My favorite local wine of the month

Delicious local red wine I'm sipping right now


When I first started drinking wine, I loved Riesling.  So much so that my mom had to go out and get me a cool Riesling picture for our living room from Kohl's. (She's seriously the best.) Then I jumped over to loving even sweeter whites. Enter Moscato.

Then we got married and gave everyone in our wedding bottles of Cab Sauv from Matthew Fox (they were seriously $2.99 but REALLY good. Of course I had to make labels for everyone too - see sample below!!!) Then I started to dig Pinot Noir and Shiraz. The list goes on. Then we went to Greece and went to a winery there. And South Africa (hello Pinotage). Then California (Temecula and headed north through San Fran and had a private tour with Jake Fetzer). So I decided I love wine, period!

A local liquor store started offering FREE wine tastings every Friday and Saturday, so Karl and I go and usually buy a bottle every week. As you can guess, our wine rack is overflowing. During the colder months, I realized I jumped back into liking whites a lot. Now, as it gets warmer, I'm digging reds. So weird. My poor palette is all mixed up.

Last weekend on the way back from Karl's parent's cabin, we stopped at Winehaven. It's a local winery in Chisago, Minnesota. There were over 20 wines to sample. All GOOD wines, I might add. I recommend going there and trying them all. And better yet, it's all FREE sampling.

Anyway, we ended up buying a red. I don't know what it is about this wine, but I LOVE it. It reminds me of eating grapes off the vine. It's sweet but dry, and just awesome. I highly recommend trying it and let me know what you think!! Below is the description on the tasting sheet!

Deer Garden Red
A semi-sweet wine with bright cherry aromas and flavors. One-of-a-kind from our patented Chisago grapes! Silver Medal Winner 2011.

One of the wine labels I made for our entire wedding party!

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Beef Ragu

Beef Ragu
serves 6
(recipe found in Good Housekeeping May 2011)

Beef Ragu

Salt and pepper
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb lean (93%) ground beef
1 lg carrot, finely chopped
1 lg. stalk celery, finely chopped
1 sm. onion (4 to 6 oz), finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Pinch crushed red pepper
1 can (28 oz) no-salt added-fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 pkg (13.25 oz) whole-grain penne
1 c. packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

1. Heat covered 6-quart pot of water to boiling on high. Add 2 tsp salt.

2. In 12-in. skillet, heat oil on high. Add beef in even layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook 2 minutes or until browned; stir, breaking into pieces.

3. Add carrot, celery, and onion. Cook 5 minutes or until tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Add cumin, coriander, and red pepper. Cook 30 seconds, stirring. Stir in tomatoes; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to maintain steady simmer. Simmer 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, add penne to boiling water. Cook 1 minute less than minimum time label directions. Drain, return to sauce pot. Stir in tomato cause, cook on medium 2 minutes or until pasta is al dente and well coated, stirring. Stir in mint and 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper.

Karl's reaction: "What kind of green stuff is that? Kinda tastes like a mojito. I like it though."

My take: I liked this. I would make it juicier though. It might have been a titch to dry for my taste.

The goodness!! (I used a different pasta to clean out the pantry!)

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Tarragon-Citrus-Crusted Salmon

Tarragon-Citrus-Crusted-Salmon
serves 4
(Recipe found in Good Housekeeping May 2011)

Tarragon-Citrus-Crusted-Salmon

1 lemon
3 navel oranges
1TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1 seedless (English) cucumber, cut in half and thinly sliced
8 oz very thinly sliced red cabbage (about 4 c.)
1/4 c panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 TBS packed fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped, plus leaves for garnish
4 pieces skinless center-cut salmon fillet (4 oz. each)
4 tsp. fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line jelly-roll pan with foil. From lemon, grate 1 tsp peel and squeeze 3 TBS juice. From oranges, grate 1 1/2 tsp peel; set aside. Cut off peel and white pith from oranges and discard. Cut oranges into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange orange slices, slightly overlapping, in center of prepared pan.

