Time For A Change

So, instead of just doing a review today, I was going to change things up and also post a recipe.  Unfortunately, I brought the recipe to work to make a copy of it for my friends and then forgot it there.  What that means for you is that today all you get  is some photos and tomorrow you'll get the recipe.
Until then...
-Kami

I'm Sweet on Sweet Pea Apple Wine

I'm guessing both non-wine drinkers and beginning wine sippers (like myself) will find this Wine Wednesday selection to pleasing to their palates, especially because Sweet Pea apple wine is flavored with natural blackberry flavors!  It's bottled at the Sweet Pea Winery in Mattawa, WA, and they use local, Washington apples.  

According to the Sweet Pea website (read more), this wine tastes as, "pleasing as cobbler and refreshing as a cool glass of Riesling on a warm summer evening, Sweet Pea is ripe with golden delicious apple flavors, hints of fruit sweetness and a crisp, clean finish."  That's also where I learned that this company makes a strawberry apple wine and a peach apple wine...that sounds all sorts of yummy and summery!  

Anyway, I was surprised to read that the alcohol content for this wine is only 7.8%, compared to 12% or 13% for your typical bottle of wine.  Overall this was a fun wine to try, especially for only $2.99!

Cheers!

-Kami

Thumbs Down!

These R.W. Garcia 5 Seed Crackers look tasty, but they're not.  Do not be fooled by their sleek and clean packaging!  As my 3-year old niece might say, "These are yucka!" 

Actually, the flavors of the rosemary & garlic and onion & chive R.W. Garcia 5 Seed Crackers were okay, but the crackers themselves lacked crunch and almost seemed stale.  I had bought them to put out as an appetizer when my girlfriends came over for a "fancy," home cooked meal, but needless to say, after one bite of those crummy crackers, I don't think anyone went back for seconds!  (Which explains why there are two opened boxes still sitting in my cupboard!)  

-Kami

Another White Wine To Try

I picked up this bottle of white wine a few weeks ago and opened it when my friend and her family came over for dinner.  It's a white wine blend called Ensemble, and it comes from California.

Overall we found Emsemble to be a refreshing and tasty choice.  It was quite drinkable, and we could taste the apples in it.  I also liked the simple, yet visually pleasing graphic on the front.  We decided it would be a good wine to keep on hand for unexpected dinner guests since its flavors will not interfere with the flavors of your meal. 
-Kami

Who Knew?!?

Who knew Grocery Outlet would ever carry a gluten, wheat, casein, milk, soy, and nut free macaroni and cheese?  And for only $1.49?!?  (I've only seen one other frozen mac n' cheese like this and it cost over $4.00!)  

But last week I spotted this Ian's Mac & No Cheese in my Crown Hill Grocery Outlet's frozen food section and put a few in my cart to take home.  I bought one for myself and a couple for my friends with food sensitivities.  

Reviews for this product ended up being lukewarm.  The mac n' cheese had an okay taste, kind of like tuna noodle casserole without the tuna.  Or better yet, like that canned chicken noodle soup they used to make years ago, the one with the thick noodles.  

But the consistency of Ian's Mac & No Cheese was little mushy for me, and it didn't cook evenly in the microwave.  I suppose if you didn't know what real mac n' cheese tasted like or you've been on a restrictive diet for quite awhile, you would think it's pretty tasty.  Otherwise, I'd probably pass on this item next time I see it in the freezer section.  

-Kami

M.I.A....The Final Excuse

Okay, so I meant to blog last Sunday.  Really, I did!  I had it all planned out.  I'd get home for my overnight trip to Portland in the early evening, have a little dinner, and still have time blog.  But I got home late from my trip and everything else just fell apart after that

Lame-O, I know.

But I promise this will be the last Sunday I miss for at least the next two months or I owe my friend Amy her pick of wine from Grocery Outlet (which I will then blog about!).

