Queso Diego: A Night of Cheese and Beverage Mix Matching

Egads! I've neglected to update the cheese-up from November past. 

 I do hope you can forgive my untimely post!

Yet again, the Queso Diegans set their sails for a scrumptious eve. 

This go around? 

A furious bout of pairing cheeses with beverages. 

We had great success with pairing scotch with aged cheeses, mead with a honey chevre, coffee porter with a vintage gouda, berry kombucha with lemony quark, and as it turns out, homemade bacon jam goes with everything. 

So many happy marriages in one little eve!

Membermade French country artisan breads were on site to accompany the mix-matched, flights of fancy.

I prepared two plates just for the occasion.

A vintage Gouda alongside a spiced, creamy, spoonable blue,

and a homewhipped lemony quark, served up with slivers of perfectly-ripened pear.

It's a young bit of fresh cheese made better with Meyer lemon zest.

If you've never heard of, nor tried kombucha before, it's a bit of a fermented science project. Our Treasurer Larry, is a champ at concocting the fizzy magic. Generally, it tastes of vinegary, tart apple cider. This particular batch yielded notes of sweet, berried refinement. 

Standard staples were on deck, such as this fine Manchego.

We sailed a savory sea of beverages for pairing pleasures.

And even enjoyed this exotic beer treat. 

Brian, our award-winning brewmaster created a porter for the occasion. It was aptly named Insomniac Taddy Bear Porter, as the delightful beer was infused with notes of coffee. 

It went swimmingly with the vintage Gouda, as though the two were perfect bedfellows.

A homemade hefeweisen and commercial brews were included in the vast selection.

The Johnny black disapoofed almost immediately. I hear it went really, rather well with a few of the cave-aged varieties.

More homemade cheeses infused with fruit, herbs, and layered as such.

and of course it's never a party, until someone brings a sampling from the "Mysterious Mead Co." 

This version berried for the masses.

With all these scrumpschulescent bits, it's no wonder us curd nerds are making some serious cheesy headway at the moment.

It's true, and I've just the publication to show for it. Yes, I have some fantastical news to report my lovelies!

I'm officially an international author! My article on how to start a sustainable cheese club is now in global publication, and was highlighted as a featured piece on cover of the Winter issue of Culture Magazine - The Word on Cheese and can be seen here.

Big ups for cheese ups!

Now onto the plotting and planning of the 2012 holiday party. You should know that I'm just seething with "cheesy" sweater contest inspiration now.

Cheese, cheers, and holiday happies to all.

x

        

And the winners of the 2012 Taste N' Tinis are...

It's Martini time, my friends!

A giant, monsterhuge thank you to all that entered this Ringo Schwag-away, and again to the kind humans over at McFarlane Promotions!

Make certain to take a peek at their site for some fantastical San Diego events in the queue!

...and now the news you've been waiting for!

Without further adieu, the winners of the Taste N' Tinis tickets (go on, say it 5x fast!) are:

 Jennifer Edwards and Tina Walker

Timestamp: 2012-12-12 19:43:23 UTC Random.org 

Each of you and a friend are off to a Tinitastic time tomorrow eve!
I do hope to find you for a taste and a toast!

Tina is a fellow blogger over at

TinaWalker.com, visit her for all your sales & marketing consulting needs!

Warmest Congratulations!

Tickets are available for hand delivery by yours truly.

Stay close to your message box for details!

Again, a great big thank you to all who entered. Your support is immeasurably appreciated!

Be on the lookout for future Ringo schwag-aways!

You're all gold medalwinners in my book!

x

         

It's the end of the world as we know it

12/12/12

12.12.12

 12-12-12

Doomsday

The end of days
The impending disaster that chicken little well warned us about.

 

www.lieblingstipps.de

A time for apocalyptic doom.

For a zombie infested wasteland in the west,

 and bloodied snowmans in the east.

 

www.stefanobonazzi.it

 I smell a new awakening,

I sense a shift in thinking between the black and white,

a rise in self awareness,

a cosmic turn of change for the better in unseen ways.

 

vafanapoli.tumblr.com

And perhaps now, the time has come to wage a war against the walking dead.

The ignorant, the selfish, the hateful, the authoritarian, the malicious, the apathetic, the deceitful, the dishonest, and those with otherwise poor character traits.

wallpaperdirect.co.uk

Now is now, my friends,
and I don't know about you, but my calendar ends on December 31, 2012.
So, I'm going to just keep swimming.

 

www.radikal.ru

Besides it's already tomorrow in Australia.

Happy apocalypse.
My wishes to you for a very happy armageddon whichever day it arrives, if it indeed does.

For a list of dates predicted for apocalyptic events, look here.

x
        

Hillcrest Taste N' Tinis - A Ringo Schwag-away

Martinis!

Delightful tastes!

Holiday Boutique Shopping!

Martinis!

Why, of course I had every intention of stating martinis twice!

Prepare your tastebuds for the excitement that awaits at Hillcrest's holiday tasting party!

Yes, this Thursday eve take to a cool, San Diego winter's night deep in the heart of Hillcrest village to enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the town as you trot about the streets, festive martini in hand. 

