Is anyone there?

Hello.

Hello?

Anyone here?

Hi.

I know, I know. I've been M.I.A.

I used to be obsessed with writing this blog. Then I got my new social media job with BevMo! I'm so busy tweeting and Facebooking and creating websites, I barely have time to breathe, let alone write something on the blog.

I've gone days without even thinking about it.

Sometimes a week will pass. {gasp!}

It's crazy.

I used to obsess over my stats, comments, etc. Not anymore.

I thought I was busy before. I had no idea what busy was.

Seriously. No idea.

My family is taking it well. I'm on the computer ALL THE TIME.

The house is not clean.

The meals are not good.

The family is hanging in there.

Elli ate noodles for lunch everyday last week. Of course she loves noodles. But sheesh. Good thing she's the happiest, most awesome kid on the planet.

The good news?

I love my new job. I'm doing all kinds of fun stuff with pr, social media, grand openings and events - it's the perfect job. It's a culmination of all the things I've done in my career. And all stuff I love to do. But it's a lot for one person to manage. So I'm a tad crazy sometimes! (aka cranky)

One of the downsides is driving to Concord every day. It's about a 50 minute drive. The best part is I have a new carpool buddy two days a week. Marian and I started the same day. We both live in Mill Valley. We're working together on grand opening stuff and we get along great. We've shared lots, and lots of laughs in the car. She even let me drag her to bars in Paso Robles way past her bedtime (with a couple of spirits vendors that were super fun), and she forgave me afterwards. I'm pretty sure we'll be friends for life.

The biggest thing I've done so far is create this wedding website for BevMo! We launched it in conjunction with the summer 5 cent wine sale. How perfect is that? You can get a whole case of wine for your wedding for just 60 cents. Wish they had that when I got married!! (So does my dad!)

I wrote the whole site and had an amazing freelance designer create it. I even wrote a little brochure to go along with it.

The site launched last Monday. We had over 20 brides sign up in the first three days. YA-HOO!

I'm hoping I'll have a teeny tiny bit of free time now so I can write a blog post, or two, from time to time.

Of course I still have 18 more grand openings to deal with this year. So that may, or may not happen.

You may want to visit me on https://facebook.com/bevmo or on Twitter @bevmo That's where I am most of the time!

It was good seeing all of you!

I'll be back. I promise.

Work Life Balance

Life has been just a tad hectic since I started the new job.

There are days when I feel like I'm drowning in "to do's."

I know it will get better as I get acclimated, and get programs in place that I'm responsible for. But right now, wow, it's crazy and a tad overwhelming.

Oh, in case you haven't heard - I got a job. FINALLY!! I'm the new Director of PR, Influencer Marketing and Events for BevMo! (my old client) I'm also responsible for all the Grand Openings. And I'm the office party planner.

I planned a little Oscars party for the office yesterday. I even set up a red carpet. You can check out all my Oscar party cocktail ideas and party tips on Skinny Scoop.

This job is amazing and right up my alley. It's also nice that I know so many people at BevMo! It makes transitioning so much easier.

The best part is I've taken my little hobby of social media and blogging and turned it into a real job. How awesome is that?!

I do need to work on my schedule. We've been eating dinner at 8pm every night. No one is complaining. But I'm not sure how long the grace period is.

I'm on my computer, or phone, or both ALL THE TIME. Don and Elli are giving me major eye roll about that and have told me to get off the computer and both iphones on more than one occasion.

I need to shut everything down and just relax every once in a while - which is really hard for me to do.

I know they're right.

I'm aware that I'm obsessed with tweeting. I'm well aware that the world will not stop if I don't tweet a comment about Top Chef.

Let's not even talk about Pinterest. My latest obsession.

I'll figure out the right balance.

And then there's the Blog! I need to find time to update my baby here. I have ideas flash through my brain all the time. It would be great if there was some sort of Telepathic App that would just grab all my thoughts and organize it into a post.

I'll work on that patent. Anyone know a good psychic/scientist I can consult? I'm all about delegating. Wait, did I just give myself one more thing to do? What is wrong with me?