Speaking of wine, today is the first day of Grocery Outlet's 5-day, 20% off, wine sale.  I'm going to use my winnings from the Grocery Outlet "Win What You Save" drawing I won in February to stock up on wine for a special get together I'm in the process of planning, a sort of budget wine and cheese soiree for my family and friends.  I bet that will give me lots of fun things to write about!

Until Sunday...
-Kami  

M.I.A. Part Two

Opps.  I missed day of blogging...again.  How lame-o of me!  To make up for it, today I'll do both a Wine Wednesday review and a Grocery Outlet product review.  

First, the wine.

Today's selection is a white wine from Spain called Triana.  According to the label on the back, "Triana is the name of the neighborhood in the city of Seville, Spain.  Triana means 'three river' as in that area the river is dividing itself in three sections."

My good friend T. and I shared a couple glasses of this wine and here's what we thought about Triana:  This $2.99 bottle of wine is sweet at first and dry on the finish.  It is non offensive and won't overpower your meal.  We thought it was fruity, but we couldn't decide what type of fruit.  Overall we found it to be an acceptable bottle of white wine.

Now for the product review.

I decided to pick a product that you can find pretty consistently at your local Grocery Outlet.  It's the Organic Broccoli Florets.  It's a great deal at only $2.99, especially considering it's 32 oz. of organic goodness!  I like the fact that the broccoli comes packaged as two smaller, more manageable bags inside the larger bag (Less spillage in the freezer is always a good thing!).  The next time you need broccoli, consider trying Grocery Outlet's Organic Broccoli Florets.  If you do, let me know what you think!

Cheers!
Kami

P.S.  Below is a link to the current Grocery Outlet ad.  There's a coupon for $5 off a $20 minimum frozen food purchase.  Grocery Outlet Coupon

M.I.A.

Opps, I was missing in action on Sunday (one of my two regular blogging days).  Actually, I wasn't missing.  I was on a mini-vacation to Portland and got back too late to blog.  My bad.  But to make up for my lameness, I'm reviewing two wines today!

The first one is a sauvignon blanc called Patianna Estate Vineyards.  I bought it because it says it's made with biodynamic grapes...I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing!  (From reading the description on the back of the bottle I deduced that biodynamic has something to do with how the grapes were grown and it's apparently good for the environment.)

Cheers to wine tasting!

Anyway, my friend Amy was over, so she got to be a taste-tester too.  I thought the wine was fine, maybe a bit tarty, but nothing particularly special about it. Amy, on the other hand, thought this wine was, "crisp like an autumn morning," and it reminded her of, "liquid Pop Rocks."  (Again, I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing!)  With that being said, if I were you, I'd give this wine a try.  It's definatly worth the $4.99 price tag.

The second wine I'm reviewing today is a pinot grigio called Queen of Hearts.  I give this company two thumbs up for great packaging!  The graphic is eye-catching (especially considering I found it the day before Valentine's day!) and I love the extra touch of printing a heart on the cork.

The wine was refreshing and easy to drink.  It wasn't too sweet and it won't overpower your meal.  This fun and tasty bottle of wine would be a great "just because" present for a friend or loved-one...especially considering it only costs $2.99 a bottle!  Pick up a bottle or two before Grocery Outlet runs out of them!


Cheers!
-Kami

Another One Finds The Drain...

I bought this bottle of red wine a few weeks ago to give to a friend as a "classy" housewarming gift (Nothin' says classy like a foreign name written in shiny, gold letters!).  It's a 2006 Zinfindel from California called Dios Triumph.  I'm happy to say though, this bottle never made it to her!

What happened to the bottle?  My good friend Amy and I decided we needed to cleanse our palates after a bad experience with a South African wine (There's A Reason Why South Africa Isn't Known For Wine Making).  We decided to switch to a red wine, and the Dios Triumph was the only one I had on hand.

Why am I happy I didn't give this bottle as a gift?  Because this was another yucky wine destined for for the drain!

