Finally got the faucets installed. MY GOSH it was SO GROSS!!!!!!!!!! Black liquid dripping all over and splattering on Matt’s face. Absolutely disgusting. We got it all cleaned (I washed my hands about 100 times) and had a few leaks, but we think everything is OK now.
We worked right up to dinner and decided a bottle of wine was on the menu since we were missing Restaurant Week due to snow + ice.
We have about 20 bottles on our wine rack that we’ve hunted and gathered for, but we had one that deserved drinking over the rest: a sample sent by Campo Viejo Reserva Rioja 2005 to review for KERF!
Also on the tasting menu: Applegate Apple + Chicken Sausage. I got a big box of Applegate products to review a while back and these have been in the freezer just calling our name! We were able to pull them right from the freezer and roast at 400* for about 15 minutes to a perfect crisp. So easy!
We set up dinner restaurant-style with Duke Ellington playing on Pandora. LOVE big band swing!
The dish du jour was inspired by Emily’s beans with rosemary and lemon. We cooked a pot of brown rice and mixed in about half a cup of black beans, plus 1 tbsp minced rosemary from the garden and half a lemon. In the meantime, we roasted the sausages and a yellow squash and a zucchini at 400* for 15 minutes until all were nice and hot and mixed it all together served over a bed of wilted [microwaved] baby spinach and hot sauce. WHEW!
It was totally awesome and delicious! The Applegate sausage reminded us of a sweet hot dog. Loved it. (I love anything sweet/savory)
During dinner we reviewed the wine –
And took notes!
It really needed 10 minutes to breathe! The first sip was sooo strong. But after 10 minutes of air, it was great.
The Notes:
- Raspberry
- Tart + dry
- Spicy!!
- Cherry
- Burning of the tongue (in a good way)
- Medium-light body
- Medium tannins
- Fresh fruit quality
I had another half glass or so during dinner. We both agreed that it wasn’t our favorite wine ever (we like them a bit juicier and less dry and spicy) but we both really liked the wine and it went well with our dinner.
My crazy husband started eating and I noticed his tiny spoon! He said it was so he could savor every bite (he’s a fast eater). LOL!
CONFESSION: I had some frozen wedding cake for dessert. My friend had leftover cake at her wedding and I brought some home and froze it. It’s been in the freezer for 6 months and the wine encouraged me to get it out for a tasting. I nibbled my way through the frozen icing and decided the cake part was freezer burned and trashed the rest. But I didn’t photograph it because it wasn’t the most attractive frozen smooshed cake!
Time to watch the VERY LAST Tonight Show with Conan!!!
Hillary @ Nutrition Nut on the Run says
Great wine pics. You + Matt are too cute!
jenna says
DInner looks great!
Thos chicken apple sausages sound delicious, I love the sweet and savory taste as well 😉
jenna
Sarah says
What a great idea for dinner – and it looks so good! Love the small spoon concept – my husband uses chopstix to slow him down!
Heather says
What a great combo of foods – I love veggies and beans – with a great addition of chicken sausage. I have only had sausage a few times – it isn’t my favorite but I bet with all those other flavors, it would be great!
Enjoy Conan and the rest of your night!
Food Makes Fun Fuel says
Chicken and apple is such a glorious and unexpected combination. A little maple syrup and it’s AMAZING.
That Conan is such a tear-jerker. I hope you enjoy it.
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
The frosting on wedding cake is the best! I hope you enjoyed your treat.
Alison (Life's Little Lusts) says
a well-deserved relaxing evening!
enjoy yourselves. 🙂
i love your photos and layout;
i’m fairly new at wordpress and i can’t quite figure out
how to get my photos side-by-side like yours.
do you mind sending me a little how-to?
