Cooking, Food & Wine -- the trifecta of my happiness

I am a self proclaimed food and wine addict. There is nothing I love more than spending a day in my kitchen, creating a meal from scratch while sipping wine. I have subscribed for several years to a couple of great cooking magazines, and today I would like to share my favorites, as well as a melt-in-your-mouth fabulous bread recipe that is sure to wow your dinner guests.

All of these subscriptions are available through our website, brought to you by Amazon.com.

I love Food & Wine, it's a magazine I have been subscribing to religiously for 4 years now. In addition to their monthly publication, they also offer a cookbook anually highlighting the best recipes from the prior year. This is awesome, and a gift I have given often to friends and family for Christmas and birthays. The book for 2011 is offered for a bargain price of $21.24. If you have someone in your life whom likes to cook, it is a sure-fire awesome gift.

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Wine-Annual-2011-Cookbook/dp/1603201807/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1332873757&sr=8-8

I was first introduced to Fine Cooking back in 2007. From day one, I was hooked. It is my favorite cooking magazine, and many of my all-time favorite recipes come originally from this publication. I really cannot recommend this enough; it revolutionized the way I look at food and cooking in general. At $29.95, it will be one of the best gifts you buy yourself all year long.

http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Cooking/dp/B000WPCN2G/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1332875793&sr=8-15

Here is the recipe for my grandmother's ah-mazing crusty french bread. I have baked 7 loaves in 3 weeks (5 given away to neighbors, 2 kept in house and devoured). I hope your family will enjoy this!!


Nan's Crusty Bread

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 cups water
**I always add a couple T chopped rosemary, lemon zest from a medium sized lemon, and a small handfull of guryere. Orange zest, cranberries and walnuts also seem to be a favorite around the holidays :)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. If you opt to add herbs or other ingredients, do so now. Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 18 hours. In a pinch I've only set it aside for about 12, but generally try and stick to 18.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot (dutch oven) with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.(it will be very sticky initially.) Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating. Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough. Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool as to desired temp (I usually give it about 15 minutes, I like it warm) Enjoy!!

Wedding Fever

Happy Saturday!! My last post provided a couple of ideas for gifts for those special friends tying the knot in the near future. However, it got me thinking about wedding gifts, and I realized Amazon.com has a wedding registry available. Holy cow. How did I not know about this on our wedding day?! My wedding day was the happiest day I could have imagined, not to mention we received the best gifts for our new home together.

Now I feel like a jerk though, because I registered at Neiman Marcus and Macy's (for full priced designer items,) when in fact my very china is available on Amazon for 33% off. Unbelievable. Here it is (I looooooove it)

http://www.amazon.com/Wedgwood-5-Piece-Dinnerware-Place-Setting/dp/B000VIGERY/ref=sr_1_40?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1332607348&sr=1-40

It is the beautiful, and classic Vera Wang Lace pattern. In addition to gold, it is also available in platinum. I received 10 sets, so that would add up to a savings of $500.00!! It never occured to me the same awesome site where I buy all my books and CD's carried such high end designers. If I had only known Amazon had a registry I would have completely taken advantage of their prices, and unparralled service. If you, or any othere brides to be are considering building a registry in the new future, I absolutely recommend checking out our site, and Amazon products in general. Also, consider the fact that registry's are not only for weddings, I've seen registry's for college graduations, housewarmings, baby showers and anniversarys. Amazon has a full range of products to fit any occasion, but I have elected to focus on wedding today after seeing 3 of the very designers, and products I registered for at FULL price. Booooooo....

http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Spade-LARABEE-Double-Fashion/dp/B0018A3152/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332608271&sr=1-6

These gorgeous Kate Spade Lara-bee old fashioneds were on our registry as well. They are darling, and surprisingly heaving. We also recieved an additional set etched with "Mr & Mrs" they are well made, classic and chic.

In addition to Kate Spade and Vera Wang, Amazon also has quite a few pieces by Waterford. This is the tri-fecta of the holy grail of all things wedding registry. I received 2 sets of these rainfall glasses and use them everytime we entertain -- they are beautiful!! Also budget friendly, at $45 for a set of 4.  Who would want to register and Bed Bath & Beyond (I think it's tacky) when you can register at Amazon, receive free shipping to your door and all the perks of such a wonderful company?

http://www.amazon.com/Marquis-By-Waterford-152045-Rainfall/dp/B0039XMEMM/ref=sr_1_22?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332608464&sr=1-22


So there you have it; I hope some of you will avoid the mistake I made in my ignorance. How I wish beyond wishes I had known about Amazons registry feature, my guests would have saved bundles, and likely would have in turn been able to purchase more off our registry for us with these stellar prices. Happy Saturday, and if you are like me, happy shopping day!! :)

Wedding season is lurking just around the corner...