Maybe it was a bad bottle, the cork did look a little weird, but I'm not going to risk trying another bottle of Dios Triumph to know for sure.  The few sips Amy and I took were more than enough for us.  You're on your own if you try this one!

Until Sunday,
Kami

A Quick Dinner Idea

Looking to make an inexpensive dish for your next work potluck?  Perhaps you need a quick idea for a red-themed Valentine's Day dinner?  Or maybe you're just tired and don't know what to make for dinner tonight?  Well, whatever your reason, you may want to pick up these two staple items from Grocery Outlet and get cooking!

While Grocery Outlet always seems to have some sort of pasta sauce available, this particular brand turned out to be quite tasty.  It's called Grandessa Signature, and I tried the cabernet marinara this time.  Yum!  And it only rang up $1.99.

The pasta in the photo is called fideo, and I've been told it's quite common in Mexican households.  It cooks fast and only costs around $0.40 a package!  (If you're not into red sauce, consider picking up some fideo for your next pot of homemade soup!  It's perfect for that!)

Happy cooking!
-Kami

What did I purchase from Grocery Outlet?  Grandessa Signature cabernet marinara ($1.99) and Pagasa cut fideo (~$0.40 a package)

There's A Reason Why South Africa Isn't Known For Wine Making

I was intrigued when I found the 2008 Fairhills South Africa Chardonnay at my local Grocery Outlet.  I had never seen a bottle of wine from South Africa, and I was eager to try it.

I liked the fact that it was Fair Trade Certified, but that's about it.

The first couple sips seemed strangely bubbly and had a sort of musky aftertaste.  Yuck.  I immediately  began to question if wanted to keep drinking it (for the sake of the blog) or if I should put it in the fridge and hope someone might stop by so I could pawn it off on them...

Enter my good friend Amy.  The poor girl was enticed to come over for some wine when I told her she could be a guest blogger.  We've been friends for over twenty-one years, but little did she know what I had in store for her.

After her first sip she declared it, "Tastes like rotten cheese, dirty socks, a barn cow with a lot of manure."

That's bad.

Against her better judgement, I convinced Bobo to give the African wine at least one more taste.  After a sip, a cough, and a sputter, a disbelieving Bobo moaned, "It gets worse.  It gets worse."

Sorry Amy.

So if you're ever at Grocery Outlet and you see this international bottle of chardonnay for $4.99, don't get it!  It may claim to be, "Embraced by the winds, Kissed by the sea, [and] Guided by the stars," but it still ended up being poured down the drain.

-Kami

I'm a Winner!

I know you've probably suspected it for quite a while now, but it's been officially confirmed by the Crown Hill Grocery Outlet...I'm a winner!!!  

You see, Grocery Outlet has a monthly drawing called "Win What You Save," and I was one of two lucky people to have their names drawn for the month of January!  What did I win?  $81.05! (Actually, the owners were kind enough to round my winnings up to $82...Thank you Steve and Blanca!)  Yay for winning!

The next time you go to Grocery Outlet, make sure you enter this drawing.  It's totally easy to do!  After the cashier announces how much money you've saved, he or she will hand you your receipt.  Rip off the bottom portion of your receipt and write your name and phone number on the back of it...neatly.  Then look around for the big box that says, "Win What You Save," and put your receipt inside.  And that's it...Now you too can be a winner!

-Good luck!
Kami

P.S.  I think I might use my winnings to throw a Grocery Outlet cheese and wine party for my friends and family.  What do you think I should do with it?

Happy Hour Wine

If you read my blog last Saturday, you'll remember I had a homemade happy hour on Friday night.  I made some tasty nachos (using quite a few ingredients from Grocery Outlet) and opened up a fresh bottle of wine.  I wasn't sure if nachos went better with reds or whites, so I chose a random chardonnay called Bulleen Estate.  This 2010 wine from Napa, California was fine, no particularly strong flavors coming through or weird aftertaste, and after a couple glasses I had forgotten all about the stresses of teaching third graders.  You could say it was well worth the $4.99 price tag.  
Happy Wine Wednesday!
-Kami

Make Your Own Happy Hour Anytime!

