*Magnify*
    March     ►
SMTWTFS
     
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Archive RSS
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/950138-Augusts-Impressions
Rated: E · Book · Reviewing · #950138
Nibble and sip to the best of life reviews.
We here at August Printing & Publishing love to travel within the boundaries of our home counties and beyond, way beyond. We would like to share with you our reviews of local and not so local restaurants, wineries, breweries, and any place that made us feel as if we were on vacation, if even for just an evening.

There are many blogs, TV shows, and reviews given by professional culinary artists, critics, and esteemed chefs. Not that we don't appreciate their feedback but I often wonder about us "Average Joes" out there. Who speaks for us everyday hard working "Joes" that have our average dollars to spend on an outing of dining out and fun. Where are the best places to spend our "average Joe" bucks? Well, we hope to provide this very kind of feedback to our readers.

We are going to provide you with only the best of what we experience. Our reviews will take into consideration pricing, atmosphere, customer service, location, and the menu. For the establishments that we visit and are not recommendable...well...we just won't talk about them.

If our readers would like to provide recommendations, we would very much enjoying exploring them. Feel free to contact us write here at dairesse@writing.com.

Nibble and sip to the best of life!
August Printing & Publishing

www.augustsimpressions.com
April 14, 2017 at 3:38pm
April 14, 2017 at 3:38pm
#909039
Make Your Mouth SO Happy!

Do you enjoy eating or drinking something that’s out of the norm and totally fabulous? Do you consider yourself to have a sophisticated palate when it comes to food and beverage? Well, if you can answer yes, then please keep reading.

Recently, I’ve discovered one of the yummiest websites. In fact, if I had to give it a ranking, it would receive the, One of the Most Yummy of All Websites Award! And here it is…

www.mouth.com

How cute is that name? Seriously, need I give it more of an introduction? Well, yes, because this is a blog after all. A couple of months ago, I was searching online for some sweet and spicy almonds that my husband and I once purchased at a winery in the central coast of California. I was hoping to be able to order them online and have them shipped to me. Well, I found these sweet and spicy almonds available through the website listed above. I discovered way more than these delicious sweet and spicy almonds.

I have only ordered through this company once but was very much impressed with my order. Not only did my bags of almonds come neatly wrapped in their own individual paper wrapping but they were shipped in a cute paper bag. The order came quickly and Mouth kept me up-to-date with my order status. I, also, found a note card from the company thanking me for my order and sharing a little more about themselves and a recipe card. How fabulous is that? I already have a long wish list and am looking forward to my next order.

Here are a few links that you might enjoy as you dig deeper into this website:


Sweet & Spicy Almonds $7.25 for 5 oz. - Bag of Deliciousness!
https://www.mouth.com/products/sweet-spicy-almonds#variant=893397301

Bourbon Marshmallows, need I say more? - $10.75 for 16
https://www.mouth.com/products/bourbon-marshmallows#variant=392743604

Hello! White Chocolate Macadamia Peanut Butter - $8.50 for 8.5 oz. Jar
https://www.mouth.com/products/white-chocolate-macadamia-peanut-butter#variant=3...

Bacon Peanut Butter Bar. Yes, I said BACON people! - $10.00 for 2 1.5 oz. Bars
https://www.mouth.com/products/chocolate-peanut-butter-bacon-bar#variant=9485914...

Hazelnut Whiskey Sandwich Cookie $11.25 for 6 - Its Whiskey in a cookie!
https://www.mouth.com/products/hazelnut-whisky-sandwich-cookies#variant=95030323...

Dark Stormy Caramel Popcorn $9.25 for 4 oz. Bag – Butter and scotch on popcorn! Isn’t that worth a try? According to Mouth.com this is a bestseller. Can you not see why?
https://www.mouth.com/products/dark-stormy-caramel-popcorn#variant=309100169

If you love your evening cocktails, then check this out. This is just one of the many sets and unique liquors you will find here. You will find individual liquors as well. This is a One Mint Julep Set and comes with everything you need. - $130.00
https://www.mouth.com/products/mint-julep-taster#variant=960994996

You will be able to find cheeses, wines, individually sold liquors, chocolates, nuts, popcorn, and so much more. You will not regret the time you spend on this website. You can shop by your diet too. For example, if you eat vegan, then you can shop for vegan goodies!

