Labor Day Picnic

I would like to wish everyone a happy Labor Day! We enjoyed cheering our favorite football team on to a much-needed win, and then spent the weekend at the lake with family. Weekends like these usually involve spending the day cooking and preparing a feast for dinner. My mother, sister, and I will all work together to test new recipes and put together our favorite tried-and-tested dishes. My father, brother-in-law, and husband are all grilling experts, and this summer they actually brought a smoker into the mix as well!

This weekend, however, we didn’t slave away in the kitchen, and instead enjoyed the beautiful weather outside. However, before heading out for dinner, we did put together a little wine and cheese hour in the late afternoon. Per a suggestion in the most recent Trader Joe circular, The Fearless Flyer, we tried the Villa Carlotti Prosecco. It comes in a beautiful blue glass bottle, and is a steal at $4.99 a bottle! We paired it with the Trader Joe’s Goat Gouda, made from 100% goat’s milk and aged for 90 days to bring out the rich, nutty flavor, along with some sliced Bartlett Pears that were fresh from the farmers’ market.

The combination of the three were completely refreshing and quite complimentary. It was the perfect afternoon snack to enjoy outside on a picnic blanket on a beautiful sunny day!