Delectable Details

Ever since I finished my MBA, I've been promising myself I will blog more. Yet... That hasn't happened.
Why might that be? Honestly- I'm just going to full & completely blame Pinterest. I think I had pinned 749592940 things while I was in school, so now all of my free time is devoted to crafting & cooking.
Has everything turned out great?
Hellllllls no. Unless you ask my mother Who loves everything i do, I'd say my craft projects have about a 40% success rate.
My recipes, on the other hand, have more like a 90% success rate.
Don't worry y'all, I don't get too crazy or gourmet like with my cooking by any means. But honestly, even before Pinterest (GASP, can you picture your life without it now? I...can't even go there.  That thought terrifies me.) I have always thoroughly enjoyed cooking. For me, I feel like cooking dinner (& whatever else) is almost therapeutic.  I actually even cook in complete silence, if you can believe it. Kev snapped this picture a few weeks ago because he relishes  marvels the fact I can be so content by myself for an hour or so every night :)

Anyway, I know I've said it before & I'll say it again, but finding recipes that please both Kev & myself can be a bit of a nightmare headache challenge because he has the eating habits of an 11 year old. Like an 11 year old that prefers Pizza over Filet Mignon.  However, through lots of encouragement & a bit of pushing from yours truly, homeboy has come a loooong way. Just ask him :)  I mean, when he ate peas for the first time, you would have thought he had found a cure for cancer.
So if you deal with choosey kids (or have an insanely picky husband like myself), here are some sure fire crowd pleaser recipes that will make everyone happy :)


Pleasing Pinterest-Inspired Recipes

Fried Rice
INGREDIENTS
-1-2 boil in a bag white rice, cooked
-1 bag peas & carrots, cooked as directed on packaging for 5-7 minutes w/ salt, pepper & butter
-1 cup chopped onion
-2 cloves garlic
-2 tablespoons of olive oil (Honestly-any kind of oil would do)
-2 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

INSTRUCTIONS
-Heat the oil in skillet for 3-4 minutes on Medium heat
-Add the chopped onion, garlic, and peas/Carrot mix & sautee for 5 minutes.
-Scramble the two eggs, using either one side of the skillet (you can push over your veggie mix), or you could use another skillet to do this.  I'm super lazy, so I just scrambled it in the same pan.
-Once scrambled, mix it in with the veggie mix.
-Add & mix in your cooked rice (I typically cook the rice while I'm sauteeing everything together)
-Pour in your 1/2 cup of Teriyaki sauce, and mix everything up.  
AND YOUR'RE DONE :)
*I usually have Kevin marinate & grill some chicken to have with this, but I could honestly eat it plain.  It is that delicious!!*

Sooooo Good!!!

One additional note-- I highly HIGHLY recommend using this specific type of teriyaki sauce- it can be found in the "international" aisle at the grocery store.  It is phenom.  

Pinterest Inspired Recipe #2

Spicy Chicken w/ Peas Rigatoni

Ingredients

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1/2 tablespoon of crushed red pepper

- 1/4 teaspoon of salt & pepper

- 2 Medium cloves of garlic

-Two chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (I usually bake my chicken at 400 degrees, for about 35-40 mins, and then shred it.  Much better flavor vs. boiling it)

-1 jar marinara sauce (I prefer Ragu, parmesan & romano)

-1 Jar Alfredo sauce

-1 cup of early/young peas, cooked w/ salt & butter

-3/4 box of cooked penne pasta (honestly- again- any pasta would work, minus lasagna sheets or jumbo shells)

INSTRUCTIONS

-Let olive oil heat in large pot for 3-4 minutes, then sautee all of the spices together until cooked through.

-Add cooked/shredded chicken in with the spices & mix together thoroughly.

-Add cooked peas in with chicken mixture

-Drain pasta & add in with chicken/pea mixture.  Mix well.

-Add both jars of sauces.

-AND YOU'RE DONE :)

*Top with mozzarella* 

SOOOOOO YUMMY.  

Andddd... for the grand finale...

