Tag Archives: wine

  1. Spice-Infused Winter Sangria

    Spice-Infused Winter Sangria

    Spice-Infused Winter Sangria

    Removing my trip to Mexico last week and that day I had too many margaritas at lunch, this lady does very little drinking these days. My body just doesn’t love it. I enjoy a glass of wine now and again, don’t get me wrong. That being said, 1) I am all about balance and enjoy the holidays and 2) it just wouldn’t be the holidays without a signature cocktail for Tasty Yummies.

    Spice-Infused Winter Sangria

    One of my all-time favorite winter and holiday indulgences is a steamy hot mug of mulled wine. However, living in California, a toasty mug of booze isn’t always what the weather gods have in mind, so I decided to get crafty and combine my summertime favorite, sangria, with the wintery, holiday flavors of mulled wine.

    Spice-Infused Winter Sangria Read the rest of this entry »

  2. Fresh Grape and Prosecco Sorbet

    Fresh Grape and Prosecco SorbetIf we could go back in time just for one day to visit our younger selves, I can tell you that there would be an early 20-something Beth, disappointed to know that most opened wine in the house of her mid-30-something self, usually just gets used in a recipe or worse yet, to know that there is any leftover wine at all.

    Fresh Grape and Prosecco Sorbet

    These days, I do such little drinking that I usually only open a bottle of wine if we have guests. On the rare occasion I imbibe just because, I have a glass, the bottle gets put in the fridge and usually it tastes bad before it ever gets finished. I know…. the shame, the horror. I love the way a good glass of wine tastes at the end of a busy day or with a delicious, robust home-cooked meal, but usually, the truth of it is most times I feel terrible before I ever even catch a buzz. My body just doesn’t like the stuff. It’s all “wait, this ain’t green juice. where’s my smoothie?” The other thing is, most mornings I get up so early, either for yoga or the gym, that a hangover, sans party, just never seems worth it. Yup, clearly I have rounded the corner to my mid-30s. These are all things, I swore I would never think or say.

    Fresh Grape and Prosecco Sorbet

    I was at Trader Joe’s last week picking up a few things and I saw the bubbly wines from the corner of my eye, as I pushed my cart full of veggies past the wine section. It just sounded so good. The summer time always has a way of making me crave chilled bubbly wines. So, I treated myself and I bought a bottle, I had a glass once it was chilled, then instantly knew the rest would go to waste, so I decided to get crafty this time. Waste not, want not.

    Read the rest of this entry »

  3. Spiced Apple Cranberry Kombucha Sangria

    Spiced Apple Cranberry Kombucha Sangria

    Though I tend to do very little imbibing these days, I do enjoy it now and again for special occasions. With the official start of the holidays upon us, I was on a mission to come up with a drink that could become the cocktail of the season. I have been working feverishly on the plans and the menu for our Thanksgiving feast this year and this seasonal appropriate libation will be perfect for our Friendsgiving get-together.

    Spiced Apple Cranberry Kombucha Sangria

    Sangria is the perfect cocktail for entertaining, so really it’d be great for any celebration. You can make a large batch a day ahead of time, let all of the flavors infuse with one another and as guests arrive, serve chilled with some fresh bubbles on top.

    Spiced Apple Cranberry Kombucha Sangria

    Read the rest of this entry »

  4. Red Wine Poached Apples and Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream

    Red Wine Poached Apples and Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream

    Your farmer brings you a bunch of Asian pears and apples, I mean really, what else is there to do with them then soak them in some booze? OK, yeh, I know, predictable – another blog post that I start out talking about my CSA. Snore! But, to be honest, every single week that box of goodies that shows up on my doorstep, delivered by my farmer himself, and it inspires me and my cooking in so many ways. Every Wednesday, I feel like I am on a game show, where a mystery box shows up and I have to get creative with whatever I am given.

    Red Wine Poached Apples and Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream

    Sure I could have just eaten the apples and pears straight up, but where is the fun in that? Plus, I have to assume if I am getting apples and pears in my weekly box, other folks are too, and they might want some fun ideas on how to prepare them. It doesn’t get much more fun than these Red Wine Poached Apples and Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream.

    Red Wine Poached Apples and Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream

    A friend of ours, John, works in the “wine biz” up in LA. What he exactly does, I am not 100% totally sure, but what I am sure of is that he gave me a huge case of some really nice wines the last time I saw him – so he is A-OK in my book. These days I don’t do a ton of drinking, if we have guests or it’s a special occasion, maybe, but generally I drink very little at home. But, cooking with wine, that’s far more my speed.

