Sparkling pine wine is always in season, in my opinion. I don’t care if it’s 90 degrees and sunny (Please God, make it 90 and sunny someday soon.), pouring rain on a dark Spring day (I’ll take rain at this point!), or snowing and blustery on a freezing cold Valentine’s Day.

I had the great joy of visiting my family this weekend for Valentine’s Day. My mom put together a feast of lobsters and filets and brownies, and I picked out a pretty pink wine for the occasion.

Anna Codorniu Brut Rose

Anna de Codorníu Brut Rosé is a beautiful and festive cava that is also a great value at around $15.  The pink bottle was just the icing on the cake when it came to this Valentine’s Day wine.

Notes of bright summer strawberry, citrus, and minerals all wrap up in a very bubbly bubbly with nice acidity, making this cava, like many others, a perfect food wine. The acidity made it go really well with buttery lobster but also with red meat, and worked well right through to chocolate brownies. It’s a fun, versatile wine that could very easily become our house sparkling wine.

I definitely recommend an affordable bottle of bubbly in the snow as a mid-winter pick-me-up!

Did you eat or drink anything special on Valentine’s Day?

Tags: Anna Codorniu, cava, rose wine, Spanish wine, sparkling rose, sparkling wine, wine, wine of the week

Traffic. Snow. Traffic. Gray. Slush, Repeat.

If you live in the Boston area, that pretty much sums up your life lately. Our regular 30 minute commute has turned into two hours. It’s nearly impossible to walk down a street, to park anywhere, even to see out our first floor windows after all of this snow.

I work in East Cambridge, and for almost two years, I have been wanting to eat at The Helmand.  I heard so many great things, and yet we just never made a point to get there. That is, until last week on one of the days Boston was in total gridlock.

It took my husband almost two hours from Harvard Square to East Cambridge, around four miles. It was cold and slippery, and warm, spiced Afghani food sounded perfect. It was.

The Helmand is bright, beautiful, and cozy. Everyone who works there is welcoming, kind, and knowledgeable.

 

The Helmand

The blue and yellow plates brought a little sunshine to our evening.

The Helmand

We had a really hard time deciding on what to order, so we decided on a few appetizers. Always a pumpkin lover, I had to have the Kaddo.

Sweet baby pumpkin topped with a rich and tangy garlic yogurt was heaven. I feel like this dish is pretty healthy and full of vitamins too, so it wasn’t too much of a splurge, not like the boxes of Cheez-its I have been downing during blizzards, anyway.

pumpkin in garlic sauce

Warm, pillowy bread with a variety of sauces, gave us something to use as a scoop for our yummy pumpkin. sauces at the helmand

Aushak

Aushak, Afghan ravioli filled with leeks and scallions, served on yogurt-mint topped with ground beef sauce, was a hearty plate full of flavor and warmth. I loved that the food at the Helmand was spiced in a way that was warm but not burning off your tongue.

Bowlawni

For my entree I went with Bowlani, brick oven baked twin pastry shells, one filled with leeks and scallions the other filled with spiced potatoes. garnished with yogurt and mint. Again, these were full of warmth and spices, comforting, filling, and just delicious.

The Helmand was an utter delight and a much-needed bright spot in a series of dreary days. We’re trying our best to eat healthy and exercise, but this winter has made that a challenge. I am definitely feeling seasonal blues, and going out a couple of times a week seems to help.

I recommend a visit to the Helmand if you want a taste from afar without getting on a delayed flight. In the meantime, please send us warm weather.

Tags: Afghani food, cambridge, Dining out, Food, Helmand, Restaurants

Good morning! I wish I could say it is a bright and beautiful Monday here in Boston, but it is not. No more snow please! It’s starting to mess everything up, from work to social activities to getting anywhere. Having trash day delays? Also a major problem. I feel like we have way more trash than ever these days, or maybe I am just noticing it more now that it’s so difficult to get rid of? At any rate, I am hoping for a bright, warm, sunny day sometime soon.

One thing that recently made my day in a stretch of gloom was being nominated for a Liebster Award by a blog I love, Boston Chic Party. The Liebster Award is dedicated to sharing blogs you love, all with 3,000 or fewer followers. The questions are a fun little glimpse into the blogger’s thoughts. My answers are below. I nominate Made in Sonoma, Pop Bop Shop, and the Jogging Concierge.

I’d love to hear from all of you though; feel free to answer a couple of the questions in the comments if you would like!

Q: What is your blogging process?

I have a running list of blog topics. It’s always the most fun when I have been busy, whether when I return from a big trip, have been cooking a lot, or have been going to a bunch of events. I try to keep the list a mix of wine reviews, travel posts, restaurant recaps, and my own cooking adventures both to keep it interesting for me and to appeal to readers’ interests. I hope it’s working; it’s been fun for me!

Q: What was the best thing to happen to you this week?

Our new, semi-feral kitten Poppy has started to let me pet her. She was born outside and never had human contact until we rescued her, so she is skittish and afraid. It’s taken a lot of patience, but it’s amazing to see how far she’s come.

Q: If you had one super power what would it be?

I would definitely choose teleportation. I love to visit new places and to see family often, but I hate the whole process of getting there.

Q: Are you a cat person, a dog person or neither?

Both! We’ve had our original cats, Smuckers and Scout, for 10 years. Then, as fate would have it, this past summer, a sweet young cat had four kittens in our yard, so we now have the mama cat and one of her babies. I never imagined having four cats, but these two just happened into our lives, and what is life about, if not making space in your heart for those who need it most?  I do want to adopt a dog someday soon too, probably once the cats are all settled. Above all, I am for adoption of pets ONLY. I volunteered at the MSPCA for years, and there are amazing pets of all ages, sizes, breeds who need loving homes.

Q: What was the last song you listened to?

Waterfalls by TLC! My friend and I just bought tickets to the NKOTB/TLC concert at the Garden in June, and I am SO excited!

Q: Do you prefer morning, afternoon or night?

I am a morning person for work. Any big projects, especially anything analytics-related or content creation/writing-related is best done in morning. I am an afternoon person for working out. My ideal schedule would allow me to run at 2 or 3, then head back to work for a few hours.

Q: Are you extroverted, introverted or a mix of both?

I think I am a mix of both, but more introvert-leaning. I think  I am pretty outgoing a lot of the time, but I am also very much in my head.

Q: What fashion trend can you completely not stand?

Tights as pants. There is a time and place for leggings, but I have seen too many inappropriately worn, thin pairs of tights masquerading as pants. Fabric is your friend!

Q: Name one thing you can’t live without and why.

I take this question to mean inanimate object (as opposed to say, a person), so I definitely would say my iPhone. I love to be connected/am addicted to being connected.

Q: Finally, if you could achieve one thing from blogging, what would it be?

It’s already happened! Blogging for almost six years has connected me with some of the best people I know, both professionally and personally. I honestly can’t imagine my life without all of the opportunities that have come from blogging, whether it be blogger events, meet ups, or travel.

Tags: blogging, life, lifestyle

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