Chick-fil-A is Spicing it Up!

Everybody loves Chick-fil-A, right?  Well I just heard about a spicy new addition to their menu [drum roll, please].  Coming this June from the Inventor of the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A presents their new spicy chicken sandwich. 

Here's what they have to say about it straight from the horse's, um, cow's mouth (sorry what was I thinking).

Be sure to try our hand-breaded sandwich seasoned with a fiery blend of peppers, pressure-cooked in peanut oil and served with dill pickle chips on a toasted buttered bun.  This spicy variation of our signature hand-breaded, pressure-cooked Chick-fil-A^® Chicken Sandwich will be coming to your Chick-fil-A this June. 

I know I'm looking forward to it.  I love spicy food!

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole

I have had a hankering for some new dishes for my repertoire.  When I need new recipes, ideas or just good chuckle, I tune in to Christy Jordan from Southern Plate.  She is down home Southern personified.  Not only do you get her yummy food, but you also get a peek into her life, her values, and the love of family that she pours into each and every recipe.  She does it all, from main dishes and casseroles, to sides and sweets, and many recipes go back for generations.

She appears on local TV in Alabama, and is even writing her own cookbook which will be in the book stores this fall.

Perhaps my favorite recipe is her hashbrown casserole. If you've ever been to the Cracker Barrel and tried their hashbrown casserole and thought it was good, try Christy's  It's way better, and everyone I've served it to loved it.

The recipe I tried last night was her Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole.  Now, I'm known to make changes, so I added my own touches here and there.

Here is her original recipe, followed by my tweaks:

Cheesy Chicken And Corn Casserole (this is a single recipe, I usually double it)

1 Box Yellow Rice

1 Stick Margarine

1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup

1-2 Cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 can Whole Kernel Corn (drained)

1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese

Cook rice according to package directions. Add rice and all other ingredients, except for 1/2 C of cheese, into a bowl and stir until well combined. Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for about thirty minutes, or until bubbly.

Notes:  I used 1/2 stick of real butter, a 10-oz. can of chicken, and I made a version of my yellow rice from scratch (rice, onions, garlic, turmeric and some diced zucchini) about 3 cups.

Winter Weather, Winter Food

Hi.  Just more ramblings today.  I thought I would start with the local weather report.  We have the first Winter Storm Watch of the season for tomorrow and Saturday.  There is apparently a big blow coming up from the Gulf.  The moisture will come up and collide with the cold air here, and poof...Snow!  Like many of these forecasts, things change and we end up not getting anything, so as usual I'll believe it when I see it.

I'll be staying on top of the forecast and following the progress on the radar.  Now I really don't care for cold weather and the bitter windy days of winter.  However, I have always liked snow, especially long walks like I used to take with my Mom.  We had such fun walking in the woods with the snow clinging to the pine trees.  One time we even took my sled and went sledding down the path made by trail bikes.  It was hazardous to say the least, but thankfully we never crashed.  Alas, those days are gone, and so are those woods.  They are now a housing development with no sign of their former beauty.

Speaking of cold, snowy weather, it is time to break out the soup pots.  Playing in or shoveling snow builds up a big appetite, and soups and stews are a warming, filling antidote for the chilly-willies.  This is where the crockpot comes in handy.  Just toss in a chuck roast, some onions and carrots, flip the switch and you've got a hot satisfying dinner in the making.  What I did the other day was take some of the broth from the roast and made a gravy.  I whipped up some mashed potatoes and it was pure deliciousness on a plate.  A hearty, healthy, homemade dinner can be quick and easy when you let the slow cooker do the work for you.  Dig in, everyone.

Garlic Green Beans (a first for me)

Piling on to my previous post, I thought I'd elaborate about one of my side dishes, the garlic green beans.  I wanted something green to balance out turkey, stuffing and mac & cheese.  I had thought about bacon-wrapped asparagus, but the asparagus was all huge and dried out looking.  Yuck!  The Brussels sprouts and loose green beans were in much the same condition.  Zucchini was out since we had that all summer.  I was at a loss until I found a bag of green beans, already trimmed and ready to go.  Well almost ready.  You always have to look over your produce - even the bagged stuff.

