AND....

Before I can tell you about my peanut butter pie making experience (remember, from Beth's blog?), may I remind you of this incident of 2010:)!

Okay, now that you are fully prepared and suitably underwhelmed, I shall share my tale of making the peanut butter pie in memory of Mikey and in honour of Beth, the busiest, most involved and engaged person I know!

So, step one of all baking is to read the instructions and make a grocery list. So, I read the instructions, and the first thing I thought was, what do they mean by chocolate cookies? After some discussion with Beth, we decided that the Bulk Barn would be the best place to find such cookies (sans vanilla or chocolate icing fillings)...That is, before Beth went and asked her baker aunt for guidance and got an even better plan going (including a likely better crust approach than mine)...But whatever. This is not a competition. It's for a good cause.

Ahem.

Now, with my new, trusty iPhone, I didn't even have to write a grocery list...I simply had to carry my phone with me to the Bulk Barn and the grocery store and I could look at the blog and buy the goods and skip the middle step. (And if you know me, skipping steps is what I do best!!!)

So off to the Bulk Barn I went, post Dr. b being laid down to rest for the night (took five minutes people...I know, I am the BEST mom EVER!;-)!!!!

I was so super pumped! I have this renewed energy, you see...So I am trying to direct it positively rather than assault all of you all day on your fb or through texts and the like....(you wouldn't know I have two kids, would you?)!!!

Anyway(s) (that's for you S.S.), I managed to get a few of the items at the Bulk Barn - a few. I found what I deemed to be suitable cookies (those graham crackery ones covered in chocolate...mmmm).

The freakin' bill came to $11.00!!! Wow, baking is EXPENSIVE. It would be cheaper for me to go to my local Starbucks and buy a piece of cake (and that's saying something)!

But I was not near done. Oh no...

To the grocers!

And at the grocers, I spent another whopping $18.00. So presuming this pie/cholesterol haven managed to be split into six pieces, each piece would cost, let me see...11 + 18, carry the one, minus mistakes, plus additional mistakes, and we have 30 / 6 = 5.00 for one piece. hm....Maybe I will charge anyone who wants a slice (since I am now the frugal, penny pincher, right h.r.l & a.w, my fav. dutch financial advisers;-)???)!

Okay....

Enough blabbing!

NEXT: to the in-law's!  to borrow requisite spring-form pan. I can't be sure, but I think they were secretly laughing at me and my want to create this pie for someone I didn't even know with whom I was only just acquainted in the good ol' blogosphere...

I say they were missing the point....

And my family was going to get to reep the um...rewards.

So here's where I begin my confessional...

I bought all the things that were on the blogger's list. I checked my goods over at least four times. I felt pretty good.

AND I actually used the proper pan (thanks Su Bu!), which I almost NEVER do (call it the rebel in me, but following instructions and me, well, we simply don't get along all that well)...Drives my hubby mental...he teases me and pretends to cook like me, saying things like a cup here, and pours wayyy too much in (though I may not use the actually measuring cup, I say I am more accurate than he thinks I am!)...

So I get home, feeling really thorough and resolved to do this thing to perfection...After all, y'all are gonna be grading me, right?

So I take out all the measuring tools (I know! doing better already)!!! I also take out all the mixers, bowls, spoons, spatula's, etc., and ingredients I need...

I even take out my scale! Seriously, people...I was SERIOUS!

And I begin...And I start off with a bang! I am like a seasoned baker in my kitchen, prepping before I start, and feeling all OCD organized (again, a first for me)!!!

And then it happens. My first bluster....I look at the ingredients I buy. Now, a heavy cream should look a little like this:

But instead it looked like this:

 I am no baker! Is this a problem? Don't know yet...but at the time, I started to get hot in the face and slightly flustered...

But I'd been on a roll up to this point, no use in letting this little *possible* mishap upset my so far perfect streak.

And so I continue on, following the directions impeccably!

I was doing so well, I even surprise myself: melting what I was supposed to, chopping what I was supposed to, measuring what I was supposed to and even REFRIGERATING WHILE I WAS creating what I was supposed to!

I was all, there's nothing to this baking thing, I am sooo good at this already! easy as pie (now I understand that adage;-))

Honestly, I was feeling beyond professional.