Jan's Red Chili Recipe (perfected by Caroline)

 *Side note- You all should feel incredibly special that I'm sharing this amazingness with you.  This recipe has been adjusted numerous times over the years & it is now simply the most perfect Red chili recipe you will EVER ever try.  I promise.  Kev said this recipe even trumps his mother's recipe (ear muffs, Pat G!- This is the only item he says this about.), which is pretty much the highest praise a wife could ever get from their husband as it pertains to cooking!*

INGREDIENTS

-1 onion, chopped

-2 cloves of garlic

-1.5-2lbs of ground beef

-2 cans of diced, chili ready tomatoes

-3 cans of chili beans (2 hot, 1 medium)

-1 1/2 Tablespoons of chili powder

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon of salt

-1 teaspoon of black pepper

-1/2-1 teaspoon of white pepper (best kick there is!)

-1 teaspoon of cinnamon

-2-3 teaspoons of sugar or brown sugar (I usually do a bit of both)

-1 teaspoon oregano

-1 Teaspoon basil

-1/2 box of elbow macaroni (optional- as I know not everyone likes pasta in their chili)

-1 cup water, as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

-Brown onion, garlic, and beef together, until meat has browned.

-Drain off grease

-Add beans, tomatoes, & spices.

-Let marinate together for 1 hour or so (**personally, I think it just gets better & better the longer it sits**)

-Add in water (as needed-you might not need the whole cup of water, or you might need more. It just depends)

-Add in cooked elbow mac.

-Let sit for 15 mins & serve

-And you're done!!

**TWO MAJOR NOTES- I typically taste my chili about 20 times while I make it.  I seriously always wind up adding a bit more of the various spices listed above, depending on what I think it needs.  I also make Kevin taste it numerous times, so I can get the taste just right.  It SHOULD wind up having a twinge of sweetness w/ a pretty big kick of spice.  If not, just keep adding more/less of those spices**

With cold weather fixing to invade Kentucky this weekend, these recipes are the perfect solution to a good home-cooked meal.  I hope yall enjoy them as much as Kev & I have :)

And as always- if you have any questions regarding any ingredients or instructions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!

With that, I hope yall have a fantastic Friday!!  

A Few Friday Fascinations

I swear to our good Lord that I have not been avoiding my blog.  I just have had the absolute worse case of writers' block ever.  I literally fall asleep thinking about what I could/should write about, and I draw complete blanks.
Finally, by the grace of God, I realized that it was my obligation to share with you all a few random obsessions that I have had as of late...http://youtu.be/xz3IdiYJ-sk
1. Hair Screws
We all know I love a good up-do, especially one with a Faux Braid (here's a quick tutorial for those of you all who haven't mastered that little trick quite yet)



However, lets face it- unless we wake up super early to have mass quantities of time on our hands before we go to work in the morning, I am alllllllll about easy w/ mahh hair in the am.

Enter hair screws. 

These bad boys run about $6-8 dollars, and you can find them practically anywhere that sells shampoo. Seriously.  I saw them at Kroger, if that tells you anything.

Not only are they cheap, they are extremely easy to use... 

Let me demonstrate (no tutorial- sorry yall- my phone was fixin to die, so pics will have to do today.)

I swear to everything holy & pizza that this is the easiest up-do of all time.  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lift hair up like you were going to put your hair into a pony tail

2. Twist around & make the bun shape

3. Insert screws into an x shape into the little twist bun you created.

4. Just kidding, there is no #4. Its that easy. 20 seconds, tops.

Suck it, Sock Bun :) 

2. Talbots Outlet

No, my 58 year old mother did not just hijack my computer, you read that correctly.  For professional clothing that has a bit of style & classiness, you honestly cannot beat that outlet store.  It is phenomenal, I am obsessed with it, and I'm not even going to apologize for loving it so much. I'd like to tell you I'm mildly embarrassed that I see 62 year old women shopping there every time I go, but I mean, honestly- those senior citizens obviously know whats up bc the place rocks. I bought ALL of the following clothing (including the dress in the beach pic) for $92. 

Gotta Love some great clothes at senior citizen pricing :)

3. Loreal Nail Polish

So, I'm uptight with OPI & Essie because I honestly think their polish doesn't stay on very well.  I promise to yall that I am not cheap in the slightest, but I refuse to pay $8-$9 for polish that doesn't stay on.  Here lately, all I have been buying is Loreal.  Their fall polish colors are on point & only about $4.

