Valentine’s Day Gift Roundup!
Hello, Sweethearts! I have compiled a few Valentine-themed events & gift ideas that l find lovely and delightful, and I would like to pass them on to you!
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DRINK
Casque Wines and Cupid have teamed up to create the perfect gift for your special someone. They teamed up with Chef Joe at the Flower Farm Cafe who is busy baking and decorating these delicious (and beautiful) Cake-Pops. They paired them with some of our favorite wines and added a couple of stemmed glasses for the perfect gift!This Friday, Saturday and Sunday (February 8-10), they will be offering the following special: 2 Cake-Pops, 2 Stemmed Casque Glasses, and Bottle of your Choice ~ Sauvignon Blanc, Calotte Blanc or Vermentino for only $28. The Cake-Pops will also be available individually for $1.50 each. Stop by this weekend for some Cake-Pops and Casque!
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With the perfect mix of scrumptious, decadent flavor, SMIRNOFF Kissed Caramel Flavored Vodka possesses a seductive aroma to complement its smooth caramel flavor while its counterpart, SMIRNOFF Iced Cake Flavored Vodka, offers a light, sweet aroma met with a refreshing, smooth iced cake flavor.These luscious and tastefully satisfying new flavors from the world’s #1 premium vodka are sure to add a nice touch of sweet romance to anyone’s Valentine’s Day.
Here’s a drink recipe featuring the Smirnoff Iced Cake vodka:
CUPID’S KISS: ½ oz. Smirnoff Iced Cake, ½ oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, ½ oz. Chambord. Directions: Add ingredient in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into martini
glass. Add white chocolate to rim.
CUPID’S KISS: ½ oz. Smirnoff Iced Cake, ½ oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, ½ oz. Chambord. Directions: Add ingredient in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into martini
glass. Add white chocolate to rim.
Andy, will you have that ready for me when I get home from work on Thursday? 😛
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He loves me, he loves me not…It’s complicated. If your relationship is dark, yet spicy and complex with many layers, then Sobon Zinfandel Fiddletown is the wine for you! If you thought your relationship was complicated, this full-bodied red will have your palette changing its relationship status.
A stunning multi-faceted wine featuring intriguing aromas and flavors of spice, black currant, plum, smoky oak and a dusty-cherry component typical of the Fiddletown area. Massive and full-bodied, with an impressive, complex finish. Sustainably farmed. Thanks to Total Wine & More for the feature!
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Stark Raving wines by Rosenblum Cellars. Stark Raving wines are playful and bold blends that prove a little dose of madness can lead— nay, will lead – to extraordinary things. Four inspired varietals including: ”Red,” “White” “Cab,” and “Malbec,” have hit shelves nationally, inciting wine lovers to get out of the comfort zone and explore some daring new wine choices. As Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.”
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EAT
Buy your Valentine tickets to the Piatti Ristorante Anniversary party on February 25th! Tickets are only $25 per person and can be purchased here. The party will feature creative bites from Piatti Executive Chef Lance Carlini, distinctive wines, craft beers, a special cocktail bar and live music from Natalie Klempau & The Knockouts. Proceeds from the event will benefit Assistance League of Sacramento. It’s a great way to try several things on the menu and check out the renovated space, while giving to a great cause!
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TREATS
Nugget Market is pretty much a one-stop Valentine’s shop! You can pick up these truffles made my Truffle Gateau. Handmade locally, these chocolates are made with fresh ingredients and are designed to be paired with a variety of wines and cheeses.
Here are a few other products and recipes Nugget Market is featuring this week!
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Natural Vines are made from all natural ingredients and contain no artificial flavors or preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup — the licorice is naturally sweetened with cane sugar. Available in two flavors, Black and Strawberry. They were a big hit amongst my coworkers!
Sahale Snacks (Pronounced sah-HA-lee SNAX) sent me this little goody box complete with a reusable fabric bag and an aluminum bottle. Go for the Pistachio Pomegranate, it’s pretty much like crack in a bag. It’s sweet and salty and spicy. Mmmm. You can buy Sahale Snacks online here, and never even have to change out of your jammies. 😉 BTW: Their production facility and products are certified gluten-free! 🙂
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Brix Chocolates: the first chocolate designed to complement wine. This collection is just $25.99 and available through their website. It contains a full pound of premium Brix Chocolate in all four varieties, the Brix Collection features 4-4 ounce bars of Milk, Smooth Dark, Medium Dark and Extra Dark varieties, and include a full page chocolate-and-wine tasting guide.Suggested Wine Pairings: Milk Chocolate: Port, Sherry, Rose, Burgundy • Smooth Dark: Champagne, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Vintage Port • Med Dark: Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Chianti, Rhone• Extra Dark: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Barolo, Malbec
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FOR THE COOK
Char Crust® Dry Rub Seasonings: First created in 1957 at their family’s fine Chicago steakhouse, Al Farber’s. Every steak we served was the best prime meat, dry-aged in coolers. Every steak was seared to juicy perfection with their signature Char Crust® dry-rub seasoning. And now it is available to the public! It’s the only rub that “Seals in the Juices!®”
My favorite flavor (and the newest in their product line is Java Buzz! Order your favorite flavors here: http://www.charcrust.com/order/. Get FREE SHIPPING on every order of $24.00 or more, placed between now and midnight, Central Time, on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2013. Order any combination of items from their website: Char Crust® dry-rub seasonings (from hot to mild), aprons, golf shirts, cookbooks, and yes, even, “Rub Your Meat” T-shirts. Nice.
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BAKE IT!
I really dug this recipe for a Chocolate Almond Flour Beet Cake on my friend Julia’s site, The Roasted Root, so I am sharing the link with you. I encourage you to check it out here! If you need a taste tester, I’d be happy to help!
Happy Valentine’s Day to all and thanks to all the product sponsors and advertisers in this post!
cavegrrl.com 
Thanks for including my cake in this post, lady! You’re so sweet and I love all your thoughtful VDay ideas! I’ve had Brix chocolate and adore them! Come to think of it, their dark chocolate would be awesome in the beet cake… mmmm! Hope you have a great weekend and tell Andy I say hi!
February 9, 2013 at 3:50 pm
Thanks for the review Kristy! I bet all of the products on here are great! I just want to let your readers know our Brix Collection can also be found at additional retail locations using the store locator on our website: http://brixchocolate.com/store-locator/
May 9, 2013 at 5:59 am