WINEsday wednesday: a day late

for all intents and purposes, we are going to pretend today is wednesday. because i forgot yesterday. because i was having too much fun NOT being at blogHer and instead romping around orlando and tampa with my momma and the babe. so, let's all put on our imagination hats and pretend it's still wednesday.

as some of you may know, we headed up to charlotte, nc, for a week to celebrate my sisters 21st birthday. and what better way to celebrate than with a wine tasting?! so i got to work, compiling a list of wines and the foods they paired with.

we picked out 2 reds and 2 whites to provide a full palate.

bottle number 1 (on the left) is purple moon merlot. a california red, bottled in 2008. paired with strawberries, pineapples and bananas, dipped in chocolate.

bottle number 2 is a bottle from oreana winery in downtown santa barbara. see that big smiley face? project happiness syrah. ::smiiiiiiiiile:: eeexactly. we paired it with 71% cacoa fair trade trader joes dark chocolate.

bottle number 3 is sutter home moscato. this is my favorite el cheapo, go-to bottle of wine. sweet, kind of fruity, and paired with fair trade trader joes milk chocolate. this botte, needless to say, was the first to go.

bottle number 4 is j.w. morris gewürztraminer. most similar to a bottle of riesling. paired with gouda.

all four of these bottles were purchased at trader joe's and all were under $5!

this one i want to feature

light, with a little spice, this was very "inexperienced palate" friendly. and for a 21 year old, who has never had a drop of alcohol in her life (uh huh. right. just keep telling yourself that, mom.) this was a perfect choice.

we actually made a spritzer out of this wine, mixing one part sprite and one part wine, for the birthday girl. though i didn't notice how many she had because i was too busy knocking them back. yes i KNOW it was my sisters birthday, but the baby took a bottle (finally!) and i was on vacation. sue me.

i know it's WINEsday, with the emphasis on wine, but i NEED to share a little about the food we had. because it was super yummy.

this, my other mother made (my mom's BFF for the past 19 or so years). mozzarella, basil and cherry tomato halves, drizzled with grape seed oil, and put on toothpicks like a mini kabob of caprese goodness.

i know this LOOKS like the after party. you know, like, you drank too much, stumbled across campus and then upchucked in a bush (which i have NO experience with, i promise). but honest to goodness this is yummy. and i made it. so even if you DON'T like it, tell me you do. because this is my blog.

it's black olives, kalamata olives and green olives, all pitted and chopped in a food processor. add chopped garlic. blend some more, then stream in olive oil while chopping. pour into a bowl and mix with crumbled feta cheese. serve on rosemary and olive oil triscuts. that's it. and it. is. so. yummy! it just doesn't photograph well.

the party was a hit. well. it was a hit with me. i thoroughly enjoyed it.

momma's snarky when she doesn't get enough to eat.

am i the only one who measures the success of her day by the yumminess of her lunch? yes? well alright then.

a bad day is when i don't get lunch because little miss poopy pants has something else planned. then mommy gets snarky. no one likes a snarky momma. especially not snarky daddy. darn weekends. but i digress.

remember in the 2nd grade, when they tried to teach you about process by making you write how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? well, i failed that because i forgot to say, "get the bread out of the bag". this time, i won't make that same mistake.

here are the ingredients for this lovely little adventure. ::takes bread OUT of bag:: let's get started.

lightly butter the bread, top with chicken, oregano, sliced tomatoes (not pictured), a light drizzle of olive oil and a slice of provolone. lightly butter another piece of bread and place it on top. viola!

mmmmm. that looks lovely

then add the compliments. blue corn tortilla chips and some hummus. this is my new favorite combo.

of course i already ate it, but just looking at it makes me hungry again.

momma's munchies!

it's monday again, so you know what that means. time to go to the grocery store. not my most favorite thing. but that means i get to eat. which IS my favorite thing.

in the spirit of the season (that being summer) and the upcoming holiday (that being independence day) i thought i'd share a little grill loveliness. plus it's the theme for momma's munchies over at waking up williams.

so here is a yummy burger recipe that i like to claim is from joel's repertoire. but really it's on the back of a bag of sargento cheese.

Zesty Chipotle Cheddar Burgers

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 2 cups medium salsa, divided
• 1 cup chopped green onions, divided
• 1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips, divided
• 1 Tbsp. garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 8 hamburger buns, split
• 8 slices Sargento® Deli Style Sliced Chipotle Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Combine ground beef, 1 cup salsa, 1/2 cup green onions, 1/2 cup tortilla chips, garlic salt and chili powder in large bowl. Shape beef mixture into 8 patties, 4 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Preheat grill or broiler.

Grill patties, 5 minutes each side or until no longer pink in center (see below). Grill or lightly toast hamburger buns. Top patties with 1 slice cheese before removing from grill or broiler; let melt.

Place patties on buns. Top with remaining salsa, tortilla chips and green onions.

that's it! wonderful yumminess on the grill. seriously, these are some of the best burgers ever. hope you enjoy!!

yummy, yummy, yummy i got squash in my tummy!

it's here!!! my beaba babycook has finally arrived and i am like martha stewart at a chili cookoff. yep. i ran to the grocery store, bought a bunch of yummy veggies and then ran back home and got cookin.

oooooh snap. that would be some yummy sweet potatoes. the finished product-zucchini and sweet potatoes. in jars. mmmmmm.

so, i figured we would start with the zucchini tonight, seeing as bella is so over cereal. boooooring. last night when i tried to feed her, she gave me this look like....."you think i am eating THAT!? have YOU tried it??"

well, no, bella. i haven't. but you are SUPPOSED to like this.

::insert bella's eye roll, plus "gaah" sigh here:: yeah, my kid thinks she's a teenager.

so, zucchini it is. and boy was she lovin it. scarfed it down even.

joel said, "why are you posting that? it looks like her nose exploded!" well. that's true. it does. and considering she is sick.....that could be what all that green goo is.

nah, i'm just kidding. it's puree. i promise. wait.......yeah. it is.