You'll enjoy tastes from over 30 participating establishments hailed from the friendly neighborhood of our beloved Hillcrest, and 12 specialty holiday inspired mini cocktails, mixed beneath the mistletoe in your very honor!

Yes, my friends a flight full of tinis are awaiting your much anticipated arrival as you shop hop for the season, feeling good all the while knowing you're supporting small, local businesses.

Enjoy the festive fare that the season has to offer with the flavors of spicy Spanish, fresh seafood, hearty Italian, classic American, warm coffees, pastries, tasties, and yes, martinis!

Did somebody say martinis?

Yes martinis! Peppermint martinis, creamy eggnog martinis, candy cane cosmos, and scroogedrivers. You'll mix and mingle beneath the mistletoe with these specialty cocktails to help you taste and toast to the dickens (responsibly of course!).

 quest4thebest.org

Enjoy the sampling, the shopping, and finding the perfect gift while shopping in peace. You'll avoid the aggravation of waiting in endless lines at that forsaken place otherwise known as "the mall", and the tension headaches typically associated with marathon shopping.

These fine folks have even been kind enough to take on your gift wrap needs, as the will-call booth will be available to finish off your gifts with a touch of complimentary wrapped flair, which means you'll have one less thing to fret about.

This year, a record number of retailers will be showcased
that means a record number of San Diego's own 619 Vodka tini samples will be available for your sipping pleasure! 

The generous folks over at McFarlane Promotions have been darling enough to throw some schwag this here way, so I've two pairs, yes TWO pairs of giveaway tickets to this fantastical event.

That's right ladies and gents, these are absolute freebies!

It will cost you the A-mazing price of nothingness to win this here pair of tickets for you and your usual suspect.

or you can use your winnings to:

make peace with an enemy

impress a colleague

dazzle a date

connect two friends who have never met

have a Valentine's Day in December

thank your mother for putting up with you

take a finicky grown-up to try new foods and spirits

hob nob with Hillcrestians

The Hillcrest Taste N' Tinis event is set to take place this Thursday, December 13, 2013 from 5-9pm!

Tickets are valued at $20 apiece in advance/$25 day of, and can be purchased here:

Or you can win them for FREE by adhering to the following:

Rules

1).  Follow this blog (by clicking the 'Join this site' icon in the left sidebar of this blog).

Alternatively, you can click on the 'Follow' link on the far left side of the (nearly black) navigation bar located at the very top of this blogsite. 

If you're already following, a hundred-thousand thank yous! Just follow the next step to enter.

2). Leave a comment describing what you want stuffed into your stocking this holiday season

That's all folks! 

A couple of muy importante details:

Prizes are limited to those in the San Diego region as they are indeed hard tickets, printed and ready for hand delivery.

Winners will be automatically generated via Randomizer.org

Contest begins now and ends this Wednesday, December 12 at 5:00pm

Winners will be notified here on the eve of December 12th.

Get ready to savor the flavors of fabulous Hillcrest!

Good luck!!!

Participants in the cocktail portion of this event must be 21 years or older and have a valid ID to enter.

For further details visit:

http://fabuloushillcrest.com/events/taste-n-tinis/

x

         

Peppermint Popcornucopia

Crisp and minty.

Like a snowy winter's dream.

A hit with the young, and the young at heart.

The best part?

It's a piece of cake to make!

www.loveit.pl

pop about 1/2 cup popcorn 

(will yield 16 cups approximately)

use a giant bowl

place 1/2 cup of peppermint candy canes

seal into a ziplock bag

and smash into smithereens crumble into finely chopped pieces

place a bowl over simmering water and

melt 2 cups of white chocolate chips

stir frequently, as burnt chocolate tastes like charcoal

and chances of resuscitation are slim

drizzle the melty, white chocolatey goodness
over the popcorn

sprinkle the crushed peppermint

add a wee touch of salt

then get to stirring!

Quickly! For the chocolatey-goodness will soon set!

weheartit.com

Ah, minty fresh...

like you just finished brushing your teeth atop the Swiss Alps with the icy, cool wind blowing across your lashes.

For an added treat, drizzle a bit of melted dark chocolate atop this delightful candied popcorn, 

You'll feel like you just bit into a York Peppermint Patty.

itsalldirect2u.com

My personal research indicates that fourteen out of ten individuals enjoy this wintery treat.

...and just in time for the hizolidaze!

x

        

The Brave Little Toaster

It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that I must share the terrible news of the passing of a great kitchen appliance.

Please join me as I bid a fond farewell to a very brave little toaster.

I acquired this little treasure of a gadget, nearly seventeen years ago whilst trotting about the island of Hawaii. It was sold to me from a friend who was departing the Aloha State at that place in time.

The whole transaction put me out exactly four dollars.

Since then, Toaster has been in the family like a loyal pup, faithfully working with great purpose to bring my son and I a daily part of our nutritious breakfast over the years.

gallery.neoseeker.com

 The Eggo waffles, the bagels, and delivering the occasional Pop Tart to perfectly toasted perfection.

Why it even did its part to kindly warm bread without flaw, so that I could stamp pirate imprints on the young lads morning fare, and to accompany side dishes of breakfast.