Helpful Tips:
1. If you join their mailing list, you get 10% off your order. Why would you not want to join their mailing list anyway? It’s just a total bonus that you can receive 10% off you order.

2. Type what you are searching for in the top right hand “Search” box. For example, cookies, chocolate, popcorn, etc. You’ll, also, see options to sort by price or again by diet restrictions.

Bonus Tip:
Type the word “chocolate” in the search box. OMGOODNESS!!! If you aren’t hungry before you start browsing, you will be afterwards!

Well, now you have an idea of what’s on my shopping list. Let me know what you think and if you try something from Mouth.com that you would like me to try, please feel free to email me at augustprintingpublishing@gmail.com.

Thank you as always for taking the time to give us a read. Happy shopping and here’s to happy mouths!


D.L. Miller









April 3, 2017 at 8:22pm
April 3, 2017 at 8:22pm
#908294
Healthy eating isn’t a fad; it’s something people are doing to take back control over their own bodies. It is something people are doing so that we feel better, look better, and stay out of the doctor’s office as much as possible. In a lot of cases, people are managing aliments with fewer prescriptions or eliminating them all together because they have reversed their condition simply by changing what they consume into their bodies. However, it can be a real challenge and a little overwhelming if you are just starting out. The two diets I primarily focus on are the Paleo Diet and Primal Diet. So, I thought it might be helpful to provide you with tried and fabulous recipes that I have really grown to love. I want you to get excited about what you are eating and not feel overwhelmed by the restrictions of such healthy eating. When you start to change the way you think about food, you start to realize there are no restrictions, just a better way of eating. You really can enjoy a truly gourmet meal with healthy ingredients. So allow me please, to share some of my favorite recipes.

Now, these recipes are not my own. I have listed the websites where I found them and the creator’s names. These are truly fabulous cooks and these are truly fabulous recipes that you can keep in your recipe drawer as part of your new healthy stylish eating habits.

Time to Get Excited!

http://againstallgrain.com/ by Danielle Walker

Leftover Roast Chicken Soup with Roasted Vegetables
http://againstallgrain.com/2013/01/30/leftover-roast-chicken-soup-with-roasted-v...
This recipe has become a staple in my house. Pair this with a fresh homemade loaf of gluten free bread and you are all set for a wonderfully healthy gourmet meal. This really is a treat and it tastes like you have spent all day making it. I recommend not telling anyone and just let your loved ones think you slaved all day over the stove.

https://elanaspantry.com/ by Elana Amsterdam
Baked Mustard Lime Chicken
https://elanaspantry.com/baked-mustard-lime-chicken/
I heart this dish so much! I really didn’t know if I would like this recipe. I really chose it because I knew my husband would like it. Well, I’m hooked. It’s zesty, it’s spicy, and it’s just delicious! Again, it’s one of those meals that you can make and it tastes like you’ve been cooking all day. I would categorize this recipe as gourmet without a doubt. Steam some veggies with maybe a little white mashed sweet potato and you are good to go.

http://paleotable.com/ by http://myhusbandcooks.wordpress.com.
Chorizo Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon
http://paleotable.com/2013/11/chorizo-stuffed-dates-wrapped-in-bacon/
I mean really! Bacon and Chorizo, how could you go wrong with that combination? This recipe is so amazing with just a few simple ingredients. What a great snack or appetizer. You don’t have to feel left out while your friends and family stuff themselves on potato chips and dip. Most likely, they will be asking you for a bite off your delicious looking plate. Note to self, you don’t have to share if you don’t want to.