BevMo Spring 5c Wine Sale is ON!

YAY! This is my kind of wine sale. Seriously, who doesn't like a bottle of 90+ wine for a nickle?

{silence}

That's what I thought.

Here are some picks from my friends at BevMo! 

California and Arizona have slightly different wines in the sale so I have two lists so everyone will be happy. Well almost everyone. BevMo! can't ship to NY and various other states so they're not happy. Neither are people in Japan. Can't ship to them either - darn shipping laws. 

CA and AZ peeps? You are golden.

CA

REDS

Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 PTS Wilfred Wong

Buccaneer Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 PTS Wilfred Wong

Kuleto Cabernet Sauvignon – 89 PTS Wine Enthusiast

Zolo Gaucho Select Malbec – 92 PTS Wilfred Wong

Main and Geary Petite Sirah – 92 PTS Wilfred Wong

Schug Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir  89 PTS Wilfred Wong

WHITES

Coppola Director’s Carneros Chardonnay – 90 PTS Wilfred Wong

Sonoma Hills Russian River Chardonnay – 93 PTS Wilfred Wong

Dahlia Chardonnay - 90 PTS Wilfred Wong

Arca Maggiore Pinot Grigio – 90 PTS Wilfred Wong

Frog Haven Sauvignon Blanc – 90 PTS Wilfred Wong

Campo Viejo Brut – 88 Wilfred Wong

AZ

REDS

Montgras Cabernet Franc- 92 PTS Wilfred Wong

Zolo Gaucho Select Malbec – 92 PTS Wilfred Wong

Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 PTS Wilfred Wong

Ranch 32 Cabernet Sauvignon

Haywood Zinfandel – 91 PTS Wine & Spirits

Buccaneer Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 PTS Wilfred Wong

WHITES

Dahlia Chardonnay – 90 PTS Wilfred Wong

Fratelli Pinot Grigio – 88 PTS Wilfred Wong

Vigilance Sauvignon Blanc 91 PTS Wilfred Wong

Coppola Pavilion Chardonnay – 89 PTS Wilfred Wong

Tapiz Chardonnay – 91 PTS Wilfred Wong

Cupcake Brut Rose – 88 PTS Wilfred Wong

The best thing to do is fill up two cases. Because for every bottle you buy, you get the second bottle for 5¢. So that means the second case is just 60¢!  Ka-ching!

And then invite me over so we can drink wine together.

Sounds fun, right?

5 Delicious Super Bowl Cocktail Recipes

Margarita on the rocks. The only way to drink a margarita.

Just because our team didn't make it to the Super Bowl, doesn't mean we won't be watching the commercials and Madonna like everyone else. And the game too, of course.

Who's playing again?  

kidding.........don't go all crazy on me.

Here are some great cocktail recipes from BevMo! that I thought you might like. I kinda wish I had a margarita right now - with chips and homemade queso. mmm, mmm

Toast your favorite player with the official MVP Cocktail:

• 1/2 oz. Malibu Rum
• 1/2 oz. Vodka
• Pineapple Juice
• Shake Malibu Rum, Vodka and pineapple juice over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and decorate with a cherry.

Highlight all the hottest plays with a CIROC Red Zone:

• 1.5 oz CIROC Red Berry
• 1 oz sour mix
• ¼ oz Chambord liqueur
• Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Sack that QB with The Blitz Cocktail:

• 1 1/2 oz Patrón Añejo tequila
• 1 oz Lillet Rouge
• 1 oz orange curacao liqueur
• Splash of orange bitters
• In an ice filled cocktail shaker, add ingredients. Shake until well blended. Strain over ice.

4th Quarter with 4 seconds left Hail Mary Shooter:

• 1 1/4 oz. Pepper Vodka
• 5 dashes Tabasco Sauce
• Splash Tomato Juice
• Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain into shot glass.

Perfect Post Game Margarita:

• 1 part Espolon Tequila
• 3 parts Cuervo Margarita Mix
• ½ cup or more of crushed ice
• Rim a Margarita glass with BevMo! Lime Salt.  Add mix, tequila, ice, and a slice of lime.

