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Month: February 2019

Stop Buying Salad Dressings

A Primer on Making Vinaigrettes I know, it’s about convenience. That’s why we buy pre-bottled salad dressing. Well that, and for some, creating something that tastes better than what you get in a bottle is a real challenge. I have both. I keep a champagne vinaigrette on hand for convenience. But I also make them all the time. At any given time I may have several jars of remnant vinaigrettes in the fridge. If you never make your salad dressing, I hope that I can change that for you with this post.  But before I get too far, I am…

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Aridus Wine Company

When I close my eyes and think of Arizona, I think of many things. Wine and winemaking do not come to mind. Enter Aridus Wine Company and that all changes. Arizona Wine Industry, briefly The first commercially planted vineyards in Arizona began cropping up in the 1970s.  There are three wine growing regions in AZ: Verde Valley, Willcox AVA and Sonoita AVA. Of these three regions over 70% of all wine grapes grown in Arizona are sourced from the Willcox AVA. The industry is considered youthful and exuberant with wine quality being “all over the map” from amateurish to award-winning.…

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Donuts – Not Today Satan

Let me be very clear, donuts are the food of the devil. Dunkin Donuts gives me severe and uncontrollable heartburn. Krispy Kreme Donuts taste amazing, but I lack the will power to stop eating them (as long as they are fresh and warm). Six or nine donuts later, my hands are shaking, and I begin to talk so fast, even I have not idea what I am saying. All of this results in a sugar headache the size of Montana. The DEVIL, I say! Do not get me started on the small “craft,” independent doughnut shops because they run out…

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Brunch with Friends – What a Weekend

This was a crazy busy weekend. We had a birthday dinner to attend with some great friends on Saturday evening and then Gary & I hosted a brunch with two other couples that turned into an all-day affair on Sunday. I am not sure how I was able to accomplish that given that the Saturday birthday was still going strong when we left at 1:30 am (home at 2:00 am). At which point I had to clean the kitchen from doing brunch prep work until 20 minutes before the earlier departure time and make the custard for the breakfast casserole so it…

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When Coffee Tastes Nasty

A couple of weeks ago, when I came downstairs for my morning coffee, there was a note that Gary left for me.  All it said was, “The coffee tastes nasty!” It was a good thing that I was standing right by the sink because it immediately came back out of my mouth.  So I ran to my computer and searched, “why does coffee taste bitter.” It was clear that everyone knew something to which I never really paid much attention, cleaning my drip coffee maker. Conventional wisdom said to use equal parts water and distilled vinegar, fill the reservoir and…

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Raclette * Fish & Chips * Italy

Wow, looking at the title of this post it definitely has a European vibe. Raclette from France/Switzerland, Fish & Chips from the UK, an Italian wine from a California winemaker, and finally dreams of living in Italy.  I am not going to dilly dally, let’s get right to it. What one minute, did I say Raclette? Well, I sure did, so let’s start there with an incredible dinner. Goat.Sheep.Cow.North hosts Special Raclette Dinners Before my decision to give much less attention to Facebook, I saw a post from my friends at goat.sheep.cow.north about a Sunday afternoon Raclette Dinner. Now if you are unfamiliar with…

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Gnocchi Bites & Wine Tees

Last night was another one of those nights when Gary had a late lunch which means no dinner for him. This means I need to figure out what I want for dinner which I hate. It is always so much easier to make whatever Gary is craving. But he wasn’t craving anything, so I was on my own. This is how that works. I stare in the fridge forever. If I were a child, my parents would be screaming at me to close the door. But I can’t as my mind is racing. What can I make from this hodgepodge of…

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