Brilliant! (An Ode to the Wine Vending Machine)

I am part of a Navy wives' club here in San Diego, which is a great resource for meeting new people, getting involved in a new city, and making connections for when you inevitably move away from the city you're in. One of the activities I got involved in was the book club, as I LOVE to read and read pretty much anythign I can get my hands on, regardless of if I plan to discuss it with someone or not (though I frequently share books with my mom and sister, so we're like a built-in book club, I suppose.)

Anyways, I hosted our first book club for the wives' group this past month and chose a wine bar downtown that had a very attractive installation...a wine vending machine.

(sorry the photo is so dark)

That's right, I said a wine vending machine. I actually chose this bar because I knew they had one of these glorious inventions and thought it would make a great venue for us to visit and toy for us to play with. As you probably can imagine (or have seen) the wine vending machine is exactly what it looks like - a machine that dispenses various varieties of wine, for a variety of prices. They have a machine for reds and one for whites, which keeps the whites cold (yum.) You preload a card with however much you want to spend, insert it into the machine and pick your poison. Your card is deducted the amount for the tasting and you are poured a delicious taste of wine.

It's a great idea for those who like a variety of wines when you go out, but don't want to shell out the cash (or sobriety) to have a full glass of each kind. It's also good even for those of us who are less adventurous (like me!) to try a small taste of something (unfortunately, for me, I tried a few reds and discovered I'm pretty much destined to drink only white for the rest of my life. But I'm ok with that.)

We had a great time trying the different kinds of wine and I definitely plan on going back and maybe giving a red another shot...maybe.

Cheers!

Maureen

A Toast!

Welcome friends!

I'm excited to start a new adventure in blogging, which complements the other adventures I've recently embarked on - getting married, moving to a new city 1,700 miles away, getting a puppy and learning how to cook for two!



I've always had a bit of an interest in cooking - like other people have an interest in going to the dentist. I want it to be quick, as painless as possible and not leave a bad taste in my mouth. Before I got married, I subsisted on instant mashed potatoes and pasta. I love my carbs! Oh, and white wine. That's my go-to cocktail, which goes with both mashed potatoes and pasta beautifully!



Now that I'm married though, I have this new-found desire to cook good meals for the two of us. I fancy myself a decent cook, haven't burned the house down (yet!) and am exploring new recipes, cooking techniques and flavors. I have all the fun new cooking accessories from Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond that I never thought I'd use (hello meat tenderizer?), but now I am and plan to blog about the creations, both good and bad, as well as the questions that come up along the way.



So, I hope you'll pour yourself the cocktail of your choice, and sit back, relax and enjoy a good read. If you've got something to say, I'd love to hear it. Got a recipe you think I'd like? Send it my way. And, especially, feel free to share this site with anyone else you think might like it.



I don't promise to post something every day, and I don't promise each post will always change your life, but I do promise to share my adventures when they're worth sharing and would love to hear your feedback in return. See you all soon!



Cheers!

Maureen