Wow, so wedding season is looming just around the corner, which I both love, and fear. I do adore weddings; getting dressed up, spending an evening with my handsome husband and our friends...however, the registry gifts, for both bridal showers and the wedding receptions, can really, really add up. I happen to have particular (uggg hmmm, high maintenence) friends whom seem to register at Neiman Marcus, Pottery Barn and William Sonoma, where the gifts are easily costing up to $250. For anyone who can't seem to part with a serious amount of cash like that, I have come up with some awesome alternatives, all under the $100 range. (Note; I was just married last June, and these are ALL gifts I would love to have received.) Some of my favorite gifts acutally did not come off my registries; a lot of my parents friends are old fashioned, and do not believe in purchasing off registries. So here's my list, I have 2 weddings thus far this year, and will definitely be purchasing the picnic basket set for one of my best friends bridal shower gift;

This would be perfect, and I think I will go in on it with one of the other gals and fill it with some wine, crackers, Pelligrino, olives and other non perishables. I would personally adore this as a gift!! $74.95 feels like a bargain for a gift that can be enjoyed on a lovely Saturday afternoon hike, or trip to the coast, again and again.

http://www.amazon.com/Picnic-Time-Malibu-Duffel-Storage/dp/B004BDEEM2/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1330979390&sr=1-1

This next gift is hands down my husbands FAVORITE gift he's ever received for the kitchen. I have made many a panini and grilled cheese on this, and the clean up is super easy (a huge plus for me.). It's also great for burgers, and awesome for anyone living in an apartment or townhome missing their BBQ days. If we happen to be close with any grooms it will definitely be their engagement/wedding gift, and it's a steal at $74.95. This thing is a gem, and probably slightly more tailored towards gents.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-GR-4N-5-in-1-Griddler/dp/B002YD99Y4/ref=sr_1_2?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1330980322&sr=1-2

This wall clock is amazing. The price is even better, with a normal retail value of $134.95, and our price is $64.95. Talk about a beautiful, classic gift. Plus, it's a great size, and if your newlywed friends are anything like mine, they probably have a lot of empty wall space to fill -- this would be a great statement piece in their new home.

http://www.amazon.com/Blazon-quot-Wide-Wall-Clock/dp/B004TMSWO6/ref=sr_1_19?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1330980915&sr=1-19

Also, this is one of the most beautiful and functional wedding shower gifts I received. It's a lovely cut crystal ring holder (for my goregous engagement ring) by Waterford. I keep my ring on it everytime I take it off to shower, wash dishes, work in my herb garden ect.  At $59, it's a lovely and special gift your friend will remember for her whole life.

http://www.amazon.com/Waterford-751-433-95-00-Round-Ring-Holder/dp/B00015CEL2/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332608464&sr=1-10

So there you have it; a couple of unique and budget friendly gift ideas for the new happy couple. Enjoy!!

Happy Leap Year!! February has literally FLOWN by, extra day and all!! It's been a great month, and we were lucky enough to do a bunch of travelling, spending a weekend in Austin, and a full week in Washington DC. Petro prices are through the roof right now (I cry when filling up my car. Seriously.), and as a result, the airlines have passed the costs on to us. Thankfully, I have a wonderful tool at my finger tips; the ability to check multiple air carries at once to find the absolute best prices on the market through the use of Expedia, Orbitz and Hotwire to name a few!!  I was able to travel to the east coast for less than $350, and the travel times were great (11am departure out of Phoenix, 1:30 pm departure from DC). Times are tough this day and age, and you deserve the best prices possible on travel.

It's a beautiful sunny day in Arizona, but I am still in the slow recovery phase from pneunomia. Thus, I am indoors catching up with my blog, surfing pinterest (a whole new vortex of time suckage!) and trying desperately, and unsuccessfully not to shop online. It's proving to be a challenge, as there are some awesome deals right now on Amazon, and with spring right around the corner it's sooooooo very tempting to purchase 14,000 gorgeous sun dresses that dominate the site. There are new arrivals from Rebecca Minkoff, Robert Rodriguez and BCBG just to name a few.

I am loving this Splendid T-shirt dress (I'm mad for anything nautical)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0061N05EG/ref=s9_al_bw_g193_ir09?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=9E39D74EFEB046D2A190&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1345383722&pf_rd_i=3615311011


Also, the colour block number is gorgeous, and I picture it dressed down with flip flops, or up with wedges. LOVE!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068F45WK/ref=s9_al_bw_g193_ir01?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_r=9E39D74EFEB046D2A190&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1344980742&pf_rd_i=3615311011

How do I love thee?

