The Wine Exchange

Blackstone, Merlot

I found this on sale at my grocery for $9.00. The Blackstone Merlot is a rich red wine, with an almost creamy texture. This Merlot has a flavor profile that is brimming over with ripe fruit flavors of plum and blackberry covered with a splash of vanilla. Excellent choice.

Our Black Friday Tradition

Happy Black Friday ! The thought of shopping at 5am with thousands of others makes me cringe. Instead, our tradition is to make a Gingerbread House and use it as the centerpiece for our table...and then we decorate our Christmas tree.

By the way, our Greenberg Smoked Turkey was FANTASTIC, just like I knew it would be. Again, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Mr. Greenberg !!
More for a note to myself...this was our menu.

Hot Crab Dip for snacking....YUMMA LUMMA !

Greenberg Smoked Turkey... Yes, I will order this again !!
Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole - Yes...perfecto !
Corn and Herb bread Sausage Stuffing Yes, it's fabulous every single time !
Mashed Potatoes- Always
Make Ahead Gravy-by Cuisine Tonight. Yes ! I will make it again. (I made it on Tues. )
Jellied Cranberry Sauce - out of the can...a must for the hubs
Fresh Cranberry Relish- didn't work this time -Use Pecans next year. Did not like the walnuts.
Carmel Banana Pie- a bit runny, but tasted great. Bake carmel longer next year !!
No Thanksgiving is without a hiccup in my house....I could NOT figure out why I was so relaxed at dinner...I felt unsettled because I knew something was missing but could not figure it out.
The CARROTS !! I forgot to make my buttered carrots !!!!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAA !! ( oh well, at least it wasn't the PIE, like I forgot LAST year !! )

Gobble Gobble

Look who was waiting for me on my doorstep when I came home last night !! Mr. Gobble Gobble arrives in a non-descript white box, but will NOT fail to impress me when I serve him up ! I can't tell you how relieved I am knowing the 'turkey' is already done ! I can't wait to make the 'sides'....my favorite part of the meal !! Thank you Mr. GREENBERG for making my Thanksgiving stress free and FABULOUS !! It's not too late to order one for Christmas !
GOBBLEGOBBLE.COM

Stack of Cuppies !

I love this idea for an alternative "Birthday Cake" for little ones. That way, everyone gets their own 'cake'...no fighting for a piece with special frosting etc. Thank you Paula Deen for this recipe ! I'm a peanut butter fan, so I LOVE these !

Peanut Butter Cupcakes by Paula Deen

1 (18 1/2-ounce) package chewy fudge brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines)
24 miniature peanut butter cups

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 regular muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies. Fill the cups half full with brownie batter. Press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy !

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Yes, Yes, Yes....... I will buy this again. It has been dreadfully dreary day. A stormy, thundery, rainy, cozy, flu shot, bubble bath at 6pm kinda day. A perfect red wine night.... I picked this up at the local grocery on sale for $9.99.

Bogle Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, California 2006

"Dark cherry fruit and vivid plums create a welcome first impression, while touches of herbal tea and leather nestle themselves among the spicy, saucy fruit. Sixteen months in American barrels have produced wisps of tobacco leaf and notes of spicy cigar box. With well-integrated tannins and a rich and round finish, this wine will be a favorite for years to come."

Blue Ribbon Peanut Butter Cookies courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens Hometown Cooking Magazine

These won 1st Place and Best in Show by 8 year old Ellen ! So easy that my 4 year old daughter made them ! But more importantly, they are sooo good !
I will never buy a Nutter Butter again... these are fast,easy and fabulous, and they only take 18 minutes to make the entire batch. I love nothing more than reading community cookbooks ( i always find the BEST recipes there !) , and magazines that feature Blue Ribbon & State Fair Recipes !
This recipe only has 3 ingredients ! If you like Peanut Butter Cookies, please try these. They are fantastic.
Did I mention easy ???!!! ;)

Ellen's Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep 10 min.

Baking 9 min. per batch ( makes 2 trays )

1 C. Sugar

1 C. creamy peanut butter

1 egg

sugar to roll them in

Preheat oven 375.

In large bowl, beat sugar, peanut butter and egg until combined.

Make 1 inch balls...
Roll them in sugar

Flatten with a fork

Bake at 375 for 9 minutes. Enjoy !

*REPOSTED FOR DIY Day over at a soft place to land !

