Looking for some sparkling wine for the holidays? Here are some great Sparkling Wines for All Occasions this Holiday Season. This past weekend was a big one. We went from Sean’s 40th birthday directly into celebrating the twins 5th birthday — two big milestone birthdays just three days apart. The later, to me, was more…
Holidays
Cookin’ up My Mama’s Green Chili Turkey on AM Northwest
Today I’m thankful for this –> Going on AM Northwest to do a cooking segment! I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to share a recipe incredibly near and dear to my heart with the folks at AM Northwest. My Mama’s Green Chili Turkey. This is a recipe that has been in my family for…
Thanksgiving on the Grill or Smoker!
All the tips and tricks you need for cooking the perfect Thanksgiving dinner on your grill or smoker! We’ve been cooking Thanksgiving dinner outdoors on our grill and smoker for almost a decade now and wouldn’t do it any other way. Hopefully these tips will help you have a smooth Thanksgiving when cooking outdoors on…
Anchorman Halloween Costume: Happy Halloween from the Channel 4 News Team
“Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention. I’ve just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you, to stop what you’re doing and listen.” “CANNONBALL!!!” I hope you all had a fantastic Halloween! Many of you are aware of my ridiculous obsession with all things Will Ferrell and spending…
Smoke Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Smoked Bacon
Smoke Roasted Butternut Squash Soup topped with smoked bacon is the perfect fall soup. Butternut squash is roasted in the smoker for this comforting dish, but can easily be roasted in the oven too. You’re going to absolutely love this smoked soup! I firmly believe that anything you can cook in the oven or on…
Traditions
Some traditions are passed along from generation to generation. Others we create. As one friend said, “they’ve got to start somewhere.” Movies My mom passed along my love for Christmas movies, and there’s a small handful I have to watch each and every year or it just doesn’t feel like Christmas. One of those movies…
Holiday Wine Gift Ideas – Stoller Family Estate
If you are looking to impress with a special bottle for the wine enthusiast on your holiday list, look no further than Stoller Family Estate. Wines to Impress for Holiday Wine Gift Ideas When I gift a wine to someone special — whether a loved one, a client, a teammate, a boss, whomever — I…
Sparkling Wines for The Holidays
Let’s pop some bubbly! It’s that time of year folks. The time of year where store shelves are stocked high with sparkling wines the same way they are inundated with rosé in the summertime. And while I drink bubbles year-round (heck yeah, even in a blizzard!), I do recognize that it’s this time of year…
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chocolate Chip cookies are made with olive oil instead of butter, and taste rich and incredible. You won’t even know they’re butter-free! Chewy, chocolaty, indulgent, delicious, and entirely butter free. Oregon Olive Mill cookies (left), My version (right) These came out exactly how I remembered them the first (and second) time…
Mini-Vacation Spotlight — Sedona, Arizona
Things to do for a great mini-vacation to Sedona, Arizona. For Mother’s Day two years ago my husband asked what I’d most like. I told him I wanted Sedona. I wanted to go somewhere warm, quiet, beautiful, serene, and most of all peaceful. I had just come off of my first year of having twins,…
9 Super Bowl Recipes
T-minus six days ‘till the big day. The Super Bowl. I’m not gonna lie, I only watch one football game a year – the Super Bowl (though I do fantasize about the idea of buying a traveling smoker just to take up tailgating). To me, the Super Bowl is just one grand snack-foodie holiday, and…
Discussing Holiday Food and Wine Pairing with The Hudson Valley Wine Goddess
Holiday parties are in full swing, and if you should find yourself in a rut trying to figure out which wines to drink you’re not alone. It can be an intimidating topic for many. My advice is don’t think too deeply about it. Pairing wine with holiday foods is no different than any style of…
Smoked Buffalo Turkey Dip
The absolute BEST use for leftover turkey is this Smoked Buffalo Turkey Dip! I thought I knew what the ultimate use for leftover Thanksgiving turkey was. I was wrong. It’s this dip! Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey It’s inevitable, if you’re going to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving or any holiday, you’re going to find yourselves with…
Sparkling wines for the other 364 days a year
Now that New Year’s and Valentine’s Day have come and gone it seems as though discussions on sparkling wines have come to a screeching halt. Sure it is nice to celebrate those two occasions with bubbly, and I’ve said it to dozens of people “I absolutely support any holiday that encourages people to drink more…
What I’ve been drinking – bubbles edition
This isn’t meant to be a “what to drink for New Year’s” post, or a “top sparkling wines of the year” list by any means! If you’ve read more than one blog post here you know sparkling is my favorite style of wine, I drink them year round, and write about them year round. Instead,…
Images of Cognac
As you may remember, earlier this year I was invited to go on a press trip to Congac, sponsored by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), as a result of a writing contest I won (you can read that piece here). In short, the trip was amazing and Cognac is a breathtaking city. Not…
A Special Wine for the Holiday Season – Vinsanto from Santorini
This time of year everybody seems to be weighing in on the best wines to buy as gifts. With any type of gift (wine related or not) I believe the process should be as uncomplicated and stress free as possible. Whenever I am asked for wine gift ideas (any time of the year) I simply…
Champagne Series, Part II
My dad recently sent me a text saying “do you have Champagne glasses?” I initially wanted to respond, “Um duh, who do you think you’re talking to???” Then I thought perhaps it was a trick question. Was this question really intended for me? I mean its ME for heavens sake, the bubbles queen. Then I…
Giving thanks… and a little bit of wine
…Not your average Thanksgiving wine post… I had a very hard time accepting the fact that I would spend my first Thanksgiving away from my family in Arizona. This was many years ago mind you. We had many family customs that made me nervous to explore what others traditions would be like. My family never…
Lessons learned from 10 days without power
“Things could have been worse”. A phrase I heard about a million times during the eleven days I was without power following the October 29th freak Connecticut snowstorm – A snowstorm that managed to knock down thousands of trees and power lines throughout the state causing the single biggest power outage in the states history….
Vindulge New Years Cheers…
… And a special announcement. As this year comes to an end I wanted to wish everybody who reads this blog a very happy new year and to share some very exciting news. Earlier this month my husband and I welcomed our twin boys into the world. Sawyer James and Cole Thomas joined us on…
Mumm Napa
Winter is apparently in full effect this week in Portland, with temperatures as low as the teens (brrr), and guess what’s in my glass… bubbles. Yes, bubbles indeed! Just because it’s cold that doesn’t keep me from drinking bubbly this time of the year. I am of the school of thought that bubbles are appropriate…