https://elanaspantry.com/ by Elana Amsterdam

Nut Free Paleo Carrot Cake
https://elanaspantry.com/nut-free-paleo-carrot-cake/
Oh so amazing and easy to make. Elana provides you with two frosting options. So take a look and see which one will work best with your diet preferences. My favorite is the cream cheese frosting recipe. This is a great recipe to use if you are having a dinner party and you have that friend that says, “None for me. I’m sugar and gluten intolerant.” You can simple respond, “Oh yes you can my friend!” Just plunk that baby right down on the table and watch everyone’s eyes light up.

http://paleogrubs.com/ by Jesse (Paleo Grub)
Blackberry Tequila Paleo Mojito by Dr. Anthony Gustin
http://www.dranthonygustin.com/blackberry-tequila-paleo-mojito/
Cocktail anyone? Maybe I should have started with this recipe. This is not only gorgeous but it sets so nice on your palate at the end of a long week. What a treat. Not only can you find this amazing recipe on Paleo Grub but 24 more Paleo Cocktails. If you find me sitting on my porch at the end of the week enjoying a glass full of this goodness, don’t bother me. Just leave me alone and let me chill with my chillaxin’ Blackberry Tequila Paleo Mojito darlin’.

Bonus Link:

A link to all 25 Paleo Cocktails! Wahoo!
http://paleogrubs.com/cocktail-recipes

I am confident that you will enjoy cooking Paleo and Primal once you get started. Check out the above websites for more recipes. These are truly talented writers and cooks. I will continue to share more recipes as I come across ones that are too yummy not to share. Also, I will add my own recipes as I continue with this blog so be on the lookout for those. Some of my recipes maybe with health style and others may just be with style. Either way, I hope you will enjoy the reading, the nibbling, and the sipping.

Thank you again for your time. As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or with recommendations.


D.L. Miller
August’s Impressions
augustprintingpublishing@gmail.com
www.augustsimpressions.com
April 3, 2017 at 12:06pm
April 3, 2017 at 12:06pm
#908269
January of 2016 my husband took me on a road trip from Southern California to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I had never been and was excited to go. It was cold and it had already snowed before we arrived so I wasn’t able to take the photos I normally like to take. The ground was pretty slippery. However, I will provide you with links to the websites for the places that we visited along with the photos I did take.

Vanessie Santa Fe

We stayed at the Vanessie Santa Fe. It isn’t a large resort but it is one of the coziest resorts that we have visited. Here is the contact information:

http://www.vanessiesantafe.com/
Bus: 505-984-1193 à Email: info@vanessiesantafe.com
434 W. San Francisco St. Santa Fe, NM 87501
GPS Address: 427 W. Water St. - Parking entrance

If you decide to visit, ask for Karen. Karen is amazing! She did everything should could to take care of us and make us feel welcome. Please take a look at the pictures at the very bottom, this was our room. It was so beautiful. Karen provided us with a fresh log to burn in the fireplace every night. Our room was quiet, clean, and comfortable. Everything from the decorating, to the bed linens, and overall feeling of the room was so inviting. This made it hard to leave the room the next morning. In fact, we had reservations to go up one the mountains to tour but cancelled because we wanted to enjoy the room.

The Vanessie Restaurant & Lounge offers live music and fine dining in the evenings. However, my husband and I enjoyed their complementary breakfasts. As is customary, it is buffet style but this is no sneeze guard buffet. No, this was a room filled with breakfast delights. We enjoyed made to order omelets, fresh pastries, breads, smoked bacon, country potatoes, pancakes, fresh fruit, and a wonderful selection in juices. There was so much food to choose from. Nice job Vanessie Santa Fe!

We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend the Vanessie.

Pizzeria & Trattoria da Lino

My husband and I always liked to ask the resident locals where to eat when visiting away from home. So after checking in at the Vanessie, we asked Karen for her recommendations on where to eat. We tend to enjoy eating off the beaten tourist path. Doing so we have found some amazing places to eat that you would never know were any good just by looking at the outside of the restaurants. Then again, it’s not always what’s on the outside that counts. Is it?

