2007 Gewurztraminer. A wine that I’m usually not a big fan of. Well, today, St. Patty’s day, almost exactly 5 months later,on the first day of 2010 that was darn near 70 degrees, we finally cracked the bottle and were *so* not disappointed. It was smooth and velvety and absolutely perfect…(and yes of course we drank it over ice, in the sunshine, because that’s what we do in our house).

I’m on my third glass, toasting the close to a gorgeous day, and I think I’ll go sit my tired booty down, open my book and savor the flavor baby.

[Via http://bringmeabook.wordpress.com]

Hitwise: People get their news from Facebook and Google — not ...

First Goat Cheese of the Season

2010-03-16T13:56:00.000+02:00

We’re thrilled to have some rounds of the first goat cheese of the season from Blue Ledge Farms in Vermont. Join us on Wednesday, March 17 from 5-7pm at the Brooklyn wine store to sample this cheese along with Valencay, a french goat cheese, both paired with our Sauvignon Blanc from Yellow + Blue wines. The wine will be poured by the founder of Yellow + Blue, Matthew Cain!

Goats naturally produce milk after they kid in February, which means that one of the first harbringers of spring for us is the first arrival of these fresh goat cheeses. Lake’s Edge is mold-ripened goat’s milk cheese, aged three weeks in a 1.5+ lb wheel. This cheese is wonderfully tart and creamy. We’re especially thrilled to taste it paired with wine as it was named one of “100 Best” Cheeses by Wine Spectator magazine in 2008.

[Via http://blog.greenegrape.com]

BBC - Viewfinder: Picturing an active life with dementia

Lake O'Hara a Slice of Paradise

2010-03-16T07:14:00.000+02:00

For eight years running Ginger and Nutmeg and a crew of very spicy friends have trudged up the Lake O’Hara access road in March. The conditions have varied every year from deep winter to nearly spring. The equipment ranges from light to touring to teli and alpine touring – this year the gals got really smart and went in on snow shoes. Everyone arrives parched, hungry and feeling like they have accomplished something and they have – 11kms of hills!! This year’s crew included Cilantro and Mr. High Maintenance, Curry Murray and Mr Curry, Mountain Pepper and Cayenne, Cinnamon, the salsa twins, Oregano and his lovely wife.

Why is Lake O’Hara a slice of paradise? So many reasons;

An endless amounts of great BC wine – the group tried very hard to get to the bottom of the supply
Gluten free offerings included a flour-less dark chocolate cake on arrival from Mrs Oregano
Arrival snacks including; salt/pepper/lime chicken wings and mini croque monsieurs (ham and cheese melts)
Four course dinners including; sesame crusted halibut, cauliflower soup, NY striploin, 120 strudel, blueberry custard tart
Hot showers
Steamy saunas

More than anything it is the incredible scenery, lack of crowds and the chance to get into the back-country for some turns. This year was over the top! We lucked into 25cms of snow early in the week topped off by 20cms on Friday through Saturday morning. Then the sun came out and the group was treated to two “blue-bird” days. So the hangovers were quickly cured and the blisters quickly forgotten. Our trusty and very patient guide Mike got the daring and energetic into “epic” powder on Saturday.

The weekend was full of laughs, a guitar concert by the staff, a raging dance party and the requisite gals vs boys charades game. The gals were victorious again, in case you were wondering.

Lake O’Hara is paradise summer or winter. Check it out for yourself. http://www.lakeohara.com/

[Via http://gingerandnutmeg.wordpress.com]

Splinter Cell: Conviction demo planned News | Eurogamer

Cheers, to learning

2010-03-16T01:27:00.000+02:00

I love wine. For years I said I wanted to learn more, but aside from drinking it I did very little. In Knoxville, a group of us celebrated the release of Beaujolais Nouveau each year with a case of wine, some bread, cheese and grapes but as I got more ‘real’ jobs that fun celebration got tougher to plan. In grad school, I’d participate in wine tastings with friends and enjoyed it, but didn’t really learn about what was going on. Then, for my big girls weekend before getting married, we went to Sonoma. A fabulous weekend with my closest girlfriends from a variety of circles in a gorgeous setting cemented it for me: I needed to learn more. What is it about wine that makes it special? That can unite people with little in common simply by sharing the experience of the taste? That allows this beverage to develop throughout the ages yet still remain so true to its centuries old roots?

A while ago, A and I started tracking what we drank — even taking pictures and occasionally posting on a blog just for us. Then, I started taking classes at UC Davis, then the Northwest Wine Academy. The more I learn, the more I want to experience and learn. After completing about a year of studies, I decided to take on my first exam that would include blind tasting: the WSET Advanced course. I just started the prep course work this weekend and already have enjoyed it. I definitely view the studying as work, but it’s also like solving a puzzle or receiving a piece of a story where you can’t wait to read more to find out what will happen. Over the weekend, we blind tasted 30 wines. All were interesting, some were gorgeous in bouquet, a few were truly outstanding examples of what can be. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to explore the world of wine. It’s a different kind of rush than racing my bike or hiking to a great look out, but also very rewarding. Like key moments in those active endeavors, I can recall the moments celebrated with wine, as well as moments celebrated because of a wine moment (the perfect pairing on Christmas Day comes to mind).

I do not know where this path will lead (currently dabbling in the business/marketing side while interning on the production side) but I know I love it. I also know that no matter how many times you taste the same wine, there’s always something new to discover and explore.

Now if I can just ace this exam next month and convince A to move to Tuscany with me… yeah, yeah.. that’s the ticket! Cheers!

[Via http://beckyandamit.wordpress.com]

Researchers Find Early Autism Signs In Some Kids - Science News

Edition Twenty Eight 28 Feb to 14 March 2010 (Wine by Cush)

2010-03-14T19:54:00.000+02:00

Edition 28 has enough posts to be moving along fine. I counted 8 tasting notes of which none I have attended. I would say three of them were very much worth attending and the rest were okay. I will figure out a system for doing tastings also. I have got the other stuff being photo and video out of the way and are systematized now leaving me with figuring out my tastings and events and then I will be fully buried under my own work but will be able to manage them week to week. No thanks to anyone who has helped and that is 100%. As I was promised when I lived and did my blog stuff in San Francisco none of my blogs are ever promoted from a San Francisco base nor are supported for one simple reason I was told. San Francisco media is all about gay this and gay that. If I don’t speak the gay talk and promote San Francisco as from the view that is approved by the gay special interest of that local, I was promised I will never be promoted. That has been held true but everyone believes things that may not be true and San Francisco is not a gay city but has a large gay population. Other things can go on that are not relating or supportive of that special interest. Other people can be as aggressive and hostile toward the gay interests as they are toward neutral and non-gay entities. In other words, I can simply say f…. you to all of them and what they are and believe and do my own work. NO SPECIAL INTEREST OWNS SAN FRANCISCO. And that is all there is to say. I will be doing events and tastings all over as soon as I organize them and should go well. Everything else has gone great and the only problem has been most of what I do tends to be very large in size and volume and requires solid systems to handle and manage or will not work. That has been the problem and has been solved to handle my writing (by the many systems I have invented) and now my photographs and video clips. I will figure out a way to handle dozens of events and tastings weekly with or without help. 2010 will be a good year and I don’t have to support any special interest to do my work or even acknowledge they exist. F… special interest.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.

[Via http://worldofcush.wordpress.com]

thejetsblog.com » Not News News: Ryan Had Gastic Band Installed

You Say Rant, I Say Rut

2010-03-14T07:14:00.000+02:00

I must say, it is extremely hard for me to keep up with this blog. I write so much for work, that when I do get around to write for fun -it seems like work. I have even found myself questioning ideas, punctuation, etc., with the fun stuff. Not fun. The following is a blog that I wrote for my work blog. When I submitted it for approval, I got the thumbs down. My piece was called a rant, which was too controversial and attacked the people who we depend on for wine ratings. I didn’t think it was a rant–but when i gave it to my co-worker, she felt it was a little tough as well. Posting it here will help me feel as though my hard work hasn’t gone to waste.

Isn’t that Obscure?

Wine has been around for thousands of years- and wine critics just as long, describing the nuances of the wine they experience. So it shouldn’t seem unusual to see reviews of wine that are quite outlandish, even laughable. In an effort to avoid being vapid or circular, it seems as though the reviewers have created their own language. Can they do that? Sure! Our pop culture has created an environment where popular words and phrases tend to become legitimate. But, in an effort to be creative, don’t let the professional wine writers unknowingly ostracize you. Trust your taste buds.

To illustrate the unique language some wine writers employ, I went to a popular wine website and read through ten ratings. Here are a few of my favorite descriptions: “minerally with hints of tar, incense and hot stone weave in and out.” ; “crammed with loganberry and linzer torte flavors laid over dense but polished structure.”; “ Pungent aromas of slate, violet and black currant are immediate and intense.” Original? -Yes. Interesting? -Certainly. Appealing? -Not in all cases. Their job is to report flavors and sensations as creatively as possible, good or bad. And who knows, someone might be looking for that special bottle of wine, crammed with hot stone and slate aromas…we’re not here to judge!

In the end, it is my advice to all the common winos not to despair when your taste buds don’t measure up to a critic’s large spectrum of descriptions. If all you taste is berry, so be it; there’s no need to invent a type of berry to prove to the guy next to you that you like wine. I’m sure he’d appreciate a subtle nudge with a, “this stuff’s good!” rating.

[Via http://jenseekspics.wordpress.com]

Durian » Blog Archive » News about Chaos & Evolutions

Tasting: Kistler Pinot Noir Silver Belt Vineyard Cuvée Natalie 2006 - Sonoma Coast

2010-03-14T01:13:00.000+02:00

I don’t drink much domestic pinot noir but I taste an awful lot of them and I actually like a lot of what’s coming out of Mendocino, the ”true” Sonoma Coast, Santa Rita Hills and Oregon . After I tasted this wine, I was curious to read what Robert Parker had written about it. I wasn’t expecting to be surprised (I wasn’t) but as much as I disagree with his taste on pretty much everything, I need to spot check these wines every once in a while. Here’s his review: ”The 2006 Silver Belt Cuvée Natalie Pinot Noir from a Sonoma Coast vineyard appears to be top-notch. It exhibits rich, medium to full-bodied flavors of forest floor, black cherry, raspberry, licorice, and earth.” RP 94-96 Forest floor and earth? I know those are descriptors that you want to write when talking about pinot noir but the wine should actually display those qualities if you’re going to say that it does. He must have an amazing palate if he can discern those notes through the alcoholic, oaky nose. All I got was spicy oak, heat and a flabby, short and hollow glass of wine. I have no ideas what this wine costs but Kistler is never cheap.

[Via http://stevegoldun.wordpress.com]

Gaga Loves Synergy, News Station for Sale on eBay

Peach Wine, Maple Syrup and Tundra Swans

2010-03-13T13:32:00.000+02:00

Its a geat time of the year to live on Concession 13. Tundra Swans returned on Wednesday (March 11) and can be seen just west of Townsend. The Chambers have opened their pancake house and are serving their wonderful maple syrup with pancake breakfasts (8:00-2:30 weekends). The winery is open 10:00-6:00 at 1449 Con 13 (519-443-8787) . We have 2 fruit wines, 3 whites and 2 reds available to sample. http://www.villanovaestatewinery.ca

Phil Ryan, Villa Nova Estate Winery

[Via http://villanovaestatewinery.wordpress.com]

News is presented between 2:03 and 2:09 p.m. Eastern | Firedoglake

BFF weekend

2010-03-13T07:49:00.000+02:00

Images via Spencer

One of my best friends is flying into Portland tomorrow and I’m so excited! We haven’t seen each other for almost 4 years, but I know that as soon as we sit down together and start chatting it will be like no time has passed at all.

I love that. That simple, authentic connection that knows no time line. It’s rare and so precious.

We have a number of VERY important things to do while she’s here:

1. sushi

2. mani pedi’s

3. talk all night

4. drink far too much wine

5. repeat number 4

Since our house is on the market and is too tiny for guests we rented a super hip retro house from VRBO for the weekend. Check it out here. Can’t wait!

My cold is still here but I’m determined to rally!

Hope you have a fun filled weekend!

xo,

Ivy

[Via http://graceandivy.wordpress.com]

Good News From Mississippi - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

Messin' with Texas

2010-03-13T01:17:00.000+02:00

Ahh, Texas wines. Produced in the nation’s second largest state and fifth largest in wine production, Texas wines are some of the finest around made using the best grapes availa… Well, kinda.

Now, I know that the prices of our wines are quite good, and most of them are under $10, but a greater-than-what-I-would-like-to-know amount of the juice in those wines isn’t even from Texas at all. If I can get a wine from California for under $10, why is my $10 merlot from a Texas producer not Texas juice? Yeah, I know that a lot of people import grapes from other areas of their state, but to import grapes from other states or other countries is kinda phoning it in. How can you make Texas wine without using Texas grapes? They should just put those wines in the junk, er… bulk wine section. (*throwing arms back, raising eyebrows* ) – Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just would like the Texas wine section at your local wine department of choice to carry true Texas wines. I will give Texas winemakers some leeway though…

We have one of the most difficult growing regions in the northern hemisphere. Texas grape growers have to put up with very hot summers, potentially very cold winters, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, high winds, and hail. Most climates only have a one or a few of these challenges to deal with. Why then do growers and wine makers try to produce wines from grapes that aren’t hearty enough to survive our rough climate? We need to be planting grapes with thicker skins and the ability to hold up to a very hot growing season (primarily). Syrah, Grenache, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, all do well in the Texas hill country and high plains, but they’re a smaller percentage of what is available from Texas. If you want some better Texas wines stick with wines that are from the grapes previously mentioned, or mention the use of Spanish or Rhone or even some Italian varietals.

Probably the other biggest challenge for Texas winemakers is the market. Texas is able to get a lot of fantastic, highly allocated wines of the world. Naturally, these wines can be quite expensive, and still hard to find. As awesome as they are, most people prefer a smooth, fruity, and sweet to off dry finish to their everyday wine. The demand for Texas wines to appeal to the majority of Texans is only natural. Fine, go ahead and make the stuff. Making wine for the masses is a sound business practice. The Robert Mondavi winery makes wine in the entire spectrum of quality and prices. Surely they make the most money from their lower end wines allowing them to make their good stuff and keep the price (mostly) reasonable. Folie a Deaux does the same, making Menage a Trois, enabling them to make 90 point wines at a decent price. But they use locally grown grapes, from their own state. It’s do-able, so why can’t we do it, too? If you’re gonna make the cheap stuff and call it Texas wine, at least use Texas Juice – and then make some good wine for the rest of us!

photo is from Dallasnews.com

If more people read this, it would make more sense for me to say this, but I am challenging our wineries to make wines that are truly from Texas and to be made with grapes that will thrive in this state. That’s it!

Y’all come back now, ya hear!

~ the Hungry Wino

Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word.

~ John Steinbeck

[Via http://hungrywino.wordpress.com]

Molyneux: Natal is bigger step than Move News | Xbox 360 | Eurogamer

A Perfect Indulgence into the Best Vintage Ever Served

2010-03-11T07:49:00.000+02:00

View of a Vineyard

I was sipping wine while sitting on a patio overlooking a tranquil beach’s turquoise water, suddenly a thought ponders my mind as I pour another glass of wine. The art of wine making is what my mind is brooding. When i think of wine all I recollect is beautiful vineyards, a walk in a cloud (movie), red red wine (UB40), intensive aroma, wine cellar, mature acidity and accessories like bottle and cork. It is often a notion that winemaking only reflects romanticism, but here the winemaking hard work begins. I put my self for a task to learn all about it, finally after my obsession and continuous questioning my partner decided to make it real. A month back we visited a vineyard owned by his friend’s father in Karnataka. I was shocked to learn that Karnataka, is the second largest wine consuming state in India. The first place falls to Maharashtra.

Grapes for Wine

Red Wine

As we reach our destination, the lush green vegetation of grapes in the vineyards looked like a view from the movies. I was educated a crash course on how location, sun, climate, terrain, soils, vines, rootstocks, irrigation systems and pest management controls plays an important role. Believe you me, it is not an easy task. What was most intriguing was the hand harvesting, this is done to protect the grape’s juice content. Awareness about wine is growing rapidly in India, people are learning the health benefits of Wine. Mr. Sharma told us that famous grape “stomp” helps the wine to achieve its intensive aroma, mature acidity, rounded tannins and the most important a full body.

Then came the part of learning the art of wine tasting, i was enlightened by

White Wine

an expert at the vineyard that once you get going on this perfect indulgence, there’s no end in sight. Look, smell and taste were the three mantras of wine tasting. This learning adventure did created a deepen admiration for both wines and winemakers. Mr. Sharma informed me that cabernet sauvignon; one of the finest wines in India comes fro the home of Grover Vineyards. He further stated, the majority of the index consisted of French wine making traditions of Bordeaux. Finally i asked him the question that was dwelling my mind, what are the points one needs to remember when visiting a wine merchant? To this he graciously advised the rules first being the preference of taste and second pairing wine (red or white) with meal.

Cheers to Independence

Drinking wine has become more womencentric these days in India, as women have achieved to attain an individual mark in the society. Professional women in high paying jobs, needs a tonic that helps them relax, unwind and get rid of distress. The young entrepreneur women of this era have developed a suave taste and know how to enjoy it. India has a great future in wine as, one of the leading fruit processing company called Shimla Hills may venture into wine selling.

[Via http://shimlahills.wordpress.com]

Augment your SXSW reality (News: first indoor AR app released)

Call back later.

2010-03-11T01:04:00.000+02:00

In spite of the busy weekend I did manage to finish the 5th True Blood book late Monday night.

Book 11: Dead As a Doornail – Charlaine Harris – done!

The story was a bit slow to start and not as exciting as the first four books, but it still managed to be interesting and I was biting my nails through the last 60 pages or so. There were some exciting developments in the love triangle, but I won’t talk about them. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for those who haven’t read the books. More and more often I wish I could shut out the world and immerse myself in True Blood. How nice it would be to be left alone with my books, Soph and a cup of coffee (or a bottle of wine). I wouldn’t resurface for weeks.

Speaking of wine…

Julia and I watched Lost with a bottle of Redwood Creek 2007 Chardonnay last night. The wine was light and fruity, but until I read the label I couldn’t connect the sweetness with the fruit! Apple! How strange and delicious! More please…

[Via http://thefortysecondbottle.wordpress.com]

Pat Kiernan's Canadian Pee News - Pat Kiernan - Gawker

Monday...all the grand events at Barbera Meeting 2010

2010-03-09T13:57:00.000+02:00

Monday was an eventful day…and now I will relate to you what happened after Monday morning’s wine tasting.

The group of buyers, winebloggers and journalists traveled via bus to visit three vineyards who produce Barbera d’Asti wine. These were, Marchesi Alfieri, Tenuto Il Falchetto, and Tenuta La Pergola—all were wonderful hosts offering their wines for tasting, accompanied by delicious assortments of locally produced breads, salamis and cheeses.

Villa Basinetto, just on the outskirts of Asti city, was the venue for an elegant wine tasting event and a grand dinner where the producers, buyers, journalists and winebloggers came together at the end of a long wine tasting day. The producers who displayed their wine offerings in the evening event, were the same producers who offered the wines we tasted in the morning session in Asti. Exciting for me is to know who is producing what. Here we see the face of the producer behind the bottle so to speak—up close and personal. I had the opportunity to taste the best Barbera d’Asti wines, of all constitutions and character, and to discuss at length with the producers themselves the intimate nature and technicalities of their wines. Of course, the technicalities of marketing were discussed as well. I met so many winemakers—these are relationships to cultivate and cherish. Since I live in Piedmont, I consider myself as one of the lucky ones partaking in the journalist, buyer group—it makes it that much more personal.

Several winemakers caught my attention. Especially worthy of note are both the Barbera d’Asti Monferrato and Barbera d’Asti Superiore from Tenuta I Quaranta, owned by Annalisa Battuello.

Another favorite are the Barbera d’Asti Superiore offerings from Castello di Razanno. The most exciting Ruchè I ever drank is definitely from Franco Cavallero’s Cantine Sant’Agata. And, Guido Damilano’s Barolo wine is the most soul warming. But there are tons more wine to taste and enjoy and I definitely have more favorites.

The grand dinner event, yes, that is the way to paint the picture. I was so impressed by the Piedmontese hospitality and the food served. We all sat at large round tables where we had active dialogue with each other. I dined with two wine producers Dogliotti of Castagnole Lanze (AT) and

Mr. Carlo Sacchetto of Bric Cenciurio and journalist Ivo Kozarcanin of Croatia. Our dinner table had the richest and most interesting conversations of everything that had to do with wine, truffles, Piedmontese food, and much more.

I love the way the Piedmontese present their food, as I have much experience at this. In Piedmont thye aim to present nouvelle cusisine, but with a definite Piedmontese nature: the ingredients consist of food elements things typical to the region. Our four course dinner began with an appetizer consisting of a beautiful plate of mille feuille of beef tongue and foie gras together with small cubes of porto gelatin. This was followed by a delicious potatoe, borlotti bean and maltagliati pasta soup. I noticed around the room that many people were craving second servings of the soup—it was very stomach warming. Absolutely exquisite was the main dish which followed: old vintage Barbera d’Asti stewed beef with polenta (cornmeal porridge). This meat dish was out of this world. I have always been a fan of Piedmontese stewed meat, but this was sooo delicious the way it was cooked in the sauce containing Barbera d’Asti wine. In Piedmont there exist many recipes where various meats are stewed for long periods, using different types of wine. And, finally, our dessert was a pasticcio of hazelnut sweets—these were special hazelnuts however—coming from the Langhe region. Hazelnuts are king in Piedmont as far as nuts go, and usually everytime I eat a dessert in a Piedmontese restaurant, hazelnuts are always present. Then of course as we waited between servings wea ll entertained ourselves by conversing and drinking an assortment of Piedmontese wines form Moscato to Dolcetto to Barolo, etc. etc.

The evening is one I will always remember and again I thank our hosts and hostesses for this wonderful dinner event.

[Via http://weinblattksf.wordpress.com]

xNews v1.67 BETA - News Module goes Clonable - Modules - XOOPS ...

Family

2010-03-09T01:46:00.000+02:00

I saw my sister today. I forgot to take a pic, which would have been perfect but I forgot so, I had to dig into some saved photos.

She has a cute back side? But I’m really starting to notice a trend …

Is that another wine glass?

But she sure is talented!

And pretty!

So, I talked to her about designing my blog. She’s a talented little Yorkie loving graphic designer and of course she said she would. I’M SOOOO EXCITED! She even said that her and her hubby (I think she calls him “honey bunny”) are …

Aren't they cute!

…talking about having kids in the near future. I simply can’t wait!!

[Via http://lifeafter35.wordpress.com]

Cromartie Contract News - Gang Green Nation

Wine Social Follow Up

2010-03-07T19:37:00.000+02:00

We want to extend our thanks to all of you who attended our Lodi Wine 101 Social last night at Rulis’. We had a great time, and the wines were great! As an early reminder, we will be hosting the Grand Debut of the Wine & Beer Shop opening this Thursday evening at Rulis’ (318 N. Mesa, El Paso, TX) starting at 5pm. We will have live music by West Side Bohemians starting at 7pm. Please come out, and enjoy the music, as well as great food and wine!