Now, I'd had garlic green beans in a restaurant that I thought were good, so I pondered how one would make those.  I came up with cooking them until almost done then sauteing them with garlic.  I googled up some recipes and found one from Morton's Steakhouse in Atlanta that sounded like what I was after.  I minced 2 cloves of garlic and about half a shallot, and sauteed them in a mix of butter and olive oil.  When the garlic and shallots were softened and beginning to brown, I added the beans and tossed until the were done to my liking - tender but not mushy.  I'm not one for the crisp-tender vegetables.  I'm from the South ya know [grin] .  Anyway, the beans were a hit.  So pretty on the plate, and they held their green color very well.  

Here's the official recipe.

Next Up...Christmas!

Thanksgiving has now come and gone, and we are stuffed like the turkey himself.  We had two Thanksgivings and an "eat out" meal right in the middle of it all.  Not to mention the post-Thanksgiving pizza I made.  

Thanksgiving meal #1 was the traditional turkey with all the trimmings:  mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, curried onions (I think I referenced those in an earlier post), cranberry sauce, bread, and pumpkin pie.  That was all washed down with Deinhard Green Label Riesling.  Pretty tasty stuff, not as sweet as most German Rieslings, and without that dreadful petrol aroma/taste.  

Our second dinner was last night with friends.  They brought a turkey, and I did the sides and dessert:  Mac & cheese, stuffing, garlic green beans and pecan pie served with a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau.  It was an all-around success, and a wonderful time as usual when we get together.  They also brought cranberry sauce and eggnog.  Now I have never tried eggnog, and was a skeptical participant in this holiday ritual.  I decided it was OK and tasted somewhat like melted vanilla ice cream.  Why not.  It's made with the same ingredients.  I added a bit of Captain Morgan to mine after I had sampled it straight up.  Either is fine, but the rum does give it an added something-something.

Now, Christmas is just 3 weeks away, and we get to turn around and do it all over again.  The cooking, the eating, the visiting, and the groaning after we've done too much of the eating.

Cheers to You!

A while back, around Halloween maybe, I mentioned our Cheers group, a bunch of friendly, wine-loving folks who get together about once a month to share wine, food and friendship.  I promised to tell the story of how we all came together.  I think it was late in the year 2004, a small wine shop called Carolina Winesellers opened in Lewisville, NC and they specialized in North Carolina wines.  That wasn't all they sold, but it was their primary focus.  This came at a time when, although there were local wineries that had been around for some years, the bulk of the North Carolina wines were just arriving on the scene.  As with most wine regions, it takes a while to get started.  The vines need some maturity  before they produce grapes that make good wine.  We tasted a lot of local wines over the next two years, much of which we found utterly lacking when compared to more mature areas such as Napa, and Europe.  Now, we wanted to support our local wine industry, but  the price point was far above the quality of wine being produced at that time.  That, I am happy to say, is changing.  There are now a number of fine wines being produced around the area. 

Anyway, back to the wine shop.  On most Saturdays there would be a tasting at the wine shop.  The owners are great folks and have become friends,  We would go quite often on Saturday afternoons and hang out around the tasting bar meeting people and talking about wine or whatever else was on our minds.  Unlike most retail shops, occasionally they would host wine dinners, and/or have other entertainment such as live music or movie night.  I think one night they showed Sideways (we'd already seen that, and while we enjoyed it, we didn't feel compelled to see it again).

I guess I should really get to the point.  After about 2 1/2 years they determined that they really weren't "making it".  The shop was essentially breaking even or paying for itself, but not contributing to the family income.  Since they had two boys still in school and were looking at college, they decided to sell the business or close up shop if they found no buyer. They sold wine by the glass and people started gathering there on Friday evenings.  During their last month or so of operation, they decided to have potlucks each Friday night.  Folks would bring appetizers, and buy wine.  We would sit around and get to know each other over wine and food.  Food always brings people together, and add a little wine (or more) since you always got your money's worth at Carolina.

As the days counted down to the close of the shop, we were filled with sadness because we had all come to love the shop and had made friends there.  Memorial weekend in 2007 was the last days of business, and on Memorial Monday, we all got together at the shop for a farewell cookout with hotdogs, hamburgers and everything imaginable to go along side, plus all the wine you could drink (within reason and legal limits of course).  It was on this day that we decided we wanted to stay together as a group.  This was just too good to give up, so we passed around a paper to collect e-mail addresses, and thus our group was born.  I don't know exactly who to credit with giving us our name, but several people remarked that we were like that group on the TV series Cheers.  It stuck!  Our get togethers are referred to Friday Night Cheers, although many times now it's held on Saturdays which is more convenient for some of us.  

