Hey all- Happy Friday!!! Wooohoooo! So a little birdie just told me that an experimental piece I did for Napeequa is up on YouTube! I love, love, love Napeequa wines and the folks who produce it~ So go check it out and visit their website, winery and FB page! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_1lAlMBvxE

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=753787191#/pages/Napeequa-Vintners/113639273149?ref=sgm

http://www.napeequa.com/home.htm

Or you can visit the tasting room in person- a great day trip, just outside of Leavenworth, WA.

Have a great weekend!!!! xoox D

A lesson in what NOT to do.....

I had a plan for today- a very good and tasty plan......

I was going to surprise my sweet man with homemade scratch biscuits and gosh-to-goodness gravy for Father's day. He's a terrific father and hubby and he deserves it! (and I'm never home to cook anymore so I hoped that I could make up for that lag in my crazed schedule...)

And it's not like this is my first rodeo with good old country B&G.... seriously... I'm an Idaho, country raised kid... it's genetically built into my DNA to be able to prepare a dish like this- with my eyes closed!
I broke out the flour and my trusty, most favored (and my second copy of this same book because I wore out the first one.....) cookbook. I carefully followed the directions for baking powder biscuits. As I'm putting it together a couple of things are in the back of mind... like- I've never used milk in a pastry batter before.... but, ok. I realize I don't have shortening- but figure butter is just fine- and as I'm cutting in the butter- I'm thinking out loud- that this just seems too dry..... and I'm now guessing that one shouldn't use Kosher salt in baking???? And finally- and this is KEY.... baking powder- really, really.... really- does have a shelf life... and should never, ever, ever, ever- be purchased in bulk- unless you are a very busy bakery.... because you'll NEVER use it in a timely enough fashion.

With that now said and discovered..... I give you the hockey pucks I served my poor hubby.....And in my haste the other day- the tube of the Italian sausage I grabbed.... turned out to be simply ground pork- and I can tell you- that no amount of doctoring.... made it Italian sausage.....

So, my B&G were about the most lack-luster creation I've ever produced. At least his latte rocked! :)

God Bless my sweet man who cleaned his plate and patted me on the butt and said- "thanks for breakfast babe!"

I promise that lunch will be much better- I swear!

In the mean time- call your dad- wish him a day of relaxation- and tell him thank you! :)

xoxo Didi

Quirky Corks

On the rare occasion that there is wine left overs.... wine stoppers..... This modern and handsome brushed stainless model was purchased by Mr. Man along with his fancy hi-tech opener... very masculine.

This silly and colorful stopper says it all- a gift from some of our favorite wino-neighbors (we're a big bunch of wine loving fools in our neighborhood- hence the wine parties several times a year).

And this handsome devil here- the kids and I picked up as a souvenir for daddy when we were on vacation at the ocean without him- it's a sassy piece of hardware- and still very masculine with the stainless and black rubber.