My "Fair Share" (photo heavy)

Well friends, I outdid myself at the MS A&CF today! First, let me set the stage. (cue the song birds) It was a beautiful morning drive through the foggy mountains of WV. I arrived at the fairgrounds around 9:30ish, Starbucks ingested and in full gear, shopping bags over my shoulder. The temperature was perfect, humidity low for the first time in months, gentle breeze blowing and plenty of clouds to buffer the summer sun. Deep breath in..........Aaaaaahhhhh.

Now, let's get down to business. THE HAUL (btw, before you see these pictures and think I've gone off the meds and my OCD has hit warp speed, I buy duplicates for presents for my all-too-fortunate sister and others):

The FOOD STUFF

ThistleDew Farms honey products, yummy fudge, award winning BBQ sauce

The WOOD STUFF

hand crafted cherry wood from Allegheny Treenware, LLC

The POTTERY STUFF

mini bowls intended for doll houses but make great beading bowls for stitchers!


The EXQUISITE STUFF

lacquerware plate by Linda Tong
This square plate really dazzles the eye. 24 carat gold, silver leaf and black lacquer. A little elephant, owl and hummingbird begged to come home with me also. How could I say no?

The MISC STUFF

luxurious soaps, lampwork bead, Literary Calligraphy cards

sleigh bells for the front door during the holidays, and more gifts for b/d's and Christmas

As you can imagine, I spent the better part of 5 hours shopping, grabbed some crawfish nuggets (don't judge until you've tried them) and fresh squeezed lemonade before departing the fair grounds......with 2000 other people. It took 100 minutes to go 3 miles, seriously. Oh well. Small price to pay for such good stuff. Speaking of price to pay, you know how the calories you consume on vacation and on your birthday don't count? Well, while I was waiting to merge into traffic and adding receipts, I decided that money spent on handcrafted things doesn't count either. Suffice it to say, I've had a superb day!!!!

Yes, but what's for dinner? How about a little tossed salad, grilled chicken, sugar snap peas, and Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc. And for dessert? Super sweet black cherries.....YUM!

Bored with Bordeaux?

Even though yesterday was Groundhog day (stupid groundhog), today is looking a lot like "Groundhog Day", with a new batch of bad weather on the way. This trend is really on my last nerve. As a matter of fact, I think it's driving me to drink!

Allow me to introduce a friend of mine. Meet Valpolicella:




Never heard of it? I hadn't either but my BWAFF* told me there was a very good reason most Americans have never heard of it, it's harder to pronounce than Chianti. I can understand that. I'm still working on stringing three Italian syllables together, let alone 5. I digress. If you enjoy a nice middle of the road red, not too dry, not too fruity, but interesting enough to talk about, look for it on a Kroger shelf near you! If you are lucky enough to have access to a really good wine shop, it is usually found with the Tuscans although it's from Veneto.

But before you make the mistake of thinking I know what I'm talking about, let me be very clear, I'm no wine snob, but I do enjoy trying different things and learning about it. I couldn't tell ya earthy from tobaccoy, but I know what I like when I taste it.


The Fine Print: the good stuff is not a "bargain". While I've seen price points range from $11 up, if you choose to give this grape a go, in order to ensure you have a good experience, I would start with the bottles that are aged at least a year or "Classico" (around $20). I'm making red wine/mushroom steak sauce with this Bolla bottle tonight but I would spend a little more for Classico for a dinner party.


As always when cooking with wine, save a little for the recipe!

Bon Appetito!

*(BWAFF) Best Wine Aficionado Friend Forever