Last Friday, after teaching a classroom full of energetic 8 and 9 year olds all day long and attending my school's Lunar New Year celebration, I was more than ready for happy hour.  


The only problem was that most happy hours were already over.  (So sad.) 


So, I decided to make the best of a long day and have my own happy hour at home.  (Yay!)


First I made some quick nachos.  I used some Nacho flavored Blue Diamond Almonds Baked Nut Chips (wheat and gluten free) as my base, then added some shredded Morning Fresh Sharp Cheddar, and threw it in the microwave for a few seconds.  I added some salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, sliced avocado, and green onions, and poured myself a glass of wine.
Let happy hour begin!
-Kami
P.S.  (Want to know which wine I chose?  Check out my blog on Wednesday to find out!)

Side Note:  The nacho flavored chips were okay by themselves, but much tastier as nachos.  My friends and I recently tried the Sea Salt flavored Blue Diamond Almonds Baked Nut Chips (wheat and gluten free) and they were approved by all of us.

(What did I get from Grocery Outlet?  Blue Diamond Almond Baked Nut Chips ($0.99), Morning Farms Sharp Cheddar ($2.39), avocados ($0.50 each), tomatoes, and green onions ($0.69).

It's White Wine This Wednesday!

When I made my trip to Grocery Outlet this week, I decided I was in the mood for a chardonnay.  No particular reason, just something to help me focus my wandering through the wine aisles.  I ended up taking home a 2009 bottle El Corazon Reservado from Argentina.

I found this wine to be fresh and light.  It kind of reminded me (in a good way) of the free wine they hand out at educator preview nights at the Seattle Art Museum.  Anyway, the wine seemed both fruity and slightly tart.  According to the label, it suggests you serve it with "Sea and River Fish, salades and pasta."  Its small, red, heart logo and $4.99 price tag make it a perfect choice for a Valentine's Day treat for yourself or for someone else.
Happy Tasting!
-Kami

P.S.  The next educator preview night at the Seattle Art Museum is on February 9th, from 5-8pm.  I don't know if they'll have wine at this event, but you can check out the Gauguin & Polynesia exhibit for free and get some resources for the classroom.  If this sounds like the event for you, make sure to register by February 3rd!  Here's a link for more information:  http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=21779&month=10&day=5&year=2011&sxID=&WHEN=

Free Wine Tasting...This Thursday!

The next free wine tasting at the Crown Hill Grocery Outlet will be this Thursday, January 26th, from 5pm to 7pm.  Bring a friend, and I'll see you there! -Kami

What's their address?  8700 15TH AVE N.W.  SEATTLE, WA 98117

Winter Rainbow Salad Recipe

A couple weeks ago we had friends come over for a post-holiday, no-stress, get-together.  A couple of us have dietary restrictions, but I knew I wanted to make at least one dish we could all eat.  I’m vegetarian (technically, I think I’m a pescatarian since I eat fish occasionally, but that’s too confusing to explain to others, so I just say I’m vegetarian if anyone asks), one friend can’t have soy, and another friend is gluten, dairy, corn, peanut, and night-shade vegetable (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, etc.) free.  I know that sounds like a lot of restrictions, but I’ve cooked for this group before, so I had a few ideas.  I ended up making a delicious salad I saw in a cooking magazine.  This salad is so bright and colorful, I call it the Winter Rainbow Salad. 

Winter Rainbow Salad 

(serves 4-6)

Vegetarian and gluten, dairy, corn, peanut, soy and night-shade vegetable free

Ingredients:

3 ounces (about 3 cups) of salad greens, washed and dried

2 avocados, sliced

3-4 radishes, trimmed and sliced

2-3 Mandarin oranges, peeled and separated

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons orange juice

2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Place the salad greens in a pretty bowl.

