How To Keep your Party go-ers coming back: Remodel your Kitchen

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You may not realize it, but the kitchen is probably the room that you spend the most time. You not only eat there yourself, but it’s also the room that you often spend time with guests. If you are spending so much time in this room, shouldn’t it at least look the way you want it to? No matter if you are the type of person who throws wine tasting parties, or are a college student using your kitchen for parties, you can make your kitchen fit your personality.

Remodeling a kitchen isn’t as easy as it seems. Although you may think you know what type of design would look the best in your kitchen, it’s smart to leave that stuff up to those who have experience in that department. You don’t want to design your kitchen to look the way you thought would be a good idea, and then realize it really wasn’t. Those who have experience, know what colors,shapes, and materials would look best in your size kitchen.

It is however important to do your research so you at least have an idea what you want your kitchen to look like. There are so many things to consider when kitchen remodeling, from refrigerators to counters. It can truly be overwhelming, because there so many options. With a little research and the right contractor, you might never want to leave your kitchen. And if you are that wine party host, you better stock up on wine, because your guests will keep coming back

Doing a nursery remodel on a low budget

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Guest post written by Heather Sykes

When we found out that we were pregnant, one of the first things on my mind was how I’m going to decorate the nursery. Now, don’t get me wrong, I want a really cute nursery for our first baby. But I also had to think about fitting those nice decorations into a budget. I don’t want to have put off saving for our child’s college fund just because I decided I wanted some designer stuff for the nursery. So I’m trying to DIY stuff for the nursery for the sake of our tight budget.

It’s funny to think how much thought parents put into a nursery when babies aren’t even that aware of things around them in a nursery. But of course you want things to be nice for your kid, so I understand it in the end. I was looking online to see if I could find some nice DIY projects that obviously aren’t homemade and when I was doing that I ran across some info on Sears. After I looked thorugh it a little bit, I decided to use them to replace our windows before I have the baby.

I’ve found all kinds of cute DIY projects that will keep the baby’s room looking cute with some cheap materials that are within our budget.

Food and Wine: The Key To A Girls Heart

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With Valentines Day right around the corner, it won’t be long until guys start panicking over what to get their wives/girlfriends. Sure there is the typical flowers and chocolate, but this won’t get her to brag to all of her friends about how great of a boyfriend you are. This year, why not surprise her and prepare a nice meal. Prepare her favorite dish for the main course, and she will think that the dish is the surprise of the night. She will never expect what is to come for dessert. You can either make them yourself or buy them from a store, but no food screams Valentines Day like chocolate covered strawberries.
You might ask what else can go with that delicious dessert, and there’s nothing else I can think of that would go perfectly other than wine. There’s just something so romantic about chocolate covered strawberries, that will surely make every females Valentines Day. You can even design your own bottle of wine, which is sure to score extra points for all you guys. Many wineries allow you to actually choose what kind of wine you want, and then you could actually have a picture of you and your lover. Whether you choose white, red, or any other type of wine, if it’s paired with chocolate covered strawberries ,this year’s Valentines Day will be one to remember. The pair will be so irresistible, which will make you irresistible as well.

DIY

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Thanks for the guest post by Jonathan Curtis

As a surprise last month, my wife upgraded our satellite tv service to directv.com/choicextra. I was so excited to see the new channels I had been looking for and to find some new ones I had never seen. I love home improvement projects so my new favorite network is DIY. DIY stands for Do-It-Yourself—a fitting description for me. I’m always looking for ways I can improve my home both to increase its value but also to make it better for my family. Just last week they had a special on simple and inexpensive bathroom improvements. After watching the half hour segment, my wife and I headed to our local home improvement store for some quick fixes. Our biggest purchase was new light fixtures. Before watching the show I never would have attempted to do the electrical work required to change the lights out but after seeing how simple it could be I was ready to tackle the project myself. To match the new light fixtures we also purchased coordinating towel racks and faucets. It’s amazing how much just those minor items improved the look of our bathrooms.

Prepping For a Dinner Party

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Everybody knows that making a party a success includes lots of great food, great wine and great conversation. The food part isn’t a mystery – buy a variety of foods to whet everyone’s appetites. Make sure to include 1 or 2 veggie dishes for your vegetarian friends. Have some hearty foods, but pace it throughout the night so that people don’t fall asleep immediately after the main course. And, crack open a few bottles of vino – have plenty of red and white on hand. But what don’t we think about?

For starters, you need to keep your white wine cool. What better way to do this than with a 24 inch wide refrigerator? I keep one by my seat so that I don’t have to get up from the table to grab another bottle out of the fridge on the other side of the kitchen (on the other side of my dining room). It saves me the walk, climbing over my guests and missing the best parts of the conversation while I’m playing host.

Before my last party, I picked up a bunch of square dinnerware sets clearance items and got a great deal. These helped me get through the meal, but what about after? You have to prepare for that too. For starters, make sure you preserve the best part with a set of wine cork holders. That and some tupper-ware for the food and you’re all set!

Wine and Chocolate – The Perfect Pair?

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Most people understand the generic rules for pairing wine with food. In general, dark meat means a dark wine and a white meat gets a white wine. Wine goes great with dinner foods; for example nothing beats a Pinot Noir paired with a nice juicy steak. But when it comes to dessert, most people stick to very sweet dessert wines. The truth is, there’s no reason to limit yourself to dessert wine after the main course.

Chocolate, the world’s favorite dessert, can actually compliment a robust red or delicate white wine’s flavor, as long as you know the rules. As a general rule, pair lighter, more airy chocolate with a light-bodied and delicate wine, so as to not overwhelm the flavor.

