I talk about food, you read it.
Product Reviews
Ciao Sangiovese
08 months ago
Long weekends have to be one of the best things in the entire world. If they also include something fun like camping then it’s even better. J and I went up to the Skagit River for 2 nights to do some fishing and good old camping. We brought up some beer but and wine. Wine and weekends are too important in my life to be thrown aside by some camping. The only downside is that you must remember a corkscrew and if you’re smart enough to buy a screw top then there is the chance that it could break en route. I have personally had a bottle of red break in a backpack, and it’s not enjoyable.
The best solution has to be the tetra pack wine. It’s easy to pack, it won’t break, and it keeps the wine remarkably fresh. I guess this is why apple juice has been packed in these for years! Tetra packs can also be compressed and recycled making it even better for us and the environment.
J picked up a pack of Ciao Sangiovese for this trip and the first thing I noticed was the value. It’s a full litre of wine, bigger then a bottle and it’s only about 12.00. Another bonus is that it’s organic. I personally don’t buy wine based on whether it’s organic but if this is a standard for your wine drinking then here is a great one to buy.
The wine itself if a very mild thin wine with a very slight hint of oak and slightly sweet. Due to its soft personality you really could drink this with anything as it won’t overpower your food what so ever. In fact it might get a little lost with rich foods so it’s perfect for camping! Now, I don’t want to put this wine specifically in a camping category but it was just the perfect wine for such an event. It is a very social wine as well so for any backyard bbq or girls night this wine could also be ideal, not to mention it would be a conversation piece. I would probably buy this again as it’s really convenient to tote around.
Kitchen Aid meat grinder and lettuce wraps
09 months ago
Before J and I got married we registered at a few stores and let me tell you how exhausting that was. It took us hours to walk through The Bay scanning items, arguing about what we need, and trying to convince each other that we were having fun. After a while we started to randomly scan things that were really expensive just to amuse ourselves even though we didn’t expect people to actually buy them. I guess you could call it wishful thinking.
Little did I know that some of my friends would put their money together to get me one of my frivolous gifts that I never thought I would own. They got me a kitchen aid mixer, a cover, and assorted attachments. I felt very spoiled after our wedding. I also couldn’t wait to try it out. Thanks everyone!!!
I didn’t start off making cookies or anything easy. I decided to make lettuce wraps for dinner and I got to use my meat grinding attachment for ground chicken! No more paying extra for pre-ground chicken or meat! Can you believe it? Okay, this post isn’t a recipe at all, I just wanted to brag. If any of you have a kitchen aid mixer, I highly suggest splurging on some attachments.
Here is the recipe I use for lettuce wraps, and they taste perfect every time! Especially when you sneak in some sriracha sauce to give it some kick!
Trugs Nicely Spicy Red Pepper Jelly and Roasted Garlic and Onions in Jam
09 months ago
For as long as I can remember my mom always served us some sort of snack before dinner. It could have been something as simple as a piece of cheese, crackers, breads and spreads. It wasn’t anything too heavy or an appetizer per say, but just something to tide us over while dinner was being started.
When Trugs sent me the nicely spicy Red Pepper Jelly and the Roast Garlic and Onion Jam I immediate thought of the jalapeño Jelly my mom used to put on crackers or bread for us. I decided to try out the Red Pepper Jelly with cream cheese on baguette and the Roasted Garlic Onion Jam with goat cheese on a baguette.
I tried the Red Pepper Jelly first and love it. It reminded me of a sweet chilli sauce but thicker and better. It wasn’t overly spicy but there was a slight kick to it and it had that homemade jelly feel to it. You could eat this on cream cheese, brie, goat cheese or even add it to meat. The Roasted Garlic and Onion jam was a thick savoury and slightly sweet jam. It had a stronger flavour so a little bit goes a long way. It was also really good and J was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. This would be a great addition to gravy’s or in your French onion soup base. I would also be inclined to top this on a burger as well.
I was impressed with Trugs again and I found that all their products are really quite versatile. I also love how they’re all homemade organic products made with local ingredients.
Trugs Sherry Balsamic
09 months ago
I was watching Master Chef the other day and the challenge was Eggs Benedict. I was really shocked to see how many of the contestant failed miserably at this challenge. This episode encouraged me to make poached eggs for breakfast. I will blog about poaching eggs one day but this is really about the vinaigrette I put on top of our eggs. J thought it was a little strange to add to an egg but in the end it tasted great. I love topping my eggs with tangy sauces.
The vinaigrette is made with White Balsamic so it offers a lighter taste which is a nice change. On our eggs it was nice contrast of tangy against the thick heavy egg yolk. I also spread the toast with goat cheese and a slice of tomato as well which brought everything together really well. This would also be great on a salad that was made with butter lettuce or baby greens since they’re delicate in flavour as well. Another great versatile sauce created by Trugs gourmet!
