Are you ready for New Years Eve? Champagne and Sparkling Wine 101

Last year, at 6 months pregnant, I had to celebrate New Years Eve with a glass of “sparkling grape juice.” HARDLY the same as a glass of “bubbly.” You better bet this year I will be toasting with a glass of champagne! Below are a few to share. You may also be wondering the difference between Champagne and sparkling wine…so I will elaborate on that too!

Here is the low down to help you sound über knowledgeable and have everyone commending you on your fine bottle of bubbly at your New Years Eve celebrations. In trying to impress a larger crowd…know that champagnes and sparkling wines are classified by how dry they are. The most popular is “brut.” Which also happens to be my favorite.

My favorites…

I am sure these are not the best out there….just the best in my experience. I am including the label pictures to help.

The difference between Champagne and Sparkling Wine

The difference is simple. Champagne is from the Champagne region of France. Any other bottle from the US, Italy, whatever…are all “sparkling wines.” Enough said.

How to best serve

The best temperture to serve is 45 degrees. Easy enough. Place it in the fridge for about 3 hours before serving.

What causes the bubbles in your bubbly?

As part of the fermentation process the winemaker adds yeast and sugar….they combine to create carbon dioxide…which makes the bubbles and a lot of pressure when trapped in a small space!

Enjoy your New Years Eve celebrations! Happy 2013 to all!

Sunshine in a Jar

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pinned beautiful food photos on Pinterest in hopes that my own dish would turn out as photogenic. Hell, half of the time I look at all of those recipes on Pinterest and just wish I could make half of them. Well this time I am happy to report on recipe that worked out! It’s Preserved Lemons from MyBissim. Read More

Hike the Swiss Alps

I was about 12 years old when I saw The Sound of Music for the very first time. There was something so captivating as I watched Julie Andrews stretch her arms out wide, do a little twirl and belt out that famous tune on a mountaintop:

“The hiiillls are a-liiive with the sound of muuuu-siiic …” Read More

Healthy Cooking Adventures

Pretty much all of my life, I would pretend I didn’t know how to cook. My parents and brother would laugh and tease me, but I was the one laughing (secretly, that is). There they were slaving over hot home cooked meals, and my contribution was to compliment the chef. Don’t get me wrong, occasionally I was forced to “try,” but I would purposely forget ingredients or burn things just so no one would bother trying to teach me again. Read More

Sunset Surf Lessons in SoCal

I’m very fortunate that my day job provides me with glimpses into many niche activities. The one I was looking forward to exploring more than any other was surfing. And I was lucky enough to do just that on a business trip to sunny SoCal this summer.

After a day of being quarantined inside a conference room for a series of digital strategy meetings, we broke out of the office and booked it to nearby San Elijo State Beach. After calming my nerves with a quick beer and suiting up with a rash guard, I propped my pink longboard atop my head and made the long descent down the cliff-side stairs to the beach.

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Choose Your Own Adventure: Exploring Europe & the Western U.S.

One of life’s greatest adventures is taking risks. Stepping outside what is normal, and comfortable. Taking a plunge into the unknown. Doing something a little crazy.

So when my work contract in Washington, D.C. approached an end in late May 2012 (I had been living and working there for 8 months)– and my husband’s job as a high school teacher in Orlando, FL was beginning to wrap up for the summer – the perfect little opportunity presented itself: Read More

A visit to the new Fantasyland at Disney World

My family and I live in Orlando so it was pretty much mandatory we check out Disney’s new Fantasyland last weekend during the soft opening. My wonderful uncle had sent along a handful of “after 4 pm” passes for me to use before Dec. 31 so timing was perfect.

Limited on time with our “after 4 pm” passes, we didn’t have the chance to experience every detail of Fantasyland. However, I did play the part of “extremely annoying and inquisitive theme park girl” and had way too many questions for Disney cast members. (I’m sure my face is on a list somewhere.) I’ve also been getting the inside scoop from local Orlando friends. The official Grand Opening was yesterday, December 6th. Read More

A Spectrum of Color for Easter

Okay, so I’ll admit to you all right now: I realize that my “adventures in trying” are turning into my “adventures in trying cupcake recipes.” But my taste-testers aren’t complaining, so I’ll just continue right along this road. And thanks to my shiny new, candy apple red Kitchenaid Artisan mixer – they’ll only get better from here on out.

With Easter is just around the corner, I figured my co-workers deserved a colorful treat. I didn’t test any new recipes – but instead just had a fun experiment in decorating a classic yellow cake with buttercream icing. While they may take you about an hour longer than usual to make, I don’t think you’ll hear any complaints. Read More

Orange Creamsicle Delight

I found this recipe via Pinterest (of course!) on one of my favorite blogs, My Baking Addiction. She calls them Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. But we were all convinced this frosting tasted just like a creamsicle, hence the name change-up. If you like light, moist cakes – this is one of the best I’ve had. Enjoy! Read More

Spiked Cupcakes for St. Patty’s Day

If you’re looking for a crowd pleasing treat for St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, look no further than these adult-friendly Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes. I’ll admit, they took awhile to make, but they were relatively simple considering the number of elements. Thanks goes to Quick Feets, Good Eats for posting this treat on Pinterest (recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen). Enjoy! Read More