Posted by Nancy D. Brown

My name is Nancy D. Brown and I am a chocoholic.  My friends will tell you that I have a problem with chocolate; specifically milk chocolate and caramel. Maybe I should broaden my scope to include the entire confectionary category.  However, I am discerning with my refined sugar consumption.  I don't eat peeps, candy corn or jelly beans.  And for those of you on twitter, I don't eat those peeps either.

Why should you care about my sugar addiction? Because I'll be feeding my habit for three sugar filled days, January 18-20, at San Francisco's International Fancy Food and Confection Show at the Moscone Center and report back to you with my findings. 

This trade show is not open to the general public.  It's geared toward food professionals and members of the media who make their living buying, shopping and selling these gourmet products.  This is a show for new product introductions so that you, the all important gourmet, luxury, upscale shopper and decision maker of the household will be excited to try the latest and greatest from the fancy food industry.

Full disclosure, there is everything from barbeque sauce, to olive oil, to pate and wine at this show.  While I have a fondness for Brandini Toffee, Anette's Chocolate Factory and Fran's gray and smoked salt caramels, I do walk the entire floor of both buildings with an open mind and willing mouth.

There's also a  trade event, Food Fete, that's taking place on Monday, January 19 in the evening.  Again, my apologies, this is an invitation-only press event that connects gourmet food and beverage products with food and lifestyle journalists and bloggers.  As I am a blogger and a journalist, I wonder what category I fit into? I'll let you know if I discover any new "must have" products.  Maybe I'll even tweet about it. 

Until then, check out my restaurant reviews on the Uptake Restaurants Blog.

Photo by Nancy D. Brown

Posted by Nancy D. Brown

If you like bargains and you've been thinking about getting away to California's Mendocino coast, have I got a good deal for you. Mendocino's MacCallum House Inn is offering guests 50 percent off on stays from November 1 – February, 2009, but you need to book your room online before November 7, 2008. Here's the review I wrote on the Uptake lodging site.

Forget waiting for the government’s bailout package to appear, Mendocino, California’s MacCallum House Inn is the place to turn for financial relief. From October 30 until February 1, 2009, guests of the MacCallum House will receive 50 percent off their reservations for a two night minimum stay. If that’s not enough to get you heading to the Mendocino coast, the MacCallum House will have a bottle of local wine waiting for you in the room. All good deals must come to a close. The MacCallum House bailout will expire on November 7, 2008 and reservations must be made online.

Horseback Riding in Mendocino County

I visited the MacCallum house in August for a little me time. Both of my children were at camp and my husband couldn’t get away from work. I was giddy with anticipation for this trip. Upon my arrival I noticed several women dressed in riding boots and pants. My curiosity got the best of me, and I asked the ladies if they had been horseback riding earlier. Turns out, the MacCallum House offers a riding package with Ricochet Ridge Ranch, two miles north of Fort Bragg. The quality of the horses and the scenery are both outstanding.

Lodging Options

Gwen MacCallum Room 1

The Gwen MacCallum room was located on the second floor of the Main House. Considered to be one of the most romantic rooms in the house, the solid mahogany queen sleigh bed with its down comforter suited me perfectly. What captured my eye when I entered the room was the claw foot bathtub. Imagine a bubble bath with no interruptions? Pure heaven.

In addition to six rooms in the main house and seven cottages on the property, there are six rooms in the adjacent Barn. All but the rooms in the main house are pet friendly.

Food, glorious, food

That evening I dined at the MacCallum House Restaurant. I was seated to the right of the fireplace and enjoyed a lovely Comanche Creek Heirloom tomato “BLT” salad with house made mozzarella, applewood smoked bacon, butter lettuce, Stella Cadente olive oil and balsamic drizzled over herbed croutons. Next up, pan roasted halibut in a tomato beuree blanc sauce with roasted fingerling potatoes and a broccoli puree. I finished the meal with a raspberry mascarpone cheesecake souffle with a mini pot of chocolate sauce served on the side. Don’t forget, breakfast is included with your stay. Weight Watchers, here I come.

Room rates: $175-$425

Reservations (800) 609-0492

Winter on Mendocino's Northern California coast is a bargain. The summer crowds have thinned and soon the whales will return. Check out the MacCallum House Inn's website for additional online offers. If you have a lodging bargain to share, leave a comment below. I would love to hear where you enjoy visiting in the off season.

Posted by Nancy D. Brown

Romance in Napa Valley Wine Country

As I walked into our small San Francisco apartment, tired from a weekend business conference, I immediately perked up when I opened the door and spied a dozen red roses proudly displayed on our rickety coffee table.  Every room in the apartment was adorned with fresh flowers.  Well, yes, ours was a one bedroom apartment, but the flowers were a wonderful gesture from my young husband.

Romantic Weekend in Napa Valley, California

Fast forward 22 years later and my husband still manages to pull off romantic moments.  Last January I was wisked away to the Napa Valley for a romantic, birthday weekend at the Blackbird Inn.  As we are frequent visitors to the Four Sisters Inns, we were given a room upgrade with sparkling wine and a box of chocolates chilling bedside.  I love little momentos like this and appreciated that the chocolates were made locally.

Romantic Dining at Ad hoc in Yountville, California

Napa, California's Blackbird Inn

That evening we dined in Yountville at Thomas Keller’s Ad hoc family-style restaurant.  Easier on the pocketbook than Keller’s gourmet French Laundry, you can call ahead to the restaurant to see what’s on the set price menu that week.  While I loved everything on the menu, I was disappointed that the dessert was a lemon tart.  Noticing my disappointment, our waiter appeared with piping hot chocolate chip cookies at the conclusion of the meal.  Special touches like that will make me a devoted fan forever.

Vintner's Cottage at Wine Country Inn, St. Helena, California

Add Wine Country Inn to Romantic Hotels List

If stained glass windows, bubble baths and vineyard views turn you on, add St. Helena’s Wine Country Inn to your romantic hotels list.  A stay at the  Vintner’s Cottage will leave you feeling relaxed and renewed.  The family run property caters to couples and oozes romance.

Fireplace Romance

Savory snacks in front of the fire place; no problem.  A bubble bath after an in-room couples massage, complete with Bose speakers in the bathroom, makes this a great place to simply hang out and enjoy the vineyard view.  You can lounge around in your comfy robe, or dine with the locals at nearby Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.

Where do you stay when you are looking to put a little va-va-voom romance back into your relationship?

Thanks to Luv 2 Flickr for her beautiful roses photo.