Cheers!!!

Zak & Olena

[Via http://creativejuicesllc.wordpress.com]

EXCLUSIVE: Conan O'Brien's First Twitter Friend Sarah Killen ...

Black Swan Chardonnay 2008

2010-03-07T13:42:00.000+02:00

I decided to go “down under” for some Chardonnay. Or rather, I just bought some that had been brought from down under to my local market. Not as exciting that way, but much more convenient. In the past, I have enjoyed Australian Chardonnays for their big bold flavors. And Black Swan?

Vineyard:     Black Swan

Wine:           Chardonnay

Vintage:       2008

Appellation: South Eastern Australia

Price:          $6.99

Notes:         Lots of citrus on the nose. Flavors were citrus, citrus, and more citrus with a hint of pineapple in the mid palate. Some toasty oak notes and light nutmeg on the finish. Although it didn’t have some of the bigger tropical fruit flavors I have come to anticipate in an Australian Chardonnay, I thought this wine was OK.  After all, sometimes those big tropical flavors I mentioned can be unwieldy and attack the palate rather than excite it.

Important: I am not a professional sommelier or wine connoissuer. I have taste buds, however, and know what I like. Please do not consider my thoughts to be an endorsement or diminution of any particular wine. You should always judge for yourself as likes, dislikes, and taste are very subjective.

[Via http://joepeckblogarhythms.wordpress.com]

Suda 51 planning movie adaptation News | Eurogamer

Map of Sonoma Wineries: Updated

2010-03-07T01:13:00.000+02:00

I have updated the map of the wineries in the Sonoma Valley and surrounding area. If you click on the label “view larger” it will take you to the map page. Here you will see a larder list of the wineries, pins marking the spot of the wineries, and if you click on a bubble (pin) you will see various data about the winery.

Here is a link to the map:

Link to Map of Sonoma Wineries

[Via http://sonomawineries.wordpress.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Good news: Pop stars now posing in ...

Happy Hour at Johnny Foley’s Irish House

2010-03-06T19:22:00.000+02:00

To round out our layover in San Francisco, the Husband and I wanted to get a local San Fran beer in the city before heading back to the airport. Back in downtown, we plugged in “beer” into google maps and found Johnny Foley’s as a spot not too far away from the BART station.

Once we entered, we went through the door that said “bar” (I think the other was for the restaurant) and were greeted with a host stand advising that we would be seated by the host. He asked us if we’d be having dinner. Since we were only having us a drink, he seated us at a “bar.” However, this bar was merely a shelf, near the bathrooms, with three stools in front of it. Hmm.

We took a look at the beer and wine menu and were disappointed to see that they had only one local beer – Anchor Steam. The others were the more traditional Irish brews or American beers (which makes sense for an Irish bar, but with a great beer selection in San Fran, we were hoping for more diversity). The Husband decided to go with the one beer (even though he’s had it before – he was hoping to try something new). None of the beers were speaking to me, so I decided to order a California wine. I went with the BV Century Cellars. (Looking at the online menu, I’m so disappointed the menu in person didn’t match! I would have gone with one of my fav Chardonnays – Toasted Head).

Blah! This wine was not my cup of tea! I rarely dislike wines I try, but this one had a watery first taste, and then an aftertaste I didn’t enjoy (I couldn’t pinpoint the flavors). I ended up barely drinking half before we left

Overall, we were unimpressed with our experience at this bar. If there were happy hour specials, we didn’t know. Our waitress barely gave us the time of day, since she “knew” from the beginning that we’d only be having drinks. Who’s to say we didn’t plan on having multiple drinks? That could have easily added up to the cost of a dinner. But we weren’t given the chance.

The only positive of our experience was the decor. Lots of things for me to play with the DSLR on. Particularly in our corner (where lighting was poorer), I got to play with more settings attempting to make better photos (definitely not great photos). So, if anything, check out this pub for its decor.

One last tidbit to add to our mood, although not the bar’s fault, is a “fee” added to our bill. A 4% service fee for a “healthy San Francisco?” Really?

I think this photo of the Husband explains our feelings.

Okay, that’s all from San Francisco. Follow us as we explore Australia!

[Via http://hungrywanderers.wordpress.com]

New Super colorful Casio G-Shock Watch has a Man in the Box ...

Are You Deficient?

2010-03-04T13:56:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I left work early to head to a doctor’s appointment.

This was my follow-up from my last appointment where I gave blood for a nutritional panel.

My doctor is a Medical Doctor but she tends to lean towards a Holistic approach to medicine-believing that many “aliments” can be caused and therefore treated by deficiencies in your blood specifically vitamin and nutrient deficiencies.

I found out that I am deficient in:

magnesium

selenium

zinc

vitamin D

Here is my course of treatment for now:

She also recommended some other things like:

eat a bit of protein as soon as you wake up to “break the fast” and then have coffee

DRINK MORE WATER-so hard when you are a teacher and can only use the bathroom at certain times!

cut back on the refined carbs-duh-I know…..easier said than done

I am a work in progress…… : )

Then I came home to this face:

And had a gorgeous salad beast with my husband.

The star of the show:

Not as good as the last egg white salad. Probably would not buy this one again.

Good glass of vino:

Watched an episode of Dexter.

Walked Pepsi.

And hit the hay.

Hope you had a great Hump Day!

Do you ever wonder if you are taking vitamins that you do not even need?

[Via http://fitandfortysomething.com]

Quote of the Day: Fox News | Mother Jones

Titties and Beer

2010-03-04T07:25:00.000+02:00

I’m a huge fan of wasting time and acting like a total jerk, so I figured that title was fitting since this entire post will document parts of my life.

I recently had a horrible incident with my laptop (not to be confused with a horrible indecency with my laptop, much to my spellchecks chagrin) wherein the entire thing was destroyed. I was sitting there minding my own business when a friend of mine felt the need to pour two full glasses of wine on it. That’s probably a simplification of what happened but if you’ve ever lost a year of pictures and data you’ll understand.

Luckily babydaddy is feeling pretty good lately and sent me his old netbook so I can use my teeny tiny fingers to type on the teeny tiny keyboard and do things like check my faceyspacies and rant about stuff. His exact words were:

“It’s good for checking e-mail and surfing the web, and for girls who feel the need to hydrate their computers.”

I figure that’s probably the least he could do based on the fact that my belly-button ring hole is destroyed from bearing his child. Had he sent me a scalpel, some hydrogen peroxide and a disposal camera with a note that said “take care of that belly button monstrosity and send me the pics” I would have been just as grateful, but this is more useful to me.

One thing I’ve noticed about this computer is that the backspace button is fixed if you don’t hit it twice. This might actually be better for me since I tend to type things like “I fucked your Mom in the asshole with an eggbeater.” When what I really meant to say was “I fucked your Mom.” So the out of control backspacer takes care of all the useless words I didn’t really need. Turns out he may be more in tune with my needs than I ever imagined.

The emerging face of sarcasm

[Via http://sdoodle.wordpress.com]

News Ticker: Bonnaroo, Roots Picnic, T-Bone Wolk, Rock Auction ...

Cooking with stuff around the house: Spiced Rum

2010-03-04T01:42:00.000+02:00

So, I just finished my last glass of wine. I should never go into a night with only one glass left in the bottle. I always think “oh, one glass.. that’s all I need,” and then I’m always severely disappointed when I finish it.

So, I raided the liquor cabinet (the top of the fridge) and decided that I need to find a way to use this almost-full bottle of Captain Morgan (not our favorite) that we’ve had since Christmas.

What goes with spiced rum? The only things I like with spiced rum are Bananas Foster and Hot Buttered Rum.

And then it occurred to me – vanilla ice cream! People commonly use vanilla ice cream when they make hot buttered rum (I never have, but I’ve read up on it). So, I thought, why not try an ice cream n’ rum ‘tini?

2 scoops of Breyer’s Natural Vanilla and about 3 shots of rum in a shaker… not a bad combination. Next time I will shake it with ice to help break down the ice cream chunks. I was thinking that I didn’t need them since the ice cream was already cold, but they would have helped churn it together better. It’s kind of strong. Maybe next time I will go a little lighter on the booze.

What should I name it? (I hope it doesn’t already exist)

[Via http://eatinggrandrapids.com]

Valve teases forthcoming announcement News | Eurogamer

A Night of Indulgence

2010-03-02T13:00:00.000+02:00

An evening of food and wine is always a good idea! And when it’s one with really incredible wines that most of us aren’t drinking every day, shared with new friends over food that has been carefully prepared and presented it’s a night to remember!

I recently experienced such a night. Tasting and Dining London is a relatively new social group with a focus on decadent indulgence into all that is gourmet. They arrange dinners and a variety of fun events which are a fantastic way of meeting new people in the comfort and safety of a fabulously crafted evening.

Guillaume Raffy and Jibrane Dahha are the gastronomic geniuses behind the group which developed from the shared passion of two friends for everything involving inspired food, the best wine and the cultivation of camaraderie.

The night I joined them, we tasted (and drank!) over 10 different wines – from sparkling to dry to sweet! Check out the photos of all the bottles on my Wine Passionista page on Facebook. The venue was a spacious loft near London Bridge, the Chef was from a renowned gastropub in Chiswick and the wines were a fine and varied array of interesting choices, including a 1999 Chateau Brane-Cantenac from Margaux and a magnum of Sarget de Gruaud-Larose 1997.

I highly recommend you join them for an upcoming event soon! Check them out on Facebook and see what they’ve got on the calendar this month.

P.S. For those of you outside of London, have you been to similar epicurious evenings in your area? What has been your experience? I look forward to hearing all about it!

There’s always time for wine!

Tara – Wine Passionista

[Via http://winepassionista.com]

Game on. Halter vs. Lincoln | Arkansas News

Beer and Wine

2010-03-02T07:03:00.000+02:00

I like wine. Good red wines in particular. I developed the taste at an early age, encouraged by my parents and many of my friends are also wine drinkers. It is a matter for respect among my peers to know a good wine and over time I have refined my taste so that I can appreciate different varieties and speak intelligently about them. It is not just for show, I take genuine pleasure in discerning the various flavours that make a fine wine. I’m not one for drinking heavily, drunkeness only hampers discernment, and anyway good wine is too expensive to waste getting plastered.

You, on the other hand, like a beer. And not one of your prissy “boutique” beers but a good old fashioned ale, served cold in a can. Among your friends it is a matter of pride to be able to drink large quantities. Ah, the stories you can tell about nights out drinking with your mates.

Recently one or two of the pubs in your area have been transformed into up-market wine bars, and you’re rather nervous your own local will go the same way, losing its friendly charm and filling up with snobbish wine-fanciers like me. I, on the other hand, know that such places are few and far-between and resent the fact that most drinking-houses are full of coarse drunkards like you.

Can’t we all just get along?

Okay, so it’s a metaphor. Wine and beer could be replaced by any ‘high’ and ‘low’ arts: classical and pop music, literature and mass-market fiction, art house and hollwood films. Or in our case: “art games” and “commercial games”.

High art is generally characterised by being ‘difficult’ where low art is ‘easy’ in cerebral terms. High art often requires a level of indoctrination to be appreciated where low art has more popular appeal. Generally this means that there is a class divide between the audiences, which results in high art being regarded as “elitist” and low art as “popular trash”.

The kinds of art we like are reinforced by the company we keep. We like people who share our interests and in turn we adapt our interests to encourage them to like us. These social groups are self-reinforcing and exclusionary. We disparage people who are not in our clique, because they don’t like the things we do. And they dislike us because we dislike them.

Exacerbating this division is the fear that other cliques threaten our pleasures. High art is generally prefered by wealthy minorities, low art by less wealthy majorities. The majority fear the minority because they are powerful. The minority fear the majority because they outnumber them. And as we have seen in many, many different online conversations, the dispute can get quite vitriolic at times.

In truth I suspect there is little to be afraid of. Commercial “just for fun” games will go on being made because they have mass appeal. A niche community of artists will continue to make experimental “art games” that try to create something else, as artists have always done since time immemorial, because artists are the kind of people who are driven to create regardless of acceptance or criticism. Neither group has any real right to say what the other should or shouldn’t be doing.

Let us say “I would like…” rather than “You should…” and perhaps we can all get a long a little bit better.

And I’ll drink to that.

[Via http://wordsonplay.wordpress.com]

Braid maker shows The Witness News | Xbox 360 | Eurogamer

WBC or Bust!

2010-03-02T01:43:00.000+02:00

I’m always up for a challenge, and wineCHATr.com is putting it out there: 12 citizen wine writers are being given the opportunity to catch a free ride across Washington to attend the Wine Bloggers Conference.

I will now be writing about Washington wine for the next month plus to try to win my behind a seat on that bus! I’ve been crazy about Washington wines for quite some time now and for many reasons: good quality, great value, wide range of varietals and numerous subregions. So I will be sharing my enthusiasm with all of you about this great state for wine. We’ll run through the regions, producers, history and my favorite wines. So sit back, put your reading glasses on, pop open a bottle and get ready to learn about Washington!

[Via http://windycitywineguy.com]

Activision shuts down The Silver Lining News | PC | Eurogamer

Lamp light on a Sunday.

2010-02-27T19:57:00.000+02:00

Every city has secrets. Steam punk lamp shops, rooftop Christmas parties jammed inside alleyways, fortunes, coins, spa coupons, lonely soul mates sipping wine in shop windows, street-side graveyards… it’s just a matter of looking. Or, in some cases, not looking at all.

[Via http://tchaikovskydarling.wordpress.com]

Facebook Gets Patent for News Feed, Potentially Hosing Twitter ...

Wine in moderation: drinking well?

2010-02-27T13:46:00.000+02:00

I find myself in an unusual situation as a doctor working in public health by day, and a nascent wine blogger by night. A large proportion of my work recently has been around alcohol policy – a conflict of interest perhaps?

Public health is a broad church, and reducing alcohol consumption forms only part of the work we do, and yet there are times when I feel simply unable to speak about my interest in wine. I’ve heard the ‘battle’ to reduce alcohol consumption likened to the campaign to ban smoking in public places more than once. Wine has been part of European culture for centuries, yet of late it seems to be increasingly unacceptable in some quarters. In particular, it strikes me that the ‘middle income wine drinker’ has become the scapegoat for this movement.

Whilst on the surface there are similarities between alcohol and smoking, and I’ve certainly seen first hand the devastating health effects of excess alcohol in patients, this demonization of all wine consumption (and wine drinkers) worries me. There are undoubtedly health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, but I’m not going to try to advocate those through rose-tinted spectacles. The true effects of alcohol, and the causes behind alcohol abuse, are broad ranging and complex. Surely though, there’s a place for promoting drinking well – and that’s partly the aim of this blog?

The Wine in Moderation Programme is an initiative of the European wine sector aimed at ‘promoting moderation and responsibility in wine consumption and contributing towards preventing excessive consumption and misuse of alcoholic beverages in Europe.’ Whilst you might argue that the wine industry has a fairly major conflict of interest in trying to discourage the abuse of alcohol, on the other hand it’s refreshing to see this stance.

Here’s to drinking well.

[Via http://carpevinum.wordpress.com]

Google News Tries Sharing With Facebook, But Where's The Buzz Button?

An Austrian Adventure in Alphabet City

2010-02-27T01:37:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the evening with Nika for a lovely dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in the LES, a snowy stroll through Alphabet city, Tarot cards, astrology, and of course some fabulously funky wine. After such a marvelous evening how could I not make a post?

We began the evening here, at Cafe Katja in the Lower East Side, just a couple doors down from the Tenement Museum. It’s a tiny family owned restaurant and bar, serving authentic Austrian food at very reasonable prices. The atmosphere is trendy, but not pretentious, sporting exposed brick walls, mirrors, candles, and a glass facade; perfect for dates, or just a night out with friends. The food is unique and absolutely delicious. I have yet to have something there that I didn’t like, whether it be their marinated herring salad, homemade pretzels(which I had before I was gluten free), cheese plates, root vegetable dishes, rich and refreshing spatzle, or any variety of their Austrian sausages. Last night I had hickory smoked salmon with mashed potatoes and spinach, while Nika braved blood sausage with a sauce and herbed side dish(we’re still not quite sure what it was, but it was good!). For two large entrees, a cozy dinner out, with tip, only set us back $36. If you’re ever taking a journey down to the LES, you absolutely MUST go.

Cafe Katja is located at 79 Orchard St. It’s a block down from the Tenement Museum, south of Delancy, between Broome and Grand.

Learning the Tarot by Joan Bunning, image courtesy of barnesandnoble.com

After a small stroll north in the snow, and picking up some fabulous Bitch wine on Ave C(the store was fabulous but I didn’t snag a card, an update will come later), Nika and I were finally able to sit down for some serious Tarot card work. We’ve both been reading for a while, but still have so much to study. It was also a new experience for me to have somebody else do my reading, as well as reading for her with her deck. If you’ve ever been interested in getting started with Tarot, pick up a Rider Waite Tarot deck(this is the standard ) and a copy of Joan Bunning’s book, Learning the Tarot. Most major bookstores should have it, and it is an absolute must have for any and all beginners.

For more ideas on yummy places to eat, or of course tarot advice, check the Bites section, or send me an email: eastblocktalk@gmail.com

[Via http://eastblocktalk.wordpress.com]

Listen to the bearers of bad news | The Undercover Economist | FT.com

Big Night

2010-02-25T13:52:00.000+02:00

Last night after I finished babysitting, Alex and I headed out to Happy Hour. We always have a great time socializing with our normal Wednesday gang. We talked about Olympics, crazy Hunter stories, car recalls, Alex’s job — among many other things. I brought my camera to snap some shots.

Something's funny

Me and Alex

After we got home, Alex finished packing for his trip. We hung out with Hunter and of course watched some Olympics.

Making a mess of our bedroom

What'cha doing?

Remember how I told you that Maryland was sold out of Wiis. Yesterday when I got home I had a surprise waiting for me. Alex found one! He didn’t even tell me he was getting it. It’s an early birthday present for me — and I couldn’t be happier. I didn’t even notice the stealth white box that was propped up next to the TV. After about 10 minutes Alex had to say, “Why don’t you turn the TV on?” So I went over and as soon as I saw it sitting there I screamed! When Alex finished packing we played some Wii sports. Surprisingly I was really good! I beat Alex in bowling by 30 points!! We made our characters and we had some serious fun. Next all I need is the actual WiiFit game and I’ll be all set. Now if only I could find an extra $100 laying around.

This morning we woke up early to spend some time together before Alex had to leave. We were planning to have sausage and biscuits, but since we’re both trying to be healthier (especially after last night’s nachos) we settled on a banana smoothie and an english muffin. It was yummy! Hunter licked our glasses clean once we were finished. He loves bananas, as you could see from yesterday’s picture.

Today I’m going to work out (even though my legs are burning from yesterday’s Valslide exercises!) I’m going to continue my job search and babysit this afternoon. I’ll probably spend a lot of time reading since Alex left. And I’ll spend some time perfecting my Wii and Playstation skills.

More from me later — Have a great day!

[Via http://lifewithacrazypup.wordpress.com]

Apple posts third new iPhone TV spot | iLounge News

Where Was I? Oh Right... FOOD!!!

2010-02-25T07:32:00.000+02:00

My first creative passion was music, the practice of taking a bunch of random noises and mushing them together to make something not just recognizable but emotionally resonant. It felt really good, and my guitar and I had a decent run. The tragedy of music is that you can’t eat it. Or, to put it another way, unless you are very very good–like Mark Knopfler good–people do not sit around the dinner table waiting for your tunes to spill into their bowls.

My Martin may sit on its stand collecting dust, but the All-Clads I got as a wedding gift, shit, they get a workout every day.

It’s been a few weeks since I put anything up on this blog, but as that self-indulgent preamble hopefully indicated, it’s not because I haven’t been cooking. I did individual puff pastry mushroom pies fortified with a reduced leftover goose stock, pulled together a mighty fine crab bisque, whipped up perfect diced potato home fries by taking the advice of America’s Test Kitchen (cut evenly, toss with oil, microwave for 5-10 minutes and then fry in a hot pan with butter), and speaking of whipping, made mayonnaise not once but three times. In one week.

During that time I also read Michael Ruhlman’s The Making of a Chef and acquired both the CIA’s Professional Chef (8th Edition) textbook and On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, all three titles combining to get me as close to the inside of a Culinary Institute of America classroom as I will ever be–except for those classrooms that just happen to double as tasty–and highly entertaining–restaurants.

Speaking of restaurants, I did a lot of eating out, and spent a day tasting wine in Woodinville. This site is decidedly not about other people’s creations–as superior to my own as they generally are–but I will note that the wine tasting visit with our friends Julie and Addison (a sommelier who appears in these pages here and there) turned up some fascinating bottles: Efesté, a Cab-Syrah blend called Final-Final; at Mark Ryan, a Cab-Merlot called Water Witch and the white Dissident, which is I believe Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc; at Gorman, the Pixie Syrah and the Big Sissy Chardonnay; and even at Chateau Ste. Michelle, a surprising Cinsault.

When it comes to cooking, the most important thing that I embarked on was a joint cooking venture with my friend Noah, culminating in what will heretofore be known as The Feast of February 13th. We are both cooking nerds, but Noah is such a cooking Poindexter that I at times feel (depressingly) like a dumb jock next to him. Nevertheless, he was kind enough to let me share marquee billing as we masterminded, procured and boiled up a six-course Italy-weighted Continental dinner that tasted and looked restaurant good. Of course, we had a full day and only four mouths to feed (including our own), and there was ample wine from Noah’s cellar to shine bright rays of optimism on any near fuck-ups. But I think it was smashing, and I’m going to prove it to you. The next post I put up will be food porn and liner notes to the Feast of February 13th. Make sure you have something to munch on because I realize that salad and dungeness crab pics might not make you hungry, but everything you see coming up will. Here’s a teaser:

By the by, I know you’ve been sorta thinking about that mushroom puff pastry since I mentioned it up above. Fear not, my fellow mycophiles, it will be the subject of a story all by itself very soon.

[Via http://youmakeityoueatit.wordpress.com]

Education News - Winds of Change.NET

French Onion Soup

2010-02-25T01:51:00.000+02:00

Soups in general are very comforting, but I would argue that there isn’t a soup in the world more comforting than french onion soup (though tomato gives it a good run for its money!). I mean, this soup comes with toasted bread and melted cheese as a part of the package! Not to mention, it is both sweet and savory, and it makes great leftovers. In the past, I always tried to save the cheese and make it so that I can have a little bit in each bite. But when I’m making my own, I can put however much cheese I want on top, so I don’t have to be so stingy! Hooray!

French onion soup always reminds me of this restaurant near Nonnie and Grandpa’s house in Sarasota called Manhattan Bar and Grill. I don’t even know if it is still in business, but it seriously had the most amazing soup. Dan and I would insist on going every time we visited. And since we are spoiled brats, they always obliged.

When you are picking out your onions for this soup, go ahead and get a couple of different kinds. Much like apple pie, this is best when you have a variety of tastes coming from the onions. I used half yellow onions and half Vidalia onions (I think), which ended up working well.

