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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Cheap Pinot Grigio Face Off




So right now BevMo is having the 5 cent wine sale and I decided to try a few new Pinot Grigios. I am always happy with any Clos Du Bois wine but their Pinot Grigio was a big disappointment. The label says it has a floral and lemon taste, both of which were absent in my opinion. I give it a 4/10 and it wasn't very easy to drink with a chemical taste. But, being the wine connoisseur that I am I chose the next bottle based off the label :) The Mezzacorona from Italy proved to be a complete delight. It has a melon taste and is mildly sweet and crisp which I really enjoyed. It is very easy to drink and I imagine it as the perfect compliment to a warm summer day with friends.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Groupon


Groupon is the best new website I have seen in a long time. Everyday they feature something cool to do at a really cheap price (usually half off) you can only get the deal if enough people sign up, which is what makes it worth it for business'. This is the one email I like to wake up early for and check out.

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1137492

Vegetable & Turkey Sausage Soup

I found a recipe in March's Cooking Light that looked promising but I switched it up a bit with ingredients that I liked and it turned out great.

Ingredients:

* 1 package of sweet or hot turkey sausage
* 2 cups finely chopped onion
* 2 cups finely chopped zucchini
* 1 cup finely chopped carrot
* 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tbsp tomato paste
* 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 2 (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/3 cup half and half
* 1 tbsp chopped dried rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Take turkey sausage out of the casing and add sausage to pan, and cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan; keep warm.Return pan to medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and garlic; cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and red pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place 1 cup vegetable mixture, 1/2 cup of broth, and 1 can of beans in a food processor or a blender, and process until smooth.

Return pureed bean mixture to pan. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth and 1 can of beams; bring to a boil. Add turkey sausage back to the pot and reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, half-and-half, rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.