Are the Grocery Stores Really Too Expensive?

It has been mentioned to me that some of the stores I shop at are too expensive.  I suppose this is true on a regular price comparison with say Wal-Mart or even Aldi.  I shop at these stores, too.  However, I go where I can get the most for the least, and many times that is a major grocery store.

For example, I posted a week or so ago about Harris Teeter coupons in the Friday newspaper.  There were $16 worth of coupons:  Four 50¢ coupons off "any" one item and four $1.00 coupons off "any" item of $2 or more, and also two for $5 off a $40 purchase.  

I used three of the $1 coupons on 3 packs of diet Coke, which brought the price down from 3/$10 to $3/$7, a much better deal.  I used the 50¢ ones on Campbell's tomato soup, making it 10¢ a can.  I used my last $1 coupon on a bottle of wine, and also used a $5/40 coupon.  All of this was on sale already.  Everything else I got was either on sale, I had a manufacturers coupon or it was a store brand.  

What was the bottom line?  I saved $27.34 and paid $34.08.  This is about 45%.

Last week's highlights focused on cleaning products:
Lysol Kitchen cleaner - Regularly $2.89 for 44¢ (BOGOF + $1 coupon)
Lysol Toilet cleaner - Regularly $2.69 for 34¢ (BOGOF + $1 coupon)
Brawny paper towels 8 rolls - Regularly $9.99 for $4.99  (sale $5.99 + $1 coupon)
12 oz. bottle of Joy dish washing detergent - Regularly $1.39 for 39¢ (sale 99¢ + 30¢ coupon)

I saved around 43% that day.  My goal is to save an average of 50% on groceries and household items. 

Harris Teeter always doubles coupons up to 99¢ every day (up to 20 coupons per day).  Go here for their next triple coupon event starting 3/24.

Check out my Top 5 list of things not to pay full price for, and see another example of savings here.

Restaurants.com Gift Certificates 80% Off

Restaurants.com has a new promotion going on now through March 31.  All gift certificates are 80% off.  Just use the promo code COOK when you check out, and your discount will be applied.  You can get $25 gift certificates for just $2. 

What a great way to eat out and save!

Renewed Inspiration

I was reading one of Sara's recent posts from a sharing connection, and  was inspired to share more of my own poetry.  Here is one I wrote on May 22, 1984. 

New Dawn
Sun painted sky
Of brilliant orange
Bids a fond farewell
To still another day
Yet we know always
There is a new dawn
Breaking on some
Distant shore

Quote of the Week

Saturday was the official start of Spring, and we are glad to see it arrive after the long, cold winter.  It seems fitting this week that we reflect on what Robert Frost has to say about it.

 
 

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

- Robert Frost

March Madness - NCAA Team Napkins

Are you into Basketball?  Do you have a favorite NCAA team?  To round out your game-day parties, Sociale has folded napkins for your favorite teams.

Here are a few samples.

Call Donna (336-705-6888) or drop by the shop at 380 Knollwood Street in Winston-Salem.

Wine Lover's Club - March Meeting

The Wine Lover's Club held it's March meeting at Sociale on Tuesday the 16th.  It began on a somber note as we bid a fond but sad farewell to one of our members who passed away rather unexpectedly.  He loved French wine, so we toasted with a Bordeaux after a heartfelt tribute to him and what he meant to all of us.

As with all meetings, we handled the business end of things first, or in this case, second.  We decided on a design to represent our chapter of the American Wine Society going forward, and chose a new e-mail address that reflects our name change.  The minutes were read and the treasurer gave her report.

Now down to the real business of tasting wine!  Tonight's presentation was on Spain, and in particular, Tempranillo.  All wines tasted were 100% tempranillo, and in the $8 - $15 range:

Egruen Tempranillo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla -  2007 $7.99

Ercavio La Mancha Tinto Roble - 2007 $11.99

Venta Mazzaron - around $15

Volver Tempranillo La Mancha - around $13

Paso A Paso Tempranillo La Mancha- 2008 $9.99

I liked all but the first one.  The Egruen seemed a little harsh compared to the rest.  The Ercavio was much smoother and well balanced (my favorite).  The Venta Mazzaron was much more fruit forward with an almost sweet taste.  It was still a dry wine, but the fruit gave it sweetness.  The last two were smooth, easy drinking, but less fruity.  They all paired well with the food.  As you'll see below, we had a lot of different type of food to pair with.

 Here are the wines being opened for tonight's tasting.

Lots of good munchies to go with our wine.

One of our newest members prepared a fruit and dessert platter.  Doesn't that look pretty?

Everyone pitches in to clean up.

Meetings are currently held at 7 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Sociale, on Knollwood Street in Winston-Salem.

Awesome Olives

I first had marinated olives at a party, and I thought they were so good, I just had to find a recipe.  After pouring over dozens of recipes on the internet, this is what I came up with.  They're always a hit.
 
Marinated Olives

1 sm. jar pimento-stuffed olives (5.75 oz.), drained

1 large clove garlic, minced

3 TB olive oil

1 TB red wine vinegar

1 tsp. (scant) dried oregano

1 tsp. (scant) dried thyme
1/3 cup diced feta (approximately)

Mix all ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl with tight fitting lid.  Refrigerate overnight or up to several days to allow flavors to blend, and watch 'em disappear.  

