RedlyGal’s Neighborhood

Go Ahead Be A Babich: More Wines Under $25

Whites

2008 Babich Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand. Life is a Babich, then you have another glass! This costs $17.30 Canadian. One of the best Sauvignon Blanc I've tried this year.

2008 Extreme Pierre Sparr Riesling Alsace. Big Alsace wine that smells like flowers, and tastes like lime and tropical fruit. You can't go wrong with this one.

Reds

2007 Fetzer Merlot California. Cheap, and really pleasant -- a polite friend.

2006 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon California. Really nice. Interesting. A spicy new world wine.

2008 Lindemans Bin 50. The Chevy of Aussie Shiraz. This is the cola of wine; always good to have around.

I tried a Canadian Cabernet Franc, but I won't tell you what it was, it was awful on the nose and taste, I think it's more for cooking.

Babich SB

i don't have time for anything that's not changing my headlight or sleeping.. but..

...but.... I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate my TWO NEW NEIGHBORS! who added ME, making me feel both Important and a little Self-Conscious (sorry about the mess... I've been.. away...)

My Two New Neighbors are REAL PEOPLE! they are not trying to sell me Christian Louboutin or Louis Vuitton, or get me to watch their webcam! their posts are frequent, and have REAL EVENTS and pictures in them!

So vox isn't dead, after all! Thanks new neighbors, for restoring my faith in the little blog site that could. I look forward to reading your adventures, and not being sold shoes or soft porn.

:)

Spiced Rum Balls

anna
4 days ago
3 comments

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Rum Balls are a traditional Christmas treat but most of the recipes I've come across use crushed vanilla wafers or chocolate cookies, not this recipe! These Rum Balls are made with a rich, dark chocolate brownie base that is crumbled and mixed with dark spiced rum (I've spiked mine with vanilla beans!) to create the most delicious "dough" that is then rolled into little balls and coated with sparkling sugar! This recipe in simple, easy and tastes amazing! These balls are best served chilled or at least cool to hold their shape well. They make a terrific addition to any gift basket and are a very welcome hostess gift as well. Here is how you can make your own:

You can find the entire recipe for Rum Balls here. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Generously coat a 12"x17" rimmed baking sheet with Pam and set aside. In a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth and combines. Set bowl aside to cool slightly.

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Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture, then mix in the flour. You will have enough batter to create a shallow layer in the baking sheet. Spread the batter evenly over the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. Let cake cool completely.

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After cake has cooled, break into small pieces and place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I like the turn on the machine and let it break up the cake into small crumbs.

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With the mixer running, slowly pour in the rum (I used a Spiced Rum that I had added a few vanilla beans to the bottle to give a vanilla essence to the rum) to create a nice dough ball.

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Using a 1 inch ice cream scoop, make small balls and coat in sanding sugar. When all balls are finished, chill in the fridge for around 2 hours.

For gift giving: wrap each of the balls individually in a small square of plastic wrap and place in a mini-muffin paper. Fit a small rectangle of cardboard (my dad cut up some Macy's shirt boxes! Yeah Dad!) on the bottom of a cello bag and add a small strip of decorative paper. Place two rows of three rum balls each in their muffin papers into the bag, tie with ribbon and add a tag. Store in a cool place before giving.

Spicy Hot Cocoa Mix & Fluffy Mexican Vanilla Marshmallows

anna
6 days ago
3 comments

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Looking for a thoughtful yet inexpensive gift? How about a homemade gift of Spicy Hot Cocoa Mix & Fluffy Mexican Vanilla Marshmallows! Treat your friends to a warm and tasty gift that lets them know you are thinking of them! This hot cocoa mix can be made with milk or water- its delicious both ways! The dutch cocoa paired with a touch of spice creates the best "adult" hot cocoa around! Rich and chocolatey, not overly sweet but a perfect foil for the fluffy white marshmallows. These marshmallows are made with a rich Mexican Vanilla Extract that melts perfectly into the hot cocoa. Wrap them up cute with ribbons and tags, add a pretty mug and you have a thoughtful, inexpensive gift that they are sure to love. Here is how you can make your own:

You can find the entire recipe for the Spicy Hot Cocoa here. I followed all the basic ingredients but I added a few shakes of cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla powder and a large pinch of cardamom.

