Tag Archives: wine

Sun Wine-Fest: It’s On

This Sunday, I will have the chance to attend what is probably Connecticut’s biggest food-and-drink event of the year – the Sun WineFest at Mohegan Sun Casino! The festivities begin tomorrow (Friday), 1/27/12, at 6pm with the Beam Global Spirits & Wine Bourbon Tasting and end Sunday, 1/29/12, at 9pm with some Bubbles & Bon-Bons.

Tickets are a little pricey (and largely sold-out), at $70 for a one-day pass and $120 for a weekend-pass (a $20 savings). However, a portion of the proceeds are benefiting both The American Diabetes Association and the Channel 3 Kids Camp, the latter of which I’m sure many of my local readers have heard of.

Thanks to dutchpoint.org for the image.

The above-mentioned passes are applicable to what I’m going to be attending (AKA the main event), the Grand Tasting in Mohegan Sun’s Convention Center, featuring over a thousand different brands of wine, beer, and spirits. That’s right, a THOUSAND. Good thing the event is from 12-5pm – I’m going to need to spread this out! And hey, if I have to wait it out to achieve my “drive-home-safe” state, no better place than a casino, right?

There will also be food from tons of different restaurants – gotta have something to soak up my wine, right? The Main Culinary Stage will have celebrity chefs doing demos. I’m not talking the chefs I saw at the CT Wine & Food Fest (though don’t get me wrong, they were amazingly talented). I’m talking the likes of Bobby Flay (who unfortunately isn’t taking the stage on the day I’m going…dammit!) and Todd English, creator of one of the best NYC restaurants I’ve ever been to (he also won’t be there the day I’m going, come on)!

Thanks to foodnetwork.com for the image.

A couple of events will also be taking place during the Grand Tastings that have admission included with the Grand Tasting pass. On Saturday, Ciroc’s Grape Stomp will challenge participants to stomp the most juice possible out of a pile of grapes – sounds messy, and fun! The winner will get a HUGE prize: $1,500, an overnight stay at Mohegan, dinner for two at Todd English’s restaurant there, and free pedicures (someone’s wife will be mighty happy if he wins).

Thanks to missmalini.com for the image.

I have to be honest, even if I was going on Saturday, I don’t think I’d participate in that one. A bit too messy for me and my legs haven’t reached their strongest grape-stomping status possible yet. Someday – I guess that’s what squats are for!

Thanks to olafitness.wordpress.com for the image.

The complimentary event taking place on Sunday, when I’ll be at the WineFest, is another event that I’ll be watching instead of doing: The Bud Light Lime 8th Annual Oyster Open. I am vastly uncoordinated, so an event to determine who can shuck the most oysters is probably one that would render me useless. Props to whoever wins though, because he or she will take home $5,000! Chef Jasper White (I met him last weekend) will be at this event, so I am definitely going to be there.

Thanks to delish.com for the image.

As I mentioned before, the Beam Global Spirits & Wine Bourbon Tasting will start things off on Friday in the Leffingwells Martini Lounge (class, class, class, see pic below, and I was there last Saturday!), home of the largest indoor planetarium dome in the entire world. My town’s very own Plan B will be there mixing up inspired cocktails or serving bourbons on the rocks. Trust me, I’ve had their bourbon, and it is AMAZING. Fig-and-vanilla-infused on the rocks, anyone? After sampling drinks, guests can head upstairs and smoke gourmet Avo cigars while listening to jazz music. I LOVE the old-timey feel of this event, despite the fact that it includes smoking (skip it and have more bourbon! ;-)).

Thanks to xerlia of flickr.com for the image.

Something I would have LOVED to attend, if only I were loaded (and if it weren’t sold out), is the Moet & Chandon Celebrity Chef Dine-Around. It’ll be exactly what it sounds like – celebrity chefs (Bobby Flay and Todd English, pictured below, back again!) doing live-demos at cooking stations as guests walk around, sample their creations, and pair them with a wine or beer. $175 is indeed a fair amount of money, especially nowadays. But for the foodie who would cherish the chance to talk with some of the most famous chefs around, I’m sure it’ll be well worth every penny. And seriously…look at all that food.

Thanks to esquire.com for the image.

For $200, the real wine-os can experience the Elite Cru Tasting of some of the highest-quality vintage wines available on the market today, at the Mohegan Sun Cabaret Theatre. The wines will be paired with oysters, shrimp, and specialty cheeses. The participants also get to take home a $50 igourmet.com gift certificate, and the regular Grand Tasting is included with admission too. So I guess you could say you’re only spending about $80 more to be part of this extra tasting!

For those who like to pair more education with their libation, the igourmet.com Seminar Series is a great chance to increase your food-and-drink smarts. Seminars range from $50-$65 each, and take place on both Saturday and Sunday. Which ones would I like to try? How about From Angus to Pinot or Things You Never Knew About Bourbon? Where is my unlimited money tree?

Thanks to peacelovewings.com for the image.

