Desperately Seeking Sully ~ Thanksgiving Grub

We have officially entered my favorite food season of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas - oh me oh my! 

I love pumpkin, Turkey, cinnamon, stuffing (even though "technically" I really like dressing), wine, cranberry jelly (yes straight out of the can), bread and more wine.  It is all just scrump-diddly-uptious! 

My favorite kind of potatoes (besides french fries) is Classic Potato Gratin .  I am really excited that I get enjoy some on Thursday.  It has been a long time!

I despise lumpy mashed potatoes and am really picky when it comes to mashers.  I am pretty sure that this Potato Masher  from Williams Sonoma would aid in the creation of perfect mashers for Turkey Day.

I have been responsible for the turkey portion of our meal for the past 7 Thanksgivings, but this year I passed the torch.  I will say for those of you in charge of your own turkey should most definitely try brining the bird.  Crate & Barrel makes it really easy with this handy dandy Turkey Brine and Brining Bag  all in one.  Just boil up the mix, place in the enclosed bag, toss in the turkey and voila!  Instant goodness. 

I love stuffed mushrooms and often times cannot partake in enjoying them since they are filled with crab most times.  However I am pretty sure I can enjoy this Tuscan Stuffed Mushroom Mix.  The mix is full of tasty spices and makes stuffing mushrooms so easy (it also makes those allergic to shellfish really happy). 

I warned you that I am a lover of pumpkin, and this Perfect Endings Pumpkin Cheesecake is sure to please any and all who love pumpkin.  Not only is is lovely to look at, but the flavor I imagine is equally amazing.  Pumpkin Cheesecake is also a nice way to mix it up from the traditional pumpkin pie. 

{via}

This Thanksgiving I will be dividing my time between two separate parties.  For the first party I will be enjoying wine (most likely a few bottles of this or this) and apps.  My contribution will be Mac and Cheese Stuffed Acorn Squash. I am taking a chance, as I have never made it before...but it looks just so pretty and festive and I am sure will be equally delectable. 

{via}

For my second Thanksgiving celebration of the day I will be sitting down for dinner and responsible for dessert.  Apple pie and pumpkin mousse will already be present, so I opted to try and recreate one of my favorite desserts from Westside Tavern the Sticky Toffee Cake.  This recipe does not look easy to make, but if it turns out even 80% as good as the original I am alright with that. 

What are your favorite Thanksgiving foods?  What are you responsible for?  Any recipes you would like to share? 

Happy Eating!

I'm Lovin' It

{via}

Rachel McAdams look for the Morning Glory premiere.  Love her hair, love the dress, love the makeup, love her...need I go on?

This incredible My Heart Necklace By Boe.  It's a little bit rustic, a little bit girly and a whole lot of lovely.

(photo courtesy of Richie)

Be prepared to learn of my major obsession with anything and everything Trader Joe's!  This Pumpkin Ice Cream "accidentally" made it into my TJ's basket this past weekend and I accidentally had not one but two bowls of it.  It is divine in absolutely every single way.  I want to top it with some crushed graham crackers and whip cream the next time around.  This stuff is dangerous...consider yourself warned.

A few weeks back in Solvang, we did a tasting at the phenomenal Vineyard Riverbench and though it was my third tasting of the day and I may have had a serious buzz, I do NOT regret my purchase of the Govino Shatterproof Recyclable Stemless Wine Glasses-Set of 4.  My roomie and I were just saying we wished we had "to go" wine glasses for walks at night with the dog and wouldn't you just know that these babies are all that and more.  These glasses would make a great gift for anyone come this holiday season, and to spruce it up, why not add a bottle of buttery goodness alongside of it with the Riverbench 2008 Chapel View Chardonnay.  Easily one of the best Chardonnays I have ever tasted (and I have tasted a lot  few). 

Gift Giving ~ Mother's Day

This Sunday, May 9th is a special day to celebrate Mother's all around you.  Whether it's your own mother, grandmother, best friend or next door neighbor, here are some gifts that any mother is sure to enjoy and are definitely well deserved.

This savory Alain Milliat Jam Gift Set is perfect for the Mother who likes a little jam with her morning toast or scone.  These jams are a little fancier and more a treat from her everyday Smuckers.  The Fig Violette sounds delish!