Trugs Gormet in Halfmoon Bay
09 months ago
I was walking through the grocery store the other day and saw a giant box of strawberries for a steal of a deal and was tempted to buy them until I realized that I wouldn’t know what to do so many berries. I could make another pie, toss some in salads, make marinades but they would more than likely go bad before I used them all. I then wondered if I should make jam. I have never made preserves before. I usually make my own salad dressings, bbq sauces, marinades but it’s usually just for a one time meal and I’ve never made jams or spread, assisted my mom, but never on my own. Growing up all of our jams were homemade and I am not sure my mom has ever bought jam. I like the idea of canning and hope to one day have a big garden full of vegetables but jams. I passed on the berries and went home.
Coincidentally after this strange epiphany of jam making I received a package in the mail from Trugs Gourmet in Halfmoon Bay. They had contacted me a while back and I have forgotten all about it with all the wedding craziness and Canadian postal strike. When looking at all my goodies I instantly got the feeling of homemade farmer’s market goodness. I could walk farmers markets for hours checking out what kind of local deliciousness I can buy. Trugs in fact did start at a local farmers market in their area and still participates in an Artisan Market in Sechelt. All their products are made with all natural ingredients, chemical free, additive free and free of all added colours, flavour enhancers or preservative.
I received a Sherry Balsamic, Specialty for Spinach Salads, Nicely Spicy Red Pepper Jelly, Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam, and a sample of Red Wine Sauce.
Before I even took a photo I opened the Specialty for Spinach Salad dressing and served it with our simple dinner of spaghetti and used it as a bread dipper. I think it caught J a little off guard because it’s not your typical Spinach Salad dressing. He is also obsessed with oil and balsamic for dipping bread into. This sauce has more of an Asian influence to it. I could definitely see this as a sauce for an Asian style pasta salad or used as a marinade. It seems to have a versatile taste to it and I am looking forward to experimenting with it.
Stay tuned to hear about the other items!
Palm Bay Spritzers
410 months ago
in Drink, Product Reviews
I AM BACK!!
Before J and I got married. I had my girlfriends over to help me with our wedding favours and I also wanted them to help me out with a review of Palm Bay’s new spritzers. Of course we also had appetizers, but I will blog about that another day.
Palm Bays are a vodka based spritzer and come in four different flavours. There is Ruby Grapefruit Sunrise, Pineapple Mandarin Orange, Strawberry Pineapple and their newest flavour Key Lime Cherry. Now that summer has arrived it’s so nice to crack open a beverage and these spritzers are definitely ones you’re going to have to reach for. Typically I am more of a beer and wine drinker and it’s not too often that I drink spritzers. I find them overly sweet, have weird artificial fruit flavour and give me terrible heart burn, but Palm Bay is actually a fruity drink that I will buy.
The Ruby Grapefruit Sunrise is a pretty true representation of a fresh squeezed grapefruit. Out of the four this one was my favourite. It was the least sweet of the group. I also found this was the more refreshing and crisp which is Palm Bay’s ultimate goal. All of the girls liked this flavour as well.
My second favourite was the Pineapple Mandarin Orange because it reminds me of one of those mornings that you wake up feeling amazing, the sun is shining and you can’t wait to get outside. It was also very refreshing.
The Strawberry Pineapple was sticky sweet and fresh. One of the girls really liked this one and she hates pineapple. The pineapple was subtle but offered that sweet juice that a refreshing fruit has. The strawberry wasn’t super fake tasting either which I think is a downfall of most other brands.
The Key Lime Cherry is, in my opinion, the sweetest of all four. Lime is a refreshing sour flavour and goes well in a lot of beverages. The Cherry was also prominent and gave you that tart but sweet nectar. It was also a favourite of one of the girls.
I really think Palm Bay has mastered the art of making a drink known for being “girly” into something that I think a lot of people will love. My ball team might not like me sharing this, but Palm Bay has also been known to make a regular appearance in the cooler. If you’re planning a summer party then make sure you have some of these around to cool off your guests.
Margaritas
011 months ago
While driving around doing errands on the weekend J randomly had a craving for a Margarita. This caught me off guard because it’s usually me who gets the weird cravings but the second that word “Margarita” came out of his mouth I was on board. Keep in mind that it wasn’t sunny what so ever this weekend and we had nothing special or fun to look forward to. We were just running errands and on the way home to start a seating chart for the wedding. What is better than drinking margaritas while trying to figure out how to arrange family and friends on the biggest day of your life?
Now the best margaritas are obviously homemade, or from Mexico but I had completely forgot about triple sec so we picked up a bottle of Motts Pre-made Margarita Mix instead. I was a little hesitant about this but my mind was already made up that we were having these summer drinks.