Karen at the Vanessie Sante Fe recommended a couple of places to eat, one being a pizzeria. Well, we didn’t feel like pizza so we planned on going to the steak house she recommended instead. We decided to walk it despite the ice on the ground and the chill that inevitably bites at your nose. It, also, bites everything else. Anyway, we got a little lost in doing this and accidently found the pizzeria. I am so glad that we got lost. The pizzeria is called, Pizzeria & Trattoria da Lino. Here is the address:

http://www.pizzeriadalino.com/index.html
204 N. Guadalupe St.
Santa Fe, NM 87510

Again, when looking at this pizzeria from the outside, you wouldn’t think very much about it. The parking lot is not too big from the front of the building and it didn’t look like anyone was really inside eating. However, we were cold and tired so we decided to give it a try.

Walking in we were hit with a wonderfully warm smell of a brick oven and discovered that the pizzeria was in front of the restaurant to service pick up orders but the real surprise was down the stairs and towards the back. The main dining room was nicely set away from North Guadalupe Street. The place was packed! There was a live accordion player and Santa Fe artwork on the walls. My husband and I looked at each other so happy we decided to walk in.

Once the menus were handed to us, I was amazed. Yes, they served pizza but so much, much more. The server brought fresh bread to our table. It was perfect, crusty on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. They must have just pulled it out of that brick over. We ate all of it!

Now I should mention that they are also a brewery but my husband and I were more interested in the local wines. For dinner, I had the Insalata Mista Salad and the Quattro Stagioni Pizza. My husband ordered the Buffalo Margarita Pizza. You will find a quick snap photo of my pizza below and no, I didn’t eat it all. I wanted to save room for dessert. The assortment of desserts was impressive. I ordered the Spumoni Gelato and was not disappointed.

We found the service to be attentive and the check to be reasonable. We ended up having dinner here two nights in a row. If I’m ever in Santa Fe again, I would very much love a visit to Pizzeria & Trattoria da Lino.


Black Mesa Winery

It seems no matter where we travel these days, we have been able to stumble across some extraordinary wine. Sante Fe was no exception. I will write about some of the other wineries we visited in future blogs. Today though, I wanted to talk to you about Black Mesa Winery.

Again, you might not think there is much going on with this winery by its outside appearance, but you would be wrong to make this assumption. A local resident of Santa Fe recommended that my husband and I stop by Black Mesa Winery. So we did and we were so happy that we took the recommendation. Here is the address and contact information:

http://blackmesawinery.com/Home
505-852-2820 à jer@blackmesawinery.com
1502 Highway 68 - Mile Marker 15
Velarde, New Mexico 87582

Black Mesa Winery has a very loyal following. We were able to hang out at the tasting bar and speak to a few of the customers. Their customer base spans the United States and I can understand why. They have some pretty serious red wines. Having said that, what I found particularly unique about this winery was their Black Beauty Chocolate Dessert Wine. Now, I have not been a fan of chocolate in my wine. This just happens to be my preference. I like to eat chocolate while drinking wine but I haven’t had an appreciation for chocolate in the wine. The way it lays on my palate typically tastes too sweet and sort of like fake chocolate. One of the customers at the tasting bar said we couldn’t leave without trying the Black Beauty Chocolate Dessert Wine. So with a little reluctance, I tried a tasting. It was INCREDIBLE!!!! It wasn’t too sweet and the wine maker nailed a fresh real chocolate flavor. We bought two bottles! Now I wish we’d bought more. I may just have to tippy tap my fingers across the keyboard and order another couple of bottles to have shipped to me. I am giving you a link should you care to try it for yourself.

https://shop.blackmesawinery.com/xe/xe.asp?page=viewitem&p=117&cat=port%2Dwine

The customer service was friendly and from what I understand Black Mesa Winery often has live music. The tasting room was already pretty packed when we visited which, of course, is a good sign of its popularity. I extend my thanks to Black Mesa Winery for a wonderful experience and tasting.

Well, I hope that you have found our impressions helpful. We really enjoyed our visit to Santa Fe. It was a special trip for us because it flanked the end of our first year wedding anniversary. I look forward to my next visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico. When I come through, you can bet you will find me at one of the venues listed above.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!


