Changes to come

I might be having a short hiatus of blogging for the next week or so. Mr. B and I are moving out of our tiny apartment next week into our first home (almost twice the size of our apartment). With this new move, there's going to be a lot of DIY home improvement projects going on over the next several years to make this house into something we really love (and then we'll sell it!). As much as I love cooking, I'm really excited to add home decor, DIY projects, and weekend fix-ups to my list of hobbies and continual learning experiences. And I think I may expand this blog to include these adventures. I know I don't have much of a following right now so I'm not quite sure who I'm addressing. But I'm not blessed with enough ingenuity or patience or time to cook something new every night, photograph, edit, and blog about it. I will continue to talk about my cooking adventures, new recipes, and wine recommendations because I still love food and wine, but I feel like making this blog a little more full circle about my life. 

So there it is. More coming soon :)

Caprese Salad Bites

These little appetizers are yummy, fresh-tasting, and perfect for your next dinner party. Moreover, you don't have to use your oven, crockpot, or skillet. Just chop, skewer, and refrigerate until the guests arrive. This little app' is very versatile when it comes to wine pairing so just pick your favorite bottle of Italian red or white to make it the Italian feature of your next wine/dinner party.

Sweet & Tangy Veggie Kabobs

One of my favorite parts of grilling season is grilled veggies. Marinate them and grill 'em up til they get a nice light char - eating your vegetables has never been so easy. You can plan to spend a lot of prep time on any kabob dish so take this into account when preparing for dinner: you'll need to wash and cut your veggies, marinate them, and then the oh-so tedious task of skewering them. But when it's done, you'll be thankful for such a yummy feel-good dish.

Summertime makes me think of crisp, light white wines. Most of these will pair great with this veggie selection.  Reach for a bottle of Pinot Grigio, Muscadet, or Sauvignon Blanc ... or plan ahead the day before and make a pitcher of white sangria (so you can get your daily servings of fruit, too, of course).

Happy grilling!

Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad

If you like hot sauce, this is your recipe. If you don't, don't even bother reading on (and shame on you... I never understand a dislike of all things spicy unless of course for medical reasons). Yummy chopped salad full of healthy vegetables such as broccoli, cucumbers, and carrots gets topped with spicy pan-fried buffalo chicken strips and blue cheese. Drooling, yet? Because I am (yes, I confess I drool at the sight, smell, thought of hot sauce). Sometimes I get an unbelievable craving for buffalo wings, but don't feel like leaving the house or consuming the calories of deep-fried butter-and-hot-sauce-laden chicken wings. This recipe uses skinless boneless chicken breast cutlets, a light coat of breading, and pure hot sauce to get that lip-puckering, mouth-burning taste I crave. Meanwhile, the salad and blue cheese helps cool down the fire in your mouth.

Hot sauce and blue cheese poses a difficult wine pairing. Spicy foods pair well with a glass of semi-sweet Riesling. For a bottle of red, opt for Zinfandel. Otherwise, reach for a bottle of hoppy IPA (India Pale Ale) - if that's your thing, I'm not a fan - or a "sweeter" beer such as Blue Moon or a variety of Belgian Wheat.