French Onion Soup (adapted from Tyler Florence):

1/2 cup unsalted butter

6 onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 quarts beef broth

1 baguette, sliced

1/2 pound sliced Provolone cheese

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn’t burn, and cook for 5 or so minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for at least 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Toast the baguette slices in the oven on a large baking sheet (you might as well use the broiler since you will be using it again in a minute anyway). Just spread the slices out in one layer and toast for just a few minutes. Keep an eye on it because they will burn quickly..

Ladle the soup into heat-safe bowls and float several of the croutons on top, and then top with the slices of cheese. Put under the broiler until bubbling and brown. Be careful while handling the bowls and wait for a few minutes before eating because it will be hot!

[Via http://lifeandkitchen.com]

Sigma planning interchangeable lens compact: Digital Photography ...

Night Off

2010-02-23T19:42:00.000+02:00

It may be just past 8:30, but I’ve already got visions of sugar plumbs dancing in my head.

Today was exhausting- of the “I love my job, my whole body hurts from laughing and smiling all day” variety. I was having so much fun at one point that I was kicked out of my own classroom for disturbing the other groups. (Don’t worry, the special education coordinator and my teaching assistant were the ones who gave me the boot.)

I can’t wait to climb into bed with a hot cup of tea! Reading will certainly follow before my eyelids become too heavy.

So, before I take the night off, I want to share (most of) my eats from the day.

Coffee with frothy milk and cinnamon.

Pumpkin oats with pecans.

Lunch was leftover couscous from last night. No photo.

After school snack of bread, cheese, and red wine.

Veggie loaded baked noodles with tofu.

That will do it for me today! Early to bed will hopefully = early to rise; I have a morning work out planned!

Question: Are you happy in your current job? What is your dream job?

[Via http://travelingtogether.wordpress.com]

Bad News for Film Fests: B-Side Shuts Down - Cinematical

Shrimp with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

2010-02-23T01:42:00.000+02:00

This is another Chinese dish I cooked the other night. I must say… this is very good with rice. The “black bean garlic sauce” is what gives this dish a great flavor. It has that salty and slightly nutty taste from the black bean sauce. With the green and red bell peppers… onions and ginger… this dish is rich in flavor and taste. Of course… as with any Chinese dishes… you’ve got to enjoy this with rice. This is fairly easy and quick to make.

Here’s what you need to prepare this mouth-watering “Shrimp with Black Bean Garlic Sauce.”

Ingredients:

1 ½ pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimps

3 TBSPs. medium dry sherry, or rice wine, white or red wine

½ tsp. kosher salt

3 TBSPs. cornstarch

In a large mixing bowl… mix the sherry or wine, kosher salt and cornstarch. Stir until salt and cornstarch dissolved. Add the shrimps. Let the shrimps marinate while you make the sauce and chop the vegetables.

Sauce:

1 ½ TBSPs. soy sauce

1 ½ cup chicken stock or water

1 ½ tsps. sugar

2 TBSPs. medium dry sherry or rice wine, white or red wine

1 ½ TBSPs. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In another medium size bowl… mix all the sauce ingredients. Stir until the brown sugar and cornstarch dissolved. Set aside.

Vegetables and other ingredients:

4 garlic cloves – smashed, peeled and chopped

¼ cup sliced ginger

½ large onion – sliced

1 green bell pepper – seeded, membranes removed and diced

1 red bell pepper – seeded, membranes removed and diced

3 TBSPs. ‘black beans garlic sauce’ or fermented black beans – available in Asian Market

2 TBSPs. sesame oil

Using a large wok or deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the marinated shrimps and stir fry until halfway cooked, about 3 minutes. Removed shrimps unto a plate.

Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Sauté the garlic, ginger and onions… until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the “black beans garlic sauce, “the green and red bell peppers. Stir to combine all the vegetables… about one minute. Add the shrimps and stir until vegetables and shrimps are well incorporated… about one minute. Make a well in the middle of the wok, by pushing the shrimp and vegetables to the side.

Stir and pour sauce in the middle of the wok. Quickly boil the sauce by turning the heat to medium high. Stir to combine the sauce, the vegetables and the shrimps. Keep stirring until the vegetables and shrimps are well coated with the sauce. By this time the shrimp should be pink, the bell peppers are bright green and red. The whole mixture should be saucy. Remove wok from the heat.

Serve Shrimp with Black Beans and Garlic Sauce hot over rice. Serves 3 – 4 people.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

[Via http://bisayanqueen.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: New GM CEO to be paid $9 million

Uncommonly Compatible

2010-02-21T19:56:00.000+02:00

Matt and I have been together a long time, and it sometimes amazes me how different we can be in our interests and still be so compatible with each other. He is a stock market junky and loves nothing more than to listen to Jubak and others give their insight on the market. He is a huge Warren Buffet fan and found out about this book…which has now become his new investing “bible”.

Oddly enough, as he was discovering this book, he also stumbled across an article that struck a chord with my area of interest…it being about an artist and having a full time job…that discussed a book that might as well have been written just for me. It’s a quirky book about how to survive in the everday working world as a “legit” artist. Just what I needed. So, I sat down to read it as I listened to JIMMY Buffet in the background .

So, he’s the numbers guy drinking the gin and tonic and I’m the creative one with a glass of Cabernet Sav…maybe it’s the things that we don’t have in common that helps us get along so well. Although I do enjoy a glass of Tangueray and tonic myself.

[Via http://lvphotosonline.wordpress.com]

FOX News Dhimmis Down on FDI CPAC Write Up - Atlas Shrugs

February Wine: 3 bottles!

2010-02-21T13:29:00.000+02:00

We received our February wine early and since we renewed our “wine of the month”, we got a free bottle! I have the pics on my other laptop (and of course I’m too lazy to go transfer it over at this moment) so you’ll have to take my word for it.

The red has to be held (best from 2011 to 2016). It’s a 2008 Trius from the Hillebrand Estates Winery. “A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. This full-bodied wine has soft tannins and balanced acidity and showcases a bouquet of sweet spice, toasty oak, black cherry and plum. This wine leaves flavours of cherry, red berry and currant with a hint of licorice n the palate.” Interesting notes from the winemaker:

We had a dream to create a wine that would set a new benchmark for winemaking in Niagara-on-the-Lake. And in 1989 at Hillebrand Winery, Trius was born.

We selected the best Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes and perfected the art of the blend in a wine simply called ‘Trius Red’. Just two vintages later, Trius Red won the trophy for the best red wine in the world at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London, UK.

We opened the white last night (and enjoyed it with the shrimp cocktail). It’s a 2008 Lepp Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from the Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery. “A nose of yellow apple, hay and watermelon with a touch of fresh cedar. The palate is nice and crisp, medium weight with flavours of white grapefruit and mineral.”

The free bottle is a 2007 Merlot Reserve from Legends Estates Winery. “This Merlot is big and bold! It represents our record-breaking 2007 Vintage perfectly. Aromas of blackberry, cherry and even a hint of chocolate. The taste is rich almost jam-like, with a very long finish.” Sounds yummy!

I’m still learning how to figure out what it is I’m tasting and all the different flavours and notes, etc., but I figure the more I taste, the better I’ll become.

[Via http://valcitygal.wordpress.com]

The Virtual Whirl: News of the Whirl - Massively

FUCK MY LIFE, FOR REALS!

2010-02-21T01:48:00.000+02:00

Ok. I was at a friends house tonight, just chillaxin.. Drank some wine, played a few games… I decided to go home. BIG MISTAKE! I was at the subway station 2 minutes before the train was about to come, but when I got there they announced that it was running late, the entire subway was running late due to some disturbance in the traffic or whatever. I had to wait for my fucking train for 30 minutes…!! 30 minutes!!

When I got to Slussen I managed to get on my bus, or like two buses after the one I originally tried to catch. I fell asleep on the bus and woke up 3 stations away from mine. FUCKTARD! I started walking back, went to the bus stop and looked at the time table. I missed the bus by 30 minutes and the next one wasnt supposed to go until 5 in the morning. I started walking back… Did I mention the snow storm and -14 degrees celsius??

After like 2 minutes THAT FUCKING BUS DRIVES BY and Im on the sidewalk where no one has walked for a really long time (which means Im walking in like half a meter of snow) cursing at myself for not waiting at the bus stop. I then decide to take shortcut through the woods, kinda. ANOTHER BIG MISTAKE! That walk killed me. I almost died. For reals… Or at least I thought I would. That shortcut = a long hill and tooooons of snow, untouched snow. Can you tell it’s not my day??

I managed to get home somehow and now Im so fucking pissed. I have to get up early tomorrow for work. FML!

[Via http://keekdasneak.wordpress.com]

CPAC 2010 Updates: Latest News, Video From Conservative Political ...

The New Wine

2010-02-20T01:38:00.000+02:00

I’ve just discovered my new favorite wine (or only favorite, since I had none prior). Its called Puydeval 2008 Rouge. A great red blend that has a fresh berry taste and is dry though mild. 14% alcohol- I was warm and fuzzy after half a glass, and after a full one I was in another world. The label says it goes especially well with pizza, and they aren’t lying because I made some homemade Greek pizza and it was a match made in Dionysian heaven. Try it.

[Via http://joerockandwriter.wordpress.com]

Blockbuster games are "creatively bankrupt" | News

Chicken Chasseur (Hunter-style Chicken)

2010-02-18T13:33:00.000+02:00

My Chicken Chasseur was supposed to be served for our Valentine’s dinner, however, that did not happen. I did, however, prepare this amazing dish the next evening along with my favorite smashed potato recipe, steamed asparagus and the cute little heart-shaped creme brulees for dessert!

I had been cooking SO much prior to Valentine’s Day because it had been so cold and snowy that I just could not drag myself back into the kitchen. (What else does someone like me do when the weather outside is frightful??) And besides that, we had been eating and drinking and drinking and eating, so it was rather difficult to get motivated once again to get in the kitchen. Some days this girl needs a break!

Instead of terrorizing my kitchen yet again and wearing myself out to the point of total exhaustion, I heated up some Boeuf Bourguignon that was in the freezer and we had creme brulee for dessert on Valentine’s evening. Not too bad, for a last minute Valentine’s Day dinner!

With Boeuf Bourguignon one evening and creme brulee for dessert, followed by Chicken Chasseur, I am beginning feel like I am on a gluttonous French gastronomical tour! Where did my so-called diet go??? I am waiting for temperatures above 40 degrees on a consistent basis and then I will get back to more reasonable cooking. But of course, that reasonable cooking will have to wait until after my dinner party this week. Wait until you see what dishes I am preparing for that! I need to be running laps just thinking about it!

So back to the chicken, Chicken Chasseur is one of my hubby’s favorites that I make. That is why it was intended for Valentine’s Day! I saw Bobby Flay preparing this dish on a Saturday morning several years back. He did a show on French classics (just my kind of stuff!). I, of course, made this dish that evening. It has since become a favorite in our home.

The ingredients are easy enough to find. There are a few steps in preparing the dish, so it is best to have everything chopped and ready to go! You will need a couple of tablespoons of clarified butter to saute the chicken. The recipe also calls for enriched chicken stock. If you do not have your own stock, you can reduce the packaged stuff by half to make enriched stock (I like Swanson’s organic chicken broth when I do not use homemade).

The recipe says to cut the chicken in quarters, however, when I watched this show, the chicken was cut into more pieces (I do not remember how many precisely). We usually cut a chicken into 8 or 10 pieces (10 pieces if the breast is very large). I do serve the chicken on the bone (this recipe says to remove the breast meat from the bone).

The sauce is incredible with the chicken, so be sure to take the time to reduce it properly. Just keep your chicken warm until your sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It does take some time. You then finish it with a knob of butter and some fresh herbs! Voila!

Here is the recipe from Bobby Flay Chicken Chasseur

We served the chicken with a lovely bottle of 1999 Crognolo. Crognolo is a Super Tuscan wine made with the Sangiovese grape. With ten years of aging it struck just the right note. It was phenomenal! This was definitely a bottle that was ready to drink! The cork was fine, but the wine had the potential to not be so good in an other year or two. My hubby took a picture of the cork. Note how far up the cork the wine had penetrated. Had the wine reached the top of the cork, the wine in the bottle would be exposed to air and begin to oxidize. This is just one way a bottle of wine can go bad. On that note, I say, drink up and Bon Appetit!

[Via http://bunkycooks.wordpress.com]

FOX News: Hate Sponsors CAIR Smear, Want CPAC to Cancel our FDI ...

Wine of the day: 2008 Yering Chardonnay

2010-02-18T07:17:00.000+02:00

After a hot day in the tropics nothing is better than a nice glass of white wine. We selected a ‘2008 Yering Station Chardonnay’ from the Yarra Valley. Yering Station is the oldest vineyard in Victoria. The winery is a must visit if you are touring the Yarra Valley. It’s located just outside Yarra Glen.

Only very recently had this wine arrived in our supermarket in Thonglor, Bangkok. It’s moderately priced for Thai conditions (less than 10 EURO or A$ 15) and a very lovely drink.

Wine on the terrace: 2008 Yering Station Chardonnay

Yering Station has still ‘grape growers with contracts’ and our friend Steve Sadlier is one of them. If we want to drink wine from his grapes, Yering Station is the winery to buy it from. Steve produces excellent cool climate fruit in the Yarra Valley.

We were a bit homesick and needed a reminder that Australia can be very near. Cheers folks

[Via http://themanfrommoselriver.wordpress.com]

Threading the "News Analysis" Needle : CJR

Unexpected date night out!

2010-02-18T01:53:00.000+02:00

Hello hello everyone! Hope you are having a wonderful mid-week evening

I’m gonna have to make this quick, because American Idol is on in a hot second… but I just must tell you friends about the fabulous dinner we had tonight!

Plans with The Man’s dental work ended up changing so we decided that is was time for a nice night out so that I could enjoy a delicious meal & some drinks before the big surgery! On a side note: I also came home to a completely clean house & washed dishes, sometimes it’s the little things that just mean the world

We ended up heading back to a place that we’ve been before, just because it was so impressive last time that I just couldn’t imagine going anywhere else tonight.

CAFE CATURRA

The coziness of the fireplace, the delicious simplicity of the food plus a selection of wines that can’t be beat, I am in love with this place

To start things off I ordered two “3 oz. pours” (right Brit ) and was apparently channeling my inner Australian?!

Chardonnay, Hope, Australia
Cabernet/Shiraz/Merlot, Ironberry, Australia

The red was sooooo good, the Chard was good but nothing impressive. Either way, I savored every sip bc it’s going to be a while…

To share we ordered the Caprese Crostini, which was a favorite the last time around and just too good to pass up again!

Rustic baguette drizzle w/ extra virgin olive oil, sea salt & coarse black pepper served with oven roasted tomato, whole milk mozzarella, balsamic glaze & fresh basil.

Perfect, no other words come to mind

To go with we ended up sharing the Cuban Panini w/ side salad (topped w/ dried cranberries & walnuts), more than enough food for 2!

Rustic campagne bread with tender smoked pork layered with thinly shaved ham, aged provolone cheese, sweet pickles & spicy ground mustard, grilled fresh.

I’m gonna go out on a limb here friends and declare this the best sandwich I have ever had. This sandwich was ah-may-zing, I don’t even know how to describe how good it was. Okay twist my arm, here goes: this sammie would be a sole reason I will never be able to not eat meat – how’s that

Whoa blurry, guess this pic was feelin’ the wine too mwuhaha

Alright, and I’m out! I’ll see you lovelies tomorrow for the last day of ‘normal eats’ pre-surgery… hope it’s a good one!

Nighty night

WIN ME! WIN ME! WIN ME!

[Via http://cookinfanatic.wordpress.com]

Ninety-Nine Nights II to get Euro release News | Xbox 360 | Eurogamer

Top Scallop?

2010-02-16T19:53:00.000+02:00

Scallops are one of our favorite foods to eat, but making them at home can be a little tricky. We have made many attempts at cooking them though and I think we got one step closer this time.We picked up some really nice looking scallops at Giant.

We prefer the bigger sea scallops rather than the smaller bay scallops.

They have an almost “meaty” texture. We seasoned these with salt and pepper.

We definitely have not yet mastered the searing technique for scallops! But here we go…

Notice we used the all-clad pan, which is not teflon, and no oil…

We wanted some stickage in order to get the rough seared exterior, but this did not quite work out the way we wanted…

Rest assured, the pan was just fine (after a wine de-glazing) and the scallops still tasted great, they just were not the right texture. We don’t know why we can’t sear scallops! Should we have added oil to the pan? Did we not flip them soon enough? Was the pan too hot? So many questions…

Anyway- as I said, they still tasted really good. I sauteed some spinach and placed this on the plate (er, small bowl) for the base.

Then placed the scallops on top— kinda seared actually!

The sauce we made was a white wine butter sauce with lemon and garlic and red pepper flakes, of course.

We topped it with green onion.

All in all, they came out tasting pretty good. It’s tough to really infuse scallops with much flavor, which is why I like to serve them atop the spinach, which tends to absorb some of the sauce so you can get some really tasty bites!

Recipe for Seared Scallops in White Wine Sauce

[Via http://starvingkitten.com]

Google News Now With Trending Topics

How to Find Great Wine Values

2010-02-16T13:06:00.000+02:00

So you’ve grabbed the cheapest bottle you could find on the shelf, and you’re heading for the checkout. Does this mean you’ve found a great wine value?

No. Finding wine values involves a lot more than that. Of course, picking the most expensive bottle on the shelf doesn’t mean you’ve chosen a quality wine either.

So what does that mean for people like you and I who are just trying to get the best quality for the least amount of money? How can you get the most bang for your buck?

Learn more about great wine values

[Via http://alotofblahblahblah.wordpress.com]

New Windows phones to link with Live News | Mobile | Eurogamer

A Happy (Hour) Week

2010-02-16T00:57:00.000+02:00

Café Chloe's amazing pommes frites are only $4 during happy hour!

I’d thought I’d take this Monday, while I’m sitting at work reading all of my friends’ Tweets and Facebook statuses about how AMAZING this weather is and how AWESOME it is to have the day off, to share my favorite happy hour spots in San Diego. And hopefully I’ll be at one of them tonight.

After the jump, the deets on the deals.

Café Chloe (Mon.-Thurs. 4-6) – East Village: My picks would be the $4 pommes frites with trio of dips (best fries in town), the $5 tarte flambée (I’m a big fan of anything that includes bacon and caramelized onions), and the $5 macaroni and pancetta gratin (I believe I’ve mentioned it before, like here and here).

Wine Steals (Mon.-Fri. 4-7) – Point Loma: So the regular happy hour includes $4 glasses of wine Mon.-Fri. and $2 slices of pizza Mon.-Thurs. BUT my favorite deals are actually Sun./Mon. Sundays they do $10 wine flights of the wines they are trying to get rid of, and man is it a lot of wine! Just make sure you get there before they run out. Mondays they do no corkage fee on bottles bought in their store (normally $5), and $2 pizza slices all night. And I have to say, the pizza at wine steals is the best I’ve had in San Diego (even my other love, Hoboken), especially the pepperoni, white and vegetable.

Point Loma Sports Grill & Pub (Mon.-Fri. 4-7) – Liberty Station, Point Loma: Two words. Wing Wednesday. Three wings for $1, minimum of six wings ($2) per order, all night long. The wings are quite tasty, but the best part is getting there while happy hour is still going and scoring the 1/2 off apps special. There are no words for the deep fried cheese curds. Order them, or you’ll forever regret it.

The Turquoise (Sun.-Thurs. 5-7) – North Pacific Beach: Delicious $3 tapas and $3 glasses of sangria? Yes, please. And I believe on Thursdays you can get pitchers of sangria or beer for $10. I’ve had good and so-so experiences with the food, but the sangria has never let me down. The place also has great live music.

[Via http://sharpinsandiego.com]

Latest Legal News: BofA 'Forecloses' on a House Bought With Cash ...

Jesus likes drunk people?

2010-02-14T19:52:00.000+02:00

My sermon today was the start of a new series that will take a look at the miracles in the book of John. We will be going through the 7 miracles and will finish at Easter. You can hear the sermon on iTunes or download the audio here. We started by talking about John, how John was an Essene and besides being warrior’s who were planning to kill anyone who was in the way of the Messiah these people were also master story tellers and they were great at telling one story with two plot lines.

One plot on the surface that tells a basic story that applies to the group and another plot that applies to the whole world and has deep implications for EVERYONE who hears it.

This is where we enter the scripture.

Mary says “we are out of wine.” She doesn’t ask Jesus to get more or fix the problem but she knows that he will.

Jesus does this right after leaving the wilderness.

I don’t get this miracle. Jesus makes wine? Why does he do this? If Jesus didn’t do this miracle the worst that would happen is people would sober up?

Yet in that day wine is considered a sign of abundance.

Jesus does this miracle after leaving the wilderness and so he gives abundance to a couple when he wouldn’t even make a bread to save himself. This is a foreshadow of the cross.

At the cross Jesus doesn’t even save himself yet saves us.

We are still forced to ask why does Jesus use ceremonial washing jars instead of wine jars?

This is where we remember that John tells two stories. John tells us that Jesus not only foreshadows the cross but now those ritual jars have been defiled and must be destroyed.

Jesus from the very beginning in one single move has unequivocally stated the old dead religion is gone and if you want real joy and real abundance than Jesus is the only way and he has a brand new way through him. The other way only fools people who are already drunk.

Again, if you want to hear the audio it is on iTunes (search for Tanoma) or just click here

[Via http://divinecrash.wordpress.com]

NPD: US hardware sales decline 21% in January | News

The Chardonnay That Changed My Mind

2010-02-14T13:44:00.000+02:00

If I didn’t learn something invaluable on the Napa Valley Wine Train, I would say that the tourist trap was a phenomenal waste of money.

But it wasn’t even my money. I was compelled to get on the train for some kind of business affair well over a decade ago. My memory for these kinds of things is surprisingly long. For example, I remember the salad was topped with a wedge of Cambozola, and that I ordered the filet mignon. I also remember that after dinner I found myself in conversation with the inventor of the Clif Bar.

The food was passable. I suppose for being made on a train it was remarkably good. However, Napa isn’t just wine country, it’s food country as well. And it’s a crime to have sub-par food while in the region. Plus seeing the wineries from a passing train did nothing for me. The point is not to just see the wineries. The goal should be to experience them. But we’ll save that for a later post.

The wine on the train however, was memorable. Well, at least one of the wines was. In fact, the one wine was so memorable it completely eclipsed the other. That wine was Far Niente’s chardonnay.

You may not realize this, but chardonnay is a very divisive wine.

On one hand, it is the most popular white varietal by far.

On the other hand, many wine cognoscenti openly snub it.

Then again, some of the world’s best white wines are made with the grape.

So what gives?

A lot of chardonnay isn’t that special. That does not mean it’s not tasty. It just means that it just isn’t that interesting. Most chardonnay from California tastes the same. It’s full of oak, vanilla and butter with some tropical fruit flavors. People like these flavors, which what makes it so popular. But more critical wine drinkers might prefer something with better balance, more finesse and less manhandling.

Early in my wine journey, I never really saw the appeal of chardonnay. But the one bottle on the train changed all that.

