A Weekend of Wine...

Friday night Chad and I attended a 7-course wine-paired dinner at the Grafton Winery & Brewhouse.  Yummy...and very reasonable!  The place is fairly new and very cool.  It was up on the second floor of the building where the winery is located, so it overlooked the river.  (The brewhouse is down on the first floor.)  I wasn't sure how the seating was going to work out but we ended up sitting with 2 older couples who were quite friendly...and became funnier as the night went on...and the wine went down.  LOL!  The owner was in attendance and the chef came out to tell us about each course.  Surprisingly it wasn't stuff feeling at all.  The employees had a great sense of humor!
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures but I listed the menu below. 

Course I

Four Artisan Cheeses 

~ Pinot Gris ~

Course II

Watermelon, Cucumber & Tsatsiki Salad

~ Apple Crisp ~

Course III

 Seared Scallops, Pomme Puree, & Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

~ White Cabernet ~

Course IV

Herb-Encruste French-Cut Lamb Chop, White Bean Cassoulet, Zucchini Strings & Balsamic Reduction

~ Harbor Red (dry red blend) ~

Course V

Pan-Roasted Halibut, Shrimp Chowder, Steamed Mussels & Crispy Pancetta Bacon

~ Chardonnay ~

Course VI

Peppered Tenderloin Medallion, Mushroom Ragout & a Trio of Asparagus

~ 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon ~

Course VII

Spiced Plum & Raspberry Turnovers

~ Raspberry Kiss~ 

Can you believe that this took 4 hours to get through???  The winery wasn't skimpy on the amount of wine (half a glass per course) or the food (sooooo full)!  I can't wait for Grafton Winery to schedule the next one.  I think in June they have a 4-course beer-paired dinner planned.  I'll be in attendance at that one too!

We decided at the last moment to reserve a room for the night, so we wouldn't have to drive the hour home after all that wine.  There are plenty of B&Bs in the area (very few hotels), but most of them were booked.  I think that was because of all the eagle watching going on in he beginning of the year.  Anyway, we ended up at the historic Reubel Hotel...not the best place...but adequate for what we needed given that we didn't get home until after 11pm!

On the way back home Saturday, we stopped at this little wine place in Fairview Heights that I had been wanting to visit for quite some time...Olivia's.  How cute is this place???  They specialize in all types of wines including hard to find wines...and wines of all prices.  They have free wine tasting on Saturdays from 12pm-6pm...2 white & 4 reds each week.  They post this on Saturday mornings.  We lucked into the wine tasting!  Rick, one of the owners, was quite knowledgeable about the wines and could answer every question we asked.  There's a little bar in the back where they do the tastings and everyone just converses with each other.  The owners, a husband and wife, are so personable!  They make you feel right at home.  The tastings aren't skimpy and they don't mind giving you a second taste of something you might like!  Woo hoo!  You can bet I'll be back again next weekend!

This was just the weekend I needed after such a crappy work week!  I'm hoping for a better week this week...and get back to the gym.  I totally blew the diet this past week.  Have a good one! 

Weekend Project Unveiled

So here it is...the results of an extremely expensive shopping trip and 3 days of manual labor....new window treatments.  I know, I know.  It's actually pathetic that it's taken me 4 years to get these up, but I've just had so much more to do around here.  

So the living room had these "cottage-like" shutters.  The style of the person who sold me my house was completely country...not like me at all.  I've tried to make these work in a more modern decor, but I just got completely tired of them.  Plus, the window frame was so badly painted, that I just couldn't take it anymore.  I spent Saturday taking down the shutters, filling multiple holes in the window frame, sanding it, priming it and finally painting it.  It looks great now, but you can't see it.  See the before pic below...

The next two pics are of the bedroom...before.  I'm just getting around to decorating this room.  I finally purchased a matching set of furniture last year...pathetic again.  I know!  Now it's time to decorate!!

Wait for it...wait for it...

Ta Da!!!!!  The living room after....

