Second Leaf

A family holiday tradition that I’d like to take some credit for starting, or at least popularizing, is baking my favorite cookies of all time—Peanut Butter Blossoms. These are the peanut butter cookies with the chocolate kiss pressed into the middle. Ahhh… peanut butter and chocolate… a match truly made in heaven.

Although I’ve been making these cookies for the Christmas holiday for as long as I can remember, perhaps the greatest joy I receive now from Peanut Butter Blossoms is seeing my own children pick up the tradition. What follows is a pictorial view of last night’s baking session.

It all begins with the dough, rolled into a small ball.

The dough gets rolled in sugar before being placed on a cookie sheet. A daughter for every step in the assembly line. Perhaps having 3 kids was all part of the plan.

Perhaps a little lumpy in places but isn’t everything made by children perfect?

The girls couldn’t wait to dig into the bag of chocolate kisses and start unwrapping them. 

Finally, the cookies are out of the oven and are ready to receive their crown. They’re best when warm. The chocolate melts ever so slightly.

There you have it. We now have our cookies for Santa.

So what are your family baking traditions?

It’s been a long week. I don’t ask for much. Well, on second thought, let’s not get into that. This isn’t about me. Er, well, maybe it is. But that’s beside the point. The point is… when a man returns home on a Friday afternoon after a hard week’s work, the absolute last thing he wants to hear is, “Honey, you remember I have bunco tonight, right?”

While my face was saying, “yes, dear”, my thoughts resembled one of those emphatic “*%#&@!” Twisted Oak wine labels.  I headed straight for the wine cellar. The kids were clamoring for grilled cheese and Dora the Explorer soup. I had to think fast.

Determined to make the most of my predicament, I thought, “why not grilled cheese and soup?” The kids were happy with their selection so I rummaged around in the fridge and pantry and found some crusty sourdough bread, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and some spicy lentil bean soup. The wine I chose to accompany my throw- together bachelor meal was a Napa Valley 2004 Miner Stagecoach Vineyard Merlot ($35).

This wine was dark ruby in color with fantastic aromas of raspberries and cherries with a hint of cedar. The flavors were more of the same with a terrifically round and soft mouthfeel but just enough tannins to sustain a long and rewarding finish. The wine paired perfectly with the cheese and thickness of the soup, cutting right through both. An outstanding Merlot.

In the end, not a bad way to spend an evening. The kids are happy, I’m happy, and… oh yeah, I’ve got to get the kitchen cleaned up before the wife gets home. Later!

As reported today in an article on Decanter.com, a new study has just been released that reports that moderate consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon “may reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Laboratory mice given Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine over a seven-month period experienced ’significantly reduced Alzheimer’s Disease-type deterioration of spatial memory function’.

Once I got passed the headline I was half expecting the study to have been funded by the Napa Valley Vintners association where the control group of mice were given Fred Franzia’s Napa Ridge Cab instead of “real” Napa Valley fruit (reference). But no, this study was actually performed at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

From what I could learn from the study it’s unclear why they chose Cabernet Sauvignon or if they tested other varietals. No matter, it’s yet another good reason to drink wine.

From now on when my wife accuses me of not listening to her or I forget where I left my car keys, I’ll reach for a glass of Cabernet. Cheers!

Read the full article here.

The world of biodynamic farming has taken another step in Napa Valley, CA with the application of an all natural sunscreen to wine grapes to help shield them from the intense summer sun.

Read more…

Just a quick note announcing the start of my new blog, Second Leaf, where I plan on writing about the continued evolution of my passion for wine.

Please check out the about page for more background on this blog… and please check back often.