The Conair Fabric Defuzzer is a Small but Mighty addition to your Fashion Accessories

Do you ever get fuzz balls and pills on your favorite sweaters, sweatshirts, scarves, coats, socks, or even furniture? Yes, it’s a big problem, because it makes you not want to wear them anymore, or at the least to not feel as great as you did when they were brand new.

Well guess what? You can make them as good as new by using a small electronic device that removes those pills in minutes.

The Conair Fabric Defuzzer Is lightweight, runs on just two batteries, and only costs around $12. Despite this low price, it can make hundreds of dollars of clothing look like you just bought them. It’s a great investment.

The Defuzzer has two settings, one for close contact with the fabric, and one with slightly less contact. To make it work you basically run it in a gentle circle across the affected area, and Voila, the pills are removed.

Unlike past versions of these pill remover devices, this one has a nice long battery life. Which means you can go through a lot of clothes before it starts slowing down and needs to have them replaced. This is really great, because once you start removing pills you’re going to find it to be an oddly addicting of activity. You’re going to not only want to do your clothes, but everyone else’s as well. And once you finish with the clothes, you’ll start with the armrest on your couch. (When you get to the rug, you know it’s time to stop)

Also makes a small but popular holiday or birthday gift.

Find the Conair Fabric Defuzzer on Amazon here.

(Maybe your stay at home fashion sweats could look as good as J. Lo’s if you remove the pills and fuzz.)

J Lo getting coffee in her fashion sweats

WINE PICKS: 3 Chardonnays that are Perfect to Drink Right Now

On a hot sunny day or in cool stormy weather, if you’ve closed a big deal or just sitting down to relax, these 3 Chardonnays are perfect for any situation or climate.

Tolosa 2018 1772 Chardonnay, Eden Ranch Edna Valley

Fermentation: French oak barrels

Aging: 9 months in French oak barrels, with 20% of them being new

Vineyard: Edna Ranch

Alcohol: 13.4%

Tolosa has a wine series they call “1772”. The series is named for the founding year of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, and honors the local terroir and winemaking history of the cooler and Pacific Ocean-influenced climate and limestone sediment of the Edna Valley. The 1772 Chardonnay from 2018 is priced around $58 a bottle. Tolosa calls this their classic Chardonnay, and says that it truly captures the essence of the estate. The 2018 Tolosa Chardonnay has an appealing hint of bright acidity, with notes of the minerality of the Edna Valley, as well aromas of fresh fruits and herbs. This Chardonnay was aged for 9 months in French oak barrels.

Find here.

Anaba 2017 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Vineyards: Tolay Vista, Dutton (Shop Block and Mill Station), J McK Estate

Alcohol: 13.2%

Fermentation: Hand-sorted and whole cluster pressed. Barrel fermented (75% malolactic fermentation, 25% retained natural malic acid). Aged 17 months sur lie in French oak barrels, 25% of which were new.

Cooperage: Damy, Cavin, Taransaud, François Frères Cases Produced: 738

This Sonoma Coast Chardonnay comes from distinct areas within the Sonoma Coast AV. Some of these areas were impacted by the 2017 North Bay fires, however the fruit was picked before those events took place so they were not affected. In general, the regions from which they come are cooler or foggier than some other Chardonnays, giving this 2017 vintage a great year.

The Anaba Chardonnay’s fruit tends towards the citrus and vanilla bouquet, with a bit of minerality and a very subtle palate. The alcohol content is in the European-style of 13.2%. Only 738 cases were produced, and it was aged 17 months in French oak barrels.

Find here.

Sangiacomo 2018 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Alcohol: 14.3%

Production: 280 cases

The Sangiacomo family has been farming in Sonoma County for three generations and almost 100 years. The Vineyard is 100% certified sustainable, and it produces California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Sangiacomo Sonoma Coast Chardonnay has aromas that bring in tea-like flavors, including nutmeg and chai, as well as the French oak in which it rested. You might also enjoy some aromas that remind us a bit of a delicious pear cobbler. It’s very rich, and was aged in the aforementioned French oak for about 10 months. The alcohol content is medium-level 14.3%, and the retail price is a reasonable $55. Only 280 cases however were produced by James MacPhail the winemaker.

Find here

THE BEST: Picks for Top Healthy Gourmet Snacks of 2020

2020 TOP HEALTHY GOURMET SNACKS

The world is full of fantastic, delicious, and innovative healthy gourmet snacks. That’s why we’ve tasted some of the best, and here’s what we found.

The 6th Annual Snack Awards selects and rewards the Top Healthy Gourmet Snack creations of the Year.

