Fell off the wagon, or JUMPED OFF!

So, I've been really disciplined lately with my diet. Not that I'm actually "dieting". I don't believe in dieting; I believe in eating clean. For me personally, diets leave out what the Lord intended us to eat! I found, for me, that if I simply eat clean (eat right foods, prepared properly, without additives & chemicals and correct portions), I am able to stay healthy. In other words, I eat food that's good for me! But, I have been more disciplined lately with my alcoholic beverage intake. . . WINE!

If you know me very well, you know that I'm a wine-kinda-girl! I enjoy all wines. I lean to the very dry and full bodied wines, but all wine has a place in my repertoire; depending upon what I'm eating or if I'm eating, the season we are in, the temperature of the room I'm in, and the people I'm with (yep, that has effect on us whether you believe it or not!). There are wines from some Ohio wineries that I love. There's some wines from Ohio wineries that I don't love, but the same can be said for California wines, New York wines, Chile wines, French wines, and so on. If you're a wine drinker, you know exactly what I mean. People are always asking me, "tell me, Sherry, what's the best wine?" My answer, "the wine you enjoy!"

Back to my disciplined diet of lately; my daughter and I joined a gym at the beginning of 2013 with a goal-to get healthier and become stronger. So my diet has become increasingly more important to me to be able to accomplish my goal of weight loose through a "Thin It To Win It" challenge at the gym (it's a 6 week weight lose challenge of 50 teams of 3 people to see who can lose the most weight!), but that means that I have cut back on certain things I enjoy. . . one being wine.

Although wine has been found to be very beneficial to our health, I had decided to abstain from wine, or any alcoholic beverage until our challenge was over, which is this Monday! But, like many folks who have great and noble intentions. . . I fell of my wagon! But can I just say this. . . it was worth it! Yes, the glass of wine I enjoyed last night was worth the fall. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of a wonderful Italian wine that "made it's way to my cellar via my luggage" on my trip to Italy a few years back.

GREO.  That's the name of wine. It was a 2008 red wine blend from a vineyard in Lucca, Tuscany. I'll say it again, this wine was worth the fall! Full-bodied, nice finish, lot's of ripe berries, and best of all, it was full of memories! (I've been on a lot of "memory" kicks lately!!LOL!) Seriously though, this wine is one of my favs now!!

On my trip to Italy, which was part of my culinary training program experience, I went into a little meat and wine shop. A young man behind the counter asked if I was looking for anything special. I told him that I wanted to bring my hubby back a few bottles of wine since he couldn't come to Italy with me. . . I still wanted him to experience it through me and a bottle of wine (and meat and cheese....that I brought back too! Please don't report me!!) So, he recommended this bottle of GREO, and so I bought one bottle!! ONE BOTTLE!! What was I thinking!!!?????!!! One bottle. What if we liked it? What if we wanted more? Where was I going to find it in OHIO?!!!

Well, as you guessed it, we loved it, and I set out on a mission to find it someone here in the states. After many phone calls to many places, I finally found someone who could get it for me!! Colonial Wine and Beverage in Chesterland, Ohio. I couldn't believe it! The owner, Bob, said he would make some calls, and alas, he succeeded! He landed me a case of GREO!! (P.S....thanks Bob!!.....and, I need more!!) Now, Colonial Wine and Beverage is one of my favorite wine shops to visit when I head north!

So, if you looking for a wine that is delish, full-bodied with lot's of ripe berry characteristics, and that's from Italy, GREO should be one you try!

This was one of the villages we visited....of course, I can't find the name anywhere in my notes, but it was beautiful! It's also where I purchased my bottle of GREO! I will look thru my notes when I have time to find the name of the town!

Until next time,

Salute!

Just a recipe?. . . . .

Just a recipe. How cute. That's what I thought when my daughter, Tara, wrote this recipe down. I know she was little; probably 8, 9 or 10 years old. I remember the day she created this "incredible" chocolate milk drink.