The Far Niente blew me away. It was the wine’s complexity and depth of flavor that turned me around. I realized that this is what chardonnay can be. And after that realization I discovered that those exciting Far Niente flavors were present in lesser chardonnays. Maybe not to the same extent or degree, but those wines could recall a bit of that Far Niente experience. In some ways the experience is similar to my first encounter with with great dim sum.

Many wine drinkers, when asked about which white wines they like, will respond with a jaunty “ABC.” Which stands for “anything but chardonnay.” And I can’t exactly blame them. There are a lot better things to drink than most American chardonnays, so ABC is a pretty good strategy for avoiding a disappointing wine.

However, I’m guessing if you offered someone from the ABC club a glass of Montrachet or Meursault they would change their tune. And if they didn’t, I would question their bona fides as a serious wine drinker.

The lesson: be open to new experiences, but unless someone else is paying (both for the meal and your time) avoid the wine train.

[Via http://fussylittleblog.com]

» President Obama asked to Back Bloggers at Vancouver Olympics ...

A Night on the Town

2010-02-14T01:26:00.000+02:00

Hey, there!!! Hope you’re have a wonderful day before Valentines day!

I know a lot of people are celebrating V-Day today and that’s exactly what the husband and I did, too!

We didn’t really plan on it, but that’s how it turned out.

I wanted to go to this event downtown where they were supposed to be having a dessert bar plus a regular cash bar. Once we got there, though, it was a total bust. Lame. It could have been so much better. I don’t know where the city hires their event planners, but they should probably keep looking.

Anyway, we went to a local place called Jillian’s (kind’ve like Dave and Busters) and played some arcade games including some skee ball. it was a fun way to kill some time.

Next, we walked to the mall. We took a walk past the water on the way.

Doesn’t he look thrilled!?

We even saw a mermaid! (The “mascot” of Norfolk.)

We were trying to decide what to eat for dinner, and then we saw an announcement outside the mall touting the opening of a new cupcake boutique. So…we headed into the mall to find this mythical place. It turned out to just be a kiosk. called the Carolina Cupcakery.

Josh got a Reese’s cupcake.

I tried the sampler.

I actually saved mine for after dinner. In hindsight, I wish I’d gotten a full size one because I always prefer the cake part over the frosting.

After getting our cupcakes, we left the mall to get dinner, which ended up being at my favorite restaurant, Bodega.

This is a tapas restaurant, meaning you’re supposed to order many small plates and share.

Josh ordered the butternut squash soup.

It was delicious! Very sweet. He had been craving this and it really his the spot.

I ordered the she-crab soup. My fave!

if you’ve never had she-crab soup, you should definitely try it next time you’re in the Chesapeake Bay area where it’s common.

Josh also had the cheese tortellini with mushrooms and peas.

I ordered the cheese fondue which was made with Gouda and Havarti.

SO delicious! Not thinking this much bread would come with the cheese, I also ordered the country bread.

It came with garlic parmesan butter and olive tampenade (crushed olives).

To drink, I tried the white wine flight. $10 for a tasting of three different wines.

Loved our “Valentine’s Day” dinner! Have a wonderful Saturday!

[Via http://lovinlosing.com]

Layoffs hit multiple Activision studios | News

Exploring New Grapes

2010-02-13T13:44:00.000+02:00

I’m making slow but steady strides toward our new goal of tasting 200 different grapes. I think this makes grape 103. It took quite some time to reach 100 grapes, so I imagine it will be at least another 2 full years to make 200, but it should be a fun journey given the relative obscurity of the grapes left. I picked up this bottle of 2008 Cousino Macul Sauvignon Gris at the Curious Grape. It had a real cork closure, clocked in at 14% alcohol by volume, and I thought I paid around $11, but I see it online for about $9.

On first whiff the wine smelled of alcohol. Yes, I realize wine is alcohol, but I don’t like when my wine smells like alcohol. Otherwise I found pineapple, citrus, white flowers, lime, lemon, and spice. After the alcohol smell blew off, this was a very aromatic wine. In the mouth I got citrus, lemon, pineapple, lime, and flowers. I found it to be lighter than a Sauvignon Blanc and crisp, but it was a touch on the alcoholic side.

[Via http://wannabewino.com]

Live-blog: 22 Bahman – 31st Anniversary of Islamic Revolution ...

Another Inexpensive Wine

2010-02-13T07:18:00.000+02:00

I wanted to go ahead and share this one as well because I had it a few days ago during snowmageddon (as folks around here are calling the multiple snow storms that dumped several feet of the white stuff on us).

Vineyard:     Diablo Creek

Wine:           Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage:       2008

Appellation: California

Price:           $7.13

Notes:          Not bad! Lots of flavor for a Sauvignon Blanc. Almost more like a Chardonnay than an SB except lighter, of course, and not as viscous. For me, this wine opened with pineapple and guava flavors and a green apple finish then settled into a nice honey/lemon in the middle palate that lingered to a nice finish with hints of spice. Yes, Safeway did OK on this one in my opinion. I understand they own this brand.

[Via http://joepeckblogarhythms.wordpress.com]

News to know: Google ISP; MySpace CEO; Bing; Google Buzz; Sprint ...

Tortellini with Crimini & Tomatoes

2010-02-13T01:33:00.000+02:00

I used the last of a bottle of white wine (of unknown age) to simmer some crimini mushrooms. I added some sun-dried tomato paste, basil and salt. When the timer went off for the tortellini, I turned off the heat under the mushrooms, added sliced grape tomatoes and covered. It looked pretty good, but was really sour (I think the wine had turned).

[Via http://someamateurfoodie.wordpress.com]

Live-blog: 22 Bahman – 31st Anniversary of Islamic Revolution ...

My top 10 list of underrated winemakers in Piemonte

2010-02-11T19:41:00.000+02:00

10. Enzo Boglietti: Whimsical? Maybe. Dedicated to making great wines? Definetely. I still think his Casa Nere Barolo from 06 is top three in the vintage. The Vigna dei Romani Barbera is an intriguing wine. And, the Langhe Buio, a blend, is as international as they come but with an unmistakingly stamp of the Langhe and Enzo Boglietti.

9. Conterno Fantino: Maybe not so underrated as (some of) the other Conternos are overrated. On top of the hill (in Monforte), and so their wines will be too. Their Barolo Sori Ginestra is gorgeous. So is their Monpra blend (a dash of Cabernet added to the nebbiolo/barbera). Solid entry wines, including their Bastia chardonnay.

8. CaViola: Beppe is not really an underrated winemaker, but he often gets his accolades for wines where he’s the consultant. That’s not to say his own wines are great. Try the Dolcetto d’Alba Barturot or the Langhe Rosso BricLuv (Nebbiolo/Barbera blend, with a small dash of Pinot Noir).

7. Coppo: Again not underrated, but kinda forgotten or often just referred to as too big and commerical. Perhaps they are, but a more Burgundesq Chardonnay than the Monteriolo is hard to come by (and at a great price). And, 2 years ago I had a 96 Pomorosso at the Vineria San Giorgi in La Morra, and it still stand as one of the wine moments of my life.

6. Einaudi: One of a few hidden gems in the town of Dogliani. In addition to great “hotel”, they make great wines here. Ranging from the two profound Doglianis (Vigna Tecc and Il Filari), via the Langhe Rosso (one of the better blends in the region), to above-average Barolos.

5. Gilliardi: If not for anything else, go see him for his architect-inspired winery. And his naming-strategy (His Syrah is of course called Harys). However, his wines and his winemaking are inspired by Burgundy, and Hary is one of the better Shiraz/Syrah wines around, his Dolcetto Cursalet, and his new Grenache “Granaccio Vino da Tavola”.

4. Mauro Veglio: Probably more famous for being Altare’s next door neighbour than anything else. But deserve much more. Their Barbera Cascina Nuova has for a long time been one of the better Barberas on the market. Their 08 Dolcetto was perhaps the best in the Langhe. And their Barolos deserve more attention than they get today. Especially the Rocche dell’Annunziata is one of the top Barolos around.

3. Abbona: Initially fell in love with their Dogliani Papa Celso, perhaps the best Dolcetto-based wine you can find. But they’ve emerged as a quality-all-around winery, with very good value wines, ranging from good entry whites to top-end Barolos.

No 1 and 2 are not really underrated in the sense of the other 8, but as they are often neglected in the buzz around the likes of Gaja, Giacosa, La Spinetta, and Conterno (which are all great, I might add!!). In my opinion, the (even) better wines are today produced by 1 and 2, and that we will see and hear much more from them in the future.

2. Vietti. What more can I say. Perhaps the best value vine overall in the world (Perbacco), a wonderful Barbera (La Crena), and the much improved Barolo (Lazzarito). Combined with good quality overall, and a dedication to excellence. Expect to see WA, JR or WS dash out their top mark for the Lazzarito any time soon.

1. Elio Altare: Priced way below Gaja’s famous reds, Altare’s La Villa, Larigi, and Arborina are perhaps (and in my opinion) the best value (high end) reds in the market today. Stability from vintage to vintage, an absolute passion to make the greatest wines possible. Add to that some top Barolos in the business, and that you can never go wrong with their entry wines, especially their Dolcetto. Try it and you will know what I mean.

My apologies to those missed out on the list. On top of my head, Pecchenino (especially their Doglinai Siri de Jermu), Revello (try their Barbera Ciabot de u Re), and Oberto (I love their Barbera Giada) as well as Marcarini and Sandrone (overall quality and consistency throughout their range of wines).

[Via http://tonifad.wordpress.com]

Old News: A New Boss for Universal Music in 2011 | Peter Kafka ...

Life is Good!

2010-02-11T01:39:00.000+02:00

When you have a blog about trying to stay optimistic during a century home restoration/renovation and this shows up in the mail from your wine of the month subscription, you know Life is Good (and the wine was okay, none wasted anyway).

Life Is Good ~ Niagara, Ontario Winery

[Via http://moreoptimism.wordpress.com]

Bill O'Reilly Defends Fox News News VP Who Gave His Tea Party ...

Celebrities and their wineries

2010-02-09T13:46:00.000+02:00

The trend of celebrities owning wineries and vineyard is not a recent phenomenon, though it has certainly garnered more attention in today’s Information Age.

In ancient Greek and Roman times, the leading philosophers, playwrights, politicians and generals of the day often owned a vineyard for personal use.

Nowadays all kinds of celebrities own wineries or wine brands. Director Francis Coppola set the tone for Hollywood stars to get involved in wines and wineries.

The list of entertainers owning wineries or brands includes:

Cliff Richard

Sting

Sam Neil

Olivia Newton-John

Gerald Depardieu

Dan Aykroyd

Madonna

Dave Mathews

Brad Pitt

Mick Hucknall

Antonio Banderas

It is also interesting to note that sport celebrities have also got involved in the wine industry. These celebrities include:

Greg Norman

Ernie Els

Mario Andretti

Joe Montana

Nick Faldo

Mike Weir

Wayne Gretzky

David Ginola

Day 4... or maybe 5... Auckland

2010-02-09T07:32:00.000+02:00

0930

Monday 8 February 2010

Dubai International Airport

I am experiencing a strange clenching in the pit of my stomach, and a slight but insistent nausea that comes and goes in waves, but I suspect that this has less to do with emotional upheaval than with the multiple bottles of imported Oyster Bay that my cousin and I glugged our way through last night while watching heavily edited BBC dramas on Arabic network television. This is our quality time. Knock it at your peril.

My feelings on leaving Dubai are mixed. The larger and nobler part of me rejoices at escaping from a country where my every noseblow is anticipated and prepared for by an effective underclass of waiters, porters, maids, and bathroom attendants. On the other hand, I am still experiencing feelings of persecuted indignation after having been forced to actually depress the pump of a soap dispenser using my own hand in the departure lounge bathroom, rather than have the usual sensors pick up on my presence and deposit a burst of pre-lathered suds into my waiting fist.

In other news, I am becoming more and more bothered by an as-yet unfounded conviction that the extemely large and smelly American from the queue for security may not only be booked onto my 19-hour flight, but will actually sitting next to me. I am watching the gate entrance hawkishly for any signs of his arrival. It’s pretty late in the day to be reporting to the gate, but he’s probably chowing down in the food hall on fatty, flatulence-inducing junk foodstuffs.

Less Sauvignon Blanc, more sleep.

0857 (but not really)

Tuesday 9 February

Brisbane Airport

Fatty did not board my flight. Thank God. He’s probably in LA by now, continuing to be happily rotund. I feel a bit bad about the scale and cruelty of my paranoia, but all the same was grateful when a reticent and slender female deposited her small backside on the chair next to mine – which, I might add, was the most uncomfortable aeroplane chair ever made, ever, ever, ever. The steward I consulted on the matter was very sympathetic, and confided that he thought the chairs had been designed for ‘Chinese, Japanese, and other such small people’. This does not explain why there was a hole where the small of my back should have been and my feet were unable to touch the floor at any angle of reclining.

I am about to return to this throne of torture seat for a further 4 hours of masochism. We’ve been decanted into a transit area apparently designed with the primary aim of flogging brightly-coloured boomerangs. I’m off to do some sit-ups. Ow. Ow. Ow.

2022 (how?)

Tuesday 9 February

Auckland, Nomads Fusion Hostel

My brain has gone a bit screwy through sleep deprivation, so the maths may be off, but I’m fairly certain I last slept around 30 hours ago. Am quite highly-functioning despite this. Apart from the twitchy leg. Have made friends with an Israeli who doesn’t seem to mind. But I have no idea where he is. Are we still friends?

Much more later on, but for now, two PLUSSES in Auckland’s favour.

1. They have public drinking fountains everywhere. This is a Good Thing.

2. When the ‘green man’ shows for pedestrians, he’s first of all animated (presumably to teach you how to tackle flat surfaces) and then he is replaced by a count-down ticker indicating exactly much time you have left to cross. All this about New Zealand being thirty years behind is clearly complete bollocks.

And a MINUS:

1. It’s full of tanned harem-panted gappers.

[Via http://dalrympleblog.wordpress.com]

News Of The Day

Tuscany Wine Estate

2010-02-09T01:17:00.000+02:00

We spent last weekend at the Tuscany Wine Estate in the Hunter Valley. We were there for a friends wedding and we had such an amazing time. Best wedding ever? It might just be! Congratulation Chris and Kelly!

I took some time photographing the pretty surrounds.

[Via http://nich0las.wordpress.com]

News Ticker: Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Fripp, Leonard Cohen, John ...

Jose Cuervo Is Not My Friend

2010-02-07T13:44:00.000+02:00

This is my entry for the Living Out Loud Project. This month’s theme is “Drinking Buddies” in which we were to step outside our box (comfort zone) and speak about our relationship with alcohol.

As a little girl, I came to know that alcohol sometimes turned ordinarily gentle and loving people into obnoxious strangers. Some of these people just became stupid, loud, or overly sentimental. But some actually became vile word slingers. Sometimes fists were slammed on tables or even lives threatened. With the addition of alcohol, a chaotic but otherwise seemingly typical house would often teeter on the edge of violence.

As a teenager, I watched people young and old use and abuse it. I even had friends who used it as an escape from other things. I was a fairly timid person. I was a straight A (occasional B) student who followed life pretty much by the rules. I was afraid of the consequences of doing the wrong thing, and I’d also seen the catastrophic results of many who made wrong decisions. I spent a lot of time alone and I was the type of person who generally thought things through and planned my actions. Then, I went to my first party. I discovered that my inhibitions flew out of the window when I had a few drinks. I became funny and popular. It became a social thing.

I still don’t know what possessed my cousin and I to do this. We decided to drink on the school bus on the way to school. I knew where my father had some moonshine stashed. I poured some in a tall green Tupperware tumbler and then filled it with mountain dew. Yeah, what a combination. I had to keep burping the lid to prevent it from exploding. My cousin and I always sat in the back of the bus. We drank it on the way to school. While we were drinking it, the girl in the seat across from us complained the whole time of the smell giving her a headache. We knew she was going to snitch on us. So, when we got to school, we went to the girls bathroom and wrapped the cup in brown paper towels from the dispenser, placed it in a plastic bag, and threw it in the trash can to dispose of the evidence. Our first class was PE. We were running and acting like lunatics and sweating like crazy. Do you know how bad that smells? Everyone kept saying they could smell booze. We could only laugh about it. It didn’t take long for everyone to figure out who it was and then the word was all over the school. By the next bell we were called together (it’s a good thing because alone, I would have caved!)into the vice principal’s office. He told us he heard we had been drinking on the bus and wanted to know if it was true. This man and his wife happened to be very good friends with our aunt and her husband. It didn’t occur to me to use that, but my cousin was quick. My cousin asked him if he thought we were that stupid to do something like that knowing that it would get back to our parents. He told us that because of our exemplary academic and disciplinary records he believed us. We got a “get out of jail free” card! We never found out if he told our aunt, but our folks never found out. Just so you know I’m not proud of this, but I’m going for honesty here. If my own kids had pulled a stunt like this, I’d have kicked their butts. Had my father found out about this incident, I wouldn’t be here to tell the tale.

I’d like to say that I learned my lesson and never drank again. But that would be a lie.

I soon thereafter met my enemy, tequila. You know the kinda dare that you’re gonna come out a loser either way. This was one of those times. Dirt Man and I were dating and he wanted to go fishing. How dare he want to go fishing while he was with me! We had a bottle of tequila and I threatened him that if he really wanted to fish that I was going to sit in the car and drink the entire fifth. He looked at me, laughed, and headed towards the river. Damn him I thought as I took the first swig. It burned all the way down…no chaser except another swig. When he got back I’d drank over half the bottle. Yeah, I was toasted. Mostly just giggly and funny. Not sick…YET. He took me to his brother’s house to sober me up. I remember laughing hysterically at the spinning toilet until everything came up and I missed the toilet…BECAUSE IT WAS SPINNING!!!!! Dirt Man cleaned me up and took me home. He actually carried me over his shoulder to my front door and passed me off to my mother saying, “Here is your drunk daughter. I’m not sure what she was trying to prove by drinking almost a whole bottle of tequila.” Now, you have to know that my mother was a teetotaler, never touched a drop of alcohol to her lips her entire life. I won’t tell you how sick I was, but I was probbly hungover for a week. And I will say tequila has not graced my lips in twenty-five years. The smell still gives me dry heaves.

Then came the frat parties at the university Dirt Man attended. Let’s just say that the streets near the frat houses and I developed a close relationship as I bowed to throw up on them from the passenger side of the car almost every weekend. Yes, my puke graced the streets my feet never once touched foot upon. Years later I couldn’t even recall the landmarks in that area because I had always been face down to the pavement. SuziCate used to be a wild thang! Obviously, not very intelligent either as it took me a while to learn how to drink in moderation.

When we had kids, I gave up drinking with the exception of a special occasion glass of wine. Dirt Man gave it up when his father died. We decided we wanted to be good examples for our children. We assumed that the absence of alcohol in our home would somehow deter them from drinking. Our sons are college students. What do most college students do at some time or another? Right, they drink. So much for our philosophy, strategy, or whatever you want to call it

I know that alcoholism invites physical violence and emotional trauma. These are things that have no place in my current life. I still know people who turn into verbal maniacs when they consume alcohol, and I try to avoid those situations. I still get nervous when things get loud or out of control. I am not nor have I ever been into the bar scene. If I am somewhere or around someone whose cunsumption makes me uneasy, I leave. However, I am fine with having drinks with friends.

Anyway alcohol is no longer banned from our house nor does it create a threatening atmosphere. Wine has made it’s way to our dinner table, and beer is consumed with pizza and football. Our home has developed a healthy relationship with alcohol. It doesn’t take center stage, but it’s not excluded. Tequila is a different story…too much bad blood between us. If you want to continue to be my friend, don’t EVER offer me a shot of tequila!

[Via http://suzicate.wordpress.com]

Firedoglake » DC “Not News” Event: Attaturk's Revenge on Chuck Todd

Prime Rib Roast

2010-02-07T07:17:00.000+02:00

Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours Yield: 6

I was lurking in a local butcher the other day, the name of which sounds like an American farm, when I stumbled over a rare cut of beef, something that I seldom see here – prime rib.

The cut comes from the rib cage of a cow, ribs 6 to twelve to be precise. If you slice the roast when uncooked, you end up with what are known as rib eye steaks. And the country in which prime rib is hugely popular? You guessed it; the good ol’ US of A, where it is also known as a standing rib roast, since it is normally roasted with the rib ends pointing skyward.

Note that the word prime does not denote the tenderness or quality of the beef grade, it is simply the appellation attached to this particular cut of meat.

Once again, recipes abound and quite naturally, everybody purports theirs is definitive. The basis for mine is something I found on the Television Food Network, of course with appropriate alterations.

Ingredient Selection and Preparation

Prime Rib: I bought a chunk about 1.9kg in size. It was trimmed, and vacuum packed, so it would have lasted well in the freezer. Trimmed means excess fat removed, not all fat removed. The fat keeps it moist during roasting and imparts significant flavour as well.

6 cloves of garlic: fresh crushed only, or one tsp of garlic paste per clove.

2 sprigs each rosemary and thyme: fresh and chopped. In the case of the rosemary strip the leaves off the stalks before chopping finely.

50ml olive oil: the cooking grade is fine, like pomace or any of the virgin olive oil grades.

1 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 carrots: peeled and coined.

2 potatoes: peeled and cubed.

1 onion: peeled and quartered.

500 ml dry red wine: I used a delightful 2004 Somerbosch Shiraz I happened to have in my “cellar”. More about that later.

250ml beef stock: use the MSG free cubes if possible.

30g flour

30g butter

Method

Boil the kettle for the stock and pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C.

Place the roast rib side down in a roasting pan, on a trivet if you have one. I use a trivet because it lifts the meat off the bottom of the roasting pan, and ensures proper air circulation during roasting.

Mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then spread it evenly over the meat.

Scatter the carrot, potatoes and onion around the meat, and drizzle generously with olive oil.

Roast open for about two hours, or until the juices run clear. Use a meat thermometer if you have one. Medium roast is 71 deg C on my thermometer, and it comes out just perfectly.

I served mine with oven roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions. Get the vegetables into the oven for the last hour and a half of roasting time.

When the roast is done, remove from the roasting pan, cover with aluminium foil and two to three kitchen towels to keep it warm. Leave it to stand for about 20 minutes to relax before carving.

Turn the oven off, and leave the veggies in it to keep warm

Remove the carrots and potatoes, but leave the onions in the roaster.

Place the roasting pan on the stove top, and add the beef stock to deglaze the pan. Add the red wine and reduce the sauce for ten minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In the meantime, heat the butter in a small saucepan, then whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Add about 200ml of the sauce from the roaster in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the roux to the sauce in the roaster. Whisk briskly until smooth and shiny.

Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking occasionally. If it’s too thick, add some water. Voila! A lovely shiny smooth red wine sauce to go with your succulent beef roast.

By now the roast will have rested, so open it up and cut the rib bones away with your carving knife. Carve lovely thin slices, across the grain, and serve with the oven roasted vegetables, a generous helping of gravy and a fresh green salad.

Enjoy!

Wine of the Week

The 2004 Somerbosch Shiraz is a deep purple, belying the wines age.

Intense raspberry with oak notes and black plums caress the nose.

The mouth feel is pleasing, with the bouquet following through onto the palate, with an added hint of cassis.

