A Box Full of Red...or...White

I am not going to lie.  Most days are mass chaos at our house right now.  I wish I could say organized chaos, but that would be giving too much credit to the situation. 

A shinning example is this box.  Pretend it is still taped shut.  I came home one day recently to find this sitting in my kitchen.  Little Pope is adamant about being fed at the time so I go on and not worry about it because it is addressed to the Nutrition Nazi.  Oooh maybe he ordered Christmas or birthday presents!  He gets home a little later and I quiz him about the box, and then this is where the craziness of our life all comes to light.  He tells me that he does not remember ordering anything, and am I sure it is not for me.  Huh?  Then he tells me not to look at the box just in case he did order something for me.  Make up your mind, look at it or don't.

So finally I look at the box and tell him he may want to look at the top of the box where it says that the box contains alcohol, and also to not deliver to an intoxicated person.  Good to know.  After a short debate he finally opens up the box to reveal a case of wine that a very gracious friend had sent as a baby/Christmas present.

I was really tempted to make up my own version of the 12 Days of Christmas, but figure you get enough useless humor already from my wit!

Little Pope could not be more excited! 

And one more thing...

From our family to yours we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

We all like to be remembered as a valued customer, but it is with somewhat mixed emotions that I share this little story with you.  You see sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.  Many of you have heard me mention Max's Wine Dive, one of my favorite places in Houston to eat, drink, and buy wine.  Max's is so famous for their Fried Chicken and Champagne combo that they were featured on the show Crave on food network, which will be airing again on February 3rd. 

A few weeks ago we actually made reservations, a rarity for us, but now that we have to drive in from the country we are relegated to mainly Friday and Saturday nights at Max's - BOO!  We normally sit at the bar so we can see all of the delicious food going out and also sample some different types of wines, but it was full.  So we walk in and one of our favorite sommeliers comes up and is making small talk, congratulates us on the baby, etc.  He helps the Nutrition Nazi pick out an awesome wine and then goes back to his station because he is not our waiter, but we have helped him make his sales goals repeatedly so he goes the extra mile for us!

  The Best Fried Egg Sandwich in Houston - YUM!!

As the night goes on more of the staff continue to stop by and say congrats.  The creme de la creme is when the executive chef, Michael Pellegrino, comes out of the kitchen to chat.  He tells us that he wants to take our picture to put up on a wall they are starting called "We have the best guests."  I think a more appropriate title for it would be "These people are the reason we take frequent luxurious vacations."  He takes the pic and it is horrible, but NN tells me not to worry because no one will see it.  Wrong!  One of NN's clients did see the pic - UGH!

Max-n-Cheese -Of course I ordered this with the sandwich. 

The mixed emotion with sharing this story is that it is always cool to be remembered as a good customer, but I am a little concerned at how well we are known at a wine bar.  Being well known at your favorite restaurant is one thing, but a wine bar falls in the gray area for some people. I will offer this thought, though ...we registered at Spec's when we got married and that is where most of our gifts came from.  I guess we are not as alone as I thought!  So in the spirit of Max's I say Cheers to all my friends, and visit Max's for some awesome food and wine!

Chocolate Martini - Heaven in a Glass

Those of you who know me are very aware that my favorite goes-with-everything or good-on-its-own adult beverage is Prosecco.  Now IF you really know me then you know that my absolute favorite over-the-top drink is a chocolate martini.  In my opinion it does not get any better than chocolate and vodka.  I was first introduced to this heavenly drink on a work trip to New York several years ago.

For whatever reason I did not have another chocolate martini until we went to the martini bar at El Dorado Royale in Mexico several years ago.  It re-ignited something in me, and with NN's help we came up with what I believe is the perfect recipe. 

What you will need to make this delicious concoction! Recipe is listed at the bottom!

Now everyone dresses their glass differently.  Some people rim it with chocolate sprinkles, others put sanding sugar and make it look fancy.  Patience is not a virtue I have when it comes to drinking these, so I pour chocolate sauce around the top and call it a day.  And for the record patience is why the picture is what it is, but you get the idea.

See how much fun I am having just holding my drink.  Imagine how much fun I had once I started drinking it!  And yes our outfits match on purpose - it's the price NN pays for hitting the lottery when he married me the day after this picture was taken! 

Chocolate Martini

1 shot Vodka

1 shot Godiva Chocolate Liquer

1/2 shot of Baileys Irish Cream

1/2 shot of Heavy Cream

Chocolate Sauce for Glass

Fill a shaker with ice and add the first four ingredients.  Shake well.  Dress your glass.  (I put mine in the freezer and then drizzle with chocolate sauce.)  Pour drink into glass and enjoy responsibly!