Holiday recapitulation

‘Drinkcember’ started with a Brunch in our house.

Some friends were invited and by 1 pm we were all tipsy from the Bellinis (crazy stuff, uhhh)… the bagels and omelets absorbed the little alcohol we were drinking and by 4 pm, it was already dark and my husband and I were exhausted, splayed on the couch, watching TV.
As you can see, it’s a risky business being in our social network (can you hear the irony?).

However, after some days passed, we realized that the tolerance to alcohol began to increase. We made Wine-A-Ritas every weekend. During work days we tried 1 or 2 glasses of wine along with dinner… our excuse being that ‘drinkcember’ happens once a year and we couldn’t let it go to waste.

A small restaurant in our neighbor (which we love and always go for special occasions) was our destination for Christmas Eve… we ate until our bellies ached, and drank enough to fell content and relaxed.

 The walk home was 3 blocks in a really cold weather but we managed to arrive without precedent (my spasticity increases with alcohol and heels, but since it was a short stroll, I survived).

That weekend, we had the 6^th most important snow storm in the last decade, hence, we went out and drove the deserted streets of Manhattan with 6 inches of snow building up by the hour… completely irresponsible, but is not everyday that you get to see (or not see… considering the 10% visibility) Manhattan covered in white.

By New Year’s Eve, the alcohol in our house was reduced to almost nothing… we had succeeded in the difficult task of consuming 6 bottles of wine in a whole month (sarcasm… you think?).

For some people, partying and club hoping are fun ways to enjoy the start of a new year, my husband and I enjoyed a fondue during dinner, drinking wine and watching the Times Square ball event that happens every year.

What can I say? We enjoy each other’s company… and it’s really too cold outside to motivate us out of the house… and it’s a crazy scenery on the streets, where everyone is too excited for their own good.

So, in the end, this was our first holidays alone since we got married.

We realized that youth and adventure go hand-in-hand in our lives (what white the surprise flight fiasco, the driving in the snow... and other events transferred in this blog), however, craziness and partying it’s a whole new level of youngness that we decided not to pursue… low alcohol levels and decent sleep hours are something that we don’t want to give up.

Therefore, if you’re looking for a night out in the city, with lots of booze, long nights, sleepy days and crazy events… don’t count with us.

Convivio Restaurant (www.convivionyc.com)

Innovation… anyone?

This was the header of the newspaper this morning… I read it walking my way to the elevator on our neighbour’s front door (my only true ‘news reading’ is a 3 seconds stop to know if the world is coming to an end… or not… mostly not).
Bearing in mind the fact that I consider myself a most boring person, with a square type personality, set to become an hermit before turning fifty, reading my books and drinking coffee.. The newspaper’s header touch my self-esteem and I decided to write a bit about true innovation… the one that happens every day, even though it doesn’t get notice by the whole population of the world, mainly my husband, my dog and me.
Cooking… innovative cuisine is something that you’ve to experiment by default when moving to a new country were ‘calabaza’ is “butternut squash” or “pumpkin”… or ‘semillas de cajuil’ is “cashews… or ‘tomillo’ is “thyme”… just by going to the grocery store you get confuse by all the different names and even though you have your grandma’s recipe with you to get everything for that chicken casserole, parsley gets confused with basil, and so on… at the end, you have what it looks like a chicken casserole but smells like an Indian dish… all spiced up and smelling strong.
Drinking… innovative drinking comes with the territory when living abroad. One always has to try new brands, flavours, drinks. I’m a weak drinker, so other than a different juice flavour, I don’t try new stuffs, however, my husband and I made a trip to the vineyards and came back addicted to ‘wine-a-rita’… so I have to consider that as an innovation in my life.
Dressing… innovative dress codes are a given when you live in one of the Fashion capitals of the world… I would have never consider to use leggings before (my big butt and all), but here, leggings are a fashion statement that improves your appearance while making you look sleek and cool.
Pet Care… yes, as you know, I have a dog and he’s also been innovating on his diet (orange treats that taste like pork, or green treats that make your mouth smell like grass) and on his care routine… with special “play days” with his mates from the vet’s office or grooming sessions to improve his looks.
Technology… the most important innovation of this generation.
Since I’ve moved to NY I’ve acquired a razor for sweaters, a nail trimmer for dogs, a ultra light, ultra thin, ultra fast hair dryer, an iPad (for my hubby), 4 iPhones (we change them every year) and an egg cooker that can do amazing omelettes, eggs Benedict and poached eggs in less than 3 minutes.
So… to the New York Times editor that choose that header to come out on the Wednesday edition… please revise your choices for a selling front cover and try to asses more important matters, like traffic jams on the Long Island Express way to improve my driving time to work, or the subway on the 2nd avenue, so my husband doesn’t have to ride the subway like in a sardines can every afternoon, or even grocery prices, so I don’t have to travel 40 miles to do my grocery shopping in ShopRite at a reasonable price.

Innovation… everyone? Duh!

Wine: really god, good for a mix or good for nothing

In the alcoholic beverage industry, ‘drinkability’ refers to the fact that a product has the aptitude to give your sobriety a bit more time before drunkenness takes over.


For me, ‘drinkability’ is the adjective that I give to a drink that has the standard to be ingested (or not).

According to my taste, not many beverages attain this level; mainly because I’m an awful drinker (I get drunk pretty easy), everything tastes sour or needs more sugar (I have a sweet tooth, what can I say) or more importantly, the level of alcohol is indigestible.

As a truthful Argentinean, Malbec wine is one of my favourite types of grapes, and I like it even more if the brand is Fabre Montmayou (my father’s vineyard of course); however, not every Malbec wine taste the same and when I can’t find my brand of choice, my husband chooses for me.

When we have a get together at home, our friends bring their choice of beverage and we offer the food. That’s the way it works for us, because we’re always so many!!

At the end of every party, we have our refrigerator full of alcohol, some of which we’ve never seen nor tried in our lives... and pity to say that even considering the fact that I'm from Argentina, most of our friends bring us wines from Australia and Chile, rather than from my home country!! COME ON PEOPLE!

This weekend, my husband was studying (yet again) and I was bored out of my mind, so I decided to pour me a drink. I found a bottle of wine from Chile (not my preferred choice of origin) and grabbed a glass from our countertop.

I took a sip of my drink.

It tasted like old horses blankets soaked in urine.

I coughed explosively.

- What happened? – asked my hubby

- Nothing – I responded with water in my eyes and dabbing my mouth with a napkin

- You tried the wine, didn’t you?

- Uhhh? How do you know?

- Brave girl – he said while patting me in the back – THAT one was to be mixed with the 'Wine-A-Rita'… Fermented… that’s how it tastes.

- Rotten… putrid… THAT’s how it tastes! – I said still coughing.

For you, ignorant readers, ‘Wine-A-Rita’ is the best invention ever… it permits you to recycle an awful wine into a sugary, fruity, tasty margarita… made from wine… hence: Wine-A-Rita.

Blend it, and ready to serve!

I bought 6 packs online for my sisters who’re coming from Argentina and the Dominican Republic for Thanksgiving… I’m planning on get them completely wasted!!
 
www.wineglace.com
http://www.domainevistalba.com/