Perfect for Cinco de Mayo margaritas a few days late, these Calypso Citron Summer Drink Glasses, will help any Mother transition into summer entertaining.  I actually own these in blue and cannot wait to put them to use...perhaps this weekend!

I sure didn't inherit the love or passion for gardening like my Mom does.  But this Landlubber Gardening Set is soo cute, and totally perfect for that trendy mom who wants to look cute while she tends to her garden. 

If your Mom is anything like my Mom, then she LOVES candles.  I always think of my Mom and our home whenever I smell this scent, but the other scent I attribute to my mom is her love for flowers.  Specifically Fresh Cut Gardenia.  The LAFCO Home Candle Collection are available in a variety of scents, which I am sure you can find the perfect match for the mother of your choosing.

If your Mom is a wine drinker, why not help her get the best glass of in the fastest time possible.  The Vinturi White Wine Aerator will help make that happen.  I have heard great things about the Vinturi Wine Aerator before and love the idea of not having to wait around to let the wine "breathe", and Mom's usually are racing against the clock as is, so why not give her a little extra time?

If you and a sibling are looking to split a nice gift, this Cooler-Outfitted Picnic Tote is the perfect gift.  Perfect for concerts in the park or any other outdoor activities mom will inevitably be participating in this summer.

Entertaining and Mom's go together like, ram-lama-lama-ka-ding-a-ding-a-ding-a-dong (or something like that), and this Entertaining With The Seasons Cookbook will help any mother do just that with a little ease and some pizazz. 

Maybe your mom enjoys beauty products or is always on the go.  These Stephanie Johnson Lime Coral Makeup Pouches are absolutely darling and perfect to store any Mom's many goodies and items they carry with them "just in case".  Seeing as I am technically a "Dog Mom" to sweet little Waldo, I am hoping he may read this post and purchase me one to store my makeup in.  Love!

I still haven't seen "It's Complicated" but my Mom LOVED it and I am sure some Mother in your life loved, it or will love it too.  I mean it stars Meryl Streep, a woman who I have always said I would love to have as my M.I.L.  Throw in Alec B and Steve M, a gorgeous kitchen and Nancy Meyer and I am pretty sure no out there will be disappointed with this gift.

Whomever you celebrate with this Sunday, be sure to give them a big hug and thank them for being such a great Mom :) 

Thank you Mama Debs for being the best Mom, I am thankful for all you have done and continue to do for me!  I love you!

Solvang Wine Mixer

Two weekends ago, 20 fabulous girls gathered together in the sleepy cute town of Solvang to celebrate Miss Avery's 30th birthday. The girls came from Boston, DC, Ohio, Seattle and various parts of LA to drink some wine and make some memories...below is a little preview of the best weekend ever!

Catching up with Santa at James' Beach in Venice before we departed.

Our first night out in Solvang included a kick line to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" followed by dancing in the streets.

Up bright and early the next morning for our tour. First stop Curtis Winery where we enjoyed six tastings that were all magnificent. My personal favorite wine was the Mourvèdre.

The beautiful birthday girl and her frame she had to carry to all the vineyards.

Me, Mrs. F and Mrs. R catching up on good times.

Next stop Zaca Mesa Winery which smelled incredible thanks to this beautiful tree. Top pick here was the Z Three 2005 - a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre & Grenache.

Third stop was Firestone Vineyards. I personally enjoyed their Chardonnay.

Last scheduled stop on the tour was Sunstone Vineyards & Winery where we enjoyed a private outdoor tasting with 10 bottles. My favorite here had to be the mulled wine they were serving hot. It was pouring rain and the mulled wine was delightful.

Our umbrellas got a work out this weekend, but Birthday Girl and Spry weren't about to let the rain ruin their day!

After four wineries and tastings, you can imagine we were feeling a little "happy", which is apparently why I thought it acceptable to climb on top of these barrels as if I was a pirate.

After our tasting tour we gathered at the hotel and walked to the Carivintâs Winery Tasting Room where Fleet and Paul kindly allowed us to order pizza in and plug in our own I-Pods for a dance party.

Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" was definitely the theme song of the weekend.

More dancing, seriously the owners were so patient and kind with us!

