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Category: Household Tip

Avocado and A Reader Compliment

Spring is in full swing and life has gotten busy as ever. There is so much to blog about that my brain is swimming with stories, events, wine, and food. I have been I am working on a few posts that have soaked up several hours, and they are not close to ready. But it has been a while since you have heard from me, so I wanted to get something out today.  So today, I have an avocado hack, a nice compliment from a reader.  Oh, and I started doing private wine tasting parties. Details to follow on that…

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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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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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Life Lately with Favorite Things

January is always a mix of end of the year to-dos and new year ponderings. As such, my life lately has been a hotbed of busy. We have already done our taxes; thanks to the best tax guy in town, if not the world, Steven @ The Clem Collaborative. I have cleaned the studio and will do it again this weekend as it takes several passes to get it right. At some point in the next two weeks, I have got to tackle the piles of papers that I keep acquiring. No matter how hard I try to not make…

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Appetizer Platters – Dress Them Up !

Appetizer Platter, Cheese Board, Antipasto, Cheese & Charcuterie Platter… there are many names, but they all mean the same thing. Meats and cheeses mingled with pickled veggies, fresh fruits and veggies, dried fruits, nuts, sauces, condiments and just about anything your heart desires. At this time of year, these appetizer platters are made for holiday parties all around the world. I love making these platters, but I also know it is easy to get it in a rut putting out the same items time after time. So on Sunday, my neighbor Natalie along with her kids and her parents came…

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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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Green Beans with Corn, Avocado, and Mint

We were having dinner last Saturday at my sister’s house. A family friend was in town, and so we were all gathering. Since it is at my sister’s house, she drives the menu. And to say, she has some favorite items that she likes to make, is an understatement. While the sauce, gravy or rub may change it is always pork tenderloin, and the vegetable is also always roasted green beans. It got so frequent that I presented her with a picture of a pig showing all the various cuts of meat and about ten recipes for green beans. Ah, Choices! …

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Ceviche! With Shrimp and Scallops

It is about this time every year that I start to crave ceviche. Vegetables are local and fresh, and the shrimp is also from just down the road. Lime is the perfect acid to “cook” the seafood. It is bright, clean and oh so delicious. And let’s not forget, you do not need to turn on the stove other than to boil the shrimp for a few minutes so the kitchen stays cool. Now speaking of fresh. Gary and I are growing one tomato plant, and our first tomato is in the ceviche. Unfortunately, our second tomato was bitten and only…

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