I apologize for my absence.  Over the past couple of weeks, I have been relaxing and trying to enjoy the last few days of summer.  Over Labor Day weekend, I was in NYC for a bachelorette party.  The highlight of the weekend was a tour of Long Island Wine Country with visits to a handful of Long Island’s vineyards.  Did you know that Long Island has 60 vineyards?  We were able to visit four.

First stop was to Vineyard 48.  The grounds were beautiful and we were able to taste the wines outside. 

The downside to Vineyard 48 was the employee giving us our tasting was not at all knowledgeable of the wine or the wine making process.  Also, the wine was not that great.

Next stop was Macari Vineyards & Winery.  This place was my favorite! The employee leading our tasting was incredibly knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. 

At Macari Vineyards I found my favorite wine of the day- 2005 Macari Merlot Reserve. I’m usually not a Merlot fan but this wine was fantastic with a full bodied, rich taste. My friend Kristen and I shared a glass!

Our third stop was at Laurel Lake Vineyards where we enjoyed lunch outside on picnic tables next to the vines!

The lunch and the wine were great! I enjoyed a delicious grilled vegetable sandwich with grilled eggplant, grilled zucchini, roasted red peppers and pesto on basil bread that escaped the camera’s eye.  I guess I was too busy socializing, tasting wine, and taking pictures of the gorgeous scenery

Our final stop was at Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard. This vineyard was gorgeous and fun with live music and a ton of people!

Have you ever visited a vineyard/winery?  Cory and I are planning on visiting California’s Wine Country for our 1 year Anniversary!

Hope everyone is having a great week

Kasey

 
We had a blast- laying out, shopping, and going out of course!

Also, at the beginning of the week was my mother’s birthday so the whole family got together to celebrate at dinner!

Once I was settled in back at home from the beach, I made Cory and I a fabulous dinner- Bronzed Scallop Pasta.  Maybe all that time at the beach had me craving seafood?!  I used these frozen scallops I found at Whole Foods.  Notice the only ingredient is scallops! No added preservatives.

Ingredients
8 ounces of scallops (1/2 of the bag)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 package whole wheat pasta
Red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste

I started by defrosting the scallops under cold running water.  Next, I drained the scallops and used paper towels to blot them dry. Once dry, I “bronzed” the scallops by seasoned both sides of the scallops with paprika. 

I heated the oil on medium-high and cooked each side of the scallops for 2 minutes.  Next, I added the white wine and lemon juice and cooked down for a couple minutes. 

Finally, I tossed the scallop mixture into whole wheat pasta and seasoned with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.

It was fantastic!  Cory and I both loved it.  I give it a 9 out of 10 on the taste scale.

I have a busy week/weekend ahead of me- tomorrow night is Claudia’s wedding rehearsal at the church.  Then, my Friday is jammed pack (luckily I was able to take off)- in the morning I have my 2nd bridal gown fitting (for my wedding), at noon Claudia is throwing a bridal luncheon for her bridesmaids and that evening Claud and her soon-to-be husband are throwing a crawfish boil for the entire bridal party!  Saturday night is their wedding. I’m so excited for all the festivities- especially the crawfish!

What’s your favorite seafood to eat?  Have you ever “bronzed” seafood at home?

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Kasey

And of course there was vino!!!  We went through three cases of wine…

Plus, we had a ton of finger foods… 300 sandwiches, 2 veggie trays, 1 fruit tray, cheese & crackers, olives, dessert pastries, etc…

We set tea lights, roses, and pictures of the happy couple everywhere for ambiance…

Two days before the party, the cake baker called and said she was unable to make the cake due to a family emergency.  So we actually made the cake!  Rolling out fondant icing is extremely difficult!!!  Seriously, what an arm workout!  There were several other layers of cake that we sliced before the party to make it quick and easy to pass around. 

Keeping with the mafia/mobster theme, we set out casino cards,  poker chips, etc while Frank Sinatra on Pandora played in the background…

Here is a pic of the happy couple Chris and Claudia (in costume of course!)…

I also dressed up as a flapper while Cory dressed like a 1920’s mobster in a pin stripped suit.

After hours and hours days and days of party planning, manual labor, and cooking, the party turned out fabulous!  We received tons of compliments on the food and the decor.  My friends actually think I should consider changing my career to a party planner because I was so organized.  I had tons of “to do” list and I even had a time line the day of the party… for example, the second batch of marinara sauce began cooking at 3:30 pm!  My type A personality definitely kept things on track and within the party budget.  We stretched every last penny!    

As far as the food, we had something for everyone including vegetarians! 

When is the last time you hosted a party?  What type of food did you serve?

Have a wonderful day and thanks for reading

Kasey

Very cool.  I enjoyed my aerated glass of wine while completing the introduction and first lesson of the Living Language- Spanish book that I checked out from the library! 

There are 40 lessons total so I have a ways to go!  The collection of audio CDs were a little intimidating; maybe I can listen to them in the car?!