Enjoy!

Go Giants!

See? I know who's playing. And who's singing at half time. 'Cause I'm a material girl you know.

Party food - wine and spin dip

I realized yesterday that I have not featured any wines in a very long time. It's not because we're not drinking wine, either. So here are two bottles for you to try. Plus a really yummy spinach dip recipe. I featured the dip last year. But it's time to share it again because it's perfect for football parties. And the niners are playing today. GO NINERS!

Main & Geary Cabernet and the Prospect 49 Sauvignon Blanc

Both of these wines are fabulous. The Main & Geary Cabernet has notes of blackberry and a nice berry aroma. It tastes great alone, or with food. I was sipping it while eating my yummy Spinach and Artichoke Dip.

The Prospect 49 Sauvignon Blanc was also quite tasty. It's light and fruity. Not tart or green like some Sauvignon Blancs. It seemed a little too sweet for me at first. But it actually paired really well with the rich, cheesy Spin Dip. The more I drank it the more I liked it. It's a keeper.

I think I'll drink more of the Prospect 49 today. I'm kinda hoping it will bring the old 49ers football team some luck if we drink it during the playoff game. So we're buying some more. Plus, we have a lot of spin dip to eat still!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2 (10 oz) boxes frozen spinach, thawed

1/4 c. butter

1 T minced fresh garlic

2 T minced onion

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 pint heavy cream

1/4 c. chicken stock

2 t. fresh lemon juice

1/2 t. hot sauce

1/2 t. salt

2/3 c. fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 c. sour cream

1/2 c. shredded white cheddar cheese

(12 oz) jar or can of artichoke hearts drained, coarsely chopped 

1. Strain spinach and squeeze through a cheesecloth to remove as much liquid as possible. 
2. In heavy saucepan over medium heat, saute garlic and onions in butter until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  
3. Slowly whisk in cream and stock and continue cooking until boiling. 
4. Once boiling, stir in lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and Romano cheese; stir until cheese has melted.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  
6. Stir in sour cream, then fold in dry spinach and artichoke hearts.  
7. Pour in ovenproof/microwave proof dish. Sprinkle cheddar evenly on top.  
8. Heat in microwave or bake in oven until cheese on top is melted.
9. Serve hot with tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa for dipping.  

 

I know it's not exactly a diet recipe. Just put all those crazy calorie thoughts out of your head and have some carrots and celery on hand to balance the richness of this oh-so-tasty treat. You can probably alter the recipe with some low-fat ingredients. I'll try that next time.

WINE DETAILS:

Main & Geary Cabernet  91pts Wilfred Wong
Ripe and showy, the well-designed cab speaks clearly of the Napa Valley; black fruit predominate, layered and bright on the palate. $13cb on sale

Prospect 49 Sauvignon Blanc 90 pts Wilfred Wong
Very pretty and alluring, serves up honeysuckle in the nose and pink grapefruit, and lemon meringue in the flavors. $10cb on sale

Let's have some wine!

This is going to be a quick one. I've been writing, and writing, and writing a lot lately. Which has been great. Unfortunately, it's not for the blog. wah wah wah

I'm trying to manage all these new things I have going on and the blog isn't getting much love. Like the plant on our patio, it's the last thing that gets attention.

So I thought I would share some wine tips.

There's only one more week of the 5 cent sale at BevMo. So you better get on over there.

Cheers!

The Dahlia Reserve is deelish. Lots of fruit and no goats.

This is my current favorite red.

Smooth and delicious Cabernet

Don loves this one.

Main & Geary - this is for all the Chardonnay lovers out there.

And my two new favorite Sauvignon Blancs - Guenoc and Trailhead

There's one more to try. It's a cab. Really, really yummy. I tasted it at the store one Saturday. It's smooth and delicious. I haven't bought it yet. But I hope to soon.

S. Anderson Cabernet Sauvignon

It's funny how life is you know?

One minute I'm working my arse off on the BevMo account. The next minute I'm not. Then I'm working for BevMo again in a whole new capacity.

