Foodie Friday -- W is for WINE

Thought I would share some "factoids" about WINE.

** Wine is #1 among the world's fruit crops, in number of acres planted.

** 30 million gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

** It takes 4-5 years to harvest a commercial crop from newly replanted grape vines.

** 10,000 of wine grapes exist worldwide.

** A bottle of opened wine stored in the refrigerator lasts 10X longer than it would if stored at room temp.

** CA, NY and FL are the top three U.S. states in terms of wine consumption.

** Red wine accounts for 55% of restaurant wine sales.

** There are approximately 20 billion bottles of wine produced worldwide each year.

** In Ancient Egypt, commoners drank beer and elite drank wine.

** You can find the word vineyard(s) more than 100 times in the King James Bible.

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Vintage glasses look lovely on your table, and I am certain wine (or any beverage) tastes better when served in vintage style. Here are 2 lovely selections available from etsyvintageteam members:

Lastly, a FAB vintage WINE RACK to house those precious bottles:

Fresh Picks: Freeze Frame

Vintage cameras and related paraphernalia have always been popular collectibles, and in the digital age, the trend is hotter than ever. These 20th Century icons make artful displays, or perhaps inspire you to rediscover the pleasures of film photography.

Zeiss Ikon Volta with Rol-Ba... RetroVintageBa... $230.00	Upcycled Vintage 8mm Metal F... SecondHandNews $7.00	SALE Vintage 1980s Kodak Pol... YesterdaysSilh... $25.19
Vintage Kodak Ektralite 10 C... 12karri $9.00	Vintage KODAK BROWNIE 8mm MO... treasurehuntvi... $22.00	Vintage Toy - 1968 Fisher Pr... jinxxy $13.00

Treasury tool by whalesharkwebsites

Foodie Friday: U is for UMBRELLA DRINKS

Umbrella Drinks, aka Boat Drinks...those fruity, fun cocktails with the ubiquitous paper umbrella!!! What's not to love? Sipping one will always conjure up thoughts of a leisurely summer day on the water.

No need to head to a fancy watering hole--it's easy to make a fabulously fancy cocktail (just leave out the libation, and call it a "mocktail" if you avoid alcohol). Here are a few recipes to get you started. Just be sure to have a fancy glass AND a paper umbrella on hand.

CLASSIC CUBAN MOJITO

Ingredients:

* 10 fresh mint leaves
* 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
* 2 tablespoons white sugar, or simple syrup (or to taste)
* 1 cup ice cubes
* 1 1/2 fluid ounces white rum
* 1/2 cup club soda

Directions:

Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge in a sturdy glass. Use a muddler to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar or simple syrup, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with carbonated water. Stir, taste, and add more sugar/simple syrup if desired. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge.

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TEQUILA SUNRISE


Ingredients:

* 1.5 oz good quality tequila
* 3/4 cup orange juice
* ice cubes
* good pour of grenadine syrup
* 1 slice orange, for garnish
* 1 maraschino cherry for garnish

Directions:

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Pour in tequila. Add orange juice. Slowly pour in the grenadine, and allow it to settle to the bottom of the glass (be patient). Garnish with a slice of orange, and a maraschino cherry.

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CHI CHI

Ingredients:

2 oz canned Crème de Coconut
4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Vodka
1 Cup Ice
1 oz Half and Half or Milk (For a creamier version. Optional)

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a blender or mix well and enjoy on the rocks. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of pineapple.

Of course, etsyvintageteam shops have some GREAT vintage barware available! Here are just a few examples, search etsyvintageteam: bar for more choices.

Foodie Friday T is also for TAPAS

I can hear you asking, "What is a TAPA??" It is a delectable small bite of food--not unlike American APPETIZERS. Apparently, the tradition of tapas began in the south of Spain in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Tavern owners would place a slice of bread over the top of the glass of wine or sherry, protecting it from airborne objects. Some tavern owners began adding tidbits of ham, cheese or the like to the bread, hoping to attract more business. The "edible lid" (tapa) became a tradition, and it was always included in the price of the drink.