2. In large bowl, stir together Dijon oil, sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Add cucumber and cabbage; toss to coat. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, stir together lemon peel, orange peel, panko, green onions, tarragon, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Arrange salmon on orange slices, skin side down; spread 1 tsp yogurt on each fillet. Top with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere.

5. Bake salmon 10 to 13 minutes or until opaque throughout. Transfer fillets with orange slices to 4 plates; garnish with tarragon leaves. Serve with cabbage mixture.

Karl's reaction: "Mmm...this is different. Mmmm...not sure about this one."

My take... Well, I definitely overcooked the salmon. The pieces I used were too big and didn't cook properly. So I kept sticking back in the oven. I cooked for 20+ minutes because it was so goopy pink inside. Buuuut, I guess I'd rather have that than overcooked. I'd try again. And if you make this, let me know how it turns out. The cabbage mixture was REAL good though!!

Salmon dinner (before oven). Looks kind of pretty!!

My fave part! The cabbage salad!

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Coincidence or something bigger?

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you just feel like everything is going to work out? That life is good and precious and everything about it is worth taking a deeper look at. Well, I'm having one of those weeks, and I really want to bottle it up. Because for several weeks/months leading up to now, life hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies. But I'm not going to complain because it's still good. Things just haven't seemed as clear as they do right now.

To explain what I'm thinking is hard other than compare it to a coincidence. However when I used to work at a Lutheran church, I once wrote an article about coincidences in the newsletter and a few members came into my office and shared their thoughts on the word.

"There is no such thing, you know. It's God's work, not coincidence."

I have to agree, but I also believe there are other aspects that orchestrate our outcome too: perseverance, our choices, determination, hard work, luck, timing...maybe throw in a little astrology too. I mean, the other planets exist for some reason... Right?

Town Home for Sale in Burnsville...isn' she cute?

Example
So here I was, walking on a glorious evening last week Thursday, remembering why I live in Minnesota with the lakes in our neighborhood resembling glass and reflecting the fluffy clouds in the sky. The clean, fresh air filled my lungs with freedom and peace. I soon ran into some friends and chatted them up for almost an hour, then got lost (I promise the neighborhood roads get confusing even after ten years living in the same house) and didn't get back home until well after 8 p.m. Let's just say dinner was a late one that night.

However, I spent a ton of time reflecting as I walked (without my IPOD) in silence. The experience was almost like I accepted where I was right at the moment and focused on all the good. Even the bad seemed to turn into an opportunity or growth in my mind. So strange.

But it gets crazier. So for the past few weeks my husband and I have been cleaning out his town home, with the help of his family (so grateful for them) to get it ready for showings. All the while he's grumbling under his breath, "Can't wait to get $25 for my house...Who's going to buy now?" yadda yadda yadda.

Last Friday the house was going on the market. But for some reason my mind was so full of stuff and my calendar jam packed with weddings, baby showers, writing, jobs, you name it, that I honestly didn't have room to add another worry to the list. It was like my brain and body refused to let any negativity or worry in about the house.

As I marched into our quaint neighborhood from my long walk and journey, a large black man waved me over. Great, I thought. What's this guy want? The Mormons already hit us up earlier in the week as well as some students selling magazines.

"Do you know of any houses for sale?" he asked with a heavy African accent. Okay, maybe Nigerian? I'm never good at deciphering this stuff. 

"Huh?" I shifted my eyes toward our house, hoping Karl caught us from the window.

"In this area. Do you know any of the houses for sale. Any foreclosures?" he asked with persistence.

A smile broke on my face. "Noooo, but my husband's house is for sale a few towns over."

"God sent me to you," he said as his eyes grew into saucers.

His words echoed in my head. Wouldn't that be just something crazy, I thought. A person God sent just for me. We exchanged information and before I knew it, the man was meeting our realtor and looking at Karl's house the next day. The day the house went up on the market. And guess what? Today we have a buyer.