Tonight was one of those nights.  Everyone (or couple) brings a bottle of wine and something to eat, either savory or sweet.  It is like the box of chocolates right out of Forrest Gump, because you never know what you're going to get, or who you're going to see.  Not everyone can come every time, but we are die hards and are there pretty much whenever the call goes out.  Tonight there was a selection of dips and crackers, smoked turkey (from Honky Tonk Pig on Jonestown Road), ham, rolls, a broccoli & cheese cornbread, shrimp, chips and salsa, and pecan pie.  I took pecan pie mini muffins that I made from a recipe I found on southernplate.com.  These were a hit, and I brought home an empty plate - always a good sign.  Wine wise, our theme for tonight was Pinot Noir and Gewurtzaminer (is it possible I spelled that correctly?)  There were a lot of Pinots, but I think only one Gewurtz.  There was a tasty Albarino.  Not holding with the theme, but very good nonetheless.  There is no right or wrong at Cheers...it's all good! As always, a good time was had by all, and that is how we came to be.  
Edited to correct spelling - it was a late night!

Thanksgiving Day and the Twice-Baked Turkey

Thanksgiving is a day of feasting, family and friends, and being thankful for all that we have.  It is a day steeped in tradition drawn from years of living, loving and giving.  Although we gather but once a year to celebrate our humble beginnings, we should live every day of the year with an attitude of gratitude.

One of the most memorable, or at least interesting Thanksgivings I can remember was at least 30 years ago.  My aunt, uncle and great aunt came down from New Hampshire as they always did - nothing unusual there. What made it interesting is that this is the Thanksgiving when we cooked the turkey two or three times.  Yeah, not the greatest plan I know, but it was a big turkey, probably 20 lbs. or so.  I don't know why we needed a turkey that big for six people.  However, when we were ready to dive into the feast, all the sides were hot and ready, and everyone was salivating over the thought of a scrumptious plate piled high with stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the other goodies that make this day different from the other 364 days of the year, the star of the show, Tom Turkey wasn't.  Parts of his parts were still undercooked.  Now what did we do with everyone waiting...we ate, of course.

We sliced off what was cooked and safe to eat, and put the rest back into the oven to cook for the next round of feasting.  Now I don't suggest using this method of preparation but it all worked out, and no one got sick.  I think that the third cooking involved the walkers and flappers (legs, thighs and wings) as the dark meat takes longer to cook.  Did I mention that this was a really big bird?

I'd love to hear your about your Thanksgiving adventures or traditions.  Please feel free to share.

Wine Lover's Club Monthly Meeting

Do any of you drink wine?  Maybe you enjoy a glass with dinner or like to share a special bottle (or several) with friends.  If you do, then maybe you'd enjoy being part of the American Wine Society by way of a local group of like-minded, friendly, wine loving folks known as the Wine Lover's Club.  We started out as the Lewisville Wine Society with meetings held at the former Carolina Winesellers shop in Lewisville.  We were soon the largest chapter in NC with 40+ members, although our numbers have diminished somewhat in part due to economic times and personal circumstances.  We would love to have you join us for a meeting to see what we're all about, and how much fun we have (you are allowed 3 visits before becoming members).

Here is a little about what went on tonight.  Since it is the week before Thanksgiving, we had the traditional turkey, stuffing and several versions of cranberry salad (made with cranberries, apples and other goodies), which I thought of as dessert since it was sweet.  The official dessert was raspberry brownies.  We were served 4 pinot noirs from California, Oregon and New York.  The objective was to taste each wine with each type of food and determine which we thought paired well.  That is not my strong suit, so I pretty much just enjoyed the food, wine and camaraderie.  I don't know, maybe my palate is just not as fine-tuned as a lot of folks.  I will say that I enjoyed 3 out of 4 wines and thought they went well enough with the food with the exception of the brownie.  I just don't care for a dry red wine with chocolate in most cases. 

In light of the fact that we had hot, tasty food to enjoy, we held the meeting in reverse in that we had our food and wine before attending to business.

Meeting information:
We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at Sociale located at 380 Knollwood Street, Winston-Salem, NC at 7:00 p.m. [update:  this location information no longer valid]

Saturday in the Park

Yesterday friends and family gathered at Tanglewood Park to celebrate a birthday.  The birthday boy was a whopping 6 years old.  It was a beautiful day considering it is the middle of November, and we were just out of a mini-monsoon season courtesy of Ida.  Birthday-boy's Dad made a wonderful devil's food cake with homemade praline & chocolate icings.  It was rich and wonderful and oh so filling.  It hit the spot and was sure to cure any sweet tooth for miles around.  He claims not to be a cook, but you know when he's in the kitchen there will be something delicious on the table.  BDB's Mom made him a round brownie color wheel cake.  BDB doesn't eat just anything...

