Barefoot Wine and Bubbly

So I had seen Barefoot Wines in the store, but had never tried them. Then last weekend I volunteered at a local art festival, Chalk Walk, where we sold wine and beer. Barefoot Wines had generously donated the wine and had local reps there serving. I tried their Moscato. It was delicious, very sweet and fruity. Perfect on a hot, summer day. I have since purchased the pinot grigio for cooking and the riesling. The best thing about the wines are they not only have won a bunch of awards, but they are very affordable. My store has them for $6.99 a bottle. Check out all of their wines here.

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Super Bowl Ideas

Super Bowl is in just a couple of days, so I thought I would share some ideas for all of you hosting or attending parties. I am having a few people over myself. I think it is going to be a little chilly out so we are going to make some chilli along with a couple of dips. Hope these recipes and links help in your Super Bowl planning!

Mount Diablo and Cuban Sandwiches: See the recipe here.

Buffalo Chicken Dip: This dip is reserved specifically and exclusively for Super Bowl Sunday because it is so fattening, yet so delicious. See the recipe here.

Guacamole: Mmmm... Avocadoes, probably the most perfect food on the planet: delicious, creamy, buttery, bright green avocadoes. See the recipe here.

Came across this article in the St. Petersburg Times yesterday. 25 dip recipes. There are some great ones here. I think I am going to make the queso along with the quacamole from above. See the article and recipes here.

Chai Thai Teriyaki Meatballs: I've mentioned my friend Michele's sauce company, Intensity Academy before. You gotta try these meatballs. Don't forget to add your bottle of Chai Thai Teriyaki to the mix. See the recipe at the Intensity Academy blog here.

Calzones and pizzas will be a hit. Try these Spinach and Artichoke Calzones or my Chicken Pesto Pizza.

I may do a little pigs in the blanket or shrimp cocktail as well.

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Homemade Croutons

If you're anything like me, you'll buy a loaf of Cuban or some other kind of bread to accompany soup one night, but by the next day, the bread is starting to get a little stale. So what do you do with this day old or even a couple days old bread? You don't want to throw it away because that would be a waste of money. The answer... you make homemade croutons! They're so easy to make and much better than the store bought kind.

Simple cut the bread into cubes. Toss in olive oil with a few seasonings like Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Coat well and spread onto a baking sheet in an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let cool and store in a sealable plastic bag. Serve on top of soups or salads.

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Holiday Gift Ideas

Here are some food gift ideas to give your foodie friends. These work well for those work people you just don't know what to get.

Buy little mason jars, clean/sterilize them and fill with my pesto or tapenade. Tie a little bow or ribbon around the jar.

Homemade baked cookies are always good. I like snickerdoodles.

This year I am also making some white chocolate bark to give to lots of people. Wrap in some holiday plastic wrap or baggies and tie with a bow. Or if you have any of those holiday tins you can put them in there.

White Chocolate Bark
1 pound good quality white chocolate
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Create a double boiler by placing a glass bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Be sure to not overheat or the chocolate will seize.

Add the pistachios and craisins and mix well. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread out evenly, about 1/4 inch thick, with an offset spatula (those are the ones used for frosting a cake, but you could use a butter knife or rubber spatula if you don't have an offset one). Tap the pan firmly a couple of times onto the counter to settle the chocolate.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set before breaking into pieces. Wrap or package to your liking and your gift is all set.

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Women's Car Care Clinic

This past week I was invited by a friend to attend this women's car care clinic. It is basically a small class for women to learn the basics of car maintenance, including changing a tire, probably the most important car-related skill a woman should know.

The clinic was held at a local Century GMC/Buick dealership in Tampa on West Hillsborough Ave. Before we get to the clinic, I have to tell you about this dealership. It has been family-owned for 40 years and this location is a new facility that just opened in 2007. It is really amazing. I have never seen such a clean and welcoming service area. They have wi-fi throughout the facility, a great looking cafe and seating area, a 14-seat movie theatre that shows movies three times a day, a gym, and flat screen TVs everywhere. Best of all they have a nail and hair salon. I mean where else can you go get your car serviced and while you wait watch a movie or get a pedicure? We got a tour of the dealership and it was really impressive. They boast tons of space for meetings and events. If you're involved with a group that ever needs some meeting space, give them a call.

The car care clinic was taught by Lori Johnson, president of Ladies, Start Your Engines. This is what she does for a living, travels teaching small groups of women how to take care of their cars to reduce the cost of ownership and extend the lives of their vehicles. The class was hands on and I really learned a lot of great tips. I am now totally comfortable with changing a tire if need be. If you work for a large company, you should really consider asking your management to hire Lori to come and educate all the female employees. She doesn't just go to dealers, anyone can hire her to teach the clinic.