2.  Top with avocados, radishes, and orange slices.

3.  Drizzle with olive oil and orange juice.

4.  Sprinkle the scallions on top and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

What products did I use from Grocery Outlet?  Salad greens ($4.99), avocados, radishes ($0.50 a bunch), Mandarin oranges ($3.99 a bag), olive oil, and scallions (also $0.50 a bunch).

Bonus Blog Entry: Snow Day Sangria

Nothin’ like some Snow Day Sangria to warm yourself up this weekend! 

I used what was left of my Wine Wednesday selection (an overly sweet red wine called Turn Me Sweet 2010)to make a darn good sangria.  I had a recipe I was going to follow, but because of the slushy, snowy mess outside, my motivation to walk to the store for ingredients was extremely low.  Instead I decided to make do with what I had on hand, and boy, am I glad I did!  My homemade sangria turned out quite tasty! 

Here’s the recipe for my Snow Day Sangria:

(Feel free to substitute as needed…it sure worked for me!)

Mix together a bottle of Turn Me Sweet 2010 red wine, 3 cups of pink lemonade, 1 cup of Cascade Ice Cosmopolitan Sparkling Cocktail Mixer (or pomegranate juice), ½ cup of cranberry juice (or orange juice if you like that better), a couple tablespoons of lemon juice, and about five peeled and separated Mandarin oranges (or grapes, or blackberries, or apples, or lemons…whatever) in a pitcher and stir to combine. 

If you pour yourself a glass, turn up the heater, and close your eyes, you'll almost believe it's summertime!

Enjoy,

Kami

What Did I Get From Grocery Outlet?  Turn Me Sweet 2010 red wine ($5.99), lemon juice, Cascade Ice Cosmopolitan Sparkling Cocktail Mixer ($0.59), and Mandarins ($3.99).

A Wintery Wine Wednesday

It’s our first snow day of the year and lucky for me, it happens to fall on Wine Wednesday!  I was going to celebrate by opening up today’s bottle of wine at 10am with the ladies from the fourth hour of The Today Show, Kathie Lee and Hoda, but the show was preempted by a gazillion local reporters driving around in the snow, telling us not to drive around in the snow.  Anyway, since drinking with K.L. and H. was out, I decided to wait until I started cooking dinner to open up my $5.99 bottle of Turn Me Sweet 2010.  I love the look of this bottle (who doesn’t love a saucy girl in a pink dress?), but I’m not a fan of the wine itself.  I mean, I knew it would be sweet, but it is REALLY sweet.  Maybe I should have saved it and had it after dinner as a dessert wine?  I think I’ll use the rest of it tomorrow to make some sangria...during our second snow day!  

Cheers,

Kami

Read This Fishy Review!

A recent find of mine at Grocery Outlet was two different types of healthy, frozen fish sticks.  They were both from Van de Kamp’s, and I was curious to see what the difference was between them and more importantly, which one I liked better!

The first one was called Van de Kamp’s 100% Whole Fillets, Healthy Selects Crunchy Fish Fillets.  Two fillets had 170 calories, 3 grams of fat, 420 mg of sodium, and 9 grams of protein per serving. 

The second type of fish sticks were the Van de Kamp’s 100% Whole Fillets, 90 Calorie Crunchy Fish Fillets.  Two fillets (which was considered two servings) had 180 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, 340 mg of sodium, and 8 grams of protein.

Both types of fish sticks had similar nutritional information, except for when it came to grams of fat.  The 90 Calorie Crunchy Fish Fillets had more than twice the amount of fat than the Healthy Selects Crunchy Fish Fillets, but come on, 7.5 grams for two fillets of crunchy, fish stick-goodness doesn’t seem too bad to me!  