Note:  Bring to room temperature before serving.

St. Patrick's Day

Photo Credit: Puzzler 4879

St. Patrick's day is coming up this week, so let's talk a little about the "green" holiday, and why and how we celebrate.  St. Patrick's Day (March 17) is a Public holiday in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and is widely celebrated in many other areas, but is not an official holiday.  St. Patrick's feast is on the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church - it is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics, and  usually falls during Lent.  On the occasion that the 17th falls during the Holy Week, it is observed on another day.  The last time this happened was in 2008. 

Now for some history on St. Patrick, whose life we honor and celebrate on this day.  He was born in the 5th century in Roman Britain (the portion of Britain controlled by the Roman Empire).  His father was a deacon in the church as was his grandfather. St. Patrick was kidnapped at 16 and held in Ireland somewhere near the West Coast.  After a time he had a dream in which God told him to escape his captors and return to Britain.  There he joined the church and studied to become a priest.  In 432 he was called to return to Ireland as a bishop to save the Irish.  He died on March 18, 461 AD after 35 years of spreading God's word.  He is held in high esteem as the Champion of Irish Christianity.

Although blue was originally associated with St. Patrick, he used the 3-leafed plant known as a Shamrock  to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish people.  The displaying and wearing of shamrock-inspired objects symbolized this, and green became the color associated with St. Patrick.  This is how the phrase "wearing of the green" came about.  As to the stories of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, it is likely that is a metaphor for bringing Christianity to Ireland.

St. Patrick's Day, once only a religious holiday, became a public holiday in 1903.  Law required that all pubs be closed on March 17, (horrors!) and this was not repealed until the 1970s.  The first St. Patrick's Day parade in Ireland was held in Dublin in 1931.  Parades have been held in the U.S. since 1737, when the first one was held in Boston.  St. Patrick's Day remains a religious observation for the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church.  Traditionally, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.  The no-meat-during-lent restriction was waived, and people would dance, drink and feast on Irish bacon and cabbage, the traditional Irish fare.

For the rest of the world, Irish or not, it is a reason to celebrate with St. Paddy's Day parties.  Things tend to turn green everywhere.  Chicago has been dyeing its river since 1961.  Savannah dyes its city fountains green, and Indianapolis dyes its main canal green.  There are green beers, green-iced cakes and cookies, and you must always wear green or risk being pinched.  The pinching is actually an American tradition started in the early 1700s, and is not related to either St. Patrick or Ireland.  At the same time that St. Patrick's Day became widely celebrated, it was also thought that wearing green made one invisible to Leprechauns.  This was good because the Leprechauns would pinch everyone they could see.  Pinching, therefore, became a warning and reminder to watch out for Leprechauns.

So, how do you celebrate the "green" holiday?  

Quote of the Week

A blessing for you all in honor of St. Patrick's Day!

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

- Irish Blessing

2nd Annual Farm Toy Show

Occasionally we treat ourselves to breakfast out on Saturday's, and this was one of those days.  It's usually the Bo, but today we went to a real sit-down restaurant instead and had pancakes.  Here's was we did afterward, which leads me to believe there was an ulterior motive involved in the restaurant selection.  It seems there was a farm tractor show being held nearby.  It was the 2nd Annual Farm Toy Show, and it was held at Windmill Acres Farm on Jasper Lane in Winston-Salem.  Trucks lined both sides of the road leading to the exhibition buildings.  The property is owned by Phil and Brenda Fishel, who collect antique tractors and farm toys.

In the field there were all kinds of tractors, new, old and older, and other kinds of farm equipment.  We had heavy rain last night, so we didn't walk through the field to look at them.

In the buildings there were displays of model tractors, tractor trailers and other memorabilia, much of which was for sale.

 

There was even a "Show Special".

They also had old lawn tractors, similar to one we use to this day.  

One tractor had a small tank labeled "gasoline for starting only". 
These actually run on kerosene.

 

And there were toy tractors?

And even an old wood stove.

It seems there was something for almost everyone.  Move over Fred Flintstone.  This is actually a pedal tractor.

And souvenir T-Shirts!

Five Things You Should Never Pay Full Price For

A penny saved is a penny earned.  

Never has that statement been more true.  With prices rising and sizes shrinking, we have to make the most of every dollar.  There are many products you buy regularly that you can get without paying full price.  Here are my top 5:

1. Paper/Plastic Products

2. Toiletries/Personal Care Items 

3. Sodas

4. Cleaning Products

5. Cereal

For this writing, we are not talking about generics or store brands, although these are often a better buy from a regular price standpoint. Today we are focusing on name brand products from the major area grocery stores.

Every week the competing grocery stores put out new sale ads, usually on Wednesdays. Nearly every Sunday there are one or more coupon inserts in the newspaper.  If you take a few minutes to look through the grocery sales, and match up coupons to the sale items you can often save 50% or more.

