I have some really unique finds to suggest this month. I hope you like them as much as I did. Going wild for Beetology… This definitely qualifies as unique! When I was first approached by Beetology to test out their juices and make cocktails, I was a bit apprehensive. I love beets, but couldn’t imagine drinking them. Even borsht, a well-known Russian soup my father loved, was not my thing. I took the case of Beetology to my favorite bartender, Lionel, along with the recipes I was given. It was a cold night so there were just a half-dozen of us there. We did some experimenting with the juices, making the Beety Bloody Mary, Tropical Beet-a-colada, Berry-Beet-a-rita, Bourbon Beet-It, and the Beetology Zinger. A couple people liked the Berry-Beet-a-rita and Beetology Zinger, but we couldn’t say we’d go out of our way to make them again. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we all LOVED the juices on their own. They are very healthy, 100% natural juice with no add...

As 2013 comes to a close, I’m torn between having spent too much time in the air and having not made it to some of the places I wish to go. The “bucket list” seems to get longer every year, but it also changes as I hear about locations that I hadn’t originally thought of. My goal is to make it to all 10 of these destinations for their beaches, wine, spirits, food and/or spectacular accommodations. I’ve already been to the last three, but I’m long overdue for a return trip. Happy New Year no matter where or when you travel! Feel free to add your ideas to the comments. Marcia Panama- This is one of the hottest destinations right now and as more new and unusual hotels get built, my desire to visit grows. Fiji/Tahiti- If I’m going to head to the South Pacific, I’d like to get as much for the trip as possible. Don’t ask me to choose from all the marvelous islands there. Tuscany- I have loved every Italian wine region I’ve been to and can’t wait to get to this one. ...