The 90 Calorie Crunchy Fish Fillets did stick slightly to the cookie sheet when I cooked them, but overall, I preferred their taste and consistency to that of the Healthy Selects Crunchy Fish Fillets.  But at only $1.99 a box, I would buy either box of fish sticks to have in my freezer for a quick weekday dinner.  (I recently saw similar Van de Kamp’s fish sticks at a local, independent grocery store for more than $7.00 a box!  Just another reason to love Grocery Outlet!)

Check out my Van de Kamp’s 100% Whole Fillets, 90 Calorie Crunchy Fish Fillets fish tacos and side salad. 

Besides the fish fillets, which ingredients did I get from Grocery Outlet?  Flour tortillas, organic salad mix (a large tub for $4.99), tomatoes ($2.99 for about 7 tomatoes), green onions ($0.50 a bunch), canned black beans, radishes (also $0.50 a bunch), and croutons. 

Did You Hear?

I don't know if you heard or not, but they say that Sundays are now the new Fridays.  I have no idea who"they" are, but I do know that means my second posting of the week, once scheduled to post every Friday, has now moved to Sundays.  (Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking trying to post twice during the work week!)   

Check back this Sunday for my first Grocery Outlet product review of the new year!

-Kami

Wine Wednesday, Take Two!

This week's Wine Wednesday has me sippin' on a Washington 2008 Reisling called Next:.  This white wine is a little sweet, a little tart.  If I had to guess, I'd say there say there are some apple notes coming through.  The label is simple, yet clever.  It says Next: in a large, typewriter-type font, and around that are what some would consider inspirational words:  truth, rising, walk, care, heart...that sort of thing.

The poem on the back of the label makes this bottle a perfect housewarming gift, thank you present, or best friend pick-me-up.
It says:

"next: is a statement

next: is a question
next: reminds us that
we always stand
at the crossroads,
that we are all poets,
all philosophers,
the makers and keepers
of our own dreams,
that we bring wine to our friends
that we might share both
wine and words together,
fold into a moment
on the edge of the next."

Overall I say Next: light and tasty white wine...and well worth the $4.99 price tag. (If you can't find this selection at your local Grocery Outlet, you can always order a bottle of 2009 Next: straight from the winery for $12 a bottle!  http://store.kingestate.com/2009-next-washington-riesling-p259.aspx)

Until Next: time,
-Kami

Recipe 1: Kami’s Semi-Homemade Broccoli and Rice Soup

The good news about Grocery Outlet is that you never know what you will find there.

The bad news about Grocery Outlet is that you never know what you will find there. 

You see, Grocery Outlet isn’t your typical grocery store.  They don’t necessarily carry the same items week-to-week.  They carry the basics, like eggs, milk, and bread, but the specific brands are always changing.  Actually, it seems like Grocery Outlet is both a testing ground for new products and a home for misfit products (think weird flavors of name brand favorites, packaging that was printed in the wrong shade, and items that are nearing their pull date, that sort of thing).

So ifI mention specific products in my recipes, don’t get your hopes up too high of finding the exact same thing at your local Grocery Outlet.  Instead, keep an open mind, and look for what you consider an acceptable substitute.  And if I add something to my recipe that you don’t like, change it.  Add something else.  Have fun!  Make the recipe your own! 

You will also find many of my recipes are, as Sandra Lee of Food Network fame calls it, semi-homemade. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/index.html)  That basically means that some of my recipes will be a combination of store-bought items, perked up and personalized with fresh ingredients from Grocery Outlet.

Since it's wintertime, I decided a hearty soup was in order (And with my new year’s resolution to eat healthier still fresh in my mind, I added a green salad to the menu.). 

So I hope you enjoy...

Kami’s Semi-Homemade Broccoli and Rice Soup (with Mushrooms and Onions)

Approximately 4-5 Servings

Vegetarian 

Ingredients:

Brown rice

1 diced onion

Olive oil

Garlic powder

1 small container of fresh mushrooms, chopped

About 36 oz of boxed broccoli soup...I used two boxes of Campbell’s V8 Garden Broccoli Soup…2 full servings of vegetables per box, and very tasty on its own! ($1.59 a box)

Additional seasonings (I used Mrs. Dash and some pepper.)