The mix was very easy to use. The directions on the label were for an “on the rocks” version but we were both craving a blended version so we did our best to guess at the measurements. We probably could have used a bit more mix but as you can see we definitely succeeded on blending the beverages. I also rimmed our glasses with some crushed Himalayan sea salt which tasted perfect! I would definitely buy this mix again in a pinch as it wasn’t too sour or strong and very easy to use.
Summer Fresh Salads from Safeway
011 months ago
After work on Monday I wanted to rush home, get some food on the table and watch the Canucks game. This meant I would be making something that wasn’t fussy, easy to make, and wouldn’t require a lot of prep. I ended barbequing turkey burgers but I really didn’t have the time to make a side. I could have thrown together a warm potato salad or a tossed salad but like I said, I wanted to be sitting on my bum watching the game so I took the easy way out and bought a couple salads from Safeway.
I don’t normally purchase these types of sides but in those moments when time and attention matters then you may have to turn to these deli made salads. I have in the past bought from Price-mart which were a total waste of money but Safeway’s summer salads seemed fresher, and with a lot more flavour.
First I grabbed the Greek pasta salad. It was skinny penne pasta with an olive oil vinaigrette, green peppers, tomato, onion and feta. There was a decent amount of feta and the flavours were okay. It probably could have used a little less oil, and maybe some more seasoning but not bad.
The other salad I purchased was the Potato Caesar Salad with Bacon. This one had a hint of bacon flavour and I couldn’t see any actual pieces so I assume they were very tiny. The Caesar flavour was also subtle but the salad itself was nice and creamy.
I think both of these salads were better than most of the grocers deli out there but of course still will never beat home made. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy these again in a rush. The main disappointment was that they’re a little on the small side, which is why I ended up buying 2 and 2 was just enough for 3 adults.
Corona in beach attire?
011 months ago
in Misc, Product Reviews
Ahhhhh, summer. The sun has been shining and we need to celebrate. We can do this by cracking an ice cold beer and enjoy the warmth.
What’s that? Corona has dressed up for the occasion? How thoughtful!
For a limited time this summer, you can pick up a 6 pack of Corona decked out in some new summer outfits. Okay, they’re not outfits but they do add some colour to your fridge and your patio party! There are 6 different wraps that decorate the bottles and I find them quite fun. I have already purchased them twice this year and will probably do so again. Yes, I am a sucker for marketing!
Lucky Penny Wine
112 months ago
When my sister and I were little munchkins running around my parents once told us that if you find a penny put it in your shoe for good luck. I don’t know if I had any good luck from those pennies but I sometimes still find myself picking up pennies for good luck. Now a days they get tossed into my pocket instead.
The makers of Australia’s Yellow Tail wine wanted to give their customers the same magical feeling of good fortune with their new line of wines named Lucky Penny. They’ve released two blends of wine, one red, and one white, which represent all the amazing confidence and satisfaction when something works out in your favour. Who doesn’t need a little good luck now and then?
J and brought a bottle of each blend to his Cabin for the long weekend. Not only did we need a little good luck for the sun to shine but we also wanted to kick back and relax with some wine as well. We also had some friends join us at the cabin which also made us feel very lucky and fortunate.
Lucky Penny Red is a traditional Australian blend of Shiraz (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Merlot (20%). Again, three flavours are prominent in the wine. The Shiraz brings rich fruit flavours of blueberry, Cabernet Sauvignon adds a hint of chocolate while Merlot contributes subtle vanilla undertones. I paired this with a toasted baguette smothered in warm roasted garlic, caramelized onions and mushrooms, grilled Angus steak and topped with goat cheese. You could definitely taste the 3 wines within the blend and I thought it was really enjoyable. This wine and found it extremely drinkable for any occasion and I would definitely buy this in the future. I wouldn’t be scared to pair this with anything whether its lamb, beef or cheese. This one was my favourite of the two.
Lucky Penny White is made of Chardonnay (65%), Viognier (20%) and Pinot Grigio (15%). The white is a nice blend of summer fruits such as pear, melon and passion fruit with a hint of toast and honey. I paired this wine with some broiled scallops covered in a panko breading and then drizzled with a savoury sesame soy sauce. This wine was sweat and fruity, but not overly. You still got a bit of dryness as well. It went perfectly with the brininess of the scallops and would also be great with chicken or white fish as well.
I don’t know if it was the luck of the wine but we all had an amazing time at the cabin. The sun came out and there is nothing better than being at the water with a delicious drink in hand and good friends. At around $17.00 a bottle this is definitely a wine that I would grab again. Not a serious wine but great for casual social gatherings as it’s easy to drink and can be paired with so many types of food.