...and the bedroom...

It was difficult work...hanging the curtains...but soooo worth it.  Everything looks so much nicer now.  Hope you like it!  Now on to the next project...

 

Day 12...

Wow!  I didn't realize it had been so long since I'd written.  I'm on Day 12 of "Lisa's Healthier Lifestyle"...and I've lost 2 lbs.  Woo hoo!  It's so hard for me to lose weight.  I'm so happy that I've lost 2 lbs in just under two weeks.  This should be slow enough of a weight loss to keep it off.  I've done this while continuing to have a few drinks a week...and some of my favorite food...just less of everything.  I'm also trying to up my gym workouts from a sad once per week to at least 3-4 times per week.  Work is not helping me keep to this routine though.

We're heading out to Hanley's Grille & Tap tonight.  Yum!  It never seems to disappoint.  I'm looking forward to a nice glass of wine after a long day.  I'm working on a new project at home...nothing too big but still work.   More to come on this later...

  

Update...healthier lifestyle day #2

Phew!  I forgot how tough this was!  I've really been off my game the last 6 mos...Africa trip, bronchitis, rib issues, car accidents!  Is someone trying to keep me from the gym???  Can't be!  So I've made the typical, cliche' resolution...get healthier!  Much to Chad's dismay...I'm taking him on the calorie-cutting train with me.  Ha!


So I downloaded this new app for my iPhone...Lose It!  It assists you in tracking your weight, calorie intake, nutrients...and even comes up with a daily calorie intake max after you enter in how much weight you want to lose.  My goal...10 lbs in 2 months, which is probably quite unrealistic for me.  I lose weight ever so slow...even when I diet and exercise.  Blah!  I'm going to get close to that goal though.

So today is Day #2 of the calorie tracking and decreased calorie intake.  Yesterday wasn't bad...half of a fruit smoothie for breakfast, turkey lettuce roll-ups with cheese for lunch, clementines for a snack and then left-over pork fried rice for dinner.  Today was more difficult.  I'm much more hungry...and quite crabby because of it.   To top it off I had a crappy, crappy afternoon and left work quite late.  I really wanted a glass of wine...my evening standard after bad work days.  BUT I didn't!  I retrained myself!  Yay!  I figured no wine since I didn't work out!  I'm saving the alcohol for weekends...or girl's nights.  Ha!


I hope you all are doing well with your New Year's resolutions!  Keep it up!

Today is the first day of a healthier lifestyle...

...or so I hope.  I really want to cut back on the unhealthy things in my life.  I just hope I can stick with it.  If I can, I will hopefully lose the extra pounds that I packed on in the last part of 2009...and get back to where I was physically.  So since I was off work on the first business day of the year...and banned from the gym for one last day...I thought I would spend the extra time cooking up a fresh & healthy meal for Chad & I.  Here's what I came up with.  Yummy just the way it is but also with lots of room to add your own flair.  I added some hot sauce & hot Chinese mustard to the stir-fry.

Veggie Fried Rice with 5-Spice Pork

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

2 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. long-grain white rice 

5 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 lb. thin pork loin chops, thinly sliced

Salt/pepper

2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed & thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded & thinly sliced

2 small carrots, shredded (a couple of handfuls)

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 c. fresh or thawed frozen peas

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1  2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled & grated or minced

1/3 to 1/2 c. tamari

• In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and 3/4 c. water to a boil.  Stir in the rice, cover and cook over low heat for 18 minutes.  Fluff with a fork & spread on a baking sheet to cool.
• In a large, deep nonstick skillet or wok, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over high heat.  Season the pork with salt, pepper & the five-spice powder.  Add the pork to the pan & stir-fry for 3 min.  Transfer to a plate.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in the skillet, then add the eggs and scramble for 2 min.  Push the eggs to the side of the pan, add the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and lower the heat to medium.  Add the mushrooms, red bell pepper and carrots; stir-fry for 2 min.  Add the scallion, peas, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 min.  Add the cooked rice and crisp it for a couple of min.  Stir in the tamari & reserved pork.     
  

