Still Cooking and Tasting Wine, AND I GOT A NEW CAMERA!!

It's a Canon PowerShot SX60 HS, upgraded from my dearly loved SX20.  The zoom on this camera, coupled with the Image Stabilization feature, is phenomenal.  See attached photo of the MOON at 9:05 a.m. one morning a week or so ago.

As for cooking, I've been dabbling in vegan cookery, since my daughter and her boyfriend are vegans and I have to make SOMETHING besides spaghetti when they come over.  Vegan cooking isn't as scary as it sounds.  It appeals to the side of me that will read a recipe, realize I don't have all of the ingredients and I'm too lazy to go out for them, but instead will find pretty decent substitutes.  VEGAN THINGS I HAVE LEARNED:

Cashew creme rocks, but you really need a better blender than mine to make it perfectly creamy.  The texture and taste is lovely anyway, especially with a little almond milk, coconut sugar, maple syrup and coconut oil in it.  Yum.

You can make your own chickpea flour from dried chickpeas but you will be pretty deaf for a few hours afterward.  Plus, it takes forever.  Better to buy Bob's Red Mill.  Add equal parts flour and water, and 1/4 part olive oil.  Cook like pancakes and top with whatever you like.  Last time I sauteed mushrooms and garlic in olive oil with leftover roasted potatoes and put that on top, then added homemade pico de gallo and a sliced avocado.  It was delicious and very filling.

Most of the veggie dishes I make are vegan anyway.  Yay!!

Trader Joe's has yummy vegan options, so it's a good thing my daughter works at one of their stores.  Oh, and they have a really nice Trader Joe's Reserve Pinot Grigio for under $8 that I can highly recommend.

My rosé of choice this summer -- and last summer too, for that matter -- is Chateau de Cornemps, from Total Wine.  Absolutely amazing, with just enough body to keep it from tasting bland or like straw, but still dry and refreshing.

Speaking of wine, I joined a non-traditional wine "club," www.nakedwines.com, and I HIGHLY recommend their wines as well as their membership.  It is a wonderful business model.  Plus, I have enjoyed every bottle of wine that I've received from them.

That's it for now!  More recipes and wine recommendations will follow!