Barefoot In My Home

I am starting a new weekly feature called Wine of the Week where, you guessed it, I review a wine that we enjoyed at our home during the past weekend.

I'll try to get the WOTW post out by Monday night, because usually by then, we've polished off a bottle over the weekend and it's still early enough for me to remember what it tasted like. This past week, however, my husband took off Thursday and Friday because the kids had off from school. Therefore, our weekend was four days, hence the downing of the 1.5L bottle of Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon, this week's feature wine.

Oh, did I mention that in this extra long weekend of ours, my husband graciously watched the three lovelies while I got a much-needed pedicure and break from the crew? I thought it would only be appropriate to showcase this week's wine, Barefoot, along with my newly polished tootsies. Thanks, Honey.

Did you notice the price tag on the bottle? That's right - $10.99 for a 1.5L bottle of a wonderfully smooth, rich and fruity wine. I'm no wine connoisseur, but I know a good wine when I taste one. According to Barefoot, this wine is paired nicely with beef, lamb, red pasta sauces and sharp cheeses. We drank it with leftover turkey and noodles and it was still outstanding. Hey, for less than $11 a bottle, you can't always plan to do the recommended food/wine pairing. And for my family, wine tastes as good with popcorn as it does with a medium rare filet mignon.

Good Morning, Coffee!

I'm not sure what it is about coffee. Yes, it tastes great, but that can't be it alone. There's the caffeine - addictive and nice to have in the morning. Is it the combination of the two, or is there something deeper here?

For me, it's the way I can get that right color of mocha by pouring in the perfect amount of milk. The long (sometimes endless) waiting until I can pick it up and drink without burning off a few taste buds. That first warm sip while reading the paper and ignoring the sounds of fighting from the playroom. Ah, I'm in another world.

Some think good coffee comes from good beans. While there is some truth to this, I find that preparation makes more of a difference in flavor. I make my coffee in a french press, a manual, non-electric method using a carafe and plunger with strainer. It's dishwasher safe, completely portable and does not require a paper filter. I'm not trying to sell anything here, but it's beyond me why more people don't prepare their coffee this way. All you need are coffee grinds and hot water. The rest is delicious history!

For step-by-step instructions on how to use a french press, please read here.