If beer and/or hard liquor isn’t your thing, or if you have plans during the day on Sunday (errands, anyone?), no problem. Perrier-Jouet’s Bubbles & Bon-Bons from 6-9pm will pair champagne with desserts for those wanting to cap off (or start) their evening with, well, bubbles and bon-bons. Attendees will even get to mingle with three amazingly talented chefs, including a Food Network host and Mohegan’s executive pastry chef herself, and talk to them about their amazing creations – as they eat them! I love it when I have the chance to directly compliment a chef on his or her work – it’s a fantastic opportunity.

Thanks to joyofjello.com for the image.

Holy moly – there’s certainly a lot to be seen, smelled, and tasted this coming weekend at Mohegan Sun! I can’t believe I have to wait until Sunday to join in the fun, but I think somehow I’ll survive (got a lot lined up this weekend as per usual ;-)) It’s been a few years since I first heard about the Sun WineFest, and have wanted to attend ever since, so it’s a bit of a dream-come-true for me! I’ll be tweeting during the event with plenty of photos, and I’ll be writing a recap  post afterward for sure! It’s gonna be a big one!

Which of the “sub-events” I mentioned at the Sun WineFest would you most want to attend?

EDIT: You can read about my experience eating, drinking, and event-watching at the Fest on my recap posts!

Carrabba’s Italian Grill – West Palm Beach

So continues my Floridian December Vacation recap!

I’ve proclaimed my love for Carrabba’s Italian Grill before, but something I hadn’t gotten a chance to partake in until recently is Wine Wednesday, in which all bottles of wine are $10 off and sangria is just $5 a glass! Everyone knows I’m a sucker for a deal (they call me Coupon Caitlin), so I was pleased to hear that our usual Carrabba’s trip during our recent family vacation to Florida in December had been planned for a Wednesday night.

My mom, dad, and I decided to share a bottle of red, and I got to choose! I selected an Argentinian Syrah from Trapiche. It was excellent! I had a couple of glasses throughout the meal.

Usually Carrabba’s has really good specials, but none of these struck me. Fine though – their grilled chicken dishes are some of the best I’ve had in any restaurant (usually chicken is so blah to me, but they do it right), so I went with an old standard, the small Chicken Bryan, which is grilled chicken topped with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. I got a side of broccoli too.

I was a bit disappointed with my portion. I’ve ordered the small chicken before, and I swear it got smaller. It still tasted delicious. Carrabba’s has a broccoli side that is always perfect too.

My meal also came with a tasty house salad. Everyone at the table gave me their olives – score!

Carrabba’s also has some of the best bread ever! My brother is especially a fan. In fact, he only ordered a Caesar salad for dinner because he ate 11 slices of bread with olive oil. I managed to capture this epic sequence of events:

Step 1: The loving gaze.

Step 2: The dip.

Step 3: The devour.

Though there was not quite enough of my meal, I did supplement when I got home with some Publix birthday cake – no worries. 😉

Have you ever been to a Carrabba’s? In your opinion, what restaurant has the best bread?

Christmas Eve…Two Weeks Later?

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I’m very aware that Christmas Eve was two weeks ago. I’m also very aware that the dinner I ate that day was awesome and too great not to share. So without further ado, I give you Christmas Eve dinner.

Christmas Eve was a whirlwind of a day. After we were done being famous and eating breakfast in NYC, my dad, sister, and I got right in the car and headed back to CT. What was the reason behind our hurry to get back? Another beloved holiday tradition of course – our family friends, the Peredas, host a Christmas Eve pig roast dinner each year! Since they had an early flight out to Florida the next morning, the gathering was pushed to an earlier time than usual, and became more of a mid-afternoon “linner”.

The Peredas are Cuban, and love to serve an entire roasted pig (that they cook on their back deck), rice, and beans, along with traditional salads, appetizers, and desserts that guests bring.

Broc casserole, corn casserole, and cheesy potatoes.

Joe and I arrived a bit late due to our wine-tasting stop, so some appetizers had been almost entirely cleaned out, but there was certainly no shortage of delicious food.

Mmm veggie madness!

Joe, AKA typical boy who doesn’t seem to care about or ever want food, wasn’t very hungry. I was though! I don’t like ham much, but the Peredas’ party is the only time I ever eat it, because this freshly-roasted pig is just SO good! The black beans, which they usually bring in from Pollo Tropical, were homemade this year because the nearest location closed. And they were actually the best they’ve ever been, so way to go Mrs. Pereda!

Joe's plate…lame.

My plate (and wine)…awesome.

And of course, more red wine was had! How could I not when I had so many delicious foods that paired well with it, like kalamatas?

I chatted with the Gerbers, who I’d just seen a couple days before at the Andersons’ get-together, and a bunch of other family friends that I hadn’t had the chance to catch up with in a few months.

Amazingly talented Mollie (she just got into the Mass Institute of Art!) and I.

Got to wear my new Kohl’s skirt from Black Friday! First time pairing a skirt with tights and heels, and I loved it.

Megan (she's a nutrition student!) and I.

My mom, me, and Mr. Gerber (Mollie and Megan's dad). They match!

