Posts Tagged: underwood wine

Shelter in Place Projects: Amazing Homemade Dog Treats

April 17, 2020

Meet Oliver, my bestest buddy and definitely my savior during these safe, but oh-so-boring, times. Let’s face it, most of us have already binged Tiger King and McMillions (spoiler alert—neither one lives up to the hype.) We’ve been reading, doing puzzles, cooking and finding a myriad of ways to stay safe but also stay busy.

One of my escapes from the house (while still maintaining social distancing) is to take Oliver to the dog park. We both get some fresh air and also get to stretch our legs. These dog park trips have really been keeping me sane, so I felt it was only fair to do something nice in return for his companionship. (Not to mention, a lot of the local pet stores are running low on essentials and getting dog treats is becoming more difficult.)

So I figured, why not do a little research and come up with a simple but healthy homemade dog treat that we can both feel good about. The recipe has only 5 ingredients, is incredibly easy to make, and I swear your dog will go absolutely bonkers for them.

How cool do those look??!

Here’s all you will need:

Delicious Dog Treats

2 eggs

1/2 C canned pumpkin puree

1/4 C healthy peanut butter

1 cube of beef bouillon

1/2 C water

2-3 C whole wheat flour (as usual, we recommend Bob’s Red Mill)

A few notes before we begin:

Let’s just be honest here…everyone has a can of pumpkin puree in their pantry leftover from thanksgiving. This is a great way to use it up.

Beef bouillon cubes are usually dissolved in 1 C of water. I only use half a cup to concentrate the flavor. You can leave this ingredient out entirely, but I promise your dog will love you if you keep it in the recipe.

As I will further explain, the flour will vary as per how wet the other ingredients are.

Most people will have whole wheat flour that they had to buy for some random recipe and never used again—so check the back of your baking shelf before going to buy more.

STEP ONE

Crack a can of Underwood Pinot Noir. (This is solely for consumption, not the recipe.) Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve one bouillon cube in 1/2 C of water and set aside to cool.

STEP TWO

Once bouillon liquid is cool, put eggs, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and bullion liquid into a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and blend well.

STEP THREE

While running mixer, slowly add flour, 1/2 C at a time until the dough comes together and is no longer sticky. When I did it, it took about 2 1/4 C of flour but this may vary. Remove the dough, place on a large work surface dusted with flour and kneed for 2-3 minutes.

Puppy Interlude….

Here is an unnecessary but ridiculously cute picture of Oliver (and his sister Pretty Penny) just to keep you entertained.

STEP FOUR

Roll out the dough to your desired thickness (I went with a 1/4” because they tend to puff up in cooking.) Use a cookie cutter or just cut small squares—I promise your dog won’t know the difference—and place on a baking sheet with either a silpat pan liner or parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes, rotating the sheet pans every 7-8 minutes for even baking.

The extra dough can be reshaped and used for a second and third batch.

Let the treats cool and keep in a dry place for up to a month.

Believe me, you will have one happy puppy, not to mention an incredibly productive afternoon!

Enjoy and remember to keep those #pinkiesdown.

Photography, Recipe and Text by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Virtual Happy Hour: The Newest Way to Stay Connected

April 10, 2020

In these crazy times of social distancing and isolation, it’s as important as ever to stay connected any way you can. Thus, the advent of the virtual happy hour. This is the newest trend that has caught on not just between family and friends, but workmates as well. Now, happy hour used to be a firm 5 PM, but with co-workers and family often times being all around the country, that rule has had to loosen up a bit. If we choose to join in from the West Coast with our East Coast compatriots, we might find ourselves having a drink around 3 pm.

So we decided to create a light cocktail using our Underwood Pinot Gris for when you need to start the party a little earlier than expected. We also wanted to try and use ingredients that most people have around the house since as we all know, running out to the supermarket just isn’t as easy as it used to be. This is a perfect time to remind everyone that the Union Wine Co. shipping team is working tirelessly to get wine sent out to homes across the country. A four-pack of cans equals 2 full bottles in volume and is easily shipped without the hassle of all the extra packaging to protect the glass. You can order cans for yourself or surprise a friend or family member with an unexpected gift right HERE.

OK, back to the cocktail. We created a sort of amalgamation of two classic cocktails, the Moscow Mule and the Salty Dog, and replaced the liquor with our Pinot Gris. We call this one The Salty Underwood Mule. We figure most people are keeping their vitamin C levels up, so you might have grapefruits at your house, and many people have fresh mint growing in the yard already. So, all you need is fresh ginger and you are most of the way to the cocktail.

The Salty Underwood Mule

2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1.5 oz Underwood Pinot Gris
.5 oz Ginger Mint Syrup (recipe to follow)
Club Soda
1 lime
Salt for the rim of the glass

The first thing you will need to do is make the ginger mint syrup. At best you have some mint growing in your yard (or maybe a neighbor does who wouldn’t mind sharing.)

STEP ONE:

In a sauté pan, put 3/4 C of water, 1 C of sugar and 2 good sized pieced of fresh ginger (its not necessary to peel the ginger) and bring to a boil. Allow this to cool completely.