Check out what color I've been sporting this week (and yes--- i'm well aware my fingers look identical to a 12 year old boy, but what can you do?) :)

Why hello, Greycian Goddess.

It is seriously my favorite Gray color of the season. Its not too dark or harsh, which I love.  I know neutral/dark colors are super trendy but I gotta be blunt-- sometimes staring super dark polish day in & day out just kind of depresses me & makes me want to start on a round of prozac. Just saying :)

4. Fallll lalalalaaa la la la laaaaaa

Typically?  I live for Fall.  We've got a bit of colder weather, jeans, pumpkin spice lattes, bourbon, etc. (ha, who am I kidding? I live in Kentucky--> we drink bourbon alllll year long. Those of you not from here should follow suit.. it will make your life infinitely better.)

However, my fall (because I am married to THE super fan of the University of Kentucky) hasn't been too fun, due to my Wildcats being embarrassingly bad at Football this year.  And believe you me, super fan is NOT fun to be around when his beloved wildcats are losing on a weekly basis.  

Anyways, I've just gone ahead & focused my efforts straight into Christmas.

Thanks to my boredom of now routinely skipping UK Football games, I have channeled my energy into creating various random Holiday items.  While I'm going to do a full post about the random Pinterest stuff I've made for Thanksgiving/Christmast/NYE, I'll give you a quick preview.

Fabulous, Fun, & For the Frugal :)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Buy a pack of plain glass ornaments, fun tissue paper & coordinating ribbon, & modge podge
2. Modge podge those suckers
3. Use your fun tissue paper, and stick it alllll over the ornament
4. Paint a layer of modge podge all the tissue paper covered ornament
5. let dry, add a bow, and you're finished!

Even if your team is having a stellar season (unlike my poor Cats), these are still super fun to make & could be fantastic little gifts for the upcoming Holiday season!!

Alright yall, thats about all I've got in me tonight.  Hope everyone has had a fantastic week & has an even better weekend! I know I'm ready to get mine rolling asap :)  Mmwwwa!

20 Kinds of Crazy

My first inclination was to do a post devoted to a recent ridiculous and insanely high school-esque hometown happening that completely reaffirms my decision to never move home.  However, I resolved long ago to never use my blog as a retaliation tool of any sort, and I intend to keep that vow.  BUT, I would like to take a minute to personally thank certain parties for allowing me to have such control on your life from 100 miles away.

Just let me know if there is anything else I can do for you :) xoxo

And that's that.

While I really could tell all kinds of super crazy & unreal stories from my hometown, I will refrain.  For now :)

Instead, I'm going to opt to tell some of my fav crazy stories that have occurred while at work....

Crazy Happening #1: 

Person One: "You know, I'm thinkin about pursuing a career as a cop or ranger.  I feel like its my calling."

Me: "I hear that law enforcement & public service positions can be an extremely rewarding career option.  Do you think you could handle yourself pretty well in unpredictable situations?"

Person One: "Absolutely.  I mean, I didn't even cry or try to hit any of the cops during any of the times I've gotten arrested."

Me: "Ohh? Umm.  Doesn't a career in law enforcement require some background checks and additional education?"

Person One: "Yeah, it does.  And once I get my license back from it being suspended from my 3rd DUI, I'm going start those back up.  Those cops that arrested me should be scared." 

Me: (In all seriousness)- "I mean, if I was one of them, I would be."

And that, ladies & gentlemen, is what you call perseverance. Or a potential restraining order?

Crazy Happening #2

Scenario- This person had been frequenting this particular place of business entirely too much, which caused her to get permanently kicked out.  So, her comments occurred while she found this out.

Person Two: (Looking me up & down) "It must absolutely suck to get up & have to work every day."

Me: "Umm, I actually just consider myself lucky to have a good job that I love, so no- it actually doesn't suck at all.  So, how are you fortunate enough to not have to work for a living?"

Person Two : "The Government says I don't have to.  Everyone knows that if you have ADHD, you don't have to work for a living."

Me: "Thats so weird.  I happen to know a ton of people with ADHD that have a full time job, including myself.  

