Uncorked #17: Fünf German Reisling

Welcome to Uncorked! Where I feature a wine that I've tried and let you know my thoughts on it. There is a little disclaimer: I am by far no wine expert --I am just going to tell my thoughts on a wine. Some wine snobs out there might turn their nose up at my opinion and that's fine with me! Wine is meant to be savored and enjoyed! I might throw out some wine terms here and there and if I do, I will make sure that I give you the definition and try to explain them to the best of my abilities. My goal is to share some tasty wine picks with the world and hopefully encourage some of you out there to try a new wine. No bottle shall be discriminated against, price is no matter (with in reason), and this is just going to be all about exploring the world of wine.

This week's wine is:

Fünf German Riesling

Description: Fünf Riesling is a juicy, mouthwatering, easy to get along with wine. The refreshing fruit flavors complement a wide range of foods from chicken and burgers to pizza, Chinese, sushi and Mexican dishes. Keep a bottle handy in the fridge for those last minute take home dinners or when unexpected guests drop by. Serve chilled.

Price: $5.00 per bottle
Region: Germany

This wine comes from the same makers of Relax Riesling, but to me this wine seems to be Relax's less high maintenance and cheaper stepsister. I love Relax, but the price makes it a wine that I don't buy very often. So when owner of the local wine store suggested this wine to me, I thought, why not! I can say that this Riesling is one of the best that I have ever had! At a price of $5 there is nothing better and I think I might be in LOVE! This wine is light, smooth, crisp and fruity! It is the perfect balance of dry and sweet for a Riesling. I believe that any wine drinker (and even wine newbies) would really enjoy this bottle. Also, I LOVE the wine bottle description. Take note wine producers, details on a label are always are a plus! I love the fact it tells you everything you need to know about this wine, food parings, and how to serve it! In addition to the wonderful label, the company has a very fun website. They feature details on all their wines, mixers recipes with the wines, and a funny 'Daily 5' list that features a quirky top five list on various subjects

Would I buy it again? OH YES! I have had a glass of this wine every day, just one, and have spread the enjoyment of this wine out for the last four nights. This is the perfect summer wine and with a price of $5 who can complain! I just wish I would have found this bottle before now. I actually plan to head back to the store and pick up another bottle (or two) later today!

Fun Wine Fact: German immigrants brought Riesling to the New World: 1850 (South Africa), 1857 (California), 1871 (Washington State).

Pairs Well With: As the label states, "...complement a wide range of foods from chicken and burgers to pizza, Chinese, sushi and Mexican dishes."

"Everything that is beautiful and noble is the product of Riesling and calculation."
– Baudelaire

~Beth

Sophistication Sundays - OPI Grand Slam France

My Sophistication Muse, Audrey Hepburn
Photo Source

Sophistication Sundays will revolve around my favorite beauty finds, techniques, fashion trends and anything else "pretty" that catches my eye. I look forward to sharing these ideas with you and hope to hear your suggestions and feedback as well! I am no expert at beauty or fashion by any means but perhaps that will make my thoughts more relatable. Simply put, I'm just a girly-girl navigating my way through the fabulous finds I come across.

...

Well now that my summer semester is over I am hoping to catch up on some more of my most recent beauty finds! One of my favorite products this summer has been without a doubt OPI's Grand Slam France edition. The Grand Slam line, made with the help of tennis player Serena Williams, first debuted in January 2011 with Grand Slam Australia. The line features a nail polish duo released to coincide with the major tennis tournaments.

OPI Grand Slam France

The most recent duo is by far my favorite! OPI Grand Slam France features a beautiful goldish-pink, glittery hue ("Rally Pretty Pink") paired with a shiny red shatter.

Photo Source

I have to admit that when I first saw this announcement I was perplexed. On one hand I was IN LOVE with the gold/pink hue! It looked so beautiful and I couldn't wait to try it. On the other hand I thought... pink with red shatter? What? Is this Valentine's Day? I just didn't get it and judging by the promo pic above it certainly didn't look appealing. I went ahead and decided to give it a try after I read that other nail bloggers gave it a try and were pleasantly surprised by the results. I have to say, I was too.

First of all the pink shade is AWESOME! It is my go-to shade for the summer.

*GORGEOUS*

When you move your fingers it fluctuates from pink...

...to gold

Another great shot in the sunshine:

It's like glittering, sunset-colored goodness!

The shade was so lovely I just couldn't bring myself to cover it with the red shatter at first! :)

However when it started chipping I decided I might as well try the red and boy am I glad I did. I was so wrong about how bad I thought it would look!

You'll have to forgive the inaccuracies of my painting but check out how the gold just POPS out of the red!

See? I should've just listen to good ol' OPI. They always know what they're doing! I still wear the Rally Pretty Pink most of the time; it's just so perfect for summer. But it's amazing to see how much the gold pops with the red shatter.

Have you tried shatter nail polish? I was hesitant because I don't think it's best for the office but it is something fun and different!

Have a great week!

~Christi

Potato, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

I like to try to cook vegetarian a couple times a week and I made this pizza the other day. It's a great twist on the normal pizza and was super delicious!

