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