The acidity is brisk, and offsets the fruit nicely.

The tannins are peripheral, and the substantial fruit lingers on the tongue.

[Via http://amaninthekitchen.wordpress.com]

Sports Media Blog | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas ...

Thévenin Monthélie 2005

2010-02-07T01:38:00.000+02:00

Everything about this label tells me to keep shopping. First of all, the Roland Thévenin négociant label was acquired and then resold by Boisset, the rather large French liquor firm some years ago. Not the kind of thing that warms the heart of a Burgundy lover. Secondly, Monthélie is one of those minor communes in the Côte d’Or not exactly known for its profusion of magical wines if recognized at all. So, I wasn’t terribly keen on tasting when it was presented to me. In fact, were it not for my level of respect for the person presenting, I would have taken a pass and gotten on with my day. That would have been a mistake. This wine turned out to be my biggest selling Burgundy of 2009. It may be a corporate owned negoce and from a backwater appellation but there’s real class and commitment behind this wine. Roland Thévenin was a respected wine merchant and négociant with good grower relationships and excellent access to great fruit. That seems to have remained intact and the quality/price ratio here is terrific as well. The fact that 2005 was such a fantastic vintage at all levels of quality certainly doesn’t hurt and this wine shows it off in spades. Rich, spicy pinot fruit, good structure with surprising depth and length. Drinking well now but should hold for a few years.

[Via http://stevegoldun.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: Geithner gushes about the economy. Econ prof ...

Memorable Exteriors That Bring Business (Snapshot)

2010-02-06T19:21:00.000+02:00

A very interesting arrangement for the front of a restaurant. The small front space is used very intelligently by using the plant and the bench. The bench color gets plenty of attention and is very memorable marking the location of the restaurant. I am sure many people eventually venture inside just to check the food out because the bench took so much of their positive attention. It took me a while to notice the bench is heart-shaped! It always was there but I never noticed the shape has a meaning. The color dominated the scene and worked really great in focusing attention. A smart and effective way to visually mark the spot of the business and pick up a few customers here and there by using the exterior space.

Photo B of the restaurant exterior.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.

[Via http://worldofcush.wordpress.com]

Halo Wars and Fable II now Classics News | Xbox 360 | Eurogamer

The circus poet and the 2008 Kaiken Malbec

2010-02-06T13:50:00.000+02:00

Tell any 4 year old to go to the circus and they might come back with a poetic story about a deep fried stuffed animal that they lost in a game of poker to the bearded lady… while entertaining there’s not much fact. Tell the same 4 year old to go to see the London Philharmonic and they’ll pitch a fit and promise to do their homework for a month. With this Malbec I am the 4 year old that just had a glass of Philharmonic…and now needs to go do his homework. Melted marshmallow is not a flavor found within wine, though it was the first thing that came to mind (texture of wine).

Color: medium bodied (5) w/watery meniscus.

Aroma: Fruity soft

Texture: Melted marshmallow soft

Palate: Plum, berry and soft spice

Oops of the day: Melted marshmallow is not a texture used to describe wine… though it should be because who eats velvet…unless it is red and cake-like.

https://thewobblyfrog.wordpress.com

[Via http://thewobblyfrog.wordpress.com]

Steam News

Canopy Wine Marketing Network

2010-02-06T07:36:00.000+02:00

Canopy Wine Marketing Network is a group of eight wine industry sales and marketing experts serving the Pacific Northwest.

“Canopy is the natural evolution for a group of friends—each a leader in her respective field—who meet regularly to focus on the rapidly changing world of marketing and communications trends, as well as opportunities and challenges,” said Amy Hall, the group’s initiator. “Over the past year, we successfully collaborated on multiple projects at differing levels and stages of development and now look forward to introducing our services to the industry on a more formal basis.”

Canopy Wine Marketing Network (CWMN) consists of Claudia Bowers, Pravia Wines & Events; Amy Hall, Grow Creative; Carrie Higgins, Crush Creative Packaging; Dixie Huey, Trellis Wine Consulting; Andrea Johnson, Andrea Johnson Photography; Leah Jorgensen, Leah Jorgensen Consulting; Sheila Nicholas, Nicholas Communications; and Cara Pepper Day, Cara Pepper Day Consulting.

CWMN will be introduced at the Oregon Wine Symposium, Feb. 21–23, in Eugene. They will be at Exhibitor Booth No. C9.

Read more about CWMN in the February issue of Oregon Wine Press.

For more information, please visit Canopy Wine Marketing Network.

[Via http://ilscrivere.wordpress.com]

Teens prefer reading news online to Twitter | Media | guardian.co.uk

Jamie Drummond on Food and Wine: Episode 11 - Howard Soon

2010-02-04T19:54:00.000+02:00

by Jamie Drumond

BC master winemaker Howard Soon is a legend in the Okanagan. The Vancouver native has over two decades under his belt making wine and has led Sandhill to win more awards than I can mention. I caught up with him last week, when he was in Toronto.

Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution.

[Via http://goodfoodrevolution.wordpress.com]

Obama's Director Of Citizen Participation Patents Displaying News ...

PgMDD 1.2.10-beta available

2010-02-04T07:31:00.000+02:00

This is a beta for the upcoming 1.2.10 release.

WineHQ compatibility improved. SQL Reverse Engineering improved. Support for 8.4.x SQL dialect added.

You’re welcome to download the latest release from our website at:

http://microolap.com/products/database/postgresql-designer/download/

Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions or report bugs with our Support Ticketing system.

[Via http://pgolub.wordpress.com]

Facebook Could Become World's Leading News Reader (Sorry Google)

Super Bowl: Dips

2010-02-04T01:34:00.000+02:00

I have a deep and abiding love of dips. When Louise and I were little girls, we used to steal the plastic tub of store-bought onion dip from the icebox on Saturday mornings, grab the bag of potato chips and sneak away to the closet in our room where we would sit on the floor with the closet doors shut and just dig in. This, in no small part, contributed to the weight problem I developed in elementary school but did not diminish in any way my adoration of dips.

So, today we have dips for Super Bowl. Now it is a well-known rule in the South that most dip recipes need three ingredients and three ingredients only. I don’t know why but there it is. So the first, is the coveted hot artichoke dip. I am sure many of you are well aware of hot artichoke dip, but I include it here because if you are not, you will want to run to the Publix right now and get the ingredients.

I am almost embarrassed by the simplicity of this. Take one large can of artichoke hearts (not marinated) and put them in a mixing bowl. Add one cup of mayonnaise and one cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly, mashing up the artichoke hearts as you go. Put the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with crackers. I am partial to Wheat Thins.

This next one is just delicious and it is not my recipe. It is Paula Deen’s curry dip. I made this for a church function and people just gobbled it up. Here’s the recipe. All it is is mayonnaise, curry powder and lemon juice. She suggests serving it in a hollowed out red pepper, which I have always thought looks tacky. However, you will note that I snapped the photograph of it in a plastic container, which is equally tacky. But I was about to take it to church, so there you go. I serve this with asparagus that has been tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes.

Now, here is the capper. It is Bunny’s legendary ham dip. And it only has two ingredients. How clever is that? You take one large can and one small can of Underwood Deviled Ham and mix it with one 8-ounce container of sour cream. That’s it! Let it sit in the icebox for a couple of hours. Serve with Frito’s Scoops (mandatory). I cannot describe to you how good this is. I sprinkled some dried dill on top for the picture because I will admit that without a little color it does sort of look like, well, I just won’t say it because then you’ll never make the dip.

I just want to say a word about double dipping since we’re on the topic of dips. I am all for it. When did we get so afraid of a few germs? In the ladies room of one of the restaurants I frequent they have the soap, the towels to dry your hands after you wash and then a separate towelette to open the friggin’ restroom door with. I am a member in good standing of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where each and every Sunday at least 200 people per service drink wine out of the same communion cup (albeit turned a quarter between each sipper and wiped with a cloth towel) and none of us have ever gotten sick.

I believe that says it all.

[Via http://thesouthinmymouth.wordpress.com]

Gran Turismo 5 "this fall" - Sony Europe News | PS3 | Eurogamer

WNDC Valentine Party: Find Your Perfect Match at a Chocolate and Wine Pairing!

2010-02-02T19:52:00.000+02:00

Chocolate and Wine Pairing! Date: February 12, 2010 Time: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Price: $50 Members/Non-members Reigster here ———————————————–

Members, non-members and their sweeties will be treated to a celebration of love in an evening d edicated to romancing the senses. After a champagne reception, experts will lead us in an exploration of exotic chocolates and the wines that should be paired with them for maximum aphrodisiac effect.

Heightening the experience, poems expressing love in its many forms will be read aloud. This is an opportunity for our WNDC bards and poets! Submit your original love poems to Maureen O’Donnell, modie10@hotmail.com, for possible inclusion. Finish the night with dancing to romantic favorites for everyone in the mood.

The WNDC Valentine party is guaranteed to enhance your pleasure!

——————– Womens National Democratic Club 1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20036 ———————— Reigster here ————————

[Via http://raenewman.wordpress.com]

Jane's Learning Pick of the Day: January 2010 News

Beautiful Atmosphere but Disappointing Entrees - Aubrey's Yorkshire Pub and Eatery

2010-02-02T13:51:00.000+02:00

Aubrey's table setting - nice napkin folding!

Tracey says…

This was my first trip to Aubrey’s. My first impression, as we circled the block for the 4th time all the while hearing “DESTINATION” from the GPS voice, was that it is difficult to find. It really is tucked away in a little corner. When we (finally) arrived and went in, I was impressed with the interior. It is so cozy. And I mean cozy. It’s a tiny little place. The dining room was very pretty, with upholstered blue 1940’s-ish booths all along the walls and a large S-shaped booth configuration in the middle with round tables. I don’t know if it was decorated for the holidays or if it is their normal decor, but there were pretty white lighted tree branches everywhere too. The atmosphere was, as I may have mentioned, very cozy.

So, about this S thingee. Because we were there with a very large party, half of us sat at one table on one side of the S and the other half on the other side. We were unable to interact with half of our party until we basically crashed the whole restaurant for our gift exchange at the end. If you are not going as a couple, I would not recommend this place because the seating is not cohesive to large groups. As it was, several of us at our table were positioned so that we were forced to stare at a couple (not from our party) at one of the other tables as they basically made out with each other throughout about 6 courses of dinner. By the time they got to their table-side bananas foster, we were all ready for them to get a room.

Anyway, the best part of my meal was the appetizer, which was a portobello mushroom. It was very flavorful. I also had a salad that I remember as being fine but not anything spectacular. The fettucini alfredo was not as good as I thought it should have been. I do think that my experience with fettucini alfredo over the past 5 years being the Lean Cuisine version may have contributed to my opinion that it was WAY too greasy. Thinking I was just too full from bread and appetizers and salad, I took home leftovers. When I reheated the next day, I poured about 4 tablespoons of melted butter off just my left-over portion! I can’t imagine how much butter was in it. Perhaps this is what fettucini alfredo is supposed to be like, but I didn’t like it.

Overall, I was more impressed with the beautiful stained glass fire screen and the (cozy) and romantic booths and decor than with the food. Next time I want to make out over bananas foster, I might go there again. Friends of mine seemed very surprised that I found it “eh” so maybe we were there on an off night.

TWO FORKS.

Misty says…

I am one of the friends Susan refers to below as “raving” about Aubreys…Let’s just get it out there, I will not be recommending or backing any recommendations for next year’s Christmas gathering. The past two years, I have been soooo wrong!

It has been about 6 years since I graced Aubrey’s with my presence. It was with another group of friends- I think there were 6 or 7 of us. Although, I can’t remember what I had to eat, I remember the eye-catching fireplace, the great atmosphere, the great time we had…really a very delightful experience.

Isn’t it funny how time molds your memories!

What I didn’t remember was the horrible seating. Yes, it would have been nice if there were 2 of us. But, we were here with a big group…reservation size = 14. So, 3 couples were crammed in 2 “S”-shaped booths and one couple was split with one in one booth and one in the other. Did I mention there was only one way in and out of this booth? And did I mention that I was one of the lucky ones to be on the closed side? So, 4 people had to move in order for me to get out of it.

Lobster bites appetizer

OK…on with the food. Bryan and I ordered the lobster bites for an appetizer. These were pretty good. But really, I’m not sure how to measure the culinary greatness of deep fried lobster. They were just lobster chunks in a tempura-like batter with a butter sauce to dip them in. They probably wouldn’t have tasted much different if Captain D’s or Long John Silver’s would have fried them up.

I ordered the lobster ravioli…I was sure this was going to be a hit. Usually, I would try to get something different if someone else at the table was ordering the same dish (aka Susan and Saundra, Phil’s wife). This is for review purposes, of course. But the thought of lobster ravioli sounded so tasty, I decided to throw out all my rules. Well, I should have stuck to my precious rules because the lobster ravioli was not very good…and when I say not very good, I mean bad.

Lobster Ravioli

When it arrived, it wasn’t what I expected. I think my thoughts would be best described using a table.

What I expected What I was served

creamy sauce salsa-like sauce

lobster in the ravioli no lobster in the ravioli

lobster in the sauce lobster chunks served beside ravioli

light, sweet lobster hard, chewy lobster

flavorful flavorless

Needless to say, I was not very happy with my meal. I would try to describe the raviolis but they were uneventful and plain. There was plenty of food on my plate, but it was really pretty blah and I couldn’t get past the chewiness of the lobster. Very rarely do I leave any seafood on my plate, but I couldn’t finish this. Luckily, Susan shared some of her delicious wine with me- which helped ease my pain while filling my stomach.

Our waitress was excellent. However, we finished our meal up around 10:00 pm. Since it was our Christmas get-to-gather, we had a few presents to exchange. Some of the wait staff seemed like they were ready for us to leave.…Opening the back door, emptying the trash, and standing around staring at us.

I would recommend Aubrey’s if you were a small party, didn’t get the lobster ravioli (maybe just get some dessert), and were out of there by 9:00 pm.

It is times like this when I wish we could give out ½ forks…but I try not to create too many waves here at Fork You. So, I will bump up Aubrey’s rating due to the nice atmosphere…TWO FORKS!

Side note: Bryan ordered the surf and turf…which was a filet and lobster tail. The steak was excellent, but again, the lobster was sub-par. Although it was better than the lobster I received, it still wasn’t worth the price. Our total bill was around $100.00 before the tip. And I just didn’t feel as if I had a $100 meal and left disappointed.

Shrimp Cocktail

Surf and Turf

Susan says…

The annual Dinner For Lunch Friends and Spouses (not its real name, can’t remember what Daniel calls it) is an event I look forward to all year long. Not only do we have a great time talking and laughing, but we choose a “special” restaurant which we don’t frequent during the year much. This year, Aubrey’s got the nod. I have had Aubrey’s on my radar for years. Several friends have raved about the atmosphere, menu and quality of food. As a result, I had high expectations. Boy does it sting when you fall from that high up.

The interior decor is impressive – a long bar is on your right as you enter. Straight ahead you can see the overstuffed semicircular banquettes with round tables in front of each. What a romantic setting! It probably hinders turnover and revenue, though – the seats are so comfortable, you want to linger. And each table is so large, if you seat a party of two where you could have seated six, you serve four less plates, obviously. But to the customer, it looks and feels luxurious. The deep navy blue of the upholstery contrasted with the stark white linens and navy and gold banded dinnerware.

Ron and I were the first to arrive (I was anxious) so we enjoyed an adult beverage at the bar. I sipped on a $7.50 glass of Prahova Pinot Noir. I am sure Ron will complain that this English pub has no draft beer, but they probably don’t have enough folks who want draft beer to make it worth the effort. Romantic and draft beer just don’t go together in my dating handbook.

The rest of the group filtered in and we were seated at two tables, side by side, creating an “S” shape with the banquettes. I was very happy to be seated directly in front of the “fireplace” which provided even more enticing ambiance. The large menus felt impressive and revealed a surprisingly large list of choices. Prices were right where I expected: appetizers around $8-$10, entrees seemed to range in the neighborhood of $18 – $30. I also perused the wine list for our table, having been designated the Wine Expert due to my membership in the notorious Screw Top Girls monthly wine club. Malbec’s been good to me lately, so I chose the Occhioverde from Argentina, of course, for $39.

Since it seemed most were ordering appetizers, I fell prey to peer pressure and asked for the brie in pastry.

Brie appetizer

Served with salad greens and cubed fresh fruit, the brie was pretty as a picture. The lightly golden pastry flaked to reveal the creamy cheesy center. I enjoyed the appetizer, priced at $7.95. It was too large a portion just for me, but Ron doesn’t like cheese. I know! Who in the world doesn’t like cheese? Ron is who, I tell ya. I shared some bites with my friends and did my best to devour most of it.

Let me tell you about this wine:

The attentive and professional service was in full force by the time we received appetizers and the wine. Note the decanter in the photo above. Pretty nice, huh? This wine was the absolute best part of my meal. With a buttery smooth finish, the lightly spicy notes of the wine complemented the creamy brie to perfection, but could stand up to the tomatoes in my entree. I was so enamoured with the Occhioverde, I promptly made my way to the Capitol Market the following week to order a bottle for my Christmas Eve dinner. (In case you’re interested, it was around $15 and they were happy to order it for me at the Wine Shop.) I shared with Misty, Phil and Saundra. It was such a hit, Phil ordered a second bottle for the table. Oblivious to the magnificence of the grape, Ron sat at the head of our table with a Bud Light.

And the review is going to go downhill now.

I had the winner narrowed down to Chicken Oscar and Lobter Ravioli. I’ll bet you’re wondering why an almost locally famous food critic would order something as mundane as chicken for this occasion. Well, I’ll be honest with you because I consider us friends by now: the asparagus will get me every time. I just love asparagus. If the menu said rabbit droppings in a cream sauce with asparagus, I would seriously consider ordering it. OK, that was an exaggeration, but you get the point. I get weak in the knees for asparagus. Our waitress made her only mistake of the evening by recommending the Lobster Ravioli and I made a mistake by succombing to her suggestion.

I have ordered lobster ravioli at other restaurants and based on those previous experiences, I was expecting a homemade ravioli filled with cheese and lobster, covered in a creamy lobster sauce. The menu described the dish as having a tomato topping. but I figured it would be in addition to my traditional idea of the dish.

When the entree was presented to me, I had to first overcome my surprise – it was vastly different from my expectations. No worries, though. Pasta, cheese, lobster and tomatoes are all wonderful ingredients. I was sure I’d still love it.

I was wrong.

It’s tough to see in the photo, but there are three or four raviolis under the sauce and they were tender and tasty. The pasta in the center that somewhat resembles a wonton was also tasty. However, I still had no hint of lobster – not inside the pasta or in the sauce. The chunky pieces you see on the plate are the lobster. I’ll say there’s plenty of it, but it was terribly overcooked. Lobster should not have a rubbery texture. The meat was so tough, I could not cut it with a fork. I resorted to my knife – it felt as if I was cutting through a tendon in a piece of chicken.

I couldn’t really taste the lobster once I finally got it but into a bite-sized piece. The delicate flavor of the lobster was completely overpowered by the tangy tomato topping. Three of us ordered this dish at my table and none of us thought it was worth eating. It became one of those things that you want other people to taste so they can see firsthand how bad it is. Like that comedy skit about spoiled milk where the wife tastes it, realizes it’s spoiled and then asks her husband to taste it. Two others at my table ordered surf and turf. Misty tasted both and said the lobster tail was better then our ravioli dish, but still not what a lobster should be. My entree, served with two sides was $21.95.

The asparagus (no surprise there!) was cooked properly and nicely seasoned. Portion size was generous for one person. My other side was saffron rice and it was also good.

You’d think that with 5 lobster dishes being served at one table, someone would have tasted the lobster to ensure it was cooked properly. I could just imagine Gordon Ramsey yelling expletives at the cowering kitchen staff.

Then I was faced with a conondrum: To complain or not to complain? Ordinarily I would have considered saying something like “I thought the lobster was a bit overcooked” if I was alone with Ron. But I was with a large group. I wondered if anyone would be uncomfortable or embarrassed if I spoke up about the poor quality of the entree. I considered the restaurant’s response if I complained, too. I don’t want my meal comped. I ordered it, I ate part of it, I felt I should pay for it. If I had complained, I would have been worried that other patrons and the staff would think I said something just to get a discount or a free meal. In the end we all smiled politely and said nothing. I don’t know if it was the right thing to do or not.

The really sad part is, Aubrey’s is a beautiful, romantic restaurant with wonderful service but that entree was so bad, the memory of rubbery lobster is what I remember most about the meal. I am spooked. It’ll take a while for me to get up my nerve enough to try this one again. For the amount of money we paid, I rate it TWO FORKS.

Lobster Ravioli, saffron rice and asparagus

Ron says…

Oh yes remember the hussle and bussle of the Holidays??? How could you forget. Spending money that you don’t have on things you don’t need, for people you don’t like on things they don’t want. Can’t wait to do it agian next year.

Yes as Susan called it the annual dinner among friends and spouses – but of course her and the “five” eat out about every day, so what’s so special about this occassion eludes me as it happens almost daily.

Aubrey’s was the choice of this years event. Last year if memory serves me correctly it was at the Dog Track, and I think that particular meal didn’t really blow anyone’s skirt. So thus this years establishment. Aubrey’s Yorkshire Pub and Eatery. After all a place named after a county in England where brewing has been an art form since the 18th Century, and good eats with a northern English feel. I can’t wait.

I had heard of Aubrey’s, but that’s about it, mostly as a place to eat, little on the steep side but not anything special. Thus I had never really had any desire to go here, but hey, nothing ventured nothing gained. Or so I thought.

Ever heard the saying “be thankful for what you don’t have” ? Well I’m kind of thankful that I had never eaten here previously, because even though I ventured… I did not gain.

We were the first to arrive and I promptly took a seat at the bar and ordered my first over priced beer of the evening. Yuengling. I forget what it costs, but even after two months I remember that it was more than the $4 Bud Lights (that’s a 12oz bud light bottle), that I switched to on my next round. Susan drank wine. (Editor’s note: Ron’s Yuengling was $4.50)

First thing you’ll notice about the bar is that it’s nice I’ll give them that – it gives me that European feel (yes I’ve never been to Europe ). Yet it would be the only Pub in Yorkshire that has no draft beer. Susan complains above that I’ll complain about this ~ mentions some silly nonsense about romance and draft beer – well what the hell is romantic about Pubs and Eatery – give me Guinness and Fish and Chips. period. Besides who wants to be romantic with seventeen friends sitting around together? (oh only if we could have sat around together)

Fettucini Alfredo

After a while everyone had arrived and we were seated in what Susan calls “semicircular banquettes” – let’s be serious here for a second – they were couches. Our group was seated in two half circle couches butted end to end. Think of an ” S ” shape. Two tables would be placed in the hollow part of the ” S ” and a chair on the end of the open end of the table.

I forget the number of people at each couch but it was four I think. (Editor’s note: It was seven per table.) These couches were on the main floor, around them were the remaining tables maybe 10 to twelve around the perimeter of the room and elevated. (Editor’s note: There were only five or six other tables.) Almost like I was the main event at Aubrey’s Imitation Roman Colesium, and the lords are looking down on me to see if I could manage what would be served from the kitchen.