Never burn any bridges my friend. You just never know when you might want to cross the bridge again.

~Kris

My rough life

I've gone to two fun blogging parties in the last two weeks. The first was a group of foodies tasting chocolate and wine. The second was a group of lady bloggers from Northern California who got together to drink wine, eat yummy food and share blogging ideas.

Free chocolate and wine. It's rough.

If you had told me five years ago I would have a blog and would be socializing with people I met on the internet I would have given you one of my famous "HUH?" looks.

It's amazing how my life has changed since I started my silly little blog. I'm now making money (real money) blogging for companies. How crazy is that?

Elli thinks it's the best thing ever that I get to Tweet and Facebook all day long and get paid for it. "You love tweeting! That's the perfect job for you." she said.  And it's true. I love Twitter. It's full of news and interesting people. It's like reading all the headlines on topics you love all day long. The hardest part is stopping. Just ask Don.

So here are a few pics from the parties!

Ghirardelli Chocolate and Wine Party.

Hosted by Sabrina of The Tomato Tart blog.

 You can see all the details of the pairings on her blog here.

Carmelized onion and Parmesan tart

Fresh berries and plum and red wine jam with pepper corns.

Gluten free Gingerbread

Lemon Pepper brioche and yuzu pots de creme

And then there's the Nor Cal Lady Bloggers.

We got together this past weekend to drink some wine, chat, eat, drink more wine and laugh.

Nor Cal Lady Blogger Dinner

Sacramento

4:30 Wine Tasting at BevMo

6:30 Dinner at Ella

Overnight at the Citizen Hotel

Rachael Hunter, my Mill Valley blogging buddy and roomie.

Rachel, Nichole, Eileen, Sherri, Rachael and me.

We heart the BevMo! guys at the Arden store.

The S. Anderson cab was the crowd favorite.

The private dining room at Ella was perfect. We were a bit noisy. : )

The fancy prix fix menu, $30pp and it was fabulous.

Ricotta gnocchi. Outstanding. I wanted to lick the plate.

Stuffed Trout wrapped in pancetta.

Chocolate heaven.

It's a rough life, huh?

Baked Scallops

There's nothing better than a great food and wine pairing.

You eat it and think to yourself, man this is good.

The best way to pair a food and wine is to pair the flavors. Does the wine taste earthy? Pair it with Pinot Noir.

When I went to the Star Olive Oil tasting party a few weeks ago I was blown away by how awesome all the wine tasted with each dish. The chef really knew how to pair wine with food.

Here are some other really basic examples.

Oakey butter chardonnay = buttery pasta dish, risotto, scallops in cream sauce

Citrusy sauvignon blanc = herb chicken, clams, cucumber salad

Pinot Noir = turkey, mushroom dishes, cornish game hens, lamb

This oakey and buttery Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay goes perfectly with this Baked Scallops dish.

I hope you enjoy it!

Baked Scallops
adapted from Simply Recipes

2 lbs large scallops
1 cup white wine
6 T unsalted butter (separated 3T and 3T)
2 1/2 T flour
1 shallot finely diced
1/2 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400

1. Place scallops in a medium saute pan. Add the wine and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 4 minutes.
2. Remove the scallops to a 1.5 quart casserole baking dish. Pour off the cooking liquid to separate container and reserve.
3. Heat 3 Tbsp butter in the saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft.
4. Slowly add the flour and cooking liquid over the butter shallot mixture, whisk vigorously. Add a little water if it's too thick.
5. Add the sauce to the scallops in the baking dish as soon as it's thick. Stir to incorporate.
6. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the scallops, dot with remaining butter. Bake in the oven until bubbly and brown, approximately 15 minutes.

Serves 6

You can find this wine and other great Chardonnay's at BevMo! And guess what? You might just find this recipe over there today. woo hoo!! LINK

Camping wine

We have a few camping trips planned for this summer.

This is a new thing for me. I'm not really a camper. I don't like being dirty. I like showers and hair dryers. So camping has about as much appeal as cleaning the bathtub.