Ah Valentine's day is around the corner again. I am an avid fan of holidays in general, and this will be my first Vday as a married gal so the pressure to come up with a fab gift is on. In  previous years I would usually opt for the obligatory truffles and sappy card, along with a meticulously cooked 3 course dinner. This year however, we will be in Washington DC, so I will have to prepare our annual dinner and gift exchange the night prior. Right now I am considering a few options, but I think my top choice might be a DIY beer kit.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BCFUBU/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=eoffershopbyw-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B001BCFUBU&adid=0HP3MHETX2KMDEB4HS7P&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholeworldventuresinc.com%2FSelf_Help_Products_Yuma_AZ.html

This is right up my honey's alley -- he is a fan of beer in general, plus we both love interactive hobbies we can share together. I think my favorite part of purchasing this kit is we can opt to buy different flavors to create additional beers after brewing our first batch. I'm thinking the Irish Oatmeal Stout for St. Patty's Day, the Chesnut Ale for Christmas, a summer pilsner for the Fourth of July....it's essentially a starter kit for a gift that will keep on giving!!

Lately I've been coveting a cook book, Wine Bar Foods, and think it would be a complimentary gift to go along with the beer making kit. I think there are few ways to better spend an evening than home preparing an awesome meal together. I love tappas style dinners where we are able to sample of bunch of different dishes. Here is the link to check out Wine Bar Foods;

http://www.amazon.com/dp/030735279X/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=eoffershopbyw-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=030735279X&adid=1VTC9V3SM2N30J293GMJ&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wholeworldventuresinc.com%2FFood_and_Wine_Products_and_Services_Yuma_AZ.html

Becoming Yankees

Oh how I love the USMC...and how it keeps us on our toes!! We just found out we will be relocating this summer to none other than our nation's fine capitol -- Washington DC. In anticipation I am currently watching the Bravo's Real Housewives of Washington DC (just KIDDING!). In preperation I am actually looking for inexpensive flights to start my townhouse hunt -- and just struck gold with Orbitz. RT flights for $350 directly in Reagan, winning! Here is the link in event you need to hit the road as well.

http://www.wholeworldventuresinc.com/Travel_Products_and_Services_Yuma_AZ.html

Travel is one of my favorite things in the world, and next week I head to Austin, TX. It has been since 2008 since I was last there, and I look forward to going back to some of my husband's favorite haunts (he lived in TX back in the 90's during flight school.) Not to mention, it will be even more enjoyable seeing as we saved a bundle through Orbitz on our flights, and Travelocity for our hotel -- We scored a room at the W for a song!! I generally tend to compare prices through each of our affiliate travel companies, and these were the best bang for the buck on this particular trip.

Our new move has me all a twitter; I am getting so excited to begin shopping for cold weather clothes and boots. My timing should be great, considering all the winter items will be going on sale as the spring lines are on their way in. Right now I am lusting over this Miss Sixty coat -- at $75 off retails I really can't afford to not purchase it!  I'm thinking it would look great with dark skinny jeans and my tall black riding boots would be warm and DC chic...

http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Sixty-Womens-Charcoal-X-Small/dp/B004WSAU9W/ref=sr_1_49?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1327600510&sr=1-49

I'm going to have to continue browsing some of Amazon.com's awesome coats on sale, until next time! :)

Live, eat, travel.

Welcome to our blog!! I am the proud spouse of a Marine, and this is how I generally spend my mornings in Yuma, updating our website to bring you the best prices on travel and luxury goods and blogging about my experience.

Check out our website;

http://www.wholeworldventuresinc.com/Self_Help_Products_Yuma_AZ.html

We are licensed affiliates of Amazon.com, Best Buy, Orbitz, Cheapo Air and Travelocity just to name a few. Purchase with confidence, and enjoy unparralled discounts in travel, home and fashion items.

I have just ordered the below Coach bag for myself, and I cannot wait to receive it. I first fell in love with this in San Diego at the Fashion Valley Macys. To my delight, through Amazon, we were able to offer this gorgeous piece for $255, $143 off the suggested $398 retail. Stay tuned, I should receive it by Friday, just in time for my trip to Austin, TX.

Speaking of Austin, we are heading down to Texas for 4 days to meet 3 other couples and welcome home close friend home from a years tour overseas. We were able to score awsome prices on our flights through  This weekend happens to span Superbowl Sunday, so we are all going to head out to a fun pub to watch the game. Sadly my beloved 49ers will not be in the game, but I know good times shall be had by all.