Oma Loves U!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Pomegranate
Day 28

A Different Fruit A Day Personal Health Challenge

Oma’s Pomegranate trees are filled with red ripening fruit. One thing that Oma has learned by experience is to watch the pomegranates closely, because if you do not pick them the minute they are ripe, the squirrels will climb the trees and eat them all.

Pomegranates are hard and messy to eat. Oma now squeezes the juice out of them with a Hand Juicer Press. You would be surprised at how much delicious juice you will easily harvest!

Each pomegranate is about 83 calories. The fruit is suggested by nutritionists in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs. Regular inclusion of fruits in the diets boosts immunity, improves circulation, and offers protection from cancers.

Oma loves to use her fresh squeezed juice in her adult refreshment. Check out the Oprah’s Pomegranate Martini recipe: Just shake 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice; 2 ounces Absolute Citron vodka or white tequila; 1 ounce Cointreau liquor; cup of ice; splash of sparkling water (optional) ; and squeeze of lemon (optional). Then put in chilled martini glasses and garnish with pomegranate fruit.

Wine Club from Uncorked Ventures
Review #Uncorked

The concept for Uncorked Ventures emerged during a family vacation to South America. While sipping on Pisco Sours along with wines from Chile and Argentina, two brothers-in-law (Matt Krause & Mark Aselstine) discussed their passion for food and wine, as well as their desire for something different, something better. In 2009, Uncorked Ventures was launched.

Matt Krause & Mark Aselstine

Now Uncorked Ventures provides its customers with the best wines from California, Washington, and Oregon. A great majority of these wines come from small artisan producers whose wines are not widely available. By making frequent trips to wine country, they develop relationships with top winemakers that grant us access to the high quality, limited production wines our customers’ desire.

Uncorked Ventures offers 3 different wine clubs: Wine Explorations Club, Special Selections Club and the Reserve Selections Club. Pricing starts at $20 a bottle and goes all the way up to $97.50 a bottle, depending on the club you choose.

Oma received two bottles of delicious red wine.

2009 California Red from Easton House

Easton Wines is a world-renowned winery making highly-regarded artisan California wines with an emphasis on Sierra Foothill terroir - wines with balance and finesse. The Easton label specializes in traditional California varietals with an emphasis on old-vine Zinfandel. This wine was fun and easy to sip with a friend.

2012 Sola Pinot Noir

Sola was launched in 2007 out of a desire to produce a high-quality, pleasurable wine at a price everyone could afford. Sola Winery does everything in their power to maintain low overhead costs and pass the savings on to their customers. It's Sola's goal to be the best value wine on the West Coast.

Oma simply loved their 2012 Pinot Noir. This strawberry version of Pinot Noir teased the taste buds and the aromas of lavender and raspberry added a fresh balanced finish. Oma will definitely add this wine to her favorite’s list.

Oma loved the ease and convenience of the Uncorked Ventures. The two wines they sent were very tasty and Oma even discovered a new favorite. After all that is what a wine club is all about – the opportunity to realize new wine makers and their product.

http://www.uncorkedventures.com/WineClub

Website

Uncorked Ventures ship their Exploration Wine Club to: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

You really should consider Uncorked Ventures
if you need to buy a gift for a wine lover.

Wine rates:

95–100 Classic: a great wine
90–94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
85–89 Very good: a wine with special qualities
80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine
75–79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
50–74 Not recommended

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Longans
Day 27

A Different Fruit A Day Personal Health Challenge

The Longan is a small round brown fruit is very similar to the popular lychee. Oma has three of these trees.

This fruit is packed with essential nutrients and an excellent addition to your daily diet. They are packed with antioxidants and per pound contain more iron than spinach. However, even more importantly – they taste great - sweet with a slight musky aroma!

Longans are used in traditional Chinese food therapy. It is used to treat insomnia, amnesia, edema and cardiac palpitations. Longan wine tonic is said to enrich the blood, beatify the skin, and is a remedy for grey hair. Combined with don quai and white peony root as a tonic, it is said to increase a woman’s sexual libido.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Horned Melon
Day 26

A Different Fruit A Day Personal Health Challenge

The horned melon is also known as the kiwano, African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, melano, and blowfish fruit. It is an annual vine in the cucumber and melon family.

Horned melon connoisseurs describe the flavor of the slimy green interior in this fruit as a cross between cucumber, zucchini, and kiwifruit. Unfortunately, this fruit is filled with entirely too many seeds for Oma’s palate!

