ChocoVine

"The taste of dutch chocolate and fine red wine." It is what it says it is.

I have mixed feelings about this. What do you think? Pairing chocolate and wine has gained popularity as of late, but actually combining the two into one bottle is unusual...isn't it?

We saw this at Cost Plus World Market for under $10 a bottle, so we decided to try it.

I'm not a huge red wine fan to start, so I was hesitant to try this at first. But try it I did! And really, it just tastes like boozy chocolate milk. Red wine connoisseurs, take note: this tastes nothing like any kind of red wine I've ever sipped. This is indeed surprisingly chocolatey, and surprisingly boozy, with 14% alcohol by volume. It's reminiscent of malt beverages where the type of alcohol used is indistinguishable.

Overall, it's a fun dessert drink that's worth a try. It would make a great hostess gift, and would be a great conversation piece, too. If you try it, let me know what you think!     

Where Did Summer Go?

Time has escaped me, and all of the sudden it's the middle of winter. I think we even skipped fall. What happened? Where did grilling season go?

Or did we even have a grilling season this year?

Those who live in Seattle know that warm, sunny days are few and sometimes far between. This year, they were definitely far between. But we did take advantage of those rare, gorgeous Seattle days.

On this cloudy, rainy day, let's reminisce about one of those aforementioned days of sunshine. On a beautiful August evening, we fired up the grill and threw this meal together:



That's lemongrass-marinated grilled chicken thigh, simple garlic-grilled zucchini from the garden, and a savory coconut rice alongside.

Oh, and a mojito (with mint from the garden, of course!) for summer-sipping pleasure.



Now that summer days are long gone, and Thanksgiving whizzed past (future post about that feast!),  it's time to look forward to holiday baking, warm kitchens, and stuffed bellies.

Until next time, summer. May the rains of the current season nurture the sleeping foliage and landscapes that we enjoy so much during your warm days.