I have found the biggest money savers to be the buy one get one free sales.  In many stores you are not required to purchase two items, and each one will ring up individually.  At this point the item is already 50% off.  Add a coupon and your discount increases.  If your store will allow it, you can use two coupons on a BOGOF item.  If not, then just purchase them in two separate transactions to get the greatest savings.

Some stores go a step further and double or triple coupons up to a set amount.  They usually have a per-day limit of around 20 coupons.  Of the stores I write about, Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods double coupons every day, and Harris Teeter occasionally has triple coupon or super double coupon weeks.  Food Lion does not double coupons at any time.

Quite often items such as paper goods and cleaning products are BOGOF or maybe 2/$5.  For example, if the regular price for a bottle of kitchen cleaner is $3.29, a 2/$5 sale makes it $2.50 or 79¢ cheaper.  That same item on a BOGOF sale would be $1.64.  Use a $1 off coupon and you get it for just 64¢.  This is the effective way to use your coupons.  The $1 coupon used at the regular price would still make your item $2.29.  You see the difference.

This same concept applies to nearly everything, and coupons are readily available on most items.  One key to making the most of sales and coupons is your ability or willingness to switch brands depending on the deal available.  Brand loyalty goes right out the window here.

However, if you're like me and have favorite brands on certain products, cereal for example, then you clip the coupons and wait for the sale. Our faves are Frosted Mini Wheats (his) and Raisin Bran Extra (hers).  There are often coupons for these, sometimes as much as $1.50 off 2 boxes.  I've gotten Mini Wheats for as little as 50¢ a box.  In this instance, I combined a BOGOF sale with two coupons which were doubled.  I will tell you that great finds like that do not come along every week.  This is where your ability to stock up will take you further down the road of savings. 

If you drink soda, you know that coupons for them are rare.  The price of all brand-name soft drinks has been steadily increasing.  They are now around $6 per 12-pack in the grocery stores.  Most stores have one brand on sale each week, but we are seeing the good sales less often.  Common sale prices range from 3/$9, which is about half price, to 3/$12.  A good price is 4/$10 or $2.50 each, and anything less than $2.50 is a real deal.  So don't be fooled by the BOGOF sales on sodas, pay attention to the regular shelf price, and you'll know when you're getting a good deal.

A little disclaimer:  I like to use the term BOGOF instead of BOGO.  To me this emphasizes that one item is free as opposed to sales such as "Buy one get one for half off" which are also referred to as BOGO.

New Restaurants.com 80% Off Promotion

Restaurants.com has a new promotion going on now through March 16.  All gift certificates are 80% off.  Just use the promo code BITE when you check out, and your discount will be applied.  You can get $25 gift certificates for just $2.  What a deal!

I have used these several times now, and they're a great way to save!

Expired

Pickin' up Sticks

Like I've mentioned a time or two, we've had a long, cold, wet winter, and I've spent most of my time inside.  Mother Nature, however, has been busy, and my yard was littered with branches from all the windy days.  After going for a nice walk yesterday, and doing my Zumba class today, I felt energized...no that's not quite true for I have muscles which have lain dormant lo these many months and are now feeling the strain of yesterday's uphill climb.  Anyway, if not energized, I was at least motivated by the warm weather to get out and finally do something about the mess that is my front yard.

I have big trash barrels I use to collect my sticks.  I tote these around the yard and then dump them in my yard waste cart the city collects every week.  I donned my sunglasses and work gloves and trotted on out to get started.  I grabbed a barrel, and as I pulled it back I saw possibly the biggest bunny ever spotted in our yard, a very dead bunny at that.  This is what we would call a mega bunny.  Yes, we have size descriptors for the rabbits around here.  The big ones are mega bunnies, the normal size adults are just bunnies, the half-grown offspring are mini bunnies and the babies are micro bunnies.  It's not often that I put our weirdness out for public display, but there you have it.

Back to my situation at hand.  I grabbed a shovel and scooped up the deceased and after having him (or her) fall off I scooped him up again (we'll just assume it's a him) and toted him, carefully perched on the shovel, around the house, down the driveway and deposited him in the woods on a bed of ivy to return to nature.  I hate to find dead critters in the yard.  There was this turkey vulture...but that's another story.

After caring for the dearly departed, I got on with trudging around the yard with my barrel, picking up stick after stick, feeling every step.  I piled all the big branches at the street, and put out my cart.  It was a beautiful day and great to be outdoors even with the pain in my shins.

This is a winter's worth of branches, and just from the front yard.

This Camillia is on the south side of the house right by my kitchen window.  It is huge and in desparate need of pruning. It usually blooms in mid to late February, but had a couple of blooms around Christmas.

Like Spice - Dirty Rice!

Looking for something spicy?  This makes a great entree, just add a veggie and bread.  I guess you can use serve it as a side dish as well, just remember it already has sausage in it.  I got this recipe from Christy Jordan from Southern Plate.  Many of her recipes have been in her family for generations.

I made this very nearly like it was written.  I didn't have celery, and didn't worry about it.  It was just fine without it.  This was tasty and an easy recipe to put together.
 
