After the holidays, I got into this binge craving for lox and schmear, which is a mixture of softened vegan cream cheese mixed with fresh dill, spicy red onion, briny capers, a dash of pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Imagine chewy, fresh warm bagels, thick, rich, amped up softened cream cheese, and tender, slightly smoky, silky lox. Dang! There I go adding the ingredients to our grocery list again!
There are over 100 wineries in the state of Missouri and my friend Kendra and I have pledged to visit them all. Perhaps we’ll succeed in our mission, perhaps not. The point is we are having one heck of a good time in the process!
What I enjoy most about Missouri wineries, other than sampling their wine of course, is the food you pair with the wine. Many of the bigger, more established wineries don’t allow you to bring in your own food; however the smaller, more intimate wineries, are less restrictive. It’s nice to go to the bigger wineries sometimes, but my preference is still to pack a picnic basket with a colorful tablecloth, bring real wine glasses (not the small plastic cups most places offer), an assortment of my favorite winery-friendly foods, and then sit back and enjoy the view.