Not long after my (late) arrival, dessert came out! So many options, but I had about one sample of each.

Cream cheese and almond stuffed strawberries – surprisingly, I didn’t like these too much! It’s just because the almond flavor was very strong. I can only take so much almond in anything. Everyone else adored them though – Vivian did a great job. Don’t trust me, I’m an almond-avoider!

If you weren't drooling yet, you are now.

She also made these mint chocolate chip cookies, which were perfectly gooey and didn’t skimp at all on the chocolate, just the way I like it. They reminded me of the cookies I got from my wine-twin Meg of Eat, Drink, and Be Sperry in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

Casual Steve stood guard over the other desserts pictured – many holiday cookies, including leftovers from Mrs. Anderson’s goodies!

I didn’t have any of the above creation because it was made with cherries, which are definitely one of my least favorite foods of all time. Too many cough syrup associations…but cherry lovers dove in!

One of our friends, Mr. Andries, happens to have a birthday on Christmas Eve! So the party was also a celebration for him. His daughter, Courtney, picked out the most fabulous red velvet Coldstone Creamery ice cream cake ever, made with cheesecake ice cream – which happens to be my favorite Coldstone flavor!

We all got a bit carried away with the birthday wishes, and followed up Mr. Andries’s birthday song with one for my mom, whose birthday was the day before. And then we expanded to other December birthdays…November birthdays…things started getting out of hand when we began singing to Mariel, whose birthday was back in early October.

Parents are into it.

My mom is loving it.

Nice bunny ears move, Mr. Pereda!

OK…can I have my cake now?!

Now that’s what I’m talking about. Hands down, best ice cream cake I’ve ever had.

The fun wasn’t over yet…I’m not even sure if these came out before or after the birthday singing, but it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that Vivian had another success in the kitchen, and we all certainly benefitted.

I give you – butterscotch liqueur and caramel apple shots!

Now, I don’t like apples. But who couldn’t love these?

Sorry, Joe.

What a festive Christmas Eve! I think this may have been the best Pereda pig roast ever.

Afterwards, my family and I headed home to open presents – our first time doing so on the 24th, since our planes to Florida left early in the morning on Christmas Day. I definitely didn’t like it as much as the whole Christmas morning routine, but I couldn’t really complain because I just wanted to get on that plane to the warmth!

So you guessed it, this means I can finally start recapping my trip to Florida. I may finish writing about things that happened in December 2011 in…I don’t know…March 2012? Sounds about right 😛

Have you ever been to a pig roast or something similar? What’s your favorite place to get ice cream cake?

Vinifera Imports: Italian Wine Tasting

My go-to spot for fantastic wine, Sonoma Wines & Spirits of Glastonbury, held three tastings the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Christmas. Joe and I attended the grand finale on Saturday (Christmas Eve) with Jeff of Vinifera Imports, a provider of wonderful Italian wines. I enjoyed each wine that I tried, but there was a favorite white and a favorite red, as there usually is.

Both whites were poured chilled, which of course really added to their flavors. The Pra Soave was my favorite white. It was nice and light, and so very refreshing. A fun fact – this wine was in “Romeo and Juliet”! I did like the second white, the Sant’ Elena Sauvignon, as well. It’s actually a Sauvignon Blanc, but due to labeling restrictions, cannot be called what it is! It had a fuller body, making it not quite as refreshing as the Pra Soave.

The next wine was the Pelissero Dolcetto d’Alba, a tasty, lighter-bodied red from last year.

I really liked it, and could tell it was a real Italian red, but the next wine completely overshadowed it with its…well…wonder. And at $40/bottle, I would say it should!

The Sapaio Volpolo was an experience in itself. The scent alone gave off the strong aroma of fine oak barrels. The taste was a whole other story – never before have I been able to see the process that a wine goes through, from vine to bottle, just from its flavor. That’s probably the reason why the only word I can think of to describe this pour is “sensational”.

The label is very fitting – this wine was crowned king of the tasting by me, and I’m sure by many others who participated. I’m not sure if the cheapskate in me could ever spend $40 on a bottle of wine, but I do understand that there is definitely a long, extensive process that goes into making those bottles. You may not be able to see it, but you can certainly taste it.

Have you ever spent money on an expensive bottle of wine? Was it worth it?

Last Friday Night

So excited – my FitFluential Ambassador profile page is up on FitFluential.com! Check it out! 😀

OK, so this post is about a Friday night that occurred before what was actually last Friday night, but I could not resist the chance to use the title of the Katy Perry song (which I adored until it hit the radio) since I am writing a post here that is completely about, well, a Friday night. A Friday night that happened several weeks ago, but still.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A&ob=av3e]

I decided after a brief happy hour at a bowling alley with co-workers, in which I had a plastic cup of the grossest Cabernet I’ve ever tasted, to continue my fun evening and skip the gym. I am not one to skip the gym on a day that I have time to go. I know this isn’t typical, but I am still patting myself on the back for making that choice. Too often I feel the need to stick to my workout schedule and never cut myself a break. I completely don’t regret my decision and had a great night – livin’ life!