But Don and Elli really want to camp. They got the bug last summer when they went for a weekend camp out with some friends. Elli loved playing in the dirt, swimming in the river, sleeping in a tent and cooking by the campfire. So how could I deny her this fun?

I don't want to be "that" mommy. The one that is no fun and all prissy.

The thing is everyone knows I don't really like to camp so now I'm kind of a joke. They talk to me like I'm completely clueless about living outside. I'm not clueless. I know exactly what it's all about, which is exactly the reason I don't want to do it.

It's kind of like bungee jumping. I see the rush people get when they jump and how their body bounces around like a rag doll. I see how psyched they are about it. And I have absolutely no desire to EVER jump off a bridge connected to a giant rubber band. The only way I would ever do it is if you knocked me out, tied my feet to the band, and pushed me.

Don't even think about doing that.

My idea of fun is completely different. I would rather hang with a group of friends at a winery drinking wine, eating cheese and fresh bread while swapping stories, laughing and hanging out - that is my idea of fun.

So knowing that, Don and I are doing a little experimenting with some box wines we've recently found to see if any of them are decent. The container is perfect for camping - non-breakable boxes with a tap. They won't get sand and dirt in them once opened. And there is no spilled wine if they are knocked over.

Bon Ventos Red Wine from Portugal is our favorite so far.

We bought our first box at The Spanish Table. It was called Bon Ventos from Portugal and was just $19.99 (equivalent of two bottles of wine.) The wine was good! And I must say we were kind of digging the tap. It was a little too convenient on the shelf at home. This one was definitely a winner.

Then we read about a new wine in a box produced by Clif Bar company called The Climber www.climberpouch.com. We went to BevMo! and Trader Joe's to see if they had it. No luck. But BevMo! did have quite a few others, so we picked up Bota Box Cabernet and Bota Box Pinot Grigio. We tapped the Cab the other day. It's not as good as the wine from Spanish Table. It wasn't as full-bodied as we like, but not bad for $16.99 (equivalent of four bottles.)

I looked the wine up on BevMo.com and saw that Wilfred gave it 87 points. This wasn't on the sign at the store. That definitely would have influenced our decision. Oh well. The Pinot Grigio won a Bronze at the 2010 SF Int'l Wine Comp. So I have higher hopes for that one.

BevMo! has a few others we can try before we go on our big expedition. Kidding. Not about trying the wine. About calling our camping trip an expedition. Although this is bear country. It could turn into a game of survival. Waaaah, it better not.

Don's digging this whole thing. Any excuse to buy something and he's game. He's in full "getting-all-the-camping-gear-on-the-planet" mode. We now have a tent, grill, burners, lights, cookware, tubs, sleeping bags, air mattress.......*sigh*..........

I'm wondering if we actually could have gone to the Ritz.

Never mind. I promised myself there would be no whining. Just wine-ing. hee hee

$16.99 at BevMo!

UPDATE:
We tapped the Pinot Grigio. It's a decent wine. A little sweet, light and good for summer pool parties and picnics.

I also picked up the Bota Box 2009 Malbec. Wilfred gave it 90pts. I like it, too. It's medium bodied, has nice hints of blackberry and cherry and a little zing on the finish. It would be great to pair with chicken or beef. I think this may be my favorite of the three. The price is the same $16.99 for a 3-liter box.

7/3/11 - Look here. The SF Chronicle did a little article comparing box wines, too. So here you go. More juice to ponder drinking. Ciao. {article}

09 Dahlia Pinot Noir Reserve - 93 PTS and delish

I'm not afraid to admit it. And I can say it out loud. I like this Pinot. I know, I know.....

You've heard me moan and groan about my issues with Pinot and my sensitive palate. You've put up with all my whining about how I think they all smell and taste like stinky old barn. Not that I have actually tasted a barn, or hay, or dirty goats. But the smell is so strong for me that I can't get past it.

So when Don poured me a glass of wine on Saturday and had a devilish smirk on his face I knew he was up to no good. He was going to try and trick me into something. But I'm smarter than that, because I spotted the BevMo purchase he made and noticed he bought a few bottles of Dahlia Pinot Reserve. Apparently he has forgotten that my friend Rob Jensen, of Testarossa fame, makes this Pinot and it is one of the few pinots I actually like! Because it tastes like fruit. Imagine that!

