Easy to make slow cooker chili As the weather gets cooler, people are looking for easy, hearty meals for fall. I’ve seen a lot of people searching for chili recipes, and the wine to pair with them. Chili in our house is a very hot topic, no pun intended. Robin used to make this interesting…
I learned about Harry & David’s new wine collection during a media trip with 12 other food writers. One of them was Sandy Coughlin, of Reluctant Entertainer. While Sandy is anything but a reluctant entertainer, her site and book are focused on helping those who are. Sandy offers tips and tricks to make even the…
Decent Wines For Just A Few Bucks I’m often asked to recommend cheap wines that can be found in grocery stores. Many people hear about Two Buck Chuck, which now sells for $3 or so, and wonder if it’s any good. During my trip to Oregon, someone asked me about Two Buck Chuck right before…
As most of the wine loving world knows, Robert Mondavi passed away one year ago May 16th. In an effort to recognize and pay homage to this progressive and influential force in the wine world, Jeff LeFavere from goodgrape.com has chosen a topic for this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday that invokes Mondavi’s passion for California…
Two weeks ago, my 13 year old son came home from school and told me about a special assembly he sat in on. It was about drug and alcohol use, and he said that it was geared towards scaring them away from both. He rolled his eyes and said “Like we don’t know that by…
Regardless of which holiday you celebrate, there is usually the need to have a party, or go to a party. And that means either serving adult beverages to your guests, or bringing a hostess gift to a party. If you’re hosting the party, you want to be sure that every detail is perfect, especially the…
Enjoying the Oregon Sky Inspiration comes in many forms. It can be visual, tactile, and even olfactory. Who hasn’t smelled a delicious holiday meal and been inspired to tolerate their crazy family for that one day? And, inspiration can come to you by land, by sea, and in this case, by air. I first stumbled…
Sicilian meatballs paired with red wine I can’t think of anything that brings people together better than food. The notion of breaking bread goes back to biblical times. However I’m sure the first time Ogg charred a hunk of brontosaurus, he invited Brugg for some and they told stories about when Trobb fell in the…
Visiting the Vineyards and Orchards of Oregon It has been over 18 months since I last made the pilgrimage from Florida to Oregon. It’s a trip that is comprised of several airports and many hours to leave the land of sweltering sun to arrive at the land of lush hills and fantastic fruit. That fantastic…
Napa Cellars Zinfandel 2009 Cooler weather typically means people find themselves reaching for cozy food and wine pairings. While you may not live in a cool climate, you still may change your eating and drinking habits in fall and winter. One dish that really works in warm or cool climates is BBQ baby back ribs….