And then I realized it.

Foible number two.

Okay, so if you go to the recipe you'll see: Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Then it says: Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth. 





But instead I did this: (partially b/c I had bought the wrong cream and wasn't sure it would beat until peaks would form, but regardless)...Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer --- Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. 

So in case you missed it, what I did was not beat to peaks, and then add all the ingredients to the cream, rather than refrigerate the cream and add the appropriate ingredients to the peanut butter and cream cheese....

At this point I was RIGHT FLUSTERED!!!!!

I blame my trusty iPhone for being so freakin' small, I didn't even notice I'd skipped a step!!! (what is it they say about the poor workman who blames his tools?) WHATEVER!  HRMPH...

BUT, I AM a PROFESSIONAL...

And...

I knew that there was no turning back.

And certainly I was not going to try it all again! My pie per slice would then be $10.00. That was just ridiculous.

Easy as pie my a**!

I didn't tell jb my mistakes, as I knew he would totally make fun of me and call me his fav nickname: sb 10 percenter...shoulda used a measuring cup, coulda done it this way, coulda done that instead...He is a very good cook, and does everything perfect the first time, you know. (And truly, I say this begrudgingly, I am not even being sarcastic. HE IS PERFECT IN THE KITCHEN -- AND HIS FOOD EVEN LOOKS OCD PERFECT)!

I hate him;-)

and also, had I told him, I'd be all...D*mnit! I hate when he's right...

And he'd be all, 'I told you so...' sing song intonations and all....

Not only that, this was in a way, a public humiliation. I was showing the world that I cannot even follow a darn recipe.

English major who cannot read sequential instructions yet teaches craft to young children.

You know what they say, those who can't ... teach.

Gr...

All said and done, though, I tried to make the pie look as pretty as I could (to disguise its likely inevitable gross taste and more than likely floppy, droopy, gooey interior). If it LOOKS pretty, maybe jb won't notice.

What's funny here, is that I can't even really make the pie look pretty. The chocolate drizzle looks more like chocolate blobs...

Ha.

Anyone who utters sb type A about me again, I may punch out...Being busy and being type A? two very different things:-)

All this said, here's an image of the final product, refrigerated over night and everything (bonus points for following MOST of the directions???)...

I will get back to you about how it tastes, later...

duh duh duh... 

I will keep you posted on how it tastes after lunch!

 

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My Legacy and other such Ridiculous Thoughts....

Well ladies today I feel as though I am barely BARELY keeping up. In fact at this moment I have not yet laid out my clothes for tomorrow (and it is nearly 8pm - my bedtime!!!). Nor have I had a moment to respond to my emails or my fb messages. Nor have I even sat down until just now.

Frig man life is busy.

But while it is busy on the outside with pertinent things, on the inside my wheels are spinning some really ridiculous thoughts.

Like I thought to myself this past weekend, self, let's have a chat, shall we? Tell, me, honestly, and with some real considerate thought, what is it, do I think, that I will leave to my daughter as my sort of Legacy? And you know what I came up with? 

Let me give you a minute...

The ability to apply and enjoy make-up. 

emmhmm. 


Oh yah.

I would say that this fact is a sad sad truth, but I believe it to be a happy one. 

I do!

I know there are other such much more important sb - isms that e will learn, but mostly, I look at myself, and I look at my future off-spring(s) and, by extension, and with hope, I presume, their future offspring(s) and I see ladies who just know how to apply and play with face art.

emmnhmmm. indeed!

Generations of beautifully aesthetics -ized faces. Can you believe it? Or, more to the point - can you imagine it?

I believe that this passion of mine will span generations of little sb's!!!

Or at least I hope so.

And that, I am proud to say, is the one major tangible talent that I truly truly believe will become inherent in my little girls. Unless of course they are rebels and take no note of anything I teach them. Then the art may die along with me.

But I WILL die trying.

Oh the trivialities that are all things me.

---

Next up. I know that I have 'raised the bar' in indulgence (ever see that Bueno commercial?) when I actually go out of my way to pay $7.50 for a regular sized waffle cone - EVER.

Like that is just insane, right? 

Like right up there with the five dollar coffee - latte?