After my Español lessons, I got to cooking.  Thanks to Cory’s love of fishing, we a have a stock of largemouth bass in the freezer.  The only way Cory has ever eaten bass is fried and he was pretty doubtful that I could pull off a bass recipe that was good without deep frying.  Naturally, I rose to the challenge.

-First, I squeezed half of a lemon onto the bass and let marinade for about ten minutes.

- Next, I combined 1 tablespoon of flour and 1/2 teaspoon paprika and lightly coated the fillets.

- Then, I heated 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat and cooked the fish about 4 minutes on each side.  I used the fancy olive oil that Cory gave me for Christmas!

I served over steamed rice and roasted asparagus.  Salt and pepper used to taste.

Cory loved it.  He called it delicious and gave it a 9.5 out of 10!!!  Success

Blogosphere Excitement:  Check out Andrea’s Chobani giveaway!

What is your favorite way to prepare fish? 

Have you ever attempted to learn a foreign language as an adult?

Kasey

-Raspberries

-Blackberries

-Kiwi

-Pineapple

-Pomegranate

-Grapes

The pineapple was on sale for $2.99!  I may also incorporate some fruit that Cory brought home from his Dad’s house over the weekend…

Two big bags full of oranges, grapefruit, and lemons!  I actually used a few of the lemons to clean and remove some tea stains from my favorite mug (Thanks to the advice of the head chef at the hospital!)…

Overall, it worked well but there a still a couple stains lingering.

Some other fun things I got from the grocery…

Oh, Lemon Bar Larabar, you complete me!!! 

I love these 100 Calorie guacamole packs!!!  They brought our Taco Tuesday night to a whole new level of deliciousness.  Check out the stellar nutritionals… healthy fat, fiber, some vitamins/minerals!

I also stocked up on wine.

I have said it once and I’ll say it again… Whole Foods has the best wine!  Out of the hundreds dozens of bottles I have bought (and drank) from WF, I have only disliked one (Harthill Farms Cabernet)!

Peanut butter was also on my grocery list.

Today is our cookie swap at work!  So, last night was a baking frenzy.  After a failed recipe attempt (too much flour), I found a great peanut butter cookie recipe on my Big Oven iPhone application.

How did I live before the iPhone?!

I hope the girls at work like them!  I’m off to a busy day at work then I’m off for two days!!!

Are you doing any holiday baking?

What’s your favorite phone application?

Kasey

Two days till my family’s annual Christmas Eve party!  I’m bringing a fruit tray… last year, I introduced many family members to pomegranate seeds and kiwis; I couldn’t believe some of them have never had kiwi!?  My “exotic” fruit tray was such a hit that the platter was cleared before the end of the party!  My plan is to hit Whole Foods after work (they have the best quality produce around here), stock up on some fantastic produce, and grocery shop for other fun things (of course).  I also plan on using my Whole Foods gift certificate that my lovely neighbor gave me as a holiday gift (Thanks Jenna)!   

I think Cory and I will wait to exchange presents Christmas morning.  I have no idea what he got me but it’s in this HUGE bag.  Although I’m very curious (especially because he did not have a “wish list” to help him), I’ve been very good and haven’t shook or peeked in the bag once!

Despite all the holiday excitement, I still found some time to whip up a new dish.  The dish was inspired by a can of fire roasted tomatoes that I had originally bought to make Rachel Ray’s Chicken Tortilla Soup. 

I could not find a “low sodium” version of canned fire roasted tomatoes in my grocery.  I recommend not adding any table salt to this recipe due to the sodium content of the canned tomatoes.

Ingredients

• ~1 pound of Chicken Breast
• 1.5 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup White Wine
• 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon Thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon Oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon Basil
• 1/4 teaspoon Rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon Majoran leaves
• 2 Bay Leaves

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Lightly brown chicken on both sides and remove from pan.

In the same pan, add onions and peppers. Cook 3-5 minutes until softened.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Pour in wine.  Add tomatoes with juice and dried herbs.  Stir and add chicken.  Reduce heat to low and simmer with pan covered for ~30 minutes.

I served it over whole wheat couscous; however, this dish would also be great over brown rice or whole wheat pasta!

The verdict: Cory gave it an 8 out of 10…  Success!  Fire roasted tomatoes add great flavor.

Hope everyone is having a great, not “too stressful” week! 

Thanks for reading

If you are bringing food to a holiday party, what do you plan on bringing?

Have you ever cooked with fire roasted tomatoes?

Kasey

The other night, I made my shrimp white wine pasta.  I developed this recipe on a whim a few months ago.  Basically, I just threw some things together without measuring anything and it turned out fabulous!  The second time I made it, it was good but it wasn’t fabulous.  I decided I needed to measure out the ingredients so that it can be consistently fabulous. 

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 Tablespoon Garlic, minced

~1 pound raw Shrimp

1/4 cup White Wine

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Whole Wheat Pasta

Directions

-Cook whole wheat pasta according to package.

-Heat olive oil in pan (I used my Wok).  Add garlic and cook ~1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for ~5 minutes. Add paprika and red pepper flakes while shrimp is cooking. 

