Red Wine Syrup

Joe and I had a dinner party a few nights ago and we had about an extra 3/4 cup of red wine leftover.  Since I can't drink anything these days (le sigh), and Joe's not a big wine guy, I got a little creative with the leftover so it didn't go to waste!  With all the alcohol burned off, Joe and I both enjoyed a delectable dessert tonight: triple vanilla ice cream drizzled with a red wine reduction.  Genius.  I love the concentrated, full-bodied fruity flavor that the red wine imparts to this dessert.  You. must. make. this.  

Ingredients

1 part red wine (I used Red Rock Winery's Reserve Malbec)

1 part sugar

Directions

Combine wine and sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a gentle bubble over med/low heat and stir constantly with a whisk until the alcohol has evaporated and the mixture reduces to about half.  This takes several minutes--it should be the consistency of syrup.  

Enjoy over fresh seasonal fruit---esp. sliced peaches! or ice cream!  This makes a fantastic housewarming gift, too--just put it in a mason jar and tie with ribbon.  It will keep for months :)

Things I Love

I love scarves.

That's so true!!

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Amen, people, amen.



A motto to live by



Okay this is funny if you're a nurse like me!



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Indeed!



Autumn Wreath



Hello.



Welcome Fall!

 

Cute pumpkin detail!



Perfect.


Last week I was inspired to make this wreath after I saw this one in Better Homes and Gardens.  Off to Michaels I went.  Here's what I needed: a 14" circular wood composite wreath form, two bundles of dried wheat stalks, 1 bundle of that orange stuff, ribbon, florist wire, and a bag of decorative pumpkins. 

Using a saw, I cut out a piece of the wreath form to make a horseshoe shape.  Then I hot-glued the ribbon onto the back.  While that was drying, I tied 11 strands of wheat together into a bundle (using wire) and repeated the bundling process with all the wheat.  I cut off the excess wheat stocks using garden clippers to make them a suitable length for the project. 

Starting at the top of the wreath and working left to right, top to bottom, arrange the wheat bundles to cover the wreath form, securing with florist wire.  I inserted that orange stuff along the way.  Once you reach the bottom, you will probably have a gap, which was covered up by hot-glueing the decorative pumpkins.  When everything is dry, tie the ribbon into a bow.  Ready to hang!  I used a 3M hook on my front door.

Happy Fall!

What's for lunch?

I came across some pretty darn amazing lunchbox creations that I wanted to share with you all today!  Aren't these fun?