Dirty Rice

4-5 Cups cooked rice

1 pound uncooked sausage (or ground beef)

*1 -3 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s)

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 Bell Pepper, chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped or minced garlic

4 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (or 2 Tablespoons dried)

In large skillet over medium heat, place celery, bell pepper, garlic, onion, parsley, and sausage. Break up sausage and cook all, stirring regularly, until sausage is fully cooked and vegetables are tender. Add Creole seasoning, stir. Stir in rice and continue cooking over medium heat until rice is heated through, stirring well the whole time.

*For the Creole seasoning: Start on the low end and add more after the rice has been stirred in if you like more seasoning. This adds the spiciness so you want to do it to your personal taste. 

I omitted the celery, used Jimmy Dean hot sausage, and my own Creole seasoning made from Emeril's recipe.  I made a half-batch using 1/2 lb. sausage and 3 cups rice.  I used 1 1/2 TB of Creole seasoning, which may have been aggressive considering it is the equivalent of Christy's max.  There was additional heat from the sausage that I didn't take into consideration.  We do like spicy stuff, but this was on the hot side for us.

I served this with roasted asparagus, garlic bread and a wonderful Brancott Pinot Grigio from New Zealand ($6.97 at Costco).  This wine had the right balance of fruit and acidity.  The fruitiness paired well with the spiciness of the dish.

The link above will take you directly to this recipe, plus the accompanying story.  She has great stories.

First Walk of Spring

Well, technically it's not spring yet.  Not for another 12 days, but it's sunny and warmer than it has been in quite a while.  We actually hit 65 degrees today, folks.  Not a record by any stretch of the imagination.  By this time of year we've usually had a day or two that pushes the 80-degree mark.  Sometimes it pushes right past like birds returning from their winter retreat.

Today wasn't like that, but pleasant just the same.  The birds were singing, lots of birds, all different kinds, everywhere.  It was like a feathered chorus celebrating the birth of a new season.  I noticed as I walked the smell of Spring was in the air.  Funny, though there are no visible signs.  There are no daffodils or tree blossoms, no forsythia which is usually at least peeking out, if not in full bloom.  The maples aren't even showing any color.  I'd say we are definitely behind in getting our Spring on.  Or maybe it just seems so since we've had such a long and consistently cold winter.  I can't remember one like this in at least a decade.

The first crocus!                         

As I walked, I was alone with my thoughts.  I was thinking how nice it was to get out again, that maybe I can walk away a few pounds, and at the same time planning my dinner and taking mental notes for his post.  

I could see that some things have changed, and folks are finally getting out in their yards again.  Someone had cut down a bunch of bamboo, and it was piled out by the street to be hauled away.  Bamboo is an interesting tree (actually from the grass family).  It grows and spreads wickedly fast to form dense forests you can't begin to see through.  When the wind blows through the bamboo it is like an eerily strange instrument playing in the distance.

The next casualty was the passing of a grand old weeping willow.  It's now no more than a stump and branches cast aside awaiting pickup by the branch guy, much like the bamboo.  Sad.  That tree held court on the corner for many years, greeting all passers by with a gentle wave of her drooping limbs.

Still, Spring is in the air, and we are all ready to welcome her with open arms.

Quote of the Week

I remember, I remember

The house where I was born,

The little window where the sun

Came peeping in at morn;

He never came a wink to soon

Nor brought too long a day;

But now, I often wish the night 

Had borne my breath away.

- Thomas Hood

Our quote this week is the first verse of one of my Mother's favorite poems.  I copied this from "The Golden Treasury of Poetry" that was given to me by Ashley's Grandmother for Christmas, December 25, 1967.

Good News!

I just have to shout this from the roof top.  When we took Rosie in for another blood sugar check, it was an amazing 115.  This is absolutely normal.  Our vet was surprised, amazed, for lack of a better word.  He's cured.  Now really there's no cure for diabetes, but it does reverse itself sometimes in cats.  In his case, I think he was diabetic for a period of time, and we caught onto it at the tail end of its cycle. We (and he)  just got lucky.  I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  Now we can try and get him back onto regular cat food.  No small feat since canned cat food is addictive for him.  Off to get more kibble that he'll actually eat. 

"Mrrroowwoo!  Want more mushy stuff, mama."

Wish us luck!

Gone to the Cats

More adorable cat pictures.  I'm shameless!

 Wanna bath?  Who me?

  My boy Rosie and his buddy Dood

 Ah, it's just my size

Mama's Boy

Last Saturday, we took our cat, Rosie, back to the vet to have his sugar level rechecked (this was part one of the birthday day). Thankfully it was much lower than before, about 260 points lower, but that doesn't mean his condition has reversed or that he won't require shots.  We are simply getting some data to proceed with. 

Next up was a trip to the Bo (BoJangles for the uninitiated) for some lunch.  It would have been breakfast except for the cat thing.  We stopped by the car dealer for a stroll around the lot in the wind.  The lot is on a hill and the wind cuts across it like a knife through butter.  Nada.  

