Wine Tasting - Crane Lake Riesling 2009

Cheers to one and all!

Uh-huh.  Another leisurely wine tasting afternoon (Saturday) on the back porch.  Weather was perfect for a wine tasting.  Plenty of sunshine and cool light breeze.  But, to be quite honest it could have been thunder and lightening and still been a most wonderful day for a wine tasting!

Today's wine was a California Riesling.  When one thinks Riesling, one thinks Germany.  How will this California selection fare in our most arduous tasting and review?  Especially one on sale at Eat More Produce at only 2 for $10.00.

Point Score A:  85

Point Score B:  83

2009 Crane Lake Riesling

Appellation:  Napa & Sonoma, California

Grape Varietal(s): Riesling

Retail Price:  $5.00

Vintage:  2009

Producer:  Crane Lake Cellars

Tasting sheets as follows.  No ~ neither Tiffany nor I cheated and read off of each others notes.  Each is independent and honest as the other.

Review A

Review B

We both agreed it to be of the most traditional German Riesling taste!  Superb!  Sweet with lots of apple notes.  We both agreed that the bouquet was a little lacking but the taste made up for it.

Also ~ it was agreed that the second and subsequent glasses shined much brighter than the first.  Do yourself a favor with this particular wine and allow it to breathe for a just a few minutes before closing your eyes, tipping your glass, and allowing the nectar of grapes to flow upon your palate.

Ha!  What a steal for $5.00.  Although not an ardent fan of Rieslings, the Crane Lake Riesling holds it's place upon our wine rack.

Hi-dee hi-dee sip-savor-and-enjoy-a-glass-today-ho my friend.

Green Day Café

Hello my fine blogosphere friends!

Green Day Café?  I think that they should rename themselves "A Most Marvelous Day Everyday Café".

Tiffany and I began our day (Sunday) with our weekly shopping trip to Hoover's Essential Market.  They're not open on Saturdays and we like to visit them early when the aisles are quiet.  We needed some healthy essentials like organic kale, organic collard greens, vegan cheese, and sliced deli Wham (meatless ham).  The Seed was in need of her favorite Happy Hips canned dog food.  

It was Tiffany's suggestion to try this place in Winter Park, Florida which we regularly pass by.  It's called Green Day Café and has an clean, fresh and inviting look about the building.  We kept saying to ourselves in passing, "Let's check this place out some day, okay?"  Well, today was this long awaited day.  Both Tiffany and I only regret that we hadn't tried it earlier.

Green Day Café - a Winter Park, FL restaurant gem.

We arrived when they first opened and we were the only patrons.  From one aspect, this is nice.  We were able to ask lots of questions of the friendly staff.  On the other hand, it truly saddens me that a place as nice as this isn't jammed packed full of patrons with a line waiting going out the doors.  Although probably not the nicest store front location in Winter Park, I am still bummed by the sight of an empty restaurant gem.

Green Day Café facing towards front.

Let me be honest here, my friends.  "Health" just doesn't sell well in Orlando, Florida.  I am sad to report that the words "tofu", "vegetarian", "vegan" and "healthy" just do not reverberate here in the South.  In the heart of Central Florida, we'd rather plow away a pristine sub-tropic parcel of land and build a fried chicken franchise, greasy hamburger joint, a corner drug store or used car lot instead of allowing a business that promotes health or environmental sustenance.  "You can pry our greasy chicken drumstick and fat-laden hamburger from our cardiac-arrested dead hands!"

But ~ amongst the foreclosed, tacky, and franchise-laden parcels sits a true gem... The Green Day Café!  Wonderful menu selection, tasty food, great prices, fast healthy choices, and eco-friendly materials.  From the "plastic" utensils made of a sugar to the "plastic" cups made from corn, the place is amazing!  Upon entering for the first time, I could not help but notice the recycled natural wood floors!  Beautiful!  You get an immediate appreciation, sense and feel that the designers of this restaurant did a most excellent job minimizing their green foot-print.

Green Day Café facing towards rear.