Green Beans with Carmelized Onions

Courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 Tbsp. EVOO                            1 Tbsp. butter

1 large onion, sliced                  1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

Salt & pepper 

• In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the EVOO & butter.  Add the onion to the pan.  Cook until light brown & carmelized (about 20 min.)
• Meanwhile, cook the green beans for for 5 min. in 1 inch of boiling water, covered.  Drain the beans & toss them in the skillet with the onions.  Season with salt & pepper. 
  

Bon Appetit!

The Ups and Downs of the holidays...

Well as I mentioned in my previous posting, I hosted Xmas Eve at my place. Here's a few of the pics from that night. My dining room...

The Fillback Fam...

Mom & John...

OK, so I must apologize for the picture following this recipe. I forgot to take it prior to everyone digging in. Ha! It was quite yummy & a great finger food. I made this new recipe as an appetizer to the Xmas Eve meal...

Pesto Tortellini
Courtesy of Taste of Home

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  
• 2 Tbsp. oil, divided
• 10 oz. pkg. refrigerated tortellini
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. prepared pesto
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• Frilled toothpicks

Directions:

• Place garlic cloves on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil. Wrap foil around garlic. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min. or until tender. Cool for 10-15 min.
• Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain & rinse in cold water. Toss with remaining oil & set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, milk, pesto & pepper. Mash garlic into pesto mixture; stir until combined.
• Alternatively thread tortellini and tomatoes onto toothpicks. Serve with pesto dip. Refrigerate any leftovers. Yum!!!!
  

I also made a yummy glaze for the ham. Sorry, there's no pic of this one. I forgot to take it in all the hustle and bustle prior to serving the meal.

• 6-8 lb. ham
• 1 c. honey
  
• 1/2 c. molasses
• 1/2 c. bourbon
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

Directions:

• Combine the honey, molasses & bourbon & in a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Then stir in the last 2 ingredients.
• Bake the ham at 325 degrees for 1.5 hours. Baste occasionally.
  

And the bad news of the holidays...

So, I was rear-ended on New Year's Eve Eve. Blah! I was just sitting at a stop light minding my own business and then...Bam! Actually the damage to my car isn't anywhere near as bad as the other driver's car...and no one was injured! Now it's more of a hassle than anything else. Here's a pic of the damage...

Happy Christmas!!!

Happy Christmas, everyone!!! I had a fun, exciting but very busy Christmas holiday!! I hosted Christmas Eve for the Fillback clan at my house, which went quite smoothly. Entertaining has never been my strong suit, but it seems to get better each time I do it. Now I just need to do it a little bit more. Ha!! I was even comfortable enough to try out a couple of new recipes, which I was a bit nervous about. The Fillback clan can be a tough crowd! I made a new tortellini pesto appetizer and a new bourbon ham glaze. Both turned out well and were a big hit. (I'll post the recipes soon!)

I received some great gifts that evening...a Hanley's gift certificate, wine, a running shirt & a nice Craftsman 16 gallon Wet/Dry vac with a detachable blower. Oh my! I never thought I'd be excited about such a manly toy!! I actually had to try it out that evening due to the crazy rain we received for the prior 48 hours! Thanks, Dad!

Christmas Day I headed to my mom's for fun, food, drink and loads of Hand-and-Foot (a card game that is popular with this side of the fam.) We had an yummy dinner which included chicken spedini and some great red wine shipped in from Napa (courtesy of John's sister, Laurie) that was left over from Turkey Day! I received another round of wonderful gifts...a subscription to SELF magazine, Saw V, and two of my favorites...Super Mario Bros Wii and wait for it...wait for it...my own Guide to Homebrewing. I also received some cash to purchase some of my homebrewing supplies. Yes, folks! You got it! I'll be homebrewing before you know it! John used to homebrew with his friends and is going to teach me how! I'm stoked! Now if I could only find the time to read the book.