Well, perusing the menu, and seeing several attractive dishes, and their respective unattractive prices, I chose the Fettucini Alfredo for $12.95. Yes I went cheap. I wanted to drink beer. So I decided to allocate resources where they would be most pleasant. Besides it’s pasta alfredo, who could screw that up?

I also for sides got two baked potatoes. LOL. Hey I had to have something that would feel me up.

I during all the festivities, I will say that the service was pretty good. The staff did seem attentive, was helpful, quick, etc. But it’s almost like when that guy shows up dressed in a nice uniform and he’s there to pump out your septic tank. Something just wasn’t going to pan out. But you knew that didn’t you just by reading the tone of my review, and mostly everyone else that wrote something.

The Food…..

Well I have to say my pasta alfredo was not screwed up. LOL. Nor were my baked potatoes. My Alfredo was creamy, a little luke warm – which did make my experience bad. I should have complained, but because I was amongst Susan and her friends, I smiled and nodded and said my meal was OK.

So why is my review so negative. Well, I tasted some of the other dishes that floated around. None stood out as something I would recommend. But there is one noteable dish that had Lobster – I think someone got Surf and Turf or something…. The lobster sucked. It was as chewy as a squid tentacle. Yes I’ve eaten squid, and to be honest it was better than this lobster. Wrigley’s had nothing on this lobster as far as chewiness went. If this had been my dish I would have sent it back, for that matter I would have spit it out and threw it back. This was totally uncalled for. I can’t say enough bad things about this particular item.

Some of the other dishes I tasted were not as bad as that, but at the end of the day there was nothing special about them. I don’t recall anyone having an orgasm over their meal. Remember when you’re paying this much, shouldn’t the goal of the dish be orgasmic for the customer? These meals were average it seemed. There may have been one or two of us that thought theirs was better than average as they’ve told their stories above.

So after spending two and a half hours of my life that I’ll never get back in a pub that has no draft beer, bad lobster and pasta alfredo. How does it score?

Well if it was still Christmas – I’d probably give it a One Fork rating. But I’ve had time to think. I don’t think it deserves that. I would never go back here, I would not recommend anyone eating here, if Susan wanted to come here again I would put up one hell of a fight and may go kicking and screaming full bent on making a scene and being prepared to fight about after we were finished eating.

I’m serious there is nothing about this place that I would recommend. I bet money that if this entire group had gone to Applebee’s or The Outback, there would have been less complaining amongst each other and a lot more satisfaction. AND IF I’M WRONG???…. Well then I guarantee you that there would not be any more complaining amongst each other and just as much satisfaction for half the price. That my dear reader is what is sad about Aubrey’s.

Aubrey’s want’s to be what South Hills Market and Cafe is. Aubrey’s wants to be what so many places around this area want to be, but like so many places around here - They fail!…. Why? I don’t know. How does this place make it? but yet Billy’s at Southridge doesn’t?

No Forks For You. I recommend you eat here only if you don’t mind being disappointed. I really hope that Aubrey’s just had a bad night, but hey you know what they say about that one bad apple spoiling the whole damned bunch.

Aubrey’s Yorkshire Pub & Eatery 601 6th Avenue, Suite 102 St. Albans, WV 25177 304-727-7782

[Via http://forkyou.wordpress.com]

Super Bowl News!: Dwight Freeney is Doubtful | The Big Lead

Coming Soon: February 2010

2010-01-31T13:30:00.000+02:00

by The Great White Gypsy

From Paris with Love – Directed by Pierre Morel, Written by Adi Hasak and Luc Besson

Swordfish. The Punisher. A Love Song for Bobby Long. Lonely Hearts. John Travolta has been in four good films in the last ten years. This is a fact. And the only reason I’m giving him another chance after The Taking of Pelham 123 is the company he’s keeping. If Jonathan Rhys Meyers isn’t enough for you, how about producer/writer Luc Besson (Director: La Femme Nikita, The Professional), director Pierre Morel (Taken), cinematographer Michel Abramowicz (Taken, L’empire del loupes) and editor Frederic Thoraval (Taken, District B-13). French people are badass.

John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Amber Rose Revah

February 5

Psych 9 – Directed by Andrew Shortell, Written by Lawrence Robinson

Newbie Director and Writer present a story about people working in a closed mental hospital and seeing weird shit. This seems like a blatant ripoff of Session 9 (which was cool), but the last indie horror movie that managed to star Cary Elwes was Saw. Makes you think, huh?

Sara Foster, Cary Elwes, Michael Biehn, Gabriel Mann

February 5

Terribly Happy – Directed by Henrik Ruben Genz, Written by Henrik Ruben Genz and Dunja Gry Jensen

Where I’m from, comparing some random Danish movie to David Lynch and The Coen Brothers will get you punched in the face. Unless it’s true. Which it may be. The preview conveys Lynch’s trademark sleep-deprived confusion and some strange, small town Coen antics. Looks pretty cool, but I don’t like admitting I’m wrong. So it’s still on…taeve.

Jakob Cedergren, Lene Maria Christensen, Kim Bodnia

February 5

The Wolfman – Directed by Joe Johnston, Written by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self

If Joe Johnston’s name sounds familiar…it’s because you’re thinking of Jack Johnson. Now put down the blunt and pay attention. Johnston directed The Rocketeer in 1991 (I don’t care who you are, you loved that movie). After “wowing” audiences with The Pagemaster and Jumanji, he was given a chance to direct Jurassic Park 3. And he gobbled its balls. So what’s going to save this werewolf orgy? Sheer acting talent, Rick Baker’s amazing special effects, the writing genius of Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, 8MM, Sleepy Hollow) and the meddling ghost of Lon Chaney Jr..

Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving

February 10

The Ghost Writer – Directed by Roman Polanski, Written by Robert Harris

Roman Polanski is living proof that God loves a trier. You can charge him with rape. You can banish him. You can extradite and try him. You can put him on house arrest. And he will still make fucking movies. The last political thriller that held my attention was George W. Bush in “Trapped in a Chinese press room”, and only Polanski could get James Belushi, Tom Wilkinson, and Kim Cattrall in the same room on purpose. Good feelings.

Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Hutton, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, James Belushi, Eli Wallach

February 19

Shutter Island – Directed by Martin Scorsese, Written by Laeta Kalogridis

Ok guys, this is a new year. A new movie. A new story. There’s no need for me to even mention how much The Departed sucked yak testicles. So I won’t. But I will say this: I am very excited about Scorsese trying his hand at the horror genre. I just wish he hadn’t picked one written by the same guy that did Alexander (shitty) and Pathfinder (even more shittier). I hope the ghost turns out to be Mark Wahlberg.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley

February 19

Cop Out – Directed by Kevin Smith, Written by Robb and Mark Cullen

You’ve probably heard the stories about how Kevin Smith wanted to call it “The Two Dicks”, and the studio changed the name. Smith called that a “cop out” and they laughed and said, “let’s call it that!” Very cute, but you’re still a sissy-ass reed in the wind who can’t even name his own film. The first Smith film he didn’t also write, he apparently chose the project because his late father liked the genre. So for any Smith fans out there, let me paint you a picture. When the Coen Brothers lost their mother, they made The Ladykillers. Enough said.

Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jason Lee, Rashida Jones, Seann William Scott, Adam Brody, Kevin Pollack

February 26

The Crazies – Directed by Breck Eisner, Written by Scatt Kosar and Ray Wright

As a film elitist, my first reaction to a nobody director remaking a George A. Romero film was, “Lame.” Then I remembered that the nobody who remade Dawn of the Dead grew up to be Zack Snyder, who directed 300 and Watchmen. This story isn’t quite as cool, but it could make for a fun cinematic adventure if they lay off the CGI.

Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell

February 26

The Yellow Handkerchief – Directed by Udayan Prasad, Written by Erin Dignam

Three strangers end up in the same car traveling across Louisiana. They’re all lonely. Then they start reminiscing and find common ground. Then they aren’t lonely. This may not sound like a cool film, but neither did “homeless girl loses her dog, then finds it“, and that was a really good film. With nary a weak link to be found in the main cast, I would love to see this at a festival. I’ll have to settle for On Demand.

William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristen Stewart, Eddie Redmayne

February 26

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

The Red Riding Trilogy

This serial killer trilogy out of Britain has been getting a lot of buzz lately. Critics are raving about the cinematography, direction, the connected story, etc. Now it’s finally getting a foothold in the U.S. IFC will begin showing it at their center in New York, hopefully spreading after that. Don’t worry though, if it doesn’t end up at a theatre near you, expect an On Demand/DVD release fairly soon.

Red Riding: 1974 – Directed by Julian Jarrold, Written by Tony Grisoni

Starring: Andrew Garfield, David Morrissey, John Henshaw, Anthony Flanagan

Red Riding: 1980 – Directed by James Marsh, Written by Tony Grisoni

Starring: Paddy Considine, David Morrissey, Eddie Marsan

Red Riding: 1983 – Directed by Anand Tucker, Written by Tony Grisoni

Starring: David Morrissey, Sean Bean, Mark Addy

February 5 (IFC Center, NY)

Blood Done Sign My Name – Written and Directed by Jeb Stuart

I gotta be honest, I’m not even sure this is a real thing yet. Tim Tyson, a professor at Duke University, wrote this book several years ago about a black Vietnam veteran murdered by a white businessman, who is later acquitted, throwing the social climate of the town into turmoil. Lots of recognizable faces, and a good story. We’ll see what happens.

Michael Rooker, Rick Schroder, Omar Benson Miller, Lee Norris, Nick Searcy

February 19 (Limited)

Blood Into Wine – Directed by Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke

I don’t usually do Documentaries here, but this one looks so delightful, I had to mention it. Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan hooks up with Napa Valley winemaker Eric Glomski in an attempt to kick start a wine industry…in Arizona. Half informative wine documentary, half celebrity mockumentary, it might take a certain kind of person to appreciate this one. Luckily, I am a certain kind of person.

Maynard James Keenan, Eric Glomski, Milla Jovovich, Fairuza Balk, Patton Oswalt, Bob Odenkirk

February 19 (Limited)

Heartless – Written and Directed by Philip Ridley

Jim Sturgess is not as bad as everyone says he is. Noel Clarke is not as cool as he thinks he is. Philip Ridley is…a guy. Wasn’t too excited about it, but then I realized it could be like a cross between Kidulthood and The Devil’s Advocate. That might be fucking cool.

Jim Sturgess, Eddie Marsan, Noel Clarke

February 26 (UK)

Toe to Toe – Written and Directed by Emily Abt

“I’m a black girl, you’re a white girl. Let’s play sports and sleep with dudes and break social boundaries to a catchy soundtrack.” I know what this looks like, but Toe to Toe has been getting a lot of buzz around the indie festivals, and it definitely looks more honest drama rather than…something with Terrence Howard or Lil Bow Wow. And they play Lacrosse…

Louisa Krause, Sonequa Martin

February 26 (Limited)

[Via http://sexy-gypsy.com]

Google please! Produce something

Now THIS is my kind of studying!

2010-01-31T07:50:00.000+02:00

To honor the first night of the Napa Valley Mustard Festival, I’ve decided to get off my butt and start my online wine course through the Culinary Institute of America, lovingly known as the C.I.A., but not THAT CIA. Anyway, they are housed in the Greystone building in St. Helena. Stunning! And where the opening night of the Mustard Festival was held. (I think it’s wrapping up as I write this). Why wasn’t I there? Well, I’m a single Mommy, and that’s enough of an answer.

The first part of the wine course is about Sauvignon Blanc, which I do like, a lot. This, in itself, is amazing, since I’m Redwinegirl, but anyway. I’ve noticed that when I drink Sauv. Blanc, I say it tastes “green”, not eco-save-the-planet-green, but green. You know……”green”. My limited knowledge was limiting my vocabulary (again, “weird”), so I was thrilled to see “green” broken down for me. It was an “A ha!” moment. ( I drink the stuff, I’m not so good at explaining why I like it ). Here are my favorite “A ha!” moments from tonights study. Green fruits- such as honeydew, or green apple.

vegatable green- pea pods, green beans, green bell peppers

green outdoors- newly mown grass

bitter green- arugula, green tea ice cream.

I SOOO get this! Very thankful for the descriptors, because I’m over-using, “kick ass” and “swoon” and “holy crap, that’s good”. Now I can elaborate on “green”.

(all of this studying is done whilst sipping on 2 ginormous glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, Liberty School. It’s a really kick ass wine!)

Now I have to buy 4 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc. California, loire Valley, South Africa and New Zealand. Tell ME I’m hating my homework right now!

[Via http://redwinegirl70.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: Rahm says we'll get to health care reform later

Chipotle versus the Grocery Store

2010-01-30T19:53:00.000+02:00

I SO should have posted this last night, whoops! Friday night dinner: Chipotle. John and I are trying to eat out less or at least more cheaply because it obviously gets expensive. Also, restaurant week in Denver is coming up and we want to try some $$ places we would normally never go to. During restaurant week, restaurants offer meals at either $52.80 for two (Denver is 5280 feet high- Mile High City) or $26.40 for one.

I mentioned last weekend that I dislike cooking at John’s house. He lives with 3 roommates and 2 dogs so it is rarely very clean. If you own a dog that sheds like crazy, then take on the responsibility of vacuuming or sweeping regularly! Anyway, the main reasons I don’t like to cook there:

Dog hair everywhere plus it is an old, dusty house. Every time I pull out pots, pans, or mixing bowls, I need to wash it all before I start cooking.
Lately it has been really cleaned up, but usually there are piles of dirty dishes (no dishwasher)
Minimal lighting and heating- it’s dark and cold in there!
The basics are missing- John has some olive oil, some salt, and a few staples like canned tuna and sauce and pasta.. then a bunch of snacks. No vegetables, no meat in the freezer, nothin’!

Ok, so you are probably like “Aw stop whining- spend 10 minutes cleaning and wear a sweatshirt if you’re cold!” That is what I try to tell myself too, but my biggest cooking issue is the lack of ingredients. If we want to cook anything, we have to buy everything. I’m thinking the two of us should brainstorm our eats during the week and I can bring spices, vinegars, oils, etc. down and just make one trip together to buy vegetables, meats, or other specific ingredients. Any other suggestions? Do you prefer cooking in your own kitchen? I think it definitely makes spur of the moment meals easier!

We took a step in the right direction though and got take out chipotle and a $10 bottle of wine.

Vegetarian burrito bowl with rice (they totally skimped on this), black beans, peppers and onions, corn salsa and spicy salsa, guac, and a little cheese. I always say “just a LITTLE cheese please” when I order at Chipotle or they basically start tossing fist-fulls of cheese all over the whole thing. I like my cheese but not in amounts equivalent to the beans!

Before Chipotle, we thought about buying ingredients to make burritos at home. I was interested in comparing the cost of this. Obviously, we could make more burritos out of buying the ingredients at the grocery store, and I would at home, though I’m not sure if John would use all the leftover products!

Chipotle- carnitas burrito and vegetarian burrito bowl: $15

Sunflower Market (estimates!)- burrito wraps ($2), some type of meat ($4), cheese ($2), lettuce ($1), salsa ($2), guac or guac making ingredients ($4), pepper ($1), onion ($0.50), taco seasoning ($1.50), beans ($1.50), rice ($3): $22.50

So initially we spent less. Let’s be honest though, I would have bought other unnecessary things if I walked into the store, but we would have been able to each make probable two burritos plus leftovers of other ingredients. Which I would have to bring back to Fort Collins or John would have to use (doubtful ). Interesting little analysis.

Our $10 bottle of wine, it was fruity and bold.

Now that it’s so late this AM, I’ll just cover breakfast now. One Chobani container with a big spoonful of PB stirred in- TRY THIS- topped with a microwaved apple + cinnamon and a tiny bit of granola I had left (it was literally a TBSP I think, boo).

The Greek yogurt plus peanut butter combination was like some sort of peanut butter mousse or something- see swirls below.

I’m off to buy new sneakers!!! And then go for a run of course. I’ve been holding out until my pay day!

[Via http://twolivesonelifestyle.com]

Metro 2033 arriving in March News | Eurogamer

on budgeting

2010-01-30T13:46:00.000+02:00

Image via Flickr user get directly down, under a Creative Commons license.

Last night, Jon and I went to the liquor store to restock on wine. As we were leaving with 5 bottles, we had the following exchange.

Jon: Now we have no money to eat.

Me: At least we have our priorities straight!

(Tip: I’m obsessed with Mendoza Station Argentinian Malbec lately. It’s $6 a bottle at my liquor store, but it tastes way more expensive than that. Check it out!)

[Via http://erniebufflo.wordpress.com]

DeMarcus Ware to have surgery | Dallas Cowboys Blog | Sports News ...

Wine and Chocolate

2010-01-30T01:47:00.000+02:00

What do you get when two of my favorite things come together in a joyous, rapturous, awesome event?

THIS.

Yep. And we’re going. We haven’t picked the date yet, but one of those weekends will be filled with luscious wine and decadent chocolate.

I can’t wait.

The Days of Wine and Chocolate in Niagara on the Lake.

Wine.

Chocolate.

TOGETHER!!!

[Via http://valcitygal.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: Obama's speech approval hit 83% in CBS poll ...

If the Greeks could do it, why can't we?

2010-01-28T19:52:00.000+02:00

I don’t (as a rule) plan to get political in this blog, but if using wine can help our country regain some civility, and achieve progress, I’m all for it!

It’s been said that the ancient Greeks realized that debate under the influence of alcohol was more open, honest, and truthful. They had elaborate rituals called Drinking Parties-Symposiums. After all, it was much easier to speak one’s mind while somewhat inebriated (they never allowed full-on drunkenness though), and valuable information was much easier to gather – I’m sure we can all attest to our somewhat uncensored actions from time-to-time while under the influence.

“The symposium basically had a serious purpose. The purpose was serious conversation. In the midst of all the drinking philosophical questions were examined: What was the purpose of life? What is justice and truth? Can we live under unconditional loyalty? Are the gods to be trusted? Are women really inferior? Is drinking the answer? Many of Plato’s dialogues including the symposium were first conceived in a drinking party when questions asked and the tongue freed by wine would speak.” – Christopher Xenopoulos Janus

I say, let’s gather all our elected officials together. Let’s put them in party togas, give them comfy reclining couches, let the wine pour freely, and pose all the critical questions swirling around us today: Why it so hard to pass healthcare? Should corporate America really be the ones calling all the shots? Is there really a problem with allowing civil rights to every American citizen regardless of race, age, gender, or sexual orientation? Is it better to invest in improved incarceration for our criminals, or improved schools for our children? The list goes on and on…

The current system doesn’t seem to be working to well, maybe this is worth a try, if nothing else, it sure would be interesting to hear what they have to say with their filters turned off! Even better, it should be broadcast uninterrupted like the State of the Union address is. This would beat any carefully moderated political debate in helping me make my voting decisions! What do you think?

[Via http://disogno.wordpress.com]

All of the news from today's iPad announcement

That's amore!

2010-01-28T01:38:00.000+02:00

Between the homemade turkey Bolognese last night and crock pot lasagna taste test at work, it’s been an Italian-packed 24 hours.

I saw a recipe (and photo – gorgeous!) on Faith’s blog, An Edible Mosaic. It was one of those many dishes that screams “make me!”. Some of you may know that my husband lived in Italy for 2 years (our entire engagement), and I was the lucky lady occupying the Italian villa for a summer. Ahhh…those were the days.

It is therefore no surprise that I acquired a love for good Italian food. And this recipe was DELICIOUS! Yes, a bit spendy on time, but the flavors and nutrition are enough to negate any lengths of simmering to perfection.

Turkey Bolognese adapted from An Edible Mosaic

Yield: 8 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 slices turkey bacon, finely diced

2 medium onion, finely diced

2 large stalks celery, finely diced

2 medium carrots, finely diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground turkey breast

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried Italian herb mix

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (with juices)

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 c stock (turkey, chicken, beef, or veggie)

1/4 chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp butter (optional, for finishing the sauce)

8 Tbsp Parmesan cheese – 1 Tbsp per portion for garnish

Prepared pasta (for serving)

In a 5-quart pot with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the turkey bacon and sauté until browned (about 5 minutes), then add the onion, celery, and carrot and sauté until the veggies are starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the turkey and cook until browned (about 5 minutes), then add the balsamic vinegar. Let the vinegar deglaze the pot by using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom. Stir in the salt, pepper, bay, dried Italian herb mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Simmer the sauce (uncovered) on low heat for about 2 hours (stirring occasionally) or until it’s thickened up to your desired consistency. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.

Serve with your favorite (whole wheat) pasta and garnished with Parmesan cheese and served with a green salad, if preferred.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 220 calories; 6.5 g. fat; 53 mg. cholesterol; 1034 mg sodium; 17.6 g. carbohydrate; 4.9 g. fiber; 22.8 g. protein

Today was again another taste test day at my clinic. I made the crock pot lasagna I raved about last week. It got huge thumbs up from the crowd. I love the emails that flood in over the afternoon hours…

“It was delicious!”

“Thank you, Nicole! Another delicious recipe to try on the family!”

“Wow! This is definitely a recipe I need to take home and put into practice!”

What can I say? It’s a keeper!

Question: What do you typically order when you go out for Italian cuisine? Did you know that in 3 months time I NEVER saw chicken on a menu in Italy?

Chicken parmigiana = not Italian!

I don’t negotiate on beverage of choice (Chianti), but I try to spread the food love…carbonara, marinara, and always the seafood selections! Mmmm!

Have a great night, thanks for reading!

P.S. Any Q&A questions can be sent to PreventionRD@gmail.com — I’m planning another Q&A post early next week!

[Via http://preventionrd.com]

Actual News on Earnings Call: Yahoo Disables Annoying “Hover” Tool ...

Fantasy Wine Fiction: Dinner for One

2010-01-26T13:07:00.000+02:00

via drinksareonme.net

Last week Dale Cruse, the irreverently astute and bright mind behind www.drinksareonme.net asked if I was interested in playing along with a new game he cooked up called “crowdsourcing wine fan fiction”. I knew it had to be some neat way to legitimize or make sense of the sensually interesting and edgy wine inclusive photos Dale has shared on his blog over the past months.

I bit. He sent me this photo and asked me to describe the scene in any way that my wine sensibility and creativity inspired me. What does the scene mean to you? Let your mind run wild. Go check out my take at Dale’s’ blog here and let Dale and me know what you make of the image. Have fun! Remember…it’s all FICTION!

Again, here is the link to my own fun fantasy interpretation: http://drinksareonme.net/post/353379886/alone-but-never-lonely

[Via http://winezag.wordpress.com]

Iran News – Emergency landing of Iranian airliner injures 46 ...

"Madeira Under The Vine" by Mitch Hicks

2010-01-26T07:37:00.000+02:00

Three men escape the hot Madeira midday sun Away from home and work in heaven having fun This simple retreat is a world they own Humble and so relaxed seated on stone I stumble on their vineyard shack Jester a hello they smile back Flat caps beckon me to have a drink No English is spoken yet they want to know what I think After a long morning walk I’m happy sharing their shade Pure simple wine flows from vines planted by spade I take a snap as my glass is filled with local wine Magic contentment filters from grapes under the vine Time capsules buried deep in your mind Remember strangers can be so kind Pic & Poem by Mitch Hicks All Rights Reserved © 2010

[Via http://lkthayer.wordpress.com]

WickedGayBlog.com: FOX NEWS SUCKS ASS!