STEP TWO:

Remove the ginger, pour the liquid into a glass jar and add 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh mint. Allow this to sit overnight. By adding the mint after the liquid has cooled prevents it from turning black and also adds a great subtle fresh mint flavor to the syrup which strengthens over time.

Once this is done, you are just about ready to make your cocktail. But first you have to salt the rim. This can be a bit more challenging than you would think. One trick I learned from my bartender friends is to run a lime wedge around the edge of the glass as opposed to dipping it in water (which is what I used to do). I’m not sure why, but using citrus ensures a much more even coating of salt to remain on the rim.

Next, pour some salt into a shallow bowl and press the glass firmly into the salt for an even coating.

And voilá…

Add a few ice cubes, the grapefruit juice, Pinot Gris and Ginger Mint syrup. Give a gentle stir, top off with a splash of club soda and garnish with a lime wedge.

And there you have a deliciously light afternoon cocktail to virtually toast with friends and family.

We hope you will enjoy this new cocktail creation while staying safe out there! Keep washing your hands and don’t forget to keep those #pinkiesdown.

Photography, Text and Recipe by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Take your Super Bowl Snacks to the Next Level

January 31, 2020

This Sunday, whether you will be rooting for that dreamboat Jimmy G. and his 49ers, or the insanely talented Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, I think we can all agree on a few things; One, let’s just hope its a close game. Two, at least we don’t have to watch the Patriots again. And three, whoever is in charge of snacks better not disappoint.

For those Super Bowl party-goers who are more interested in the commercials and the J-Lo halftime performance (you know who you are), the afternoon’s snacks become that much more crucial. So, we figured we’d suggest a few classic treats made in a new way that are bound to impress your guests and make you the hit of the party.

First off, we thought we would show you our take on the classic Jello Shot. There are few constants in this crazy and unpredictable world of ours, but I think it’s safe to say that everyone loves Jello Shots. The original ones, made with vodka or grain alcohol, can really sneak up on you and pack quite the punch. So, we decided to mellow it out a bit and make two flavors using our Underwood Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. We had planned on matching team colors, but since it’s going to be red all the way around, we went a little off-script. (Thanks a lot, Aaron Rodgers!)

Blue Raspberry Pinot Noir Jello Shots

You don’t need to be a culinary wizard to pull off Jello, that’s a big part of the allure. Simply combine one package of Blue Raspberry Jello with 1 Cup of boiling water. Whisk to combine. Let cool slightly and add 1 C Pinot Noir. Separate into small cups. Makes about 15.

Strawberry Pinot Gris Jello Shots

Repeat the same steps as above, just use the Strawberry Jello and 1 Cup of boiling water with 1 Cup of Pinot Gris. Both of these turned out delicious and hopefully won’t be quite as strong as the ones you may have had back in your college days. (We all have to get up early on Monday for work.)

Another game day favorite is Chex Mix. There are lots of different variations on the classic baked mix and we encourage you to add any ingredients that strike your fancy. We recently discovered the Jacobsen Ramen Seasoning and thought we would try something a bit cross-cultural. The wasabi peas really add an amazing and unexpected kick.

Japanese Ramen Chex Mix

2 C Rice Chex
2 C Wheat Chex
1 1/2 C baby pretzels
1 1/12 C bagel chips (broken into smaller pieces)
1 C Wasabi Peas
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 (heaping) T Jacobsen’s Ramen Seasoning
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spread the first 4 ingredients equally among two half-sheet pans. (Don’t add the wasabi peas until after cooking is complete.)
On the stovetop, melt butter and whisk in remaining ingredients. Evenly coat all dried ingredients and cook for one hour, removing the pans every 15 minutes to stir for even cooking. Once cooled, stir in the peas and store in glass Mason jars.

For our final recommendation, we wanted to stick with a tried and true classic—Pigs in a Blanket. We recently tried some pre-made, store-bought ones and they were terrible and crazy expensive. There is no substitute for making them from scratch, and it is so easy, there is no excuse not to.

Literally the hardest part of this is how Pillsbury makes you open the rolls with the back of a spoon. It’s so weird, but it works, so I guess you can’t argue with success.

Take the Lit’l Smokies out of their packaging, rinse them well, dry them off and set them aside. Then open the crescent rolls. There will be 4 separate squares and each square is divided into 2 triangles. Cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles. Place a Lit’l Smokey on each triangle, and roll it up. Place these evenly spaced on an ungreased cookie sheet and keep refrigerated until ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cook for about 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway thru to ensure even cooking. Remove any that are getting too brown. Then just squeeze out some ketchup and mustard for dipping and you will be good to go!

Whoever you end up rooting for, everyone here at Union wishes you a safe and exciting Super Bowl Sunday!

Bon Appétit! And make sure you have plenty of Underwood Cans on hand for all your guests.