First, assemble your ingredients:
8 ounces of small potatoes
3 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium red onion
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves

I chose to buy the indigo blue potatoes in a steamer bag. I think the added a nice color to the pizza and they were super easy to cook.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and start cooking your potatoes. If you purchased potatoes in a steamer bag, follow the package directions for cooking in the microwave. If you have just regular potatoes, boil potatoes in a saucepan for about 10 minutes, just until cooked but not mushy.
While potatoes are cooking, cut your onion into 1/4 inch strips. Also strip your thyme sprigs of all their leaves.
Also while waiting on potatoes, mix the olive oil and garlic in a bowl.
Heat a skillet on the stove with a little olive oil and saute your onion strips just till they are a little soft.
Potatoes should be cooked by now, so let them cool slightly so you can slice them into 1/4-inch slices.

Spread cornmeal on your baking sheet and roll out your canned pizza dough onto the sheet. (Depending on how cold you dough is, you might need to roll it out on the countertop to make it roll out to a nice sized pizza. Cold canned dough is easier to work with.)
Cover the pizza dough in the olive oil and garlic mixture. (Pretend it's your sauce.)
Sprinkle mozzarella over dough and arrange potatoes and onion over mozzarella.
Top evenly with goat cheese and thyme. Bake in lower third of oven at 450° for 20 minutes or until browned. (Just a tip if you like crusty pizza, check pizza after 10 minutes and see if you can slide it off the pan to cook directly on the rack. I really crisps up the center.)
When browned, pull out of the oven and slice it up! Serve with some other finger foods...get creative! I chose to serve it with some fresh green beans and orange slices.
It makes for less dishes and it's just an easy and fun pizza night.

The Skinny: Serves 6 @ 309 calories

~Beth

Uncorked #16: Columbia Valley's 2008 The Jack

Welcome to Uncorked! Where I feature a wine that I've tried and let you know my thoughts on it. There is a little disclaimer: I am by far no wine expert --I am just going to tell my thoughts on a wine. Some wine snobs out there might turn their nose up at my opinion and that's fine with me! Wine is meant to be savored and enjoyed! I might throw out some wine terms here and there and if I do, I will make sure that I give you the definition and try to explain them to the best of my abilities. My goal is to share some tasty wine picks with the world and hopefully encourage some of you out there to try a new wine. No bottle shall be discriminated against, price is no matter (with in reason), and this is just going to be all about exploring the world of wine.

This week's wine is:

Columbia Valley's 2008 The Jack

Description: Saviah Cellars' namesake, A. Saviah Hutchens married Jack Hutchens in the early 1900's and they homestead at Star Meadows in northwest Montana. We're betting you'll enjoy THE JACK while you reflect on your own family history.

Price: $15.99 per bottle
Region: Walla Walla, Washington

I could say that this was my first ever Washington state bottle of wine, but I would be lying. When visiting Seattle a few years ago, I enjoyed many of the local wines and Washington state has a great selection of wines! I love how this bottle of wine gives a history of how the name came about. I wish they would have gone into more detail about this relative of theirs (and a little about the wine itself) but I am sure the label size was just too small. The label looks really cool too, but this font was so hard to read! I looks like the year is 288. Anyways, that is my criticism from having a graphic design background. So the wine...it's a nice red blend. According to the website it's blend from a lot of vineyards around the area:
88% Merlot – Pepper Bridge Vineyard – Walla Walla Valley; Milbrandt Vineyard – Columbia Valley; Stone Ridge, Columbia Valley
4% Cabernet Sauvignon – McClellan Estate Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley
4% Cabernet Franc – McClellan Estate Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley
2% Syrah – Lewis Vineyard, Yakima Valley
2% Petite Verdot – Stillwater Creek Vineyard

When it says blend, wow, it's a blend, but a good one at that! The wine definitely has more of a Merlot feel. It was medium bodied, with hints of some cherries in it and I might be crazy, but I also think I could taste a little coffee. Maybe that is just me though associating it with Seattle :)

Would I buy it again? I guess. It's a nice wine and we really enjoyed it but usually if I am going to pay higher than $12 for a bottle I will usually be adventurous and try a new wine. If you are wanting a blend, one guaranteed to have your dinner party enjoy, I would recommend this wine. I am just not sure if I will become a repeat customer.

Fun Wine Fact: Washington's wine industry has become the fastest-growing agricultural sector in the state. The number of wineries in the state has increased 400% in the last decade, attracting two million annual visitors to Washington wine country and creating a two million dollar wine-tourism industry.

Pairs Well With: Chicken marsala, beef tenderloin, minestrone or veal Parmesan.

"If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul"
– Clifton Fadiman

~Beth

Kitchen Redo #2: Black Cupboards & Some Extras

Now the BIG finale of the kitchen! If you read the first post, Kitchen Redo #1: Black Cupboards & Some Extras, this was the very first project I started when we bought our new house. We purchased a 1970s house that needs some major remodeling, but we have decided instead to build a new house. Until the new house, all I am allowed to do is paint, and I had the great idea to paint my kitchen cupboards black!