Am I right? Or am I right?

Are we that yuppy-ville that we must spend more than a toonie on ICE CREAM?

Well, I am.

Indeed.

For two big-time reasons and some small unbeknown-st to me reasons too, I am sure.

One: PMS to me forces my body to emit this siren song - it creates in me a homing device - and thus attracts all forms of ice-creamy goodness-y indulgences for at least one week prior to my 'friend's' visit.

Indeed. Since high school. I would be my usual religious and conscientious eater all month long, then suddenly, out of the blue, I would have to buy me song ice-cream.

My mom could set her watch to it.

It took me years to realize this pattern.

But if you've read my posts, you know my mom and her need to um., help me see the light, ahem...(she says the ice-cream and my supreme bitchy-ness gave me away EVERY time). 

Oh she would tell the entire family over Easter dinner about my tendency to be a a bitchy, ice-creamy pms-y tyrant (I will admit I am a bit difficult to deal with at this time of the month) if I let her! 

And I don't.

Er. I try not to let her.

But even then, she'll try and work it into conversation -

I KNOW, right?!!

Your mom too?!

Anyhow.

That was One.

Two: If I buy a tub of ice cream, I will just HAVE to eat it in two days. No matter the size. It's like an unwritten rule: tub must be gone in two days.

Something about melting or something?

It's an agreement between my body and the tub. I have been left out of this equation - I swear!!!

(ah - I just unassumingly go along with it)....right...

And so - because of my inability to control said situations (pms and melting ice cream that is), I feel I must only buy cones.

In theory this works: I can still get what I want without fear of overindulgence - 

(ahem).

However, when I go out every night of Easter long weekend (including Monday night, my friends), (and even after two amazing family dinners AND two family desserts --mmm banana cake and apple pie!), I wonder if I've re-raised the bar for indulgence - to a place it should really and truly NEVER go.

And let's do the math, here shall we? Um $7.50 times four, divided by one - added to nothing - and then resultant in the grand total of - $30.00 spent on four ice creams!

I know your opinion of me just then really took a hit.

And I don't blame you one bit.

it. is. a. problem.

Of the monumental kind.

And yet, I will continue my silly approach.

And I will still buy from my favourite marble-slab.

Because their ice-cream is REAL ice-cream (not frozen dessert, which I am not sure what that is - you?) -  

And And And it is just that good!

  I even forwent (honestly, is there such a word?) my wine last week in lieu of my ice-cream fix.

Again, I admit, it's a bit of a problem.

And so I ask you - what will you, if you were as silly and frivolous as I, spend that kind of senseless money on? 

Of course, All things considered: like the fact that I should be able to buy and create my own cone for like 1/10th the price - and the fact that I drove out of my way - on four different occasions - on the very same weekend - to the not necessarily convenient Marble Slab for the very same dessert all four times on four consecutive days. 

Let's all overlook the environmental implications of this.

Oh and I just right then felt your opinion of me fall that little bit further.

ka-thunk? Did it just hit the floor!!!????

But anyhow.

And that is what takes up my mental space while working, 'relaxing', and um. doing everything all at once - 

my vapid, vacant little mind houses some wonderful discussion starters - don't you think?

Please make me feel better and share with me some sort of indulgence that is embarrassingly over-the-top...

If for no other reason, to make me feel a bit better about my sad sad sorry little self.

And how.

Bon nuit, mes amies!

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Thirsty Thursdays (7)

Welcome to the seventh installment of Thirsty Thursdays! This post is the Better Late Than Never Easter Weekend Edition!!!

Every week I will select a wine and review it. (There will be no consistent rhyme or reason for picking the wine; presume I chose each bottle on a whim. And, no, I am not receiving compensation for these reviews). I will rate the wine on a four glass rubric because a properly poured glass of wine is 6.25 oz, ensuring that each 750 ml bottle fills four glasses. (This haphazard logic makes sense, right?!)…

Yes - it is very important that I post about wine this week since it's the image that's been dancing in my head at around three thirty p.m. (post kiddies scrambling to their buses). Every day. All week. Does that mean I have a problem? Maybe. Or that I am working hard enough to warrant a nice, little (ahem) glass of vino as my reward! And I would wager that all y'all are in the same position - so let's get on with it shall we?