-Add white wine and lemon juice.  Cook down for ~2 minutes. 

-Add cooked pasta and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 Turned out great fabulous!  This is one of my favorite dishes.  I served it with roasted zucchini.  Did I mention this meal took less than twenty minutes to cook?  I’m all about healthy, delicious, and time efficient cooking!

Do you ever cook with white wine?

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend

Kasey

Be Prepared with a Plan- 

• Eat breakfast that morning.  If you starve yourself all day, most likely you will be ravenous and end up consuming more calories at the Thanksgiving meal than you intended on. 
• Stay focused on your healthy goals.  If you overdo it at lunch, get back on track for dinner.  Put lunch behind you and make better choices at the next meal. 
• Have the right attitude.  Instead of thinking you’ll entirely blow your healthy eating for the day, think I’ll have a little bit of my favorite foods.  It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
• Consider tweaking recipes to make them a little healthier.  Every year, I make a low fat pumpkin pie.  I often receive remarks like… “This doesn’t taste bad at all.  It actually is really good.”  “Are you sure this is low fat?”  In addition to my low fat pumpkin pie, I am considering bringing pomegranate seeds which were a huge hit at my family’s Christmas gathering last year.  I love introducing new, healthy foods to people!

Moderation with Mindful Eating- 

• Paying attention to serving sizes.  Consider using smaller plates or smaller serving utensils.
• Choose foods that are only available to you during the holidays such as grandma’s oyster dressing instead of baked macaroni and cheese which you may have several times a year.   
• Balance richer, more calorically dense foods with lean meats and vegetables. 
• Slow down and truly enjoy and savor the food that you and your family have prepared.  
• Hold off on seconds right away… chances are you will realize you aren’t that hungry.
• Watch for liquid calories.  You may want to try alternating water with alcohol beverages.
• After eating, stay active by playing with nieces and nephews or by helping clean up instead of settling into a food coma on the couch.

Most importantly, remember what the holiday is all about – being thankful!

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?  Have you found any healthy recipes to cook for your family? 

Kasey

A slow cooked roast is the perfect “comfort food” for the cooler months in my book.  Over the weekend, I made a tender, delicious roast!  This meal was actually one of the first meals Cory ever cooked for me   I did modify his recipe a bit.

Ingredients

• A Roast (of course)… I used a 2.8 pound Eye of Round Roast
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 (15 ounce) cans of Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup Red Wine… I used a Malbec (see below)
• 1 cup Water
• 1 Onion, sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) package of Mushrooms, sliced
• 4 Carrot sticks
• Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder 

Directions

1. Season meat with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I went easy on the salt and heavy on the garlic powder).
2. Heat olive oil in pot on medium-high (about the 7 setting on my stove).
3. Sear all sides of the roast in pot until browned (takes just a couple minutes).
4. Reduce heat to a low-simmer (about the 2-3 setting on my stove). Add water, wine, and tomato sauce to pot and stir.
5. Add mushrooms, carrots, and onions to pot and cover.
6. Slow cook the roast for about 4 hours (depending on the size of the roast)… stirring occasionally.

Eye of the Round is a lean cut of beef… other lean cuts include Bottom Round Roast and Chuck Shoulder Roast. 

At about hour 3 of cooking, I started to prep the perfect companion to a savory roast…

Sweet Potatoes!!! After cutting the potatoes, I drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with cinnamon and brown sugar (you can use honey instead of brown sugar if you wish) and baked on 375 for about 45 minutes.  I timed it so the sweet potatoes and roast were done at the same time.

Served with a glass of Malbec… this wine is so good.  It has become our “house wine”.

Do you keep a favorite bottle of wine always on hand?  What is your “go to” wine?

~Kasey~

Obviously, alcohol in excess has definite health risks such as liver failure.  However, research shows that alcohol consumed in moderation may lower your chances of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.  Moderate amounts of alcohol also improves cognitive function which protects against dementia and Alzheimer’s and is associated with higher bone density which lowers risk of osteoporosis. 

Do the benefits of alcohol sound too good to be true?  Unfortunately, the benefits of alcohol come with caution… low to moderate alcohol consumption may increase the risk of developing breast cancer.  It’s important to weigh possible benefits to possible risks of moderate alcohol consumption and compare to your individual cancer risk (considering family history and lifestyle habits).

What is considered moderation? For women, approximately one drink per day. For men, about two drinks per day.

How much is a drink?   12 ounces beer, 5 ounces wine, 1.5 ounces of liquor

Is wine better to drink than liquor or beer?  It appears so but the research community has yet to come to a definite agreement on that question… Wine is high in antioxidants, with red wine containing higher amounts than white wine.  Red wine also contains a natural substance called resveratrol that may promote longevity and anti-inflammatory effects.  One study actually suggests that wine drinkers tend to lead healthier lives and purchase healthier foods such as fruits, vegetables, and low fat food items.  Beer drinkers in contrast tend to buy more cold cuts, chips, butter, and meats.

Are you a wine drinker?