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The most important thing to remember when making this dry mix is: whisk all the ingredients together thoroughly and then pass it thru a sifter or a sieve to get a completely lump-free, soft and powdery mixture. Then whisk again.

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This will ensure that your finished hot cocoa mix is smooth and rich and velvety with no lumps or chunks! Package your hot cocoa mix in cello bags, tie with ribbon and add a tag with instructions for use.

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I figured out that one good sized mug takes about 4 Tablespoons Hot Cocoa Mix to 8 oz. (1 cup) hot milk or water.
On to the marshmallows!

You can find the entire recipe for the Homemade Marshmallows here. I followed all the basic ingredients but I substituted Mexican Vanilla for the regular vanilla extract. You could also try peppermint extract for a pepperminty marshmallow!

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I also substituted a 9"x9" pan lined in parchment paper and well sifted with powdered sugar instead of a glass 8"x12" pan because I wanted thicker marshmallows. Combine gelatin with cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and let sit.

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On the stove, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat until the temperature reads around 240-250 degrees. With the mixer on low speed, carefully drizzle the hot syrup onto the gelatin.

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When combined, carefully turn up the speed to high and whisk for around 10-15 minutes adding the Mexican Vanilla extract toward the end of that time. Carefully scrape the fluffy marshmallow mixture into the powdered sugar coated pan. Use damp fingers to smooth the sticky mixture out as evenly as possible.

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I found that my damp fingers worked better than any spatula at smoothing out the surface without sticking. Dust with more powdered sugar. Let the pan sit out uncovered overnight to dry out.

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The next morning turn the marshmallows out onto a powdered sugar coated cutting board and use an oiled knife or pizza cutter to cut into squares.

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Dust all the sides of the marshmallows with more powdered sugar and then package in a cello bag using wax paper squares in between each marshmallow. Tie tightly with a ribbon and add a tag.

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Homemade Spicy Hot Cocoa Mix and Fluffy Mexican Vanilla Marshmallows: a thoughtful and delicious holiday gift that's sure to please! Happy Holidays!

now i lay me down...

I like falling asleep, but i hate 'going' to sleep. falling asleep means i'm tired and comfortable, and i've found myself laying flat somewhere with time to sleep. falling asleep usually happens on the couch, on my fiance's lap, or in bed on top of a book. falling asleep always happens ON something.

Going to sleep is when I'm not really tired, but I head to bed because I should.. because i have to be up at some ridiculous hour, or i should be tired and i'm not.. Going to sleep is a drag. it feels like a waste of time. it feels like I should be up watching Hulu, or wrapping presents, or studying, or doing any of a thousand things I never find time to do in daylight. Going to sleep feels like giving up.

Lately, going to sleep has also involved my deranged brain conjuring up every possible painful scenario imaginable between now and forever. I've imagined the death, disability, dismemberment of everyone i love. I've seen myself with diseases, unemployed, dumped, childless, alone and lonely on my deathbed. I've imagined the deaths of pets I don't even have yet. No matter how I try to trick myself into thinking about something else, within a minute it always wraps back around to the many horrible things i will undoubtedly experience.. probably tomorrow or the next day. It takes hours, hours, to finally, blessedly, fall asleep.

i haven't always been this way. I don't know when it started or if it will end. is the whole world like this? what do you think about before you drift off?

tell me a happy story.

I Drink You Save: Wines Under $25

I’ve tried all of these wines, and they are all good and a deal as gifts.

Whites

Chardonnay

2006 La Chablisienne Chablis Les Venerables Vielles Vignes France

2008 Toasted Head Chardonnay California

2005 Meusault 1er Cur Les Poruzots Nicolas Potel CHardonnay France

2005 Mount Gisborne Chardonnay Australia

2008 Lindemman Bin 65 Chardonnay California

Sauvignon Blanc

2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand

2009 Errazuriz Estate Sauvignon Blanc Chile

Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Canelli, Chardonnay and Viognier