Some grated cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)

Salad fixins...I used a bagged salad mix ($1.99), two tomatoes ($0.50), a cucumber ($0.50), and an avocado ($0.59)

One can of chicken ($0.99)...for the meat eaters to add to their salad.  

Directions:

1.   Pull the rice cooker out of the cupboard and make some brown rice.  Adjust the amount according to how likely you are to eat the leftovers.  I put in 2 cups of dry rice and 4 cups of water. 

2.   Cook the diced onion in a little olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add a little garlic powder once they cook a bit.  Stir occasionally.

3.   As the onions start to become clear, add the chopped mushrooms and stir.

4.   When the mushrooms are nearly done, add the boxed broccoli soup.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and once again, stir occasionally.  

While the mushrooms cook, start making your green salad!

5.    Let the flavors come together for a few minutes, then season it to your taste preference.

6.    To serve, put a scoop or two of rice in the bottom of a bowl and ladel the soup over the top of it.  For a little extra flavor, grate some cheddar cheese over the top of your soup and rice mixture.  Serve it with a simple green salad, and you’ve got a fast, tasty, filling, relatively healthy, and inexpensive meal for four! 

Enjoy!

(What products did I use from Grocery Outlet in this recipe?  Lots!  The brown rice, onion, olive oil, garlic powder, mushrooms, boxed broccoli soup, bagged salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados!)

My First Official Wine Wednesday! (An Ode to Kathie Lee and Hoda! )

I’m the first to admit it, I don’t know a lot about wine.  

In fact, it’s only been in the last year or two that I stopped making that ugly, bitter face that non-wine drinkers make when they drink wine.  I used to only order a glass of wine at a restaurant when they didn’t serve hard alcohol.  And yes, I was the one in the wine aisle picking out a bottle based on the cutest label or cleverest name (Alright…I still do that.  A girl has to have some reason for trying a new bottle, doesn’t she?!?)  

But slowly over time (and after many happy hours with my friends), I’ve learned to like wine, or at least identify what kinds of wine I like (usually sweet ones).  I have even taken a wine tasting class with my brother at North Seattle Community College.  (You should check it out. It's fun, tasty, and educational!   http://www.learnatnorth.org/classes.html)  And I can honestly say I enjoy having an occasional glass of wine...it defiantly makes coming home from work and cooking dinner a lot more enjoyable, that's for sure! 

So when you read my Wine Wednesday review each week, look for a review that is short, sweet, and real...no uppity wine snobs here!  

This week’s review is on California Rabbit: Hopping White, 2009.  It’s a white wine blend from California.  According to the label, the “lightweight glass bottle reduces packaging by 30% and reduces carbon footprint by 25% while delivering fine wine in an elegant bottle with a convenient screw-top!“  I thought the name was fun and the graphics cute.  It’s a pretty tasty white wine, not too sweet, not too dry. I had some yesterday, and I tried it again today.  I think it had a better taste the first day, so I would recommend not opening this bottle unless you’re going to finish it in one day…perhaps on an outing with your friends?  And at $2.99 it is quite the deal!  Make sure to get a few bottles before Grocery Outlet sells out.  (You never know if and when they will carry it again!)

Here's the Plan

I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of good deals!

Over the past year I have been finding a lot of good deals at my local Grocery Outlet, and I have been telling my friends about the great deals so much that it's pretty much a running joke between us now..."Where did you get this great cheese/dip/cookie/wine/etc...Grocery Outlet?!?"  And then we laugh, because usually the answer is "Yes!"

My plan right now is to blog twice a week.  Once, on Wine Wednesdays, when I review a bottle of wine from Grocery Outlet, and then again on Fridays, where you will find a recommendation, review, or recipe about a product purchased at Grocery Outlet.

I hope you find my site fun and useful!
Kami