Photography, Text, and Recipes by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Mocktails and Cocktails with Seedlip

January 17, 2020

We get it, there comes a time when enough is enough and you just need to take a break from the nightly glass, or can, of wine. While we all enjoy the culture around drinking, it’s nice to give your body a little bit of a reset. For those of us who are participating in “Dry January,” you might still be craving a fun cocktail or the taste of Pinot or Gin. That’s why we are excited about Seedlip, a brand we discovered based out of England. They make distilled non-alcoholic spirits. We used 2 of their offerings: Garden with fresh herbal notes and Spice being aromatic with notes of citrus and cardamom.

Their tagline is “What to drink when you’re not drinking.” But we think the question can also sometimes be “what to do when you’re not drinking.” Drinking is such a large part of our culture, especially when it comes to spending time with people. Enjoying a glass of wine at a dinner party, checking out the newest happy hour with your BFF, geeking out over the beers at a new brewery and all holidays! When you’re not drinking for a period of time, what do you do with your friends—go out for coffee instead? With Seedlip you can still have evening hangs with your pals. Bring out the games and feel fancy with a garnished cocktail—just use Seedlip as a substitute for the hard stuff.

While we love the simple mocktails that can be made with Seedlip, we also love our wine cocktails. If you are taking a drinking break, you may have a friend who isn’t, so we made mocktails and cocktails with each Seedlip offering. Enjoy and don’t worry, there are only 2 weeks until February.

Spice Panoma Mocktail (Recipe from Seedlip’s website)

2oz Seedlip Spice
1oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
1 bottle Fever-Tree Soda Water

Juice half a grapefruit and half of a lime. Mix citrus, simple syrup and Seedlip Spice together in a highball glass. Add ice and top with soda water. Stir until combined.

Spice, Soda and Pinot Cocktail

2oz Seedlip Spice
1 bottle Fever-Tree Soda Water
2-3oz Underwood Pinot Noir

Add ice, Seedlip Spice and soda water to a highball glass. Stir and top with Pinot Noir. Either stir again or let the wine slowly drip to the bottom of the glass.

Garden and Tonic Mocktail

2oz Seedlip Garden
1 bottle Fever-Tree Tonic Water

Pour 2oz of Seedlip Garden into a highball glass, top with Fever tree tonic water and stir.

Garden and Bubbles Cocktail

2oz Seedlip Garden
1 can Underwood Bubbles

Pour 2oz of Seedlip Garden into a highball glass, top with Underwood Bubbles, stir and enjoy!

Make it a Mimosa Morning: Variations on a Classic Cocktail

December 20, 2019

The holiday season is upon us once again. There is shopping to be done, parties to attend, relatives to host. And best of all, if all goes well, there will be a few mornings to sleep in and then start the day right… with some friends, a lazy brunch and a light cocktail.

That makes it a perfect time for mimosas. Generally made with orange juice and sparkling wine, we thought we would give you a few other options to spice up your brunch, impress your guests and make some deliciously unexpected mimosa combinations. Best to stock up on a few extra bottles of Underwood Bubbles. Once these mimosas start flowing, you don’t want to run out of sparkles to keep the party going.

First up, a simple but classic combination, Bubbles with Chambord, a raspberry liqueur from the Loire valley in France. Garnish this classic combination with some fresh raspberries for a little extra jazz in your glass.

Chambord Mimosa

5 oz Underwood Bubbles
1 oz Chambord
Fresh Raspberries for garnish

Next up, we recently discovered an amazing locally made ginger syrup from Portland Syrups. They brew their syrup with “mountains of fresh ginger root… and add Japanese chilies for an authentic, slightly hot finish.”

You can add this to plain soda water to make a refreshing ginger ale, but we found it also went great in a mimosa with some fresh rosemary as a fragrant garnish.

Ginger Mimosa

5 oz Underwood Bubbles
.5 oz Portland Syrups Ginger Syrup
Fresh Rosemary for garnish

Their season is very short, but right now most markets are selling fresh blood oranges. If you’ve never indulged, we can’t recommend these enough. True to their name, this sweetly sanguine citrus is as colorful as it is delicious. It makes for a simple but beautiful addition to your mimosa arsenal.

Blood Orange Mimosa

5 oz Underwood Bubbles
Juice from one blood orange

For our final concoction, we decided to try some yuzu syrup. Made from the Japanese yuzu fruit, it is like a blend of lemon and grapefruit with just a touch of salt. When we were making this drink, we decided it needed a little more sweetness to balance out the cocktail, so we juiced a clementine as well. We recommend going easy on the yuzu syrup… it can be pretty intense!

Yuzu and Clementine Mimosa

5 oz Underwood Bubbles
1/4 oz Yuzu Syrup
Juice of 1 Clementine

Hopefully, this gives you a few new and interesting options for entertaining this holiday season. Whatever flavor strikes your fancy, we hope you have the opportunity to share a late morning brunch and cocktails with your friends and family.

Bon Appétit and #pinkiesdown!

**********

Photography, Text and Recipe by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Posts Tagged: underwood wine

Shelter in Place Projects: Amazing Homemade Dog Treats

Virtual Happy Hour: The Newest Way to Stay Connected

Take your Super Bowl Snacks to the Next Level

Mocktails and Cocktails with Seedlip

Make it a Mimosa Morning: Variations on a Classic Cocktail

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