    Red Wine Poached Apples and Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream

    Read the rest of this entry »

  5. Grilled Marinated Artichokes

    Grilled Marinated Artichokes with Wine Pairing from BestWinesOnline.com

    Whole artichokes are admittedly something I discovered late in life, I don’t think I had my first fresh whole artichoke until last year sometime. It actually makes me sad every time I think of it, all the missed years of goodness. I had canned or jarred artichokes hearts on salads or in dips, but whole artichokes aren’t a super common vegetable in Western New York and I always prefer to eat as local as possible. After living here in Southern California a few months and trying fresh whole artichokes several different ways, I quickly learned my favorite way to enjoy them is grilled.

    Preparing artichokes for the first time is very daunting. I actually attempted to make them a couple of years ago and didn’t look up any instructions and I had NO clue what I was doing. I didn’t know which parts were edible and which parts were not. However, once you figure out how to prepare an artichoke, and do it yourself a time or two, it really is a breeze. Read the rest of this entry »

  6. Basil Watermelon Refresher – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    IMG_2625Basil Watermelon Refresher - Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    I am sure based on the sweat dripping down your brow (and likely other places) right now, we are all fully aware that not only are we at the peak of the summer, but it is a super duper hot-ass summer, at that! With record highs, excessive humidity and a lack of rain, it has been crazy unbearable in our parts and I know that is the case for most other areas in the US.

    Basil Watermelon Refresher - Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free
    What else is there to do when it is crazy, stupid hot, then to have a refreshing beverage? And no, it doesn’t necessarily have to be an alcoholic beverage, “mocktails” (non-alcoholic cocktails) are just as refreshing, if not more, plus you can save on those empty calories. I am always playing around with different drink recipes over here and since I eat a very clean diet, I try to keep my alcohol consumption to a minimum at home. I feel so much better without it.

    I was elated when Free People asked me back as a guest-poster to share a series of non-alcoholic cocktail recipes with their readers through the month of August. Each week I will be sharing a different summertime inspired beverage that is safe for the whole family and is sure to refresh you on the hottest of days. And don’t worry, there will also always be a note on how to make each drink alcoholic, if you wish.

    The first recipe I am sharing is Basil Watermelon Refresher. This drink is bursting with refreshing summer flavors. Frozen watermelon and lemon pair together for a sweet and tart treat for your mouth with a surprisingly subtle, sweet and almost spicy punch from the basil. Top the slushy mixture off with sparkling water for a fizzy kick or if you are looking for a kick of a different kind, you replace the sparkling water with Prosecco, a delicious and refreshing dry sparkling white wine.

    Basil Watermelon Refresher - Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free

    Head on over to the Free People Blog, BLDG 25, for the full recipe and stay tuned for more “mocktail” recipes in this series that I will be sharing each week throughout August.

  7. Photo Fun Day Friday

    I was hoping to make these Photo Fun Day Fridays a fun little weekly feature, but of course last Friday we were away in California, so it didn’t happen. So, here is nearly two weeks of photo fun for you. Most of the photos are from our trip out west, but there are a couple from before we left.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Last week’s amazing CSA share.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Silkscreen ink stir sticks – setting up for a photo shoot for a feature about our business.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Squeegee – more from the photo shoot.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Mark screen printing for the shoot.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    The invites that we designed and hand printed for our good friends Patrick and Summer in California.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    The un-cut wedding favors that we designed and screen printed.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    The incredibly handsome, Winston, Patrick and Summer’s dog.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    The beautiful backdrop to the wedding.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    That’s me.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    My amazing travel yoga mat. Best purchase ever. I was able to squeeze in a little practice overlooking the valley. Incredible.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    The adorable couple.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    The menu. Best food I have ever had at a wedding, I had the risotto and I cleaned my plate!

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Me and the stunning bride, Summer.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Us.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Me and Sarah.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Love.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Us again.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Making their exit.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    My amazing thrift store find in Santa Ynez.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Beautiful views on the drive back from wine country.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Breathtaking

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Before our red-eye flight home, we spent the afternoon at the Santa Monica Pier.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Sunset dinner in Marina Del Rey.

    Photo Fun Day Friday
    Our dinner guest (he stole the butter right off of Mark’s bread plate)

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