On to Wal-Mart for more Fancy Feast for the fussy feline, and a diabetes testing kit and strips.  I guess it's official now.  Face the facts, you're little boy's diabetic, at least for now. In treating diabetic cats, the key is  partly in what you feed them.  The lower the sugar and carbs and higher the fiber the better.  Certain varieties of Fancy Feast canned food were recommended by our vet and also by some on-line sources.  This has had an unfortunate result.  Rosie wasn't crazy about the new "diet kibble" we got.  You know, that high dollar prescription stuff that you can only get from your vet.   Well, when you combined his obvious distaste for that with the yummy new "treat" food, you get one fabulously fussy feline.  All three cats are used to free feeding, which, in fact, is good for the diabetic cat as it helps keep their sugar level on an even keel.  However, free feeders graze throughout the day versus eating regular meals, and canned cat food does not lend itself to this method.  Now Rosie wants the "good stuff" whenever he gets the urge to graze.  What to do?  That's one of the questions we're trying to figure out.  

The other problem is using the glucometer to do the blood sugar test on his poor little ear.  I suspect that it hurts me more than it does him.  Our first attempt drew nothing to test with, and only served to traumatize him.  He was beginning to tremble like when he goes to the vet.  After all, he'd just had this done the day before.  

This is new to all of us, and we're just muddling through the best we can.  Our vet recommended we get a glucometer especially for cats for, oh, around $175.  I  did a little on-line research and discovered nearly everyone uses regular "human" glucometers.  We took advice from someone who has worked with diabetic cats both personally and professionally, as well as humans, and got a $12 one from Wal-Mart.  I expect that will be just fine, especially if we actually get a sample to work with.

Anyone have experience with diabetic cats?

Reusable Shopping Bags

Do you use reusuable shopping bags?  They're everywhere these days.  It's the green way to shop, and many stores offer them for sale, sometimes free or discounted with your purchase.  Some stores even offer cents off your bill or a credit for using them.  This is all good, and I use them too.  My one complaint is that when the cashier or bagger puts as much as will possibly fit in the bag.  If you have a lot of heavy items, this can make the bag too heavy to carry comfortably.  

To all the baggers out there, please ask us before filling it to the brim, and offer plastic or paper bags for the excess if we don't have more reusuables.

Happy Birthday Part 2

 
Yes, there is more.  I am fortunate to have some very wonderful friends, and they invited us to join them for dinner last night.  Kevin worked his kitchen magic again and turned out a Spanish tortilla.  Now this is a simple dish with few ingredients but it's authenticity will simply transport you.  It was accompanied in the Spanish tradition with fresh, unadorned bread, and we had a Spanish-style Tempranillo along side to round out the experience.
  

The short story behind all the Spanish dishes is that Kevin's parents were missionaries, and they lived for a while in Spain.  They brought back with them flavor of Spain in these recipes.  Unfortunately I missed most of the preparation of this dish because I was in the other room catching up with Ashley.  Kevin's mom, Pauline, joined us for dinner, too.  It was a delightful evening as always, and topped off with Kevin's chocolate cake with praline icing.  Absolutely delicious and better than many restaurant desserts.

Quote of the Week

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not. 

- Author Unknown

You have everything inside you that you need to succeed.  You only fail when you don't look deep enough.

Dinner for Two, and Other Related Events

Yesterday was no ordinary day.  It was another cold, windy day in the sunny South.  What made it different from any other day?  It was my birthday, a milestone birthday no less.  Let the celebration begin.  

The first birthday-related event was a trip to the New Balance store at Thruway.  I had clipped a coupon (ah, here we go again with the coupons) from Friday's paper for 20% off any one item.  Wow, just in time for my birthday.  I can't pass that up, so we make a surgical strike for the shoes.  I walk in and the guy asked how he could help me.  "I'd like a pair of 855s in size 7 1/2 please."  I tried them on and they fit perfectly, no waffling or struggling with a decision.  I'll take 'em.  That doesn't happen every day!

The main event was dinner at Century Kitchen.  For anyone not familiar with the place, Century Kitchen is located at Flint Hill Vineyards in East Bend.  It's out in the country, off the beaten path, and we usually make a wrong turn or miss a turn somewhere along the way.  In our defense, it's usually dark when we start out, and this place is way out there.

The effort in getting there is worth it, however, and we arrived right on time for our 6:00 reservation - no mistakes.   We were immediately seated at a table for two by a floor-to-ceiling window which was original to the house.  Pause to explain that the restaurant is in the old family homestead, and though it has been restored, much of it is original, and therefore drafty.  I asked if there was another table available, but it was Saturday night, and they were booked.  Our waitress, (or do they prefer to be called servers these days?) adjusted our table so that it was at an angle to the window, which moved us somewhat away from the cold air emanating from outside.

Whew, now I could concentrate on the task at hand...food.  We settled on Duck Confit over Braised Red Cabbage with Chambourcin Beurre Rouge as our appetizer and two glasses of Viognier .  Delicious!  Yes, the duck and the wine.  For my entree, I chose one of the specials of the night, seared Mahi with diced potatoes and thinly sliced Brussels sprouts in a white cream sauce.  Hubby got the Pan Seared Jumbo Shrimp and Sea Scallops Crawfish Gumbo and Rice Pilaf.  Both dishes were excellently prepared.  The chef does not over salt, and shakers are on the tables if you want more.  My fish was mildly seasoned and very good.  The shrimp and scallops were delicious.  The sauce bordered on Étouffée-style, which we don't usually  like so much, but this was good, and spicy but not fiery.  

