Over the summer, I started a batch of wine for our first “YMC Wine Club!” Two months later, the batch was ready for bottling and we would finally taste the fruits of our labour. Four wine bottling parties were planned where I’d get to meet my fellow wine making mummies - two groups in Toronto and two in Vancouver.
Nearly every lady I talked to during our bottling parties said she would absolutely make wine again. It’s inexpensive, the wine is phenomenal and it has less sulfates than the majority of processed wines. Several ladies plan to serve their wine this Christmas or give some away as gifts. I plan to set aside a few bottles to give to my children’s teachers. As a former teacher, I speak from experience - wine is always much appreciated.
Making wine is such a fun way to spend time with friends and I’m thrilled to have been a part of this Yummy Wine Making Club. You can read about how to start your own Wine Making Club here.
Here is my YMC Wine Club experience documented in pictures. Cheers!
Toronto
The first of four wine making parties was held at Macedo Wine in Toronto – gorgeous facility, knowledgeable staff, tasty snacks and a group of happy, enthusiastic ladies. This night couldn’t be anything but fun.
Greeted With Style
Our Wine Anxiously Waiting To Get Corked
First Group Of Bottlers in Toronto
Lindsay and Stephanie Happily Bottling
Quality Control
Corking Team
Check Out These Fun Labels!
Assembly Line Labelers
Somebody's Name Tag Seems A Bit Wonky...
Wine Boxed And Ready To Go To A Loving Home
We had a wonderful time making wine in Toronto. Thank you Macedo Wine for a great experience.
Vancouver
On to Vancouver! We made our western wine at Broadway Brewing
These Guys Truly Know Their Stuff!
Wine Makers Hard At Work
Laughing....Earnestly.
My BFF and I have been joined at the hip since we were eight years old. I was thrilled to be able to spend some time with her in Vancouver. Plus, in her current state, she makes an excellent wine coaster.
Making Wine Makes Mummies Happy
YMC pals EarnestGirl and @YMC_Buzz
This Wine Club was a blast. Grab some friends, book some time and start your own club.
To learn more about making your own wine, visit winemadesimple.ca. To find a wine making location near you, check out this handy link.
This blog is proudly sponsored by the
Canadian Craft Wine Makers Association
I try to buy produce when it’s in season and support Canadian companies whenever I can. Going local is a concept I embrace. Apparently Canyon Creek restaurants, here in Ontario, feel the same way. Until the end of October, they’re featuring several “Local Harvest” selections on their menu.
My husband and I, when trying to decide where to go for our wedding anniversary next week, saw this menu and the decision was made. The Local Harvest menu features seven new seasonal items paired with Tag No. 5 Vodka from Oakville, Muskoka Harvest Ale and Niagara's House Wine co. Local AND yummy.
The Local Harvest Menu Includes:
Harvest Mushroom Soup
Ontario Chicken Wings
King Cole Smoked Duck Salad
Wellington County Flat Iron
Grilled Ontario Pork Chop
Wheatley Ontario Pickerel
Pumpkin Creme Brulee
Download the full menu details here
I like to decide what I’m having before I even get to a restaurant. I hate asking the server, sheepishly, for yet another few minutes before ordering. When they return for the third time, I panic and end up choosing a meal at random. Having a game plan ahead of time is smart right? Or just weird. Either way, this is what I’ll be ordering at Canyon Creek next weekend.
To start, one (or five) Black Forest Martinis - featuring TAG No5 Vodka, Niagara Sour Cherry Juice, Chocolate Liqueur and chocolate pearls.
Canyon Creek Dip to share (though my man will be lucky if he even gets any. I'm a dip hog). Harvest Mushroom Soup as a starter, followed by the Wellington Flat Iron. Perhaps, if there's room, we'll split a Pumpkin Creme Brulee (that's a total fib. As if I'd pass on dessert or split one! Never gonna happen, but I didn't want you to think I was a glutton).
So now that I know what I’ll be ordering, what to wear? Likely something with an elastic waistband.
*This is not a sponsored post, but I was given a gift card to enjoy dinner at Canyon Creek. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Making school lunches is my least favourite parental chore. It doesn’t help matters that my youngest child turns her nose up at every speck of food. In theory, I could send her same uneaten lunch to school every day for a week and rid myself of this repetitive task. No? Sigh.
To satisfy Princess Picky Pants, I’ve had to become a more creative lunch lady. By making lunch more fun, an ordinary lunch becomes....funch – a virtual party in a lunchbox.
Here’s how to funch your child’s lunch:
Switch it up every day. Same old-same old gets boring fast.
Make lunches the night before. No mother can be creative in a rush at 7 AM.
Hide a special treat or note in your child’s lunchbox...ahem, funchbox.
Include interesting shapes and textures.
Go Bento style. This makes lunch into an exciting smorgasbord.
A ranch dip for raw veggies or yogurt to dip fruit...always a winner. Who doesn’t like to dip?
Start with something your kids are most likely to eat, make that the focal point and extend from there. My kids don’t care for soup or cold pasta, so a sandwich is our sure thing.
Some of our fave sammies include:
Regular shish kabob skewers are too pointy for young children, so spear some fave sandwich ingredients on a pretzel rod or wooden dowel (I used candy making sticks here).
Use cookie cutters to create some silly sammy shapes! Save crusts in a Ziplock to make into croutons later.
An egg salad sandwich has never been so unbearably cute.
Sneak grated carrot into a tuna sandwich. Also, go two-tone – white bread slice on top, whole wheat slice on the bottom.
Cut off crusts, roll bread flat, spread on yummy toppings i.e. cream cheese and jam, roll and slice!
Spread humus on bottom slice, add green, yellow and red veggies and cut out three small peep holes. I’ve also made this sandwich with lime marmalade, yellow marmalade and strawberry jam.
Happy funchtime everyone!
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