Cheap & Tasty Discoveries

I made some fun discoveries this past weekend that I thought might be worth sharing. Even though I’m not a huge wine connoisseur or foodie, I AM a budget conscious shopper with good taste.  So I love sharing special finds that are also a good bargain.

The first being an excellent wine that is not only affordable but absolutely delicious! If you’ve never tried Cupcake Wine, I would definitely recommend doing so. We are privileged enough to have an excellent wine selection in our grocery stores but it can also be bought at just about any wine or liquor store. This particular bottle “red velvet” was not only smooth and fruity (without being too sweet), but it also only costs around $10! What a deal!

I also made a few cooking discoveries in my kitchen. After realizing that I was completely out of my long time favorite Lowery’s seasoned salt, I was forced to use Scott’s favorite, Old Bay seasoning. I had no idea that it is literally great on EVERYTHING. It’s also very inexpensive and one container will last you forever. That particular night I used it on red potatoes but it’s also good on corn, chicken, seafood, pop corn, asparagus, casseroles, etc. I highly recommend using it with olive oil any fresh veggies or anything you’re throwing on the grill.

My other discovery was homemade beer cheese. Since we don’t have the luxury of having the Kentucky brand or Halls beer cheese sold in local grocery stores, my friend Joanna brought a little surprise down on her last visit to Charleston. It was an easy seasoning/ mixing pack from Flag Fork Herb Farm to make my very own beer cheese! It was super easy to make and was absolutely delicious! All this time I was feeling deprived of one of my favorite flavors from home and had no idea how easy it was to make! So if you’re a beer cheese lover like me, I encourage you to try your own homemade batch. Not only can you play up your favorite flavors, it’s a lot cheaper and you can make a larger batch than what you would find in the storeJ

Here is a simple recipe to get started…

• 20 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 7 ounces bottled dark beer, flat

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• Tabasco sauce

• mustard powder (optional)

1. Open beer and bring to room temperature It is desirable to get most of the gas out of the beer, but don't let it get stale. You can heat it in the microwave a bit if you are in a hurry, but don't boil it.

2. Grate cheese and garlic in a food processor.

3. Switch to the mixing blade and add remaining ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended.

4. Refrigerate overnight. This really helps the flavors develop and meld properly.

So happy Saving & Tasting!