Counting Sheep and Eating Hummus

2010-01-26T01:27:00.000+02:00

So, how many of you went to a sheep farm this weekend? Anybody? Nobody!? I can’t be the only crazy one.

Before I get to that, let me rewind a bit and tell you about the awesome time I had on Saturday night. I skipped taking pictures of eats today since all I had was leftovers.

I ended my last post with breakfast on Saturday morning. I ate pretty lightly for the rest of the day because Jeff and I had plans to go out with our friends, Jess and Seth, for a late dinner on Saturday night. To prevent this post from becoming a book, I am not going to post my eats for during the day on Saturday. They were boring anyway!

Jess and Seth got to our apartment at around 8 and we headed to the Moon & River Cafe for dinner. Unfortunately, the tiny place was packed and there was nowhere to sit so we left to go somewhere else. We’ll go back another day for lunch when it’s not so busy. We ended up at a local brewing company called Brown’s instead.

I knew what I wanted the second I opened the menu.

If you can’t read the description:

Vegetarian Black Bean & Barley Burger

Made with brewery barley, black beans, red and green peppers, onions, garlic, and a special blend of herbs and spices.

My mouth definitely exploded when I bit into it. I know I had a black bean burger on Friday night but that was frozen and this definitely was not. All of the different flavors blended excellently together. I need to recreate this at home! I didn’t eat the fries because the waitress told me that they are cooked in the same oil that the chicken wings are cooked in. I’m not sure how strict of a vegetarian I want to be yet so I passed on them. What do you think?

Of course, I ordered a beer with dinner. C’mon! It’s a brewery!

When we got home, Jess and I cracked open a bottle of wine.

And things got a bit silly. I’m not really sure how we got ourselves up the next morning to go to the sheep farm.

I made a big batch of broccoli eggs for breakfast for everyone.

And then we were off!

Amazing! We’re planing to go back next month to see the lambing!

I seriously don’t know how I could ever eat meat again after petting a cow.

On the way home, we stopped at Uncommon Grounds in Saratoga Springs for lunch.

Jess and Seth

I ordered veggies and hummus on a toasted rosemary olive bagel. Veggies included: tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and sprouts.

I love this bagel! They don’t have it at the Albany Uncommon Grounds for some reason. I ate half and took the rest home and brought it with me today for lunch.

When we got home, I did some yoga and then made a veggie (+ fruit) and pita chip plate for a snack.

Yes. More veggies and more hummus. I can’t get enough!

Dinner was delicious!

Before

After

I made baked cheesy pasta with breadcrumbs and broccoli.

I’ll save the recipe for another post (unless specifically requested in a comment or email) since this post is gigantic already. I’m sure I’ll be making it again!

Breakfasts this morning was the same as yesterday’s breakfast. Lunch was the same as yesterday’s lunch. And dinner was…wait for it…the same as yesterday’s dinner (shocker!). It was a day of repeats. I got up super early to read for class and didn’t get a chance to workout so I took today as a rest day! (I may still do some yoga to relax)

Hope you enjoyed the loooonngggg recap of my weekend!!

Two Questions:

Favorite type of bagel?

Favorite farm animal?

Have an awesome Tuesday! <3

[Via http://roseyrebecca.com]

Shocking News: Brangelina Split May NOT Happen! - The Hollywood Gossip

|Sunday| The end of Conan O'Brian and his becoming of alcoholism

2010-01-24T19:26:00.000+02:00

A huge glass of wine is just not enough for Conan O’Brian. It’s the end of his Tonight Show last night.

When NBC became Conan’s No Business Contact (V-TM); a good feeling with that humongous glass in the middle of nowhere is godly worthy.

V-TM: Vinum’s Trademark.

[Via http://vinumvine.wordpress.com]

Dear News Media… | The Intersection | Discover Magazine

Weekend Gluttony

2010-01-24T06:30:00.000+02:00

“Who loves not wine, women, and song, remains a fool his whole life long!”

– Johann Heinrich Voss

Not bad. Apparently you need three names to be a wine poet. Sitting there on a grassy knoll in Austria listening to a choral rehearsal of Mahler in the distance while pouring another glass for Fräulein Greta on a summer afternoon. Johann is no fool!

“The work week has past. We toiled through the days. Nay to carbs. Yea to greens. Whilst consuming vast amounts of protein.” – Gluttony Boy

Friday is done and a man’s thoughts embrace gluttony. As ground beef, beans, tomatoes and other ingredients simmer in the pot, I reach for the handle of the wine fridge, open the door and withdraw a bottle of Zinfandel. Not any Zinfandel, but one that promises to embrace the weekend sinfully and in gluttonous fashion. I’m talking about a 2007 bottle of 7 Deadly Zins. Fire up the iPod and kiss my Frau, lest me be a fool.

[Via http://gluttonyboys.wordpress.com]

Motorcycle Air Conditioner To Be Released Shortly from Bikes in ...

On a lighter note

2010-01-24T01:07:00.000+02:00

I figured I’d share a few favorite things I’ve discovered since I last posted on something other than current events. In no particular order, here they are:

If you are trying to decide between the 20 million charities that are currently asking for donations for Haiti right now, consider Partners In Health. They have, thus far, been making the best use of funds donated for disaster relief in Haiti, have an established network in the country, and are a pretty fantastic organization all around. If you want to know more, go check out their website, or read this book by Tracy Kidder, which is well written (as are all Tracy Kidder’s books, but that’s another story). They are one of those organizations that actually has an effective, efficient, sensible plan for accomplishing their mission, which is one of the main things I look for when I’m choosing an organization to donate to, and they’ve been working in Haiti for decades.
The White Mountains are amazing, especially in winter. We just made our second trip up there, and managed to summit Mt. Lafayette. It was worth every bit of muscle pain. I only wish we had summit pictures to show you; we’re still waiting on those from friends, as our camera did not like the cold one bit. The photo above is from the Falling Waters trail in Franconia Notch, which I highly recommend, but only if you have the gear. If you go up Brindle Path and down Falling Waters during winter, you can slide down the mountain most of the way!
Snow is actually pretty fantastic if you take full advantage of it.
Radish kimchi goes with EVERYTHING (er… maybe not chocolate, but that’s another experiment). If you haven’t tried it, go! Now! You don’t know what you’re missing. I had a breakfast burrito with kimchi, New Zealand cheddar, and fried eggs this morning, and have been known to put kimchi on nachos after a late night at the lab…
If you’re stuck in a wine shop trying to decide between the cutesy lizard label and the adorable kangaroos, ask if they have a rioja. Spanish wines are cheap for the quality, and I think they’re worth trying at least once. Reservas are even better, if they are in your price range. Barring that, try a Malbec. These are Argentinian reds that are also generally pretty good for the price, though they aren’t quite as reliable as the riojas seem to be, in my experience. Reservas are also a good bet for Malbecs.
Steep and Cheap is worth checking out if you’re interested in mountaineering gear.
The CSS upgrade on wordpress is worth it. If you’ve noticed (aka still don’t read blogs in some sort of RSS feed), my site has gotten somewhat ugly since I got cheap on you and stopped paying the $15/year upgrade. I may have to do something about that one of these night shifts.
Two tv shows I really should stop watching on netflix but cannot: Spooks / MI-5, which is a BBC series, and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. Clearly I’m about the last person on earth to start watching the second show, but having watched some horrible cooking shows and the shows he’s featured on places I’ve actually lived, I really think he actually tries to treat each place he visits with respect. That’s hard to find on television these days.

And that’s all for now. I have an experiment setup to supervise next week and a life to sort out, so we’ll see when I return…

[Via http://threeforks.wordpress.com]

Pundita: Haiti Crisis Breaking News: Search for survivors still ...

Who cares what kind of glass you're drinking from?!?

2010-01-23T13:52:00.000+02:00

I just replied to an email with the phrase “invigorating to have complete strangers come to your home to be entertained.” Someone either is a stranger or isn’t a stranger. That’s like saying, “I can’t go out for drinks, I’m kinda pregnant.” You are or you’re not. Redo sentence.

Why are people so scared to drink wine out of regular glasses? I stopped putting out wine glasses when I host large groups of people because they kept getting broken, they’re annoying to load in the dishwasher, and they’re on the other side of the room from said dishwasher which is too far for me to travel back and forth a gazillion times to get them out and put them away. I direct people to the regular juice glasses, half of which are full size and half of which are…half size.

It never fails that the following occurs:

1. Someone asks where to find a glass for wine

2. I point at the juice glasses

3. He/she surveys the selection, hesitates, and raises his/her eyebrows

4. The hand inches up to the glasses, cautiously and pauses in mid-air

5. The eyes dart from the full-size ones to the half-size ones

6. He/she takes a half-size one

a. If no half-size glasses are left, he/she stands in front of the full-size glasses for no less than twenty-minutes, running through all the possible scenarios that may play out if a full-size glass is grabbed:

Will be unable to control/monitor the amount of wine consumed and will be naked, singing “True Colors” within an hour
Others will assume you’re an alcoholic and either stay far away because they don’t want to deal with that mess, or offer to be your sponsor
The world will end because you’re doing something non-traditional

[Via http://macncheeseproductions.wordpress.com]

AdMob: iPhone OS dominating Oceania, Western Europe markets ...

Embracing My Inner Chocoholic

2010-01-23T07:54:00.000+02:00

Can I just be honest? I love chocolate. Some days more than others, but today I was definitely in one of those gotta have it chocolate moods. Yes it’s an addiction, and quite possibly a syndrome, but I don’t care. It makes me happy. So when I got to work and my usual Honeycrisp apple didn’t quite cut it (which by the way I’m eating like they’re going out of style, because they are infact going out of season).. and then the caramel wafers I found in the breakroom still didn’t curb my craving, so I slipped right on down to my corner Starbucks and ordered something chocolate. Now I really could have gone for a bag of dark chocolate M&M’s, but those weren’t at Starbucks so the next best thing was a chocolate cupcake.

The rather delicious apple..

The wafers that I could have done without..

And ultimately, the chocolate that I just had to have..

It’s true that I believe in honoring cravings, be it fried chicken or cheesecake, but I wouldn’t be a true nutrition nut if I didn’t take a minute to point out the fantastic health benefits of chocolate.

#1 Chocolate is a plant-based food, and rich in flavanoids (like leafy greens!)

#2 It’s packed with antioxidants that help fight cancer.

#3 Has been linked to lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol.

#4 Chocolate contains endorphins and seretonin, which can improve your mood. (Coincidentally the body produces these ‘happy’ endorphins through exercise, although I don’t recommend replacing cardio with a chocolate bar).

#5 Chocolate tastes like a little piece of heaven! Therefore indulging in modest amounts keeps your body feeling satisfied, rather than deprived.

Well I could go on and on about chocolate, but lets move on… TGIF!! Can anyone agree with that? What a week. There have been a lot of good eats in my house, days full of school, studying, work, running, and wine.

I can’t think of a better way to start the day than a great big bowl of oats. Although I fear I might be getting into a rut. Don’t get me wrong, I love oats with a dollop of apple-cranberry butter and/or almond butter, but maybe it’s time to throw something new into breakfast rotation. Nut butters that is, as for oats I’ll never stray..

Treating myself to French Pressed coffee at every opportunity..

Salads are almost a given. I love a winter soup and salad combo, or just a great big dinner salad at la mia casa. This week I did a couple lunch salads, dinner salads, an attempt at a caprese sandwich (which was kind of sad because my mozarella got soft and drooped over the toast), a chicken skewer dinner, which made for good Friday leftovers, and of course this weeks’ veggies were out of control tasty!

A touch of fresh rosemary gave this salad huge flavor. Otherwise this arugula salad included a winning combo of chopped walnuts, goat cheese, grape tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, sea salt + pepper.

Not to mention my new love for rosemary balsamic vinegar (not to be confused with sugary vinegarette dressing). This stuff is the bees knees..

Next, Chicken skewers. So simple if you have some basics on hand. I just drizzled about 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over one 4-oz chicken breast (cubed), add 1 Tbsp garlic paste (or you can mince, but Trader Joe’s makes it so easy with their garlic paste in a jar so why bother?), 1 lemon–first use the whole rind for zest, then juice it, and finally, a sprig of fresh rosemary. Thread onto a skewer, adding veggies as desired, and set the oven at low broil for 10 minutes.

More salads..

And now for my lunch caprese. After this attempt, I probably won’t pack a caprese toast for lunch. I really prefer it served fresh.. but seeing how I love mozarella, tomato, and basil, I’m open to suggestions!

With that I think I’ve brought you up to speed in the food life of moi. I appologize for slacking on regular blog entries, but school is cramping my style in more ways than I care to share. For instance, I’m so whooped come Friday that all I look forward to is bloggin..from bed, with a bottle glass of wine. Tonight after work I stopped by Trader Joe’s for a jar of apple-cranberry butter and a bouquette of flowers. Then I went to the gym, only to be taunted with more images of chocolate thanks to the Cooking Light magazine I read while running. P.S. Cooking Light has not only great nutrition articles, but amazing recipes.

The flowers, because lets face it ambiance takes a little finesse..

Likewise, the wine is always a key component.. Featured tonight, Columbia Crest Two Vines.

I hope everyone had a fabulous week, and have an even more fabulous weekend. Buona notte!!

[Via http://fittoindulge.com]

Advancing the Story News with numbers

Thanks Verizon, I'll blame you when I don't have a 6-pack ;)

2010-01-23T01:50:00.000+02:00

Ahhh finallyyyyy! Friday night and the work week is ov-ah Today was a doozie, not gonna lie, but getting in the car to head home couldn’t have felt any better after a long, productive day!

When I got home I was greeted by ol’ sickie (aka The Man )and his new sidekick Lucy Dog… these two apparently slept the day away amongst a video game extravaganza…at least according to the site of the living room hahaha… peas in a pod those two

I was really in the mood to do a moderate cardio workout and I knew my main man Kendall Hogan could deliver with his BootCamp Calorie Burn. This is a great workout to get your heart pumpin’ but not over-do it, love it for moderate exercise days!

I also decided to get in a quickie ab sesh so checked out K-dog’s Rock Solid Abs and was really lovin’ the moves until Verizon decided to suck a big fat one and turn off On Demand randomly. Thanks Verizon. I’ll blame you when I don’t have a 6-pack, k? haha rightttttttt

Since The Man was still feelin’ pretty icky I was on my own for dinner. So of course I decided that a trip to Trader Joe’s was in order haha (just what the doctor ordered?)

I ended up grabbing a pre-made salad with apples, walnuts, gorgonzola, chicken topped with my own roasted red pepper vinaigrette and black pepper.

This was pretty good for a fast fix!

I also couldn’t resist a bit more of the leftover butternut squash pasta, this no-recipe made a ton and since The Man is sick it’s up to me to get through it! I love a good challenge

Couldn’t resist using the lil’ heart o’ lurve dish

And since it’s a day that ends in “y” been a long week some of the good stuff was definitely on the agenda!

I’m usually a Chardonnay kinda gal, but this wine is heavenly

Before I go also I wanted to thank my friend Caroline for her informative comment today in regards to my recent coconut oil purchase!

I totally had not realized that there was such controversy around the stuff due to a past misconception that all coconut oils were hydrogenated (yuckkkk! who knew? bad fanatic for being behind the curve on that…)

Just as an FYI to you friends, the type that I purchased was “Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil” and according to Spectrum, is derived from pesticide-free, fresh coconuts and does not go through any bleaching, deoderizing, etc process – yuck again! This, in turn, makes it wayyyyyyyyy better for the ol’ bod-ayyyyy, obvi

No trans-fat ’round here! Phew…

Oh yes, and one more exciting tidbit of info for you friends – one of my best girlfriends at work got engaged tonight!!! I am so excited for her Her now-fiancee is just a great guy and she has been a wonderful friend over the past few years since we met!

Alright, off to continue my nurse duties… chicken soup and grilled cheese are the The Man’s dinner menu tonight!

Have a wonderful night friends

[Via http://cookinfanatic.wordpress.com]

Bay Area News Project Strikes Content Deal With The New York Times

Vinho do Porto, how I love thee

2010-01-21T19:49:00.000+02:00

Port, porto, port wine, call it what you want, I have a weakness for it. For the unacquainted, porto is a fortified Portuguese-style wine. With a piece of dark chocolate (lately I have discovered dark chocolate with bits of sea salt), it is sublime. It takes my end-of-day edge off and honestly, the combination just makes me happy. Problem is, I am not sure where it fits in my new No-S lifestyle. I did a little research and found that a 4 ounce glass of porto contains 185 calories (versus 95 calories for a glass of red wine). Add to that my divine piece of sea salt dark chocolate (50 calories) and I find myself ingesting an extra 235 calories. My heavenly treat comes at a price. Do that twice a week and sha-bang, almost 500 calories of unadulterated pleasure. Hmpf. That kind of pisses me off. If I wasn’t trying to lose weight, it wouldn’t bother me much at all. I mean, I am sure once I reach my goal weight I will be able to handle this pleasure without regaining my weight, but if I am trying to lose, it might not be the winning combination.

I guess I just found a new “S” to avoid, actually it starts with “P” and ends with “O”, and I will miss it.

[Via http://twentyfive2go.wordpress.com]

On Tuesday, a Big Night for Fox News - Media Decoder Blog ...

The perfect summer party punch

2010-01-21T13:24:00.000+02:00

Summer time is party time and here is a great idea for a summer punch. This recipe is sure to impress your friends.

This recipe makes 27 individual drinks when served in white wine glasses making it a perfect holiday party punch. As with any drink that is flamed, caution should be taken when making The Summer Punch (aka English Christmas Punch) and igniting the ladle filled with rum.

Ingredients:

750 ml bottle dark rum
750 mi bottle dry red wine
3 cups strong tea
1 lb superfine sugar
juice of 1 large orange
juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:

Heat, but do not allow to boil, the wine, tea, lemon and orange juices in a saucepan or chafing dish.
Pour the heated mix into a heat proof punch bowl.
Place as much sugar as possible into a large ladle and any excess sugar into the punch bowl.
Saturate the sugar in the ladle with rum.
Ignite the rum and sugar in the ladle and pour it while still aflame into the punch.
Stir well and extinguish the flames.
Pour the remainder of the rum into the punch.
Stir well.
Serve in white wine glasses.

Source: cocktails.about.com

[Via http://tallhorsewines.wordpress.com]

Shannyn Moore: Bad News, Good News: Coakley Loses

Ocho

2010-01-21T01:40:00.000+02:00

Ocho is certainly not the first tapas bar in Seattle, nor the biggest, but it may be one of the busiest, and it’s definitely a big hit in Ballard.

Ocho Tapas - Photo by M. Davis

Reminiscent of Matt’s old place in the Pike Place Market, Ocho has been a hit from day one, and there’s no sign of it abating any time soon.

Not having yet visited Spain, I can’t attest to the authenticity of this tapas bar, but I have the very real sense that you would find small spots like this tucked into neighborhoods all over Spain, jammed with people enjoying great food and wine or cocktails; there’s something infectious about the atmosphere, the food, and the drinks – you want to stay all night, and many do.

La tapa, meaning savories or finger-food, has a long history in Spain. Several legends attempt to explain the beginnings of tapas, but it’s main purpose is to tide you over until dinner, and likely started with farm workers who took small snacks into the fields to eat while working. In the United States, it has become a way of eating, and likely a much healthier approach than sitting down and eating enough for a family of four (all by yourself) in one seating. Regardless, it’s a great way to while away a couple of hours at places like Ocho, sipping a glass of wine, and munching your way through the menu.

Co-owners Zach Harjo (one-time bartender at La Carta de Oaxaca) and Gelsey Hanson appear to have hit one out of the park with this place. Ocho, as mentioned, is small, so be prepared to get close to people, ala European style. The bar seats 10 or 11

Partial Menu - Photo from Ocho site

people, and the tables on two walls might accommodate another 20 or so, assuming they’re really good friends, and all this simply adds to the atmosphere of share camaraderie.

A chalkboard menu lists about 20 dishes, changing at the whim of the chef, Colby Chambers, who most recently worked at Canlis. An example of what you might find on the board are, of course, olives, almonds, and Boquerones – Spanish white anchovies for $3. Don’t be put off, these aren’t the salty little brown fish out of a can, but more like little fresh herring.

Boquerones en vinagre - photo by Kent Wang

A selection of cheeses for $6, a Tortilla Espanola – think quiche, for $2, Pa amb Tomaquet – olive oil toast with garlic tomato and

Mahon cheese, $2. Try a Croquetas Barrachas – fried goat cheese with a roasted pepper almond sauce, $4; Alcachofas – fried artichoke hearts with lemon zest artichoke allioli, $3; or Seared sea scallop with English pea puree, jamon Serrano, and lemon vinaigrette, $9.

Other typical tapas are Chorizo con Limon, Patatas Bravas, Bisteca, and of course the world famous Jamon Serrano, cured Spanish ham.

In Spain, and much of the Mediterranean and Europe, you simply don’t drink without some food, and you don’t eat without some wine. At Ocho, you can choose from a nice list of wines, Spain and Portugal of course, with prices ranging from $5 to $10 a glass, and bottles from $18 to $56. Now that’s a wine list meant to be enjoyed, not break the bank.

If you haven’t tried sherry, and you want to finish your experience with a touch of sweetness, there are four sherries, a Moscatell, and a port, for $5 – $8. This isn’t your Bristol Cream sherry, but the real thing. The Spaniards and Portuguese take pride in their sherries.

There are four drafts, and a half-dozen bottled beers, and a selection of cocktails for $8 – $10. There are three sangrias, white, red, and familia (uses pear brandy), El Picador – vodka or gin, Maraschino, cucumber, rosemary, and a skewered beet; San Miguel, gin, St. Germain, and rhubarb bitters; La Hora Verde – an herbal vodka infusion; Death in the Afternoon – La Hora Verde with a Cave Rose; Dark & Stormy – a rum drink with ginger beer; and the Ten Dollar Margarita made with El Tesoro Anejo tequila (the good stuff).

If you’ve never been to a tapas bar, you owe yourself a treat, and to experience what it must be like in Spain, you should check out Ocho.

24th & Market in Ballard 4pm-2am daily: Now Serving Brunch Saturday and Sunday, 11am-2pm: 206.784.0699

[Via http://cibodivita.wordpress.com]

Rock Band Network open beta goes live | News

The Trend Report: Cult Hero/Jayson Woodbridge

2010-01-19T19:49:00.000+02:00

With so much information about the Layer Cake Wines on our blog, we are always looking for articles, press, reviews and information from others on what makes Layer Cake Wines truly a special wine. The one common denominator in the entire equation is winemaker and owner, Jayson Woodbridge.

I’ve written about him before, but, Christopher Campbell of Destinations magazine captured Jayson in his November 2008 article called Cult Hero. Big thanks to Christopher,

With close-to-perfect Robert Parker ratings and up to a five-year waiting list for his Hundred Acre vintages, the maverick vintner of Napa Valley believes good wine is a birthright.

