17 Years Ago

We became a couple. That's right 17 years ago on this very day Jim and I were married. Yes, we were married on a Friday the 13th.

Can you tell we aren't very superstitious?

As you can see from the picture, Jim sent me roses. How many you may ask. 18! He couldn't order 17, so I had to promise to stick around for another year. That was an EASY thing to promise!

We've had our ups and downs, just like all couples, but I would trade it for anything in the world.

I've been with Jim over half my life and look forward to spending the rest of my life with him.

Happy Anniversary Jim!

Food Quest: Passions

So on Monday the 2nd my brother, Tim, and I went to Passions in Chesapeake and did their Cooking Class. They do this something like every other Monday. Basically it's like sitting at the chef's table and watching what goes on in the kitchen. The head chef walks you through each course and how he makes it. It's pretty fun.

The first course was classic Caprese with Balsamic Reduction. They make their own mozzarella. And they have a garden behind the restaurant that they got the tomatoes from.

They paired this with a 2009 Gouguenheim Malbec from Argentina. Which complimented this course very well.

The second course was White Truffle Risotto with Asparagus Tips. There's not much I can say about this. It was a bit cheesier than I would have liked, but the asparagus was nice and crisp. Just the way I like it.

They paired this with a 2008 Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Washington state.

The third course was Chicken Francais over Smoked Apple Wood Bacon-Potato Hash. I really liked this course. Of course, they had me at bacon. The only thing I didn't care for was the capers that were in the sauce. Easily remedied though because you could take the capers out of the sauce.

They paired this with a 2008 Santa Barbara Winery Sauvignon Blanc. I wasn't all that impressed with it. It wasn't as crisp as I like my Sauvignon Blancs to be.

The fourth course was Bananas Foster. I don't care for bananas, but I really loved the sauce over it.

They paired this with Mumm Napa Brut.

I know at the end of the Food Quests I normally put the pros and cons of the restaurant, but this time I don't think I will. I'll just leave it at how I enjoyed the food and the experience.

Heart of Virginia Wine Trail

So my brother Tim and I decided to do the Heart of Virginia Wine Trail on Sunday. There are only four so it's easy to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Our first stop was James River Cellar Winery. We did enjoy this winery. It has a lovely patio and some nice wines. They had a nice gift shop as well and we were finally able to find matching tee shirts in our sizes.

We even bought two of the Vino Frappes. One was red and one was white as you can see. They even sold the mixes in their gift shop. So of course we bought some. The wine tasting itself wasn't that informative.

So we sat out on their patio sipping the vino frappes. We switched halfway so the other person could try the other drink. However, I liked the white better.

The next stop on our trail was Grayhaven.

Most of the wines here are done in a South American style. Not something I'm majorly in to. The winemaker actually did the tasting. I think I would have learned a LOT more if it wasn't for the girl at the bar who thought she was a wine expert and a photography expert. I would have paid good money for her to shut up! Better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're a fool. Than to open it and remove all doubt.

However I would have loved to hear the winemaker talk more. Loved the accent! Plus I think I could have learned lots more.

Our next stop on the trail was Cooper Vineyard. I was actually surprised at how small it was.

We had to wait to do a tasting here as well. The tasting room is quite small and really can't hold many people. So while we waited I got a close up pictures of the grapes on the vine.

They're putting nets over their vines because the grapes are ripening and they want to keep the birds and other animals away from them.

The wines are nice and we did walk away with a number of the wines.

The last stop on our trail was Lake Anna Winery. We were able to taste their wines before they closed for the day. I didn't really learn ANYTHING about their wines. And sadly, I wasn't that impressed with them.

Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail

So Saturday my brother and I decided to do theChesapeake Bay Wine Trail. I have been to a number of them before, but my brother (who's only in town for a short time) has not.

We started out atIngleside Vineyards. I'm very used to them and their wines. Especially since I used to work there. lol

Couldn't leave without a picture of their courtyard though. And some wine, of course.

Next we went to Oak Crest Vineyards. I forgot to take a picture there. Which is sad, because it is a lovely spot. And I was able to catch up with my friend, Sharon. Which made me really happy. We left this winery with a number of bottles as well. Good thing I've got a big trunk!

Our next stop on the trail was The Hague Winery. This is a fairly new winery. I had never been to it. We almost missed it because the sign is not that noticeable. I was a bit concerned as we pulled up to the barn that houses their tasting rooms. But the wines were okay if not a bit young. We only left with a bottle of their dessert wines.

Our next destination was Vault Field Vineyards. Yet another new winery for me. However, there was something familiar to me at the winery. And that was my buddy Phil McKenney. I had worked with Phil years ago at Ingleside. The wines were nice and we left with quite a few bottles. And it figures as soon as we got there a bunch of people came in at the same time. Figure the odds. It was great seeing Phil again!

We then headed out towards Athena Vineyards. I had been here before and was glad for the return. This trail took quite a bit longer than normal because I knew a lot of the people and we chatted quite a bit. Such things do happen when you used to work at one of the wineries on the trail. We left with a number of bottles.

The last stop on our winery trail was White Fences Vineyard. It's pretty easy to find since they have giant corkscrews at the entrance. Their tasting room is small. And we did have to wait a while to get our tasting, but when you have a small tasting room and only one person working then that's what will happen. Sadly I was unimpressed with any of the wines. My brother did, but I'm not sure if he liked the wine or the girl pouring the wine.

A Glimpse of Bella

This is the first in my series that I've named 'Glimpses'. It'll be a quick glimpse at someone who's in some way caught my attention. Here's hoping that it's been caught in a good way and not a bad one. LOL

And my first 'glimpse'? Which will be a short one. It's of Bella!

Bella was my favorite barista at Java Cup Cafe! I say was because she no longer works there. She always has a smile and a ready greeting. And was quick with a suggestion for your drink. I always trusted her with my drink order. I could tell her if I was in the mood for tea or coffee and how decadent I was feeling. She would whip me something up immediately.

You wouldn't know it immediately, but she's 17. She may be young but in many ways she acts much wiser than her years. Sometimes I forget she's so young.

I'll miss her as a barista, but I still have her as a friend and I'm glad.