Trader Joe's wine and cookies

It's no secret that I love Trader Joe's. It's our source for all of our basic staples: milk, eggs, yogurt, chicken, cheese, juice, dried fruit and nuts, salad greens and bananas. Oh yeah, and wine. Drinkable, cheap wine.

But oh, this Chariot red wine is something special. Seriously special. As in, it tastes as good--if not better--than any of the pricey wines I've ever had.

And then there are these "double stuf" Maple Leaf cookies, which are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of Trader Joe's Bedtime tea.

Both are limited edition items, so stock up now.

This post is a labor of love. No freebies or financial consideration involved.

Music & wine before rock & rascals

I could probably have used a stiff drink to prepare myself for three days of Lollapalooza with kids, but instead I stopped by the Blackstone Hotel in the South Loop for a Blackstone Winery wine tasting that paired music with vino. It sounds silly, but different kinds of music really did effect the taste of different varietals. Merlot and Iron & Wine--good. Pinot Grigio and Radiohead--bad. The theory goes that "happy" (lighter, fresher, whiter) wines go best with "happy" music and darker music brings out the dark fruit and tannins in rich reds.