By Christopher Campbell

Second Calling

“When I was young I was a soldier in the army…not much wine, just good hard work. Then I was an investment banker, and I hunted down and drank some of the greatest wines in the world. One day I walked into a vineyard and had an epiphany. I was destined to become a winemaker.”

The Good Stuff

“My Hundred Acre wines go for $250 for a bottle of Cab to $500 for a single-vineyard port, and I spend most of my time apologizing to people for not having any left for them to buy. They sell out the second we release them. All four Hundred Acre offerings are rare in that each is made from one vineyard only. They are a pure expression of that vineyard in that year and place in time. The French call it terroir. Three of my vineyards are in Napa Valley and my fourth, Ancient Way, is in the legendary Barossa Valley of South Australia; it’s monolithic.…Winston Churchill would have loved it.”

Special Forces

“Layer Cake is what we drink every day. It’s about $15 a bottle. I decided to take my team from Hundred Acre and go make wine in some of the greatest places on earth. It’s really the people’s passport to my favorite wine regions of the world—Malbec from Argentina, Zinfandel (Primitivo) from Italy’s Puglia, Shiraz from South Australia, Syrah from Côtes du Rhône, and Napa Valley Cabernet. The mission was simply to shock people about how good wine could be at those price points.”

Family Wisdom

“The name Layer Cake comes from my grandparents, who taught me that everything in life is about layers and complexity. As a little boy, I could relate to that. Still do.” Behind Closed Doors

“The vineyard is off-limits to tours because, well, most of the time we are sold out. If I opened up for visitors, I would have to shut the place down and become a guide—not happening. The wine comes first.”

Hundred Acre and Layer Cake wines are sold on vintagepoint.com. To get on the waiting list for Hundred Acre wines, go to hundredacre.com.

[Via http://layercakewine.wordpress.com]

Haiti Earthquake News: Helping Haiti Travel & Tourism | Peter ...

Mussel power

2010-01-19T13:42:00.000+02:00

OK, there’s an “R” in the month, and we’re sort of in the middle of the “R” months, so we’re having mussels this weekend.

Some people are still scared about cooking mussels, but as long as you buy them really fresh and treat them properly there’s nothing to be afraid of.

Buying mussels

You’ll need plenty of mussels course – at least “deux kilos” for three people. Not the frozen pre-cooked variety, or the pre-cleaned pre-packed ones either.

They must be as fresh as possible, picked by yourself at low tide if you can, or fresh from the market that day.

Buy them on the same day as you’re going to eat them.

The shells should be black and shiny, tightly closed, and never dry and ashen.

They want to smell pleasantly of the deep sea and ozone – not “fishy”.

In the Languedoc, you might look for “bouchot”, the ones grown on wooden posts. The stallholder may ask “Laver?” but don’t bother. You can always wash them yourself when you get back to your kitchen.

Keep the mussels cool on the way home (not in a hot boot of a car), preferably in an onion net type bag, never tightly wrapped in a plastic bag in which they can suffocate, and not in waxy paper either.

Preparing mussels

Raw mussels must be alive when you cook them, so prepare them carefully. Eating ones that you aren’t sure of is simply not worth the risk.

Give each mussel a quick scrub to remove any surface dirt. Scrape off the larger barnacles, though I no longer worry about the smaller ones.

Discard any mussels that are damaged or refuse to close when sharply tapped with the back of a knife.

Pull off as much of the “beard” as you can. This is the byssal or byssus thread – a protein which the mussel “spins” to attach itself to a rock or rope – or to other mussels.

Wash the mussels thoroughly in a few changes of cold water.

Cooking mussels

Moules marinières

Cook the mussels simply, in the biggest pot you can find, with chopped parsley, shallots, garlic, a large splash of wine.

Put the lid on, and let them steam away for about three minutes until they all open.

Standing out against the background of the pearl-white inner part of the shell, there’s a surprising variety in tthe colour of the meat. Some mussels are beige (male), others are orange (female). I really must do a blind tasting some time to see if we can spot any difference in flavour.

Discard any shells that don’t open.

Always avoid overcooking the mussels, or their meat will shrivel and become tough. And do not add any salt – mussel juice is already quite salty.

Serve in warmed shallow bowls, with hunks of crusty bread for mopping up the liquor/sauce, and a glass of dry white wine or a chilled rosé.

A few home-made frites and mayonnaise wouldn’t go amiss either.

Keith Floyd cooking mussels

Other ways to cook mussels

Mussels are surprisingly versatile, and there are many other ways to cook them as a dish in themselves, such as:

Moules à la Provençale (with chopped tomatoes, olive oil, basil and oregano)
Moules au curry (simply add a pinch of mild curry powder)
Moules au lardon – add small cubes of smoky bacon (fry these first)
Mouclade (this has a very wide range of meanings)
Moules farcies – stuffed mussels, something that’s a bit of work, so leave it to restaurants

They can also be oven roasted, or cooked en papillote (in a bag).

Our local tapas bar in the Hérault does them in a slightly piquant chilli sauce, a sort of Catalan twist, though I prefer the more traditional versions.

In Marseillan, they also do a Gratin de moules au Noilly Prat et parmesan, though that’s a completely different kettle of fish.

Or you could even use pastis, Pernod or beer instead of the white wine.

But what we’ll be doing this weekend is mussels in cider – Moules marinieres à la scrumpy jacques. More of that anon.

Moules frites in a Carcassonne bistro

[Via http://irishherault.wordpress.com]

Fox News: “Confirmed. Apple Tablet, iPhone 4.0 Software and New ...

Are the monks making tonic wine or Commotion Lotion?

2010-01-19T07:25:00.000+02:00

Image via Wikipedia

Buckfast Abbey in England is a community of Catholic monks who maintain their lives through bee-keeping and through the production of a tonic wine, made according to a method brought when French monks re-founded Buckfast Abbey more than 300 years after its dissolution by Henry VIII. Such traditional tonics are just what one expects from an abbey refounded in the 19th century by strict Benedictine monks.

But the Scottish police tell a different story.

According to news reports on the BBC, the Scottish police report that “the tonic wine Buckfast has been mentioned in thousands of crime reports by Scottish police in the past three years, including 114 cases of the bottle being used as a weapon.” The report cites common names for the tonic wine including Commotion Lotion and Wreck the House Juice.

Whatever it’s name, its combination of a quite a bit of caffeine (Caffeine, 37.5mg/100ml according to Wikipedia) with a relatively high alcohol content (15% ABV) seem to contribute to its popularity. The monks have not made the tonic wine themselves since the 1920s, after they were not able to retain their license to produce it. They continue to sponsor its production and, I think, to benefit from the proceeds.

I have to wonder if the characteristics of the wine are the real cause of the complaints. There are plenty of other inexpensive high-alcohol content drinks available in the UK as in the USA, most of them implicated in a number of crimes. Bucky’s unusual flavoring and history are noticeable, making it more likely that the brand name will show up in police reports. No, I think it is the connection with a monastery that is the source of the discomfort.

St. Benedict himself could not persuade his monks to refrain from drinking wine – he said so in the Rule of Benedict – and instead limited them to moderate amounts. The tension between the ascetical view of the monk and the more moderate reality always brings out the tsk tsk response in people – as it seems to have done with the Scottish police force.

Prov 4:16-17: For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness. And drink the wine of violence.

2010-01-17T19:51:00.000+02:00

There is more irony in this picture of upside down morality, where wickedness has become meat and drink and even duty. It is a warning against setting foot on a path which one might think adventurous and diverting, for it can lead as far as this. The Bible does not hide the fact that one can become as zealous for evil as for good. “Stumble” is a key concern. Contrast the Christian concern in Romans 14:21.

[Via http://hbiblecommentary.wordpress.com]

Fox News' Thursday Ratings Dominate Cable News Haiti Coverage | TV ...

Layer Cake: first sip

2010-01-17T07:36:00.000+02:00

I had my first fling with Layer Cake last night, and my hopes were high. How did it go? Well, it was not the most auspicious of beginnings.

Layer Cake Cotes du Rhone 2006

Bought at World Market for $12.

This was a disappointment. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t a $50 for $12. Frankly, it was a $12 bottle for $12. Light fruit, maybe some strawberry notes, light acid, tannins that gripped the mouth but didn’t really lend any structure or backbone to the wine. Overall it was very short. From putting the glass to my lips to the finish ending was maybe ten seconds. It was very pleasant and drinkable. So is fruit punch. I won’t buy this again, and if I were you I’d look to other $12 bottles that are better values. I hope the other Layer Cakes are better!

Wine info:

Cotes du Rhone means slopes of the Rhone Valley. The Northern Rhone is very separated from the Southern Rhone. See the map:

A Cotes du Rhone wine can come from pretty much anywhere in either the Northern or Southern Rhone. Reds from the Northern Rhone can only be made from Syrah. Reds from the Southern Rhone can be made from any of 13 grapes, although in general they are mostly Grenache and/or Syrah. Layer Cake sources all their fruit from the South, and uses only Syrah. From the winemaker:

“Our Layer Cake from the Côtes du Rhône is centered around Châteauneuf du Pape and is one hundred percent Syrah for the richness, floral notes and finesse imparted by the warmer Southern Rhône climate. Ancient vines planted in seemingly impenetrable terrain due to the top layer of granite cobbles provided us with signature soils to harvest Syrah for Layer Cake. We sourced from vineyards surrounding Chateauneuf du Pape in order to create a substantial bottle of Syrah reflective of the New World winemaking style we bring to the region. The result is a ripe, accessible example of Syrah; as always, we make Layer Cake to be ‘rich, always rich’. Layer Cake Côtes du Rhône is succulent and lush. Nearly opaque, the wine is a unique combination of rich, forward fruit more commonly found in wines of the New World, yet complimented by pleasing accents of minerality indicating Old World terroir. The wine is elegant and unctuous; a true food wine with balanced richness; offering flavors of wild blueberries, black currants, star anise, earth and history. Aromas of pre-Castro cigars, minerals and an underlying hint of savory herbs rise from the glass. This is a New World expression of Côtes du Rhône, wonderfully accessible the moment it is opened.”

Now, I’m just an average Joe, not a professional wine guy, but I have to say: ‘Really?” The bottle I drank was neither rich, nor succulent. And ‘pre-Castro cigars?’ That may be completely accurate, but it is also completely pretentious. There also weren’t any minerals or savory herbs. I’ve read other reviews around the internet and I think no one found any of those things in their glass. And perhaps more importantly, I have to say that had I read this description first, I probably wouldn’t have bought it. Next will be the Shiraz, to which Robert Parker gave 90 points and said it was a Super Value. As I said above: I hope it is better than this one was!

[Via http://dallaswineblog.com]

Vanguard News Online

Introspect and Red Cat

2010-01-17T01:36:00.000+02:00

I am able to just sit down and relax, although I’m missing the hubby. But the monster is asleep, I don’t really have anything that I ‘need’ to be doing, and bonus I have some Red Cat yay! I’ve just been texting hubby and thinking for the past hour or so. I recently went off of my birth control, not for the reason that I want to be (as in trying to conceive), but rather because my midwife suggested it when my ob-gyn had an emergency and couldn’t see me. So I went home and looked it up, after hubby gave me the ok to go off if I wanted to, even though he hates condoms. And I found about 32 reviews on webMD and the majority of them were about how Balziva, the birth control I was on, put them into a deep depression, some didn’t realize it, some thought it was in their heads and kept taking it, some went so far that they had been having thoughts about killing themselves. I looked up the side-effects and was horrified, almost everything that I had been complaining of for the past couple of months (how long I’ve been on the birth control) was right there in that list! I have been in and out of doctors offices, and for the past month specifically my ob-gyn office, and no one thought of the connection. I ask my hubby if he thinks I’m depressed and he says, “well a little”. That’s an understatement. I took the test that was linked and it said I was at a high risk for a major depression. And once I started opening my eyes and thinking and letting myself take a good look in the ‘mirror’ I found that I was depressed, really bad, I had been slipping deeper and deeper into my depression. The thing is no one, really knew how bad I was getting, my mom didn’t even know I was depressed, until I said I was forcing myself to leave the house, to get out and do things, do act like I was fine. But I was always, edgy and cranky, the wrong thing would make me burst into tears or start screaming. I took a good look at myself, and realized I wasn’t going outside as much, I wasn’t reading as much (I’m a big book-worm), and I wasn’t really taking many photographs and I’m a huge shutterbug normally. I’ve been putting things off and just shoving them away, which is so opposite of my personality. I haven’t even written anything in my son’s baby book, I haven’t put his photos into the beautiful scrapbook my friend made and gave me as a shower present, I haven’t even written in my personal journal. I think I just let myself think that it was cause of other things, that I hadn’t lost my baby weight, that I didn’t fit in any of my real clothes, that my back hurt, that I was tired, etc, etc. But I’m realizing now that maybe these things were all interconnected. So, I’m off the birth control, I’m not planning on going back on any, I’m going to see my ob-gyn and finally settle everything, and I’m going to try like hell to get back to myself. I had just found myself before I get pregnant and now I’m losing her already, and Gods be damned if I’m going to let that happen.

[Via http://redheadmermaid.wordpress.com]

News: Kellan Lutz, PETA, Iowa, Susan Boyle, Top Gear, Jesus Luz ...

Lunch in the Mountains 1

2010-01-16T19:11:00.000+02:00

The sun came out, and so did we! We skied up, we skied down then we clambered aboard the chairlift to take us up to La Taverne where we were in time to get a table on the terrace overlooking a sea of mist covering most of Le Grand Bornand.

La Taverne is a mountain restaurant in a renovated old farm chalet offering simple lunches in the winter season prepared and served by a husband and wife. It is the least sophisticated of the several alpine restaurants in this area but it is all the more charming for that.

We all chose their speciality – indeed signature – dish, Gratin d’Endives et Jambon.

The Jean Masson Apremont is just right for this dish, with lovely acidity to cut through the cheesy gratin and gentle fruit to marry with the endive. Made with the Jaquère grape this Savoie wine is light in alcohol and is from our nearest wine region, well worth a visit - though not in winter.

With a last look at the gorgeous view we paid the reasonable bill and set off to ski off our mountain lunch.

[Via http://brettthewinemaestro.wordpress.com]

Palin's arrival to Fox News a curious move | Daily Trojan

2007 Xero Malbec from Bodega Lopez paired with Lentil Chili Soup

2010-01-16T13:14:00.000+02:00

This review and pairing is dedicated to our viewer Ann who expressed interest in this particular wine. 2007 Xero Malbec from Bodega Lopez in the Luján de Cuyo region, Mendoza Province Wine Reference. This wine is made with carefully selected 100% Malbec grapes from the estate Los Carolinos.

Location of Vineyards. Agrelo (High Valley of Mendoza River), department of Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza Province.

Climate. Privileged area characterized by a particular micro-climate of dry summers with warm sunny days and cool nights. Its notable temperature amplitude favors a perfect ripeness of grapes which acquire a great concentration of aromas and colors, keeping exceptional sanitary conditions.

Soil. Loamy-sandy soil of alluvial origin, stony and not very deep.

Vine-training system. These vineyards are trained through the system of low vine with a traditional vineyard cultivation method. Their high plantation density in combination with a low production of plants and varietal purity, allow grapes to reach an unbeatable quality.

Harvest. Selected bunches are hand-picked in order to count on the highest quality of grapes for wine-making. The ideal moment for harvesting depends on the level of ripeness reached by grapes, a process followed with special interest and commitment to obtain a perfect ripening level where maximum varietal definition, color and aromatic expression are achieved.

Wine-making process. Fermentation is done inside stainless-steel tanks with a strict control of temperature. In order to achieve an intense extraction of tannins and color, a slow maceration (longer contact with the grapes skin and the must) is done for the wine to obtain great color and aromas.

Tasting Notes. Red color wine with purple shades and intense aromas in the nose. In the mouth, it present noticeable tannins that provide this wine with an excellent body and great structure.

Tasting. According to the consumer’s preference, this wine can be aged inside its bottle for a period of 5 years or more. Due to its characteristics, this wine is great to accompany red meat and meals with spicy sauces. In order to preserve all its properties intact during storing, which can last 5 years or more, the bottle must be kept in horizontal position so as to maintain the wine in contact with the cork, and in places away from light and heat.

2007 Xero Malbec from Bodega Lopez in the Luján de Cuyo region, Mendoza Province.

Lentil Chili Soup

Serves 7 – Incorporate more lentils into your diet with this robust soup. It gets its full-bodied flavor from beer, chicken broth, and a variety of seasonings.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon acceptable vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

3 medium cloves garlic, minced, or 1 ½ teaspoons bottled minced garlic

3 ½ cups Chicken Broth (low-sodium)

12-ounce can light beer or 1 ½ cups water

1 ¼ cups water

1 ½ cups dried lentils, sorted for stones and rinsed (12 ounces)

6-ounce can no-salt-added tomato paste

2 ½ to 3 tablespoons chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt-free all-purpose seasoning

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon cayenne

6 green onions, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)

2 ounces grated nonfat or low-fat Cheddar cheese (about ½ cup)

Directions:

In a heavy stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat bottom of pan. Saute onions, bell pepper, and garlic for 8 to 10 minutes.

Add broth, beer, 1 ¼ cups water, lentils, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, all-purpose seasoning, sugar, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir occasionally and add water if necessary.

To serve, ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with green onions and Cheddar.

Calories 222

Protein 15 g

Carbohydrates 35 g

Cholesterol 1 mg

Total Fat 2 g

Saturated 0 g

Polyunsaturated 1 g

Monounsaturated 0 g

Fiber 13 g

Sodium 126 mg

A really nice winter time comfort dish paired with a great wine from Argentina.

From my table to your’s,

WineGuyMike.

[Via http://winendinecvs.wordpress.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Local news shows are where the biased ...

All Pugs No Traffic! Happy Friday to All!

2010-01-16T01:38:00.000+02:00

Thats right. Just as my title states I have solved my dilemma with getting home with as little traffic interaction as possible. Although the Dam Rd illuded me 2 days ago when it was closed…It is closed no longer! YAY! Oh happy day! It only took me 25 minutes to get home. I had plenty of time to go to the liquor store to buy wine for dinner (and Friday libations in general).

Dude this is an accomplishment! Its friday in Denver and I got home in 25 minutes which should take me 40 minutes! I think I will go celebrate with some wine!

Oh I have to share one more thing… When I went to buy the wine (a Pinot Noir because Jeff likes that kind and I like pretty much all wine) I found this wine:

Dog Gone Wine - With a pug!

Now you know with how much my future mother in law (yeah I am not engaged I just call her that)LOVES pugs I just had to buy it and give it to her this weekend to thank her for helping me move the rest of my stuff up to boyfriends house (I mean OUR house). Isn’t he cute? I think I will call him Pinot in honor of the other bottle of wine I purchased and shall enjoy tonight!

[Via http://lifeaccordingtokelly.wordpress.com]

Jewlicious » Jewish News Roundup

My Favorite Grape

2010-01-14T19:52:00.000+02:00

Well not really since that would be like picking my favorite child. I love them all in their own unique way. However I was on Cellar Tracker the other night running some reports and something interesting popped up. For those of you not familiar with Cellar Tracker it is an online program that started out as a wine cellar management application. I’ve been using it almost since its inception and it has grown to a lot more with community tasting notes, valuations and a host of other features. One of the things you can do is run reports on your data: how many bottles drunk, when, from what region etc. At the end of the year I like to run a report that lists all of the wines I’ve tasted in order of my ratings. For the past three years the top scoring whites all been from a different producer but all were chenin blancs from the Loire valley. All were of the dry style (chenin’s can be also made in a sweet style). Try some. I have found their combination of dry acidity and minerality along with the flavors of apple, honeysuckle, acacia and quince to be fantastic.

[Via http://fredfoodie.com]

EXCLUSIVE: 'Ghostbusters 3′ Script Is In, Ivan Reitman Confirms He ...

Limoux: carnivals, wines and automata

2010-01-14T13:32:00.000+02:00

The Limouxins – that’s what they call the locals – are getting ready for next week’s Carnaval. It’s not exactly Venice or Rio, but so what. Limoux has the longest, oldest, longest-running and most incomprehensible carnival in the world, and it has been going on since the 1500s.

The carnival is sometimes called the Fècos (in Occitan that’s the name of a dance characteristic of the festival), or the Carnaval de Limoux in French.

Automata from Limoux

The villagers and tourists, many in ornate masks and fancy dress, dance in a fantasmagorical procession from one bar to the next around the Place de la République at the heart of the town.

Everything takes place under flaming torches, accompanied by the brass band and a king of the carnival, such as the stuffed figure of a fireman they had the other year, who is destined to be burned. You can get a taster of the band’s music on the festival website.

This two-month-long Occitan celebration of food, music and le savoir vivre carries on until the Sunday before Palm Sunday.

This year’s Fècos runs from Sunday 18 January to Sunday 29 March, and you can check out some videos of previous years’ festivities here.

More about Limoux

Limoux (or Limós in Occitan) is in the heart of Cathar country, on the river Aude and less than 30 kilometres south of Carcassonne.

If you were thinking of living in this fairytale town, one French property website notes that “75% of properties were built before 1974″, “some houses in Limoux date from the Renaissance period”, and “in 2009, the average price for an ancient house is about €124,000.” Phew.

And if, like us two in the Evening Hérault, you’re not going to be in the region between now and March, Limoux has plenty of other things to offer during the rest of the year…

Animated puppets and piano museums

Limoux also has three rather exceptional museums:

Le Musée Petiet is housed in a former paint shop, and includes 19th-century art from the impressionists to the pointillist Achilles Laugé.
Then there’s l’Eglise St Jacques and la Musée du Piano. This piano museum has over a hundred instruments, and celebrates the great French piano makers including Pleyel and Erard.
La Musée des Automates is in le quartier de la petite ville, on the eastern side of the town. It’s dedicated to large-scale animated puppets, and probably the biggest museum of automata in Europe.

Le musée des automates palpite dans un décor baroque et flamboyant, installé au sein d’une ancienne usine des années 30, au coeur de la petite ville. Martine et Jean Jacques, les deux artistes créateurs des automates vous accueilleront dans ce lieu qui réveillera sans doute votre imaginaire d’enfant. Le musée est ouvert tous les jours de 10 h à 12 h 30 et de 14 h à 19 h.

La Musée des Automates

€5 per adult, €3.50 for kids

4 rue Anne-Marie Javouhey, 11300 Limoux. Tél. 06 70 39 01 74.

Don’t forget to check opening times in advance during off-season (November to March) Blanquette de Limoux

And, of course, the market town is famous for its bubbly white wine, Blanquette de Limoux. This is basically the forerunner of the Champagne and, as I’ve explained before, Dom Perignon basically nicked the recipe for his crowd up north.

Local winemakers also produce splendid chardonnays, syrahs and Crémant de Limoux, a blend of chardonnay and chenin grapes. Here’s how a local website describes the terroir:

The southern slopes of the hills surrounding Limoux, classified for the appellation vineyards of Limoux, present a light and stony combination of clay and limestone.

The natural geological protections on three sides of the Limoux appellation production area limit maritime climatic influences and create a transitional climate between the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea.

- Aude-vie.com

[Via http://irishherault.wordpress.com]

Diane Dimond: Good News for a Change!