Sadly the weekend had to come to an end, so we finished the best weekend ever with a few beers at our local dive bar Hinano.

It was a weekend full of laughter, fun and memories galore. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing group of ladies that I can call my best friends!

Wino Wednesday

Last night my girlfriend Ronit and I finally got together for a drink at her place. I hadn’t been in the door longer then five minutes before I had a nice glass of this Shiloh Road chardonnay in hand. Ronit informed me it was her favorite chardonnay and I have to say that I may just add it to my list of chardonnay must haves.

This wine is easy on the palate, but still full of flavor, especially at the end. Smooth, a little buttery, full of fruit and just the slightest bit of zest at the end. As an added bonus to all of you California residents, the Shiloh Road is currently part of BevMo’s buy one get the second for 5 cents promotion! Quite a steal of a deal and well worth it!

Cheers!

Wino Wednesday

via

I first sampled the Firestone Chardonnay at the actual Firestone Winery in Solvang, CA. I was immediately a fan, and was happy when my mom decided to join their wine club. There are a few different price ranges of the Firestone Chardonnays and the Chardonnay Reserve is my favorite so far. Aged for 10 months in French Oak Barrels gives this chardonnay a creamy finish that is smooth and easy on the palette. It will run you between $13-$20 a bottle depending on where you buy it. Regardless of how much you spend it is a winner!

Wino Wednesday

via

Even though one of my resolutions is to be healthy and drink less, a glass (or half a bottle) can't hurt every now and then right? This Girard Chadonnay is worth the splurge and promises to get 2009 started off right! I recently was asked to order wine for our table and freaked out when I didn't recognize a single name on the wine list. I took a chance and ordered this lovely bottle and must pat myself on the back, as it was a hit with everyone!

Light yet flavorful and with the slightest bit of effervescence (or it seemed that way) this wine does not disappoint. It was sweet without being overly sweet, buttery with a little bit of crisp and just in general, pure yummers in a glass.

So, go ahead...treat yourself to a nice bottle!

Gift Giving #6: Wine is Fine

Williams-Sonoma has created a magnificent Wine Club just in time for that tricky person left on your list this holiday season. Wine snob, wine enthusiast or beginner alike can become a member of the perfect wine club for them. The Explorer starts at $90, The Entertainer $180, The Connoisseur $180 and The Six Bottle Fine wine Club at $360. Just read the description of each club, select the right price for you and viola! A few bottles will be delivered right to their door throughout the year complete with a message from you and a recipe to compliment the wine they received.

This gift is sure to leave everyone with a taste that they won’t spit out and a bit of good cheer throughout the year!

Wino Wednesday

We are long overdue for a wine pick atYBB. Valley of the Moon Chardonnay is a yummy, light and refreshing white. I know that our warm Indian Summer days and nights are numbered but this bottle is tasty. I first tried this wine at Piknic with my girlfriend Jaime, and we were complimented by the waiter at our choice (yay!). We enjoyed a Caprese Sandwich and some sweet potato fries with this glass of wine, and the meal could not have been more perfect. (Granted the sun shining down on us as we did all this was a definite bonus!)

I definitely think you should pick up a bottle and serve it chilled for your next girls night in (or prefunk!). Delish!

Wino Wednesday

It has been awhile since I shared a wine with ya'll but to be honest I have been drinking my fail safe favorites the last few outings and finally have a new one to report on, YAY! I picked up this bottle of La Crema Chardonnay as a special treat for Elon returning home. I splurged a bit with this $15 bottle which was marked down from the normal $20.

I was expecting huge things from this chardonnay and unfortunately didn't get it. I mean, it is a tasty glass of wine alright, but I will gladly take my Liberty School or Magistrate over this one any day. It was light and fruity but a bit more acidic then I was expecting. All in all I would give this a 7 out of 10. You be the judge....I say, save the extra bucks and pick up a bottle of Liberty School Chardonnay.

Wine Bag = Genius

Wine and bread…two of my favorite things to enjoy alone or with friends. I enjoy them so much that this Rebecca Minkoff Wine Bag might just be a necessity. This bag has a separate compartment for your wine and also your bread, which is important as you do not want the wine rolling over and crushing your bread!

This wine bag would also be a great house warming gift, as you could fill it with a nice bottle of wine and delicious olive bread (that is just my preference). Cute, functional and fun!