In Spain today, putting a lid on a drink is no longer necessary, but enjoying a variety of smaller sized portions developed into a serious way of life. Today's tapas are essentially appetizer-sized portions of any type of food that can be easily shared. They can be snacks or combined to become entire meals. Tapas are ideal for filling that little hunger gap at any hour! From something as simple as a dish of olives to a more complicated dish like shrimp sautéed in garlic, olive oil and white wine; traditional Spanish tapas are sure to please everyone.

Foodie Friday T is for TOMATOES

Tomatoes are truly indispensable in any kitchen. Even if you are not fond of them as is, pasta sauces, chilis and even ketchup wouldn't be the same without tomato sauce!

My all time favorites are home grown cherry tomatoes--SWEET 100 variety in particular. They do tend to flourish here in our hot summers, so aside from eating LOADS of them plain, and foisting them on the friends and neighbors, I have to be at the ready with recipes to use them in to avoid waste.

Here is a GREAT recipe that also utilizes another summer favorite: CORN ON THE COB

Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

For DRESSING, whisk or shake together the following:

* 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* A pinch of sugar
* A dash of cayenne pepper
* Salt
* 1-2 tsp dried oregano

For SALAD, mix the following together in large bowl:

* 1/2 red onion, diced fine
* 3-4 ears fresh corn on the cob, previously cooked via preferred method, and cut from cob**
* 2 ripe avocados, diced
* 1-2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

Pour dressing over salad and gently stir to combine. Serve at room temperature, or chilled. (if making ahead, add the avocados just before serving so they don't turn brown) I have also added canned BLACK BEANS to make it a vegan main dish. CILANTRO in place of the oregano, and LIME JUICE instead of vinegar would be great, too.

** I use GRILLED corn, but any corn will be fine.

cute tomato themed kitchen decor set from moxiethrift.etsy.com

FOODIE FRIDAY -- S is also for STRAWBERRIES

I LOVE STRAWBERRIES! We are so lucky here in California---locally grown strawberries are readily available at markets and farm stands from about mid April (sometimes earlier) all the way through the summer.

In addition to being delicious, strawberries are amazingly nutritious. They have higher levels of vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium than most other fruits, including oranges. Just one cup of strawberries has 160% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C!! A recent study indicated that eating one serving (about 8-10 strawberries) a day can significantly decrease blood pressure, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Eating strawberries has also been known to reduce the risk of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis and can even improve memory function.

So, whether you eat 'em plain, add them to your cereal or a smoothie, bake with them, put them in a salad---STRAWBERRIES are a super food!!!

Strawberries also make an appearance on vintage kitchen goods--like these McCoy salt and pepper shakers from VioletQVintage.etsy.com

FOODIE FRIDAY -- S is for SALAD

When the temperature hovers way above 90 degrees for days on end (100++ most of this week) I can't bring myself to turn on the stove or oven. Luckily, my husband is just as fond of entrée salads as I am. So, he grills the main protein on the outside bbq, while I assemble the remaining ingredients in the comfort of our air conditioned kitchen.

Some of the salads we've had in the past couple of months:

~ Classic Caesar with grilled shrimp or chicken, my homemade dressing and home-baked croutons

~ A Mexican version of the traditional Cobb salad: greens topped with chopped chicken, avocado, pinto beans, tomato, red onion, black olives and cotija cheese with a salsa, sour cream, red wine vinegar dressing (pictured above)

~ Nicoise Style salad of greens topped with Ahi seared rare, tomatoes, new potatoes and green beans (I cheat and cook them in the microwave) Nicoise or French green olives, boiled egg

~ Spinach Salad with strawberries, almonds, blue cheese, and grilled chicken with a lemon poppyseed dressing

~ Shrimp Louie--traditional except the dressing was served on the side, and the shrimp was grilled

~ Greek Salad of romaine, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pepperoncini, kalmata olives, feta cheese, and grilled salmon with a red wine dressing flavored with garlic and oregano

As you can see, we LOVE salads, and the possibilities are endless.