For milk chocolate, try a Pinot Noir or Riesling. Lighter Merlots can work great with milk chocolate as well, but you may need several attempts before you find the perfect combination of the two.  Because milk chocolate is generally very creamy and sweet, pairing it with a dessert wine can actually lead to sensory overload.

Dark chocolate works great with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. Generally this more intense and slightly bittersweet chocolate needs a wine that can match its intensity without overwhelming it. Deep red wines are generally a great match for dark chocolate’s robust flavor. Even a full-bodied Merlot could work fantastically with dark chocolate’s flavor, presuming the chocolate isn’t too sweet.

Finally, with white chocolate’s smooth and buttery flavor, there are multiple flavor options to consider. Pairing white chocolate with a Sherry picks up the creamy texture of the chocolate. However, using a contrasting flavor like a Zinfandel with your white chocolate can offer just the right amount of opposition. Sometimes, especially with white chocolate, the number one rule is that there are no rules.

The moral of the story when it comes to pairing wine and chocolate is this: you don’t know until you try. Finding the right combination of flavors might take a few tries, but in the meantime, consider this an excuse to indulge.

When to refrigerate wine

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Wine likes to be kept at a constant, cool temperature. True wine connoisseurs go to great lengths to make this possible. Some will build out an entire wine cellar in the home and install high-end cooling systems designed specifically for wine. Most people however do not have such a budget. And, sometimes you don’t even have to go to such lengths.

Take white wine for example: often it should be served cold. The solution? Put it in the refridgerator! It’s pretty simple, really. Almost everyone has a fridge, so just save a little corner for a nice bottle of Pino and voila, you’re done. Granted, people put all kinds of things in the old ice box. My suggestion would be to sacrifice a few of the more… fragrant foods in favor of that delicious bottle of vino. In other words, I wouldn’t recommend keeping fish in the fridge, or anything else with a strong odor. That smell will carry over to your precious bottle of wine and will taint the experience after you open the bottle.

Obviously you can’t put every bottle of wine in the refridgerator. Most just weren’t meant for such a harsh environment. But, when it’s good to serve it chilled, then that’s where it belongs. After all, it’s certainly much better than adding ice.

Doing minor repairs on our home because of a big storm

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Guest post written by Carolina Hewitt

One of the things that I always have to worry about when we’re having a huge storm is weather our siding is going to fly off of the house. It’s that old. We’ve been thinking about switching out our siding for a while. Well, a tree fell on our house during a storm about a week or two ago and it messed up our siding. We were really lucky to have on that in damages from a fallen tree, though.

After getting some local quotes for new siding, I thought it would be worth looking online to see what kind of pricing I could find there. While I was looking, I ran across some info on Sears Home Improvement after I looked through it a little bit I decided to go through them.

We actually picked out a new color for our siding, which looked so much better than the old white siding. It even made it through hurricane Irene and I couldn’t be happier about it! Plus, my husband is really glad that we were able to save so much money on it.

The Vineyards of California

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The vast, lush terrain of California’s wine country is a place of pilgrimage to the connoisseur of the rich vintages produced in the region. California’s wine country, the seat of the country’s viticulture is spread across four counties, the major vineyards being in Napa and Sonoma counties and other vineyards in Mendocino and Lake Counties. With more than 400 winemakers in the valleys such as Napa Valley, the region is home to some of the world’s best loved Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Exploring the Wine Country

A tour of the wine country is best done by setting up base in a town and understanding the history and tradition of winemaking before actually tasting the wine. Wineries in the region are hospitable and popular the year round except for the winter months. There are also guided tours of wineries where you will gain the knowledge of the winemaking process and be invited to an official tasting. Wine tasting is an art that requires an understanding of the aroma and flavor of the wine. Sonoma Valley is considered the first wine-growing area in California and wineries are proud of their grand tradition and their signature wines. So make a trip to the place where good wine is held in high regard.

Horses Bring Adventure to Wine Country

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Horseback riding is no longer an activity strictly for outlaw cowboys and English Polo players. The sport, beloved by many, has branched out, working its way into the vacation destinations and hobbies of people all over the world.

Particularly in California’s northern region near Napa Valley, known to many simply as “wine country,” horseback riding has become an extremely popular addition to the trails, vineyards and rolling hills. In a region so beloved for it’s simple beauty and traditional sophistication, it comes as no surprise that horseback riding would fit nicely into the mold. The only surprise to many vacationers is to discover their horses adorned in saddles and horse bridles. Because the region is truly so picturesque, riding bareback through the vineyards seems like a classic cinematic experience come to life.

 

For novice riders, wine country provides the perfect backdrop to practice riding in a slow-paced and manageable environment. The horse trails in wine country vary in difficulty, but all are manageable for riders of all ages and skills.  Many locations offer trail riding packages that includes trail gears such as a horse halter bridle and a horse saddle. Horse trail riding experience can be as adventurous or tame as you desire.

After you finish a long, winding ride through the ripening vineyards on a trained horse, head indoors to watch the sunset with a glass of some of the world’s best wine. All the restaurants and wineries feature vast selections of wine to please even the pickiest of palettes, and the first-rate food compliments it perfectly.

Many vacation destinations boast horseback rides, from the Grand Canyon to Disney Land, but none seem to compliment the surrounding environment like that of Napa Valley. Wine country has long been considered one of our nation’s greatest and most stunning treasures. The calming horseback rides only add to the area’s sophisticated appeal by exposing visitors to the landscape in a truly unique and memorable way.