Person Two: (Immediately after she was told she could not come back as a customer...) She turns to me & the manager & SCREAMS, "You know what?  You all just keeeeep on WORKING, so I DON'T HAVE TO!!!!!"

And people wonder why I'm conservative in my political views. 

Crazy Happening #3

Scenario:  My work partner & I were discussing wedding planning with a customer, and we figured out that someone at their office was fixing to get married.  Obviously, Leslie & I immediately had to ask her 834590245089 questions about her upcoming nuptials.

Leslie: "Sooo, I just LOVE weddings.  What are your colors?!?"

Person Three: "OMG, I am so excited.. Its going to be Green & Yellow!!!"

Me: "Well, thats an interesting choice.  Those are actually my high school colors!  I would have never thought about them as wedding colors though.  Hmmm.

Person Three: "Reeeallly? Never?  Well, I mean, its a JOHN DEERE THEMED WEDDING, so naturally, our colors have to be green & yellow."

Leslie: (Kicking me under the table to stop my incessant giggling), "So, how are you going to integrate both colors in your wedding party, exactly?  Like green bridesmaids dresses?  Yellow dresses? "

Person Three: "Wellll, I really want the theme to SHINE through during the whole wedding, sooo its going to be alternating bridesmaids dresses. You know, Greeen, Yellaaa, Greeen, Yellaaa, Greeen, Yellaaa, Greeeen.  And THEN, our aisle runner is going to have little John Deer Green Tractors on it."

Me: "Leslie, Don't you think that is the MOST FANTASTIC IDEA YOU'VE EVER HEARD!?!?  I think you should submit all your wedding pictures to The Knot, along w/ Martha Stewart Weddings, etc!! Leslie- don't you think she would be a shoe-in?"

Leslie: "Umm, errr. ummm.. uhh. I'm just having a hard time picturing it, but I'm sure it will be one for the books."

bahahahahaha

Believe it or not, we are still friends, despite me throwing her under the big green tractor bus :)

Talk about the very essence of supreme wedding style.  Just stunning.

I legitimately envision this fabric as her aisle runner, don't yall??

P.S. I would pay BIG money to see pictures of that wedding.

P.S.S. LESLIE, I'd love you forever if you pulled some strings w/ our old accounts, & found those pictures for me.  It'd be a great Christmas present.  Just saying :)

Sooooo, as yall can see, I have enough crazy that occurs at work on a daily regular basis to worry about  much of anything else :)

I've been having some major writer's block lately, soooo thats alllll I've got today.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!! 

The Best Laid Plans....

In a perfect world, I had big plans to dazzle yall with my amazing intellect by doing a three part series relating to me being finished with my MBA.

Key Phrase: In a perfect world.

However, in the real world, this first post back has absolutely nothing to do with my new professional degree or any of the knowledge acquired during my MBA program.

Instead, lets discuss the utter debacle I walked into find when I came home tonight.  So, everyone knows- I absolutely adore my animals..  All 5 of them.  (If you're a new follower, just stick with me.  I know it sounds hoarder-esque, but I swear we're relatively normal.)

HOWEVER, my love for my furry friends immediately gets thrown into questionable mode when they're destructive towards any of my beloved materialistic items.  You know, such as my shoes?  Or yoga pants?
Nevertheless, nothing gets me more upset than walking into the house to find that they have done some damage to our house.  And honestly, our mini petting zoo has done absolutely nothing in almost a year to vandalize our home.  In fact, I was bragging to some of my accounts TODAY that all of our animals can be trusted at home, sans their crates, while we're at work.

Way to completely jinx myself...........

**Fair warning- If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to skip over this next little section.  I can't lie- its pretty foul**

Don't worry... those stains that were strung across our formal living room are just remnants of a POSSUM that our sweet suburban dogs found in our yard, & subsequently desecrated.  

No big thing, right?

Psych.  

Jack Hannah might not consider that little roadshow a big obstacle to deal with, but for me?

Good God Almighty, if anyone had seen my reaction to that hot mess, they would have thought I had walked into the aftermath of a crime scene. I MEAN, WE LIVE IN THE SUBURBS?!? Dogs aren't supposed to hunt possums in the flipping suburbs?  Wait, I don't think dogs in the suburbs typically hunt anything.  

