WINE AND CHEESE

Thank heavens I’m not lactose intolerant because I love cheese! Cheddar, Gouda, Gruyere and even a stinky cheese paired with a great wine is FABULOUS!

Often, my friends and I will get together for a WINE AND CHEESE night. It’s easy to make a FABULOUS WINE AND CHEESE platter at home! Get a variety of cheese from your local grocery store or cheese shop and pick up a sampling of wines. I like to go to Trader Joes and get a couple inexpensive bottles of both white (my favorite is Pinot Grigio) and red (my favorite is Pinot Noir). I like to get my cheeses from Whole Foods because they are fresh and the nice man behind the cheese counter can help you choose a good variety.

Here is some cheese choosing advice from my brother Evan (who loves cheese just as much as I do): Get at least one hard cheese, one mild soft cheese and one stinky cheese. Some of my favorites: Gruyere (a hard cheese from Switzerland), Gorgonzola (a stinky blue), aged Gouda (tastes like cheddar kinda but fancier) and cracked pepper Boursin (a box soft cheese that is always a good addition to a cheese plate). Don’t forget a baguette and some light, thin crackers. I have also recently been making bacon wrapped dates with pecans inside (bake at 350* till browned).

WINE AND CHEESE is fun at home, but it’s also fun to get a group of friends together and make a night of it. Here are some of my favorite places for WINE AND CHEESE in LA:

BOTTLE ROCK in Culver City
BOTTLE ROCK was voted “Best Wine Bar” in Los Angeles by Cityguide AOL and I understand why! BOTTLE ROCK is FABULOUS! Part wine bar / part retail shop, they have over 800 wine labels from around the world ranging from $5-$600. There is a great cheese and meat selection to pair with your wines as well. There are 14 cheeses to choose from (Choose any 3 for $12, 5 for $15, 7 for $20 or 10 for $25). Don’t miss the Epoisses, a cows milk cheese from Burgundy!
Check it out at: www.bottlerock.net

AOC in Los Angeles
One of the schnazziest WINE AND CHEESE bars in the world is AOC on 3rd street in Los Angeles. A sleek and sexy spot with a list of 50 wines by the glass or carafe and many more by the bottle. The wine list is complimented by a delicious cheese menu, meats by a special French charcuterie chef and many other small dishes and salads. I have only been here a couple times and each time was more FABULOUS than the last. Be warned though… this place ain’t cheap.
Check it out at: www.aocwinebar.com

BLD in Los Angeles
BLD (which stands for breakfast, lunch and dinner) is one of my favorite and most frequented spots for WINE AND CHEESE. It may be best known for it’s breakfast specialties like the blueberry ricotta pancakes and French toast, but the cheese plate is not to be missed! The epoisses, manchego, truffled goat, chorizo and salami served with toasted raisin walnut bread, baguette, quince paste, fresh fruit and spicy almonds, paired with a delicious white wine is my idea of a perfect evening!
Check it out at: www.bldrestaurant.com

I would like to give an honorable mention to one of my other FAVORITE alcohol and cheese combos! Queso, chips and a margarita are FABULOUS! Just the thought of it makes me want to run to the border (or maybe just Cabo Cantina)!

OOoooooooo…. I love Wine and Cheese!!

MY SHOE CLOSET

GIFTING SUITES

At many awards shows and events vendors set up rooms called GIFTING SUITES filled to the brim with diamonds, gowns, vacations, beauty & spa treatments and other wares. They are all given away to celebs totally free with the hope that the celebrity will return the favor with the all-important photo-op. I have only been invited to two GIFTING SUITES in my whole life (both during the BET awards when my mother got her Lifetime Achievement Award) and GIFTING SUITES are FABULOUS!

This Oscar season, I snagged two more invites to GIFTING SUITES and you know I love free stuff, so I was SUPER excited!

HAVEN HOUSE GIFTING SUITE:
This lavish event was held at the ultra exclusive Haven House in the Hollywood Hills and was sponsored by HFMUS benefiting The Creative Coalition (the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community).

When I arrived, I was given a Kipling red roller bag to fill with my gifts. I dragged my bag upstairs and started in the beauty section. Lovely Lashes from Costa Mesa adorned my eyes with "party lashes" (individual temporary fakes). My friend Brittny Gastineau and her mom Lisa were getting some too. OPI painted my nails and gave me a bag filled with nail polish in a variety of bright, fun colors, cuticle oils, nail hardener and polish remover.

My friends Sona and Alex arrived and we perused downstairs. I snagged a Phifer reader (The ultimate hands free book holder and stand) for my mom, Foster Grant sunglasses, and a gift certificate for a Magali belted purse (which I have already ordered). On the outdoor patio, Cure, a cool Japanese company gave us a special natural, aqua gel that works the dead skin off your face and body with a little rub and we got DentaBurst freshening tooth cleaners. I sipped on a coke from a special edition aluminum bottle and tried out a freshly blended green juice from Izo cleanse. No alcohol that early in the morning, but I picked up a gift certificate for Bottle Notes which is a wine tasting club (and I do love a good red wine).

SLS Hotel: RED CARPET STYE LOUNGE
My next stop was the ultra exclusive Secret Room Red Carpet Style Lounge benefiting the Downtown Women’s Center (www.DWCweb.org) a day center and permanent supportive residence providing homeless and very low-income women with basic resources, education, housing and healthcare. I had RSVPed, but sadly was not on the list. Instead of making a stink, I spun around and hightailed it out of there. The gal at the desk felt bad, so she grabbed me and escorted me through.

First stop was Dr. Marc from Adonia Organics who gave me a very cool Leg Tone Serum cellulite lotion (my thighs as I get older need it more than ever) and a unique eyelash growth serum (I love long luxurious lashes). I also got a gift certificate for a sexy little bikini from Hula Girl and a mommy of 5 t-shirt for my mom from Demi Bella (her birthday’s coming up)! I chatted with the nice ladies from Just Be and even though their stuff was for kids (and I don’t have any) there gave me a cute t-shirt and conversation starter cards. I picked up some “Mon A Vie” açai berry juice blend, which I had heard great things about and was excited to try, a necklace from Calypso Studios and was even gifted the We-Vibe (#1 sex toy to be worn while making love).

At valet, I saw Chase Crawford (of Gossip Girl fame) piling luggage after luggage filled with free gifts. Even though I just had my one little bag, I was ecstatic, filled with joy and grateful for the things I had received.

Thank you to all the FABULOUS companies that gifted me even though I am not a BIG Celeb (yet)! Check out the websites below:

www.Kipling-USA.com
www.lovelylashes4u.com
www.opi.com
www.PhiferReader.com
www.magalibags.com
www.izocleanze.com
www.bottlenotes.com
www.fostergrant.com
www.dentaburst.com
www.hulagirlswim.com
www.jb-justbe.com
wwwdemibella.com
www.monavie.com
www.calypsostudiosinc.com
www.adonialegtone.com
www.athenaskincare.com