Baptist Wine Club

I’m a huge Pandora fan, and you’ll often find one station or another playing on the whole-house sound system or out on the patio at sunset. And I’ve come to enjoy a few stations that I think you’ll all enjoy as well. On the patio, at sunset, with your favorite adult beverage.

Red Wine or Martinis: Cool Jazz Radio

Margaritas: Contemporary America

Rum Drinks: Tropical Radio

White Wine: Ambient Radio

Whisky, Bourbon, Beer: Willie Nelson Radio

Now it’s your turn: What music, Pandora or otherwise, do you play to set the mood for happy hour at your house? Please do share, we LOVE music, all kinds of music!

I grabbed this bottle in a hurry a few nights ago. Seeing that I enjoyed other bottles from this producer, notably the Pinot Grigio, I thought I’d give this one a try and a quick review. And since I’m planning to enjoy some brisket and potato salad tonight, I thought I’d go ahead and pour a glass while I cook a pot of red beans. It’s practically a down-home party in my kitchen tonight.

So, the wine. I must admit that it’s a bit much for the meal I’ve planned, and I’ll probably switch to a lighter red when I put food to plate. But for piddling in the kitchen, it’s a pleasant, hearty Cab – fruit-forward, cocoa undertones, and a big nose. It smells like black cherries and licorice. Very nice for the the price – about $6.50-$7, just about everywhere.

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I collect glass.

That, there, is my glass cupboard. Full to bursting with glasses in all shapes and sizes. It’s an addiction really. I’m not allowed to bring home any more because there’s just no room. But it’s hard to resist the glassware aisles at World Market and Pottery Barn and Target and West Elm and Crate & Barrel. I’m a total junky.

You can tell, just by looking, that we’re prepared for any eventuality. We’ve got pints and pilsners and high balls and old fashioneds. We’re ready for martinis and margaritas and cordials and cognacs. White wine, red wine, dessert wine, champagne, sake. I’ve even got some cone-shaped glasses that are perfect for Jenny’s Famous Chambord Slushies.

But what you can’t see at a glance are a few specials stories, sitting on those shelves:

Purchased on successive trips to the Neibaum-Coppola Winery, I collected these four goblets over the course of a couple of years. In the way back, when they used to offer really good glassware with the paid tasting. I use these glasses all the time. Really.

A gift from my mother-in-law, these flutes were presented to my husband and me on the occasion of our wedding. They were a total surprise, since we did absolutely no planning for our nuptials, which occurred a mere three days after we decided to marry. We’ve used them every anniversary since.

And of course, the most sentimental piece in the collection is the chartreuse teapot. It was left to me by my paternal grandmother and dates to the early 1940s, when she and my grandfather married. He was a merchant marine and she was out late at a party where she wasn’t supposed to be. A lifelong romance ensued, and this is some of the proof. I love it.

I look on these shelves and relive so many wonderful memories and occasions. And I look forward to days of celebration and joy, opportunities for new memories to add to my collection. I guess you could say that this entire cupboard is filled with love.

Hello friends! I spent the weekend in beautiful Key Biscayne at the annual Mom 2.0 Summit, where I took not one single picture of myself holding a glass of wine. Shocking, I know.

The time passed so quickly, too quickly, and the conversations were so engaging, that it just didn’t occur to me to snap a few photos. Which is sad really, because that means I also missed capturing some truly amazing women for the digital memory album.

Let me, instead, introduce you all to a few of my favorite people. My roomies for the weekend were the stylish Pam of OutsideVoice and delightful Leslie of Lights and Letters. I couldn’t have asked for better company during the weekend and must offer them both extra thanks for the confidence hugs. You guys are the best!

Much of the weekend was spent in the company of Regan of Formation of Me, who kept me giggling with her dry wit. And I got an opportunity to hug and chat with a few of the women I truly admire: Karen of Chookooloonks, Laura of The Queso, Jenny of The Bloggess, Susan of Working Closet, and Helen Jane of HelenJane, as well as countless others who encouraged, enlightened, and delighted everyone at the conference.

I must also mention how privileged I feel to have been in the company of so many accomplished individuals, who are willing to share their stories – of both triumph and challenge – in such a real, personal way. And I owe a debt of gratitude for the light and life that was returned to my soul thanks to the simple acts of listening to and conversing with and learning from all of these amazing women.

I raise my glass to you all!

Let me just go ahead and confess that this bottle was a dangerous gamble. I rarely purchase either Chenin Blanc or Texas wines. The Chenin Blancs that I have tried have been either ridiculously acidic or Jolly Rancher sweet, while Texas wines have simply not lived up to my expectations of our great state.  Needless to say, I was prepared to be disappointed.

Boy was I surprised.

So let me go ahead and take it all back. Chenin Blanc is a delightfully nuanced white wine, and when produced by Fall Creek Vineyards here in Texas, made a mundane weeknight meal exceptional.

In the glass, it’s a lovely pale yellow with a mineral-floral fragrance. Before tasting, give it a good swish around the glass and allow it to rest just a bit. Trust me on this; you do not want to rush your first taste here.

Now, take a little sip. It’s ever-so-slightly off-dry with a wonderful citrus flavor – like our state’s Rio Red grapefruit. It was just so refreshing.

And when paired with the spicy salmon I served for dinner, it was absolutely perfect. I’ll be buying this bottle again – and trying new things (like other varietals and local wines) more often!

