Romy Raves

Being an oenophile and a recessionista, I am always on the hunt for a rockin’ bottle of wine that is budget friendly and delicious all at the same time, and honestly these two qualities are usually mutually exclusive, until now.

Let me introduce you to Chariot Gypsy 2008, a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese from great vineyards in the Napa Valley, Sonoma, San Joachin, and Monterey counties. Now I know what you must be thinking, a red wine blend from Napa is going to be spendy, right? WRONG!

This is a Trader Joe’s bargain peeps (only FIVE BUCKS!!) and I just discovered it this past weekend while shopping for yummy eatz for the President’s Day Weekend.  All of the employees were raving about this delicious bottle of wine that just arrived (exclusive to TJ’s FYI), is a cult fav among oenophiles, and blows out of TJ’s in the blink of an eye. And after reading the tasting notes, hearing all of the in store hoopla, along with the ridiculously cheap price, I bought myself a case without even tasting it!

 Just listen to these yummy tasting notes from the winemaker:  “The 2008 ‘Gypsy’ displays a dark garnet color with a clear violet edge. It shows mixed fresh berry aromas — raspberry and strawberry, with hints of white pepper and pastry. Very clean and lively with juicy berry fruit, firm acidity and a touch of smooth tannin. Excellent and versatile food wine particularly well suited for pork chops and poultry. We think it is the perfect everyday red wine!”

So what do you think? For this price, can it really be that good? Online wine bloggers and insiders are already saying it is pleasant, has some depth,would benefit from some more age in the bottle and is perfect for everyday drinking. You be the judge, and so will I. In fact, I am planning on cracking open a bottle this weekend and then we can compare tasting notes. But for $5 a bottle, what have you got to lose? Let’s get a lively discussion going by posting your comments here.

FYI–I had a chance to try the Gypsy last night and it was surprisingly yummy! Very berry, a little creamy and a little spicy, but really delicious and much more impressive given the $5 price point. I REALLY like it and think I am headed to TJ’s soon to buy another case

You can find Chariot Gypsy 2008 at your local Trader Joe’s (in states where they are allowed to sell alcohol in markets, of course).

Tags: Bargain Wine, Chariot Gypsy 2008, Cult Wine, Trader Joe's

This Fall I was invited to a wonderful event for lifestyle bloggers–an afternoon of learning about healthy eating strategies from celebrity lifestyle and fitness guru Kathy Kaehler. Kathy created this wonderfully simple concept called Sunday Set-Up where you buy and prepare all of your healthy meal ingredients on Sunday and have them ready to go during the week when you are crazed, busy, tired and likely to make the wrong food choices. I love this uber simple lifestyle concept and have been using it since the Fall, and now I would like to share it with you. 

Kathy created Sunday Set-Up to help busy moms (and other uber busy peeps) make daily meal prep easier, healthier and more practical. Instead of stressing about how you are going to pull together healthy and tasty meals night after night, this program is your plan-ahead solution. The idea is that every Sunday you “set-up” your meals for the week by shopping for your ingredients over the weekend and selecting, then prepping foods that can be made into a week’s worth of recipe ingredients.

According to Kathy, “Sunday Set-Up is a great way for me to be organized. I get all of my food at the farmers market or grocery store on the weekend, wash it all, cut it up, and put it into containers. It just became a habit for me, and then I started sharing my strategy with clients and moms that I know. I eventually turned it into a program.”

Kathy feels that, “Families today rely too much on take-out and ordering-in. Our children are not learning how to prepare healthy meals. By implementing Sunday Set-Up into your routine, you will save money, eat better, eat healthier, feel more energized, gather as a family more often, and you may even lose some weight.”

Sunday Set-Up is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. On Saturday or Sunday afternoon, take your kids and go shopping at your local farmers market or grocery store, picking up the freshest ingredients possible. Try to be as ‘green’ as possible by making a point of buying seasonal, local, and organic ingredients (they tend to be the most vibrant and taste the best too!) Also, bringing the kids gets them excited and invested in the healthy eating process. Click HERE to see Kathy’s Sunday Set-Up Shopping List.

2. On Sunday, chop and cook the ingredients necessary for a week’s worth of meals and snacks. This includes vegetables, rice, pasta, beans and chicken/protein. And to add a little yummy inspiration to the mix, here are two of my favorite, super easy and delicious recipes that Kathy made with us at this event: Kathy’s Kale (ridiculously addictive) and Salsa Rice and Black Beans

3. After the preparing and cooking, store the fixings in clear glass containers (Kathy introduced me to Snapware Glass Lock Containers and I absolutely LOVE them–durable, leak proof, easy to see your food and aesthetically pleasing) and place them at the front of your refrigerator. That way, you will be excited about all of the mix and match possibilities for meals and healthy snack options.

