Ice Wine And Early Bird Specials

Settling In To a New Year

Visions of Ski Lodges Dance In My Head

Happy New Year everybody!

Hopefully all my readers had a safe, enjoyable holiday.

I was supposed to babysit the grandkids last night, but my daughter and charming-son-in-law’s plans changed, so the Hubster and I went out to our favorite Italian restaurant for an “early bird” dinner.  Geesh, what’s become of us?

When we were younger, we used to go to New York City for New Years and party all night long; then the kids came along and we’d go out to our friends for a nice dinner and party and come home about 2 am.

Now, as Baby Boomer’s, it’s early-bird dinners, we stay home and the hubs turned in around 9 pm on New Years. Last night I blogged and tweeted and partied online doing the hashtag #lamenewyearseve.

I embibed a bit with sipped some Ice Wine on New Years eve.  There’s still some left from Christmas, and since it’s sort of officially still New Year’s Day, I’m finishing it I finished it.

You may ask what’s Ice Wine?  No, this isn’t a paid post, or anything of that sort.  I didn’t know what it was either until I went to Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to visit my brother one year.  We toured some wineries, since it’s wine country up there.

Here’s the official Wikipedia definition of ice wine:

Ice wine (or icewine, as one word, or in German, Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine.

When my brother visited for Thanksgiving, he brought a house gift of Ice Wine from Hunt Country Vineyards for my daughter.

I would describe it as smooth and sweet – almost like a brandy. To me, it leaves a definite coating when you drink it, unlike a regular wine. It’s meant to be an apertif, or after-dinner wine. I serve it in my Waterford Crystal wine glasses. Perhaps it could also be served in cordial glasses.

I’ve tweeted about ice wine, and Renee Ross from Cutie Bootie Cakes asked what it was.  Speaking of Renee – she was my Secret Santa Pal this year when I participated in the T.J.Maxx and Marshall’s Secret Santa exchange.  More on that in another post!

Now, in my mind I’m sitting by a roaring fire or wood stove looking out the window at the snow-covered ground in New England here.  I don’t ski anymore, but would be content to curl up in a ski lodge that has Wifi or read a good book, and sip a nice vintage ice wine!

Actually, I tried to order the Hunt Country online, but Connecticut and their stringent laws, won’t allow purchases of wine online (so I was told when I went to place my order.)  I doubt I could even join a Wine of the Month Club here. In fact, even though Pennsylvania borders New York, they don’t allow it either!

I’ve found others locally at are equally as good – one has sweet flavors of pineapple and citrus while another has peach and honey flavors in it.

Have you tried Ice Wine?  What’s your favorite! If not, you might look into it for Valentine’s Day!

Don’t forget to check out my Best Posts of 2009! Happy Holidays!

Thanks for visiting! Comments are always appreciated!

New Years Eve Party 101: Celebrate Responsibly

Don’t Drink and Drive

Ringing in the New Year

I’ll be babysitting the grandkids this year since my oldest daughter and my charming son-in-law will be going out for a night on the town.

When I was younger I always looked forward to New Year’s Eve.  My husband’s family enjoyed partying, and there was many a New Year’s Eve that we would travel from Connecticut to New York City and spend the night.

All the in-laws would stay at the same hotel in the Big Apple.  We’d have dinner in the theater district at Sardi’s or Gallagher’s (where you can see the beef hanging in the window!) or sometimes at Jack Dempsey’s Restaurant on Broadway.  Afterwards we’d take in the scene at Times Square to get a glimpse of the ball.  Later we’d go back to the hotel and take in a show at Rockefeller Center the next day, and stop in at Tavern on the Green.

What was nice about going to NYC was that once we were there, the car was parked and we didn’t have to drive.  We’d take a cab or walk wherever we wanted to go.

Many cities and towns now have First Night celebrations, which is really nice because most family events and are alcohol-free.

During the holidays, everybody looks forward to celebrating with family and friends.  Our mailbox fills up with invitations to Christmas and Hanukkah parties, dinners, and other get-togethers.  Through each exciting gathering we learn to control our eating to avoid those holiday and New Year’s pounds.  Another thing to be aware of is how much alcohol we consume.

Everyone wants to get into the spirit of the occasion.  But good natured frivolity can get us into trouble when we drink without thinking at office parties and other holiday gatherings.  Having a truly good time means handling our alcohol responsibly. 

We need a plan before we even reach the party.

Choose a designated driver. You hear it all the time but that’s because it’s important.  This doesn’t give permission to drink until you can’t stand up but at least when you are ready to go home, someone who is in control of their faculties will be in charge of driving.  To appear fair, rotate the role of designated driver among your circle of friends so everyone gets a chance to participate fully in the party happenings.

Mix your alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic beverages. One or two drinks can have less of an effect on us when drank intermittently with soda.  If you drink only one or two drinks it may be best to hail a taxi rather than risk driving home because you’re unsure whether you’re over the limit or not.

Blood alcohol content is how the police test for the amount of alcohol still circulating in your system.  In the United States, the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 percent.  Anything above that is considered breaking the law and will result in a DWI or DUI arrest and possible prosecution.