The menu?  What you would expect from a minimally environment invasive establishment:  wraps, rice bowls, and soups.  The menu choices eliminate the need for commercial ovens and energy robbing grills/griddles.  And as an added bonus, it equates to fresh choices.

Once again Tiffany and I ordered different items and shared.  Tiffany ordered the Sunset Veggie wrap (Spring mix, cucumber, dried cranberry, walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, tomato, and raspberry vinaigrette) with side of Broccoli Crunch (broccoli coleslaw with dried cranberries and sunflower seed).  She added a small cup of Creamy Barley & Vegetable soup.

Sunset Veggie wrap, Broccoli Crunch, Creamy Barley & Vegetable soup, and Mushroom & Brie soup.

Me?  I ordered the Mushroom and Brie Rice Bowl (brown rice, vegetarian black beans, fresh cooked chicken, our famous mushroom and brie soup, diced purple onions), substituting hummus for chicken.  I added a small cup of Mushroom & Brie soup.

Mushroom and Brie Rice Bowl, hummus substituted for chicken.

You get your biodegradable drink cups, go into the dining area, serve your own drink, find a table and wait for their environmentally friendly paging system to call your order number.  Within a matter of minutes, the pager went off.  From the front counter we heard the young lady scream, "Order #1.  Your meal is ready!"

Wow!  The pictures simply aren't fair.  Although everything looks delicious and tasty, trust me, the pictures don't do justice.  Everything tasted fresher and nicer than it looks (if this is possible).  Yes!  Tiffany and I found yet another killer of a restaurant to patronize.

I sit here hours later writing this blog and still have a sense of the flavors and deliciousness of our meal.

Any regrets?  Yes, one actually.  That it's a rather new restaurant and the franchise simply hasn't had a chance to blossom yet.  I honestly expect that someday you too will have a Green Day Café near you!

Hi-dee hi-dee kudos-to-establishments-who-aim-to-reduce-their-environmental-footprint-ho my friend!

Wine Tasting - Rueda Vacceos Verdejo-Viura 2006

Cheers everyone!

It's wine tasting time once again.  We daringly bought some $3.33 wine from Eat More Produce.  Regularly $7.99/bottle but on special at 3 for $10.00. Hmm... I don't believe that I have ever tasted $3.33 wine before.

I can certainly acknowledge that neither Tiffany nor I have ever tasted either the Verdejo or Viura grape varietal.  But, were we in for a treat or were we about to experience our first $3.33 bottles which tasted as such?

Well... I'm happy to report that it was a pleasant Spanish white wine.  Both Tiffany and I enjoyed it as noted below.

Point Score A:  83

Point Score B:  88

2006 Rueda Vacceos Verdejo-Viura

Appellation:  Reuda, Spain

Grape Varietal(s):  60% Verdejo & 40% Viura

Retail Price:  $3.33

Vintage:  2006

Producer:   La Bodega Cooperativa Agricola Castellana
Alcohol:  13%
Calories:  91 per 4-ounce

Tasting sheets as follows.  Tiffany and I differ on this selection but both enjoyed it.

Review A

Review B

We enjoyed this wine so much (for the value) that we went back to Eat More Produce and bought 3 more bottles.

Tiffany and I both thought it to have a grassy aroma.  A most noticeable grapefruit taste with earthy mineral notes.

Hi-dee hi-dee wine-need-not-be-expensive-to-be-kind-to-the-palate-ho my friend.

Let's Go Shopping!

Hi everyone!

While Tiffany and I were driving around town running errands our discussions turned to this blog.  "What are we going to write about?"  Then Tiffany and I shared a thought.  What about a blog to show what two people who have only been lacto-ovo vegetarians for 5 months shop for?  What was on our grocery list today?  What did we buy?  Why did we buy it?

Instead of prefacing, why don't I just jump into it and show you what we bought today?  Let's do this in the order of our stops.

Our first stop was our local Costco Warehouse Club.  We went there primarily for fresh spinach and crumbled bleu cheese but we never walk out with only the items we enter for.  Do you?  Costco clubs hold this magical power over its members.

Costco:  Cheeses, fresh bread, and pickles.

