Tag: wine

Wednesday Wishlist: Gifts for the Food Lover

I was never a fan of online shopping — my parents never did it when I lived at home, so I guess I just didn’t think it was a good option. Turns out, it’s pretty amazing. I mean not only do most retailers offer Free Shipping, but you can basically buy a bunch of stuff (like clothes or shoes, for example), try them on and ship back what doesn’t fit..for free. It’s kind of genius especially if you don’t like fighting for a parking spot or waiting in long lines in the stores during this holiday rush. There are definitely times that I end up not buying something because of the long line.

SO, I started exploring with online shopping, ever since Nico got signed up for Amazon Prime (w/o knowing about it but we’re so obsessed now!)  For the past year, I have been sending Food Baskets as sympathy gifts to friends or family who are mourning a loss and live too far away — It’s different from the traditional flowers and definitely offers a bit of comfort #comfortfood.

As the Holidays are approaching, these food baskets also serve as amazing gifts – especially when you don’t know what to get someone. I mean, who doesn’t love food or coffee or wine? It’s the perfect time to share with all the parties going on, so it is a perfect gift to bring to share.

I selected some of my favorite food items you can order right from the couch at home:

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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 (more…)

Wine and Pizza Night

Nico and I started a little routine of when we don’t feel like making dinner (uh clean up), we just put in a store-bought frozen pizza and open a bottle of wine and call it a night! Def not a bad thing – but how much better would it be if that frozen pizza was actually homemade by you — topped with ingredients that you personally put on it, with no hidden fillers?

So — I had my girlfriends over for Wine Wednesday and we did just that. We popped open some wine bottles (& beers) and made pizzas from scratch! My friend’s dad owns a pizza shop, called Amici’s and he was sweet enough to let his daughter bring over all the ingredients we needed – including a pizza stone for my oven! (I need to get one of those)

We had homemade dough, homemade sauce – and all the toppings you could want.Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetGrowing up with a father who makes pizzas for a living, the girl sure knew how to toss that pizza dough!

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetWe learned how to make the perfect circle – because to be honest, whenever I make a pizza, it is usually in some weird shape that’s not presentation worthy.

Here is what you do:

  • Start with a ball of dough
  • Place the ball of dough into flour to keep it from sticking to your hands (I used to only flour the surface and not the dough so I would get pieces of the dough that would still stick)
  • Place your hand over the dough and work with your knuckles or the palm of your hand from the inside out while turning the dough 1/4 – the rotating creates a ridge, and will also flatten the ball.
  • Toss it! {watch some You-tube videos before you do}

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After the dough was prepped, we loaded up the ingredients, (as Freddy watched closely in case something might casually fall down …ohh that little cutie!) used some of the pizza cardboard box to slide it into the oven on the preheated pizza stone and 10-15 mins later.. a cheesy-bubbly-DELICIOUS pizza was ready.

 

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetServe with a side salad and avocados if you’re extra hungry.

*I was able to freeze one of the pizzas we made, so next time Nico and I don’t feel like cooking dinner, we can put in a home-made pizza!! Now I just need to learn how to make my own wine…

 **If you live in the Boston area – head north to North Andover and try out Amici’s Pizzeria! Tell Leo that Karina sent you =)

 

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YOLO & YOYO

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My baby bear walking up the stairs on our walk!

You signed up for a 50-mile bike ride and you just got a new puppy – where you drive 30 mins on your 1 hour lunch break just to check on him-when you should be training for the race!!…. I’m talking about myself, of course!!

People ask me all the time….How do you find the time? You have so much going on…How (& why) are you involved in so many things? The answer to How is…. a mobile calender! Without my I-Phone calender and my pocket size planner… I’d be virtually screwed. The answer to Why is….  You Only Live Once and I want to make sure I do as many things as I physically,emotionally and mentally can in a day… Granted there are times, I want to do NOTHING but snuggle up on the couch with some mint tea (or a glass of white!) and a bowl of hot fudge coffee ice cream (with cream and nuts). However, I will get down on myself if I fall into a routine of doing nothing but going to work – doing the minimal amount then going home to eat something simple, wash up and go to bed….talk about BORE. I’m sorry if that is your life… but the good thing is: you can change that! You can get involved – whether it be joining a book club, going beyond your job description at work, taking a spin or yoga class, volunteering at a local soup kitchen ( highly recommended in the next few months with the cold weather), babysitting, puppy sitting, taking a cooking class, going for a run, taking a photography class.. LEARN!

So having a fulfilled life is possible and some people do not know what they are missing until they try something new and get involved! I encourage everyone to YOLO and YOYO (You’re Only Young Once). There are so many things to do in your 20’s, new things to do in your 30’s,40’s…even 80’s! Get out there! Enjoy all that is good in this world!

The good and bad of #YOLO – I only use it for the good benefits- you should too!

Back on track to what I was trying to talk about,(ADHD problems) I have been riding from work on my bike every day this week so far to “train” -more like cope- with riding the 50 miles this Saturday!! Got to keep telling myself its for a great cause and I can finish..eeek We’ll see!

xo,

KPM