A reminder in how one should taste her wine:

A proper Wine Tasting starts with smelling the wine. This process looks ridiculous! You take a brief first sniff, then pull the glass away and swirl it like a snob, (look for legs, viscosity, colour, etc.) then stick your big noggin right in there and inhale like it’s your last breath. And THEN you take the first sip, and pull it through your teeth. Also looks ridiculous! Swallow. (Sounds obvious I know…).Take your second sip. During this sip, you swoosh the wine like it is toothpaste you’re trying to wash out of your mouth. Please don’t spit it out, though, unless there’s a bucket and you’re expected to! Finally, that third sip you hold on to and savor – and finally…swallow. It is this final sip that tells for sure if the wine is going to be good.

Region: The cool Central Coast of California.

Price Point: $20.00 USD

Tasting Notes: directly from the Robert Mondavi Website: [The] 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from cool-climate Central Coast grapes and has been blended with Syrah and small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and Sangiovese. The wine has the sweet black cherry and dark berry fruit character that distinguishes California’s finest Cabernet Sauvignons, and its ripe fruit is supported by velvety tannins and well-integrated oak.

This is a wine of excellent depth, richness, and length on the palate.

It is a constant and consistently smooth taste from start to finish.

Food Pairings: Enjoy with a wide array of dishes, from standing rib
roasts, grilled steak, and roast duck to spare ribs, lasagna, and flavorful
hard cheeses.

Cabernet Sauvignon, in case you've not noticed, is simply my very favourite wine variety. As my closest friend says: it tastes like red wine. It is dry in flavour and full in body. There is a deep, dark berryness to it that makes it sexy and mysterious simultaneously. And it is simply a sophisticated and honest wine variety. It believes in honour and class above all else. 

Robert Mondavi is a bit more expensive than the previous wines I've discussed and, though this is not always the case, its price point is reflective of its quality. This is a true red wine. It is pure. It is what one expects when they go to take a sip of a red wine. It is smooth and delectable. 

Robert Mondavi is not an everyday wine - unless you are rich, of course! I am lucky enough to have a very generous friend who brought it with her last weekend for our celebrations - and boy was I happy! I felt special, even! I felt like I needed to turn the channel to black and white and put on my most expensive dress and pumps - and get me a faux-fur-coat. And some nice long, thin cigarettes - and red lipstick of course!

--

So my best-y and I - being the fun and brave and sometimes cocky ladies we can be when together, WELL!, we decided we were qualified and/or savvy enough to test our tasting skills: so we did ourselves a 'proper' wine tasting and tried to ascertain what characteristics we could find in this treasure.

We even let the boys get in on the fun (though we gave their responses little consideration). I mean, they were saying things like vanilla! VANILLA? I don't think so. Stick to the beer boys.

LH and I, of course, were totally on the money: dark berry is what we said...and then we read the tasting notes and felt all superior and smart. Yup - dark cherry and dark berries. Man we were good! I mean you simply cannot LEARN this kind of talent - it is innate! *hee hee.

 --

Robert Mondavi Cabernet is everything classy. It is like the gentlemen of the fifties: properly attired from head to toe; he is the man who wears his white tuxedo when going out for the night. His hair is properly Brill Creamed and in place, and his cigar or cigarette hangs from his fingers; And, of course, he has his gorgeously classy lady (oh btw that's obviously you or me) on his arm. We are wearing our faux fur coat, classily expensive and shimmery dress, and pumps and OF COURSE we cannot forget our red lipstick!

We arrive and leave our venue in a white limousine - and we have a proper driver.

It is a wine meant to be shared in a couple or double-date scenario at a ritzy, maybe a bit-too-expensive restaurant. Picture the scene in black and white. Yes. Now this is where this wine should be enjoyed. The piano is playing, maybe a little Frank Sinatra or a little A Kiss is Just a Kiss is floating through the air. The wine is consumed out of pleasure and sophistication - and not a drop is wasted. The conversation is elevated and everyone speaks with purpose. Only the important and most beautiful of people are in this scene (and again - we're talking you and me and our gentlemen too).