We were full as usual, so we ordered some dessert to go.  It was called a chocolate torte, and described as a flourless chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache.  It was a round chocolate cake about 3/4 inch high, covered in ganache and garnished with fresh strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.  It was fine, but next time I'd try something different.

On a wine note, since they've been open I've had the opportunity to try all of their wines several times.  For such a young vineyard (open since October of 2005), their wines are among my favorite North Carolina wines.  My personal favorites are their Viognier, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  You can read more about their other varieties, as well as the restaurant, on their website.

The house is lovely and the setting is picturesque with an old-timey charm.  The food, wine and service are excellent, and reservations are recommended.  If you'd rather not have a chill with your dinner, you can request to be seated away from the windows.  This is another special occasion place that definitely gets a thumbs up rating from me.

You're The One!

Aren't they just the cutest couple?

Otters Holding Hands
Courtesy of MckLinky Stuff - FREE!


Courtesy of MckLinky Stuff - FREE!

Fumble in the Freezer

This tale goes back to a couple of weeks or so before Thanksgiving. It had been a busy day, and I was at Wal-Mart late in the afternoon, trying to get home before dark and start dinner.  Knowing that Wal-Mart doesn't usually have the style of hash browns I like (shredded, not diced), I just had to look anyway.  The hash browns were on the top shelf of the freezer.  Because they were over my head, I had to stretch to reach a package, yup they're the diced ones.

Oops, it's falling...gotta catch it.  Almost got it...nope there it goes again.  Smack...hit my hand, glanced off and hit the floor.  I tossed the offending item back into the freezer, and holding my injured hand, made my way around to collect the rest of the stuff on my list.  The pain was growing, and the bruise was starting to form by the time I reached the checkout.   See my nasty not-so-little bruise.  This picture was taken a week after it happened, and it took several more weeks for it to completely heal.  

 

The burning question is how did a little ol' package of hash browns cause this much damage?  I'm glad you asked, and I'm here to tell you.  It was two pounds of solidly frozen taters.  That's right, coming at me like a brick.  Owwww!  Felt like a brick, too.  Apparently, they had been allowed to thaw before being put in the freezer.  That was bad for the food and worse for me.  Unfortunately, you find refrozen food a lot, and not just at Wal-Mart either.

What's Your Temperature?

No need for a doctor!  We're talking about wine here.  Most particularly, red wine.  Now I expect that most of you serve and drink all your red wines at room temperature.  But what is room temperature in relation to wine?  Most of us are comfortable at around 72°.  Some want it warmer and some cooler, but for discussion's sake we'll consider 72° room temperature.  While this is fine for us, our wines suffer, and we don't get the full pleasure from them.

As wine enthusiasts, we know that the ideal cellar temperature for any wine is 55°.  We also know that not everyone one has a climate controlled cellar.  My basement is pretty close to that this winter at 60°.  In the summer that will rise to the low 70s.  That is still better than my kitchen, which has a day time range of 72°-77° depending on the season.  Now would I want to drink wine between 72°-77° degrees?  Would you?  OK, we're agreed, that's too warm, but still people insist that you never chill red wine.   Maybe we should say instead that we are correcting its temperature.

The proper serving temperature varies by varietal.  I've looked over a number of charts outlining  the proper temperature for specific wines (both red and white), and while they can vary by a degree or two, they are all within the same basic range.  This chart is a good example of temperatures for a large variety of styles, and what I used as my reference.

Light reds such as Beaujolais Nouveau can be served as cool as 48°, while fuller bodied reds are served between 58° and 64°.  This is significantly different than a 72-degree room.  Although our focus is on reds, white wines have their own issues.  Sparklers are at the lower end of the range for whites at 39° to the mid 40°s, but a full bodied chardonnay can be served between 50° and 54°.

More good reading can be found here and here.

The whole outdated idea behind "room temperature" assumed that rooms were much cooler, or, in the case of European castles, in the low 60°s, the optimum temperature for most reds.

This is a sore spot with me, and therefore I wanted to have my say on the subject.  Pretty much the only time we ever get red wines at the correct temperature is at home.  Not even at restaurants, where you would think they'd be knowledgeable and care about the pleasure factor for the customer.  Even Ombu, where I had half expected or at least hoped for a different answer, had all their reds at room temperature. The Chef there is unhappy about this and trying to come up with a solution.  Sadly, I don't expect other places to make the effort.

This is what I want to know, is temperature important to you?  I welcome discussion on the subject.

Food Bank in Need

Let's please remember those folks less fortunate than ourselves.  There are more and more people depending on charitable organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.

