No Excuses

Knock Knock... ?

Anyone out there?

:)

I really don't have any excuses for where I've been all these long winter months. Blame it on my poor skills with the camera or my inability to tear myself away from a good book! I'm happy to say spring is in the air! How can I tell? My allergies, of course, but I'm not letting that get me down. The Farmer's Market starts in 4 weeks on May 17, with new, later hours - 7:30 - Noon. I can't wait.

And now... well, really there's no excuse at all. I started this post on 4/29 and here it is, June 2. My how the time flies. Spring is over. Summer heres. Three Farmer's Markets have gone by Bloomington and Normal welcomes its first market tomorrow! I've been enjoying all the market has to offer, great cheese, bread, meat, veggies, and great friends! It's fun to see so many familiar faces. Like last summer, I make stopping in at A.Renee a must. I try to pick a new bottle of wine each week, but with favorites like Stella Rosa, sometimes it hard. I picked up a new Moscato D'Asti to try this week! I'm also excited to see that A. Renee has a blog up, stop over and check out all the fun things these wonderful ladies are up to! I'm also trying to expand my veggie horizons this summer. I picked up green garlic this week. I'm not sure what I'm going to try making with it. Anyone have any suggestions?

Champagne On Center

I love it when Downtown Bloomington has an evening event! Enjoy Champagne, gourmet food, and music on Center Street from 5 - 8 next Friday. Do you need a better reason to visit? Honestly, the food is enough to get me there! Visit Specs Around Town or see my calendar for details on all the sights, sounds, and tastes!

Let me know if you're going, and until then, check on the hosts:

A. Renée
Kelly’s Bakery
Eaton Gallery
Specs Around Town
Fox n’ Hounds

Summer's Sweet Bottles

A. Renée will have a booth at downtown Bloomington’s Farmer’s Market this Saturday, September 8!!! They will have samples of Ropp Jersey Cheese, dressings, salsas, and other delectibles!

I'd also recommend talking the short walk from the Farmer's Market to their store front to pick up an amazing bottle or three of wine! I'm been sampling my way through some amazing sweet wines this summer, here's a few of my favorites!!

• Pheasant Hollow Winery Red & Blue
• Illinois River Winery Chocolate Raspberry Port
• A. Renée Muscott
• Pheasant Hollow Winery Black & Blue (My Old Favorite)
• Il Conte D'Alba NV Stella Rosa (My New Favorite!!)
• Muscadel - South African, Can't remember the exact name (Update: It's Rietvallei Red Muscadel 2005)... it's my other new favorite!

Update 9/9: I bought a bottle of Beni Di Batasiolo Bosc Dla Dei - Moscato D'Asti (2006) this weekend and just opened it. It's an intense sweet sparkling white wine from the Piedmont Region of Italy. It tastes of pineapple and ripe fruits. This just might be as good as a glass of Stella Rosa!