Wine Together

A red wine that needs a bit of a chill was not what we were expecting when we bought this at our local grocer for less than 7CHF, but it is one of our favorites in 2026!🍷😘

We paired this with pappardelle pasta and lamb - a rich, savory, and herby dinner - because this easily digestible meal lets the fruit and warmth of the wine shine without overpowering the dish. A match that felt (to us) cozy, rustic, and very Italian. 🇮🇹

This wine was made for the table, good conversation, and going back for one more bite! 😁💜

B & D

This week we paired a Malbec with chicken … not the usual.

We know that it is non-traditional to pair this red wine with chicken and rice, but the chimichurri‘s acidity makes this Malbec feel right at home.

As Deb said, „you don’t have to do steak with Malbec.“ Brooke definitely chose well with the pairing this week.

Our first wine from Austria 🇦🇹 did not disappoint. We will definitely try more wines from this delightful country.

Brooke cooked a perfectly crispy veal schnitzel and added mashed potatoes with a sweet mushroom gravy. It was a perfect comfort food meal for a cold winter night. ❄️❄️

The conversation about this food and wine pairing was fun and light-hearted as any conversation about food and wine should be!💜

Another rich red wine 🍷 and delicious meal prepared by Brooke help guide this chat today!

Bordeaux wines are often well served with a variety of meats and roasted veggies or a hearty stew in the winter… Brooke chose something in between. A French Chicken Marengo served over jasmine rice was the perfect addition to our chosen wine for the evening.

We hope you will find inspiration to spend time with family and friends over a hearty meal and good wine.🍷

Santé!

In today‘s podcast Brooke and Deb chat about their experience with their wine choice for this week - Cune Rioja Reserva 2019.

From the perspective of two women who simply enjoy sipping good wine 🍷… eating good food … and chatting about life’s adventures, this wine offers a warm and friendly moment for both of us.

This week Brooke prepared a tapas with Manchego cheese and fresh tomatoes atop crispy Zwieback topped with fresh Slovenian olive oil, salt, black pepper, and garlic. 😚

Salud!

B&D

With our special guest, Todd Lipman, Brooke and Deb get down to the business of planning and making resolutions for 2026. Brooke wants to find a paying job, Deb wants to get her health on track, and Todd just wants to make sure everyone is ok. We are grateful for the many years we have had as a family. It is one of the most important roles we have had in the past 31 years. So here we go… sending well wishes to close out this year to family, friends, listeners, and watchers. We appreciate you all.🧡💜

Nothing says, „I love you“ much better than being present. In this episode we continue the theme of Charles Dickens‘ A Christmas Carol and talk about our own present day thoughts/plans for Christmas 2025. We are a quarter of the way through this century… we are living through parts of history which may not be remembered fondly, but we can do our part to make our own lives and the lives of those we care most about worth remembering. Be kind, be respectful, care for and love those in your circle.

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

Brooke and Deb are excited to share some of their favorite memories of their Christmas‘ past. We love this time of year and since moving abroad have learned so many different traditions which we will likely incorporate in the future.

Some favorite movies mentioned:

The Nutcracker

The Wizard of Oz (Christmas Eve Eve)

A Christmas Story

TV Shows mentioned:

The animated Christmas classics

Ted Lasso Christmas show

The Brady Bunch

YouTube channels mentioned:

Daniel Thrasher

Books/stories mentioned:

A Christmas Carol

It’s time for Christmas Markets!

The website where we found the dates:

www.myswitzerland.com

This is the Swiss tourism site.

Our most important markets:

Solothurn

Zurich

Basel

Bern

Biel

Olten

Of course our favorite is in Italy! 🇮🇹 Milan! Wonderful memories.

🤶🏻🎄

How do we know we are mature?

A few notes:

Taking responsibility for our actions

Demonstrating emotional stability

Demonstrating self-control

Showing empathy

Showing respect for others

Possessing patience

Being flexible

Self-awareness

Ability to maintain healthy boundaries

Improving communication skills

Being open-minded

Being willing to admit mistakes

Showing resilience in the face of adversity