Lisa Cavallari

Author Archives: Lisa Cavallari
- Wine On Wednesday: Dominant Seven
  
  Posted at 8:05 am by Lisa Cavallari
  
  Jul 20th
  The hot weather is here and you won’t here a peep of complaint from me. This is the perfect opportunity to sip and share some good whites with you all. The first one is Dominant Seven’s 2012 Chardonnay. At first glance, this wine label appeared to be dominatrix in nature. Am I the only sicko who thought this? Thought so. 😉 For those of you who are musically inclined, you probably already knew that this label is referring to the dominant 7th chord commonly used by musical artists like Beethoven and The Beatles. I never learned to play an instrument unless you count…the recorder ( were you thinking of something else? You really have your head in the gutter today. I love it!) and I am terrible at reading notes so I’ll just take the winemakers word on that one.
  
  Back to the wine. It’s golden in color when poured and tastes of apple, pear, pineapple with notes of creamy vanilla and buttery oak. I was pleasantly surprised at how drinkable this wine turned out to be! Pair it with sharp white cheddar, chicken or lobster.
  
  You can find this at Meijer or any local wine shop for about $8.99. A great any day wine.
  
  Cheers my dears.
  
  Rating: 2 1/2 out of 🍷🍷🍷🍷
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  Posted in Wine | Tagged Dominant Seven, Dominant Seven Chardonnay
- Heirloom Tomatoes With Burrata
  
  Posted at 8:41 am by Lisa Cavallari
  
  Jul 2nd
  Happy 4th everyone! With an extra day packed on to this glorious weekend, you might be looking for a super fast, easy and light dish to whip up. Then read on.
  
  This is a recipe I fell in love with when I took my daughter over for a play date last spring. It was amazing how well all of the flavors complemented each other. Of course, my presentation is nothing compared to the mom who prepared the dish right in front of me. She made it look so easy (because it is), but she and her husband also have a solid background in the restaurant biz so that kind of experience never hurts when it comes to food prep.
  
  For those of you unfamilar with Burrata, it is basically a fresh mozzerella ball with cream in the middle. You can find it at Caputo’s or Trader Joe’s. With farmer’s market season in full swing, it should be easy to find fresh heirloom tomatoes. You could also try grape tomatoes too.
  
  Let’s get started on the recipe.
  
  Here’s the list of ingredients:
  - Olive oil
  - Coarse salt
  - Balsamic vinegar
  - Basil (optional)
  - Burrata
  - Tomatoes
  Directions:
  
  Slice all tomatoes in half cross-wise and chop or tear your basil. Place tomatoes in serving bowl(s). Drizzle olive oil and balsamic over them. Place Burrata on top of tomatoes. Sprinkle a generous pinch of coarse salt over everything and top with basil. Or don’t. I forgot to add mine for the picture above. I blame my salivating taste buds. 😉
  
  Wine pairing: A crisp white such as a light Sauvingnon Blanc or a dry Rose
  
  There. You’re done. Now enjoy.
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  Posted in Cooking
- Wine On Wednesday: Paraduxx
  
  Posted at 8:09 am by Lisa Cavallari
  
  Jun 29th
  To celebrate our belated wedding anniversary, my husband and I went out for drinks last Sunday. Since the weather was gorgeous, Chris suggested Atwaters in Geneva. Have you been? It’s a perfect place to relax, ponder life and enjoy the Fox River view.
  
  The wine list is amazing there. We must have perused it for a good ten minutes before we arrived at a decision. There were many strong choices which gives us a good excuse for returning, but the Paraduxx stood out. The vinter is Duckhorn who makes a damn good Merlot, but this wine is a blend of Zinfandel-to give it spice, Cabernet-making it juicy and robust, and Merlot-to mellow out the flavors and give it an oh so very smooth finish. Wow! I would already like to drink this one again. They served the wine perfectly chilled which makes a big difference in taste; ideally reds should be between 62-65 degrees. I looked this fact up so stop with eye roll. I am not that much of a wine nerd-yet 😉 Try it with the cheese plate and your life will be complete. Seriously. Who can be unhappy sipping dynamite wine and enjoying it with pefectly paired cheeses?
  
  Rating: 3.5 out of 4 wine glasses
  
  Cheers my dears!
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  Posted in Wine | Tagged Atwaters, Paraduxx Wine
- Make Your Skin Beautiful This Summer
  
  Posted at 8:00 am by Lisa Cavallari
  
  Jun 23rd
  I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed 3 different issues going on with my skin this summer. Below are 3 products that I’ve tried and loved to correct each problem.
  
  Complaint: My face gets parched when I’m out in the sun, the pool and from cold blasts of AC.
  
  Solution: Laneige has a set of masks that I found at an end cap in Target near the hair products section. For $5, you get a Water Sleeping Mask that you can apply before bed and rinse off in the morning as well as the Multiberry Yogurt Repairing Mask. I noticed a HUGE difference in my skin after using the yogurt mask. I applied it, left the product on for about ten minutes, then rinsed my face with cold water. My skin looked refreshed and definitely plumped up instead of dehydrated and tired. It looks like you just stepped out of the shower after a good, sweaty workout that leaves your skin super soft. I love that this mask also smells like a smoothie. Yum!
  
  Complaint: Getting in and out of the pool leaves legs and arms looking flaky and scaly and again that darn AC has the same effect.
  
  Solution: Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream is another one of my current favs. The cream is a rosy/tan color (see picture below)that gives your skin a soft glow and it’s packed with moisturizers so no more gator skin from the chlorine. Tip: Apply this immediately after you pat dry from the shower. The smell on this one is great too! The light fragrance seems more like an expensive brand of lotion than one from the drugstore. This sells for about $12 at Walmart.
  
  Complaint: On my face, particularly my driver’s side, I am starting to see brown spots and freckles caused by the sun. I even wear SPF 30 in my moisturizer religiously! WTH?!
  
  Solution: Try Ambi Cream. The intense summer rays can cause sun spots even when you have on SPF. I began applying this both in the a.m. and p.m. for about a week now and I’m already seeing a difference without experiencing any burning sensation on my sensitive skin. It may take up to two weeks to see a total improvement. The tube will last you forever because a little goes a long way. You can find it at any drugstore for about $8.
  
  There you have it, 3 amazing skin products to get you through summer and won’t put a huge dent in your wallet.
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  Posted in Shopping
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