Finishing October and starting November

 October 30th.  Out to taste wines from Northern Italy and nibble some complimenting foods.   It was a nice chance to drink wines we would normally never buy because of price and to sample food made by the chef at a restaurant we have been meaning to try.

Prosciutto wrapped figs with gorgonzola  to go with our Tedeschi Amarone 2007 that sells here for $39.93 a bottle.

Getting the history of the region and the families that made the wines we were tasting, and explaining what we should be tasting in the wine.   I can never make out the individual flavours, either I like a wine or I don't.

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November 5.     Done! Finally!  My first project with the knitting needles is complete.  I thought it would never finish.  I have always had trouble knitting so I am rather pleased with myself- but- I have learned that I will not be making large projects or items where proper gauge matters.  Like with my crocheting I will be leaning towards the short and easy.

Antique white, Bernat Softee Baby 100% acrylic yarn using 5.5 mm needles.  Measure 66 X 3.5 " in a K 2P2 (twice) K2 (twice) pattern.

Finished crochet projects....

Bookmarks using the crescent braid motif. Sage green one 6'' plus tail, using size 3 cotton thread and an old crochet hook of my mother's that said old size 3.     The other is in a linen colour # 10 cotton, 4" long plus tail and I used another old hook size 2.      I need to work more with the cotton to really get the finished look I want.

Double crochet scarf in a heather green/brown mix  measuring 80 X 4 ".  I used a ball of acrylic yarn I found on sale for  .99 and it worked up quickly on a #10 hook.

Water bottle holders both using a 5.5 hook but different patterns and different materials.  The stripped one is cotton ( same as you would use for making dish cloths ) and the other a. unknown craft material I had left over from a project I made almost 35 years ago.  I used up the last of the beige I had, mixing it in with the yellow.

THE WINE

Thinking it is better to use than to save we have opened our thank you gift wine.

Fully aware that there are only the two of us and that a bottle lasts us two meals we decided we could drink wine at breakfast and lunch if necessary.

First time we've had a cask of wine sitting in the fridge next to the orange juice.

We had it last night with catfish, fresh green beans cooked with butter and summer savory and fresh corn on the cob.

Tonight I will be serving it with left over macaroni and cheese.

MARCH 5, 2008

Another wine from our "let's try it" purchase.
I served it with grilled steak topped with garlic shrimp and mushrooms, Caesar salad and corn. Dessert -- Banana chocolate chip muffins.
It is a wine with bite, not harsh but what I would call a sharp taste. It also went straight to my head. It will go on our "buy again" list. The dinner was special because it was our way of celebrating Stephen's 26th birthday. Shrimp, steak and Caesar salad had been a favourite birthday dinner of his for years and since he couldn't decide on a restaurant for a meal out, it seemed a logical choice.
Seeing as he couldn't come up with a gift list he got the mother's fall back -- clothes!
Happy Birthday Son.

Wine and stuff

We opened this last night, drinking it with roast beef, sweet potatoes and broccoli and finished it tonight when I served breaded pork , mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. It goes on my "buy again" list.

Yalumba Y series Shiraz Viognier 2006, from South Australia. Here it cost $14.00, one of the pricier wines we are trying in our quest for a perfect house list of reds and whites.

This red joins the Cesari Merlot from Italy at $7.00 and in whites: McWilliams Hanwood Estate Chardonnay from Australia .. $13.00

We didn't care for the Vielle Ferme Cotes du Luberon white from France .. $10.35. It had a raw sharp taste to our tongue.

We have added two more reds from Italy to our original purchase and an Australian Port. It's much cheaper buying one or two bottles to restock than to start from scratch.

We are getting more snow tomorrow and I'm not happy.

I think I have my outfit sorted for my niece's wedding in April but I'm still trying to decide if we will drive or fly to Alabama. Paul has already started finding car museums to visit. *sigh*

Time to make our evening coffee. Something else I'm playing with .. different beans and different blends.

Stocking up

Paul collects wine information from the LCBO Food and Wine magazine and the newspaper: good buys, ideas, prices and a lot of recipes I'll never make, but he can take over the kitchen anytime he likes.


Today we made a list and went shopping.

These are the reds and these the whites
Our wine cellar ( the cool place in the basement under the stairs ) has never ever been this full at one time. Ontario, Argentina, Italy, France, California and Australia are all represented and range from $7.00 to $15.00 a bottle. Some we've had before, most are totally new to us.

Tomorrow I'm cooking a nice roast beef. Wonder what red he will pick to have with the meal?