wine

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Wine Pops

August 10, 2016 by Danielle

In need of girl time? Make these yummy chocolate dipped strawberry wine pops and invite a few friends over!

I’m sure I’ve said it before but girl time is pretty important to me. I used to host mom’s night ins here in my home with my playgroup and my friends, used to dedicate one Saturday a month to Bunco with the girls, and make various happy hour plans, etc. But lately I’ve let the girl time slack. However after a wonderful few days away – with girlfriends hosted by Kia – I am reminded of the importance of girl time.

Now I need to plan for a girls night for real. So I can make these again. Because they were amazing. Especially when paired when a glass of wine. And some chocolate covered strawberries. Hey! All of the ingredients were already there…

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Wine Pops

1 1/2 cups strawberries
1/2 cup simple syrup, homemade or store bought
1 cup fruity red wine like Pinot Noir
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
8 oz. chocolate chips

Add the strawberries and simple syrup to a blender and purée until smooth.
Pour the strawberry purée into a pitcher. Add the wine, Pom juice, and balsamic vinegar (optional). Stir well.
Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

Once Popsicles are frozen, you can prepare the chocolate for coating:
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and set aside.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate over medium heat until smooth and shiny.
Dip each popsicle into the melted chocolate and lay on the cookie sheet to harden. (I found it easier to actually just spoon the chocolate over each pop).
Place back into the freezer for at least one hour before serving.

When’s the last time you enjoyed girl time?

Filed Under: Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Dessert, desserts, mom, Mom's Night Out, popsicles, wine, wine dessert pairings

Girls Night In Appetizers: Cheese Platter On A Stick Ideas

July 7, 2015 by Danielle

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SummerToGo #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.

Friendships are very important to me. Making time for my girlfriends is something I need to do to keep my sanity and with three kids that can get difficult. Especially when one of them is 5 months old and isn’t too good at taking a bottle. So in order to get my girl time in I often have friends come over for girls night in instead of girls night out. Sure, girls night out is fun, but girls night in is just as fun and can save me a little money too.

I love being able to come up with creative ways to make girls night in interesting. From My Favorite Things parties, to pairing afternoon kid snacks with wine, to prepping some appetizers in advance and popping open a box of Black Box wine, there are tons of ideas on making girls night in enjoyable.

This time I paired my love of cheese platters with an on-the-go solution to enjoying them easily whether we’re at my house, or having a girls night in at one of the other ladies houses. All I have to do is pack them up and grab a box of wine and we have a portable girls night. Easy peasy.

I grabbed a few things we had in the fridge and pantry and paired them with some cheeses and meats I’d normally serve on a cheese platter. The classic combo of flavors found in a caprese salad, some melon and prosciutto with provalone, and my favorite pizza toppings. Each trio pairs perfectly with either a glass of cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay.

Cheese Platter on a Stick Ideas

Caprese Salad

basil
tomato
mozzarella
sopressata

Melon and Proscutto

mint (optional)
cantalope ball
prosciutto

Salame and Olive

mozzarella
salame
black olive

The pairing possiblities are endless. Brie, apples, and figs; arugala, gorgonzola, and pear; etc. And each is a great way to bring out the various flavors in the wines we love.

Visit the Simple Entertaining Social Hub for more great entertaining ideas! Black Box has won over 50 Gold Medals for its quality, it’s available for 40% less than comparable bottled wines, and it stays fresh for up to 6 weeks. And don’t forget to enter the sweepstakes to win a trip to the California wine region of your choice. Did you know San Diego has some amazing wineries within driving distance?

What’s your favorite on-the-go appetizers for girls night?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Baby, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: appetizers, cheese, cheese platter, wine, wine pairings

Black Beans and Rice with Sausage

September 25, 2014 by Danielle

As many know, I love a good bottle of wine. But with this pregnancy I’ve had to find more useful ways of incorporating wine into my life. Luckily I was recently sent two bottles of Oberon wine, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet Sauvignon. And I knew exactly how to use one of them!

This black beans and rice with sausage recipe is one of my favorites and is full of flavor. It takes only a few minutes to throw together into a pan and about 20 minutes of simmering on low.

I served this to a few friends for lunch one afternoon and paired it with the Oberon 2013 Sauvignon Blanc for the non-pregnant women. They were quite delighted with the flavor and how it paired with this dish. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Dinner, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: 30 Minute Meals, black beans, Oberon wines, sausage, wine