There are many area drop-off sites including these new Goodwill locations:

3921 Battleground Ave., Greensboro
1421-C E. Cone Blvd., Greensboro
1235 S. Eugene St., Greensboro
3739-A High Point Road, Greensboro
1145 E. Lexington Ave. (College Village), High Point
5301 Samet Drive (Wendover Shopping Center), High Point
303 E. Arbor Lane, Eden
610 Rockingham Square, Madison
1551 Freeway Drive, Reidsville
2635 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Clemmons
815 North Main St. (Kerners Village), Kernersville
2760 Peters Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem
3510 Polo Road, Winston-Salem
2701 University Parkway, Winston-Salem
2129 N. Church St., Burlington
2320 Maple Ave., Burlington
598 Deerfield Trace, Mebane
10102-G S. Main St., Archdale
1064 E. Dixie Drive (Highway 64), Asheboro
101 Pointe South Drive, Randleman
251 Lowes Blvd., Lexington
2246 N.C. Hwy 86 N., Yanceyville
960 Blowing Rock Blvd. NE, Lenoir
Mocksville (opens 2010)

Anything you can give will make a difference in someone's life.  Here is a link to their list of needs.

Restaurants.com 80% off Promotion

If you like dining out, then restaurants.com is for you.  You can save big with their latest promotion.  You can now get gift certificates for 80% off.  This means you can get a $25 certificate (regularly priced at $10) for just $2. 

To get started, go to their website and put in your zip code to see a list of restaurants in your area, or anywhere you'll be dining.  When you've made your selections, remember to use the code savor when you check out to get your 80% discount.

I've used these, and they do work but if you're unsure, call the restaurant ahead of time to verify their policy.

Expired

Quote of the Week

You don't want to get to the end of life's journey and discover you never left the interstate.

- Robert Brault

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  On the highway of life, that's not always the best route.  Life is short, so make the most of all the twists and turns.

Just Another Day

Just me here, pondering on the day.  I haven't accomplished much today.  We started the day with our usual homemade waffles.  Yeah, the kind made in a waffle maker, not popped into the toaster.  This has been a Sunday morning ritual for quite a while.  Backing up a bit, the day actually started with me feeding Rosie some of his mush food (canned cat food - this time it was beef), and I crawled back into bed for a few minutes.  We got up to the sound of throwing up - on the bathroom carpet.  That would be Rosie - I guess the beef didn't set too well.  This was the first time since implementing the new food that he has "lost his cookies" so maybe it was that one can/flavor.

After breakfast we made a trip to Wal-mart for shoe laces, milk, eggs, cheese and, of all things, transmission fluid.  Now we've got to keep that truck running as it's my sole source of transportation these days.  No luck in the car search this weekend.  Anyway, we got the truck back on track at least for now.  We'll get our mechanic to check it out and hopefully find out what's causing the leak.  Just one more thing on the ever-increasing heap of "stuff to do".

I did talk with my friend Ashley for a while.  She (and the kids) are doing better after a round of strep throat tore through their household.  Kevin was the only one who escaped the attack.  
 
As for the rest of the day, I have just been hanging out spending time on the computer, checking out my regular haunts plus a few new, interesting reads.  The weather has warmed up this weekend, but I stayed in just kind of bummed about Rosie and his health issues.  We need to take him back to the vet soon for a re-check on his sugar level.  We're pretty sure he's become diabetic since he's drinking a lot more water and his sugar level was 485 last time.  We're hoping a change in diet with reward us with a reversal of his condition.  It does happen sometimes.  He had a different variety this afternoon and all seemed fine, and I didn't find any more "decorations" on the floor.

I wound up with a sinus headache late this afternoon.  Aren't those miserable?  Dinner time rolls around and I opened the fridge, pulled out eggs, English muffins, butter (Smart Balance) and some leftover sausage patties.  That was my dinner.  Yum!  No, not really, but it was food. So the day wasn't all that exciting, but it was indeed a day, each is unique in it's own way, and beats the heck out of the alternative wouldn't you say?

So, how was your day?

Wine, Food & Friends

If any of you remember my post on our Cheers group just after Halloween, I talked about  how we all came together as a group.  Well, last night we resurrected the wine dinners that were previously held at Carolina Winesellers, at the home of the founders of our group.  We gathered at 6:30 for dinner catered by Dine by Design, local caterers who are also treasured members of our group.  We are fortunate to have such talented folks among us.

The food and wine pairings and comments are as follows:

Key West Salad paired with a South African Chenin Blanc (smelled and tasted like a Sauvignon Blanc to me).  No matter what or where the wine was from, it was good.

Grilled pork tenderloin paired with a Chilean Carmenere (Santa Rita).  Absolutely yummy.  Chile makes great wines.

Twice baked potato paired with a California Chardonnay from Sonoma (surprisingly a Kirkland brand from Costco).  Mmmm... Good!

Chicken Saltimbocca paired with a Chianti (Pietro, I think).  Nice choice, went well with the chicken and earthiness of the mushrooms.

Turtle brownie for dessert.  A pie-shaped portion of chocolate yumminess paired with a Rosé from somewhere.  Sorry by that time....well you understand.  I didn't take notes on the wines so it is from memory and subject to errors.

The evening was full of fun, friendship and great conversations on topics ranging from wine and food (of course) to golf, travel, shopping, and restaurants, and that was just at our table.  We have been getting together like this for several years now, and the good times just keep getting better and better. It is truly a wonderful group of people, all friends with a common interest in good food, good wine and good times shared with each other.

Many thanks for the delicious food and the expert wine pairings.  Salute!