Products from across the country entered into this competition, and were sent to a select jury panel of food & wine media and industry judges located throughout North America. This panel tasted, reviewed and voted on which they consider to be the “Top Healthy Gourmet Snacks of the Year” by the TASTY AWARDS panel, the Academy of Media Tastemakers

The Healthy Snack Awards look for the tastiest, most appealing , and healthiest snack choices on the market. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bar, a chip, popcorn, or nuts, as long as it looks good and tastes good and is good for you then it has the chance of making the list. Gluten Free, Sugar Free, or just made with fresh and natural ingredients, the bottom line is that they have to satisfy your urge to munch.

The judges and reviewers for this year’s selections come from a panel of gurus from the Academy of Media Tastemakers. Here are their favorites

OUR TOP PICKS FOR GREAT HEALTHY & TASTY SNACKS

GOODTO GO Snacks Strawberry Macadamia Nut Snack Bar

“Tastes like something you have to keep checking the package to make sure it’s actually healthy. But it is!”

Kathies Kitchen: SuperSeedz Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Gourmet Pumpkin Seeds

“Be ready to maintain a bit of portion control, it’s easy to keep munching on these tasty Salted pumpkin seeds in dark chocolate”

Nature’s Path Love Crunch Dark Chocolate & Red Berries Granola

“So cool to see a granola that adds unique ingredients and seasonings like red berries, healthy dark chocolate, and organic coconut”

Mary’s Gone Crackers – Super Seed Classic

“Fully plant-based gluten-free protein, these crackers can be eaten alone or paired with a topping such as cheese, avocados, or even peanut butter”

MadeGood Food Red Velvet Soft Baked Mini Cookies

“If you have a taste for red velvet, you’ll like these, but because of their size and healthy ingredients you won’t feel too guilty about having them”

Barebells Protein Bars – Crunchy Fudge

“The snack bar with no added sugar that you want to take with you to the gym or before a good run. “

MUSIC VIDEO: LAUREL’s new single “Scream Drive Faster”

British breakout vocalist, songwriter and producer LAUREL shares her new single “Scream Drive Faster” today via Communion Records. The track is LAUREL’s first new music since her 2018 debut LP Dogviolet.

The ’80s-hued “Scream Drive Faster” finds LAUREL euphoric, a mood starkly different from the melancholic chamber pop of her first album. “I really loved the songs on Dogviolet, but they were very heavy,” she explains. “At one point in my life I was in a pretty dark place and it was really comforting to sing about it, but it was hard to revisit those emotions every night.” When composing the track, Laurel wanted it to reflect the happiness she has found since.

Self-recorded, produced and mixed, Dogviolet received high praise from The Guardian, who likened her to Lana Del Rey, The Independent, and Vogue, who called her “the new face of British alt-pop.” The album also won her fans in the likes of BBC Radio 1 and Triple J. Still, her solitary approach to the record left her isolated and unhappy. Her new work is marked by a move from London to America and, having found people there she trusts and admires to work alongside, a newfound artistic process that’s open to collaboration. She wrote and produced “Scream Drive Faster” with Chrome Sparks.

LAUREL, born Laurel Arnell-Cullen, starting writing her own music at age 11 and by 13, inspired by Laura Marling’s debut record, began playing in local bars with her first guitar. At 17, she signed to Universal, and found herself living alone in a basement flat in London for the next three years, composing the material that would become Dogviolet. The transition was difficult: “Making music all day and night is how I survived and didn’t go crazy,” she says. She released her first book with the album, The Mutterings Of A Laurel, a collection of her journal entries to be read alongside the music. Though now writing from a much different perspective than she was with her debut, she is still dealing with the same big issues—love, loss and survival. Only now, she is happier, more determined, and head-over-heels in love.

Recipe for Grilled Tajín & Maple Chicken Wings by Chef Dennis Prescott of NETFLIX

A once struggling musician living in Nashville, Dennis Prescott is now a celebrated Canadian chef and cookbook author, with almost 600,000 Instagram followers.

His bestselling cookbook, Eat Delicious: 125 Recipes For Your Daily Dose of Awesome was published in 2017. Currently he is the resident chef of Netflix‘s series, “Restaurants on the Edge“.

For this season, Chef Prescott has created a delicious recipe for Grilled Tajín & Maple Chicken Wings.

Grilled Tajín & Maple Chicken Wings

For the Chicken Wings

2 pounds chicken wings
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons TajIn

Glaze & Garnish

¼ cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon Tajín

To Serve

¼ cup minced cilantro leaves, to garnish

Extra lime wedges, to serve

When ready to cook, preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine wings, olive oil, Tajin, and toss until the chicken is completely coated in the mixture. (Note! This step can be done up to 4 hours before grilling – the longer the wings marinate in the Tajín mixture, the better.)

Transfer the wings to the grill, placing directly on the grill grates in a single layer. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden on the outside and cooked through on the inside (and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).

Meanwhile, combine maple, lime, and Tajín in a large bowl and mix well. When the chicken wings are done, immediately transfer them to the maple glaze bowl and toss well to coat entirely in glaze.

