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Month: January 2018

Low and Slow Roasted Veggie Chili

Bonus Recipe: Perfect for Super Bowl You have asked, so I delivered. So many requests came in for this veggie chili recipe that I felt compelled to share it with you.  I am thrilled that you wanted it, but when I made it, I did not take pictures other than a couple for an Instagram post. And truth be told when I make chili I never use a recipe. I just start with what I have and see where it takes me.  Fortunately for me, the recycling was still available so that I could take an inventory of the open cans.…

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Cariñena: Tasting Value Wines, Pt 2

In my last post, I introduced you to the affordable wines of Cariñena D.O.P in northwest Spain. If you missed it, you might want to go back and glance at it now.  I was so impressed by these wines that I have been scouring the area wine shops for these super-value wines.  Having found five wines at Trader Joe’s, I hosted an impromptu wine tasting with some friends and neighbors to help me evaluate these finds. Part Two: Finding Cariñena All of the wines are red. Four were blends, and one was a Tempranillo. Unfortunately, none were strictly Garnacha, but…

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Cariñena: An Unfamiliar Wine Region: Pt 1

Finding Cariñena: Part One At the Wine Blogger’s Conference back in November, I had the pleasure of attending a seminar presented by Lyn Farmer, a James Beard Award-winning wine and food writer about the Cariñena D.O.P. wine region in Spain. Never heard of it?  Don’t feel bad; I am not sure many at the conference had either. Winemakers in the region have been producing wine for thousands of years, but doing so flying under the radar. Some of the larger producers in the area want to change that and have begun a big push for recognition. This seminar was one of the…

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Tasting Recap, Little Big Thing & A Recipe

Wine Tasting Recap, A Fantastic Little BIG Thing, and A Bonus Recipe This past week was absolutely amazing. The week started with a birthday brunch and drinking bubbles. And because you asked, I also have a bonus recipe for you.  I am posting the Frittata recipe at the end of this post.  Next, I have a Little BIG Thing that is a  fantasmagorical find. I am super thrilled about it because it allows me to move towards no longer using plastic storage bags. Then on Thursday, we had the Pinot Noir Wine Tasting that was a raging success at Monarch Wine…

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Potato Stackers * Easy & Delish

Birthday Brunch We had a birthday brunch for my sister this past weekend and it was super fun. While all of the items were homemade, I am highlighting the Potato Stackers because I was shocked at how simple it was to make and how this makes such a great side dish that can really elevate your plate. It was a small family affair with great food, conversation, and wine. After brunch, we headed to the movie theater to see The Post. It is based on the actual events and government deceit at the time of the Vietnam War and how the…

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Monarch Wine Merchants * Pinot Noir Tasting * 01/18/18

Whew! Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, New Years, and then Snow-mageddon. I need a drink! Good thing the January SC2RW wine tasting and social is set for January 18, 2018, at Monarch Wine Merchants.  Justin, owner and wine man extraordinaire has put together a great line up of five fabulous pinot noir wines to taste and share. This tasting is that is not to be missed. Did you see the article in the Post & Courier last week about the “‘new’ wine school train of thought” and how Charleston has jumped on board? Monarch Wine Merchants is central to this story, so there is no better…

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Pickled – New Years Eve – Part 2

I had lots of great responses to the pickled shrimp recipe that I posted last week. And just so you know I ate it for several days and while it evolved, it remained delicious to the bitter end. So now let’s talk about the beverages that we enjoyed on New Year’s Eve. Pickled Without Trying To be clear there is very little forethought that goes into what we drink on NYE.  Every one of us brings several wines that we want to share. We then line it up and decide the order that it should be consumed based on our…

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Pickled: An Appetizer and Me, Part 1

I have to admit; I got a little pickled at this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration. If you ask my non-drinking sister, this is the norm for all of us (except her, of course) on NYE, but I really tried to drink a lot of water this year.  I guess I failed by the magnitude of my headache the next morning. Maybe we should not have started so early. But more on that when I blog about what we drank which will be part 2 of Pickled: An Appetizer and Me. So the other pickling was an incredible appetizer. I had…

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