[FRIDAY FAVES] Puzzles, Cheese, and Cakes!

Photo: Leslee Miller

Good Friday to you! Here are a few things that are making us happy here at Sip Better. Enjoy!

FRIDAY FAVES - 11.13.20

- This candy-colored gradient puzzle looks tough! But fun!

- Instagram poet, Kate Baer, just released her first book of poems. Each poem feels familiar and beautifully captures the experience of being a woman.

- Is there a cheese board in your future? Check out this post for the secret to a stunning cheese and wine situation!

- If you need a new book for your bedside table, here's a great list of the "Best-Ever Books by Celebrities."

- Need some (literal) eye candy? Scroll through Thirsty Whale Bakery's Instagram account for loads of gorgeous custom cake designs!

Have a wonderful weekend!

[FRIDAY FAVES] Ice Cream for Thanksgiving and More!

Photo: Kelsey Curtis via Unsplash

Hello, Friday! The election is over(is it???) and it's time to relax. Read on for nice things:

FRIDAY FAVES 11.6.20

- The marketing for Kristen Bell's CBD skincare line, Happy Dance, is HILARIOUS!

- Need to look at something beautiful? Check out local MN artist Daughters And Suns' custom portraits!

- This Chilean wine is perfect for all seasons. Seriously.

- Okay, did you know that Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream has a Thanksgiving collection??? You can buy it online! (Oh, and we have a Thanksgiving collection, too!)

- If you just can't stay away from election coverage, at least check out these funny election memes to keep you sane.

Enjoy the weekend!

[RECIPE] It's All Gravy, Baby

Photo: Gaelle Marcel via Unsplash

My Dad likes to say that Gravy is his favorite food. When I was a kid, I thought this was a ridiculous choice for a favorite. I mean, gravy is liquid! And boring! Right?

Now, many years and hundreds of meals later, I think I finally get the appeal of this earthy, understated sauce. Gravy is truly the heart of a meal, reduced to a golden liquid that highlights and enriches everything else piled on your plate. It's the glitter, the pillow mint, the CHERRY on your Thanksgiving dinner table. A good gravy makes the whole meal sing.

We asked friend of Sip Better Chef Mike Shannon for his classic gravy recipe and are happy to pass it on to you, right here. Please enjoy, and don't forget the wine!

In Chef Mike's own words: Great gravy—that velvety, luscious, flavorful glaze—is about two things: Texture and flavor. The texture is just a balance of ratios, fat to flour to liquid. The flavor starts with great stock. Make your own if you can. If not, use high quality, unsalted stock—not broth....

[FRIDAY FAVES] Stranger Things, Creepy Cocktails, and More

Photo: Ganapathy Kumar via Unsplash

Happy Halloweeeeeeen! We hope you've got some spooky plans for tomorrow! But for now, please enjoy this little list of things we liked this week:

FRIDAY FAVES - 10.30.20

- If you're spending Halloween night in, check out this round-up of spooky-licious cocktails.

- We're revisiting a few episodes of Stranger Things on Halloween and we're planning on using this guide for which wines to drink with the show!

- Are you a lipstick person? Then you MUST check out these gorgeous lipsticks created by makeup artist Lisa Eldridge! Here's a little line from their official description to entice you: "Each bullet has the appearance of beautifully plush velvet fabric, a ‘trompe l’oeil’ that has to be seen to be believed."

- Loving this chic way to display matches. Let the cozy candle nights begin!

- How cute are this family's group Halloween costumes?!

Have a safe weekend, friends!

[FRIDAY FAVES] Bubbles, Slippers, and Wes Anderson

Photo: Emily Rentsch

It's Friday, kids! We've been savoring sweets and feeling our civic duty over here at Sip Better. Read on for more fun things!

FRIDAY FAVES - 10.23.20

- We plan on celebrating voting early by mail (and the near end of this dang election!) with a glass of bubbly. Now THAT is what I call civic duty! Need a bubbly recommendation? We've got loads!

- Just got my copy of Dessert Person (pictured above) by Claire Saffitz, and boy does it shine! I spent last night flipping through it with a glass of Alvaro Palacios 'Camins del Priorat' and now I can't wait to make everything inside its pretty pages.

- Anne Hathaway stars in a lush and looney remake of "The Witches" (now streaming on HBO Max) and we are all in!

- Accidentally Wes Anderson (an Instagram account and book) is pure whimsy! Check it out when you're feeling blah.

- What if you were accidentally served a $2,000 bottle of wine?!

- I've been on a years long hunt for the best slippers and I think I've finally found them: Glerups! These...