Costco:  Mixed nuts, organic baby spinach, and snap peas.

Next stop was Eat More Produce.  We went in for tomatoes and cucumbers but took advantage of current wine specials and found fresh basil at the checkout counter.  Oh!  And the wine specials this week.  Any two bottles of Crane Lake for $10 and three bottles of Vacceos for only $10.  Vine-ripened tomatoes are currently $1.49/lb.  Seedless cucumber, 3 for $3.  Then there was the 20% e-mail subscriber coupon. Having Eat More Produce around is truly a blessing!

Eat More Produce:  Cucumber, tomatoes, basil, and wine.

Next?  Phuoc Loc Tho Oriental Supermarket.  We needed lots of firm tofu and Lee Kum Kee light soy sauce.  I could have purchased tofu at our local Wally World (Walmart) earlier in the week but refuse to pay the highway robbery prices that they want for niche food items.  Walmart wants $3 for 16-oz of tofu!  Phuoc Loc Tho sells it in 19-oz packages for only $1.49.  Normal price all of the time.  Besides, Chucky is getting dangerously low on his Lee Kum Kee light soy sauce.  Quinoa, farro and wild rice just doesn't taste the same without it folks.

What is all of the tofu for?  Did you not read my recent "1-2-3 Easy Tofu Scramble" blog???

Phuoc Loc Tho:  Firm Tofu and Lee Kum Kee Lite Soy Sauce.

And then there was the final stop at Publix Supermarket on the return trip home to pick up some healthy wrap shells.  Nowhere else can we find these gems.  Only 50-calories per shell!  And... The La Tortilla Factory shells are both pliable and delicious!  Well worth the extra stop.

The sprouted grain bread?  Have you ever tried it?  Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a loaf.  You will never go back exclusively to flour bread again. I discovered this absolutely wonderful YouTube video on my Roku this morning:  "Top 10 Best Foods - Nutrition by Natalie".

Publix:  Tortilla shells and sprouted grain bread.

In a nutshell, today Tiffany & I purchased the following items:  cheese, bread, pickles, spinach, nuts, snap peas, tomatoes, fresh basil, cucumbers, wine, tofu, low sodium soy sauce, and low calorie tortilla shells.  Believe me when I say that 6-months ago I would have been embarrassed to share a blog such as this with you.

Hi-dee hi-dee some-change-is-good-ho my fine friends.

Wine Tasting - Dogajolo Tuscano 2008

Cheers everyone!

Yes, you got it.  It's wine tasting time yet again.  Hmm... Something tells me that Chucky and Tiffany must enjoy the stuff.

Tonight's wine is an Italian table wine.  Italy is one of the world's wine regions where the words "table wine" simply doesn't diminish the stature.

Although I selected tonight's wine to go with our margarita pizza and side of quinoa & mixed veggies, I dared not share with Tiffany until after our wine tasting sheets had been completed and turned in.  She hadn't a clue to appellation or varietal.  A true and honest unbiased blind taste review.

In addition, neither she nor I discuss or share our reviews until we are both completely done with our wine tasting sheets.  It's truly amazing how similar we both rate this selection!  The similarity in our choice of attributes can be seen in the tasting sheets below.

Point Score A:  89

Point Score B:  88

2008 Dogojolo Tuscano

Appellation: Tuscany, Italy

Grape Varietal(s): 20% Sangiovese & 80% Cabernet Sauvignon

Retail Price: <gift>

Vintage: 2008

Producer:  Carpineto S.N.C.
Alcohol:  13%
Calories:  91 per 4-ounce

Tasting sheets as follows.  Notice the similarities in the two!

Review A

Review B

Now I am going to go out on a limb and see whether I can guess this particular wine selection's price point.  Based upon the hundreds of wines that Tiffany and I have savored and enjoyed in three years of wine tasting classes, I am speculating this to be in the $15 to $20 price point.

I am guessing this for two reasons:  (1) the wine is from Tuscany, Italy and (2) it's a red table wine.

This bottle was a gift from my sister for Christmas.  She knew that my favorite wine region of all the world is Piedmonte, Italy.  She was unable locate a bottle from there but found this wine from Tuscany, Italy instead.