That’s It! Simple, Easy, Inspired, Yummy and Healthy! Thank You Kathy for conceptualizing such a brilliant modern day program that can really impact lives in such a positive way.  So, what are your healthy lifestyle choices? Any quick and easy tips for eating healthier? Please post and share your tips and ideas.

Tags: Healthy Eating, Kathy Kaehler, Kathy's Kale, Organic, Recipes, Snapware Glass Lock, Sunday Set-Up

I don’t know about you, but when February rolls around each year, I find myself feeling more amorous, sexy and focused on all things red, chocolate and romantic. It’s the holiday that reminds me about love and staying connected to those we hold near and dear. In honor of this heart filled day, I thought I would share some of my current favorite discoveries that seem like a perfect sync with this holiday:

  1.  Black Magic Roses (pictured above)
These are the most amazing velvety black looking roses and they were the focal point of my wedding bouquet over 10 years ago. They still captivate me to this day–Stunning!

2.  Perfect Kiss Parfum
I am a huge fan of Sarah Horowitz Parfums (More Than Just a Fragrance) because her fragrances are so unique, beautifully made, and the kind of scents that people always stop me and ask what I am wearing. Perfect Kiss is a tribute to romantic love; it has a sexy blend of night blooming jasmine and honeysuckle that rests upon a base note of creamy sandalwood and warm amber, and it is made even more inviting by a hint of dark chocolate. I just love the smell of Perfect Kiss which I describe as warm, sensual and yummy which makes it a perfect Valentine’s Day fragrance.

3.  Flaming Heart T-Shirt by Sledge
I have always loved the fun, hip fashion forward tops designed by Sledge. I recently saw a picture of this top in Los Angeles Magazine and loved it! I think it will make the perfect Valentine’s Day date night shirt too!

4.  Jurlique Love Balm
This is a delightful little tin of love that I keep in my purse and use anywhere that my skin needs a little extra moisture. It is made of all natural oils and is scented with yummy tangerine oil. My dry chapped lips adore this little balm and I hope yours will too!

5.  Lipstick Queen Chinatown Glossy Pencil in Thriller
This is a super sheer, moisturizing “draw on” gloss that comes in a chubby jumbo-sized pencil. It even comes with a jumbo-sized sharpener and the original artwork on the boxes and shade names are all inspired by the Polanski film of the same name. I love the hint of blue red color (perfect for your V-Day pucker) and how simple it is to use.

6.  Vampire Kiss in Love Bite Red by Lip Seduction
This is one of my all time favorite lipgloss and treatment products because it provides a nice sheer hint of color and it heals, plumps and sooths my lips all at once (read The Seduction of My Lips for my full rave of this product). And Love Bite Red is the perfect sheer Valentine’s Day shade of red!

7.  China Glaze Nail Polish in Ruby Pumps 
This is a great sparkly red nail polish that was inspired by Dorthy’s Ruby Red Slippers.  Being a die hard Wizard of Oz fan, I could not resist The Wizard of Ohh Ahhz collection by China Glaze (what a fun packaging concept!). There are six great colors in this set, but I think I will be wearing Ruby Pumps for a fun blingy Valentine’s Day Look. I also love the sparkly blue shade in the set called Dorothy Who? and the fun shimmery purple called C-C-Courage. 

8.   Choclatique Fig and Peanut Butter Sea Salt Truffle
OMG! This is such an insanely good candy creation that I tasted it over a year ago at Expo West  and still cannot stop thinking about it. It is the perfect blend of creamy peanut butter, carmely fig and a hint of sea salt covered in divine chocolate—An Absolute Confection Perfection!!

9.  Gotta Have S’more Amore 
I recently discovered the addictive S’muffins by Gotta Have S’more and am totally hooked on these miniature s’more like cupcakes. They have a graham cracker shell dipped in chocolate and are filled with marshmallow, chocolate and other divine ingredients. And the S’more Amore is a Valentine’s Day spin on this amazing treat with red colored white chocolate on the outside and a candy red heart on top—Super cute and yummy too!

