Sweet Tea....for Grown Ups

In my old age (ha ha) I'm trying to be more adventurous when it comes to food & drink. More recently, I've wanted to learn a lot more about wine. I've never really been a beer drinker (can't stand the taste of the stuff) so wine seems the other obvious option.

When I was in my early 20's, the only thing I knew about wine was what I learned drinking White Zinfandel with my room mates. (That was back when I thought spaghetti consisted of spaghetti noodles & a jar of spaghetti sauce...) As I've gotten older, especially more recently, I've tried to expand my experience with wines. Thanks to my sister I even found a red wine that I liked. I'm also surprisingly impressed with the knowledge my niece possesses about wines & pairings. Of course, she does own a restaurant and is married to a master chef. That could have something to do with it. Lately I've discovered that at World Market you can try all kinds of different wines from around the world, a lot of them at pretty decent prices. It's a good way to try new things without breaking your budget.

So the other day when I walked into my local World Market, a display right near the front of the store caught my eye. I zeroed in on the words "Sweet Tea" because I am a tea drinker--a sweet tea drinker. I'm talking the sweeter the better...Southern style, so sweet you can feel your tongue curl. (Okay, maybe not THAT sweet, but I do like mine pretty strong!) Imagine my surprise when I looked closer at the display and discovered it was actually a wine! Olde Savannah Sweet Tea. I paid my $6.98 (on sale!) and brought my new found purchase home.

Tonight seemed like a good night to try it--no kids at home and I'm in a relaxed mood. So I pulled out my favorite rabbit ears (wine opener people.....just a wine opener) and got a wine glass out of the cupboard. It was only then that I realized that this bottle has a screw-off cap. Okay, no big deal--I've had some good wines before with screw-off caps. Heck, I've even had some good wines out of a box.

When I poured it into the glass, it was a little odd. Only because it is in fact the color of sweet tea. I could see that in the bottle, but when it was actually sitting in the glass it hits home. It's hard to pick up a glass that looks like it has whiskey in it and expect to taste wine. Another thing--it has a distinct smell. This is a problem for me because I am big on smell. Of all my senses, my smell is probably strongest. I can't be around people with strong perfume and can smell b.o. a mile away. I don't know how to describe the smell--some reviews I've read say that it smells like perfume. I can't say I'd wear it. Maybe it's more like a cologne. I don't know, but it has a distinct smell.

So the time for tasting was here. I don't know what I was expecting....maybe sweet tea? Again, I'm having a hard time describing it. Doesn't exactly taste like wine...doesn't exactly taste like sweet tea...definitely had an aftertaste. Maybe something a little medicinal? I can't say it hated though. I also couldn't say that I loved it. I don't know if I'll finish the bottle. I've read it should be served very chilled, over ice, with a slice of lemon. Well I did have it chilled, although I didn't put it over ice and didn't happen to have a lemon handy. Maybe next time I'll try it that way and see if my opinion changes. If you're feeling adventurous, maybe you'll want to try it for yourself.

One last thing I thought was funny....it's made in California. I really thought it would have been from Georgia with a name like "Olde Savannah", or at least some other southern state...

Muffin Top

I'm going through a thing....I'm kind of freaking out.....I have......a muffin top. For the first time in my life (other than when I was pregnant) I am feeling very jiggly and out of shape. It's frustrating really, because by all standards, I'm not overweight. I even looked at the charts to make sure and for my height and bone structure I'm really very normal. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad that I look like a 41 year old--I have curves and I've learned to appreciate them. But there's this doughy part around the middle, just above my jeans (and a little bit tucked into my jeans) that's got me stressed out. I'm embarrassed to wear snug-fitting sweaters & t-shirts and I have a strong urge to constantly fold my arms in front of my stomach when I'm sitting down.
So how do I get rid of this blob around my middle without losing the rest of it? I don't want to have jugular-slicing clavicles or bruise-inducing hip bones...I just want the tone back while keeping the curves above & below. What's the best way to do this? Suggestions? Routines? I'm all ears....

The Honest Scrap Award

As noted in the comments in my previous post, I've been awarded THE HONEST SCRAP award from a great blogger at Mom Vs. The Boys. (She's one of our "neighbors up north", from that country above us that I won't name right now because I'm still cheesed that they beat us for the gold medal in hockey....but I won't hold that against her.) ;)

From what I understand, the award is “for bloggers who put their heart on display as they write from the depths of their soul." Being that I'm still pretty new to blogging and don't do that great of a job keeping up with it sometimes, I admit that I got a secret little thrill knowing that someone out there liked my blog enough to refer to it as a blog that falls into this category. Part of this "award" is that I am suppose to list 10 honest, random and interesting things about myself. If you're still here when I get to 10, I give you kudos.* If you're still here when I get to 10 and you like what you've read, subscribe to or follow my blog. ;)

1. I am a procrastinator...it's probably where my son gets it.
2. My dog is fat. I started her on a green bean diet yesterday. I feel incredibly guilty about it.
3. I am going to miss watching my son play hockey when this season is over. :(
4. I'm afraid of being dead. Not dying itself...just the being dead part. (I know, it doesn't make sense.)
5. Clowns & porcelain dolls freak me out. If it's a porcelain doll dressed like a clown? That's the motherlode...
6. Having to commute to work on the freeway this past year has made me a cranky driver. (My old work drive was 15 minutes down one country road.)
7. Sometimes I laugh at things that are completely inappropriate.
8. I want to open up a roadside organic fruit & vegetable stand and sell the produce from our garden.
9. I wish I had never let my cosmetology license lapse when I moved to another state.
10. I love boots.

Okay, now that you've got a big 'ol heaping spoonful of my honesty, I get to pass this award on to seven bloggers that I admire. I will also post links to their blogs here so that others can bask in their blogging goodness:

1. Mom Vs. The Boys - I have to mention this one first, because she is the one who awarded me with my Honest Crap Award. Thank you! :)
2. Living the Life - This is one of my nieces. She is incredibly crafty and creative and a great mom!
3. Pioneer Woman- OMG, this is my absolute favorite blog in the world! I aspire to be as good a blogger as Ree. I know she has no clue who I am but I wanted to list her because she serves up honesty with a side of country fries.
4. Cake Wrecks - Again, this is someone who most likely isn't aware I'm even alive, but this blog makes me laugh every day and she has the guts to point out the hysterical mistakes.
5. The Sassy Carmudgeon-The honest humor & some of the language in this one may not be for everyone. But man, I love her sass!

Yikes....I need to read more blogs. Or maybe more of my friends need to write blogs. I loved a blog that one of my cruise friends used to write, The Traveler's Soliloquy. I think that's what it was called...he stopped writing it awhile ago so I can't remember exactly. But I loved those posts! Okay friends, this is a request--send me the links to your blogs!

Well there you have it. When I win a Bloggers Choice Award (like both #3 & #4 have done), I'll remember all the little people. Um....wait....I don't mean little people. Not like the Roloff family or anything....just those who "knew me when" and read my blog when it was dorky. ;)

*Kudos: [koo-dohz] -noun- honor, glory, acclaim. Not the candy bar....I don't have enough money to buy everyone who reads my blog a candy bar. (Heh! Yeah, all 5 of you....)