Pink Lady's Wine Picks

Since the economy is in the toilet I find myself gravitating and looking so forward to my glass of wine when I get home from work. I have never been an expensive wine drinker unless it is a special bottle from a special place, and especially now I go strait to the under $10.00 bottles. I used to look at the under $10.00 and the under $20.00 for my nightly glass of red greatness, but not anymore. I am a Champagne and red wine collector. Anything that can be purchased at Trader Joes, Bev Mo, grocery stores is not in the collection. I am strict if I am going to collect it it has to be something you can only buy direct from the winery or only on a restaurants wine list. So since a bottle of Shaffer or something made by the cult winery Screaming Eagle is not going to be in my near future I am diving deep into the under $10.00 category to not dip into my coveted stash. 

My go to bottle is part of the new line of wines from the Francis Ford Coppola called Rosso. The line came out when Francis opened his new winery in Geyserville about a year ago called Rosso&Bianco. I have tried both the Rosso and the Rosso Shiraz. The bottles can be purchased at Trader Joes for $7.99!!!!! Sold at other stores for twice the price. It is well worth it. This is a wine you can drink alone for sure it needs nothing. You could pair it with a pork dish with a sweet brine or pizza, bar-b-q. The Rosso is a nice blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel grapes it is so yummy. 

Lilly Pulitzer Popcorn

So as you can tell from my last post I am a huge cookbook collector. Another goodie that I found is Lilly Pulitzer's entertaining guide books. One quick recipe that I love is a popcorn recipe.

16 cups of freshly popped pop corn

1/2 stick of melted butter

1 cup of grated Parmigiano cheese

LOTS of fresh ground pepper.

So you put the popcorn in a big bowl, pour butter over it and toss. Then sprinkle cheese and toss again. Take your pepper mill and grind till you can't grind no more!!!!!! Yum!!! Quick and easy and great. I usually break the recipe down to five cups of popcorn, one tablespoon of melted butter maybe plus another teaspoon and 1/4 cup of great Parmigiano  with a ton of pepper. 

Lilly serves this at outdoor movie viewing parties. What a great idea to have a out door movie viewing party!!! You could set up your TV out side and play a movie. Put out some lawn chairs and a set up a candy bar maybe make pizza, cocktails. Have a theme for the night like Gangster Movies, Black and White Movie night, chick flicks, etc, etc. Great summer party idea. Or if your supper high end you get a projection tv system and a huge screen and set it up in you back yard. That Lilly, I just love that lemonade making Palm Beach social light:)

Vera Bradley's Yum Yum Cake Gluten Free

So I purchased Vera Bradley's cook book in July and love reading the recipes. They take me back to my Mid-Western roots with every flip of a page. I saw this great cake recipe that could be easily transformed into a Gluten free cake.

What you will need:

If your making this with normal flour you can use a yellow cake mix or make a yellow cake from scratch. This makes a huge sheet cake so four a family of four cut the recipe in half. If your having a party then make the full recipe.

Gluten Free Flour Mix:

6 cups of Finely ground Brown Rice flour

2 cups of Potato Starch

1 cup of Tapioca Flour

Mix in a large air tight container and store for other bake goods recipes. 

Gluten Free Yellow Cake Ingredients:

2 cups of sugar

4 large eggs

2 1/2 cups of Gluten free flour mix

1/2 tsp of salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp of xanthun gum

Gluten Free Yellow Cake Recipe:

-Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

-Center your oven rack

-Butter and Line with parchment paper the bottom of one 9x13  brownie Pan (if your doing 1/2 the recipe line one 8inch or 9inch square pan)

-Take 2 cups of sugar and and mix with 4 large eggs on medium speed for 1 minute.

add 2 1/2 cups of flour mix 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of xanthun gum mix for for one minute on medium speed.

-Pour into prepared pan and place in oven for 35 to 40 minutes until cake has pulled away from sides of the pan and is slightly brown on top. Do not open oven door until at least 35 minutes have passed.

-Let cool completely and then take knife and cut around the edges. Flip pan over and pull off pan and then pull off parchment paper. Put cake in pan a rimmed or deep dish pan that fits the cake. 

Topping:

16oz container of Ready Whip or make a two Packs of Dream Whip as Directed

1 packet of vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup of milk

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 bar of softened cream cheese

1 bag of frozen strawberry's

1 cup of pecans or walnuts

1 cup of shredded coconut

-Pour milk in a mixing bowl and add packet of pudding mix and mix for a minute with electric mixer.

-add softened cream cheese about a table spoon at a time with mixer on medium speed until combined. Add your vanilla

-fold in your whip topping

-spread over cooled cake

-sprinkle pecans and coconut

-place strawberry's on top and cover and refrigerate for two hours.

In a large bowl empty contents of pudding mix in the bowl, Pour in milk and turn mixer on medium speed and combine. Add cream cream cheese make sure it is softened and not cold. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cake and spread evenly. Place thawed strawberries over whipped topping and sprinkle pecans and coconut. Cover and place in refrigerator for two hours. Ready to serve and will last about four to five days as long it is refrigerated.