Author: Mary Baker

  • Dessert Wines

    Dessert wines – Many people just pour them over high-quality vanilla bean ice cream with fresh berries or shaved dark chocolate atop. But a quality dessert wine is so much more than just a sweet pick-me-up or a syrup for frozen milch. During the holidays you should have a few bottles on hand.  Don’t be shy…

  • Learning Wine Varieties

    Just as a vanilla-colored Queen Anne cherry differs from a blood red Bing, winegrapes vary in color and flavor. Each type of grape has a distinctive flavor, and depending on where and how it’s grown, certain characteristics of the grape will become more pronounced. Winemaking techniques will also affect flavor, adding aspects of spice, pastry,…

  • The Healing Power of Food and Friends

    In the aftermath of a divorce or loss it is tempting to retreat from the world in order to hide one’s sorrow from our friends and family. And after a separation, a couple’s friends tend to split up according to their loyalties. “In my case, my ex-spouse kept the house and business, and since most…

  • Dumped for a Diva: Dealing with Your Man’s Midlife Crisis

    Everyone is familiar with the concept of the mid-life meltdown. Males are particularly susceptible and we all seem to know someone who has dumped an adoring wife and family to start life anew with a twenty-year-old diva. Being dumped from a long-term relationship for a younger woman is an excrutiatingly painful breakup process. Generally, the…

  • How to Create a Successful Email Campaign

    Email is a free and easy way to reach a lot of people with your marketing message. So naturally there’s a lot of competition out there for your customers’ attention. How can you make an impact in a world of 8-second attention spans? What Is an Email Campaign? First, let’s look at what an email…

  • A Well-Stocked Pantry Makes Quick Meals Easy

    A well-stocked pantry makes preparing impromptu dinners much easier. In fact, quite a few classic, one-dish meals like risotto or homemade marinara call for basic ingredients like chicken broth or chopped tomatoes. Here are some good pantry basics for fresh, quick dishes. If you have these items on hand, you will always be able to…

  • California’s Forgotten Central Coast

    Culinary author Brigit Binns calls the central coast area of California “Tuscany with cowboys.” And she’s so spot on—the central coast’s golden hills, oak forests, rolling vineyards, and limestone outcroppings still have a strong California-Mexico rancho character. If you’re driving through wine country, you may have to stop your car to let hundreds of bleating…

  • How to Spot a Catfish on Facebook

    What is a Catfish? Catfish are scammers who troll dating sites and Facebook looking for “love”. Once they’ve hooked someone, they proclaim their fascination and devotion, then propose a meeting. Unfortunately there will be some financial obstacle that they will need help with in order to reach your loving arms. Once you have sent them…

  • Report of Glyphosate in Wine Not Transparent or Plausible

    On March 24th, 2016, Moms Across America posted study results commissioned by an unidentified fan, claiming that 10 California wines all tested positive for glyphosate, including organic wines. Aside from being implausible from a scientific standpoint, there are also certain impracticalities involved, which I’ll discuss in a moment. The published material does not identify the…

  • Countdown to Zero Day

    In Countdown to Zero Day, investigative journalist Kim Zetter recounts the story of the discovery and shocking origins of the Stuxnet virus, which attacked uranium enrichment facilities in Iran, effectively crippling their nuclear capabilities.