Toaster didn't just toast any ordinary, meager, mundane toast, but toasts of the exotic kind like Ciabattas and sweet raisin crisps readied for flavory toppings such as:

 • sweet orange marmalade

 • butter, powdered sugar, and cinnamon

 • creamed coconut jam

 • guacamole, garlic, and salsa verde for heartier, mealtime toast.

Additionally, Toaster has served well to fascinate my son and I.

He was a really, rather remarkable, sort of mechanism being able to magically whisk everyday, humdrum'ish sliced bread into a browned meal of sorts via infrared radiation. 

fineartamerica.com

Plus, the anticipation of ejecting toast from his spring-loaded tray action was always a wee bit of a nailbiter, that I much enjoyed.

Mother bought me this shiny, polished, fancy replacement quite some time ago, but it doesn't quite have the feel of an old relic, having been well worn and loved.

I suspect that this could have very well been the type of toaster that the Tin Man himself dreamed of possessing with its lustrous and sheeny, new, spitshined, carlike, exterior.

It behaves and functions properly with zero quirks, and does well to toast my breads now really, rather nicely. However,  it doesn't quite bear the charm of an old friend, nor does it fit in Toaster's former space quite as snugly.

At the moment, it feels like a threatening scrapbit of metal. It smells of newness, and lacks the solace that everyday creature comforts can provide. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know if it's a boy or girl toaster yet.

My unusual penchant for fanciful things past, and beloved timeworn keepsakes is of no help with this matter.

For now, all that remains is this stranger in the room, and the remnants of crumblies left fondly behind on the countertop by our beloved Toaster.

Such is life, and I'm afraid I have to commence with creating a new relationship of sorts with this foreign appliance.

gallery.neoseeker.com

Farewell, my brave little toaster, and thank you for your astounding contributions to this family.

I know you wrung out every last bit of living you had in you. Know that you will remain in our hearts as we move forward with the breakfasts down the road.

It just won't be the same here without you.

I hope you're up there in a crispy, buttery, paradise now.

x
        

Sticky Pudding Parties and Holly Jolly Follies

The wintry, December, yuletide has arrived in full force, and before all the "Holly Jolly Christmas" hustle and bustle that comes with this most wonderful time of the year commences, I decided to treat my friendmates to an early break of the holiday kind.

  My initial thoughts were to host a holiday fete where each guest brings all needed materials to carry out an action from a holiday song, non-denominational of course.

For example, a guest could bring chestnuts and plan to roast them over an open fire, as is done in "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,"

Drink "Gin and Tonicas" from Adam Sandler's popular "Happy Hanukkah,"

or bring figgy pudding from "We wish you a Merry Christmas."

Shortly thereafter, I realized it was going to be far too complex an event to organize within the narrow window of time I had to arrange something that would coincide with our annual Ocean Beach Holiday Parade, a silly, beach-themed, eclectic, holiday parade perfectly suited for eccentrics.

obtowncouncil.org

It was decided that it would be a Sticky Pudding Party yielding a variety of holiday puddings such as, figgy pudding, plum pudding, and rice pudding.

Following this, I realized that making three types of pudding was going to go far beyond what I was willing to carry out in one given afternoon.

The end result?

Rice pudding, desserts, mulled wine, spiced bourbon cider and fantastical holiday cheese.

Featuring Pierre Robert a decadent triple cow cream, Red Hawk a sinful washed rind variety, Truffle Tremor a velvety goat meets earthy truffly treat, and a holiday white cranberry stilton beauty, adorned with edible metallic-shelled, chocolate covered, hazelnut embellishments.

"Baby it was cold outside", but we all kept warm and toasty with the "Peace on earthy" goodness of my holiday pudding, spiced bourbon cider and enough steamy, mulled wine to get the hearts-a-flowing with much mistetoe'ing. 

Guests brought potlucky items, and additional booze to drink to the Dickens.

Why even my homemade Chilean Malbec made its inaugural appearance. 

And it was actually fit for human consumption, what a relief!

We wore our holiday finest, the white fuzzy trimmed Santa hats, and the rockin' "pa-rum-pa-pum-pumtastic" outfits of red and green for the festive occasion. Costumes were highly encouraged for the event, and no one was allowed to be a scrooge!

Thereafter, in an "over the river and through the woods" sort of festive manner (over the river and through the woods meaning a two-block walk) we made our merry way to the 33rd Annual Ocean Beach Holiday Parade, which commenced sharply at 5:05pm, OB time.
 

the VW bug run

a tree-topped spectacle

Santa Yoda taking in the sights

the man in red himself

our seaside tree, OB style

  What an arsekicking parade, I believe it's safe to say we were all be pleased as "Partridges in pear trees." It was certainly sweeter than anything any of us could find "Away in a manger", and I trust that my guests all slept a "Silent Night" afterwards.

even our reindeer pup!

Hot cups of cheer, holiday pudding, reindeer games, and all the fun was had.

I am fully prepared for the holiday hurry now, although I have to admit I may need to avoid certain someplaces which play incessant traditional holiday music.

Believe me I don't want to hear what Mariah Carey wants for Christmas anymore than you do.

x