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Time to Get Lost
It had been months since I’d seen my old friends at ABC – Sawyer, Jack, Kate, John, Hurley and the gang. The premier episode of their final season had been months and months in the making. And it required a friend’s big screen TV, lots of snacks, and a really good beer.
I settled into the couch with some crudite and some spinach artichoke dip. And a Hairy Eyeball.
A Hairy Eyeball isn't a ghoulish snack. It’s a big, brown malty beer from Lagunitas Brewing.
4 Women, 3 Hot Days, and a Mini-Bar in the Trunk
We've escaped.
We've left the men and children behind for our first winter escape to a desert hot springs spa together.
Just the four of us.
That is, except for the wee one still in the oven.
But he didn't stop us from making Better Than Cosmos poolside. Our pregnant girlfriend just got hers specialized.
What's that you ask?
What happened next?
Date Night In
I've reinstated Friday fondue nights. This tradition began when my older two daughters were still in diapers. And I'm not sure why it ever ended.
Here's how it goes:
My husband and I feed the kids a simple dinner—mac-n-cheese or chicken nuggets from the freezer—and later, after they're fast asleep, light a few candles and cozy up to a savory treat: Cheese fondue with plenty of baguette, cubed salami, and roasted vegetables.
And, of course, the perfect bottle of wine to go with it—this time a 2007 Mark West Pinot Noir.
Surf's Up
With the recent rain storms that had passed through southern California, I was itching to see the big waves that always follow. But there was a football playoff game going on, too.
What to do? Watch waves crashing into pylons or watch grown men crashing into one another?
I hopped in my car and headed for a pier. I chose carefully, selecting one that is mere steps away from a great pizza and beer joint.
My Seaside Discovery
Gary's dad loves the ocean. Whenever he and his wife come to visit, we make every effort to walk along a pier, a boat deck, or an ocean-rimming boardwalk. This time we did all three. We walked down Harbor Drive in San Diego, gazed up at the sails of the Star of India, then boarded the Midway, an aircraft carrier-turned museum, for a three-hour tour.
When the huge bay doors began to roll up, it just happened to be happy hour. And we just happened to be walking distance to The Fish Market, where the boys drank Ballast Point ales and slurped oysters, and us girls discovered the luscious Pear Flower martini.
Home Cooking (Far from Home)
"There's a new Filipino restaurant downtown!" I texted Eric as soon as I read the restaurant review. "Let's take the kids."
"But I don't like Filipino food," my Filipino husband joked.
One of the things I first noticed about Eric's family was how food was such an integral part of it. You couldn't enter his parent's house without being told—not asked—to eat. And you didn't leave without a heaping plate of leftovers under aluminum foil: Lumpia, pancit, adobo chicken. Yum.
But after moving from San Diego to Minnesota, far from the home cooking of my mother-in-law, authentic Filipino food became a rarity. That is, until last Saturday night.
Continue reading "Salneval Albariño 2007 Spanish White Wine" »
Duck, Duck, Duck, Rabbit
I love it when people give me beer. Especially when it’s beer I can’t personally get my hands on here in southern California.
As great as the selection is here, I always have a sneaking feeling that the beer of my dreams is waiting patiently for me in a faraway land . . .
My most recent beer present: a very fine barleywine from some stellar brewers in North Carolina, a state I’ve never even driven through on the way to somewhere else.
Inside/Out Day
Some days are meant to be spent inside. With gale-force winds and sheets of rain pouring down, today was one of those day. So, I grabbed my cameras and we went out.
A short drive to the coast did not disappoint. We sat in the car watching the handful of surfers being tossed by the raging waves and made a few dashes into the rain to get some photos and video. With the gear soaked, wind picking up and Shelly and I dripping, we decided to head home and start our happy hour a little early with something hot and soothing.
Sometimes staying in is good but rewarding yourself for getting out is even better.
New Friends and Old Vines
Each time we go to our neighborhood restaurant, we often run into old friends and are introduced to new ones. Barstools are rearranged, making room for a gathering.
Kate the bartender sets two napkins in front of us and smiles warmly. "What can I get you?"
My husband usually goes with some form of Bourbon. I'm less predictable. But when I can't decide, I have a back-up plan: The house red.
The house wine at most restaurants is a cheap, unnamed bottle. At Spasso, it's something different. Inexpensive, yes. But also delicious. Marietta Old Vine. A spicy red with dark berry notes, it's an amazing value for an exceptional wine.
Winter's Ale Tale
The scene: a suburban home in wintery western New York.
The cast: nine people at a dinner table, ages 2 to 63.
The plot: meeting the family.