After our tasting, our review, and my price point guesstimate above I have gone and Googled "2008 Dogajolo Tuscano" to find it actually within the $10 to $15 price point!  Yes, I am truly amazed to learn this.  More specifically, it appears to retail around $11.99!!!

Trust me here folks ~ If you go out and find yourself a bottle of "2008 Dogajolo Tuscano" for $11.99, you have yourself a true steal.  This wine belongs on Chucky and Tiffany's "house wines" list.  A wine to be purchased again and again.

Thanks Sis!  A truly remarkable wine find.  You did yourself well with the wine pick.

Hi-dee hi-dee wines-make-great-gifts-ho my friend.

1-2-3 Easy Tofu Scramble

Sincere salutation to one and all!  May the blue birds of happiness egest deep feelings of good upon everyone today!

Tiffany and I had a revelation on Monday morning.  Both of us have dined and eaten scrambled tofu dishes at our local vegan & vegetarian restaurants.  But, we hadn't a clue how they managed to emulate the real thing (scrambled eggs) so well.  Personally, I just assumed that it was some sort of tofu blending, dehydration, and reconstitution process involved which gave it that dead-on texture, taste and appearance.

1-2-3 Easy Tofu Scramble

However, my hypothesis was proven erroneous this morning.  Tiffany and I made a spectacular tofu scramble breakfast this morning that would fool even the most veteran scrambled egg aficionado.  And... The best thing?  It was truly as easy as one-two-three!

1-2-3 EASY TOFU SCRAMBLE

Ingredients:

• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, for sauteing
• Vegetables, for sauteing (onion, mushroom, pepper, etc.)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced mushroom
• 1/4 cup pepper, chopped
• Other - be creative.  What's in the fridge right now?
• 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped

Steps:

1. Crumble drained tofu into bowl.  Add turmeric, curry powder and salt.  Hand-toss to mix tofu and spices.  Allow to sit for flavors to meld while performing following steps.
2. Saute vegetables in olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent.  When vegetables are done, pour in crumbled tofu mix and continue cooking for approximately 5-minutes.
3. Add chopped tomato and spinach until wilted.

Serve as-is or portion into whole wheat tortilla shells for breakfast burrito.  Add salsa, hot sauce, cilantro, etc. as desired.

Hi-dee hi-dee simple-always-seems-best-does-it-not-ho my friend!

Print Recipe

Wine Tasting - Chateau La Salle Blanc

You are back!  Thanks for visiting my blog.  It's awesome to share a small piece of my life with you.

Yes.  It's wine time again.  The object of today's wine discussion is a sweet Californian white, Chateua La Salle Blanc.  Let's call it a "California table wine" based upon it's attributes.  If you closed your eyes to the label and allow your mind to temporarily travel to Italy, you might even call it a Moscato.

But my friends.  We're talking California here.  Hmm... The label doesn't identify either the varietal or true appellation.  Although produced in Modesto, California I would venture to guess that it's parentage is from miscellaneous grape varietals from far and wide throughout California.  This is a California wine thing when key words are missing from the label.

But ~ For only $5.99 what do you expect?  When Tiffany and I stood at the wine taste bar to sample this particular wine, we truly did not expect much for $5.99.  I thought that I might be spitting the sampling.

Point Score A:  83

Point Score B:  89

Chateau La Salle Blanc

Appellation: Modesto, California

Grape Varietal(s):  unknown

Retail Price:  $5.99

Vintage:  unknown

Producer:  Prestige Wine Group

Again, I shall let our wine tasting sheets (below) speak for us.

Review A

Review B

Both Tiffany and I were quite pleasantly surprised as the nectar of the grapes flowed upon our palates.  Riesling-like except no apple notes.  "Moscato!"  Buttery and sweet.  "What?"  "Only $5.99???"  "I'll take a couple of bottles Mr. Wine Purveyor, sir."  "Thank you!"

Hi-dee hi-dee Jeremiah-has-some-mighty-fine-wine-ho my friend.