2007 Conundrum California

Riesling

2008 Yalumba Y Series Riesling South Australia

2007 Trimbach Riesling Reserve Alsace, France

2008 Tamar Ridge Devil’s Corner Riesling Tasmania

2007 Domdechant Werner Hochheimer Kirchenstuck Riesling Spatlese Germany

2007 Cave Spring Cellars Riesling Ontario

Viognier

2008 Cono Sur Reserva Viognier Chile

Gewurtztraminer

2007 Colio Estate Vineyards Gewurtztraminer Harrow Ontario

2007 Pierre Sparr Gewurrztraminer Alsace, FRance

2008 Louis Hauller Gewurtsraminer Alsace, France

Muscat

2007 Ottonel Serbia

Reds

Pinot Noir

2005 Manuel Olivier Pinot Noir Bourgogne Hautes Cotes De Nuits Cuvee de Garde France

2007 Maison Chanson Bourgogne Pinot Noir France

2007 Bell Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir California

2005 Irony Pinot Noir California

Grenache

2005 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva Italy

Tempranillo, Granache, Mazuelo and Graciano

2005 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva Spain

Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Sanata Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Chile

2007 Penisula Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Ontatio

2006 Sumac Ridge Balck Sage Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon British Columbia

Cabernet-Merlot

2004 Chateau de Terrefort Quancard France

Merlot

2005 Chateau Laborde Lalande-de-Pomerol France

Zindfandel

2007 Ravenswood Zinfandel California

2007 Cline Zinfandel California

Primitvo

2005 Salento Primitvo del Salento Puglai Italy

Shiraz/Syrah

2007 Perrin & Fils Reserve Cotes du Phone Syrah France

2006 Plunkett Fowles Therite Shiraz Australia

2006 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Shiraz South Australia

2006 Elderton E Series Shiraz California

2008 Palin Syrah Chile

Malbec

2008 Kaiken Malbec Argentina

Gingerbread House How-To's

anna
Dec 9, 2009
4 comments

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What better way to get into the Holiday Spirit than to make and decorate a real gingerbread house? With a few basic ingredients and some imagination you can make a house as simple or as elaborate as you like! This is my second gingerbread house (you can see last years house here) and its pretty big: 13"w x 6"d x 13"h. This mansion was inspired by a gingerbread house kit that my dad saw in a magazine. You can buy that kit here or do like we did and make your own templates!

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Once you have your templates cut out its time to make the dough. You can find the recipe for gingerbread house dough here. Roll the dough out to 1/8" thick and put the rolled dough into the freezer for and hour so that it is fairly stiff. The stiff dough will be much easier to cut and your edges will be nice and crisp.

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Trace around your template with a sharp knife and save the dough scraps. Keep re-rolling and cutting until all your pieces are finished. If you are going to have "real" windows make sure to cut them out as well. Chill all the cut-outs in the freezer until ready to bake. Keeping the dough cold will help insure that your design stays intact! Bake each of the pieces until lightly browned and cool completely on a wire rack. While the cookies are cooling, make the royal icing. You can find the recipe for royal icing here. Place the icing into a piping bag with a small round piping tip. When the cookies are completely cooled you can draw your designs right onto the cookie with a pencil and then trace over with the royal icing (I like to decorate my house before assembly but you can decorate later if you wish). Let the icing dry overnight before assembling the house. The next day I made sugar glass panes for my windows. You can do this by melting 1 1/2 cups sugar with 1/4 cup water and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a heavy bottom saucepan.

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Melt over high heat until slightly golden in color and the temperature should be around 282-300 degrees on a digital or candy thermometer. Pour window-sized puddles of the melted sugar onto a silpat and let set until cool and hardened. If you need to trim some of the windowpanes, use a sharp knife to score the pane and then snap apart.

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Remove the windowpanes from the silpat and adhere to the back of the cookie with royal icing as glue. Let set for 30 minutes to an hour before assembling the house. When the windows are set you can begin assembling the house by using either royal icing or carmelized sugar for glue (this is a good tutorial for using carmelized sugar for glue). The carmelized sugar has the advantage of setting instantly, however that means you can't move pieces around once you've glued them together!

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I used the carmelized sugar this time and it is really great–No waiting for icing to dry! If you use icing, have some canned goods on hand to help prop up the house until dry.

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Once the house is secure you can finish decorating with more royal icing, candies and sparkling sugars. Remember: icing covers all mistakes! I used powders sugar for "snow" on the roof and dusted on some sparking disco dust for lots of shimmer.

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I left a hole in the back of my house so that I could insert lights that make the sugar windows on the house glow like its lit from within! Happy Holidays!

