Wine

#WineWednesday Tips for Making Mom’s #ValentinesDay Special From The Makers of @MomsTimeOutWine

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Sometimes, it’s hard to find a romantic moment when you’re a parent or to feel appreciated by your significant other.  So this Valentine’s Day, the makers of Mommy’s Time Out™ and Dad’s Day Off™ Wines have a few suggestions:

Book Your Sitter Early!  Don’t wait for the last-minute to arrange a sitter if you’re planning a night out.  They’re in high demand on Valentine’s Day.  Having trouble sourcing a sitter? Set up a babysitting cooperative with other parents in your neighborhood.  Each couple/parent can volunteer one evening a month to watch the kiddies…this “no cost” option ensures you get at least one night a month to keep the romance alive!

Stay In & Include the Kids.  If you can’t manage a night without the kids, find ways to include them.  Have them help to set a pretty table, make a special treat and create their own cards.  This is a great time to show the kids how to express their love for each member of the family, as well as to set an example of how mom and dad love and appreciate one another.

Give Thoughtful Gifts. For busy parents, romance isn’t always about sex, so skip the negligee and give a gift they can really use! For Mom’s it might be a coupon for a foot rub or a relaxing day without the kids.  For Dad, it might be a certificate for a day on a fishing boat with friends or taking the kids out so he can watch a game without any interruptions.  Pair the gift with a bottle of Mommy’s Time Out Delicious Red or Dad’s Day Off Chianti!  I have tried their Garganega Pinot Grigio before and I love it. It is refreshing..not too sweet, not to dry~just right!  Put it in a basket along with some other favorite things and it will make the perfect personalized gift!

Focus on Love!  Valentine’s Day is all about love, so it’s a great time to teach your children about how love is important in their lives.  The ancient Greeks had different words for different kinds of love.  You may want to research and teach their meaning.  Each can provide a wonderful lesson on love, especially when a child can relate it to people they know.

About Our Wines:

Selective Wine Estates, Inc. imports Mommy’s Time Out Delicious Red and Dad’s Day Off Chianti.  The wines are made from select grapes from some of the finest vineyards in Italy. Each blend is fresh, crisp, and fruity, with a wonderful berry aroma. The structure and character of these great Italian wines makes them easy to drink with or without food. Both wines are fresh, fruity and well balanced. 

“The suggested retail price for both wines is around $10. Adults over the age of 21 should enjoy these wines responsibly.

For more information, please visit www.mommystimeoutwine.com. 

*Mommy’s Time Out is a registered trademark of Selective Wine Estates, Inc.

#FoodieFriday Last Minute Holiday Gifts + Giveaway @gmtgiftbaskets Gourmet Gift Baskets Review

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Disclosure: I received products for review and promotional giveaway in exchange for my honest opinion
​It’s the holiday season. Christmas carols being sung, Celebrating Kwanzaa and Menorah’s being lit. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. No matter your faith, there is one binding force that we all love… GIFTS !! There is only one thing more rewarding and gleeful than receiving a special gift, and that is actually GIVING a unique gift to that special someone. 

Finding that unique gift for that particular person on your list is always a challenge — especially as the clock counts down to the holidays. But given the huge selection of offerings that GourmetGiftBaskets.com and KingOfPOP.com provide for every member of the family, the office, or even the neighborhood, it makes sense to take a good look at their latest and greatest items. Hundreds of choices abound, including: 25 different cheesecake flavors, almost 100 different popcorn flavors, beer buckets, cake pops, wine suitcases, towers, upscale baskets, and more. And there are many new and updated items for the holidays and beyond!

My husband is the King of Brunch as he loves to cook breakfast for me and our daughter. So I thought the perfect gift for my Top Chef would be the Christmas Breakfast Gift Basket . 

This basket defies description. Imagine you wake up one cold morning with a bear’s appetite. Well this basket literally has the making of a breakfast for champions. All the items are what makes this part of our nation so special. Their website describes it as the following: “Inside a gorgeous basket, your recipient will discover delicious foods, like Maine’s juiciest blueberries, New Hampshire’s sweetest maple syrup, and Broadbent’s hickory-smoked pepper bacon, creating a lovely gift that’s guaranteed to make any morning unforgettable. ” The basket also had pancake/waffle mix and coffees, scone mix and jams. Simply incredible. Here is how it looks out the box:

I can’t wait for Christmas morning to unwrap and make a fantabulous Christmas breakfast with my family as my little one shreds gift wrapping all around the living room ! I’ll be sure to share some Christmas Brunch pics via @SobeSavvy !

With Christmas almost here and New Year’s around the corner, the perfect gift for anyone ready to celebrate is bubbly! 

I received this Toasting to the New Year Gift Basket and was impressed by how quick the shipment came and how beautiful the handcrafted basket was.This basket came in a keepsake steel wired basket filled with La Marca Prosecco , gourmet crackers and cheeses and Dolcetto Chocolate Wafer Bites. This would make a great hostess gift and today I am giving one away for 1 luck winner to enjoy!