Avalon Cabernet at J. Gilbert's

No gym meant that for once, I was free to hit up happy hour at my favorite place in CT, J. Gilbert’s, for a glass of wine and some apps. I ended up running into my friends’ mom (who I also consider a friend!) and she was kind enough to buy my wine and let me in on her  Smoked Chicken Quesadilla (pineapple mango salsa, pico de gallo, cilantro lime & roasted red pepper, and sour creams), my favorite app on the happy hour menu. Now this Cabernet was WAY better than any bowling alley Cab – but at the same price, which made it even better.

Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet and a Manhattan.

My next stop was Rooftop 120, by far the classiest place in town (and maybe even the county or state – I haven’t seen it topped yet) to use my Living Social deal. OK, so maybe that part wasn’t as classy, but I made up for that by sticking to the red wine. My third glass of the evening!

Certainly an ample-sized wine glass. Took this photo to show that it’s almost as big as  my head!

My dining partner, Matt, ordered a Rooftop Manhattan. I had a sip, and they definitely were heavy-handed with the alcohol!

The wine really had me craving some bread and cheese, so that’s what we ordered – the Artisanal Cheese Platter complete with crusty bread, truffle honey, raspberries, and local cheeses! Well, the brie was from France, but the Blackledge Bleu (Colchester), Smoked Mozz (New Haven), and Herb Chevre (Lebanon) were all local – awesome!

This was so, so wonderful, but could’ve used more bread. Luckily I’m not shy at restaurants – we asked for more, and got a huge bowl brushed with olive oil in return, hot out of the oven! Not a single scrap of food was left standing. Everything was simply amazing, especially the truffle honey. I loved combining it with the different types of cheeses. It was SO interesting with the mozz because the smoked flavor was very strong in the cheese.

We needed to spend $40 to get full use out of the Living Social deal, meaning it was time for dessert – Mini Indulgences, to be specific! From left to right: chocolate mouse, espresso & Bailey’s mousse, PB mousse, and maple mousse. I honestly can’t pick a favorite. OK, maybe I can – the espresso & Bailey’s. My coffee love just struck me at this moment and inspired me to pick a favorite. But seriously, this was scrumptious.

What a fun Friday! No gym, wine, cheese, and dessert – these are things I don’t often do, and I’m proud of myself for letting some indulgences in and enjoying.

What are your feelings about indulging? Do you feel proud when you break away from your norm, or guilty? Or maybe some combination?

Planned and Spontaneous Wine Tastings

Quick reminder – don’t forget to enter the Shabby Apple necklace giveaway! Ends tomorrow at 11:59PM EST!

I’ve blogged plenty about my favorite local package store, Sonoma Wines & Spirits. But they keep giving me reasons to love them, so I’m gonna continue writing about their fabulous wine selection – no apologies here.

In fact, they are offering tastings both today and tomorrow on location in Glastonbury, so if you are a local reader, be sure to stop by for free wine samples + education!

I attended a free Saturday evening tasting recently, in which I tried the first sparkling wine that I can honestly say I enjoyed! It had already sold out by the time I arrived, but was a nice preview for a possible future purchase. This wine, made by J Vineyards, located in the Russian River Valley in Cali, would be wonderful at a Christmas or New Year’s Eve party.

The next two wines for tasting consisted of a Chardonnay and Cabernet by Norton Ridge, a “winemaker’s project”. Each wine is given the personality of the wine maker, because he or she is the one that chooses the fruit sources that go into it. The Chardonnay was quite good – definitely something I can see myself having a glass or two of. The Cabernet was quite tasty, as usual, but was not stand-out to me like the sparkling wine.

My favorite of the four was also the grand finale – Chionetti Dolcetto di Dogliani Briccolero 2007. I had never had a red like this before, and was beyond impressed. I could really taste the high-quality of this Italian red and really wanted to buy a bottle – but it was a bit out of my price range, at $21.96. Luckily, Elliott the expert recommended something comparable at $15. I can’t wait to crack it open soon!

As if that wasn’t enough wine (wait, you can never have enough wine, so forget that I said that), I stopped into Sonoma the other day to pick up something for a friend and was greeted with a half-glass of Chianti – a spontaneous tasting, thanks to a salesman who had stopped by earlier that day to deliver a complimentary bottle!

The bottle pictured is a 2008, but the wine I sampled was actually from 2007 – double score! This is a nice wine at $35/bottle!

Thanks to Sonoma for continuing to feed my wine fascination!

Maybelline Winners and Hidden Gems

First thing’s first, I’d love to announce the winners of the Bzz Agent Maybelline giveaway! Participation was awesome – I really appreciate everyone stopping by and taking the time to comment and enter!

Congratulations Lindsay of Lindsay’s List, Crystal Tewelow, and Kelsey of The Secret Life of Kelsey! Please email your shipping information to caitplusate@gmail.com!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was a little bit on the slow side, but I refuse to call it boring, because I told myself as soon as I started work that I’d NEVER say I was bored during my free time. Free time is rare and I should always appreciate it!

