sausage

Wine Wednesday: Wine Down Box

Posted on by michelleglogovac

As you know by now, I’m a huge fan of Happy Hour…whether going out for happy hour or enjoying it at home. Recently, I discovered Wine Down Box where they send you everything you need to have your own happy hour. How convenient is that?! I was lucky enough to try their June pairing and it didn’t disappoint! 

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The box included the following:

Maroon Wines
2013 Cathartes Vineyard Chardonnay

This 2013 Cathartes Vineyard Chardonnay was whole cluster pressed, then cold-fermented in tanks with minimal oak to express rich aromas of ripe citrus fruits. On the palate, the wine is nicely balanced with citrus fruits and hints of ripe tropical fruits. It has a nice acidity that maintains freshness from start to finish. 

Plymouth Artisan Cheese
East Meadow Cheese

Named one of Oprah’s top favorite things in 2015, this Vermont company knows how to make outstanding cheese. This cheese was aged 60 days, then cut and waxed by hand. It is buttery and creamy with slightly sweet notes.

Olympia Provisions
Loukanika

Loukanika is a Greek salami flavored with equal parts garlic & cumin, and a touch of orange zest. In order to keep tradition alive, Old Man Cairo passed along this time-tested recipe to his son (Olympia Provisions Salumist), Eli.

Each pairing includes a delicious bag of artisan Nita Crisp wheat bread crackers.

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The wine was delicious. Definitely a bottle I would be more than happy to indulge in again. The cheese was also top notch and went perfectly with the wine. My husband is a fan of all things sausage, so the Loukanika hit it out of the park for him. The bread crackers that were included were perfectly thin and didn’t fill you up, yet added just what was needed. 

Subscriptions cost $45-49/month which is a lot less than what you would spend if you went out for happy hour and had appetizers and a bottle of wine! This would make a great gift…to a wine lover or to yourself. 

Foodie: Seafood Boil

Posted on by michelleglogovac

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A couple of weekends ago the weather here was still bearable, so we wanted to enjoy dinner in the backyard. I decided to do a seafood boil and to simply use the BBQ’s side burner to boil it. One pot, one burner and then we threw it down on the table for everyone to enjoy. 

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The simplicity of this boil is to die for and it was so much fun to basically eat off the table. We laid down brown paper bags so the table itself wouldn’t get dirty and enjoyed!

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I used red potatoes, corn on the cob, smoked turkey kielbasa, shrimp, and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. I put the potatoes in too early (or cut them too small), so they were slightly overcooked but edible so no biggie! 

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Entertaining: Throwing a Fabulous 50th!

Posted on by michelleglogovac

My amazing husband will turn the big 5-0 on Friday and his best friend turns it on Wednesday. So what needed to be done? Hosting a party for both of them of course! I did just that yesterday and it was a blast. We’re lucky enough to have a backyard to host parties in and totally lucked out with perfect 70 degree sunny weather. We had about 60 people so simplifying things was key…especially when you have an 11 week old to look after!

We sent out an evite about a month in advance and started planning.

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I found the greatest plates and napkins at Wholesale Party Supplies that gave us more than just a regular all-black, over-the-hill theme. 

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Planning a menu for 60 isn’t an easy task, but I found a simple way of doing things…my go-to store, Costco! We opted for 3 types of sausages, chips, guacamole, salsa, onion dip, a cheese platter, a watermelon and strawberry platter, and a number of salads; fruit salad, corn salad (my recipe is below!) and load baked potato salad (recipe below). 

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To wrap up the food, I got a Vanilla cake from Costco. The fact that we could give 60 people cake for under $20 still baffles me! For drinks we had plenty of beer (buy in bulk from Costco of course!), Country Time Lemonade, and Margaritas! 

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Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures at the end of the evening (sleeping baby in my arms) of the cigar bar that was enjoyed around our fire pit. The kids even broke out the skewers for s’mores! 

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The key to a great party are the people…of course food and cocktails are always a plus too! Keep it simple and don’t forget to enjoy the party yourself!

Michelle's Corn Salad
Serves 10
Be creative and add whatever you feel like for this salad. It always turns out good and even better if it's been sitting overnight.
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Prep Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 2 cans corn
  2. 2 cans black beans
  3. 1 mango, peeled and cut into chunks
  4. 1 20 oz can sliced pineapple, cut into chunks
  5. 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  6. 5 tomatoes, diced
  7. 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  8. 3 T lime juice
  9. 1 T garlic powder
  10. 4 avocados, cubed
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Notes
  1. Serve as a side salad or a salsa with chips.
My Simplified Life http://www.mysimplifiedlife.net/
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Serves 20
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Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 10 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
  2. 2-3 cups sour cream
  3. 1 cup mayo
  4. 2 cups shredded cheese
  5. 2 lbs bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, boil potatoes until just fork tender and immediately drain and cool. Once cooled, combine all ingredients. This salad can be served warm or cold.
Notes
  1. I pre made the potatoes the night before and let them cool in the fridge overnight.
Adapted from Michelle Glogovac
Adapted from Michelle Glogovac
My Simplified Life http://www.mysimplifiedlife.net/