Category Archives: Entertaining

10 Essential Cooking Rules

November 4, 2019

The Bon Appétit test kitchen crew are sharing their essential cooking rules so I wanted to join the fun. Here’s what I’ve learned to be true in my years of kitchen adventures.

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Minimalist Kitchen Essentials on a Budget

November 19, 2018

Back when I was on a tight budget, it really bugged me when bloggers would list their essential items and the prices were totally out of reach. How can you shell out a few hundred dollars for one item when it’s almost half your paycheck?

When I posted my minimalist kitchen essentials a while back, I realized that I’d become that blogger and so I quickly started working on this post. All the items are from Target since it’s an affordable big box store with locations all over the US.

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4 Affordable Trader Joe’s Wines for Thanksgiving

November 12, 2018

Thanksgiving is notoriously known as a tough meal for wine pairing. You basically need an easy drinking crowdpleaser that complements all the flavors of fall. But where to find that? Look no further than your local Trader Joe’s!

These four wines are perfect for Turkey Day. They are fun, fruity, and on the lighter side so they overpower your fave dishes. Plus, each bottle is under $10 so buying wine for everyone won’t break the bank!

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Wine Adventure to Helen’s Wine

October 29, 2018

Have you ever been on a wine field trip?

A wine field trip is when you venture off to a special destination to take part in fun wine-based activities.

My wine bestie Madeline and I have been obsessed with Helen Johannesen ever since she launched her Wine Face podcast. We wanted to see all of her fave bottles in real life so we went to Helen’s Wines in Los Angeles.

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Awesome Podcast for Wine Lovers

October 18, 2018

Podcasts are a way of life. Since you may be looking for a new one to try out, I’d like to suggest Wine Face. It’s fun podcast about wine with Helen Johannesen from Helen’s Wines in Los Angeles.

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French Potato Salad

August 27, 2018

Summer in the our household means one thing and one thing only, barbecue.

This is a time when we really let our French flag fly. Barbecues typically start with a traditional apéritif and a game of pétanque followed by many a pork product (whether cured or grilled), tons of wine and cheese, and this delicious French potato salad.

It’s funny how the simplest dishes often garner the most attention. This one was our summer darling who got all the compliments and recipe requests.

Now you too can whip up a French potato salad with ingredients from Trader Joe’s and serve it at your next outdoor shindig!

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Minimalist Kitchen Essentials

August 6, 2018

Anyone who loves to cook spends a lot of time in the kitchen. And anyone who spends a lot of the time in the kitchen eventually gets overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they have tucked away in various cupboards and drawers.

When I hit this point, I started decluttering like a madwoman and eventually whittled my kitchen stuff down to the absolute essentials. These are the 60 or so things that I use on a regular basis and that add the most value to my adventures in the kitchen.

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20 Lessons from a Tiny Book About Wine

July 9, 2018

20 Lessons from a Book About Wine | Alyssa Pacaut

Books about wine are usually stuffy and long-winded. And then there is The 24-Hour Wine Expert by Jancis Robinson.

Though only 105 pages long, it’s jam-packed with info about wine from tasting and buying to food pairings and everything in between. You too can spend a weekend afternoon delighting in this tiny book or take a few moments to read twenty takeaways I’ve provided for you here.

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Minimalist Tabletop Essentials

June 18, 2018

Minimalist Tabletop Essentials | Alyssa Pacaut

One way to take the stress out of entertaining is to get your tabletop essentials in order.

Getting together the essentials for modern entertaining is similar to building a minimalist wardrobe. Look for simple, classic designs that will be in style for years to come, and then opt for solid colors in a neutral palette so it’s easy to mix and match.

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