New Years Day was a relaxing day for us at our house. We ate all day focusing on our traditional New Year's meal of Chinese food. Boy was it good, we even had left overs for the next day, with my busy days I am a huge fan of leftovers. We played games and visited with family and friends. I made a Coke cake and frosted it two different ways, so as to suit everyone's tastes. This is one of my favorite cakes as it is chocolaty, rich, and moist. I can satisfy my sweet tooth with only one or two bites. (Much better for my waist line).
Along with this scrumptious cake we enjoyed a bottle of Snoqualmie 2008 Merlot. This is a Columbia Valley Merlot. I personally enjoy Merlot from Washington State, as they tend to have a fuller body and slightly more tannin at the back then Merlot from other regions of the world. This is a great everyday wine with a very reasonable price point. In my blogging I am trying to keep with wines that are readily available in Boise. If you have interest in purchasing any of these just let me know so that I can ensure we have them at the shop.

This weekend I will have Coke Cake at the Buzz for the dessert special for all of us to enjoy.

Cheers.

New Year/New Beginning

With the beginning of a new year, I find myself reexamining where I am in relation to where I want to be. I have set some goals for the year that are very reachable; with a little organization and discipline. The kids and Tommy are going to be involved in helping to achieve these goals. The first step in this is to blog about the food and wines we have been enjoying and will be enjoying.

I will continue to present foods and wines in what I refer to as the real world approach. These are wines that are affordable and palatable and foods that can be prepared with ingredients from the grocery store. As a mother of two teenagers, a practicing RN, owner of a small business and assisting in the care of my in-laws I live in the real world and that is where my focus will be.

We, of course, rang in the New Year with a little bubbly. We enjoyed a toast of Schramsberg Cremant. What a great start to the new year. This was a slightly dry cremant without the chalky taste of a true Champagne. Price is under $40. I served mine in a white wine glass, over the past few months I have been exposed to some research that states that the flutes cause the carbon dioxide of sparkling wines to build up at the top of the glass and alter the nose and even effects the taste, I do have to say that I enjoyed the cremant more out of a glass than a flute. Try it the next time you are enjoying a sparkler and see what you think.

At the Buzz last night we had a group that was playing Pathfinder (a game similar to Dungeons and Dragons), I put out a small buffet for them to enjoy with their game and had compliments from them all on my Chicken Enchiladas (by the way went very nicely with the cremant) I was very excited to inform all of the participants that this is one of the entrees that we have in stock for our take and bake line. They are good.

I should go now and decide what to make for New Years and which wine to drink tonight. Happy New Year to everyone.

Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits

Well, another busy day in the world of the Takeda's. Did not sleep well but did get up and was very productive with getting all of the materials organized for the Murder by Malbec summer game; which is our major summer event this year. I am so excited about it, I hope that everyone participating has as much fun doing it as I have had creating and refining it.

Last night my candy shells were quite tasty and a great end to a very long couple of days. I was quite excited when a newbie at the wine dinner said that I seemed very relaxed in front of the group and that I was very good at interacting with the group. I always feel so nervous and think that everyone will sense it and not enjoy themselves but apparently I am good at bringing across my passions and not my fears.

Today we made strawberry cheesecake parfaits. Very rich but entirely delightful. I accompanied mine with M. Chapoutier Cotes-Du-Rhone Belleruche ($14) a slightly tart rose with a lot of flavor.

Okay, well I have been very diligent about making the desserts just not as diligent about telling everyone about them so I will catch up on Monday, Tuesday, and the plan for Wednesday.

Monday I worked until 0700 then came home slept for a total of 3 hours, before being a good mom I went to the 5th grade celebration (type of graduation) events at Boo's school. Very long and drawn out...really, it's 5th grade no one got a doctorate or a Noble peace prize. Anyway then went to the store to pick up a few things for the wine club dinners this month. when I got home I attempted to make a jelly roll ice-cream cake....Failure...I will still need to practice. The kid's will eat it but it is most certainly a failure.

Slept like a baby Monday night, which is a good thing because Tuesday was wine club dinner nite. Big success, I used the dessert from the dinner to be my dessert for the day. Apparently it was tasty as it is now all gone and I did not even get to try it, it was pretty though.

Wednesday another dinner so I am remaking the dessert from Tuesday for that, but according to the rules of my summer project that does not count. So I am filling miniature chocolate cups with a BBavarian cream filling and topping them with fresh strawberries. This will be my treat to myself once I get home.

So now the next focus wines to pair with the desserts. The ice cream cake just needs a good wine to replace the dessert. I would say lets go all out on this one and have Travalini Gattinara ($36) This is nebbiolo at its finest and would not hesitate to drown out a bed dessert. Maybe I'll keep a bottle in the cellar in case someone stops over for dinner and my dessert fails. With the Strawberry and Chocolate Trifle I paired it with Zuccardi Q Tempernillo ($20). I did not taste them together but was informed it was a match made in heaven so for that I will settle. Tonight with my after wine dinner self indulgence I am going to have Riscal Tempernillo ($12) and the big seller at the dinner last night, it drinks like a much more expensive wine and has that phenomenal Spanish taste.

I'll let everyone know my personal indulgence fares.

Well, it was quite a day. Worked at the hospital then went home and crashed. But my faithful companion, Austin, assured himself that I awoke with plenty of time to complete the dessert of the day prior to returning to the hospital. Boy, he sure is a great kid.

Today's dessert we created an Ugly Cake. The name is true to what the cake looks like but as the saying goes do not judge a book by its cover. This is a very moist yellow cake to which a topping of cream cheese and powdered sugar is added. It is a melt in your mouth addition to any meal.

I would pair this with a nice hot cup of coffee and a Renwood Vintage port ($22). This would finish of dinner and allow for a nice transition to intriguing conversation among friends and family.

Ok. Well I did not submit anything yesterday, hoever, I believe that I have a legitimate reason....7 11 year old girls at my home for a sleepover. They were there to celebrate Bailey's birthday and they needed a little more interaction and supervision that I had imagined. Per Bailey though, it was the best sleepover ever and "you rock mom"

For the daily dessert on Friday I kept it simple, butter recipe cupcakes (Texas sized) with either chocolate or vanilla frosting. I decorated the cupcakes with large 'stars' of frosting and then let the girls go at it with sprinkles and jimmies. I have to admit they were far more colorful than I would have made them if I did it myself.

Saturday I make sugarcookie pops in the shape of Mickey Mouse heads. They sure did tast good but they only looked like Mickey if you squinted and looked away really quickly. I will have to evaluate my Disney decorating skills as the summer progresses, but at this time we will just have to eat them and not look too hard or too critically at them prior to consuming.

I would go with Zonin Asti Spumante ($13) with these. This is sweet and light and since these desserts were made for Bailey's Birthday I will defer to her sweet and light demenor. Actually, the Asti with a cup of really good Buzz coffee would probably have served me better for dessert with the company I was keeping.

As always not sure what tomarrow will bring as I have a pretty full day, I am going to look online for an easy dessert for Sunday as I am working Saturday and Sunday nights. Take care.