The shortest month of the year is over, and it looks like we will have an early spring.  It’s time to try some healthy and refreshing items. Nothing like ginger… I love ginger beer. It’s my drink when I’m out and I am not drinking alcohol. Contrary to what people think, it’s nothing like beer and certainly not soda. A good ginger beer tastes like the best ginger ale you ever had, but without so many bubbles. Brooklyn Crafted got all that right. I really enjoyed the samples they sent. The Unfiltered Ginger Beer Earl Grey is made with lots of fresh ginger, and has a bit of the English black tea in it for substance (and some caffeine). I also tasted the Brooklyn Crafted Extra Spicy Ginger Beer. It’s got a nice kick to it with some ginger extract in addition to the ginger. It’s a very interesting mixer and will certainly take your Moscow Mule up a notch. Brooklyn Crafted also makes their ginger beers in Sugar Free. I’ll definitely be looking to try those. ...

I had lots of food and drinks to taste over the last month and it was time for a party. Delicious Meals with Popkoff’s… The email I received grabbed my attention with throwing a “Pierogi Party.” I love pierogis so I definitely wanted to try it out, but as soon as the freezer box came, I knew I had so much more. Popkoff’s makes a selection of Eastern European frozen items, all quick and easy to make. While the basic premise is a pierogi-style dumpling, they are so much more. I invited some friends over, melted some butter, made a marinara sauce, and had a lot of fun! No one went home hungry either. The Pelmeni are a cross between ravioli and tortellini. The ones I received were stuffed with chicken and beef. The beef were very tasty and filled with meat. The chicken weren’t quite as flavorful. Vareniki are almost identical to pierogis and Popkoff’s are delicious. The Potato Onion are my new favorite pierogis and the Farmer Cheese was excellent, sort of a swe...

I've received samples of lots of stuff for summer. Here are some I really liked and I'd like to pass along. Sam Adams Beers of Summer… I gathered some beer lovers to test out the Sam Adams Beers of Summer variety pack and they weren’t disappointed. The variety includes six very different brews, with something guaranteed to satisfy everyone in your group so it’s the perfect addition to your summer barbecues, picnics, and other events. Sam Adams Boston Lager This light beer is a bit sweeter than bitter, making it a light drinking summer choice. Sam Adams Summer Ale You’ll find lots of citrus, from lemon to orange, in this summer ale, which also has a bit of spice. Even better than last year’s version. Sam Adams Whitewater IPA Lots of wheat and hops in this complex beer, which combines fruit and spice. Might be a bit much to have more than one on a hot summer day. Sam Adams Got to Gose            ...

There is still quite a bit left here to checkout*, but I couldn’t wait to talk about some of my latest finds. After all, we are getting near the holidays. It’s time to put some ideas in your head… Wine… Prinz Von Hessen Rieslings Some of my favorite wines have been Rieslings. It’s a grape that’s gotten a bad rap because everyone presumes it’s supposed to be sweet. The truth is that Rieslings can run from super sweet (like a late harvest) to dry. I tried a trio of Rieslings from Prinz Von Hessen in Johannesburg, Germany. They varied quite a bit in both taste and price, but I liked them all. 2012 Prinz Von Hessen -A semi dry wine with strong citrus, especially lemon. A great find for $16. 2012 Prinz Von Hessen Royal -A bit drier, with some apricot mixed with the citrus. Worth $25. 2007 Prinz Von Hessen Weingut -A lot less fruit, more toast and vanilla. This wine is closer to an aged chardonnay. A good splurge wine at $60. Spirits… Dark Chocolate Godiva Liqu...

for Your Holiday Shopping List... It’s that time of year. We’ve put away the turkey and taken out the holiday shopping list. It seems to get easier every year to shop online and the deals this year are simply amazing. Skip the search for a parking spot, save some gas, and even save some money by shopping online. FIRST STOP Before you even think about shopping online, sign up for Ebates . You will immediately earn a gift certificate and then you will start earning money every time you shop online. It gets even better – they have coupons. So, you click on Ebates , find the store you want to shop in, see the coupons for the store and then you will get more money back at the end of the quarter. SAVE A TREE I have vowed to dramatically cut down on paper this year and it’s working great. I love my Apple iPad for everything from reading magazines to catching up on television shows, to taking notes so I don’t have all those pieces of paper. My mom is spending all her time on ...