Obviously, Lucy the Cat continues to be a horrendous influence on our precious puppies.

And honestly, that picture doesn't even do the mess in my living room justice. 

*Side note: Don't worry-I'm not going to be that crazy parent that describes my children's bowel movements via my blog, facebook, or twitter.  TMI, people.  TMI. Ew*

The only reason I took the picture in the first place was to properly convey to Kevin how completely disgusting & overwhelming the mess and correlating smell was to walk in on when I came home today.

The stench was so honestly so overwhelming that I IMMEDIATELY sprung into Mr. Clean mode the very minute I saw the damage.  The best part about my Monica Gellar impression was that I started attacking the carpet stains with absolutely no regards to the fact that I was still in my work clothes, which included my wedding bands. And black patent high heels. 

Such a massive fail on my part.  Now my clothes have a sufficient dog feces/road kill smell to them.  Pretty terrible, but don't doubt for a second that those bad boys aren't headed to the dry cleaners tomorrow morning.  

So, one thing I can tell you all an MBA CANNOT do for you?

Ummm, teach you the necessary steps and proper remedies to clean up a doggy-defaced living room.

So, whats a girl to do?

Turn it to Pinterest, duh.

And because I'm a paranoid freak, I was petrified to leave the house again in fear of more stains magically appearing on our carpet while I was gone.  So, I had to concoct my homemade carpet cleaner from random home products I already had around the house.

So without further adieu, meet my All-Star Cleaning Team.

Boom. 

I know, I know, it looks like I'm trying to win the neighborhood science fair, but my concoction wound up being AAAAMMMAAAZINGGGG!

Generally, my pet stain Go-To is the Nature's Miracle.  That spray usually does the trick damn near every time.  However, its not every day your dogs perform their best "Survivor" audition, and their battle-wound rejection winds up on your floor.  

So, when that happens, here is what will be your new-found MIRACLE stain remover....

"I OWN YOU, STAIN" Carpet Cleaner

Ingredients:

-Hydrogen peroxide

-Dish Soap ( I used Palmolive- worked like a charm)

-Vinegar

Instructions:

-Combine all 3 ingredients in a spray bottle

-Spray on foul/disgusting/terrible/god-awful/no-good/very bad stain

-Let sit 3 mins

-Attack with wet cloth

-If it doesn't all come up in the first try, wait a bit & try again.  The second time should do the trick.

So after trying out my new cleaning solution, I am pleased to report that I don't think we'll have to rip up that carpet to deal with our dogs' newfound rodent fetish.

Maybe I'm jaded because I've been staring at it since 5 pm, but that stain looks infinitely better to me.

After dealing with that stress & mess, I'm kind of contemplating writing my University a heart-felt letter insisting that they develop a graduate (or hell- undergrad even) class devoted to advanced house-keeping skills.  Because lets face it- there is no class on earth that teaches you how to handle possum and rodent residue. 

 And believe me, I would know.. I do live in Kentucky, after all :)

Alright guys- In all seriousness, I am beyond excited to be finished with grad school, and I cannot wait to get back into my blogging rhythm.

Thats about it for now.  Chat soon!

Confession Time

I'd love to tell you that it was other bloggers' previous confession posts that inspired me to write this post, and get back in the habit of writing again.  No really, I'd love to tell yall that.  However, thats completely not the case.  My husband made me watch his favorite guilty pleasure tv show tonight, which further made me question if he ate paint chips as a small child.  God knows that I'm not in a position to judge him for his television preferences, but I can't lie- this show he forced me to endure made Teen Mom AND Jersey Shore look like classy programs.

Hello Epitome of Trashy.

Ohhh myyyy Goodness.  These broads make the people on the Bachelor Pad look normal.  There are no words for the craziness featured on this program.  Even more so, there are no words that my husband thinks they make for quality entertainment.  

Anywho, for those of you who haven't had the distinct pleasure of watching this hot mess, the girls provide the viewers with individual monologues in their confessional booth, Real World style.  

Due to these girls making me feel incredibly GOOD about my life, I thought I'd throw out some confessions of my own.  