This coming weekend we are exchanging gifts with John's daugther, Calyn...her husband, Ben and Lehni-girl! They couldn't make it on Christmas day because Ben's sister and her family were in from Paris, France. So were celebrating a bit late...but who cares!

Hope you all had some happy holidays! I'll post recipes and pics soon!

Another yummy recipe...

Well, I took a small hiatus from cooking, but I'm baaaaaack! Sunday night Chad and I celebrated our Xmas together (since he goes home to NY for the holiday.) I thought it would be nice if I threw something together instead of going out to eat. Here's what I came up with. Pretty yummy...and not too bad for my first attempt at risotto!!!! Enjoy!





Drunken Risotto with Sausage and Spinach
Courtesy of Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 3/4 lb. bulk Italian sweet or hot sausage
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1.5 cups arborio rice
• 1/3 lb. spinach leaves, stemmed & chopped
• 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese
• Salt & pepper
  

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, combine the wine & chicken stock. Keep warm over a low flame.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat the EVOO over medium-high head. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling the meat, until browned (about 2 min.)
• Add the onion & garlic. Cook until softened (about 2 min.) Stir in the rice and season with salt & pepper.
• Add the warm wine-stock mixture a couple of ladlefuls at a time...stirring vigorously after each addition and letting the liquid evaporate before adding more...cooking the risotto for 18 min.
• In the last 5 min of cooking, stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, to wilt. Stir in the nutmeg.
• In the last minute of cooking, stir in the butter and then the cheese.
  

Busy, busy weekend

Phew! This weekend was a blur but very fun...and a good release! Something I really needed after the last couple of weeks!!!

Friday night Judy and I hit up Jefferson's for some grub before heading over to Nick's Pub for a grade school friend's bday party. I'd never been to Nick's before Friday. It looks like a complete dive, but I'd have to say it's substantial. It has a great selection of beers on tap...especially for a smaller place. The drinks are well mixed. The food looked good too...even though I just snacked off of everyone else's plates. Ha! Bad habit of mine. There was even a little one-man band kind of thing with fairly good music.
Check 'em out. http://stlouis.citysearch.com/profile/5739206/st_louis_mo/nick_s_pub.html

Birthday girl...Jennifer!

Another good friend...Cari

Saturday night was Vicki's Ugly Sweater Xmas Party. This was another first of mine. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a lot of fun...good childish-adult fun! : )

It was a chore finding an ugly sweater though. I searched all over Fairview and Belleville...retail stores, Goodwill, etc. I ended up with a Kmart/Gordman's combo. I think Vicki bought up all the snazzy attire at Goodwill!! : )
Chad's attire was another story! I couldn't find anything good holiday clothing for men. Check out the pics below to see what he ended up with.

I had to drag Chad kicking and screaming to dinner in his studly attire! Just kidding...but I did have to coax him a bit. I think it was the promise of yummy Mexican food that got him to agree finally. For those of you that don't know Chad well...he hates Halloween and loves Xmas. So this was quite a confusing party for him...like a Halloween Xmas. Ha!

Check out this hot couple! Hilarious!
Chad's tie was musical and quite sensitive. It kept playing all night.

Chad was first to pick his White Elephant gift? However, once he chose it, he couldn't open it! Ha!

How many men does it take to open a White Elephant gift? Two?

Three?

Phew! Finally! It's a Schlitz beer lava lamp! Kick ass!

Can you believe the lava lamp was stolen from him??? I think Judy ended up with it.
This is what Chad ended up with!? A Miller Lite t-shirt & hat.

I had my hands on a nice bottle of Captain Morgan run at one point during the gift exchange...but that didn't last long. I ended up with 3 pairs of men's socks. Ha! No point in taking pics of that!

Leftover Turkey

I get soooo tired of eating leftover turkey sandwiches, so I decided to try something new this year...something more refreshing & appetizing. Here's what I made...and it ROCKED!!!