The men stand when we ladies leave and return from the powder room, and the chair is always pulled out for us upon our return. It is all class and chivalry. We believe in the old-fashioned and the polished - .

And, of course, we drink responsibly.

My Rating: ****Rating: four poised, shiny, glittery, large/globey glasses out of four! It is everything class and sophistication and nothing short of what a good RED WINE should be!

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Thirsty Thursday will be up sometime tomorrow - hopefully - it will be good so stay tuned!!!

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Thirsty Thursdays (6)

Welcome to the sixth installment of Thirsty Thursdays! Every week I will select a wine and review it. (There will be no consistent rhyme or reason for picking the wine; presume I chose each bottle on a whim. And, no, I am not receiving compensation for these reviews). I will rate the wine on a four glass rubric because a properly poured glass of wine is 6.25 oz, ensuring that each 750 ml bottle fills four glasses. (This haphazard logic makes sense, right?!)…

I am amazed I am doing a review this week, because my head is spinning - I am close to anxious, but am fighting it with all my might. Because. I. am. in. control. So far...

A reminder in how one should taste her wine:

A proper Wine Tasting starts with smelling the wine. This process looks ridiculous! You take a brief first sniff, then pull the glass away and swirl it like a snob, (look for legs, viscosity, colour, etc.) then stick your big noggin right in there and inhale like it’s your last breath. And THEN you take the first sip, and pull it through your teeth. Also looks ridiculous! Swallow. (Sounds obvious I know…).Take your second sip. During this sip, you swoosh the wine like it is toothpaste you’re trying to wash out of your mouth. Please don’t spit it out, though, unless there’s a bucket and you’re expected to! Finally, that third sip you hold on to and savor – and finally…swallow. It is this final sip that tells for sure if the wine is going to be good.

 McManis Petite Sirah.

The only red wine better, in my humblest of opinions, than McManis Cabernet? McManis Petit Sirah! Oh Man. Does this wine have some major tastes going on. It packs a whole lot into one little sip, let me tell you! It is so yummy it dances on your tongue. Seriously!!!

As I've said before, The Petite Sirah is a YUMMY full bodied red wine with a sweet and spicy aroma and a hint of cherry in its finish. While its name indicates its relation to the Sirah, it is a very different grape variety. I have read that the Petite Sirah is, contrary to its name, a very bold wine.  And the McManis? Is very very bold. I think I might just have a crush on bold wines, actually! I am such a big fan. They aren't shy. They just are who they are. And this Petite Sirah is unabashedly sweet with a nice little tobacco-y hue.

Region: Northern Interior of California

Price Point: $10.99 USD

Tasting Notes: directly from the McManis Website:

• The 2006 Petite Sirah is deep purple in color with a bright hue. The nose is of jammy Boysenberry intertwined with Creme brulee and a subtle smokiness. Dense ripe fruit flavors are abundant. The finish is long and succulent. 

I also found this: The color of the 2008 Petite Sirah is of concentrated purple, with a youthful bright hue. The nose of the wine is full of ripe Blackberry, Boysenberry aromas, which are accompanied by Mocha and hints of brown sugar. The berry aromas of the nose are also evident in the flavor, when the rich, full bodied wine enters the mouth. Notes of milk chocolate and anise linger, long after swallowing. (shopriteliquors).

Food Pairings: works well with hearty red meats - but I would also say it would be great with a creamy and chocolate-y dessert.

I am going to commit copyright infringement, here, but I feel I must. I would say that this wine is the little black dress wine. You know those nights when you just feel you want to get all dolled up and go somewhere with dim lighting and a smoldering atmosphere - ? I am sure you are well acquainted with the nights -- when you feel like being downright sexy and vamp-y for your man..

That's what this wine is. *It could even be your red lipstick because it is that bold and that sexy.  Not for the tame, this wine. Oh no.

So slip into that sexy dress. Confidently apply that red lipstick. And dominantly grab your partner by the hand and tell him he is taking you for a night on the town. And for his generosity and willingness to oblige? Oh, he WON'T be sorry...

Enjoy responsibly.

Rating: 4 out of four red wine/ Petite Sirah goblets  - YES. It is THAT GOOD! 