Wino Wednesday

I picked up a split of the Gloria Ferrer Chardonnay last Friday night and while I wasn't disappointed with the taste, I wasn't pleased either. I think if you prefer a crispier, tangy, Chardonnay more similar to a Sauvignon Blanc then this is the Chardonnay for you! It received the Gold Medal in the 2008 Los Angeles Int’l Wine & Spirit Competition so it is highly regarded by others.

Try it for your self. The split ran me $6.49 and a whole bottle will run you a little over $13.

Wino Wednesday

I was first introduced to the Castle Rock Pinot Noir through the wine game (I promise a post explaining this fab game). Immediately upon tasting this wine, I was in love (I was also about ten other tastings deep). When it came time to decide upon a red wine for the wedding, I was dead set on this wine. Seeing as it was priced about $11.99 a bottle I realized that I would need to settle for serving this wine just on the tables with dinner.

This wine is smooth, and goes with just about any dish. The wine has soft tannins, and flavors of cherry and blackberry. It just goes down easily and I think that even if you aren't a red wine lover, you would definitely be a fan of this wine. Try it out for yourself!

Wino Wednesday

I haven't been drinking as much wine these days, with Elon gone and trying to stay healthy, but decided this weekend I needed to up the ante and try a new wine to write about. Since I would be spending the Saturday evening watching a movie with Waldo, a full bottle would have been a waste so I decided upon a split of the Cambria Chardonnay. It had a nice straw color to it and was neither overly crisp nor buttery. It was just quite simply stated a good white wine. Nothing to write home about (even if I am blogging about it). I don't know if I would pay $14.99 for a full bottle but the split at $6.99 was a pretty good deal for what it was.

Hopefully this weekend I will sample a lovely wine and be able to provide a better review next week!

Wino Wednesday

I received this delightful bottle of Morgan Chardonnay for my birthday this year and sampled it a few weeks back. I was very pleased with the bottle. Smooth, and well balanced with just a slight crispness to it.

I was also pleased to find out that one of my favorite joints for happy hour Canal Club serves up a nice decent priced glass of it with your half priced sushi. It is a bit on the pricier side to drink often and regularly for me, but for a special occasion or splurge a wonderful treat!

Wino Wednesday

So I would have continued on with our private wine tour and told you about another lovely winery, but unfortunately after our third winery (Bridlewood), I don't remember much. So I will tell you about a fun tasting room we experienced at Solvang.

Solvang is a tiny cute Danish town and like most small towns, everything closes early. We arrived into Solvang around 5 PM on Sunday after our wedding and after checking into our cute hotel room (more on that later), we raced down the street to one of the only open tasting rooms Lions Peak. A very pretty tasting room, with custom made counters from the oak the wine ferments in. It reminded me a bit of an old study or library. We sampled six of their wines and they were all pretty tasty, but Elon and I were both sold on the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Port. Again, deliciously sweet without the syrupy, thickness that I usually associate with Ports. I will be sure to enjoy this bottle with good friends and some fabulously rich chocolate. Yum!

Wino Wednesday

chefkelly01

The third stop of our wine tour was the beautiful Bridlewood Winery. Upon entering the gates we were immediately welcomed into a lush setting, that had me feeling like I had entered a scene out The Great Gatsby.

Ping & Wenji

Bridlewood's grounds are absolutely beautiful. I came to find out that the facility used to be a rehabilitation center for horses. Once I learned that I could totally see all the equestrian influences.

One we were inside, we sampled seven wines and had the place all to ourselves, which meant I could ask a lot of questions. The only problem was that I was already a little buzzed (after all I had already sampled at least 14 wines) and it was only a little after noon. However, that didn't stop me from sampling some more, I just perhaps didn't have the most clean palate at this point to truly enjoy what I was tasting.

We decided on the Arabesque a Rhone style blend of Grenache, Syrah, Viognier and a few other flavors thrown in. Very light red in color and smooth all the way down. We thought it was definitely a keeper and one that we would let age a little bit longer before opening up. Yum, yum!

We had a nice picnic on the lawns here and enjoyed salami, cheese, olives and you guessed it more wine! Such a romantic and wonderful way to spend time with my new hubby!