It's Friday! What's for Dinner?

[payne_n_diaz]

So before I left for work this morning I threw some ingredients into the crock pot:

Stew Meat
Diced Red Potatos
Chopped Celery
Diced White Onion
1 Can Beef Broth
1 Mini Bottle Red Wine
Water
Mrs Dash Table Blend
Low Sodium Salt (I think this is an oxymoron)
Water

I'll throw in some herbs and a little cornstarch slurry to thicken it up if it needs it when I get home to finish it off.

I also have a Pilsbury French Loaf to stick in the oven for some hot n' fresh bread for soaking up the stewy goodness.

Comments

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

pair that up with a nice peppery pinot noir, and you are good to go! :-)

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

Actually I used a small bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in the crockpot. What would you suggest now that you know what I used in the recipe? Oh, and I am NOT drinking any f$#king Merlot!

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

heheh I like to throw that line out all the time now!

If you got cab in there.. I'd probably stick with that... I picked up a REALLY good Cabernet Syrah blend when I was up in Paso Robles awhile ago... it was more than I normally spend on wine, but it was some damn tasty stuff... I have to wait for a special occasion to crack it open!

Shelton had a good Cab. Speaking of which.. I need to re-order from them... I'm down to 1 bottle of the Zephyr red, and I think that is it...

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

I'm telling you man, come on out and we'll go back there. Also, Richard Childres (sp?) - the race car dude - opened up a great vinyard not far from our place and from what I am hearing the wines are VERY good. Mindy and I were talking about taking you two down there next time you come out for a visit.

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

hmmm maybe next year, we will have to plan something... I thnk we have decided that the week after xmas, since NO was cancelled, that we are jsut gonna hang out at home.. maybe work on the kitchen a bit....

I was looking online for a forum for Cabernet Franc (which is gaining in popularity, and tastes interesting) and I googled it. Shelton came up, along with about 30 differnent NC wineries... I guess it's really getting big out there...

Maybe I should be looking at land out there ! :-)

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. Buy it while it is cheap - or at least cheaper than SoCal. It's up and coming more and more - Kernersville was rated in the top three cities in NC for growth and development (which means property values increase nicely).

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

nice... what are houses in your 'hood going for now?

I dunno where we are gonna go... the avg. home price in OC is now about $620k... it's out of control... hell, my little place will sell for around $470k... and you;ve seen it... it's nice, but not that great... not $470k great!

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

Well, when we bought the price of our place was $153K. I think our property tax value is $165K, and homes in our area are selling for more than that so I am sure we could get $170K or more if we were to sell.

Seriously though, if you sell and move out this way you will get more for your money. But once you move here, to move back there will coast you more.

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

oh I totally know that if I move out of CA, I can pretty much go anywhere... but once you leave, you can never come back.

I was looking at a hous ein Corvallis, Oregon. Wine country area, 5 bedrooms, somelike like 2500 sq. feet, with a garage,a nd barn type structure... sitting on about 4 acres of land, and it was barely over $400k.

Ridiculous... I could sell my place, by a house in your neighborhood cash, and still have monety left over... that is crazy!

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

That is SMART! :)

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

true.. then I could work part time... just enough to get by... Just a matter of talking Dana into something like that... she'll have a hard time leaving CA...

i'm good wherever, as long as the weather isn;t too extreme...

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

I tell ya, if you are looking for a great place to raise kids with great schools you could do a lot worse then the Triad.

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

I know that... My IE jsut crashed, but I was checking out a 2500 sq. ft 4 bedroom with a wooded area in K'ville, and it was only $219k!

crazy!

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

Link?

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

lemme find it again...

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

http://homeseekers.com/Scripts/detail.asp?_org_id=vtour&_uid=B846CD34-4507-4081-AA97-418608197E74&_current=10&mls_property_id=W37012527284&_per_id=&_vp_cb=

I liek this one better... my mortgage would be not quite half of what it is now:

http://homeseekers.com/Scripts/detail.asp?_org_id=best&_uid=B846CD34-4507-4081-AA97-418608197E74&_current=4&mls_property_id=251164&_per_id=&_vp_cb=

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

The first one is actually closer to our house, and both of them are in really great areas!

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

Cool deal... yeah I dig the second one... it is huge...

How much are your proerty taxes out there?

Jeff

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

For our place last year it was a little over $1800 - but that is because of where our house is located since it is in the Incorporated part of the city.

[sipperphoto.livejournal.com]

so what is that.. a little over 1% ?

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

Yeppers...

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

I'm so hungry after reading this.

*cries* :)

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

I'd save you some, but I don't think you'll get down here in time to enjoy it.

Hmmm... Now that I think of it, i am betting it'll be even BETTER tomorrow! Gotta love how flavors mature in the fridge.

[lauralou-who.livejournal.com]

Cool. I'll be over at 7. :)

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

:)

[modernarchetype.livejournal.com]

I'll be there at 630 with a chilled 12 pack.

[mcbarnes1970.livejournal.com]

Cool! We'll let the girls eat beenie weenies and keep the good stuff for us adults! ;)

[modernarchetype.livejournal.com]

Great idea.