The Wine Exchange

Fetzer

Pinot Grigio

I love this wine. It picked it up at the grocery... $7.49 ! A refreshing basket of apple, pink grapefruit, and lime sorbet ! LIME SORBET ??? ARE YOU KIDDING ? What's not to love ?! A great wine to try !

Roasted Chicken Oreganato by Martha Stewart

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. It's simple, comforting, and my family loves it. I have been making this since August 2 ,2002 ! How do I know this ? After watching Martha Stewart prepare it on one of her shows, I promptly went to my computer, printed it out, and stuck it in my recipe files so the date is shown at the bottom of the page I printed it out on. After making it for 6 years at least twice a month, that's what I call a "keeper!".

Try it. It's great.

Roasted Chicken Oreganato by Martha Stewart

Serves 4 to 6
3 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces (* I buy whole split chicken breasts with rib meat, skin on )
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into medium-size chunks (* I use red new potatoes! They come out perfect ! )
4 plum tomatoes, cut into medium-size chunks
1 large onion, cut into medium-size chunks
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in upper third. Combine the chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, and onion in a large roasting pan. Add the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, over the top of the vegetables. Roast until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees. about 45 minutes.

Magic Wands

This was a fun project ! Remember those "Autumn" Nonpareils by The Gourmet Baking Co. that I found at TJMaxx ? This is the end result...Magic Wands. Perfect, since my little kitchen helper is going to be a Princess for Halloween.

They were so fast and easy to make.

Magic Wands

1 Bag Pretzel Rods

1 lb. Almond Bark ( vanilla flavored coating )

Nonpareils or other fun sprinkles

Melt the Almond Bark in a double boiler or just use sauce pan, but keep on low heat til melted.

Dip pretzel in melted almond bark.

Roll in sprinkles.

Cool on parchment lined cookie sheet til dry.

Sausage & Potato Casserole

This must be one of those cozy, fall recipes, because it never fails... I always begin making this Sausage & Potato Casserole around Halloween ! It's great. My entire family loves it.

Sausage & Potato Casserole


1 lb. polska Kilbasa, cut into bite size pieces ( I use Hillshire Farms Turkey Polska Kilbasa)
2 1/2 C. potatoes, cut into bite size pieces ( I use red potatoes )
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 C. water
1/2 C. cheddar cheese
1/2 C. green pepper, diced (optional- I usually don't add it )

Grease 10" baking casserole dish (not if you use Emile Henry products !)

Line bottom with sausage,potatoes & green pepper

* Heat soup, cheese & water. Stir til it melts
Stir cheese sauce over potatoes.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

Note- If you have a large family like I do, please DOUBLE this recipe. The photo taken here is what it looks like doubled. This makes a great snack as leftovers for lunch the next day !!

*photo taken before cheese sauce is added, and before baking in my Emile Henry Casserole Pan

The Wine Exchange

It's Friday Night. I've had a long week. Tonight, I'm not feeling well. I didn't even make my "homemade" pizza. I ordered Luigi's Pizza for a whopping $35.76 ! Waaaaaaa ! But what can I say...I'm not superwoman.
Dang !

The least I can do is review the wine I'm drinking with our Pizza !!

J Lohr Estates Los Osos Merlot 2005/06 Paso Robles, California

"A rich Merlot showing juicy cherry flavors.
A dark red, supple and soft Merlot from carefully selected vineyards in California’s Paso Robles region. This full-bodied wine shows lively."

It has rasberry, red currant, and blackberry !
I bought it at Walmart for $13.99.
Will I buy this again ? Yes! Simply fabulous !!

The most amazing homework helper for your child...Grades K-12 !!

I use this program for 3 of my kids ! It's the most amazing thing ! Read this article if your child needs homework help ! I couldn't survive without this !!

How to Get the Best Homework Help for Your Child
Discovery Channel's homework help toolkit has everything you will need to help your child, from video, encyclopedia, interactive games, reference content, and tutorials to help kids stay engaged in learning.
View more »

Queen B's Lemon Drop Martini

Here it is family & friends, my Lemon Drop Martini Recipe everyone demands when I serve these up !