For today, I’d like to share the happenings from a fun Sunday I had earlier this month!

Have you ever had the experience of finding something wonderful, and kicking yourself for not realizing that it was right in your backyard the entire time? I certainly did a couple of weeks ago, when a well-versed local and friend took me on a mini-tour of a couple hidden gems of South Glastonbury.

After meeting at the always-adorable So G Coffee Roasters, we embarked for a visit to an art gallery showing just a short walk away. An art gallery – in South Glastonbury? I couldn’t believe it, but it was true. Dave Magee was showing his art in his barn, and I was amazed by his talent. I couldn’t believe I had the chance to converse with the artist himself! The theme of the show was elephants with pink tusks, but plenty of other varieties of work were on display too.

A painting of the elephants with pink tusks, and their legend. All work copyright Dave Magee.

What struck me most about the show was how many different styles Dave was able to adopt. The elephants above were almost part of a fantasy world, but the watercolors below were very realistic, though also unique due to his use of color. For example, I love the “seafoam” color he used for the grass in the painting on the left, below. That one was actually my favorite of the day.

All work copyright Dave Magee.

Some pieces were more abstract, like the one pictured below right. But I still love how you can tell what it’s supposed to be (grapes).

All work copyright Dave Magee.

Dave’s wife was amazing to talk to – she has traveled all over the world, and has  a yoga studio in the barn! We talked about India, because I had just finished the amazing Miranda Kennedy memoir “Sideways on a Scooter“. Dave also recommended “Shopgirl” by Steve Martin to me, which I have been obsessing about ever since I read it in two days, starting that very evening.

Food and drink was available to all guests, including some local wine (in the clear bottle and cup) and homemade kahlua (in the blue bottles). The wine was at a different stage than most that you buy in the stores, so it tasted so unique to me. The kahlua was probably one of the best things I’ve ever drank, let’s leave it at that.

I also enjoyed a smooth glass (er,  plastic cup) of that Chianti on the right.

Aren’t the napkins sweet? The brie pictured at center, paired with apricot preserves and crackers, was wonderful. Later, some local bleu cheese made an appearance.

My Chianti is creepin on the left.

We received the VIP treatment, and got a tour of the loft of Dave’s barn, which was full of more hidden gems. Apparently he used to hold parties up there in the 90’s – can we bring those back please?! We can keep the 90’s music.

I was in awe of the loft’s contents. I felt like Ariel in her little trove of treasures untold (“Part of your World” anyone?)

I spy Albert Einstein, and a new-car-style bow.

Corkscrews made out of real grape vines!

The barn's backyard.

The loft from the loft's loft…still with me?

I could’ve stayed up there and explored for awhile, but it was time for the next stop on the tour of South Glastonbury – a hike through Cotton Hollow. I’ve been there before, but in a different part of the park. This hike revealed something unexpected.

How gorgeous is that? The ruins are apparently from an old factory. They look completely out of place in the woods, and that’s what I love about them.

What a relaxing, serene Sunday. I feel inspired to find more hidden spots in my town, especially since I don’t see myself moving out of the house anytime soon 😛

Have you ever been to an art show?

C is for Cookies

WARNING: Today’s post contains more COOKIES! And it should be the last cookie-centric post for a bit, now that my cookie swaps have wrapped up. To balance things out a bit, I’ll talk about some stuff that isn’t cookie-related. I still know how to!

I had a most excellent workout yesterday in the form of a Step class. Non-stop combos, with cardio intervals mixed in. I performed the moves very well and only had to stop for a break a couple of times. I felt so energized, but by the end of the class I was ready for it to be over. I just love those workouts that boost the mood and provide those endorphins that put the benefits beyond just the physical. Such a fun class! I’ve been a bit of a Step monster lately (I went on Friday and Sunday as well) so I probably will not be doing another one of those classes until Saturday so that I can keep my routine fresh. We’ll see though – I try to do what I like.

This past weekend was full of all things excellent. Delicious coffee…

…as well as one of the best Italian red wines I’ve had in awhile, courtesy of the best package store in town, Sonoma Wines & Spirits. I also participated in a tasting of sherry and port, which I wrote about on Facebook yesterday.

Lidia and I headed back to our alma mater and saw Connecticut Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” at Jorgensen. It was an excellent performance (thanks Groupon!) and also made me feel silly, because I didn’t realize that so many orchestra pieces that I know so well are from that ballet!

Gotta get as many holiday pics as possible.

The weekend wrapped up on Sunday night with an excellent dinner of chili topped with leftover coleslaw and black beans. And a festive tiny fork!

And now it’s game time AKA cookie time. I’d like to share the wonderful cookies I was sent by three talented bloogers, through the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.

My first batch was a pleasant surprise because it arrived earlier than expected, and also on a day when I had been particularly ravenous! Faith of The Stirring Place made my day with her Smookies – NOT to be confused with Snooki.