Simply comment below and share what items you would like to receive in your dream gift basket! Winner selected at random 12/20/16 at noon. Good Luck !

#WineWednesday spotlight on #NCWine from @DuplinWinery for #NCWineMonth ! #DuplinWine #NC

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Wine lovers rejoice ! September is NC Wine Month…a time to celebrate the state’s $1.7 billion wine and grape industry. “North Carolina is home to more than 180 wineries, and each one is as unique as the wines it offers,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “On top of that, the state has 525 grape growers from the mountains to the coast.”

We here at SobeSavvy.com kicked off our celebration with some muscadine wine. Not just ANY wine but Duplin wine. It is the world’s largest Muscadine winery and the oldest operating winery. My first introduction to Duplin wines was when a dear friend bought over a bottle as a housewarming gift when we moved to NC over a year ago. I have been a fan of the “cool,sweet,easy” wine ever since ! 

Duplin was established in 1975 in Rose Hill, NC and they have a fiercely
loyal following, not only in the south but nationwide. Sweet Muscadine wine is
what they make and that is what their customers love! Recently we had a chance to review two of their wines: Carolina Red Reserve and Sippin’Sweet Muscadine 

Carolina Red Reserve was up first. This is what I would call a “semi
formal” choice. The bottle itself is beautiful, so our expectations were pretty
high. We had this one afternoon at a sit down lunch. It was lush and very
smooth. It paired well with our seafood entree. We even used our custom Duplin
wine glasses we received when we did the tour at their N.Myrtle Beach winery location over the summer.

A few days later we decided to try out their Sippin’ Sweet Muscadine wine.
It’s hand bottled exclusively at their N.Myrtle Beach location in a classic
mason jar. A much more casual affair than the Carolina Reserve ! We had it with
some take out and it was awesome. Light and mildly sweet . We had to slow down
our sips which had turned into gulps! This is a the perfect choice for outdoor
patio BBQ or a Netflix and chill night at home. Sure to be a favorite of
everyone’s this Sippin Sweet is a bonafide winner.


Duplin has a variety of muscadine wine choices, so there is something for
everyone. They revel in not being a “snooty” wine. They like for folks to use
the “PDR” method when consuming their products. Pour…Drink..Repeat !

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Duplin Winery is one of the many wineries offering a variety of special events in September, from wine tastings and grape stomps to music festivals and farm-to-table dinners. On Sept. 10  Duplin Winery is holding their annual event : Duplin Winery’s Grape Stomp in Rose Hill  I am sad to miss it but plan to make a trip out to that winery soon as I hear they have a fabulous bistro as well !

Savvy tip: Want to have your own wine tasting at home? Get a Duplin six bottle pack at a great price here and celebrate NC Wine Month before September ends! 

Cheers!

 

 

#FoodieFriday spotlight on @LocalsSeafood! From Boat to Table #NCseafood @ChadwickCreek oysters and more!

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This Past Sunday, my family and I headed down to the famous Raleigh Farmers Market. This is where fresh food in any category can be found. We were there specifically for fresh seafood.

North Carolina is blessed in many way. One way in particular is geography. We have mountains and we have beaches. The Atlantic is literally at our doorstep in the Eastern part of the State. In these waters, some of the freshest seafood in the world thrives here. Lucky for us, Locals Seafood Company http://localsseafood.com/ just happens to provide this bounty to the public.

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Locals Seafood has a presence at the Triangle’s biggest weekend Farmers Markets. They can be found at farmers markets in Chapel Hill, Western Wake and of course in Raleigh. When we arrived there were a few enthusiastic customers ahead of us. Some of whom advised me that Locals Seafood is the ONLY place they buy their fresh seafood.

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Locals’ menu constantly fluctuates with what is in season and available. This guarantees only the freshest regional seafood is available for their loyal customers.

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Scallops, Sea Bass, oysters ,flounder and soft shell crabs were just a few items for sale at the market on Sunday.

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We decided to get some soft Shell Crabs and make a soft shell crab Po Boy. Lightly fried in a mix of olive and vegetable oil…Semi Soft bread from our local baker worked well. We built it with dry cole slaw and Remoulade Dressing. Yum !

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On Sunday, Locals had two types of fresh raw oysters available: Wild Oysters and Chadwick Creek oysters, which is located on the NC Inner Banks. We got a 1/2 dozen each and made them two ways.

First up were Raw Oysters w/lemon and a classic mignonette. As the pictures can attest, these were highly anticipated !

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The second recipe we decided on was Oysters Rockefeller. Oven Baked w/Spinach, bacon and grated parmigiano- reggiano cheese until golden brown.

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Last but definitely not least were what to do with our fresh flounder filet. How about Flounder Almondine?

Light egg batter and salt/pepper dusted flour dip and pan fried in Olive oil . We finished it with parsley flakes w/a side of asparagus tips. GREAT seafood sampler dinner from Locals Seafood. It just doesn’t get any fresher or any more local than this. Stop by one of the markets in Raleigh, Chapel Hill or West Wake this weekend and get buy your own fresh catch !

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