We were the only ones not directly related to BDB.  Others there were his grandparents (Dad's side), his other grandfather, his aunt, uncle and two cousins, Mom, Dad and older brother. We watched him open his presents, and play with a radio-controlled car that belonged to his grandfather.  After everyone had had their fill of cake, soda and playtime, we packed up the stuff, and toddled off for a walk to look at the Christmas lights.  I'd never seen the lights at Tanglewood before.  After breaking off and going in separate directions, we all eventually met back up at the cars.  By that time it had gotten dark, and the lights were really pretty.  We made a slow drive out enjoying the scenery.  We decided to forego the pizza we had planned for dinner in favor of a quick dinner out at a Mexican restaurant in Clemmons.  We hadn't eaten at Cozumel in years, but we used to like it a lot. We split a 3-enchilada plate with extra rice and beans.

Not to worry that we were deprived, however we had the pizza tonight. Yum!

A Veteran's Day Thank You

Wednesday, November 11, is Veteran's Day, and several Winston-Salem restaurants are saying "Thank You" to those who have served our country and those currently on active duty.  

Applebee's is offering all Veterans and active duty military a free entree with proof of military service.

Outback is giving a free Bloomin' onion and beverage (non-alcoholic or a draft beer) with proof of military service.

Krispy Kreme is giving free doughnuts to all Veterans and active duty military.

Golden Corral is honoring our nation's Veterans on November 16 with a free dinner buffet between the hours of 5-9 p.m.  They are doing this the Monday following Veterans Day so as not to conflict with other offers.

This would be a good time to join the special Veteran(s) in your life for dinner (or a doughnut).  See the websites for details.

Time Out For Lunch

I took time out for a long lunch today with a friend from exercise classes at the Y.  We met a few years ago while waiting in the hall waiting for our class to start.  She had just moved back to North Carolina from Switzerland.  We do a lot of the same classes including Zumba.  If you haven't heard of Zumba, it is half dance and half aerobics done to Latin-style music

Anyway, we get together occasionally for lunch, and today it was La Botana, located just off Hanes Mall Blvd. about a block from Jonestown Road.  It is a small place with friendly staff, good service and very tasty food.  They serve up a variety of Mexican fare.  We both had the chicken enchiladas verde.  Tender chicken rolled in tortillas covered in a piquant verde sauce, served with rice and salad on the side.  I can't elaborate on the rest of the menu, as the lighting wasn't great and I didn't have my glasses, but if this is any indication of the rest, it is definitely worth a return visit.

It was nice to just sit and talk for a while and a great way to de-stress in the middle of an otherwise busy week.  If you like good Mexican food, and you haven't already tried La Botana, you should check it out.

Raffaldini Vineyards

Wanna be a winemaker?  Raffaldini Vineyards in Rhonda, NC invites you to come and blend your own red wine each weekend now through December 6.  Sessions will be held 1-3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  There will be a tasting of several single varietal wines led by owner Jay Raffaldini, and then participants will mix their own blend.  Each blend will be tasted by the winery, and the best one will be chosen to be the next Bella Misto blend.  The 2007 blend won a gold medal at the Lodi International Wine Competition in Lodi, CA.

Cost is $15 per person, and sessions are filling up fast so call 336-853-9463 to make your reservation now.  Who knows, you could be the maker of the next Bella Misto.

Please see website for directions and more details.

There's a New Restaurant in Town!

Let's celebrate the grand opening of Senor Bravo, located at 241 S. Marshall Street in Winston-Salem (former South By Southwest location).  Senor Bravo is owned and operated by the same folks who run Las Estrellas on Silas Creek Parkway.  I understand there is about a 60% overlap between the two menus, and the larger kitchen at Senor Bravo will allow a wider variety of authentic Mexican fare.

While I haven't had the chance to eat there yet, I've read good things about it, and I'm looking forward to checking it out.  To make it even more tempting, there is a coupon in today's Winston-Salem Journal good for 15% off on your next visit.  Please leave a note in the comment section if you go.  I'd love to pass the word!

