Happy Hour Friday: Apothic Red

It is hard to believe that we are leaving Charlottesville in just about two weeks. Time has truly flown by. I feel like it was only a few months ago that we were moving into our current apartment and now I am furiously wrapping my dishes and glassware for our next move. With work now beginning to wind down, I had a goodbye lunch with some colleagues last week and we went to a wonderful French restaurant in town called Petit Pois. I had the most delicious seared hanger steak that was cooked to perfection with shallots and herb butter. To top it all off, my steak came with the most delicious french fries and I gobbled up every last bite (I'm sorry I don't have a picture of this for you)!

So what does my phenomenal steak have to do with apothic red wine? Well, nothing directly but I wanted to share my tasty lunch with you before I talked about the vino. As a little going away gift I was given a bottle of Apothic Red and let me tell you that this California wine is so tasty! According to apothic.com, It is " a captivating blend of three distinct grapes, with the dark fruit flavors of Syrah, brambly spice of Zinfandel, and a smooth elegance of Merlot. Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry that are complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, brown spice and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend." At under twenty dollars a bottle this wine is not to be missed! You can purchase this wine at most major grocery stores in any city.

I am off to Curacao this weekend to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday! I hope that everyone has a great memorial day weekend. If you need any ideas for your memorial day cookout check out the meal ideas in the leftover section of the blog!

I will hopefully be sitting here in a matter of a few hours!

Photo from worldcitypics.com

Enjoy Your Happy Hour and your long weekend!

Pesto, Tomato & Mozzerella Cheese Pizza

And what do you do with lots of leftover pesto? Use it for pizzas of course! This pizza is so simple and delicious. We used whole wheat pizza dough and it was divine. I don't think think that my husband would of known it was whole wheat if I hadn't told him. The tomaotes, fresh pesto and mozzerella are the perfect flavor combination. Sprinkle a little bit of fresh parmesan and basil on top after the pizza has finished cooking and you have quite the tasty za.

You Will Need:

• 1 ball of pizza dough (we used whole wheat for this recipe)
• 1/4 cup fresh pesto or store-bought
• 1/2 of a 12oz bag of mozzarella cheese
• 1 vine ripened tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
• Roll out dough to desired thickness using your hands or a rolling pin if you have one
• Sprinkle olive oil over stone or baking sheet to avoid dough sticking
• Place dough on pizza stone or baking sheet
• Top dough with pesto, tomato and mozzerella cheese
• Bake for 10-12 minutes on top rack, or until golden brown
• Sprinkle with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese if desired

Makes 8 Slices

Happy Feasting!

Frozen Key Lime Tarts and a Graduate

Yesterday my husband graduated from the Darden School of Business at The University of Virginia. It is hard to believe that it has already been two years, and we will be leaving Charlottesville headed for North Carolina in a matter of a few weeks. Although we are excited about what new adventure lies ahead in Winston-Salem, we will definitely miss our time here in C-ville!

After the festivities were over yesterday, we had both of our families back to our apartment for a graduation celebration. We had quite the spread of bbq, cole slaw, potato salad, deviled eggs and baked beans. We finished the meal off with key lime pie since that happens to be the graduate's favorite dessert. These mini tarts are delicious and refreshing. Serve them straight from the freezer and you have this wonderful dessert that is a cross between key lime pie ice cream and good ole' key lime pie. They are the perfect summer treat!

Adapted from Ina Garten

You Will Need:

For the Filling:

• 6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tbsp grated lime zest
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

For the Decoration:

• 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Thin lime wedges

Here We Go:

• For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice
• Pour into store bought mini graham cracker crust tart shells
• For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form
• Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm
• Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime
• Freeze for several hours or overnight

The hubs walking up to get his diploma!

Happy Feasting!

Fresh Basil Pesto

I adore fresh basil. I love cooking with it and putting it on anything that I can. It can get pricey which leads a lot of people to use the dried basil found in a pre-packaged spice canister. I definitely used to be one of those people until I had the real thing.  And I can now tell you that it is just not the same! After countless trips to the grocery store to buy fresh basil, I decided that it was time for me to purchase a few basil plants to grow myself. I bought two basil plants, because you can never have enough basil, and one thyme plant. I have had these plants for just over a month and they have already doubled in size...look!

So what do you do with too much basil? You make fresh pesto of course!

You Will Need:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan – Reggiano
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Here We Go:

• Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in food processor or blender
• Add garlic, pulse a few times more
•  Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on
• Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula
• Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Makes 1 Cup
Happy Feasting!



Skinny Girl Mashed Potatoes

With bathing suit season right around the corner, most of us are trying to cut calories where we can and maybe skip that second chocolate chip cookie (yes, I said second). These mashed potatoes have all the flavor of traditional mashed potatoes without all the calories. I made small substitutions with more "skinny girl" friendly ingredients and didn't have to sacrifice flavor at all. Serve these mashers with meatloaf, tenderloin, chicken or eat them all by themselves- you will be so very happy you did!

You Will Need:

• 3 Yukon gold potatoes (they are the best for mashing)
• 1/4 cup 1% milk
• 1/4 cup fat free half & half
• 1 tsp margarine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp fat free sour cream

Here We Go:

• Cut potatoes into cubes (the smaller the potato the faster it will cook)
• Bring medium saucepan to boil and add potatoes
• Cook on medium for 20-25 minutes
• Drain potatoes and return to pan
• Mash potatoes with potato masher or fork
• Add milk, half & half, margarine, sour cream, salt and pepper
• Stir all ingredients together





Serves 2-4
Happy Feasting!