P.S. If you'd like to decorate a gingerbread house but don't want to bother with the baking and mess you can run down to William-Sonoma and buy a whole pre-baked kit here for only $20! Or you can buy a pre-made mansion here, but it will set you back $300!!

i got written up today...

i wish i could even wish that i were at all sorry for what i said, but the fact is

'you can take it out of my babysitting money'

so aptly describes, a) what i do and b) what you can do about it.

i have a smart mouth. i know, because my mom told me this, usually right before she washed it out with some Dial antibacterial soap. Dial soap tastes like wood and turpentine, but you get used to it. you really do.

you can even start to like it.

Go ahead, scrape it around on those baby teeth, i'll take it like a man. i earned that shit.

anyway.. as a perfectionist, i impose my perfectionist leanings onto other people. I'm lucky that most of my friends and family are in fact, perfect, but unfortunately i have to share close work quarters with the laziest motherfuckers on the planet..

that's it tho. they're just lazy. i've seen them work, i've seen them do good things. smart kids. i've seen them set the bar right up there...

and then the crisis is over, disaster averted, and it's back to the status quo. the status woe.

anyway someone complained, formally, that i hurt their feelings, and i was issued a write up, formally. which i formally signed and it went into a formal folder with my first and last name on it. and during my review someone will bring it up and i'll get paid less in bonus because it turns out....

...they really can take it out of my babysitting money.

Wines of the Week: Pouilly Fumé or Fumé Blanc--Up To You

CordonBlues
Dec 6, 2009
2 comments

Sauvignon Blanc is one my favorite white wines, and I've found some great ones under $20; like the Oyster Bay from New Zealand. Depending on where it’s grown – cool or warm climate—the wine is marked with scents of grass, and can taste tangy with a hint of grapefruit, juicy peach or melon. Sauvignon Blanc is not subtle or delicate, it’s pretty much a big taste in your face.

The most pungent Sauvignon Blanc are from the Loire Valley of Pouilly-sur-Loire, known as Blanc Fumé or Pouilly Fumé. A good Pouilly Fumé with tons of intense oaky flavours is the 2008 Gilles Blanchet. One word: refreshing.

I’ve read, in California, Napa Valley, the plantings devoted to Sauvignon Blanc have increased from 600 acres in1969 to more than 5,000 today. According to a sommelier, the varietal probably owes its popularity to Robert Mondavi, who originated the Fumé Blanc in1967, to distinguish his dry Sauvignon Blanc from semi-sweet ones that dominated the market to the Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc wines. I tried the Robert Mondavi in a blind taste against a Sauvignon Blanc, and I really didn’t think there was a difference between the California wines. The two wines were crisp and dry. Was this a great marketing ploy? Maybe. You'll have to do your own research on this--try the 2007 Robert Mondavi Wine and compare it to the Pouilly Fumé and a Sauvignon Blanc, and see what you get. Cheers!

Blanchet Pouilly Fumé

Robert Mondavi: Fumé Blanc

Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Brittle

anna
Dec 3, 2009
4 comments

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The season for get-togethers and parties is here and it's always nice to have a small gift to bring along. How about some delicious homemade candy as a token of your appreciation? I came up with the this Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Brittle to give as gifts for the holiday season. The brittle is crisp and sweet with the rich warm flavor combination of maple syrup, brown sugar and bourbon. The salted peanuts keep the nostalgia alive but the flavor is totally new and unique! This makes the perfect little gift or stocking stuffer, that is if you can keep yourself from eating it all first! Here is how you can make your own:

Maple Brown Sugar Bourbon Brittle
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup (or maple-flavored syrup)
1/2 cup bourbon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup salted cocktail peanuts

Line a baking sheet with a silpat and set in a 200 degree heated oven.
In a medium saucepan combine both sugars, maple syrup and bourbon over medium heat.

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Stir until sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil. Using a candy thermometer or digital thermometer continue to boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 290-300 degrees.

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Remove pan from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda, vanilla extract and salt. The mixture will foam up. Add the peanuts and mix quickly then spread the candy in the heated baking sheet using an oiled spatula. Try to get the candy spread as thinly as possible. Let the pan and the candy cool completely for about an hour then break into pieces for serving. Store in a covered container or ziplock bag.