Currently Craving: Bubbles

Champagne is one of my favorite drinks! I love the *POP* when you open the bottle, the effervescence in the first pour and that giddy feeling from your first glass! The Holiday's always promise the consumption of bubbly but for me I love to celebrate with sparkling beverages year round! Why not right?

For those who do not have as much...lets say...experience with champagne or sparkling wine, (It's only truly champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne, France!) it can be a bit intimidating. Here is a simple guide for choosing your bubbly:

{image from}

Cava: "The Spanish Champagne" Serve with hors d'oeuvres, particularity cheese and crackers.


Cuvée de Prestige: a proprietary blended wine (usually a Champagne) that is considered to be the top of a producer's range. Serve with Asian cuisine, sushi, etc. 


Rosé: Bubbly with the addition of small amounts of Red wine during blending. Serve with shellfish. 


Prosecco: A dry Italian sparkling wine. Serve with chocolate and strawberries. 

The sweetness of a sparkling wine or Champagne ranges from:

• Extra Brut (Brut Sauvage) - Totally dry
• Brut - Dry
• Extra Dry - Medium dry
• Sec - Slightly sweet
• Demi - Sec: Fairly sweet
• Doux - Sweet
  
  

  

  Illustration by Julia Rothman

  **There is a great post about the Past and Present of Champagne over on Design*Sponge. I saw this illustration by Julia Rothman there and just fell in love with it!**
  
  
  
  
  Another festive way to enjoy your bubbly is a Champagne Cocktail! Here are three of my all time favorites:
  
  

  

  {from here}

  
  
  Black Velvet
  4 parts Champagne or sparkling wine to 1 part Guinness beer... Heavenly!!
  
  
  
  
  
  Cattivo
  (This cocktail comes from one of my favorite water holes in PDX, North 45. I want to incorporate this into my wedding and they were kind enough to send me the recipe!)
  1.0 oz Lemoncello (depending on how sweet the cello you may have to adjust)
  0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
  7.0 oz Prosecco (or bubbles of any sort would probably work)
  Garnish with lemon twist or lemon wheel.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Pink Fizzy
  
  
  (From Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook)
  Handful of Pomegranate seeds
  1.0 oz Pomegranate Juice
  1.0 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice
  2.0 oz Champagne or Sparkling Wine

  
  

  Happy New Year!

  Cheers!
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

Santa-paws Oatmeal Balls

Gary, being the Southern Gentleman that he is, requested we make a Christmas treat for all of his new friends here in Albuquerque. With all of the chaos, known as December, I needed something quick, easy and delicious! I am pretty sure he has won the hearts of several pups with these Doggie Oaties!

What you will need:

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup applesauce

1 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Roll into bite sized balls and bake on parchment lined baking sheets in a 325℉ for 10 minutes.

{I tried to get festive using Holiday cookie cutters--FAIL--Balls work best!}

After the oaties had cooled we packaged them in individual treat bags for easy Secret Santa (paws) delivery!

And, of course, someone had to test the batch before we set out to spread good cheer!



Yes, Mom, I'll take one more!





Recipe from HEAB!

Merry Christmas

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

We were not planning to have a Christmas tree this year. Being in a little apartment, saving money for the wedding, and having a very curious puppy were all good enough reasons. But A was out of town last week for work and I got bored...so I set out with a $20 limit and little inspiration. 

I Love, Love, Love this Holiday photo shoot for Rue Magazine. Styled and designed by Bash, Please! 

My Charlie Brown (serious budget) version: 

Gary wanted in on the action...

I just got ribbon for a bow to top the tree...

Hopefully I will get it on there before Saturday! 

Gingerbread Houses



found here, here, here and here

Happy Friday Friends!

Currently Craving: Holiday Edition

And maybe we should consider this Wedding Inspiration too!? 


From the Reebok Easytone Apparel Collection: Innovative performance line that uses Resistone bands to create resistance as you move. 

Designed to tone and strengthen key muscles in your legs and butt.

Designed to tone and strengthen upper body muscles and improve posture and body alignment.

And because everyday after lunch the ladies from the museum take a nice 30 minute walk around the block...

 I would need the shoes to match...

But I will need to decide if I prefer the Reebok Easytone over the New Balance Tone Balance...

oh decisions, decisions! 

Any suggestions?

  

Currently Craving: Holiday Edition

{Appetite for Reduction}

{Viva Vegan!}

{Vegan Girls Guide to Life}

Fashion Friday

Everyone who knows me, knows that I not really a high heel kinda girl. Now don't get me wrong I love me some shoes. I love shoes with sky-high heels, kitten heels, wedges, boots, flats and on and on. As much as I might love these shoes I have a bit of a problem actually getting them to fit my feet. You see I have the longest, skinniest feet ever! I slip out of every pair of shoes I own and I am constantly shoving little shoe pads into my toe of my shoes. I am also a girl who is all about comfort! Not to mention the fact that I probably should have been named Grace! *pun intended*

 I think I may have found the perfect solution! 

Do-Ni Nobilia ballet flat

The designers of Kaillia and Carlotta Fiorini have teamed up as Do-Ni: Gift of Love. Not only do these adorable ballerinas  have elastic for a snug fit and padded insoles for comfort, they are also vegan and ecological. The best part? 100% of the retail proceeds are donated to participating non-profits.... 

www.flff.org

www.pcrm.org

And others! 

Shoes for such a great cause...Looks like I have to get a pair for all my girls too! 

*image found here*

Currently Craving: Holiday Edition

Excalibur 9 Tray Dehydrator

Oh, I can see the abundance of Kale chips now! 

Vitamix 1700 Turbo Blend 4500 Countertop Blender

For homemade almond butter, hummus, smoothies...the list could go on!

Happy Monday!

{Via Sweet on Veg by Kind Over Matter}

Currently Craving: Holiday Edition

The Anti-bottle! 

What? Why? 

Currently Craving: Holiday Edition

I ♥ T. Swift! 

I love rocking out to her albums every morning on the way to work...I just sing as loud as I can and it is a great way to start the day! 

So, the first item on my Currently Craving Holiday Wish List : Taylor Swifts latest album "Speak Now". 

As Rachel Zoe Would Say

"I Die."

"Ba Nanas."

{brookecourtney.com}

Seriously, I die. I  knew there was good reason for always picking out the bananas. 

Free, Free, Free. Free, Free, Free....

Free for you and me! (Please sing to the tune of Jingle bells!)

Shutterfly, the internet- based personal publishing service where you can create photo albums, personalize photo cards & stationary, and then share with family and friends, is GIVING AWAY 50 free cards from their new Holiday collection!
For me the best part of Shutterfly, is the convenience! You upload your photos to your account, where they are stored...FREE of charge! From there you organize each album in its own folder, enhance photos with festive borders, crop and remove red-eyes! Your photos are now ready to be shared with family and friends through customized personal web pages or email. AND you can get professional quality prints send directly to the recipient or just stop by Target, Walgreens or CVS to pick up the prints!
Shutterfly has been a great way for me to keep in touch with all of my friends and their growing families, from Coast to Coast! And I am soooo excited to be able to send Holiday greetings from my growing family this year!

Now, the tough part is going to be actually having to choose which card to send from the Shutterfly 2010 Holiday Collection...

And to be honest, I don't think I am going to be able to stop at just Holiday cards....

Because who wouldn't be thrilled to receive a 2011 Calendar 

or a Coffee Mug 

with this guy plastered all over?!