*And I truly believe every woman needs to own for herself a proper red lipstick. Oh yes.

p.s. this is for you anonimo: So jb and I are watching March Madness tonight. And a player by the name of Isaiah Thomas comes on the screen. And I say 'Boy. He's been playing for a LOOONG time'. Then jb gives me the 'Oh SB, seriously?!' look. And I'm like, wha? and I say - 'Oh, this is COLLEGE FOOTBALL, right? I get it!' And then he's like...'Um no' giving me an even sorrier look than the previous. And I'm like, what did I say wrong now? 'It's not football SB'...

oh. yah. right. good point! 

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Thirsty Thursdays! (5) - Viva Italia!

Welcome to the fifth installment of Thirsty Thursdays! Every week I will select a wine and review it. (There will be no consistent rhyme or reason for picking the wine; presume I chose each bottle on a whim. And, no, I am not receiving compensation for these reviews). I will rate the wine on a four glass rubric because a properly poured glass of wine is 6.25 oz, ensuring that each 750 ml bottle fills four glasses. (This haphazard logic makes sense, right?!)…

Okay - so now that I am going back to work, I must rework this whole thing. You will be receiving the quick and dirty versions of Thirsty Thursdays. I hope you don't mind! 

A reminder in how one should taste her (his) wine:

A proper Wine Tasting starts with smelling the wine. This process looks ridiculous! You take a brief first sniff, then pull the glass away and swirl it like a snob, (look for legs, viscosity, colour, etc.) then stick your big noggin right in there and inhale like it’s your last breath. And THEN you take the first sip, and pull it through your teeth. Also looks ridiculous! Swallow. (Sounds obvious I know…).Take your second sip. During this sip, you swoosh the wine like it is toothpaste you’re trying to wash out of your mouth. Please don’t spit it out, though, unless there’s a bucket and you’re expected to! Finally, that third sip you hold on to and savor – and finally…swallow. It is this final sip that tells for sure if the wine is going to be good.

Okay people. Last week's Thirsty Thursday was riddled RIDDLED with mistakes! I am ashamed of myself! No more!

Just because I am a bit preoccupied does not NOT give me the right to become lax on here; that's not fair to you - am I right?

Any-who -- 

This week you are in for a real treat, as j.b. and I have finally picked a suitable and substantial, not to mention inexpensive--though delectably drinkable--house red wine. It is called Mezzomondo Negroamaro.

Mezzomondo translates literally as 'the center or middle of the world' - as the winery is from the heart of Italy. And if you know anything about me, I HEART ITALY - (or I presume I do, since I've never been, and it's my DREAM destination).

Now I've never heard of a Negroamaro grape before. Curious. Apparently it can also be called Negro Amaro - and it is a grape native to southern Italy (wikipedia). The grape (as its name indicates) produces a very dark, deep coloured red wine. It is a grape that is often used in blended wines (such as Montepulciano), but can also work well on its own - as it does in our new Mezzomondo favourite!

Tasting Notes, directly from the Mezzomondo website: deep in colour, the nose is spicy with a good structure and smooth tannins. A perfect pasta pairing or try with veal parmigiana, spicy sausage or pizza.

Doesn't that just sound Italian and DREAMY?

What I taste in the wine is a smoky, almost oaky, clove-y spice. This is a full bodied dry red wine with not a lot of complexity. Its taste is simple, deep, but not overpowering. Where a Cabernet has a bolder berry spice and a hint of sweetness to it, this Negroamaro is leathery and tobacco-ey and its flavour follows through to the finish. But it is not off-putting or too much. It is not bold - it is subtle. Yummy. And it tastes like I imagine Italy to be like: romantic and simple. (huh?) I know. What the heck am I saying?

I imagine we are all Lady and the Tramping it with this wine: (I may be in a dream world here!): we have our beloved Italian lover (or favourite blond-white hubby) dining with us. We are of course by candlelight, seated at the table that is cloaked in a red and white checkered cloth, and we have a single red rose hanging loosely in a tall vase as our centerpiece. Our Italian lover (ahem) is lapping up every word we utter. He is staring at us adoringly, lost in our eyes: fixated on everything we are saying and doing. 

He is lustful and his attention is not distracted. 