Queen B's Lemon Drop Martini

4 oz. vodka ( currently using Grey Goose Le Citron !, but any good vodka will do ! )

4 oz. sweet & sour mixer (I use Master of Mixes Sweet & Sour mixer )

juice of 1 whole Lemon

4 tsp. sugar

For a nice presentation, place 3 TBS. of Lemon Drop Rimmer sugar on a flat plate. Run a wedge of lemon around the rim of a martini glass then dip the moistened rim into the mixture and rotate the glass until evenly coated.

Mix in shaker full of crushed ice.

Strain into Martini glasses. Serves 4.

That Yummy Taco Salad !!!

Last night I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner this week... The answer was unanimous !! A resounding "That Yummy Taco Salad" was the answer. Now , we are talking about a pre-teen & 2 teenagers. If you have kids, you know it's pretty hard to please them sometimes, so it must be good ! I went to WalMart for the ingredients, so it's really not all that expensive. Here it is if you want to try it !

Taco Salad by Paula Deen
Prep Time: 10 min
6 to 8 servings

2 ripe tomatoes, diced ( I use more, I like tomatoes!)
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, drained and shredded

1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef, browned, crumbled and drained

16 oz. Catalina Salad dressing ( or less, depending on your taste )
1 (7-ounce) bag Fritos, crushed
8 oz. Taco Sauce ( I use Old El Paso Taco Sauce, Medium )

Brown Beef & Onion together, set aside.

Combine the tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, and ground beef in a large bowl. Add the salad dressing and mix well. Just before serving, add the taco chips, tossing to combine with other ingredients. Top each serving with taco sauce. Yum !

My One Month Pizza Project-

I had started the "One Month Make Your Own Pizza Project" to see if I truly would end up with extra cash at the end of the month. It worked ! I saved almost $100.00 by making my own pizza ! Not only does it taste better, but I saved money, and found that my daughter is so excited for Pizza Night ! Her Sil-Pin Junior was a HUGE HIT, and it works soooo great !!
Remember, it feeds my entire family of 6, Plus we have leftovers for lunch the next day ! Saving me even more !!

Making HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH IS SO EASY !! Try it, and you'll be so impressed with yourself !!

adding the pineapple Right out of the oven ! Try the One Month Pizza Project for yourself, and leave me a comment if you do !!!!

It's MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA night at Cozy Kitchen by the Sea !

My favorite night....Make Your Own Pizza night !
I can't believe my luck ! Last time we made pizza, my 'helper' kept insisting on borrowing my rolling pin. I was trying to be patient, but I don't have all day to play in the dough ! While I was at Ross in search of cool, bargain kitchen items, I found the perfect accessory for my "helper".
It's a Sil-Pin Junior !! I found it at Ross for $5.99
Just her size !!

Doesn't everyone make pizza in a tutu ?

My "Princess" made this for me... She said it was "US"...because our hands were 'together'.
Waaaaa!! I love Homemade Pizza Night ! I could never have these precious memories with pizza out of a box !!

This is how I greet every morning !

Wake up to the perfect cup of
Coffee
1/4 C. of ground coffee
4 C. water
top it off with a splash ( or more !) of
International Foods Vanilla Creamer or your favorite flavor. They always have new, great flavors during the Holidays.

My coffee choice at the moment are...
Starbucks Verona
Peets
Seattle's Best

BBQ PORK LOIN for the Crock Pot (PULLED PORK)

I love BBQ. I'm very, very picky when it comes to BBQ. This is a fantastic, EASY recipe. Takes just minutes to prepare. I made this yesterday, since I knew I was going to be out all day. It's the perfect recipe for those days when you know you have a soccer game to attend and won't be home til late, or if your out shopping or working all day. How nice it is to come home to the smell of homemade BBQ !

1. Place 3 lb. pork loin in crock pot. Add 1 C. water.
Cook on HIGH FOR 7 HOURS.

shred with 2 forks

then add

1 18 oz. bottle of BBQ Sauce ( I love KC Masterpiece )

1/4 C. brown sugar

2 TBS. hot sauce ( I use Tabasco)

1 t. salt & 1 t. pepper

Cook on LOW covered for 1 hour more hour.

Serve on buns.

Note: I like it HOT ! So, I top mine with .....

Bone Suckin' Sauce...Hiccuppin' Hot !

Click here: Welcome To The Official Home of Bone Suckin' Sauce!

Enjoy!

Recipe from Southern Living Annual Recipe Book 1997

** also see ROOT BEER STYLE PULLED PORK