D.L. Miller

http://www.augustsimpressions.com/2017/03/the-road-to-santa-fe.html
April 3, 2017 at 12:03pm
April 3, 2017 at 12:03pm
#908268
I like most “Average Joe’s” love food. It is the number one reason I started this blog. We humans love to eat, eat, and then eat some more. However, have you ever stopped to read what’s in the food you eat or even worse what your food is eating? For example, if your delicious steak dinner came from a cow that was fed with genetically modified grain or your baked potato was grown with everything except a potato, then guess what? You just ate that genetically modified grain too and you just ate that not so real potato.

There is a lot of agriculture in the central coast of California. Watching TV one day while I was living in the central coast, there was a portion of the news dedicated to the announcement that a local watermelon patch exploded. Well, that got my attention. Watermelons exploded in a field because a certain hormone was introduced too late in the growing process. Now what do watermelons need with hormones anyway? Well, come to find out this hormone was introduced into the watermelons to make them grow larger. This got me thinking. If you buy fruits and veggies at the grocery store that were grown with chemicals in the seed (GMOs) and/or were given hormones, then guess what? You are about to consume into your body, those same chemicals and hormones. I don’t know about you but I have enough hormones and I don’t want anymore.

Have you ever tried to read the labels on the containers of food you buy and not been able to pronounce all of the ingredients listed? Can you even consider that real food if the “food” has been so highly processed that you don’t recognize the ingredients? Since when did it become acceptable to use your body as a toxic dumping ground? I could go on and on about this but I will stop myself there.

Over the last several years I started seeing a holistic/nutritionist doctor and one of the first things he did was put me through a 21 Day Paleo Detoxification Program. Since then I make sure to go through this cleansing process once a year and the benefits are completely worth the strict diet. For the rest of the year, I try to eat Paleo during the week. On the weekends, I let myself have some fun with food and remove the restrictions. I finally just decided after seeing the benefits of such a detoxification first hand, not to let my body be a toxic dump anymore.

Well, I just started my annual 21 Day Paleo Detoxification a week ago. So I thought it might be fun to talk about eating Paleo and go through some ideas that might help make such an experience more pleasurable. As a whole Paleo recipes can be quite gourmet, but where do you find those recipes? You will find hundreds of results online if you search for Paleo recipes, but how are you supposed to know which sites to use? When I first started searching I was overwhelmed. I finally narrowed it down to the websites I’m about to share with you. I’m going to provide you with websites that you can peruse at your leisure for gourmet Paleo recipes. If you are participating in a cleanse, you will have to avoid sugar all together, that includes honey and stevia. So perhaps, just avoid the recipes that call for these ingredients until after you have completed your cleanse. Otherwise, have fun and enjoy the read. If the links don't happen to work for you, just copy the links and paste them into your browser.

www.fastpaleo.com
https://elanaspantry.com
http://paleotable.com
www.paleoplan.com
http://paleotable.com/



Bonus Resources:

1) Download the Paleo Central App! If you don’t know if a specific food fits into your Paleo Diet, then simple type it into the application and it will tell you. No more having to worry about straying from your diet or asking, “Is this Paleo?”
2) http://www.ewg.org/foodscores - Download the Food Scores App or search online! If you want to know how healthy your food really is, check out this website. Make sure to read the User’s Guide first so that you understand how the scoring system works. You might be surprised at your findings.

Helpful Tips:

One of the biggest complaints I hear from friends who have gone through a detoxification cleanse is that they don’t enjoy drinking all of the water that is necessary to flush the toxins out of your body. So perhaps flavor your water with cucumbers and mint, raspberries, strawberries, orange slices, cranberries, or green apple slices. Also, try drinking coconut water. I would recommend that you just make sure it’s straight from the coconut water, nothing else added. Vita Coco is my favorite and you can find it at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and sometimes at Costco. If you want a cup of tea, just make sure it is decaffeinated and add a little spice to it like cinnamon, clove, or orange slices. When it comes to eating and drinking Paleo, it's important to get creative.

As always, thank you for stopping by and giving this blog a read. Please feel free to email me directly at augustprintingpublishing@gmail.com if you have additional Paleo recipe websites that you would like me to check out.