Transfer chicken wings to a serving platter and sprinkle over the cilantro. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges.

Watch the Trailer for Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge

Wente Vineyards CEO Carolyn Wente receives Grande Dame Award from Les Dames d’Escoffier

Les Dames d’Escoffier International’s (LDEI) prestigious Grande Dame Award is being presented this year to Carolyn Wente, CEO of Wente Family Estates, America’s longest continuously operated family-owned winery.

LDEI is an organization of women leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industries. Its Grande Dame Award honors a lifetime of outstanding professional achievement, excellence, and charitable/community contributions within the culinary industry and is bestowed annually. Wente, the sixteenth recipient of this international honor, receives the award at LDEI’s first virtual conference this year.

Joining the family business in the early 1980s, Wente’s culinary career in wine spans over 40 years and she is a part of the fourth generation of Wente’s family-owned vineyards, sustainably cultivating over 3,000 acres. “There are very few family businesses that survive past the third generation,” shares Wente. “I am proud to be a member of the fourth generation in a successful and growing family business in a very competitive global environment.”

Under Wente’s leadership, the company has become a world-renowned destination located in the idyllic settings of the Livermore Valley and Monterey County, California. The first step to realizing the family’s dream for a new appreciation of wine as part of America culture was the opening of the Wente Vineyards Visitors Center and Restaurant in 1986. In that same year, The Concerts at Wente Vineyards was launched featuring musical artists including James Taylor and Sheryl Crow. In 1998, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Australian golfing great Greg Norman was developed. And in 2010, the course was awarded with the esteemed “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” status.

Wente has guided the expansion and growth of the Wente Family Estate’s portfolio of wines and the development of the Wente family’s lifestyle businesses for four decades. A co-founder of LDEI’s San Francisco Chapter, Wente has been a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier for 31 years and has served on the national Board of Directors as well as in San Francisco.

Wente has authored two books. In 2003, “The Casual Vineyard Table” was published, sharing wine and food pairing along with everyday meal planning. Prior to its publication, she co-authored “Sharing the Vineyard Table: A Celebration of Wine and Food from the Wente Vineyard Restaurant” with Kimball Jones.

Over the last several years, Wente has been awarded numerous honors, perhaps most notably the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World in 2002 sponsored by J.P. Morgan, Baccarat and Hermes. Additionally, she was awarded Winery CEO of the Year 2019 by North Bay Business Journal; the “20 Most Admired People in the North America Wine Industry” in 2013 from Vineyard & Winery Management; the Women Leadership Award in 2012 from Girl Scouts of America; and the American Winery of the Year Award in 2011 from Wine Enthusiast — among many others.

Wente is well-known for her generosity of time and community outreach as seen through her board service with the Stanford Athletic Advisory, the U.S. Department of State’s Fine Arts Committee, and more. She also has the distinction of being the fifth member of the Wente family to serve as Board Chair of the California Wine Institute (2014-2015).

Currently, Wente is heading efforts to meet her family’s goals for Wente Family Estates: continued business growth, strengthening the brand promise, and developing a high performing organization — each integral to ensuring transition where the fifth and future generations take over a healthy profitable business to include both family and non-family members. Wente says, “As a family, we are always pushing the quality envelope for our wines. With our lifestyle businesses, the same holds true, providing a quality experience that exceeds our guests’ expectations.”

Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) is a worldwide philanthropic organization of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The invitation-only membership, composed of over 2,400 women in 44 chapters across the US, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. For more information, visit visit ldei.org

About Wente Family Estates

Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards has been resoundingly celebrated for its industry-wide contributions to innovation as the longest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the country, now owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family.  The company portfolio is comprised of Wente Vineyards, Murrieta’s Well, Hayes Ranch, Ravel & Stitch, entwine and Angel’s Ink brands. The winery draws from certified sustainable estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay and Arroyo Seco, Monterey appellations to create an outstanding array of fine wines that are distributed in all 50 states and in over 70 countries worldwide.  In 2010, it joined the top 4 percent of  California wineries who meet all three tiers within the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing codes & designation. In 2011, Wente Family Estates was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast and is among the top 30 wineries in the United States according to Wine Business Monthly, (February 2020). 2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the Wente family bringing Chardonnay cuttings to California from France. Today, the Wente clones of Chardonnay are the most widely planted in California.

Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations. In 2018, the winery took a leadership role in its longstanding mission to inspire employees and guests to make time for what really matters, as realized through Wente Vineyards’ best practices, outstanding wines and wine country experiences. The property features wine tasting, world-class concerts, award-winning fine dining and championship golf. Wente Vineyards is also proud to have 100% estate grown wines and have the Certified Sustainable designations across their vineyards and winery through California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.

For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.