Small Party - Big Fun

It was a smaller turnout than we had expected for Halloween.  I think we had about 15 people (sometimes we have more than 25), but it was fun just the same.  Our group is quite diverse, so you never know who'll show up.  There were four couples in costume including us.  I got my Black Widow costume together at almost the last minute.  I was sewing on the red "hour glass" at 5:00.  I rounded up some scrubs from the thrift shop for my hubby, who went as a "Urologist".  You should have seen his stethoscope!  Now we don't have a real one, and I couldn't find a good fake on such short notice, so I picked up a toy medic kit at Walmart for $1.  That was TOO fake...so he has this automotive stethoscope.  No, I'm not kidding, there really is such a thing.  You mechanics out there know what they are.  It has this long spike on the end where the cold flat part would be.  Look out guys!

Joining us among the "characters" were a vampiress & Jimmy Buffet, a pirate & a travel agent (she looked like a zip up garment bag), and a 1950s couple.  Our hostess with the mostess was wearing a black shirt with a Halloween design (forget what exactly - maybe ghosts), black pants and a cape.  She had some really cool glasses and a witchy hat. 

There were tons of good eats as always, including BBQ pork, black bean dip, several cheeses and crackers, biscuits, croissants, chips, fruit & desserts, not to mention plenty of wine.  Yum!  As with the people, we never know what food we'll have either.  No matter who or how many show up, or what we eat, it's all good.  Someday I'll tell how this all got started.  Yes, there is a story here so stay tuned.

Pasta alla Pancetta

Pasta is a quick go-to meal around our house, and the term covers anything from a simple goulash to baked ziti.

After spending most of the day away from home, and putting no thought into dinner I pondered what to fix. I know, pasta! I always have a number of dried pastas, tomato products and cheese. Add protein and/or veggies, and some herbs and spices and you've got a quick and easy dinner. Serve with garlic bread and some nice red wine and you're good to go. For the salad lovers out there, a side of greens is optional.

Here is what was for dinner last night.

Pasta alla Pancetta

8 oz. campanelle pasta
1 TB EVOO
4 oz. pancetta, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (please, use the real thing)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
S&P to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions (10-12 min.)

Sauté onion and garlic in EVOO, then add pancetta. Cook until browned. When pasta is done, drain and add the pancetta mixture and mix well. Add the cream and stir to coat. Add the parmesan and mix until melted.

Pinocchio's and Toys for Tots

There is a lovely little Italian restaurant in Spencer, NC called Pinocchio's.  The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the food is delicious.  Giuseppe, the chef, is a creative force in the kitchen, and Tracy keeps everything else running smoothly.  This year they will be joining Toys for Tots as a donation point.  Here is what Tracy said in her weekly e-mail. 

"It's going to be a particularly rough year for young families to afford Christmas shopping, so Pinocchio's is a donation point for Toys for Tots.  Just write a check made payable to Toys for Tots and bring it in when you come to dinner; I will take it, match it 50 cents on the dollar through my book company, and get a whole bunch of Fun Kid Kits to our local kids.  Your cancelled check is 100% tax deductible".

I hope you can join them for dinner sometime soon.  You'll leave with a happy tummy and a warm fuzzy feeling, and no I don't mean from the wine either. So drop off a check, and help make Christmas for the children.

Weight Loss: Is it realistic?

This is directed toward those with minor weight gain, but still within safe weight and body mass indicators, not those with severe weight problems that may require more drastic measures such as surgery or a medically supervised weight loss program.

After years of battling weight gain issues, this is what I have concluded:

There is no secret to weight loss, no magic pill, or potion, no other legitimate way other than to eat less and exercise more. Calories in, calories out. It's as simple as that.  However, there are things you can do to make the journey to a slimmer you easier.

• It takes 3,500 calories to make a pound.  Every 3,500 calories you take in that you don't burn off adds another pound of weight to your body.  To lose weight, you need to either eat an average 500 fewer calories per day or burn 500 more calories through exercise, or a combination of both.  

• You don't have to give up the foods you love; all things in moderation. You can still eat at your favorite fast food place.  The key is moderation. Don't load up on the extras.  Super-sizing is a no-no.  After you have determined your calorie needs, then look at the nutrition charts for each restaurant.  Many fast food restaurants have this information on-line. Just google the restaurant name and the word "nutrition", and it should take you to that area of the web site.  Armed with this information, you can choose something that fits your new lifestyle.  We don't call it a diet here.

• Eating 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day will keep your body fueled with energy and help fight hunger.  

