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Life Recently * Wine * Food * Puppy

My life recently has been flying by at the speed of light and it is all a blur. Perhaps because there is a new 10-week old “family dog” that I help raise, and that takes a lot of time and energy. There have also been pop-up wine tastings at restaurants and wine bars, meals with friends, happy hours, out of town guests, and of course, planning my next Signature Tasting. So in the spirit of life in a blurred state, here is a random mix of what is happening recently. Let’s get started.

Life Recently – A Puppy

In my family, if you get a dog, she becomes a family dog. Each of us pitches in to help take care of the little girl (yes, we always get girl dogs). Well, it was my younger sister’s turn to get a puppy, so two weeks ago, we all went to pick up Skye at eight weeks old. Both of the family dogs came from Greenbriar Plantation in Brunson SC. The temperament of their dogs is beyond reproach.

A visit to meet her at four weeks old

After the first week, I now watch her four days a week just like I watch Breezy, Skye’s actual first cousin. (yes they are from the same breeder and pedigree lineage).

My life for the next several weeks now involves 3-4 hour increments of productivity. This is followed by forty minutes to an hour of intense playtime with Breezey and Skye.  It is so much fun but also exhausting.

life recently
The day Breezey and Skye met.
Now they are best buddies
life recently
Breezey has that look… I’m Tired… Save me!
They explore the back forty.
Life Recently
“What did I get myself into,” she says.

Two Ingredient Fruit Dip – Super Easy and Super Delicious

A few weeks back, Gary and I were invited to happy hour at a friend’s house. I thought I would have more time to make an appetizer. But before I knew it, the day was over, and I had an hour before we left.  So I looked in my fridge to see what caught my eye. There were several half-full jars of jellies and jams and a log of soft goat cheese, aka chèvre. I wondered if the sweetness of my mango, peach, apricot, and orange jam would balance with the tang of the chèvre. Hmm, a goat cheese fruit dip… I decided to give it a go, and I could then stop at the store on the way to buy some fruit for dipping. I also had some lemon cookie crisps for dipping as well.

life recently

goat cheese

It was perfect and a big hit at the happy hour. I imagine that an orange marmalade or a peach or apricot jam would also work.

The recipe: Put the goat cheese in a food processor. Add a couple of tablespoons of your chosen jam and blend until creamy. Taste. If necessary, add more jam until you get a balance between the two ingredients that fit your palate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. It will tighten up once chilled.

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I served pears, Fuji, and Granny Smith apples and strawberries with the dip. I also had cantaloupe once the berries were eaten.
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Ah, a lemon crisp cookie with dip and a strawberry. It was out of this world delicious.

Pop Up Wine Tasting at Edison James Island

Recently, a wine tasting popped up with just a couple of days notice at Edison James Island. Winemaker Patricio Gougenheim from Gougenheim Winery in Argentina was in town, and he wanted to share his wines with the locals.  Chelsea and Joel at Edison are always game for something fun, so they quickly put together a fantastic food and wine event. Four wines served with four courses family style, all for just $20.00

Chelsea and Patricio
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First up was a dry Rosé of Malbec
Torrontés is THE white wine of Argentina
A Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva
This Malbec is delicious, and some came home with us.
Life Recently: Look at that color!

And if you stuck around long enough, you also got to taste the Sparkling Malbec.

Life Recently: This one also came home with us. Super Yummy!

These wines are super affordable and delicious, and I am so glad that Gary and I made the time to meet Patricio, to learn his story and taste his wines. I believe the sparkling is on the Edison wine list.


That is all for now.

Cheers,

rick

Cover Image courtesy of Photo by mauro mora on Unsplash

I chose this image because life recently has been moving at warp speed and everything is a blur.

One Comment

  1. what an adorable puppy!!!

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