When someone is stopped by the police, they assess the need to administer a breathalyzer test.  The person blows on the instrument and it registers a blood alcohol level.  The number that appears is admissible in court should it come to that.

But, how did they know to stop you?  Believe it or not, someone under the influence of alcohol tries to rationalize that they are alright to drive.  It’s the ones who are just over the limit that rationalize the most.

They reason that if they drive slower, they’ll make it home safely.  Unfortunately, the body has other plans.  Alcohol slows the reaction time.  As a result, people under the influence of alcohol drive slower so they have less trouble braking if needed.  They brake more often because they are trying not to hit anything.  Forgetting to turn on the headlights isn’t uncommon.

On the other end of the spectrum, someone who is blatantly drunk will drive fast, swerving across the center line and showing a disregard for traffic signals and signs.  Wide turns result in accidents either with stationary objects or another moving vehicle.  When people drink and drive, someone can die.

The bottom line is don’t drink and drive.  The odds are against us that we’ll get away with it.  Don’t bet someone else’s life (or your own) on it.

Happy New Year!

Resolve To Stay Healthy and Live Longer

Stay In Shape

Plan Your 2010 New Years Resolutions Now

You may not be aware, but your health as you age is something you can control.

Whether you’re a new mom, in mid-life, or a Baby Boomer, there are several things that healthy people have in common, and they’re things that you can include in your life.

You don’t have to feel like you’re at the mercy of your life or your genes; you just have to take a little time to treat yourself correctly, and you’ll experience much better health as you get older.  Here’s a look at a few things you can do to improve your chances of staying healthy and living longer.

Maintain A Healthy Weight
For most of us, this means paying attention to our weight and keeping it in a normal range.  It’s hard to do, especially after having a baby, or for each year you celebrate a birthday.   It’s statistically better to be a little bit heavier than it is to diet and regain that weight.  That doesn’t mean you should feel okay about carrying a lot of fat – it’s hard on your joints and can contribute to some health problems.  But a weight where you feel healthy and energized is more important than a number on a scale.

Exercise Frequently
Try to exercise half an hour a day, as many days out of the week as you can. The more you exercise, the better off you’ll be. I’ve recently looked into treating myself to a new pair of Skechers Shape Up Shoes to motivate myself!

Weight lifting can be particularly beneficial for women, because it can prevent osteoporosis by building bone density.  Don’t worry about bulking up – it’s almost impossible without hormone and protein supplements.  Do something you enjoy, and exercise won’t be a chore.  You’ll stay more mobile for a longer time, and feel a lot better.  People who are physically fit also suffer fewer debilitating injuries and heal up faster.

If you aren’t ready to implement these plans now, try to make it a New Year’s Resolution for 2010.

New Year ~ New Me ~ Editor of Timeless Bliss

Timeless Bliss

I’m delighted and honored to announce that I’ve been asked to be the new Editor of the Timeless Bliss channel for Mature and Baby Boomer women at Blissfully Domestic.

Blissfully Domestic is one of the premier online magazines on the internet today.

We are a perfect example of the strength of women coming together to share our knowledge, speak our minds and support each other. The 300+ Blissfully Domestic Divas, our writers, love sharing their knowledge and expertise with our readers. We all work together to build the magazine that reflects YOU, the reader, your interests, your life, and your bliss.

It’s ironic that I’m making this announcement during January, as just this past weekend I celebrated yet ~ another birthday! At least I’m still above ground.

Within the last two years, I’ve taken on an additional role besides that of being a wife, mom, mother-in-law, sister & friend.  I’ve become a Grandmom to two beautiful grandchildren:   a granddaughter who just turned 2, and a grandson who is now 5 months old.

This transformation has given me time to reflect on how women of my generation now view themselves. My own Nana lived to be 101 years old. While she became a grandmom in her 50s as I did, her interests were quite different than the women of today.

The vision of the Timeless Bliss channel is to gather wonderful women writers who all share one common denominator ~ we are aging. However, we are each entering this new phase of our lives bringing experiences shaped by different backgrounds and influencers.

The assembled team of Timeless Bliss Contributing Writers will seek to share their own experiences with readers, add real value to women’s lives as well as ease the transformation process for all as we enter the upcoming challenging times of our maturing, Baby Boomer years.

Some of the topics that we will be covering include Empty Nesting; Women’s Health; Disabilities, STAR (Second-Time-Around Relationships);  Retirement and Grief.

Also included are posts on Beauty, Cooking, Crafts and Hobbies,  Frugal Living, Style and Travel.

Whether you’re single, married, divorced, in a relationship or widowed, have a passel full of children, grandchildren or are childless ~ Timeless Bliss will offer something for everyone!

You’ll recognize some familiar names from the blogosphere, as well as some new talent that we’ve discovered! Please visit and comment on all the great posts you’ll find!

If you would like to be considered for a position as a Contributing Writer, please contact me at Cindi@blissfullydomestic.com

It is my hope that you’ll consider all these wonderful Baby Boomer writers your Wise Aunt ~ Older Sister or Best Friend!

Visit at http://blissfullydomestic.com/channel/timeless-bliss/