Uhhh, say what?

Coincidence? Good luck? Timing? I'm not sure. I could tell you that the buyer wasn't the big black man but someone else (kinda takes away from the story a bit). And granted everything could fall through. (Obviously I don't believe in jinxing things. ha!) But still... Do things like this happen? Or was someone bigger trying to tell me something, let alone prove something. Maybe I don't have anything to worry about. Maybe everything will work itself out the moment I step back, appreciate and let go. Maybe worry is simply a waste of time.

What do you think? Coincidence or something bigger?

"Friendship is not created by what we give, but more by what we share. It makes a whole world of things easier to bear." - anonymous

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Travel with Minnesota Twins - Minneapolis Travel | Examiner.com

My latest Examiner Blog below.

Karl and I took a trip out to Kansas City to visit my brother and sister-in-law and check out a Twins game at Kauffman Stadium since Karl's never been. The weather was perfect and the BBQ was delicious!!! We even stopped at a winery on the way back home in Iowa.

Amy (Tater Tot), Mike, Mark, Karl and Me at Kauffman Stadium - Go Twins!

Travel with Minnesota Twins - Minneapolis Travel Examiner.com

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Chicken Dill Saute

If you like dill, you'll like this quick healthy recipe.

I guess I never really cooked with dill before and I had no idea what I've been missing. Oh, man! I want to put it on everything!!! I found this recipe delicious since I used to drink pickle juice when my mom wasn't looking:)

Chicken Dill Saute
serves 4
(recipe found in Good Housekeeping May 2011)

Chicken Dill Saute

1 lemon
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken-breasts halves, cut into 1/2-in. chunks
3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 sm. onion (4 to 6 oz.), thinly sliced
2 lg. peppers, orange and yellow, sliced
1/2 c. water
salt and pepper
8 oz. sugar snap peas, strings removed, cut in half
1/3 c. fresh dill, chopped

1. From lemon, grate 1 tsp peel; set aside. Into pie plate, squeeze 1 TBS juice. Add chicken; turn to coat.

2. In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium-high. Add onion, peppers, 2 TBS water, and 1/4 tsp each salt and ground pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until softened, stirring. Transfer to large plate.

3. In same skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium-high. Add peas, 2 TBS water, and 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Add to pepper mixture.

4. In same skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium-high. Add chicken; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring once. Return vegetables to pan; add remaining 1/4 cup water. Cook 1 minute or until saucy, stirring. Stir in dill, 1/4 tsp salt and reserved peel.

Note: I didn't have time to cook up chicken. So again, I used a rotisserie chicken. And I didn't really have time to remove the strings from the snap peas. Time is hard to come by for me lately. But this still turned out great!

Karl's reaction: "Whoa...there might be a titch too much dill in this one." Me: "I love it!"

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Chicken Panzanella Salad

Chicken Panzanella Salad
serves 4
(recipe found in Women's Health Magazine May 2011)

Chicken Panzanella Salad (cost per serving $2.90)

1 small whole-wheat pita pocket, cut into sixths
Non-stick cooking spray (olive oil)
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large pinch lemon zest
1 1/2 TBS virgin olive oil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 cup diced cooked skinless white-meat chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken - no skin)
2 cups shredded Bibb lettuce
1 medium tomato, cut into eighths
1/2 cup cannellini beans
1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 thin slices Vidalia onion
1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

Dressing for Panzanella Salad (yum!)

1. Spray pita with cooking spray. Toast in 400 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Set aside.

2. Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Add olive oil and pepper; whisk well to combine. Set aside.

3. Place remaining ingredients in a medium salad bowl and toss with dressing. Crumble toasted pita into large chips. Add to salad, toss well, and serve.

A healthy dinner for two



Lots of  'spring-like' flavor in this salad

Karl's reaction: "I like this!! It's different, but good! But why is there a lemon seed in mine? Do you do this on purpose?" Me: "Never!!"

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