You can find Fall Creek wines at HEB, Spec’s, and other Texas purveyors. I’m not sure if they distribute outside our state, but in-state the Chenin Blanc runs around $7. Enjoy!

A few cocktail recipes I’ve found while looking around:

I think this idea for margaritas is just about perfect, and I’m going to give it a try this summer with my favorite organic, HFCS-free sorbet.

Recipe from Real Simple

I love this lemonade idea. Perfect for sitting on the front porch in late Spring or early Summer, with the condensation running down the side of your glass. Delightful.

Recipe from Spicy Ice Cream

This is a fantastic cheat to make a super quick sangria, and I cannot wait to try it. Maybe for a summer party!

Recipe from Mochachocolata Rita

In our continuing series, BWC Interviews, I’ve managed to sweet-talk Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess, into joining our virtual cocktail party. Now, if you don’t already know Jenny, stop everything you’re doing right this minute and visit her site. No, really. I mean it. We’ll wait for you.

Have fun? I knew you would. Jenny is pretty much everything that is wonderful and magical in the world.

I met her very briefly in the ladies’s room at the Hilton New York at BlogHer ’10. Basically, I mumbled something about “Baptists not supposed to drink” and fled the scene in some sort of rock-star induced social ineptitude. I couldn’t even make this up if I tried. (I mean really, how awkward is it to run away from a woman hiding out in the bathroom? Comically awkward.)

But Ms. Lawson is nothing if not generous and accommodating, and she’s on a mission to encourage more silly, irreverent, joyful happiness in our world. Which is probably the reason she agreed to play along with the BWC. Because Baptists aren’t supposed to drink. But they do, and The Bloggess does, too.

BWC: Hello again! I’m going to pretend we’re conducting this little interview in a ladies’ lounge in New York. Hope that’s ok with you. Now that we’re comfortable, tell me your favorite adult beverage.

Jenny: A snow cone with chambord (raspberry liqueur) in it.

BWC: And when did you first discover this delightful treat? What was that like?

Jenny: I was at a blogger conference, and a girlfriend gave me a sip. It was like drinking unicorn blood.

BWC: Sounds like it’s either a magic elixir or some ancient faery ritual gone horribly wrong. I’m a little afraid to ask how it’s made. Is there a secret recipe?

Jenny: Make a large snow cone. Pour a half-cup of chambord in it. Eat with a spoon while watching Doctor Who.

BWC: Phew! No actual unicorns are harmed in the making of this drink. But I wonder if drunken animal sacrifice to science fiction characters embarrasses your mother?

Jenny: No more than usual. (Hi Jenny’s Mom!)

BWC: In lieu of actual unicorn blood, is there a special brand of liqueur we should look for? And where can we procure a bottle?

Jenny: I think it’s just called Chambord. You can get it from any liquor store or from my house.

BWC: Um, I hope that’s an invitation to drop by unannounced! But seriously, if the BWC bought a bottle, would you come over and teach us how to throw a cocktail party in the ladies’ room?

Jenny: Totally. But only after I get over my crippling fear of leaving the house.

BWC: Well then, let’s throw a virtual party! We can all tweet pictures of ourselves with boozy snow cones and potato mashers! Warning: I’ll probably run from the room and hide from Twitter that night. Hope you don’t mind.

Well, that was fun! And I didn’t even feel the need to run away. Thank you so much, Jenny!

And in case you haven’t heard, The Bloggess’ first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, comes out next month. You should pre-order it as soon as humanly possible.

*No unicorns were harmed during this interview. 

Hello Everyone! And welcome to March. Can you believe it’s already Spring in Texas? The bluebonnets are everywhere and the flowering trees are covered in blossoms. It’s just beautiful.

And with the warming temperatures, we’re spending more time outside, enjoying the garden and the gazebo. To celebrate the changing seasons and the return of light and life, I thought I’d share with ya’ll a Pinterest board I’ve created to collate some of my favorite cocktail recipes and ideas.

Please join me over there for Cocktails at Chez Knighton.

Valentine’s Day is a racket. It was created in 1944 by Hallmark Cards to increase revenue between the critical Christmas and Mother’s Day holiday seasons. Then, in 1980, the diamond companies got on board with the scheme, cementing in our cultural lexicon the horrible pink and red, guilt-inducing holiday we’ve come to know and despise. Today, enterprising individuals have created the Anti-Valentine’s Day celebration where they burn cards and letters and over-priced stuffed teddy bears in an annual bonfire that is second only to England’s Guy Fawkes Night.*

This year, I’m adding fuel to the festival fires by introducing to you, dear reader, Bitch wine. A Spanish Grenache, it’s blood red and angry. And at 14% alcohol, it’s a shock to the system – it’s the perfect celebratory beverage for an anti-V-Day tirade/bonfire. Available at your local purveyor for around $9.

*A totally made-up history of Valentine’s Day. It might be true.

Note: if you’re like me and you get a real kick out of celebrating Valentine’s Day in an off-beat kind of fashion, this wine is a whole lot of fun. My husband and I enjoyed it with a pizza last Friday night, spending the entire time making ridiculous anti-Valentine jokes. Also, we might have been affected by the high alcohol content. Seriously, that 14% hit the back of my throat like a shot of cheap whiskey. It was a real bitch. Hah!

A couple weeks ago, we joined a large group of family and friends for a jaunt to the Caribbean. I brought a couple bottles of red wine on board, which we enjoyed but which I didn’t document to share. They’re were good and much fun was had by all. Proof: