I love a good wine tasting! Actually I love a bad one too. For good, bad, or indifferent wine tastings, it’s always good to have a sheet to keep the glasses organized and in order and something to write notes on. Here are my tasting sheets for a wine tasting of three, four, five, or six […]
Food & Wine
Bluebonnet Wine Trail in a Day
Sadly, we live too far from wine country. But for a quick fix, we are within a short drive to seven wineries north of Houston. The Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail, with its seven participating wineries, host several events throughout the year. This past weekend was Wine and Chocolate Trail, where participants had two weekends to […]
Chocolate: The Perfect Garnish
I’d like to go back in time and thank whoever discovered chocolate. It goes with everything! Inspired by Pinterest and my dearest crafty friend, Joanna (Chowda), I started dipping glasses in various types of chocolate to pair with wine and cordials. Preparation is surprisingly simple, whether you’re planning a party or just a night at home […]
Chocolate and Wine Pairing Made Simple
I’m of the opinion that wine goes with everything. Maybe that’s just me. But chocolate in particular pairs really well with some wines, depending on type of chocolate. Below is my chocolate and wine guide, with three options per type of chocolate. You’re welcome to save/pin this for future use. It can also be found on […]
A Champagne by Any Other Name…
What’s in a name? With sparkling wine, quite a bit. Don’t think of “champagne” as a blanket term for wine with bubbles. Here’s a general and simplified rule: Champagne is only champagne if it comes from the Champagne region in France. Prosecco comes from the Veneto region of Italy. And cava comes from Spain. Everything […]
Novice Wine Pairing for You. Yes, You.
I get a lot of “what should I drink with…” questions. While there are many apps, guides, infographics, and articles out there, I happily oblige with my biased opinion on what they should drink. What would Sheila drink? Most of the time it’s medium to full bodied red wines and white wines. I don’t follow […]
Tamale Cornbread: Kicking it up a Notch
This New Year’s Day I decided to experiment with the boring cornbread usually served with black eyed peas…with another southern New Year’s tradition: tamales. Why not marry the two? Yes, why not, indeed! I’ll admit, I thought it would be weird but it turned out so well I don’t think I’ll be able to go […]
Not Your Grandma’s Black Eyed Peas
Down here in the South, it is tradition that we (most of us) eat black eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck and prosperity in the new year. This tradition may have died out a bit with young generations considering black eyed peas bland and boring…but that may be due to canned beans and poor […]
An Advent Calendar for Boozy People
Do you have an Advent calendar? Some families do chocolates, toys, or riddles for each of the 24 days. I saw an Advent calendar wine rack on Facebook once and got inspired to do a little tasting of my own. My husband and I could probably finish a full bottle a night if we really wanted […]
Italian Toast (French Toast Was So Last Year)
I never liked French toast, but when I saw that Italian goddess Giada de Laurentiis make an Italian version of it I got a little curious. I’m not a foodie, and I don’t particularly follow recipes, instructions, or opinions of other people…so I thought I might try my version of her recipe. Like a lazy […]