In addition to changing a tire, we also learned how to check to see if our brake pads and rotors are worn out and need to be replaced. Lori showed us under the hood and we checked the oil and other fluids as well as fuses. Here is a major tip when buying a used car. One of the first things a dealer will do is change the oil. So, it is important to not only check to see if the oil is clean, but check the oil cap and inside the oil pan. If there is any crusty oil stuck inside or any discoloration in the oil, do not buy the car. This can be a sign of a bigger mechanical problem.

Ladies, I urge you all to check out her site and educate yourself. You want to be able to keep your car running as long as possible, right? And you certainly don't want to ever be taken advantage of by a dealer or mechanic.

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Tampa Pitcher Show

I have been going to the Tampa Pitcher Show for years. It is truly a Tampa original, located in Carrollwood off of North Dale Mabry. What's unique about it is instead of sitting in the normal row of seats, you sit at a little pub table where there are servers that bring you food and drinks, like beer. That is what is truly great.

They have everything from snacks like popcorn and appetizers to sandwiches and even entrees like pasta dishes. My husband always orders the chicken wings and I usually get the blue cheese burger, but I have had entrees like lasagna before, which was equally good.

It is just one theatre, so they only play one movie at a time. Last night we went and saw The Informant! with Matt Damon. The movie was a little weird, but Matt Damon was great, as always. But even when the movie isn't that great, the experience always is because you can enjoy a pitcher of beer or sangria and enjoy some deliciously bad for your food.

14416 N. Dale Mabry Hwy

Tampa, FL 33618

I definitely suggest all you locals check out the Tampa Pitcher Show if you haven't already. It's a great laid-back atmosphere and definitely a better value than going to the regular movies. Admissions for adults are only $7 and you can have the whole dinner and a movie at the same spot.

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Salmon Puttanesca

Tonight I whipped up a quick meal of sauteed salmon topped with puttanesca sauce served over linguine. I took some amateur pictures, which I have posted below. I think it looks like a pretty fancy dish when in reality it took less than a half hour. Here is the recipe from a previous post: http://amodernhousewife.blogspot.com/2009/07/puttanesca-sauce.html, except tonight I topped with some really good feta cheese. The Land & Sea Market has really good Greek and French feta cheese.

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This Just In...Turkey Bacon is Not Healthier than Real Bacon

So, while I was working from home the other day I was watching Oprah. She had on the guy who wrote the books Eat This... Don't Eat That or something like that. Anyway, the episode was about childhood obesity and they were trying to educate obese tweens and teens on healthy eating habits.

They played a little quiz with the audience asking what is healthier (or at least better) to eat between two choices. Well, one of the questions was, what is better, real bacon or turkey bacon? It turns out the better choice is REAL BACON! Who would've thought, right? Not me. For the past 4 years I have been eating turkey bacon thinking it is better for me. Apparently, they have the same fat and calorie count, but turkey bacon has more sodium.

I totally feel like have been cheating myself this whole time. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't mind turkey bacon, but I would much rather have regular bacon. So, no more denying myself the pleasure of real bacon. I will practice some self-control, though. I'm not going to start eating bacon on a regular basis or anything.

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Tampa Taste Casters

A friend of mine suggested I join this new group called Taste Casters. They're in select cities around the country. Basically, it's a group of socially networked people that get together and taste food from local restaurants, cafes, bakeries, etc. Then we tweet and blog about it. It might also include making announcements like special offers, grand openings, and such.

The purpose is to help local establishments grow their business. I am very excited about it; there is nothing I like more than eating food. Our first meeting is this Wednesday at a local tortilla manufacturer. I look forward to sharing with everyone the activities of this group. Keep checking back.

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Betty Crocker Newsletters

I have a bunch of blueberries I need to use before they go bad, so I decided I will make quick blueberry muffins using Bisquick. Well, I looked on the back of the box for the recipe and it wasn't there, so I got my little butt online to find it. While I was on the site I ran across a sign up feature for newsletters, so I of course signed up. Now I receive e-newsletters for quick and easy recipes from the almighty Betty Crocker, Bisquick and some easy dinner recipes. If you're interested check out www.bettycrocker.com.

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Spring Cleaning...Eh!

I may excel at being a modern housewife when it comes to cooking, but when it comes to cleaning house, I fail miserably. I absolutely hate cleaning. I do it, but I don't like it. I keep my kitchen very clean, but I procrastinate when it comes to other household chores. I have decided that a new plan of action is going to be doing one chore a day. That way it doesn't take much time and the house is always visitor ready. In case anyone decides to drop by.

Tonight, however, I did more than one. I cleaned and organized my closet a bit, vaccuumed and did the dishes after dinner, since the hubby cooked dinner tonight. I do, however, have a confession to make. In not so modern housewife-style I was cleaning with my pearls on. I didn't even realize it. I had left them on from the workday. I assure you though, I wasn't wearing a dress and heels.

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