Emily - - Page 27

by Emily

Wine in a Can? Yup.

This is a thing that is happening in our lives (and livers). Canned wine: it is real.

The brand is called “Friends Just Wine” which strikes me as hilarious for some reason, and also makes me think of these two scenarios:

“Hey bro, are you and Chelsea hooking up?” “No way brah, we’re just friends…”
“Excuse me young lady, are you drinking alcohol in that can?” “Of course not, officer, it’s just juice…”

Or something. That might have made more sense in my head. Anyway, my friends said it looks like the Friends sitcom logo, which is also funny. Really, either way, what’s better than wine with friends? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

As far as stealth drinking, portability, and container endurance goes, Friends Just Wine takes the cake. You can tuck it in a koozie and pretend it’s a more innocuous soda or something. You can throw it into a big, full cooler and not worry about a glass bottle breaking. Plus it’s earth-friendly since you can just recycle the aluminum can – no plastic cups required, unlike when you lug a couple glass bottles to a picnic or pool party (unless you decide to take earth-friendliness into your own hands/mouth and drink straight from the bottle, which I would never condemn).

by Emily

Ridiculously Easy (and Awesome) Broccoli Stir Fry

As anyone who has had the “luck” to be around me recently could tell you, I’m about to go on vacation! To Europe. I’m pumped. I haven’t been out of the country for three years (except Mexico, which hardly counts) so the anticipation is killing me. Know what else is killing me? My finances. Iceland and the UK are not exactly cheap, especially since I’ll want to live it up while I’m traveling, so I’ve been trying really hard not to burn through my money at restaurants and bars as usual. For some people this might not be much of a feat, but for me it’s extremely difficult, since those two types of establishments represent the cornerstone of my social life. Sigh.

So that leaves me to do a lot of cooking at home, which I also love of course, but groceries can really add up as well. In the past couple weeks I’ve really been focusing on simple, healthy meals at home. It’s kind of a fun challenge; how can I make not-really-boring dinners for my boyfriend Rob and I while still staying on, if not under, my travel savings budget? (At least I try to tell myself it’s “fun.” Once again… sigh.) Anyway, this is beginning to sound like the intro to Rachael Ray’s $40 a Day or something, so let’s just get to the point.

One solution I’ve been really into lately is the stir fry. Cheap and healthy, this meal has become a mainstay in our household, and I’ve practically perfected my recipe. It’s easy, quick, and tastes absolutely awesome. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these ingredients, just (a) check out your local Asian market, and if you don’t have a local Asian market, (b) check out the ethnic and/or health food section of your grocery store.

Ridiculously Easy Broccoli Stir Fry

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by Emily

It’s National Rainier Cherry Day!

A trip to Seattle wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the world-famous Pike Place Market, but I’ll tell you a controversial secret: Pike Place really isn’t my favorite spot to take visitors. Blasphemy! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a mecca of beautiful, fresh food. BUT it is so damn crowded that I get claustrophobic. I hate walking the whole market — I like to get in, buy what I need, and get out! My #1 market recommendation: Sweet, perfectly delicious, Washington-grown Rainier cherries.

And it just so happens that it’s National Rainier Cherry Day! These suckers are only available for a short window of time every summer, so get thee to your local grocer and see if they’re carrying them. I promise they will be the most delicious cherries you’ve ever eaten… the closer you live to the Northwest, the fresher and tastier they’ll be.

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by Emily

Healthy Decadence: Kale and Avocado Salad

We’re deep into my salad season right now. You know that time of year – it’s so hot and sticky outside that I barely have an appetite after being out in the sun, and the last thing I feel like doing is standing over the stove. These are the days where a giant bowl of cool, fresh greens is the perfect light dinner. Added bonus: you’re eating super healthfully, meaning you won’t feel bloated and gross after your meal and you won’t dread wearing a tanktop in public. Win-win!

This recipe actually wasn’t created by me (gasp!) – it’s adapted from one courtesy of Saveur. Normally I wouldn’t bother following someone else’s recipe for a salad, for goodness’ sake, but this particular one popped up in one of my weekly Saveur email newsletters and I just couldn’t resist. After all, kale and avocado are two of my favorite foods. This dish is super, super simple, but it really doesn’t need anything extra. The luxurious creaminess of the avocado feels decadent enough to make this whole salad a treat, and the fresh citrus juices and soy are a lovely complement. It’s safe to say that I’ll be eating this a LOT for the rest of the summer… and beyond.

Kale and Avocado Salad

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by Emily

Tinto de Verano: The Ultimate Summer Sipper

Spain has gotten a lot of things right. Siestas, incorporating cheese and ham into most foods, eating fresh olives, spending long days at the beach, and of course…. wine.

Tinto means “red” in Spanish when referring to red wine in particular, and verano is summer, so… red wine of the summer. What makes it so summery? It’s mixed with lemon soda! Stay with me, here–I know that sounds weird to a lot of people here in America, but I assure you it’s a refreshing treat.

I first had tinto de verano when I was traveling in Spain a couple summers ago. It was everywhere in the Costa del Sol—every bar and café had it on special for just a euro or two. In the area I was staying, they would just take a big wine glass, fill it up with ice, then pour equal parts red table wine and sweet-tart Fanta limon into it. The idea was slightly odd to me at first, too, but with one taste I knew I had found my signature drink for the trip.

For days when it’s just too hot for red wine, check this out, seriously. Lemon-flavored Fanta isn’t readily available in the US (a travesty!) but you can use fresh lemonade and soda water, or find a similar alternative. You don’t want to use syrupy lemonade from concentrate or Sprite or 7up. You need something more sour, otherwise your drink will be too heavy and sweet. I recommend seeking out San Pellegrino Limonata, or if you just so happen to live in Central Texas like I do, I had great success with Central Market’s Organic Sicilian Lemon soda.

I’m really into portable libations in the summer (you just never know when you’re going to need a drink!) and this is the perfect on-the-go cocktail, since all you need is a bottle of soda and a bottle of wine. For ultimate portability, I like using CalNaturale, which I reviewed here on ES a good while back and I’m still loyal to; it’s boxed, so no worries about dropping a heavy glass bottle, but it doesn’t taste like your old-school cardboard-y, sweet boxed wine. Its cabernet is a great tinto to use in this cocktail—it’s light and pleasant. If you want to be extra authentic, though, feel free to pick up a bottle of affordable Spanish red.

Anyway, here’s the recipe, but you don’t even really need one:

Tinto de Verano

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by Emily

Cocktail O’ Clock: The Melonda

Summertime = watermelon. I like it as a nice, plain fruit but I also like it in my dranks. Watermelon and tequila are a compatible pair, and our friends at Maestro Dobel tequila sent us a recipe truly exemplifying that. Pair your sweet melon with some pomegranate and lime for a hint of tart, plus a bit of agave to balance everything else, and you’re in summer heaven.

The Melonda

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by Emily

Artsy Photo of the Day

The perfect macaron is lightly crisp on the outside, rich and chewy on the inside, with a perfect layer of luscious filling gluing the two sides together. It should melt in your mouth. This, my friends, is the perfect macaron. One of my very favorite places in Austin, Contigo, perfected the popular cookie with their Strawberries & Cream macaron. On one hand they’re so good that you just want to stuff handfuls of them in your mouth like popcorn, but on the other hand they’re worth savoring every bite.

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