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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 Pros...

sigh It's Thursday night. When you read this it will be FRIDAY the 13th. I'm not superstitious or anything. But I have had THE WORST WEEK EVER. So it kind of makes you wonder, and worry. ok, technically, it's not THE WORST WEEK EVER. I realize that. It just wasn't a great week in my little world. It all started Sunday. Elli and her buddy were making me crazy. They weren't doing anything weird or unusual. I was just having one of those days where everything they did was the equivalent of scratching your nails on a chalk board. They finally went outside for a bit, so I went in the kitchen to unload the dishwasher. Somehow I knocked my taped-together iPhone into my coffee cup.  A little 'plop' of coffee dropped in the silverware drawer from out of nowhere. what the heck? where did that come from? I wiped the coffee off the clean silverware. And that's when I saw my phone sinking like the Titanic in the coffee cup. are you kidding me? so ...

Praline Popcorn Crunch My mom found this recipe in her local newspaper ( Contra Costa Times ) back in 1985 when they lived in Danville, California. I have no idea who submitted the recipe. But boy, oh boy is it good. The popcorn is sweet like buttery toffee and the crunchy sweet pecans add a lovely nuttiness. This is one of our favorite holiday treats. It also makes a great gift if you're looking for a little something to give to colleagues or neighbors. Praline Popcorn Crunch 10 cups popcorn (~1/3 cup un-popped or 2 bags plain microwave popcorn.) 1 c. light brown sugar 1/4 c. light corn syrup 1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick) 1/2 t. vanilla 1/2 t. baking soda 1 cup whole pecans (optional) Pre-heat your oven to 300º 1. Grease 2 cookie sheets with butter. 2. Pop the popcorn, remove all the kernels. Spread out on the baking sheets. Set aside. 3. In a medium saucepan combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until boiling. C...

My sister-in-law wanted a cherry crisp with Christmas dinner. She didn't have a recipe and was looking for some help. I had my Barefoot Contessa cookbook with me so we used the recipe for Peach and Raspberry Crisp. We switched out the fruit and made it with fresh cherries instead. Unfortunately, I wasn't that happy with how it came out. The fruit part was way too sweet and sugary. I could tell it had potential because the topping was good. So I made it again last week with less sugar to see if I could improve it. Mission accomplished. I cut the recipe in half, too. Now it serves four to six instead of 10. Use small ramekins instead of a baking dish. It's a fun way to serve it. Especially if you're like my family and want to eat dessert while watching a movie. Now it's a keeper. Cherry Crisp   (inspired by Barefoot Contessa) Serves 4 to 6   Ingredients 1 bag of cherries, pitted Zest of an orange 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 2 t. 1/4 cup lig...

I just read this in the NorthBay Biz and had to share it with you. I know I'm not the only idiot. Six Truths of Life You cannot touch all of your teeth with your tongue. All idiots, after reading the first "Truth," will try it. The first truth is a lie. You are smiling now because you're an idiot. You will soon share this with another idiot. There is still a stupid smile on your face. I did everything this thing said. In order. I'm an idiot, and proud of it! (ps. So is Don!) Source: www.laughitout.com

Marzetti "Simply Dressed" Salad Dressing Caesar Salad is Elli's favorite salad. She is quite fond of the version at Pizza Antica. She loves the garlicky dressing and super crunchy croutons. So, when I was chosen to review a new Marzetti salad dressing I knew I had to try the Caesar to see if my girl Elli liked it. So I set out to make a salad. I grabbed the dressing and tried to open it. It wouldn't open. I turned it every which way. It wouldn't budge. I grabbed my handy jar opener. Nuthin. I tapped it on the counter, followed by whining and stomping while whispering obscentities. Aaaaaaaaargh. I finally got a bottle opener and pried it open which caused the lid to split in three pieces. I have no idea why it wouldn't open. It goes on fine now. Of course it is only half a lid. Thank goodness a Caesar salad is simple to make. I grabbed the Romaine, and proceeded to made a big salad with yummy home-made croutons, and fresh shredded Parmesan c...

I had a serious craving for Blueberry Boy Bait the other day but we didn't have any blueberries. We had Raspberries. So I made this Raspberry Buckle instead. It was good. I guess I could have made the Boy Bait with Raspberries. But I liked the idea of trying something new. The recipe called for 2 containers of raspberries. I only had one. So it was a little light on the fruit. The good news is the cake is moist and delicious so it tasted just fine with one container. Two would be nice. I'll wait for the raspberries to go on sale and I'll make this again. You could definitely substitute blackberries or blueberries. And the best part? It's great with a cup of coffee in the morning, as an afternoon snack, or served as dessert. I tried it in all three day parts and give it two thumbs up. Yes, I did. They were all just little nibbles from the pan. But yeah, probably didn't need to eat it three times in one day. Did I just admit that out loud to everyone?...