Hi friends!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed the first installment of ELR Wine 101!!! Obviously it was just the total tip of the iceberg but hopefully it will inspire you to explore some new stuff! Its funny, even though I have had a *little* training in wine, when I get around someone that REALLY knows their stuff, I feel like I know nothing! There’s just so much to know and explore….its really endless. But that’s what is so interesting and cool about it all!
This morning I ran tons of errands….got some jeans altered, returned some pants from The Limited, bought another Lindt Fleur de Sel bar from the chocolate shop. You know, the obvious. Seriously though, those bars are so good I couldn’t help myself!
For lunch today I made the Middle Eastern Salad from this month’s issue of Cooking Light. It involved some prep work but was oh so worth it! i honestly don’t mind the chopping, dicing and sauteing though. To me, that’s relaxation. I love chopping vegetables in the quiet of my own kitchen. The smells and tastes of different ingredients all forming together to make one stellar meal…amazing.
The salad was comprised of sauteed eggplant (heck yeah for the big bag from Costco!), roasted red peppers and a spicy sauce made from fresh tomatoes, garlic and spices. And obviously, it was bett-a with feta! 
On the side, I had a warm whole wheat pita with hummus and a delicious ripe peachie!
Twas a lovely and tasty meal! Definitely make this salad, but give yourself about 45 minutes to do so!
After I digested I hit the gym for a 25 minute cardio sess on the stairmaster, which I have a love-hate relationship with. It was okay though because I was thoroughly absorbed in my “California Wine for Dummies” book. hahaha
Post-workout snack was a Snickers bar—-
Around 5:30 my dad and I went for a glass of wine at a local wine bar. Since the wine of the day is white, I picked a new white I had never heard of before to try!
It was the Domaine Schlumberger Riesling from Alsace, France and it was awesome! Typically German Rieslings are the sweet ones and those from France and the Pacific Northwest are more dry. This did not disappoint. It honestly wasn’t sweet at all and had lovely melon notes in it. My dad tasted mine and loved it so much he ordered it as well!
I LOVE trying new wines I haven’t heard of before. Its a great way to experiment and see what you like and don’t like. I’ve tried random wines at wine bars before that I loved so much that I went immediately out and bought at Total Wine. Plus, it makes for good conversation when you are with dinner guests! 
As my dad went to pick up my mom from the airport, I walked home (we were right across the street) and heated up what I had been looking forward to all night long!!
Pizza, pizza, PIZZA! Somehow it tasted even better than last night and I eagerly gobbled down the remaining three slices of my mini goat cheese pizza. The bad part about not having a microwave is that you have to demonstrate self-control and wait until your pizza heats up in the oven!
Dessert was the obvious—
Ryan is teaching me to be a pro at Texas Hold ‘Em because apparently we are playing in Healdsburg. I beat him last night!!
Hi friends!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed the first installment of ELR Wine 101!!! Obviously it was just the total tip of the iceberg but hopefully it will inspire you to explore some new stuff! Its funny, even though I have had a *little* training in wine, when I get around someone that REALLY knows their stuff, I feel like I know nothing! There’s just so much to know and explore….its really endless. But that’s what is so interesting and cool about it all!
This morning I ran tons of errands….got some jeans altered, returned some pants from The Limited, bought another Lindt Fleur de Sel bar from the chocolate shop. You know, the obvious. Seriously though, those bars are so good I couldn’t help myself!
For lunch today I made the Middle Eastern Salad from this month’s issue of Cooking Light. It involved some prep work but was oh so worth it! i honestly don’t mind the chopping, dicing and sauteing though. To me, that’s relaxation. I love chopping vegetables in the quiet of my own kitchen. The smells and tastes of different ingredients all forming together to make one stellar meal…amazing.
The salad was comprised of sauteed eggplant (heck yeah for the big bag from Costco!), roasted red peppers and a spicy sauce made from fresh tomatoes, garlic and spices. And obviously, it was bett-a with feta!
On the side, I had a warm whole wheat pita with hummus and a delicious ripe peachie!
Twas a lovely and tasty meal! Definitely make this salad, but give yourself about 45 minutes to do so!
After I digested I hit the gym for a 25 minute cardio sess on the stairmaster, which I have a love-hate relationship with. It was okay though because I was thoroughly absorbed in my “California Wine for Dummies” book. hahaha
Post-workout snack was a Snickers bar—-
Around 5:30 my dad and I went for a glass of wine at a local wine bar. Since the wine of the day is white, I picked a new white I had never heard of before to try!
It was the Domaine Schlumberger Riesling from Alsace, France and it was awesome! Typically German Rieslings are the sweet ones and those from France and the Pacific Northwest are more dry. This did not disappoint. It honestly wasn’t sweet at all and had lovely melon notes in it. My dad tasted mine and loved it so much he ordered it as well!
I LOVE trying new wines I haven’t heard of before. Its a great way to experiment and see what you like and don’t like. I’ve tried random wines at wine bars before that I loved so much that I went immediately out and bought at Total Wine. Plus, it makes for good conversation when you are with dinner guests!
As my dad went to pick up my mom from the airport, I walked home (we were right across the street) and heated up what I had been looking forward to all night long!!
Pizza, pizza, PIZZA! Somehow it tasted even better than last night and I eagerly gobbled down the remaining three slices of my mini goat cheese pizza. The bad part about not having a microwave is that you have to demonstrate self-control and wait until your pizza heats up in the oven!
Dessert was the obvious—
Ryan is teaching me to be a pro at Texas Hold ‘Em because apparently we are playing in Healdsburg. I beat him last night!!