What should I have for lunch? This question plagues us all year long, but summertime lunches should be light and easy to make. I tend to crave salads or sandwiches, so I tracked down some yummy recipes to share. Continue reading
Tag Archives: reviews
Wine Review Chateau Julien Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
I’m not sure how I found this wine from the Monterey/Carmel Valley region of California, but am I happy I did. Sadly, I haven’t been to this winery, but their website had a really cool map showing the different viticultural areas in the Monterey area. I’ve been to Monterey several times. It’s just wonderful. Then again, most of the California coast is wonderful. It’s funny, but a good wine smells like a hutch that used to be my great-great grandmother’s. For some reason, that piece of antique furniture smells like a good wine. So, what is Cabernet Sauvignon? Aside from red wine, obviously. But according to Wikipedia (sorry for the reference), it’s one of the most widely recognized red wine grape varieties in the world. Apparently, some time in the 17th century someone (a monk?) happened to cross a Cabernet Franc with a Sauvignon Blanc (both great wines) and voila! A delicious grape was born. Continue reading
Hotel Review: Avatar Hotel, Santa Clara, CA
During our honeymoon, we stayed at this funky, cute hotel located in the Silicon Valley. We were on a road trip around the Bay Area and I chose this hotel because they had a picture of a toy Bender from Futurama on their website. I hadn’t stayed at a Joie de Vivre hotel before, but if the Avatar is anything like the others, they will definitely be on my radar in the future.
My first impression upon arrival was that it might have been an old Howard Johnson at some point in its life. The grounds look as though the are in the process of being revamped. Like, they were dirt and a chain-link fence. It wasn’t really a big deal.
Wine Wednesday: Maui Blanc
As we all know, wine can be made in many states. Hawaii is no exception. My parents introduced me to Maui Blanc wine after one of their many trips to Hawaii. Maui is one of their favorite places to visit and of course, they love wine as much as I do.
This wine comes from Maui’s Winery at Ulupalakua Ranch. Maui Blanc is made of pineapples. It’s an interesting taste. It’s slightly sweet, but has a dry finish. It’s perfect out on a shady patio on a hot summer day. As you may be able to tell from the photo, you serve this wine well chilled.