Each s’mores cookie was different than the rest. Some were drizzled with white chocolate, some were dipped in milk chocolate and sprinkles. But each and every single one contained marshmallows and was honestly one of the best cookies I’ve ever had.

You’re drooling, right?

Faith called the cookies a “work in progress” in her note to me. I beg to differ – DON’T CHANGE A THING!

Meg of Eat, Drink, and Be Sperry wins the award for cutest packaging. Snowman wrapping paper, glittery Santa tag, and a green bow – need I say/show more?

She also wins the award for best smelling cookies. As soon as I opened the box, the minty aroma of her Double Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies hit my nostrils and had me ready for dessert.

They retained so much of their softness! Even my picky little brother loved these.

Last, but certainly not least, are Jamie of J-Fit‘s Cookies and Cream Cookies – once again, little brother approved! And more Caitlin-approved packaging – I love cookie tins! My mom practically stuck her nose in the tin, inhaled deeply, and proclaimed, “They smell like ice cream!!”

The card she sent was so cute as well. I love the design! These cookies were amazing – I really lucked out. 3 for 3 with great bloggers and great cookies!

Thank you to the three bloggers who sent me such amazing baking creations!

Which of these three do you think you’d like to try most?

CT Wine and Food Festival

The following post has been a long time coming, but finally I’ve had a chance to write up the recap and share with you all!

A couple Saturday nights ago I had the opportunity to attend a fabulous event at a discounted price! The Arthritis Foundation put on the first ever CT Wine & Food Festival at The Hartford Club. Attendees could choose to attend Grand Tasting Session I in the afternoon, or Session II in the evening (that’s the one my fellow foodie friend Jeff and I went with). The venue itself was very classy, complete with a coat check and grand wooden staircases.

I’ve always wanted to go to an event like this and was so pleasantly surprised to find one in my own backyard – at an affordable price! The Arthritis Foundation did a great job in their first year holding the Festival and I can only hope it becomes an annual tradition.

While waiting for Jeff to meet me, I perused the brochure provided to each guest describing the vendors that were present for the evening and the schedule of chef demos. I started feeling very excited and overwhelmed as I turned page after page and realized I was still reading the list of vendors. I was also excited to see some familiar names!

Drinks

Jeff and I didn’t want to be chaotic in our approach, so we decided to make a circle around each room so we wouldn’t miss anything. I also was hoping to do drinks first, and then food, since I rarely ever want to drink while I’m eating or after the fact. The first stop was at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, a New York winery making sangria out of their sweet Red Cat wines. The recipe was simple: Red Cat wine over ice, with a lime wedge. So delicious and easy!

I also tried a fun little science experiment at their booth. Try putting a few Godiva dark chocolate chips in your mouth, letting them chill there for about 5 seconds, and taking a sip of Hazlitt’s Bramble Berry wine. As the guy at the booth put it, I experienced a “flavor explosion”. Dark chocolate + wine = heaven! The Bramble Berry is the third bottle from the left in the photo below.

The sangria was made with the wine on the right!

I had several other specialty cocktails throughout the evening. Onyx Spirits made a drink of real CT moonshine, apple cider, nutmeg, cinnamon, and whipped cream! It was fall-fabulous. I sipped on it slowly while Jeff tried some beers, and it stayed tasty til the end thanks to the whipped cream dissolving into the beverage. Yum!

Upstairs, Hotel California Tequila made a tequila cocktail that included Godiva chocolate liquer. It was delicious, but I also couldn’t taste any tequila whatsoever. It would have been nice to know what their liquor actually tasted like!

I sipped on the best gin I’ve ever had, Bluecoat American Dry Gin on the rocks. It was unbelievably smooth with no burn whatsoever. Instead of smelling like grass, like most gins I’ve tried straight, it smelled and tasted like citrus! I loved the bottles too.

Believe it or not, I actually found a beer that I can say I liked! I can’t see myself being able to stomach a glass of it, but it was an Olde Burnside Brewing Company ale called Stone of Destiny that was nice to sip on! Low carbonation + chocolate and coffee flavors were the selling points that got me to try it – and enjoy!

I’m not a Stella drinker (my parents are), but I took a shot of this very large bottle of it because I have never seen one before – and I used to promote it at liquor stores!

There were so many wines at this event that I didn’t have room/the tolerance to try them all, but I did sip on my fair share!

I tried the Quixote red wine at this particular booth and really liked it, but there were so many wines that they all seemed the same toward the end. I can also partially attribute that sentiment to my buzz, but I do think this was a situation in which I over-tasted on wine!

Buzzed and blurry?

And what goes best with wine (aside from the dark chocolate I already mentioned)? Cheese! That’s right, bring on the…

Food

Caseus of New Haven was sampling two delectable cheeses that Jeff and I paired with red wine from another booth. The bottom cheese of the photo was chopped too finely for my taste (I could barely pick it up with the toothpick) but it was still delicious. I really liked the top cheese in the photo the most though.

We also tried the cheese in combination with some chewy sourdough bread. And speaking of bread, more was munched on in combination with olive oils and balsamic vinegar from O’Live a Little of Evergreen Walk in South Windsor. I’ve heard so much about their store but haven’t had a chance to check it out, so doing so at this event was very convenient.

