Per Jamie's Request

Aww Sweetie... I don't have the blog space, time or memory to list all the wines I've tried. And at this point, it took 3 days and Google to get the names of those that I do enjoy on a regular basis. Why?? Well, because I haven't been able to enjoy them on a regular basis. I've been to busy gestating. But I have very fond memories of the types/tastes I like, so here we go....

REDS-
Goat-Roti 2002--Shriaz from South Africa
Sabastianai 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Casillero Del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon
I'm a big fan of reds that are beefy and spicy...you know, have substance. No wimpy, watery red's for me!! I typically gravitate toward Shriaz/Syrah.

WHITES-
I tend to enjoy creamy, medium bodied whites.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay
Gewurtztraminer is quite tasty. Other wise Pinot Grigio if I'm in the mood, it tends to be fruity.

Overall, I don't like super fruity or super sweet wines. I will make an exception when it come to Eiswein (ice wine). But Eiswein is a dessert wine, and that's a whole other ball game.

And there is no way a Blush or Rose would find it's way into my house : )

Food Snob???

So after having a humorous discussion over the weekend regarding if House and I are food snobs, I came across this entry on another blog and decided to give it a go.
You're supposed bold the items you've eaten and to cross out things you haven't (or would NEVER), but since I don't know how, I'll just keep them w/out bold.


1. Venison - makes a mighty tasty burger
2. Nettle tea -I'm all about teas, but I don't think I've seen this
3. Huevos rancheros - I believe a variation of
4. Steak tartare - no, but since I like me steak to be near moo-ing, I'd give it a try
5. Crocodile - not even appealing to me
6. Black pudding -had the chance and passed...wish I'd at least tasted it
7. Cheese fondue - ummmm....runny cheese that tastes like beer or wine....my mouth is watering
8. Carp -
9. Borscht - no thanks.
10. Baba ghanoush - hmmm looks interesting
11. Calamari - YUM!!
12. Pho -I like noodles and beef, so I'd try it
13. PB&J sandwich -for real?
14. Aloo gobi --Not a fan of cauliflower and why ruin a perfectly good potato
15. Hot dog from a street cart, meat on a stick - yep.
16. Epoisses - I had tried many many different cheeses in Europe, I'm sure I've tried it and described it as Peter Gunderson would --dirty dish rag--
17. Black truffle - only a sliver as garnish.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - well yes, but grape is best
19. Steamed pork buns - no, but if they showed up at my local Buffet I'd give it a try
20. Pistachio ice cream - not my favorite.
21. Heirloom tomatoes - of course!!
22. Fresh wild berries - of course!!
23. Foie gras - eww
24. Rice and beans - blah
25. Brawn, or head cheese -NO!
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - no, because I'M NOT INSANE.
27. Dulce de leche - does Dulce de leche cheese cake count??
28. Oysters - so good!! Raw w/ lemon!! YUM!!!
29. Baklava - LOVE it.
30. Bagna cauda - nahh
31. Wasabi peas - not great
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - In the San Fransisco air port...along w/ my $4.00 water
33. Salted lassi - doesn't even sound good
34. Sauerkraut - yep!!! Even while in Germany
35. Root beer float - ummmmm
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - eww to the cigar, but I'd try cognac
37. Clotted cream tea - nope. Sounds good, though.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - hello, I WENT TO COLLEGE
39. Gumbo - ymmmmmm
40. Oxtail - ?? why??
41. Curried goat - no
.42. Whole insects - nope
43. Phaal - I like curry, but I'd pass
44. Goat’s milk - a tiny taste
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - nope
46. Fugu - nope.
47. Chicken tikka masala - nope, but I'd try it
48. Eel - yes. Sushi.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - MANY.
50. Sea urchin - nope.
51. Prickly pear - no
52. Umeboshi - no
53. Abalone -no, but I have some jewelry
54. Paneer - no
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - no, if you know me, you know I don't really do McDonalds
56. Spaetzle - oh yes, YUM.--another while in Germany
57. Dirty gin martini - tastes like you're eating a Christmas Tree...yuck
58. Beer above 8% ABV - Oh Germany--how I miss you.
60. Carob chips - no desire
61. S’mores - well of course
62. Sweetbreads - ok, not what I thought it was and no I wouldn't try it---I have issues w/ eating glands/ organs.
63. Kaolin - Is this even edible??
64. Currywurst -- nope
65. Durian - no
66. Frogs’ legs - no
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - yes, please!
68. Haggis - no, eww
69. Fried plantain - best when served sweet w/ chocolate
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette -no
71. Gazpacho - no, but I've wanted to make it
72. Caviar and blini - no
73. Louche absinthe - nope.
74. Gjetost, or brunost - now
75. Roadkill - WTF?
76. Baijiu - nope.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - many many moons ago
78. Snail - no, I think it would be too chewy
79. Lapsang souchong - no
80. Bellini - no, but I want to!!
81. Tom yum - no
82. Eggs Benedict - not my favorite way to have eggs
83. Pocky - yep
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - LOL
85. Kobe beef - nope, but I'd give the American version a try
86. Hare - if this is the same thing as rabbit, then yes.
87. Goulash - yes.
88. Flowers - yep.
89. Horse - not to my knowledge, no.
90. Criollo chocolate - no
91. Spam - sad to admit
92. Soft shell crab - I'm not a fan of crab.
93. Rose harissa - no
94. Catfish - fried catfish!!!
95. Mole poblano - no
96. Bagel and lox - no
97. Lobster Thermidor - no, I'm a purest when it comes to lobster
98. Polenta - yep.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee -nope
100. Snake - eww!