Our entire house is basically white. So I thought the black cupboards would add a nice contrast to the all white house. Here are some of the pictures kitchen before:
The cupboards were a light beige with shiny brass fixtures.
I decided to paint the cupboards, paint the fixtures, and add in a few extras. I left off the first blog showing pictures of the cupboard doors removed. Once I removed the cupboard doors, I painted the frames black.
If you have ever painted, you know cupboard doors can be quite time consuming. To lessen the painting time, I decided to invest in a sprayer and it has been the best investment I have made. I love this thing! I bought a Wagner 518080 Control Spray Max HVLP Sprayer for $110 off Amazon.com.

BUY IT HERE

I set all the cupboard doors on some pop cans in the garage and sprayed them black. It took me about 15 minutes to do one coat. Then I waited and hour and did a second coat. I waited 4 hours to flip them over and repeated the same process on the other side.
I also decided to paint the cupboard door pulls to give them an updated look.

I spray painted them brushed nickle color. I thought it would be a nice contrast to the black doors and look a little more updated.

BUY IT HERE

I didn't use the exact door knobs that came with the cupboards because they were is such bad shape. I had some leftover plain pulls from our house in Omaha, which I am glad I kept. I also had to keep the plates for the pulls. The previous owners of this house drilled a wrong sized hole for pulls in all the cupboards! If you didn't have the plates, you would see there are three holes in each door!

While I was on a painting spree, I painted the wine glass holder and shelf. I also painted the walls of the kitchen a light beige color that matched the swirls in the counter tops.

Now the big reveal!! Here is my new black kitchen cupboards and some extras:

My favorite part of the kitchen is my open cupboard. I just LOVE the hanging wine glass rack and the baskets! It just adds more character to the place.

And the other side of the kitchen. (Also, I painted the canned lights white.)
Notice the wine racks from Pottery Barn??


I mounted the wine rack to the end of the cupboard to add some extra storage room.

The shelf was already black, but I painted it to match the cupboards exactly.

Here is a nice before and after:


And the next kitchen project....that plain pantry door you can see in the pic below. I have great plans for this door and the pantry, but not till the winter!

If you have a small remodeling budget, paint is the easiest and cheapest way to get a new look for any room. I would love for you to share any amazing paint transformation you have made. Just comment below with a link.

Happy Painting!!

~Beth

Lots of Basil? Make A Pesto Pasta!

It's that time of year, your garden is probably growing crazy and probably overflowing with basil if you planted it this year! Yesterday, while at my Mom's house, she had so much basil and I whipped up an easy pesto recipe. I thought it would be great over pasta for dinner, so I used the pesto with some cheese to make this very easy pesto pasta recipe. I chose gemelli pasta noodles, but really it can be anything you like. I like these noodles because they have so many crevices that they hold onto the pesto sauce. Enjoy!

2 cups of fresh basil
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of walnuts (or pine nuts, but walnuts are cheaper and were on hand)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of Parmesan Asiago cheese blend (or just Parmesan if that is all you have)
1 pound of Gemelli pasta

1. In large pot boil pasta according to package directions.
2. In food processor blend basil, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. (These six ingredients together is a very basic pesto recipe. If you are wanting a quick appetizer, it's wonderful on a piece of crusty bread!)
3. Once the pasta is al dente, drain the water. Mix hot pasta with pesto and cheese. Garnish with a little bit of cheese on the top and enjoy!

~Beth

Uncorked #15: 2009 Watusi California Zinfandel

Welcome to Uncorked! Where I feature a wine that I've tried and let you know my thoughts on it. There is a little disclaimer: I am by far no wine expert --I am just going to tell my thoughts on a wine. Some wine snobs out there might turn their nose up at my opinion and that's fine with me! Wine is meant to be savored and enjoyed! I might throw out some wine terms here and there and if I do, I will make sure that I give you the definition and try to explain them to the best of my abilities. My goal is to share some tasty wine picks with the world and hopefully encourage some of you out there to try a new wine. No bottle shall be discriminated against, price is no matter (with in reason), and this is just going to be all about exploring the world of wine.

This week's wine is:

2009 Watusi California Zinfandel

Description: Forgot to write it down

Price: $5.99 per bottle
Region: California

Talk about a great summer red wine! I picked up this little cheap bottle of zinfandel from World Market for just under $6. What a steal! This medium-bodied wine features fruity flavors of red berries and strawberries, with a hint of pepper. The wine also has a nice, but not too overwhelming, oaky finish.

Would I buy it again? At $6 it's totally worth the buy. If you can't tell by the empty bottle pictured, we finished it pretty quickly. If you are red lover like me, it's a good summer option. Some zins are too sweet for me, but I really enjoyed this wine. It's bright, not overly sweet, and well balanced to make a great summer drinking wine.

Fun Wine Fact: Red zinfandel should be served at around 65 degrees, which is NOT room temperature nor fridge temperature. It's somewhere in the middle.
Pairs Well With: Ribs, burgers, and grilled steak. Really anything barbecued. Just another reason why it might be the perfect summer red!

"I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food"
– W. C. Fields

~Beth