10.   Naja Tea
I recently discovered Naja’s divine tea blends at the Go Green Expo in LA and was immediately hooked! Naja’s mantra is to make ‘whole leaf hip’ and she masterfully fulfills this promise by creating aromatic and unique blends of tea that intoxicate you with their beautiful inspired smells and flavors. I am absolutely head over heels in love with the sensual Mix & Mingle blend of toasted coconut, chocolate, vanilla and rooibos, dee-lish! And I think the delicious Allure blend (white tea, tangerines, & schizandra berries) and the Wicked Plum blend (cinnamon, ginger root, hibiscus and rooibos) would make delightful Vday gifts.  

Tags: China Glaze, Choclatique, Jurlique, Lipstick Queen, Naja Tea, Perfect Kiss, S'more Amore, Sarah Horowitz Parfums, Sledge Clothing, Vampire Kiss

No offense to all of you die hard football fans, but for me the Superbowl is all about the funny commercials and the yummy eats.  So I thought I would share with you one of my all time favorite appetizers that is sure to be a hit at your Superbowl gathering.  Enjoy and please share your special, yummy, fun and easy appetizer recipes with me!

Dip Diana

7 oz.  Pesto
6-8 oz.  Chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil
12 oz.  Whipped Cream Cheese
2  Tablespoons of butter
4-7  Cloves of fresh garlic
10-12  Thin slices of provolone
 
Blend garlic, butter and cream cheese in food processor and fold in pesto. Put about 6 slices of provolone cheese on the bottom of a medium dish with sides and spread pesto mixture over cheese slices, put half of the sun dried tomatoes over mixture (some oil is OK).  Cover with provolone and garnish with remaining sun dried tomatoes that have been blotted to remove excess oil. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and serve with a sliced baguette. DEELISH!

Tags: Cream Cheese, Pesto, recipe, Superbowl

Inquiring minds want to know what this fabulous trend maven is up to and where does she get her latest scoops and insider information? Lucky you, here is a glimpse of events that I have recently attended or am planning to attend, all in an effort to share the latest and greatest with you:

Go Green Los Angeles Expo

I attended this all-things-green and eco friendly this past weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I must admit that I find the trend towards all things green very encouraging, and like that many companies in all categories are creating products that showcase the best of the green movement.  A few of the products that really caught my eye at this expo were:

Vapur

A completely collapsible reuseable water bottle, that is designed to be rolled and tucked away. It is perfect for airline travel cause you can fill it on the other side of security. What an inspired eco friendly idea and I love the pink color!

 Further Hand Lotion

Both the beauty maven and the foodie in me was pretty impressed by this fully sustainable beauty product concept. This yummy smelling lotion is made out of used vegetable grease that is sourced from restaurants like Mario Batali’s Mozza (can you say squash blossom pizza? ). Basically, this used oil is turned in biofuel (which is used to drive cars BTW) and glycerin happens to be the byproduct of the biofuel distillation process. This glycerin then becomes the base of this citrusy green lotion thus taking the recycling process further–too cool!

  People Towels

A quick-drying, reusable personal hand towel that you carry with you and it is made of lightweight, 100% organic, fair trade cotton. This is an inspired green alternative to paper towels in public facilities and I adore the LOVE design (what a perfectly green V-day gift).

Bag Lady Promotions Los Angeles: Kick Off Your Heels and Network Event

This is a members only local networking group geared towards women entrepreneurs. It attracts a diverse assortment of women who all have the common goal of growing their business locally and I always meet amazing women at these events (like my new soul sista SavvySassyMoms and the addictive S’muffins created by Carmen at Gotta Have S’more) This months event was held at Focus Self Defense Fitness in Culver City and we had a lot of fun learning Krav Maga and schmoozing.

The International Salon & Spa Expo (ISSE)

I am SO excited about attending ISSE in Long Beach, California this weekend because it is the biggest professional cash-and-carry beauty exposition and educational event on the West Coast. I cannot wait to scout the latest and greatest beauty trends and products. And please make sure to follow me on twitter @romyraves for my real time trend updates from the expo floor. And stay tuned for exciting blog posts in the near future about my newest discoveries.

Natural Products Expo West March 2010

Natural Products Expo West is the premier trade show for the healthy products industry, it is attend by over fifty thousand industry leaders and it is ranked as one of the top 100 shows in the US. This is a huge intense, overwhelming and amazing show and I love every minute of it.  The foodie and healthy gal in me loves discovering the latest and greatest in the natural food world. Stay tuned for more discoveries after the expo.

Tags: Bag Lady Promotions, Expo West, Further Soap, Go Green Expo, ISSE, Krav Maga, People Towels, S'muffins, Vapur