We lived in a log cabin and had three horses. She loved those horses, and she never complained when it was 5 or 6 am and I woke her to muck the stalls, and feed them. Lot's of good memories there....and some "not so good" memories! (we seemed to be accident prone! someone always had an injury!!) Still, lot's of memories.

Anyway, today, as I'm sitting here in my office (a.k.a....the garage!), I smell the aroma of a lemon cake being baked in our kitchen. Tara is making cakes for a wedding cake testing tonight so the kitchen is full of action! But, as I sat here just listening to her work away, and doing what she loves, I was brought back to a memory at our cabin!

Tara came in the kitchen, and she decided to "create a recipe" for her very own special hot choco or chocolate milk. I let her mix whatever she wanted to mix in that cup! She got busy and went straight to our pantry and started pulling out all sorts of "weird" items..... OK, they weren't really "weird" items, but they seemed a little strange to me because she was putting them in a cup to make CHOCOLATE MILK, but I let her. I wanted to see what she came up with! (ya, she get's gift from me! LOL!)

After placing these six ingredients in a cup, I remember she mixed it really good (she even made note of that on her recipe!), and she tasted it. I don't remember if she made any adjustments, but I remember the look in her eyes! The look of, "I just created the BEST Chocolate Milk  Supreme, EVER!!" (Yep, I'm crying as I write this!) I also remember her asking me to try it! :) And, I did!

I laugh as I sit here and bring this memory back to life! Honestly, I don't remember what this Chocolate Supreme creation tasted like, but I remember the happiness it brought Tara, just knowing that she created something special, all by herself. I remember how happy I was that she enjoyed the creating part, because I always enjoyed that. It was seeing a part of me in her. That still makes my heart skip a beat every time I see her create something now, in White Velvet Desserts kitchen!

Just a recipe? Nope. A memory. An emotion. A tickle in my belly. A smile in my heart. Creating a recipe is more than just creating an edible food items, it's creating. . . memories, emotions, smiles. . and love. I thank God each and every day that I have the opportunity to work side-by-side with my daughter. . .creating more "chocolate supreme" recipes and memories that will last for generations to come!

Until next time,

Cheers!!

Chutney VS Salsa VS Relish . . . who cares what you call it!

Is it a chutney? Is it a salsa? Could it be a relish? Really, I don't care, just give me some!!! I love chutney, salsa, and relish. In my book, they are all good and they each have a place. . . on my plate!

Referring back to my culinary text books, here's what they say:

Salsa is actually the Spanish and the Italian word for "sauce," so the word refers to many types of preparations, both raw and cooked. Nevertheless, in English-speaking countries, the words salsa usually refers to a mixture of raw or cooked chopped vegetables, herbs, and occasionally, fruits. 

The words relish and chutney have no exact definitions. One meaning of relish is any raw or pickled vegetable used as an appetizer. As used in a discussion of sauces, a relish is a mixture of chopped vegetables (and sometimes fruits), at least one of which is picked in vinegar or a salt solution.

The word chutney originated in India, where it refers to several types of spicy condiments or relishes, including strongly spiced sweet-and-sour cooked fruit or vegetable mixtures, as well as raw or partially cooked mixtures of chopped herbs or vegetables.  Almost all chutneys contain an acid ingredient.

 So, now you know the difference, but does it really matter to you what we call this wonderfully fresh bowl of lusciousness? Probably not! But I love passing on something that I learn . . . it helps keep it in my brain too!

Here is my latest creation this morning; Tropical Raw Chutney. I created this recipe to accompany a Spicy Shrimp & Scallop Kabob (I figured since we are having a snow storm here in Ohio, I would dream of the beach and warmer weather while nibbling on something from the coast! LOL!)

Tropical Raw Chutney

1 mango, peeled & diced

½ fresh pineapple, peeled & diced

1 kiwi, peeled & diced

½ c cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Add everything in glass bowl and toss. Serve with seafood, chicken, or pork . . .oh heck, serve it with anything! In fact, I ate some on a pita chip!!!! 

Until next time,

Cheers!!

Information from Wayne Gisslen, Professional Cooking, Seventh Edition