Our story

Everyone’s situation and story is different. I know that I am lucky. I am not among the people who are essential workers, who are still daily going out and doing the things that must be done. I don’t have restless children who are scared and must be educated, distracted and entertained.

I am not struggling, at least not yet, to put food on the table. I am lucky. So as I tell you about my method of coping, know that I am aware of how lucky I am, and I know that many are not so lucky. I am grateful to those who are still out there keeping things running.

We have been home since March 15th. Michael had done a little shopping for staples that very morning. Of course on that day there wasn’t much available and he was careful to just pick up a few things. He got back out a week later to pick up a little bit more. Then we spent a few weeks squeaking by with what was in the cupboard.

We are lucky to have some wine from our visits and trips to wine country and photos and interviews with winemakers from those trips. So we took what we had in the freezer, pantry and fridge and pieced together some pairings. We’ve shared those with you on Facebook and Instagram. Here are just a few.

When it was obvious that this was going to go on longer, we did a run to pick up some of our favorite things (mostly frozen) to hunker down for a bit. This time armed with the beautiful masks made for us by a friend. Michael had ordered meat online. He grew up in Nebraska and Omaha Steaks are an indulgence we spring for. With the meat cases being so empty at the grocery stores, this felt like a good plan.

The one thing we were struggling with was fresh produce. It goes bad so quickly and we were trying to keep from having to go to the store very often. A couple months ago, our neighbor had contacted us. She was visiting family in California and her “Sun-Basket” order that she thought she had cancelled, was out for delivery.

Sun Basket had refunded her order, but they couldn’t stop the delivery and asked her if she might want to give it to a neighbor. Lucky us!

The food was good with pre-measured recipes and fresh organic foods. Of course, I’m a shopper and I like going and picking out my own produce for dinner, so at the time, we enjoyed it, but did not sign up.

Now, with the difficulty of getting fresh produce, this became a good option. So we set up and had our first delivery and thought we would share with you the delicious meals and our wine pairings! This gives us a chance to do a bit of #travelinabottle. We realize you are not going to have this same wine, so we will give you some ideas on other wines to pair with this style dish.

We hope you enjoy this. It fills our days and gives us an opportunity to hone cooking skills, filming skills, oh…and it fills our tummies.

Share with us, those recipes and wines that YOU are bringing to table to comfort you at this time. Maybe you have opted for delivery from a local restaurant, or maybe you have a garden out back! Share with us how you are coping and finding ways to celebrate a simple meal, maybe with wine.

Tell us about those bottles that you are pulling out of the wine rack. Something new, something old, something that brings back a memory or sets the stage for a trip in the future! We will post here and on social media and hope that this will be a conversation, a way of encouraging everyone to remember the comfort of cooking and eating and enjoying wine, without the rush.

As always be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on all of our posts.