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Category: Thoughts & Ramblings

Pantry Raid – It’s What’s 4 Dinner

Before I get to my pantry raid, let’s talk pumpkin. As Halloween approaches and jack-o-lanterns appear on the porches all over the country, there is a question I have to ask. If you bought an extra pumpkin at the market, should you make it into a pumpkin pie? I am here to tell you, don’t do it.  You can, for sure, but it will not turn out as you would expect. Herein lies the problem. All pumpkins are squash, but all squash are not pumpkins. In some countries, all squash are called pumpkins. But in most countries, all squash and pumpkins…

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Oysters Casino to Start

I have an Oysters Casino appetizer to share with you today that is so delicious. I got the idea when I was up in Provincetown eating Clams Casino. With fresh and delicious oysters harvested from our waters, it only makes sense to use them instead of clams. So two weeks ago, I had a small dinner party, and this was the second course. But before we get to that, I want to explain where I have been for the past month. The Confluence of Circumstance Thank you for your patience as I dealt with the snowball that was my life…

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Amazing Week! * Beer * And One More Thing

How do you describe a week that by Sunday, you do not get out of bed until 10:00 am, you take four naps throughout the day and evening and then go to bed and fall right to sleep? I only have one word – Amazing! Amazing Bride Last week was a super crazy week in my photography business. I had a shoot on Tuesday evening, Wednesday evening, all day Thursday in Hilton Head (2 1/2 hours south of Charleston) and all day on Saturday. There are a few highlights that I want to share so please indulge me for just…

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Readers Questions & Favorite Things

Today I thought I would share with you some of the questions I have gotten from readers that pertain to wine and the consumption of alcohol. I am thrilled that folks will reach out and I figured that if one person asks a question, many others may be curious as well. But before I start, I have to give a shout out to one of my readers. On Monday when the post about Kelly Fleming Wines went live, I received this picture. That is a bottle of Kelly Fleming 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon that he received as a birthday present from a friend who…

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Monday Coffee * New Brand & a Mea Culpa

Monday, Monday, bah, dah, bah, da da da… So did you sing along as you read? The second portion of that lyric is the depth of my vocabulary until about 2:30 pm each and every Monday. It is not that my Sundays are all that wild. I merely have a mental block regarding Mondays. Perhaps if I was a “morning person” instead of a “night owl.” it might be different, but I will never know. Coffee Roasters of Charleston About a week ago, Gary came home from work and said, “Hey, a co-worker’s husband roasts coffee, and she wants to know…

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Life Lately: A Balancing Act

Life lately has been a crazy, crazy period for me. Kind of like walking a tightrope and balancing plates on sticks. My blogging has been more sporadic, and I want to explain.  My plan is to post three times a week. Occasionally, it might fall to twice a week, but that would be rare.  But this Spring/Summer it has become the norm with some weeks only posting once (like last week), and that is unacceptable.  So I want to apologize. I am sorry, and I will continually try to do better. Life Lately – Photography One activity that has taken my attention…

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Thirty Years – Life Together

Thirty years ago today, Gary and I went on our first date. We have been a couple ever since. Back then marriage was not an option so we were just together and that was enough. We moved in together about ten months later when our leases expired. As time passed, that date, June 18th, became our anniversary. Like all couples, there were a few bumps in the road during our first year, but after that, we settled into coupledom with ease. I hear folks talk about relationships being “hard,” and I understood because I watched couples around us struggle. But…

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Confessions of a Wine Geek

I am not exactly sure when this happened, but it has been confirmed by family and friends that I have become a wine geek, aka wine nerd.  This transformation was not intentional, but like most things I do, I went “all in” so I should not be surprised.  For the record, this confession does not also translate into me being a wine snob.  The term “wine snob” implies a condescension of others about their wine drinking habits. Should I ever become a wine snob, I hope someone will take me behind the barn and give me the proper whooping I deserve. I…

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