Jeff and I were given several shots – of the olive oil and balsamic variety! I was done with the alcohol shots at that point. The center balsamic vinegar in the above photo is a fig balsamic, and the one on the right was filled with flavorful herbs and was our favorite. Like I said before, there was also bread for dipping. O’Live a Little was also selling quaint gift baskets and jarred olive varieties!

Hard to tell, but that’s lasagna!

DaCapo Ristorante Italiano of Avon/Litchfield gave me a HUGE piece of lasagna – the best I’ve ever had! It was so authentic. I love my mom’s whole wheat ground turkey ricotta-less lasagna, don’t get me wrong, but this was the real stuff and it was so good. I can’t believe I drive by this place a couple of times a week whenever I go to the gym near my office, and have never noticed it!

Peppercorn’s Grill of Hartford, which Rachel and I have been meaning to attend for happy hour for a couple of weeks now, provided the above bite-sized gourmet treats. I love little tastes like this! The table provided a nice preview of what I can expect whenever I get to their happy hour. The prosciutto “sushi” was topped with sweet balsamic vinegar, and the lobster tart shells were light, flaky, and had a pleasant crunch. The lobster also tasted beyond fresh, straight out of the ocean. Honestly, it was the freshest lobster I’ve ever tasted!

What, you may wonder, is Matt Damon doing in this post? Well, nothing except not being bid on during the Festival’s silent auction. Jeff and I just thought that this autographed photo was too hilarious and random. It didn’t fit in with the gift baskets and vacation packages being auctioned off at all. Poor, lonely Matt!

Look familiar?

I ran into my buddy Phyllis Haynes and her delicious product, Mariah’s Chow Chow Relish. I was so glad to see her, because last time we met she gave me a jar of her Hot & Spicy flavor, so I had a chance to tell her how much I have been enjoying having it on my baked potato skins! I also tried the next flavor up, Hot Hot Hot, and am happy to report that I have officially graduated to that flavor. The relish’s sweetness balances the hotness out perfectly, so that even someone like me who is sensitive to spicy foods can enjoy! Since Phyllis partners with Food Should Taste Good chips when she samples her relishes, I also finally was able to try their Sweet Potato flavor. However, the relish overpowered the chip and I didn’t get a good sense of how the it tasted. No issues with that – the relish is the star after all – but I hope to try the sweet potato chips again soon on their own!

How to-die-for does this dessert look? The Hartford Club Executive Chef Chris Kube‘s sweet, fall-inspired creations were my favorite part of the entire Wine & Food Fest! Jeff and I enjoyed chatting with Chris about his experiences exploring the restaurants of different cities he’s lived in (DC and NYC), and we pretty much lavished him with compliments as we moaned (in a good way) over his desserts.

The above item was my very, very favorite: pumpkin soup with cranberry and goat cheese biscotti. Pure pumpkin, sweet but subtle cranberries, crunchy biscotti, and savory goat cheese were an absolute match made in heaven. One of the best things I’ve ever eaten!

Demos

Throughout the evening, demos called Grand Tastings were scheduled in which various celebrity chefs whipped up some of their specialties, and then shared the results with some eager taste testers (AKA us). Jeff and I only caught a couple of these demos, but I enjoyed how they ran throughout the night so that whenever we stopped by the Grand Tasting area, there was almost always something happening or about to happen!

Chef Adam Greenberg of Barcelona – West Hartford!

The angled mirror above the demo cooking area provided every guest with a great view. Adam Greenberg of Barcelona in West Hartford whipped up some tasty scallops for us!

And for (another) dessert, Mike Elder (you may know him from TLC’s “Ultimate Cake-Off – he’s won three times!) demo-ed his cake decorating skills by showing us how he created some mice to put on top of his cheese-wedge cake!

Check out the barrel in the above photo – that’s a cake! The detail was so impressive. It’s hard to see, but in the photo, Mike is “spray-painting” one of the little mice he made to put on the other cake (pictured below).

It wouldn’t be a proper post without a photo of me awkwardly posing with food.

Check out the little mice! The cake itself, beyond the decor, was a “Wal-Mart cake” (Mike’s words, not mine). He jokingly kept telling us not to judge the taste of the cake itself for that reason! I am happy to report that Wal-Mart makes a good cake, and however sad it was to see the creation divvied up, I thoroughly enjoyed my slice.

I saved the most blog-related portion of this post for last, because it features something I’ve seen all over the place in the blog world: the Vita-Mix!

A rep in a headset whipped up several recipes for us, and I was definitely impressed by the Vitamix’s power! It’s way out of my price range, and I don’t really blend anything anyway, but I still enjoyed experiencing first-hand some food made in the blender that’s so loved by so many of my favorite bloggers!

Freshly-made peanut butter, with bananas and celery for dipping!