Nevertheless, the horned melon is a good source of vitamin C, potassium and iron. Each fruit is approximately 91 Calories

Interesting fact: This fruit which looks like it belongs in space, was featured in an episode of Star Trek.

Temecula Valley Winegrowers
2-day Harvest Celebration

November 1 and 2, 2014

Purchase your 2-day Harvest Celebration ticket

on or before Sunday, October 1st, 2014 and save $10.

Ticket holders to the 2014 event

will enjoy visiting 30+ member wineries

for paired wine and food sampling.

Be amongst the first to enjoy exclusive tastes

of new releases, barrel and tank samples and/or

wines not available to the public.

Call 888 8-WINERY (888 894-6379)

for information or reservations

or book online.

The two day event gives ticketed guests the opportunity to visit many of the 35 Member wineries for a fun-filled food and wine adventure! Delicious foods and wine samplings are offered at each stop as well as barrel and/or tank samples of finished and unfinished wines often not available to the general public.

Visit your old favorites or discover the undiscovered!

Grapeline's Harvest Weekend Package (Nov 1 & 2, 2014)

$199 All-inclusive! (for $189 Early Bird special, book by October 1)

Includes Tickets to the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association Harvest Celebration 2014 Barrel Tasting Weekend and Grapeline shuttle transportation -- both Saturday and Sunday service and a souvenir glass. This is everything you need!

Taste wines from 35 participating wineries, paired with scrumptious food samplings chosen to feature the perfect marriage of food and wine. Grapeline World shuttles expect to visit 9-10 wineries each day, with pickups at most local hotels. Your Grapeline host will provide your Harvest ticket and souvenir glass. Just be ready to go at your departure location at the designated time. Tours hours approx 10:30am - 5:00pm.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Cucumbers
Day 25

A Different Fruit A Day Personal Health Challenge

The Cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae (same as the squash, pumpkin, and watermelon). It is a creeping vine that bears cylindrical fruits that are used as culinary vegetables. There are three main varieties of cucumber: slicing, pickling, and burpless. Within these varieties, several different cultivars have emerged.

The cucumber is originally from Southern Asia, but now grows on most continents. Many different varieties are traded on the global market. Like watermelon, cucumbers are made up of mostly (95 percent) water, which means eating them on a hot summer day can help you stay hydrated.

Oma did not know that cucumbers are the fourth most cultivated vegetable in the world. They are known to be one of the best foods for your body's overall health, often referred to as a superfood.

Nine Reasons to Eat Cucumbers

Protect Your Brain (contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin)
Reduce Your Risk of Cancer (polyphenols called lignans)
Fight Inflammation
Antioxidant Properties (vitamin C , beta-carotene)
Freshen Your Breath*
Manage Stress (multiple B vitamins)
Support Your Digestive Health (rich in water and fiber)
Maintain a Healthy Weight (very low in calories)
Support Heart Health (potassium)

*Placing a cucumber slice on the roof of your mouth may help to rid your mouth of odor-causing bacteria. According to the principles of Ayurveda, eating cucumbers may also help to release excess heat in your stomach, which is said to be a primary cause of bad breath.

Baby Rattlesnakes
As Dangerous As Adults

Bummer – we had to kill this baby rattlesnake yesterday. Unfortunately, baby rattlesnakes are just as dangerous as adults; some say more poisonous.

Kind of a funny story, we are sitting around the kitchen table talking insurance, when Opa comes running in with baby Reef Indy in his arms. With one word – “rattlesnake,” Opa hands Reef off to his mom. Zachariah and I scramble from the table to go help rattlesnake wrangle.

I wish I could have captured the stunted look on the insurance lady’s face.

Stacey Kuhns was born and raised in California. She moved to San Diego County 28 years ago from Los Angeles County. She retired a few years ago from a 21-year career in law enforcement. Stacey has two adult children who also reside in San Diego County.

For the past year and a half she has been volunteering with an animal rescue organization, Animal Rescuers without Borders. She has had a myriad of various animals over the years but now resides with four rescue cats.

Stacey enjoys cooking, baking, reading, traveling, animals, riding motorcycles (as a passenger), writing poetry, and photography. She is excited about being a guest contributor.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Pomegranate
Day 28

A Different Fruit A Day Personal Health Challenge

Related Posts:

Wine Club from Uncorked Ventures
Review #Uncorked