Stop the dumping and start the pumping of yourself up for fine dining right from your very own kitchen.



D. L. Miller

http://www.augustsimpressions.com/2017/03/stop-toxic-dumping-and-start-healthy.h...
April 3, 2017 at 12:01pm
April 3, 2017 at 12:01pm
#908266
I love to wine! I developed a love relationship with wine many years ago living in two of the most beautiful wine countries in California. As with most folks, I started off drinking white wines and then worked my way up to serious reds. After sometime, my husband and I started collecting wine from all across the country. Everyone enjoys wine for different reasons. For me, opening each bottle of wine in our collection reminds me of one of the many road trips my husband and I have taken. It reminds of happy times with friends and family wine tasting at some of the loveliest wineries. So for me, memories are poured out of each bottle because I remember when I bought it, where I was, and who I was with.

Which wine to buy and where to buy it?

Well, many experts have their opinions of what tastes delicious and what it tastes delicious with when it comes to everything but especially wine. However, what I have found is that taste in wine is highly subjective. What I might like, you might not like. So if you are an "Average Joe", just starting to develop your palate, you may want to try a wine that isn’t too expensive. This may help you avoid being too disappointed having spent only $10 on a bottle of wine versus $50 should you not care for it. I learned quickly not to judge a bottle of wine by its price tag. For example, I once tried a bottle of wine priced at $150 and one at $35 at the same winery. I loved the wine priced at $35 over the bottle priced at $150. Having said this, I would encourage you to give some consideration to the quality of the wine, especially as your palate matures.

For the everyday wine purchase, I really enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s. It is one of my most favorite places to buy wine. It really is fabulous because you can buy a terrific bottle of wine, a complementary cheese, and chocolate all in one place. How great is that? For a busy "Average Joe" such as myself, that saves me all kinds of time after a long day of working hard to make my "Average Joe" bucks. So, let’s talk a little about what fabulous deals you can find at Trader Joes. We are going to start with the lower priced wines, but they are delicious. Don’t let these prices scare you off. You wouldn’t know these bottles are priced under $10 by tasting them. I am recommending these bottles if you are a red wine beginner or just want a yummy bottle of wine to have with dinner any night of the week.

Here are a few bottles off my long list of favorites that I always keep stocked in the house. Please check back later for another list, as I plan to provide you with a few at a time so not to overwhelm you with choices. Some of these recommendations even come from the California’s Central Coast, which of course pleases me very much. I have to admit, I’m a bit partial. However, you will also find wines on my future lists found at Trader Joes that come from Chile, Italy, and France, all of which are amazing. So let’s get to that list:

v Trader Joe’s Coastal Zinfandel $4.99 or Cabernet Sauvignon for $5.49
v Cherry Blossom Pinot Noir $3.99
v Panilonco Merlot Malbec $4.99
v VINTJS Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $8.99
v Soraie Veneto Cecilia Beretta (Blend) $7.99


Bonus Recommendation:
v Secco Peach Bellini 5.99 – This Peach Bellini requires no mixing whatsoever. Just pop it in the refrigerator for a little while to give it a chill, then pop it open and pour. This fizzy peach goodness is so refreshing and will dance on your taste buds.

(Keep in mind some prices may vary depending on where you live.)

Thank you for taking the time to read our recommendations. Please don’t forget to like us on Facebook at August Printing & Publishing. If you have a recommendation that you would like to provide, please feel free to email us directly at augustprintingpublishing@gmail.com.


D.L. Miller

http://www.augustsimpressions.com/2017/03/wine-wine-winethats-all-you-do.html

5 Entries · *Magnify*
Page of 1 · 10 per page   < >

© Copyright 2017 August Impressions (UN: dairesse at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
August Impressions has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Log in to Leave Feedback
Username:
Password: <Show>
Not a Member?
Signup right now, for free!
All accounts include:
*Bullet* FREE Email @Writing.Com!
*Bullet* FREE Portfolio Services!
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/950138-Augusts-Impressions