Get some great ideas at this website:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/10-classic-diy-salad-creations/

Of course, everything tastes better when served in vintage style--perfect example from nachokitty.etsy.com:

FOODIE FRIDAY -- Q is for QUESADILLAS

Around here, when time is scarce, we still like to have a healthy meal. I rarely use any "convenience" foods, so QUESADILLAS make for a health lunch or dinner in a hurry! (just in case you aren't familiar with quesadillas, think "grilled cheese" sandwich, Mexican style)

We keep whole wheat flour tortillas, and good quality pre-shredded cheese on hand, which means we can have healthy quesadillas. I use our grill pan, as it's non-stick so no added fats are needed. Get the pan fairly hot, warm the tortilla on both sides so it's softened, sprinkle cheese on half, fold over, cover and grill on each side until the cheese melts and the tortilla is a bit crisp. You can add chiles, cooked meat or shrimp, etc.... (in the lead photo, taken last Saturday, I served the quesadilla with a side of refried beans and a mango-avocado salad)

Here are a couple of vintage treasures that would add some real Mexican style to any table setting:

from bontonvintage.etsy.com:

from blackrain4.etsy.com:

Welcome New Member: The Fancy Lamb

The Fancy Lamb is filled with more than 300 wonderful vintage home decor and housewares items, patterns and ephemera, all impeccably presented with beautiful photos. Robin is also a busy crafter, creating handmade delights from vintage components. Her vintage book journals are not only popular on Etsy, but are also available in shops in St. Louis as well as through wholesale orders. And....she is a co-chair of the Etsy Vintage Team Membership Committee. That's a very full plate!



Confession time: The Fancy Lamb is not exactly a "new" member of EVT. You see, when you visit our Etsy Team Page, members are listed in the order in which they joined. When Robin became a Team Leader, her icon was bumped to the top of the list, meaning I skipped over her as I featured members from the general roster. So, a belated welcome to Robin!

The co-chairs of the EVT Membership Committee are our unsung heroes. They receive new member requests and conduct a thorough review of each shop with the help of our 19-member committee. The other Membership co-chairs are:

Stacie of Rainbow Vintage
Mary of Tipple and Snack
Nora of Treasure Hunt Vintage plus Transient Treasures and Time and Again Fashions

Thanks to their work, you can be confident that every Certified Shop includes only true vintage and antiques, or handmade with true vintage components, and maintains a high level of customer service. Thank you, ladies!

Vintage Buzz: Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

Do you remember sitting in a circle, all giddy and giggly, waiting and hoping to be bopped on the head and called 'Goose!' so you could jump up and chase after the cute little boy with the peanut butter breath? It was the ultimate social stigma for a five-year-old to never be called 'Goose'!
Play your own game with these fine aquatic feathered friends from the Etsy Vintage Team, or click to search for a duck, a goose or a flock of geese.

1930s Child and Goose Plaster Bookends
from Deer Path Vintage hold your books sweetly.
This little Vintage Children's Hankie from the 1940s
is a sweet treasure from Treasure Hunt Vintage.

This Vintage Cloisonne Style Duck Trinket Box will happily hold trinkets or your secret stash of chocolate!
(Don't you love his little feet on the bottom!?)
Visit Dandelion Girl for more vintage essentials!
This Vintage Ceramic Planter is the ultimate in 1970s ceramics class kitsch,
offered by Moxie Thrift.

This Vintage Kids Costumes Pattern is just in time for Halloween!
From Retro Threads it's just ducky!
For a bright, vintage Disney room, try this Very Vintage Donald Duck Chenille Bedspread
from Haute Country Vintage.