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Monthly Archives: June 2015
- Wine On Wednesday: Cakebread
  
  Posted at 7:00 am by Lisa Cavallari
  
  Jun 24th
  To top off Father’s Day weekend (golf on Saturday, watching the U.S. Open both days…yes it has evolved into a celebratory weekend) my husband grilled steaks and opened a bottle of 2012 Cakebread Cabernet reserved just for this occasion. With this strange weather and high humidity, I put the bottle into the fridge about 45 minutes before we drank it and my husband and I both noticed how the wine “opened up” as it gradually warmed to room temperature. It was dark and delicious and I would drink it again, and again, and again.
  
  We learned from a series last fall on PBS (okay, I coaxed him to watch it with me, but in return I will watch car and golf shows) that Napa had a great year in 2012. It was hot and dry during the day and cool at night which made the grapes more concentrated and created wines that were chart toppers for ratings. 2015 is proving to be the same so far with the dry spell they’ve had out there. Let’s hope the harvest season reaps the same outstanding grapes!
  
  Wine: 2012 Cakebread Cabernet
  
  Location: Napa Valley
  
  Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷/4 wine glasses
  
  On a personal note, I want to thank my husband for being a great father and role model to our children. He’s the hardest working guy I know and although he travels a lot for work, his mind is often on his family. Over the years and while on the plane, he has created a book of memories for our two daughters listing their first triumphs, challenges and added some of his own advice for the future. The plan is to give these to them when they are old enough to appreciate and understand it more. For our oldest, he is up to page 70 and for our youngest, he is at 50 pages. That is outstanding! Chris, we love you very much!
  
  Cheers my dears.
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  Posted in Wine | Tagged Cakebread Cabernet, Cakebread Wine
- DIY Coconut Bowls
  
  Posted at 7:00 am by Lisa Cavallari
  
  Jun 12th
  If you’re looking for a fun do-it-yourself project to tackle this summer with the kids, then give this one a try, coconut bowls. For this you need: a coconut, a hammer, fine grain sandpaper and a sealant such as Mod Podge.
  
  You can find a coconut at your local supermarket. One coconut will make one bowl. Some of them are pre-scored to make it easier to crack the shell.
  
  My girls were fascinated as they watched my husband carefully chisel the top off the coconut. They were also eager to catch any of the milk that poured out, but of course made a face when they tried it. I am not a fan, myself. It is pretty bitter. Must be an acquired taste. Oh, and the shirt my husband is wearing might have been the result of a subtle suggestion. So cheesy, I know, but hey, that’s me.
  
  Scoring the shells with the knife and scraping with a spoon worked best.
  
  The girls tried to help scrape the coconut flesh out the shell. This part takes some muscle and patience. I used a knife and a spoon to scoop out the coconut. (The girls just stuck with a spoon.) Then I let them dry overnight.
  
  The next day you can sand them both on the outside and inside until it is smooth.
  
  Lastly, add 3-4 coats of sealant on the inside of the shell. If you plan to serve food such as nuts or other food, you can use a food-safe sealant. I just used Mod Podge with a glossy finish. It is water-based and non-toxic so the girls had fun painting a few coats themselves.
  
  Aren’t they cute? It’s an inexpensive way to add a tropical touch to your decor when you’re entertaining this summer. You could even transform your bowl into a homemade candle. That would make a great hostess gift.
  
  Or organize your bathroom by adding cotton balls, Q-tips, hair ties, whatever you want.
  
  Credit goes to Sugar And Charm for this creative idea!
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  Posted in diy | Tagged Coconut Bowls
- W.O.W: Sparkling Wine
  
  Posted at 7:00 am by Lisa Cavallari
  
  Jun 3rd
  My city gal pals and I ventured on a wine crawl to 4 different bars last Saturday. We met up first at Seven Lions on Michigan Avenue. This place is owned by the former hostess of Check Please, Alpana Singh and that girl has a few degrees in the wine department so this was an excellent place to start. We decided to be adventurous and try a wine that was fermented in orange peels called Donkey and Goat Stone Crusher. The sommelier explained that the wine was not filtered so it had the body of a Chardonnay and some mineral notes on the finish. He also warned that half of his staff that tried it at the tasting liked it and the other half “didn’t get it.” I think I was in the latter group, but I would rather not leave any stone unturned (I know, I am horrible with the bad puns) than miss an opportunity to try a fun, new wine and our group felt the same way. The consensus was that it tasted like a flat, Weiss beer.
  
  Rating: 🍷🍷/🍷🍷🍷🍷 wine glasses
  
  We went on to a place whose name escapes me, but looked to make a beautiful drink with Campari. I stuck with a Pinot Noir.
  
  We stumbled, er, strode out into a light rain that quickly turned into a downpour. Luckily, our next destination was just a dash away; Pops For Champagne on N. State Street in Chicago. Jen ordered a sparkling Rose and it turned that dreary weather into a party! (At least in my mouth) Why wait until New Year’s or an anniversary to pop open a bottle of bubbly? This glass of Rose’ had the perfect balance of effervescence and smooth flavors with a happy pop of pink for color. Seriously, how could this girls day get any better? I am definitely not neglecting sparkling wine like I used to in the past.
  
  Our final stop was Eataly where we ordered a bottle of white (see how vague I am getting the further on this wine tour we get?) and sampled some cheeses with bread. It was a lovely way to end the day and the conversation was just getting interesting, ie. blue lights and tropical fruit when it was time for me to catch my train. Boo!
  
  Thanks to my friends, Jen M. (who appeared on an episode of Check Please, herself!) for planning our fabulous wine day in the city and to Allison for hatching the idea of a wine tasting tour. We shall do it again soon!
  
  Cheers my dears!
  
  Photos from Pinterest
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  Posted in Wine | Tagged Pops For Champagne
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