Don bought it because Wilfred gave it a whopping 93 pts. And it was on sale. That's like winning the lottery in my house. We thoroughly enjoyed the first bottle. Then the second. Oops. It was Saturday. So settle down.

I remembered tasting this wine a while ago when we were doing a photo shoot at Testarossa. It was the summer of 2009........ just kidding. Well not really. It was! We took a break from the photo shoot and had lunch with Rob and Wilfred and the crew on the patio outside. Rob brought out a few wine samples for all of us to try. Technically they were for Wilfred to try, but the rest of us couldn't resist getting a little sip.

And now here they are bottled and on sale at BevMo for $19.99 (in California, anyway.) Plus, I just remembered, BevMo has a coupon out there that you can use to purchase this wine. You can save $1 on each bottle. The easiest thing to do is to order online and use this code at checkout: VPMM13

Sorry, I got side tracked. I'm always looking for a way to save a buck. Or two.

I highly recommend a trip to the winery if you happen to be in Los Gatos. You will love all the Testarossa wines. They consistently score above 90pts. Rob and Bill know how to make good wine.

And if you're into history you'll find the physical place quite interesting. It's the fourth oldest continuously operating winery in California. It dates back to 1888. The building has quite a history. See? Now you want to go, right? You can get directions here. Call me. I'll meet you there.

Check out the beautiful old stone entrance to the winery tasting room.

It's a great place to take pictures too. Here are some shots that my buddy Wilfred took that day. There's a lot of down time at a photo shoot. So of course we took a bunch of pictures - of each other - to kill time.

Me

Rob Jensen, Owner

Bill Brosseau, Winemaker

Wilfred Wong, BevMo! Cellarmaster (photo by me!)

And me again. This is how I am in real life. Totally annoying.

After wine tasting you can skip into town and have lunch. There is a tasty little lunch spot down the hill from the winery called The Purple Onion Cafe. Yum. Yum. Yum.

You might also like this past article on Testarossa: Pinot Noir and my Sensitive Palate

And, I would be happy to blah, blah, blog about anyone else's pinot. Just send me a bottle and I'm all yours. Yes, it's that easy.

Disclaimer: all products and opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any way for this post. The end.

Happy Trés Chic Wine Wednesday!

Hello my wine loving friends.

What have you been drinking? I'm dieing to know!

The BevMo 5¢ sale is on. Have you gone? I haven't been myself, but Don meanered over and picked up some goodies.

One wine he picked up is one of my favorites, the 2009 Zolo Gaucho Select Malbec, it's on sale for  $15.99 + .05¢ for the second bottle.

Look who's hiding.

On Sunday night I brought a bottle of 2009 The Honorable Pinot Gris to book club. Cuz that's what book club is all about. Us mom's drinking wine, gabbing, and eventually talking about the book OUR DAUGHTERS READ for THEIR book club. Yeah, that's pretty much how we roll around here. It's fuuuuun. The book was good and scary too "Tales of Desperaux."

Anyway, it was really tasty. I'm glad we have a second bottle, I really like it. It's perfect on a hot summer night in the middle of October! I would definitely buy this again. And drumroll please......it's only $14.99 + .05¢ for the second bottle. Oh yeah.

Here are Wilfred's picks for the sale. One of them is the Shiloh Road Chardonnay. Check out this picture! We just drove past this on Sunday. I had to get a picture!

Taken on 101 heading north to Healsburg

And here it is on the shelves at BevMo!

Wilfred gives it 91 pts. It's on the 5¢ sale right now too for just $16.99 + .05¢ bottle.

I can't help myself. I still love BevMo. No, actually I love wine. BevMo has some good juice at a good price. So I heart BevMo.

Warning:  keep track of your little pink piggies. According to their new TV commercial it's a dangerous world for little pink piggy banks.

It's very.........very......... scary.

eeee eee eee eeee
scarrrrrryyyyyy