Wine and food pairing are difficult for those of us who are just beginning to learn about wines. I must admit that I did not drink wine in my youth; however, as I have matured and my pallet has changed I find that I enjoy a good bottle of wine with my meals. Choosing a wine to accompany your meal is a matter of individual taste; however, there are a few food pairings that you should avoid with each wine because the food will actually damage the taste of the wine. For example, fish and goat cheese should never be paired with a red wine and red meat tends to alter the taste of white wines. I have learned a few tips along the way (through trial & error as well as a little research) about how to pair red wine with food.

When planning a meal, remember that wine is like the rest of your meal – – you drink lighter wines at the beginning of your meal and progress to heavier wines at the end. For this reason, red wines are typically not paired with appetizers. You may use a red wine with cheese as an appetizer; however, you will want to choose cheeses that are stronger in flavor such as Feta, Muenster or Roquefort. Keep the red wine to something lighter such as a Beaujolais or Zinfandel. This will keep your guests from becoming overwhelmed by a heavy wine before the main course is served. read more

This article on CNN caught my attention, foods that help you look your best? I had to read. I think all of the foods on the list do their jobs because they are best in the natural state and have loads of vitamins and minerals. read more

Let’s start Monday off with something fun, a giveaway! Given my love of salty snacks it’s not a huge surprise that I love Food Should Taste Good chips.  This fall I am partnering with Food Should Taste Good to spread the word about their delicious, all natural chips. All chip varieties are gluten free, cholesterol free, have zero grams trans fats. They are also certified Kosher.  Plus, many varieties are certified vegan. read more

Yesterday I mentioned our girls night in my Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad and Food Should Taste Good was generous enough to send delicious chips, goody bags, and recipe ideas for our evening. Besides having just chips and salsa I wanted a warm dip to dig into. Cheesy, creamy and corn dip to be precise. Perfect on a chilly fall evening with dear friends, delicious food, glasses of wine and a roaring fire. read more

We went to Porterhouse this evening for a nice steak dinner, I am not normally a big steak eater but occasionally I get a craving for one. Porterhouse has been open about a year and it is relatively close to our house and I thought it would be good to try. For wine we ordered some Murphy Good Liar’s Dice that I was excited to try, it definitely lived up to its hype. I love a good zin and it was full flavored with hints of berries. I really good wine read more

Government reports and attention in the media consistently point to the growing issue of obesity in America. We are well aware of recommendations that encourage us to spend a good portion of our food budget in the produce department. Many of us avoid buying too many fresh vegetables and fruits because they spoil too fast and frequent visits to the grocery store can cut into valuable time and cause overspending.

In an effort to make healthier choices for my family, I found myself buying way more produce than I could use before it would spoil. I had good intentions of using every item in my cart, but very often by the time I would reach for that fresh tomato, it already had mold on it. As I emptied the produce bins in my refrigerator I felt sickened by the amount of waste that occurred due to overbuying and nonuse. read more

Continuing the Travel Thursday fun! Last week I talked about the sights in Paris and saved the best for this week; the food! Parisians are known for their food and wine. With all the sightseeing we did we certainly worked up big appetites. read more

I am leaving this afternoon for a quick 2 day trip to Chicago for work, it is day three and I am already jumping in and traveling and I get to go to one of my favorite cities. I will not have a chance to get downtown but I get to head to a large retailers headquarters and hopefully enjoy a great dinner out tonight. read more

Thursday evening I met my friend Dawn at Pairings Food and Wine Market in Minnetonka for dinner and a glass of good wine. This was only the second time I had been there and I was really impressed with the wine selection and the food. read more

With the busy lives we lead, we’re always looking for delicious, table-ready, or nearly-table-ready foods. Personally, I don’t even like making the trip to the grocery store; the aisles are crowded with undecided shoppers, and there are always lines at the checkout.

Schwan’s is a company that delivers frozen foods to your door. The products are high quality in most cases and a little pricier than the supermarket, but I find it worth it to be able to shop on line or by catalogue, and have my order delivered to my home for a $1.00 delivery fee. The Schwan’s man will stop by every two weeks with his freezer truck full of goodies. If you haven’t placed an order ahead of time by phone at 1-888-SCHWANS or on line at schwans.com, you can order items on the spot, but the possibility exists that the driver may be sold out of an item you want that day. read more