(lucky us!) 

We are enjoying our spaghetti carbonara on ONE plate, not two. .Because sharing is romantic...(duh!). We are sitting so close, we are almost ON one another. And of course that last noodle? We split. Lady and the Tramp style. Because our Romantic Italian Lover? He's debonair like that. He has no shame - and we? just go with it -- (even though we do feel a little silly!).

Besides its yummy-ness - and its Italian-ness - this wine is tres inexpensive: not sure how this relates in American, but it is a mere $16.45 in the LCBO!

My rating? 3.75 Italian style rock glasses out of four! mmm...it's yummy.

A sidenote:

When I think of rock glasses and red wine, my mind always goes to the depictions of the busy Italian families, everyone with drink in hand:

Is anyone else thinking - Would ya just watch the hair. Ya know, I work on my hair a long time and you hit it. He hits my hair. (Saturday Night Fever)? - sorry. I got distracted:-)

Viva Italia! 

---

p.s. let's add something here: what are YOU drinking these days? Let us all know! Or me, anyhow!!

my hubby had me do my first scotch tasting last night...now that's a whole other kettle of fish or whatever...man oh man! And I thought wine was interesting...

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Thirsty Thursdays (4)

Welcome to the third installment of Thirsty Thursdays! Every week I will select a wine and review it. (There will be no consistent rhyme or reason for picking the wine; presume I chose each bottle on a whim. And, no, I am not receiving compensation for these reviews). I will rate the wine on a four glass rubric because a properly poured glass of wine is 6.25 oz, ensuring that each 750 ml bottle fills four glasses. (This haphazard logic makes sense, right?!)…

Okay - so now that I am going back to work, I must rework this whole thing. You will be receiving the quick and dirty versions of Thirsty Thursdays. I hope you don't mind! 

A reminder in how one should taste her wine:

A proper Wine Tasting starts with smelling the wine. This process looks ridiculous! You take a brief first sniff, then pull the glass away and swirl it like a snob, (look for legs, viscosity, colour, etc.) then stick your big noggin right in there and inhale like it’s your last breath. And THEN you take the first sip, and pull it through your teeth. Also looks ridiculous! Swallow. (Sounds obvious I know…).Take your second sip. During this sip, you swoosh the wine like it is toothpaste you’re trying to wash out of your mouth. Please don’t spit it out, though, unless there’s a bucket and you’re expected to! Finally, that third sip you hold on to and savor – and finally…swallow. It is this final sip that tells for sure if the wine is going to be good.

This week I will present a few wines:

1. Concannon Petite Sirah 2005.

Region: Central Coast, California - though it originated in Durif Regions of France (Professional Friends of Wine).

Price Point: $12.00 American.

Tasting Notes: Nose: Cranberry, asparagus tips, white pepper, bacon fat, and loganberry.

Taste: Huge cranberry component that’s been mixed with white pepper, rhubarb, blueberry and blackberry pie with crust. Decent finish and mouth-feel make this wine a pretty good value-play at the prices you can usually find it for in your local grocery store – around $12. (Wine Foot)

Food Pairings: works well with hearty red meats

The Petit Sirah is a YUMMY full bodied red wine with a sweet and spicy aroma and a hint of cherry in its finish. While its name indicates its relation to the Syrah, it is a very different grape variety. I have read that the Petite Sirah is, contrary to its name, a very bold wine. That said, I did not find this wine bold. It has an even, constant aroma and flavour. It is a good wine to serve to those who are unsure and less daring tasters. It is very good.

I would say this is a winter wine - I imagine being in a chalet post ski trip (likely inspired by my friend, le's trip to Quebec two weeks ago -- I am still jealous). I picture jb and i feasting on lamb shanks, mashed potatos and other root veg. We are by the fire, chatting about our day's adventures! Our surroundings are all things wooden and earthy - the cabin theme. We are lapping up the warmth of the fire; the atmosphere; and we are feeling euphoric over that one too many glasses of wine. Luckily, we only have to trip our way back to our chalet by foot. Ah l'amore.

At least that's how I imagine the wine COULD be enjoyed.

Rating: 3.5 out of four red wine/ Petite Sirah goblets

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