Leavenworth Wine Walk 2015

We had the most wonderful time this weekend at the 2015 Leavenworth Wine Walk and have decided to make this a yearly event!

Weather was beautiful….over 90 degrees and it actually wasn’t too crowded.

The wine walk was from 12 pm to 6 pm ….. Needless to say we got pretty toasty….and it wasn’t from the weather!

Lots of wine, ciders and perrys to taste…so much so that we really didn’t have time to shop in all of the little stores.

I am a white/sweet wine/cider drinker so the reds just didn’t do it for me……however there was PLENTY of non-reds to sample!!

Highlights (otherwise known as purchases!!)

Baroness Cellars

The Gewurztraminers as always were wonderful.
We also learned a new way to remember the German name….something about hurts his weiner…..and yea the more we drank the more we called it that and the funnier it became *snort*

Sunshine Sangria
I love this one. It just screams sweet goodness

Engelwein
Perfect for the holidays!!!! We had it heated….I’ve never had warm wine before but I loved it!!

Pasek Cellars

Cranberry Wine – YES YES YES Perfect for the holidays
Raspberry Wine (not the dessert wine)….another big YES

Country Elegance

My favorite…….Sweet (of course!!)

Washington State Countryside Ciders

These ciders are NON alcoholic!!

They are truly a gourmet cider and were extremely wonderful!

My favorite was the Old World Spice. Add a shot of Fireball Whiskey and you have a mouthful of holiday! When I order the Spice cider I will also try the huckleberry and raspberry

The Oil & Vinegar Cellar

I have never seen so many different kinds of olive oils and balsamic vinegar in one place….and sample I did!

One of many favorites was the Peach Balsamic Vinegar and when I need to reorder this I will be ordering several more as well!

I am so looking forward to next year’s Leavenworth Wine Walk!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

I don’t know what your definition of chili is but mine is thick
Even though this is called a chili it’s more like a soup
Not a big deal……it’s good whatever you want to call it!

Note:
I did not food processorized the one can of beans
I just dumped it in with the other one

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1-1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cans (15 oz) cannelloni beans, drained, rinsed and divided
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese and avocado for topping (optional)

Directions

In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute onion, garlic, and pepper in oil until tender.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in seasonings, chicken broth, half-and-half, sour cream, corn, chicken, and 1 can beans.
Place remaining can of beans in food processor and pulse several times until smooth.
Stir bean-puree into chili and season with salt and pepper.
Bring chili to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until chili is heated through.
Serve chili warm with cheese and avocado if desired.

Enjoy

Chicken Noodle Casserole

I made this last night and it’s a keeper.
I used double the chicken and doubled the cheesy-sauce
Made a 13 x 9″ pan plus an 8 x 8″ pan
More than enough for all 7 of us with PLENTY for leftovers
I don’t like celery or carrots so I omitted the celery and I used the frozen carrot and peas

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

2/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups 2 percent milk
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender.
Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink.
Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture.
Add noodles; mix well.
Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Bourbon Peach BBQ Baked Beans

*This* is my new favorite home-made baked bean recipe!!!!!
The whole family loved these

Notes:
I used canned peaches instead of fresh. I figured it was easier to use the softer canned ones.
I added 1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder….for me….less is better and I will decrease this amount next time
The recipes calls for ONLY 6 slices of bacon….hell no…..I used the entire package
I used 1/3 cup bourbon…of course!

Bourbon Peach BBQ Baked Beans

Ingredients

6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
2 (14 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed + drained
2 (14 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed + drained
2-3 ripe peaches, chopped (use 2 if peaches are big, 3 if they are small)
1 ½ cups your favorite BBQ sauce
½ cup pure maple syrup
1/3-1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoons salt + pepper
fresh basil, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place an oven safe 3-5 quart Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat.
Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
If there is a lot of fat in the pot, drain off all but 1 tablespoon.
To the bacon, add the cannellini beans, pinto beans, peaches, BBQ sauce, maple syrup, bourbon, balsamic dijon mustard, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Give everything a good stir to combine.
Place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the sauce has thicken and is bubbly.
Serve warm with fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Labor Day Weekend

I had four days off over the Labor Day weekend.
I didn’t get as much done as I wanted …..but I got enough of it done so I’m happy.

The ‘boys’ each got a bath (AmStaffs)
We taste tested, adjusted and bottled 10 gallons of hard cider (two different 5 gallon batches)
Brought in firewood and chopped kindling…now we are ready for that first night of frost
Cleaned up cut branches, plants and debris in the yard
Put new filter material in the pond filter….did I tell you we have three baby koi/shubunkin fish??!
Tried three new recipes which I will post in a minute
And the usual cleaning house, laundry etc.

All in all not a bad four days!