Challenge Accomplished!

The $20 two-dish/wine challenge was a little harder than I thought it would be.  $20 doesn't go very far.  Good news:  It was a blast!

crab baguette

My two dishes:  crab/herb/cheese spread on a baguette (baked); marinated antipasto skewers (chicken/prosciutto tortellini, green olives, kalamata olives, genoa salami, pepperoni); Black Ridge Pinot Grigio

My husband's two dishes:  coconut curry soup with tuna steak; savory bread pudding (garlic sourdough bread, cheddar, bacon, jalapenos); Cavit Pinot Grigio

antipasto

You have to pick your most important ingredients first, then do a little substituting for some ingredients you have at home, as you quickly realize you are running out of money.  I went over budget by 18 cents.  My husband had a dollar left over.

I thought I could buy a couple crab legs but had to settle for canned crab.  The tortellini took almost one-fourth of my budget.  Next time, with more time, I would make my own pasta.  I opted to use huge martini olives from home instead of buying the normal size so I could put that money towards the wine.   I settled for dried parsley instead of fresh, thinking, of course, that 99 cents could be better spent on the wine.  (Seems I've got a theme going here.)  And who really cares about parsley?  Never in my life have I heard someone rave about how great the parsley was.

My wine was actually pretty good.  I spent $5.99 on a bottle that I had never tried before, and I would buy it again.  My husband's wine was $6.99.  I think mine was better for a dollar less.

My baguette came from a great bakery, so I knew at least that would be good.

coconut curry soup

savory bread pudding

The soup and pudding were amazing!






What a fun and entertaining meal.  We spent about 5 hours cooking, eating, drinking, and talking.

$40, 5 hours = bargain!

This is a challenge that can be modified to anyone's liking. Bigger budget; pick a theme for the food; more courses, less courses; pick the wine, then match the food.  The possibilities are endless.

Fun Fact:  (I read it on the internet and have no idea if it is true!)

30 million gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake! 

Top Chef - Move Over!

My husband and I spend a lot of time watching food shows.  Top Chef is one of our favorites.  The season finale is next week.  It is down to Sarah and Paul.  I don't really like Sarah, but she is a pretty good chef.  Beverly was the underdog from Day One, got kicked off, clawed her way back into the top four, then got kicked off again.  I like her.  She is nice.  Sarah is mean.  I want Paul to win but mostly for the reason that I don't want to see Sarah win.  One should not be rewarded for bad behavior.

My husband actually came up with the "great idea" this time.  Each of us has to come up with two appetizer-size dishes and pair it with wine.  We each have a budget of $20.  We can also use whatever we can find in the pantry.

Game on!

Wine, Wine, Wine

I am passionate about wine in a fun, casual way.  I love to try new wines.  I love to travel to wine country.  I love to watch movies about wine (if you haven't seen it, Bottle Shock is awesome).  I love to shop for wine.  I love to talk to people about wine.  I, though, am not a wine snob.  Far from it. The truth is I don't know enough about wine to be a wine snob.  But I do know enough to match food with wine, to pick out a special bottle of wine for a special occasion, and to drink wine out of a Riedel wine glass.  What more does a person really need to know?  I keep a wine journal (name, year, cost, and where I bought it) and I rate my wines.  My rating system is very simple.

1. Can't or Won't Drink
2. Drinkable in an Emergency
3. Pretty Darn Good
4. Awesome!

I am willing to spend a little money ($50 is probably my upper limit - and not very often) on a special bottle of wine for a special occasion.  I am sometimes willing to spend as much as $9.99 on an everyday wine (if it is on sale and worth it).  But I mostly prefer to be in the $5 to $7.49 range.  I don't think you have to spend a lot of money to get a decent bottle of wine. Trader Joe's is a great store to find inexpensive bottles of wine.  I am 10 hours from the nearest Trader Joe's, but when I travel, I always stop in and pick up a few cases.  I, of course, then record them in my wine journal.  When I go back, I know what to buy and what not to buy.  By drinking less expensive wines on an average day, I appreciate a special wine and a special occasion even more.  

I have friends that drink the same wine all of the time; have for years and will for years to come. There is nothing wrong with that.  If you really like something, great, no need for change.  But I love change.  There are so many wines and so little time!  Cheers.

Food Is My Life

Food is my life.  I live to eat.  I am always looking for a new recipe.  Now that I am "middle-aged", it is important to me that I eat as healthy as I can, without compromising fabulous flavor.  There are times, though, when "healthy" just isn't in the cards. Certain foods make life worth living, and you simply can't deprive yourself of them for a lifetime. Moderation, moderation, moderation!  I am perfectly happy to eat fettuccine alfredo off a doll-size plate (one helping only), or have just two bites of my favorite lemon torte with white chocolate shavings. The first two bites are always the best!  Something is always better than nothing.

Off To The Races!

Welcome to Stella's Guide to Living!

I turned 50 a couple weeks ago and realized a couple of things:  One, life can, and should, be a lot of fun.  Two, there are WAY too many people in the obituaries that are my age!  So, putting the two together, I will dedicate the second half of my life to making the most of every moment of every day.  To that end, I solemnly swear that I will:

1. Eat great food. 
2. Drink great (and good) wine.
3. Keep fit to the best of my ability.
4. Travel as much as I can.
5. Appreciate life!

I am one of those people with a brain that is on sensory overload most of the time.  I tend to start my sentences with, "Hey, I have a great idea!"  My husband will usually pretend to not hear me, or he will quickly change the topic of conversation.  It is time to act on ALL of those great ideas and write about them.