Turkey Posole
A Rachel Ray recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. vegetable oil

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Coarse salt & pepper
• 1 cup beer
• 16 tomatillos, peeled & coarsely chopped
• 15 oz. can hominy
• 1 quart chicken stock
• Any left over gravy (optional)
  
• 1.5-2 lbs. light & dark cooked turkey meat, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• Corn chips of choice

Directions:

• Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil. Then add onions, garlic, jalapenos, cumin, thyme and salt & pepper to taste. Cook 5-6 min to soften onions. Then add beer and cook it off for about 1 min.
• Stir in tomatillos and cook 5 min more. Then stir in hominy, chicken stock, any leftover gravy (up to 2 cups) and the turkey.
• Heat through, adjust salt & pepper and simmer posole 10-15 min over low heat. Stir in lime juice and remove from heat.
• Garnish soup with cilantro and serve with corn chips to dip.

Just a quick note...I used 4 jalapeno to make it a bit spicier and canned tomatillos (which were sooo much easier since they're already peeled.) Very good!

Food, drink & cards...

Thanksgiving weekend is always a blast at Mom's house. We eat tons, drink lots and play Hand and Foot all weekend. Ever heard of it? We get loud and rowdy...talk a lot of smack...and don't forget the ongoing "table talk". Here's a couple pics of us...

You gotta love the Evan Williams "spiked" eggnog!!!

We also held a 3rd birthday party for my niece. What a cutie! There was limbo, a tea party, a tiara and a huge Hello Kitty cookie. Take a look...

Post-Thanksgiving Bliss...

First of all let me say that both desserts were very well received! Yay! I'm always kind of nervous when I make a recipe for the first time. Phew!

Yesterday, I got up quite early with the rest of the hard-core shoppers to attack the Black Friday sales. I don't, however, wait in line for hours prior to a store opening. That's where I draw the line!! If I have to freeze my booty off for hours and hours, then it cannot be worth it. I got just a good of a deal...if not better...Wednesday evening on www.newegg.com. We bought a 46" Sharp LCD TV with all of the specifications we wanted for $699! Crazy deal!!! Take that, crazy Best Buy shoppers that were lined up all the way to the street yesterday morning!!!! AHHHH HAHAHAHA (evil laugh)!!!!!

One of these days I'll have my Xmas list in order and stop shopping for myself on Black Friday! I did purchase 3 Xmas presents yesterday! That's a record!

Happy Shopping!!!

My first attempt at a trifle...

PUMPKIN GINGERBREAD TRIFLE

Ingredients:

• 2 (14 oz.) pkg. gingerbread mix
• 1 (5.1 oz.) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30 oz.) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/3 tsp. ground cardamom or cinnamon
• 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions:

• Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar and cardamom into the pudding.
• Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl.
• Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread.
  
• Then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding and whipped topping.
• Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.
  

Pie...Pie...Pie!!

GLAZED APPLE CREAM PIE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp. milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tart apples - peeled, cored & sliced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 (15 oz.) pkg. pastry for double-crust pie.
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream & 1/4 cup butter. Heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally.
   
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 2 Tbsp. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir into saucepan. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the apples, flour and cinnamon. Mix well.
4. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pie dough. Pour thickened filling mixture into pastry-lined pan. Arrange apple mixture evenly over filling. Top with second crust, seal and flute edges (or get fancy with a lattice top). Cut slits in top crust.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool for at least 30 min.
6. In a small bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, 1 Tbsp. milk, 1/4 tsp. milk, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and 1 Tbsp. softened butter. Blend until smooth. Pour evenly over warm pie.
7. Refrigerate for AT LEAST 90 min before serving...longer is better.
   

Gobble Gobble!

I hope that everyone has amazing Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and tons of yummy things to eat...and drink. I'll be posting a couple of the things that I'm be chowing down on today in addition to the turkey.

Have a great one!