Make your own wine

Winexpert Oshawa/Courtice encourages others to get creative while continuing to enjoy the finer things in life.

The current state of our economy has people taking a hard look at ways to keep money in their pocket without having to give up on the things they love most, like their wine.  With this in mind, people are quickly discovering all the benefits of making their own top quality wines at a fraction of retail wine prices!

The friendly people at Winexpert Oshawa/Courtice think that this should be a time to celebrate and take stock of the important things in life, like spending time with friends and family. “We recognize that people are concerned about what is happening these days”, says Sarah-Beth, “but there are so many inexpensive ways to continue to enjoy the finer things in life, we just need to get creative when we’re making plans.”

Here are some suggestions on ways to get creative while spending time with friends and family that won’t break the bank. Instead of going out to an expensive Restaurant and spending hundreds of dollars on food and wine, why not have a potluck dinner party and serve your own top quality wine? Everyone brings a dish and pairs it with the appropriate personally made wine from Winexpert Oshawa/Courtice.

It’s a wonderful experience to spend a Saturday afternoon together with friends and make your own wine. With countless varieties available, groups can enjoy creating their own wines, socializing with friends, while keeping some of that hard-earned money in their pocket. It’s a great inexpensive way to add to one’s personal wine collection. But why stop there… once your wines are ready, a wine tasting event at someone’s home is the perfect and inexpensive way to celebrate your personal creations.

It’s great to create memorable experiences with friends and family.  With your own collection of top quality wines from Winexpert Oshawa/Courtice, you can “have your wine and drink it too”, at a fraction of retail wine prices. Cheers to that!”

Newsplash – At the 2008 Wine Making International amateur wine competition, Winexpert won 6 of the top 10 wine kits from thousands of entries originating from 8 Canadian provinces and 48 American states!

Seafood Splash Recipe

A delicious seafood dish with scallops, shrimp and tomato pasta sauce, this recipe calls for our “Selection Estate New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc”

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Butter
1 small onion – chopped
1 garlic clove – minced
2 tbsp basil – chopped
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup heavy cream
2-3 cups fresh diced tomatoes
1 pkg shrimp and scallops

Preparation:

Saute butter, onions, garlic clove and chopped basil until onions are soft. Add the wine, then reduce liquid to 1/3.  Add 1 cup heavy cream (whipping) and reduce to 1/3. Add 2-3 cups fresh diced tomatoes and bring to a boil, then add shrimp and scallops. Heat until seafood is cooked.  Enjoy!

Winexpert Oshawa/Courtice also specializes in all inclusive Wedding Wine Packages!
Gift Certificates also available!

About this article: Winexpert Oshawa/Courtice is located at 1414 King St. East. (Hwy#2 and Townline) in Courtice. They can be reached at 905-438-VINO(8466) or  by email at  winexpertcourtice@yahoo.ca or  visit the Winexpert Web Site.  Are you interested in an Advertorial on DurhamCentral.com for your Business? Click here for all the details.

Custom Cakes for any occasion

If you’ve ever watched the Food Network program “Ace of Cakes” or have ever wanted to do something extra fun for one of your celebrations or special events then we invite you to discover the amazing Cakes from Distinctive Cakes!

Located in Ajax, Ontario, Distinctive Cakes will take your favourite object, idea or vision within your imagination and turn it into amazing Cake Art!  According to Company owner Michelle, “I absolutely love designing cakes! The ability to use my artistic expression through cakes to capture something that is unique & special about an individual that resonates with them is the ultimate gift.”

Michelle also loves the personalization factor, “Cake designing is not just a job, it’s my passion”. Well, if customer reaction is any indication, then Michelle has found her niche and special events all over Durham Region will be more fun thanks to her unique creations.

It’s not just Birthday Parties that bring out Michelle’s passion for creating these amazing works of art.  Weddings, Anniversaries, Corporate Events, Baby Showers or just about any other “Special Event” can be made extra memorable with a Distinctive Cake!

It’s a fun Business to be in, when we get a call from somebody who needs a cake, we never know what we’ll be creating until they share their idea with us.  “It’s challenging, but in a fun way that keeps our creative juices flowing.”  So, how do the cakes taste?  “We use the very best ingredients to create our cakes and every bite is absolutely delicious!” says Michelle.
 
Customer reaction has been extremely positive and it’s been very rewarding to hear all the positive feedback.  Having a positive impact on people’s emotions during times of celebration “makes me feel like I am doing exactly what I was destined to do”.  Customers have said wonderful things like… “We loved the cake. My sister was very happy with it and our guests had a good laugh. It’s exactly what we wanted and the colour worked out so well. I’m attaching a picture of my sister’s tummy. Without having met her, you captured her profile very well.”  Another customer said… “You did a great job and replicated the cake we wanted ever so perfectly.  Thanks so much!”

So no matter what your Celebration or Special Event, why not make it more memorable with a with a custom designed cake from Distinctive Cakes, your guests and your taste buds will thank you!

About this article:  Distinctive Cakes is located in Ajax Ontario and serves Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area.  For more information or to order your custom cake, please visit  www.DistinctiveCakes.ca. Find out how to add an article about your Business to our site.

Scone Virgin

I have a confession to make. I was a scone virgin.
 
No, really … I was. Up until a week ago, I’ve never made scones before. I’ve never even eaten a scone before. What a world I have been missing!
 
There are so many different kinds of scones. And different ways to pronounce it as well. Yet again, it’s another battle between the British and the Americans. The Brits pronounce it as “skon” like gone. Whereas, the Americans pronounce it as “s-cone” like own. Either way you say it, they’re still a versatile little biscuit. Click here to read more about the history on scones. Being so versatile, there’s sure to be a least 1 or 2 or more you can add to your recipe repertoire. 
 
You can make them sweet, like the Cranberry Orange Scones. Great with a cup of joe in the morning or when you have company over in the evening. This recipe is not overly sweet and can be changed to suit your family’s tastes. Switch out the orange for lemon or the cranberries for blueberries. For you chocolate lovers out there, skip the cranberries and orange all together. Throw chocolate chips into the mix and drizzle chocolate sauce on top. Or for you fellow Canadians out there…MAPLE! Add some maple syrup and walnuts to the mix & instead of water for the icing – use maple syrup! I bet it wont be long before you have a few favourites.
 
You can make them savory, like Bacon Cheddar Scones. Fabulous along side say maybe … a bowl of Creamy Clam Chowder. Make them bite-sized and serve them along with the Garlic & Parmesan version (coming soon) to make great hors d’oeurvres! Again, feel free to switch out different herbs & spices and customize them for your occasion.
 
Now, don’t get me wrong, scones do come with a reputation. Don’t Be Alarmed! Scones, like biscuits, have been known from time to time in a land far far away, to turn out like hockey pucks. Okay, triangle-shaped hockey pucks. The key to avoiding this is to simply not overmix your ingredients. Be gentle. Be tender. If you follow this one golden rule, you will guarantee yourself a fine and dandy scone.

So the next time you see an attractive, enticing scone in your local coffeeshop – go all the way!
Home, that is, and bake yourself a batch of these great versatile biscuits that your family will love.

Access lots of great free recipes at our site:  www.RecipesFromSuburbia.com

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