new years Archives

Toast to The New Year With Prosecco!

December 26, 2014 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Samples provided.

2015 is almost here, which means it’s time for New Year’s Eve celebrations! Ringing in another year with a glass of something bubbly is a true tradition, but it’s not just Champagne being brought out for toasts anymore. Did you know that Prosecco actually outsold Champagne last year? Much of its popularity has been attributed to its lightness on both the tongue and wallet, with competitive price points offering a budget-friendly bubbly alternative. Prosecco DOC sent me a couple of bottles from their producers so that I could sample it for myself and see what I thought:

First up was the Astoria Prosecco, which I got a kick out of since I coincidentally happen to live near a town that is also called Astoria! As promised, this had soft bubbles and a light fruit profile. Lovely!

Next was the Villa Sandi Prosecco, which was slightly drier but very easy to drink. One thing I noticed immediately was that Jai enjoyed it – he’s not big on the taste of alcohol and usually doesn’t finish a full drink, but he came back for seconds with the Villa Sandi. In fact, it went down so well that I forgot to take any notes before we finished the bottle! So that in itself should tell you that it’s good. 😉 This was the slight favorite overall since Jai liked it so well, but I really enjoyed both of them.

I would highly recommend picking up a bottle of Prosecco for your New Year’s toast!

Have You Given up on Your New Year’s Resolution?

January 31, 2014 by Beeb 4 Comments

I attended the Kenmore Blogger Summit last year.

It’s the last day of January, and predictably, many people have long since written off their New Year’s Resolutions – according to a new survey by Harris Interactive on behalf of Sears, 53% of Americans have already given up the ghost on their resolution. To help keep you motivated, Kmart and Sears have teamed up with frugal expert Andrea Woroch for some fast tips for staying on track with common goals, along with some product recommendations from the ShopYourWay “Resolve to Redeem” New Year’s Sale:

Eating Better: To save time, Andrea recommends picking one night per week to chop up healthy vegetables and fruit in advance so it’s ready-to-go through the week, thus reducing temptation to hit the drive-thru for a quick fix. 35% of those surveyed stated that getting a new kitchen appliance motivates them to cook healthy – if this sounds like you, then you can save $20 on this Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer at Kmart; ShopYourWay Rewards members get an extra $5 off.

Exercise: Working out at home, either by following fitness videos online or using home gym equipment, is one way to stay on track. Try DailyHiit.com for free workout videos – or if you fall into the 38% surveyed who said that a new treadmill would motivate them to exercise more, use your ShopYourWay Rewards points to save on a new NordicTrack T6.1 Treadmill.

Togetherness: With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s a great time to get on that resolution for keeping date night going! Andrea suggests looking at afternoon movie matinees or restaurant happy hours as an inexpensive but fun way to get out of the house.

For more tips from Andrea on how to keep New Year’s momentum going, click here! For more product suggestions, visit ShopYourWay Rewards’ “Resolve to Redeem” page for more 2014 deals.

Hot Crab & Artichoke Dip Recipe

December 27, 2012 by Momstart 13 Comments

Denise Breyley, Whole Foods Market’s Local Forager, has the enviable job of traveling the region to visit farmers, ranchers, fishermen and interesting small businesses to find new products to introduce to Whole Foods Market shoppers. Here are some of Denise’s top picks to share with friends and family this season.

For the perfect cheese platter or a great gift for the cheese lover in your life, Mt. Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend, Washington as an exclusive Holiday Cheer Cheese at Whole Foods Market. The cheese is actually washed with fermented apple cider from Finnriver Farm and Cidery, imparting rich grassy flavors and apple notes to the cheese.
Firefly Kitchens in Seattle was recently announced as a finalist for a Good Foods Award, making it the third year in a row they’ve either won or been a finalist. This is a great gift to introduce people to something unique and delicious and give them something they don’t expect. Our local forager’s pick for this year is their Ruby Red Kraut.

Whole Foods has an excellent selection of food, goods, and recipes. Just check out the Whole foods website and you’ll find fantastic entertaining ideas for your New Years Eve party. I LOVE this recipe for Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip. Even if you use imitation crab meat it’s fantastic.

Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounces) container lump crabmeat
1 (14 ounces) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 (8 ounces) package Neufchâtel cheese
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, break up crabmeat into slightly smaller pieces, feeling through mixture to make sure no shell pieces remain. Stir in artichokes and bell pepper and set aside.
Place Neufchâtel, mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons chives, lemon juice, Worcestershire and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until just combined. Transfer to bowl with crab mixture and gently stir to combine. Spread into a 1-quart shallow baking dish. Bake until mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives and serve.
Note: The dip can be assembled up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake. If doing this, let sit at room temperature 15 minutes before putting in the oven, and increase baking time by about 5 minutes.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Whole Foods.