I am SUCH a wino!

I guess the sign of a good night is a headache in the morning, or something like that.

So, yesterday was a visiting family day, which means authentic Mexican when we visit my family and oodles of wine when we visit his.

I love wine. Love, love, love it. The smell, the taste, the way the glass feels in my hand, the bottle art, that nice relaxed feeling that I get after a glass... I love everything about wine. I love it so much that I wish I could drink it all night and not get drunk.

(I've only ever accomplished that once, at Christmas: when we got to dinner at The Mr.'s grandma's house, I was still full from brunch at my mom's. I put away 7 glasses of champagne and stayed stone cold sober.)

Ah, but not last night. I had a glass of Green Apple Riesling in my hand before I'd even sat down -- and I really want to track it down and buy a whole case. It. Was. So. Sweet.

So, next we got into the Cabernet Franc, which doesn't seem to be available on the winery's site. I'm kind of disappointed, because I thought I couldn't stand red wine but I really enjoyed this one! It tasted a little bit like a barbecue, actually -- kind of a mesquite flavor, almost.

Oh, but then we had Pinot Noir from dog-knows-where-I-didn't-look with dinner -- another wine that I thought I didn't like. I guess the last one I had just wasn't very good? Beats me, but this one was delicious, and by the time we were finished with dinner, I was really wishing that I weren't so small.

But wait, there's more! Then we had a glass of Moscato D'Asti with the cake and ice cream! Aside from being super-sweet and sparkly, it's the same wine we had the night we got engaged (aww!). I could go for a case of that, too, especially since it has such a low alcohol content.

Ooh, and MY SENSEO IS WAITING FOR ME AT THE POST OFFICE!! Yay!

The last thing I was able to taste properly

At least it was worth tasting. I think I'm going to strangle him if he keeps bringing colds home every two months.

Last night, we came home from work and started laying into that wine. We started with a Trader Joe's brand sauvignon blanc from Chile. Mmmmm! It was just sweet enough, and the Jarlsberg we grabbed on the way home smoothed out the tartness until it was just perfect.

We really wanted to try the dessert wine, but my sinuses started to feel like someone had poured concrete up there and I was really quite tipsy for the rest of the night... so that will have to wait until the cold goes away.

I'm like a freakin' Boy Scout, being this prepared!

It's been a rough week. Not bad, really. Just sort of... long and difficult.

Wanna know how I really knew what a rough week it's been?

When I was standing in the wine aisle at TJ's looking for a bottle of wine, and next thing I know, there are five in my basket.

The sad thing is, I'm not sure when I'm even going to drink them, considering I have to be up early 6 days a week.

The sadder thing is, the first card I used declined, and I still bought them all. I'm not sure if I'm broke or my bank is overreacting again. They seem to think everything I do is fraud.

I wonder if I can get them to decline every shoe purchase? (Shhhh, don't tell The Mr., he thinks I only need 2 pairs.)

Quick, easy, healthy snack

I had a bad case of the Mondays last night that only a bottle of wine would cure.

But what about a snack to go with it? It was 9:30 P.M.! It had to be healthy! And quick!

Done and done. Seriously, you don't even have to measure this stuff. It's so ridiculously simple.

Ingredients

• Roma tomatoes
• Grated Parmesan (or shredded Parmesan, or mozzarella)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt
• Crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a toaster oven, that's even better (and I am very jealous).
2. Slice the tomatoes. Lay them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper, salt, cheese, and red pepper flakes.
3. Bake at the bottom of the oven for 10 minutes.
4. Serve. Drink wine. Feel better.
   

(The wine, by the way, was too dry. But then, I like super-sweet drinks.)

Espiral Vinho Verde

Drink this wine. Seriously. Go to Trader Joe's and buy it and drink it with dinner.

I think I paid about $4 for it, so I half-expected it to taste like bum wine. Wrong! This is not a bum wine, friends, this is a bargain.

It's crisp, sweet, and a little bit fruity. It's got just a little bit of carbonation, but not as much as your average sparkling wine. I found that it was perfect chilled with some broccoli-cheddar strudel (thanks, Rachael Ray!) and spinach bread. It. Was. Delicious.

Now, go forth and booze some more.