Kath says
You need Windows Live Writer in your life STAT. And if you have a Mac, I’m sorry :9
Kath says
You need Windows Live Writer in your life STAT. And if you have a Mac, I’m sorry 🙁
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) says
I love that Matt brought out the mini-spoon! I just ate my dessert (kashi with some pumpkin butter) with a baby spoon to make it last longer. 😀
Hannah says
I love the frozen wedding cake story – particularly eating the icing and throwing away the cake. Hey, if you know what you want, you know what you want, right? 😀
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
Love Matt’s tiny spoon!! haha
Sounds like a wonderful meal! I love those sausages. I used those exact ones in a pasta dish with a pumpkin sauce and the sweet/savory combo of the sausage was AMAZING with the pumpkin… out of this world. It takes the pasta to a whole new level.
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
Yum, yum! I too love the combo of sweet and savory!
Kaite@ Two Lives, One Lifestyle says
Listening to jazz music while cooking is my favorite way to cook- guess it reminds me of home and my mom! And add in some wine?? Perfect Saturday night “in”.
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
I love eating with baby utensils! I still seem to eat lightning fast though. Maybe if I take notes on my food it’ll slow me down 🙂
Ashley says
All of your renovations look great! Glad everything is coming along. What a fun night being stuck in the house with the husband. That looks like the perfect warm meal + wine to get cozy with. I’m trying my hardest not to buy utensils/plates/etc right now, with the whole no job thing. It’s hard!!!
Cole says
Yum. Wine tasting seems like a reasonable replacement for Restaurant week.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Glad the faucets are all situated! And that dinner seriously looks AMAZING!
Ally (Exercise and Pies) says
Mmm, that dinner looks fantastic! I looked at the ingredients and i’m going to have to replicate it for me and my boyfriend! He’s a picky eater but eats all of those ingredients so thank you for the inspiration! I’m crossing my fingers that mine turns out looking half that good 🙂
Jil says
Oooh wine sampling, how fun!
Karla says
Haha you froze someone else’s wedding cake! That’s cute! I bet it was still tasty!
I loooove wine! That one sounds delish!
Emily Eats and Exercises says
Dinner looks good – I’m totally with you on the sweet/savory combo. I’ll have to find a veggie alternative…
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
We still haven’t eaten our wedding cake that is frozen – it’s 18 months old!
WendyF says
Dinner looks tasty. I wondered how you guys were fairing with the weather. Waiting for my connection in Atlanta I heard someone talking about canceled flights to your area and snow.
Wendy in Haifa
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Dinner looks awesome! I love Applegate Farm products 🙂
LOL @ tiny spoon. I’m like Matt, I tend to eat fast, too. Dustin eats slow, so I end up watching him finish lol.
Jenn
christie @ honoring health says
That wine sounds awesome!
Mama Pea says
I’m pretty sure I had the “vegan version” of your dinner tonight! If only I’d had the wine and a baby spoon.
Freya @ foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com says
Ew that tap thing sounds horrible – who’d ever be a plumber!? At least your dinner looks delicious 😀
Simply Life says
Oh that dinner looks great! I just had beans and rice but it wasn’t as pretty 🙂
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
What a lovely dinner!! I use small spoons and forks all the time, because I’m also a fast eater. It forces me to slow down! 😀
Heather @ Side of Sneakers says
Freezing wedding cake is such a good idea!!! I wish I had frozen some from my stepsisters, it was SO good!!
Kristin (Cook, Bake and Nibble) says
Ugh, faucet changing sounds traumatic!! LOL
Your dinner looks great though- those sausages look delicious!
xoxo
Kris
Lauren @ eater not a runner says
Wine tasting and cake? Sounds like a great night to me 🙂
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
applegate farms stuff is the best. i love it!
Foy Update - Cook. Garden. Write. Repeat. says
Yummy dinner plate. I will have to try the squash/black bean/ mushroom combo. Perhaps on quino?
Katharine says
Sorry you had to miss Restaurant Week. 🙁 It’s Restaurant Week in Baltimore, too, and we almost missed it due to snow, but since it was for a friend’s birthday we ventured out and made it. And the food was worth it! Hope you had a nice rest of the weekend. 🙂
Rose says
You and Matt have such a refreshing relationship. I love reading how a dinner at home can turn into a mini wine tasting date. So fun.
Kristin says
I’ve had that wine before! Yes, a little dry and tart, but still yummy.