Well, seeing that I had to Google a good number of these, I'd say I am not a food snob......well maybe only about the foods I enjoy. : ) : ) And now this pregnant girl is craving sushi and unpasteurised cheese............

Baby Householder : )

Today was an amazing day. Dan and I got to see our little one for the very first time!! I honestly have no words to describe the feelings I experienced while looking at the life growing inside me. I was in awe, absolutely amazed and blessed. Here are some of the images we got to bring home. We were also able to record it via VHS.

Profile.

Face

Feet

Peek-a-Boo (baby was hiding behind my belly button)

Even a wee little smile

We haven't really blogged about the pregnancy. So, to catch you up:

My due date is December 30, 2008. (And yes we are hoping to get the tax break this year!)

We opted to keep the pregnancy a secret until my 12 week appointment. We also decided not to find out the sex. I honestly can't complain about the first trimester. I was nauseated alot, but never prayed to the porcelain gods on a daily basis. I was very tired in the beginning and in the past two weeks finally started to get my energy back.

I'm 20 weeks and 1 day today. Baby measured right on track during the ultrasound

All in all things are going well. I'm ready to paint the nursery, but we're opting to wait until the fall and the weather is much cooler.

And now that it's 10:40 and my normal bed time is 9:00 my brain is mush...so if there is anything you are dying to know, just ask.

Vacation Prints and opinions of digital printing sites

As of today all of my vacation prints have arrived. Truth be told, I had hoped to have a scrapbook of our Hawaii trip finished by the time we went to Washington DC. But, I realized that if I waited and combined everything I could get a better deal. I had prints made of Hawaii and DC (obviously) a few old pictures of my grandma and a handful of family pics that I scanned.

Soooo I have 445 prints from 3 different companies for a grand total of 37.52. (Includes tax and shipping)(and two 5 x 7's) For an average of .11 per print. Now, I could have paid 5.99 less, but I chose an faster shipping option on one order. But all in all I'm pretty happy with the deals I was able to score.

I've ordered from the two of the companies in the past. Snapfish and Winkflash. New to the mix was Shutterfly(50 free prints to new customers) All 3 sites are pretty easy to use and navigate. All give you finish options. All print nice looking photos (but that might be my nifty camera with 12x digital zoom)

My only true complaint about all 3 is that your photos to do not upload in order. Which annoys me. But Shutterfly and Winkflash both print the picture name on the back. So if you number your photos, like we do, it's fairly easy to put them in order again.
Shutterfly and Winkflash both print on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper. Snapfish prints on Kodak paper, which feels thinner than the Fuji paper.

All of my orders got here pretty quickly. With Shutterfly being the fastest. Ordered on Friday, received Monday. I chose faster shipping on one of the Winkflash orders and it arrived in the same amount of time. Having used Snapfish the most in the past, they are nortourious for being slow. Their website states it may take up to 10 days depending on your shipping method. I've personally have had it take up to 12 days for my prints to arrive. This time it took 8 days. Had I not had credits left over, I would have avoided Snapfish all together. And will do so in the future.

So that's my two cents. Hope it helps someone.