The PB pictured above was fab. I only got one bit of banana though, because I dropped the rest of my portion on the ground – dammit, wine! Celery was a subpar replacement for dipping, but the PB was wonderful enough that it wouldn’t matter what I was dipping into it. We also tried sorbet, a fruit smoothie, and tortilla soup! Out of everything though, my heart lay with the PB – it always wins in the end!

So there you have it: my trip to the first CT Wine & Food Festival was a great success, and I can only hope that it becomes an annual event. It looks like the Arthritis Foundation had a great turnout and raised money for their cause!

Have you ever been to a wine and food tasting? Which item that I wrote about would you most want to try?

Thanksgiving 2011: A Hot Mess

Good morning! I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekends. I know I am. I have been so confused about the days, and nothing is better than that because that means I’m not at work the usual Monday-Friday. I can’t believe the holiday season is now truly upon us – or that it’s going to be 67 degrees today. SO GLAD that winter is holding off (for now).

I feel like I have so much to share. I have a couple events I attended over the last couple of weeks to recap, but first order of business is of course to tell everyone about Thanksgiving. And Black Friday…but that’ll come later.

Caitlin + Cabernet = Hot Pics

I’ve started referring to this Thanksgiving as Black Thursday for the reason that I went a little overboard on wine before…during…and after dinner. Cabernet is DANGEROUSLY addicting! I’ll get the negative out of the way here and admit that I was super hard on myself about having too much wine, acting stupid, and being fuzzy on later parts of the evening. I lost track of my tolerance and felt so embarrassed, and also felt concerned over the alcohol. In these situations I often irrationally worry about how “bad” alcohol is said to be for you, how you “shouldn’t” have more than one drink per day, how “easily” things can become a habit, etc. All of those thoughts are messages that I think invade the minds of many women each day, thanks to how pervasive those topics are in the media, especially this time of year. I love fitness and health magazines, blogs, etc as much as the next girl (here I am writing my own), but I also wish there was more media literacy education out there to help people realize that indulgence isn’t the end of the world, and those articles they may read about all the bad parts of drinking never mention the other side of it – there’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself every now and then. No one is perfect and I tend to beat myself up when situations like this make me see that I am not. I am not blaming the media for this, but I do know that plenty of little blurbs I’ve read in “Shape” and “Women’s Health” were popping up in my head Thursday night as I periodically woke up to chug water.

I certainly didn’t mean for this entry to start with me talking about media literacy and guilt over alcohol, but I find that kind of writing therapeutic. Anyone else have any thoughts they want to share? Now, let’s get to the good stuff, because I did have a great time throughout the evening at our family friends, the Gerbers’s, house.

May have lost my footing, but had a good time doing it.

Another family of friends, the Aubuchons, joined us at the Gerber house. All three of our families moved from Florida to CT thanks to the “men of the house” and their positions at Pratt & Whitney, and we have known each other since all of us kids were babies. It’s great that we have all moved together and can gather at special occasions throughout the years and grow up with each other.

Mr. Aubuchon carves his deep fried turkey!

Greg and Joe also came with my family, and I loved spending the evening hanging out with them. I hadn’t seen Greg in a few months, since I went to visit him in Boston (he goes to BU’s School of Law), and it’s always fun to see Joe.

Joe, focus!

The guys and I were all SO ready for dinner when we arrived, and the suspense before the meal was killing us. Joe even resorted to affectionately petting the fried turkey upon its arrival, and Greg pre-gamed dinner with one of the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that Megan made – turns out she’s a fan of How Sweet It Is too!

Unhand that turkey!

How could you go wrong with one of Jessica’s creations?

Don’t worry, there’s no way that was spoiling dinner.

Cookie model?

Some appetizers were set out for people to enjoy with drinks, including the famous Gerber buffalo chicken dip.

So cheesy. So tasty.

Before dinner, the family gathered around all of the food and said a prayer of thanks. Then we dove into everything buffet style – filled up plates in the kitchen, then brought them to the table.

Mrs. Gerber’s famous stuffing SO GOOD.

Potatoes au gratin

Sweet potatoes topped with candied nuts and crumbs – LIKE DESSERT.

My mom’s zesty horseradish carrots.

My plate! I love tasting plates 🙂

Dinner was sooo good. I had: mashed potatoes, squash, turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish, green beans, sweet potato, and carrots. I didn’t really care for the cranberry relish, so I didn’t end up having more than a couple bites of that. Everything else was gone though. Joe, Greg, and I ended up being the only kids who invaded the “adult table” but we had fun!

Love you Dad!

After dinner, us “kids” went down to the basement, where shenanigans ensued.

Ain’t we lovely?

After getting beat by the bro in the first round of a ping pong tourney.

Pic crazy!

And dessert was had, of course.

Pumpkin pies!

Apple pie and pecan pie!

My dessert plate

I may have had seconds of dessert. To be honest, I am not sure. I am sure that I was asleep by about 8pm though.

Cheesy staircase pose

Thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Thanksgiving, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the blog world ate on this special day!

Have you ever beat yourself up over an indulgence? What was your favorite thing you ate on Thanksgiving (or that Thursday if you don’t celebrate)?

Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

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