Dinner at Ombu

It's not fair to review a restaurant after only one visit, so this is not a review.  Besides, I'm not a restaurant critic, although I can be critical.  Tonight I took my husband to Ombu for his birthday.  For anyone not familiar with Ombu, it is located on Hanes Mall Blvd. across from Wal-mart.  It is an attractive brick building with a patio and fireplace.  It is just as elegant inside with both tables and booths.  We were seated next to the kitchen, which wouldn't have been my choice because it was brighter, hotter and noisier.  However, it proved to be entertaining and enlightening to see how the kitchen was run.  I commented to my husband that I doubted it was like this at Applebee's, and he agreed it probably wasn't.

Jen was our server, and she did a very nice job.  She was knowledgeable about the menu, and when I questioned her about the serving temperature of their red wine she admitted that it was not climate controlled, but served at room temperature.  While it was comfortable for humans, it's not so good for the wine.  She said she would like for us to share our thoughts on this with the chef, as he takes customer's comments to heart.  Chef Joseph Monteiro is the Executive Chef as well as a partner in the restaurant.  He came to our table to hear our thoughts and  relate his concerns over not having the proper storage or cooling capacity for the wines.  And Ombu does have an extensive wine list.  His task would be much simpler if it did not.  It is apparently something he thinks about often.  

We placed an order for lobster and gruyere fritters with poblano pepper jelly and chives, and gave the red wine a try.  After all the only place we ever get it at the correct temperature, at least in this town, is at home.  Jen brought us samples of "The Bitch" grenache from Barossa.  It was light in body, similar to that of a pinot noir, but full of flavor like you would expect from Australian wines.  We enjoyed it in spite of the temperature so we each ordered a glass.  I suspect another 8-10 degrees cooler would have made a pleasurable difference, though.

Soon our fritters arrived.  They were crispy, golden mounds of spicy sweetness combined with the gooey cheese, and of course the lobster.  The lobster was not extremely obvious among the other flavors and textures.  They were quite good, but I would have liked a little more heat and a little less sweet in the sauce.

The restaurant didn't appear too busy when we arrived for our 7:00 reservation, but picked up steam as time went on.  The kitchen was slammed, and Chef Joe was keeping everyone in line and things moving.  Shortly we got our orders.  I had the Scottish Salmon with truffle potato au gratin and almond Thai basil butter.  Hubby ordered the divers scallops with smoked tomato grits, pancetta and cilantro hollandaise.  There were four large scallops on individual beds of the grits and pancetta.  They were topped with caviar.  Now this was the first experience of caviar for either of us, and  I've got to say, I didn't  care too much for it.  If asked ahead of time if I thought I would like it, I would have replied, "probably not".  I would have been right.  It was not so much as to upset the dish or the eater, but it's not something we'd want again.  It had the mouthfeel of so many little black seeds popping like tiny bubble wrap.  The salmon and scallops were cooked perfectly, and the portions were generous.  I even remarked that my salmon was large enough to split.  I usually buy enough for 6-oz. portions for each of us.  This must have been about 10 oz.  The only issue with the food was that the scallops were not served on a "hot" plate like my salmon, and were maybe not as hot as they could have been from the get go.  We let them know this for future reference.  

This was a very nice experience, and we saw first-hand a chef who cares about the food and wine he serves, and we saw him in action.  The wait staff were all friendly and competent.  I would give Ombu a thumbs up rating.  We had heard really good things about Ombu from friends, and they were right.

I cannot comment on the dessert.  I declined to even look at the menu since I was so stuffed.  Did I mention the complimentary bread and butter?  Yum!  It was all good.  Would I go back?  Yes!  

Now to make this evening even better, Ombu is one of the area restaurants listed with restaurants.com which sells restaurant gift certificates on-line.  I had purchased a $25 gift certificate during one of their special offers for just $2.  

Bottom line, I recommend this restaurant especially for special occasions.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish my husband 

a GREAT BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Simple Oven Chicken

Tonight's dinner was extremely simple.  Take chicken out of the freezer and go shopping.  Hubby's birthday is tomorrow, and no, I'm not giving away any secrets  here.  Fast forward to the dinner hour, and the chicken is thawed.  Take some French's brand French Fried Onions and crush them up, crack an egg and beat it up.  We're really hard on our food!   Next dip the chicken in the egg and then coat with the onion crumbs.  OK, we've already preheated our oven to 400 degrees, right?  Put the chicken on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness.  I always cut mine in half (like fillets) before freezing, and I flattened them a bit, so I only cooked them about 15 minutes. 

Here is the exact recipe.  I was only cooking for two, so I cut it back.

French's Crispy Onion Chicken
2 cups (4 oz.)  French’s^® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten 

Place French Fried Onions in plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to pie plate or waxed paper.

Dip chicken into egg; then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional crumbs, if desired.

Bake at 400°F for 20 min. until no longer pink in center

We had this with fried potatoes and green beans, along with the mismatched remnants of a bottle of Smoking Loon Merlot from Monday.  Yeah, I know better than that, but that's what was open, and yeah, sometimes I'll open the second bottle to get the right match, but not tonight. 

This simple recipe makes some tasty chicken right out of the oven.