• Make sure you eat enough food.  You've heard all your life that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  This is true. If you skip breakfast your body will go into starvation mode.   If you don't eat enough, your body thinks it is starving and will start to consume muscle for energy instead of fat.  Your muscle mass is key to burning calories.  Use this muscle for energy and your metabolism will slow down, you may stop losing weight, or even gain weight.  This can happen in as few as 3 days of extremely low calorie intake.  In other words, you can sabotage your weight loss program by eating too little.

• Drink plenty of water.  Some experts recommend 8 glasses per day.  This will also help keep your metabolism on an even keel.

• Exercise.  There are countless sources touting their exercise plans and as many guidelines as to how much, and how often to exercise.  One thing to keep in mind when creating your own exercise routine is to keep it balanced.  There are 3 major types of exercise:  Cardio, such as cycling or aerobics, or even just walking, which increases the heart rate and burns fat.  Strength training (using weights or other forms of resistance), which helps strengthen, tone and build muscle mass.  Flexibility and core training such as yoga and pilates to keep you limber and reduce the chance of injury while performing everyday tasks.  A well-rounded exercise program should incorporate each of these types of exercise.

I advocate neither the "ultra-thin, size 2 or else look" nor the "there's just more of me to love" look.  It is all about finding your healthy weight, and learning how to maintain it. 

Turkey Day is a Comin'

The biggest cooking day of the year is just around the corner.  Whether you are preparing dinner for a crowd or just a small gathering, Thanksgiving is still a big day.  Families come together from all across the country; over the river and through the woods...Family is what Thanksgiving is all about.  After all who we have around the table is more important than what is on the table.

Still food plays an important role in bringing people together, so, are you doing a giant turkey with all the traditional trimmings?  Or do you cook outside the box, making a local favorite, a family specialty or an ethnic delight?

Usually, we have several dinners.  One with my husband's family; they really like to do up the traditional dinner, with china, crystal, silver and lighted candles.  Some of the sides vary from year to year, but there are standards like curried onions.  This was something the boys' mother made, and now they are a much-liked regular. Either before or after this, we get together with friends for a less elaborate feast.  Last year I made a roast chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, and pumpkin pie.

Just in time for the big day, my Penzeys catalog arrived yesterday with a special line up of seasonings for your Turkey roasting pleasure.  There is a traditional poultry seasoning, a Bangkok blend to add a Thai-style flavor to your bird, and their Bicentennial rub full of tasty spices and golden color.
  
I've created several delicious dishes based on some of their seasoning blends.  Check out their link for more holiday cooking ideas, and for under $8 you can share the joy of Penzeys spices with a delightful mini 4-pack.  Offer good through December 31, 2009.

I'd love to hear your Thanksgiving stories in the comment section.

Like Pineapple? Have I got a muffin for you!

This is a recipe from a very talented lady who plays a major role in the food and wine discussion groups on the Winelover's Page.  As usual with her recipes, there is a story behind it.  You can go here and see the original recipe and read the story.

Pineapple Muffins
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
4 TB fairly neutral oil, like canola
1 20-oz can "crushed pineapple in syrup" (do not substitute fresh, the higher acid in fresh pineapple will kill your leavening)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the center, add the beaten egg, oil and 100% of the contents of one can of crushed pineapple. Stir until just blended. Scoop into greased muffin tins. Bake 20-22 minutes at 400 for large muffins (18 minutes for 18 regular muffins).

These are absolutely delicious.  I made some yesterday afternoon to send to family.

A Day Trip to Shelton Vineyards

Several weeks ago we had the pleasure of visiting Shelton Vineyards for the first time.  It was a pleasant one-hour drive from Winston-Salem through beautiful countryside.  We strolled through the shop where they have many wine-related items and, of course, wine.  We were ready for lunch, so we didn't take the tour or do a tasting.

We ate a very tasty lunch at the Harvest Grill.  We chose to eat on the enclosed patio.  There were quite a few other patrons there, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.  We ordered the crab cakes, which came with grits, corn relish and broiled tomato slices.  I passed on the tomatoes, but everything else was delish.  This was accompanied by a nicely-chilled bottle of their Chardonnay.  Now I don't do WTNs (wine tasting notes), but it had a pleasant nose and went quite well with the crab cakes.  Dessert was 3 scoops of ice cream in an edible bowl.  One blueberry, one port-walnut and one peanut butter.  I tasted all three, but the port was my favorite.

After lunch, we took a leisurely walk around the lake.  They have picnic tables so you can bring your own fare, buy a bottle of wine and just enjoy the scenery.  That day, they were having free hayrides through the vineyard.  This is a place to visit again!