Sooo, without further adieu...

I Confess.....

• I am obsessive about keeping our kitchen clean.
• Mine & Kevin's biggest fights have stemmed from him not cleaning up after himself in the kitchen.
• I hate the taste of beer, which is why I insist on carting the most ridiculous drinks ever to KY Football tailgates.
• My car is messy 95% of the time.  
• I despise listening to voicemails.  
• I am dying for a tattoo
• I have a strong dislike for wedding showers, & got anxious for my own.
• The same sentiments apply to baby showers.  Honestly, its nothing personal to anyone, I just think I got forced into going to entirely too many when I was little.
• It annoys me when people scold me for biting my nails. Its a nervous habit that I've done for 27 years. I highly doubt your comments are going to detour me doing it at this point in my life.
• I cried my eyes out like a 4 year old when I figured out Kev's wedding band had fallen off in the lake.  
• I don't entirely understand the frozen yogurt craze.  Lets be honest, cupcakes still completely outrank fro yo.
• I've never been skinny dipping.
• I thought Shades of Grey was terrible. The writing in it was horrendous, and beyond repetitive.  Ie: he murmured, she murmured, we murmured.  Why didn't her publisher inform there that there are other words for murmur? Come on. Whisper? Utter? Mumbled? 

Blecccchhhhhh

• I probably talk to my Dad between 3-4 times per day.  Not because I miss him that much, but mainly because he is my comic relief.  
• I prefer running solo with Hudson versus Missy or with Kev.  They both cramp our style & hurt our time.

• I have a mouth like a sailor, and I was recently reprimanded by my neighbor because her children heard me utilize some choice language when my garage door stopped working in the 102 degree heat.  Ask me how well that went over. 
• I have no clue how to operate our grill.  Actually, I havent the slightest idea on how to grill food at all. Thats Kev's expertise, and it just wouldnt be fair for me to deprive him of that by learning how to do it.
• My High School Best Friends, immediately family, and husband all call me "The Driving Nazi."  They claim I am the worst backseat driver ever.  In reality, they just can't take constructive criticism.  Remember, I drive all day, every day for my job. 
• I am not skilled to anything related to graphic design, blog design, etc.  I have as much artistic skill as a rock. My whole blog design was developed and fully constructed by the amazing genius that is Jenn with Munchkin Land Designs.  Seriously, she is phenom and is currently doing some amaaaazing give-aways this week.  Check her out ASAP!!!

That about concludes my first confession session.  Believe you me, I could confess to about a million more things, but ummm, I'm slightly scared it might impact my readership :)  

One major thing that I failed to mention in my confessions is that I AM 4 WEEKS AWAY FROM BEING DONE WITH MY MBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously you all don't probably share my enthusiasm level on that one, but what it does mean is that I'll be able to get back to blogging on a much more regular basis.  Get excited bc I've got about 4 months of ridiculous ideas built up for this little road show :)  

Alright yall, hope you all have a fantastic week & great Tuesday.  I'm with my boss all day today, so send some positive thoughts my way. 

I left my heart in San Francisco

Okay, the title isn't exactly accurate but I somehow thought it sounded a tad more classy than

"I left Sonoma in a wine induced coma?"

It's no secret to anyone that knows me well that my absolutely favorite things in life revolve around my family and friends.  However, I'd have to say that wine and fabulous food are a close 3rd & 4th priority for me.  So obviously when we plan a trip that's primarily focused on and in wine country, It's essentially my ideal vacation.

The 19 year old Caroline would be rolling her eyes at the 26 year old Caroline, mainly bc at that time, my idea of fine wine was a bottle of Fish Eye Merlot. (not that I'm knocking cheap wine bc let's be honest here- I have yet to find a wine I absolutely won't drink!) However, once college ended (as did the end of $8/ all u can drink Thursdays at Avio, which I still consider to be a tragedy.), you tend to figure out that there are actually better tasting wines out there that won't give you quite the insane headache and hangover that a box of Franzia tends to cause. Shocking, right?  Wait, let preface that last comment by saying that I'm pretty sure ALL wine can give you a headache if you drink enough of it...which I normally do, soooooo nevermind. 

Anywho, I've been counting down the days to this vacation since December, especially since Kev was actually pretty pumped to go too. Last time we went to San Fran & wine county, my ever-eloquent husband immediately informed our wine tour guide of the following:

"Hi. My name is Kevin. I am from Kentucky. I only drink beer and bourbon. I just think you should know that going in."

Umm geeze. Way to be open to new things. Not. Our wine tour guide was like 65 years old, and she refused to be detoured from Kev's pissy attitude regarding wine. She gave it right back to him by looking him up & down, and then saying, "Son, by the end of the day, I guarantee I'll have you drinking wine of some sort. Mark my words." At the time, I didn't know if Kev was intimidated by her or if he had just sampled so many that he didn't care, but she was right because by the end of the day ole buddy was slamming back some wine & loving it.

These days, kevs taste for wine has expanded something serious, which is why I was more excited about this trip out there than any other time I've been (sorry, momma!).  On this trip, Kev jumped right in to the wine tasting aspect of our trip, and immediately realized how much his wine palate had exponentially expanded from our last trip.

And when I say wine palate has exponentially expanded, I'm not just saying that.  Unfortunately, that sentiment regarding Kev's highly developed taste palate was discovered by a gentleman who helps run the Benzinger Winery in Sonoma.  THEN, it was confirmed by another wine-maker at a different winery in Napa.  Kevin being told he possessed a superior palate was hilarious because I'm prettttyyy sure it made Kevin feel like a rockstar at every tasting.  However, it began to get even funnier because he INSISTED on telling people at every tasting about his amazing tasting skills.  I'd say the best part of this is when the winery hosts would ask Kev if he tasted items that Kev refuses to even try, such as mushrooms, while sampling the wine.  
Kev's response would then tend to be something along the lines of this:  


"Ohhh you know, I knew I was having trouble pin-pointing every aspect of this particular wine selection.  I bet (fill in the blank of the item that he has never tried) that is it exactly!"


Uh huh.  Sure honey. Or, the other hysterical thing that Kev has now started doing while tasting wine is for him to read the label and SWEAR he tastes the most random ingredient in the wine, such as green pepper?  
I will say that Kevin has been blessed with an insanely acute sense of smell, so I'm not doubting he can taste different aspects of wine that other people cant.... But I'm doubting its as developed as he's making it out to be. However, its highly entertaining to listen to-- just ask the friends we were out there with on the trip :)

Don't worry though- it wasn't just my husband that was entertaining.  The three of us should win an award for some of the hilarious comments that came out of our spouses' mouths.  
For example:  While doing a private tour of a boutique winery, where the bottles are all $40+, which included a private tasting & dinner in a wine cave, one husband (who shall remain nameless) asked our host this jewel of a question

"Sooo, my wife & I also drink two buck Chuck... like from Trader Joes?  Can you tell me what the difference is between your alls wine & this wine?  Because I can't tell a lick of difference!"

 Gotta LOVE us some Kentucky boys in California.  After his wife quieted his awesomeness down, we got to enjoy an amazing amazing amazing dinner in a wine cave.  

SO FUN!!

Literally, such a thrill.  I think we all felt like we were major celebrities at this point.  (Random side note: this particular winery was where Ben's season of The Bachelor was filmed.  Also- Ben does NOT own that winery & they have cut off ALL ties with him... in case you were wondering.  :)  )


Believe it or not, we also did do some beautiful hikes in the Sonoma Valley while trying to detox after consuming mass quantities of wine.

I swear Kev isn't wearing a purse- its a water holder thing.  Because were SOOO rugged and all :)

Anwho, after about 5 days out there, yall know my homebody self starts to miss Kentucky & our plethora of animals.  However, I definitely think that our trip out there lands in one of my favorite trips of all time.  Amazing company, perfect weather, great hotel, and phenomenal wine.  Whats not to like?  Now I just have to convince Kev that we need to take a trip out there at least once a year :)  I mean, we can't possibly waste the talents of his highly developed palate now, can we?? :)   


Until then, I guess I'm gonna have to curb my desire to head back out west with me drinking the wine we bought & looking at pics off my phone that look like this....

Weeellll, that about does it for me!