For those of you who don’t know…I am a self-proclaimed chef. I may not be the best, but I try. I love to try to new recipes and put a healthy spin on them. During the holiday season, I get especially busy in the kitchen, constantly searching Pinterest for delicious fall recipes I haven’t tried. I stumbled across this little gem a few days ago, and since I am completely in love with butternut squash, knew I had to try it. The fact that there is no pasta in this “lasagna” makes it a little healthier, but the béchamel sauce kind of counteracts that….but hey it IS scrumptious.

I usually cook for just my boyfriend and I, so I cut the recipe I found in half and added some garlic (like I usually do). Even when I halved it, I still had plenty of sauce left over…..feel free to save it and toss it with pasta and shrimp the next day.

Butternut Squash Lasagna w/ Infused Bechamel

-1/2 of a small butternut squash (save the rest for next night to roast for a side-dish)

-1/2 of 15oz. tub of Ricotta Cheese

-2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

-Small handful of chopped spinach

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-1 egg yolk

-salt and pepper

-olive oil for sautéing and roasting

Béchamel Sauce

-2 ½ tablespoons butter

-2 ½ tablespoons flour

-2 cups milk

-1 garlic clove, minced

-3 sage leaves

-small handful parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Peel, slice, and roast squash on baking sheet drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.  Lightly sauté spinach and garlic in olive oil under spinach wilts, the mix with ricotta cheese, 2 T parmesan, egg yolk, and salt and pepper (I add a dash of red pepper flakes too).

For the béchamel, melt butter and whisk in flour (constantly stirring), cook until bubbly then add in milk, garlic, sage, and parmesan cheese. Whisk until smooth and thick.

To assemble, start with one squash slice, then layer the ricotta mixture and slice (I used three slices per stack). Lightly spoon béchamel sauce over top and around the mini lasagnas…be generous. Bake ricotta mixture until hot and cooked through, about another 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

For full recipe, visit Proud Italian Cook

Cheers!-Katie

Hello! It’s Emily again… still in the midst of the moving process, but I will bore with those details at a later date.

As some of you may or may not know, I run the social media for Borracha. I’m still in the process of getting our Google+ and Linkedin accounts set up, but I’ve been posting on Facebook and Twitter like a champ! When I was first hired I was so excited to take on a Facebook account that already had a significant number of Followers. 11,776 to be exact. My previous social media gig was at a restaurant in Santa Monica… it wasn’t as glamorous as it sounds. I took us from zero to a little over 300 Followers in about 6-7 months. Nothing to brag about, but it was then that I learned how much I love social media for businesses. As an avid Facebook user, I know how much it takes for a company to earn my “Like”. So even though I was posting for a very small audience, every single Like, Comment, or new Follower was like Christmas!

Now, at Borracha, I started with an audience whose size surpassed my ability to comprehend it! I scrolled down pages and pages of posts until I got to the very beginning. I had to find out what their content had been and figure out how it could have attracted so many followers. After studying the Page intently, I began posting content of my own hoping to attract another 11,700 Followers. Due to the increase in the size of the audience I was getting Facebook Notifications every hour on the hour! I was THRILLED! I couldn’t wait to post something new in order to attract another 15+ Likes and Shares!! And then suddenly something horrible happened…

It was Monday September 24th when I noticed a significant decrease in the number of followers. 11,779 down to 11,650 overnight. OVERNIGHT!! I immediately reviewed every single post to try and understand why, WHY, this happened? I wasn’t posting too much based on the education I’ve received regarding Facebook for businesses. Or was I? I kept promotions and announcements down to 5-10% of our overall content, per the recommendation of many “experts”. But what did those experts know? Why were people dumping me on Facebook?? I decided that denial was the best tactic so I convinced myself that it was a glitch in the site and that things would be back to normal by the next day. And then the unthinkable happened. 11,650 to 11,512. OK WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?? I felt like a comedian who thought she performed a killer set but turns out the entire audience thought it was garbage. Oh, the humiliation. Oh, the rejection.

As the days went by, our audience continued decreasing in size. Hundreds at a time. There they went. By the beginning of this week, we had dropped down to 9, 640. I hadn’t told a soul, not even my live in boyfriend whom I tell EVERYTHING whether he likes it or not. He happened to look over when I winced in pain as I saw the new drop in Followers and asked what was wrong. I was embarrassed to admit that my posts were so annoying that over 2,000 people UNliked my business page, but I did. At first he just nodded, faking concern. But then he thought about it for a second and said, “Wait that doesn’t make any sense. You’ve lost 2,000 Followers in less than 2 weeks? That’s not you honey, that’s Facebook.” I thought he was just being sweet, but I shook off the rejection and sadness and realized that he was right! WTF? What is this shit going on up in here right now? “You should search online to see if anyone has posted anything about it” my boyfriend said. “I’M ON IT!!!!!” I replied.

And there it was. The answer to my problem. I Googled “losing Facebook Likes” and found a dozen or so blogs and articles written very recently about my very issue. Even CNN covered the story! Their article from September 27th, 2012 said this, “Facebook has begun a purge of fake accounts and “Likes” as part of a set of site improvements announced last month.” SAY WHAAAAAAAT? If you have also been heartbroken by a loss in Facebook Followers, you can read the full article here: http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/27/tech/social-media/facebook-fake-likes/index.html.

So in conclusion, it wasn’t me… it was Facebook. PHEW! It was a relief to know that my so-called “sense of humor” wasn’t turning thousands of people away at a time. So hopefully this helped at least 1 person out there who was in my same predicament. And if you haven’t already done so… please Like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/borrachagirl… We could really use some new Followers

Take care,

Em

Hello everyone!

I’m new to the Borracha Blog!  My name is Emily, and I handle the social media for this fun company (so if you don’t like our Facebook, Twittter, or Pinterest accounts… blame it on me

About 2 months ago I moved up to San Luis Obispo,CA (Borracha Headquarters) with my boyfriend.  He got a great job offer, and I was ready to leave Los Angeles for a quieter and simpler lifestyle.  We got to town and immediately went on the hunt for a place to live and found an AWESOME home right in the heart of Downtown SLO.  The only problem was that it wouldn’t be ready for another month and a half.  Our very generous friend let us (and our cat) stay in one of his spare bedrooms for the time being, so we threw our stuff in a storage unit and went along with our lives.  As the move in date approached, my boyfriend and I grew more and more excited about truly settling in and claiming our space in this new town…  Man, did we underestimate the power of moving (again)…

We had already packed up all our stuff in LA, squeezed it in a moving truck, and unloaded it into a storage unit in San Luis Obispo.  The excitement of our own space made us forget about the STAGES OF MOVING (as follows):

1. Heavy Lifting: In this stage there is a lot of sweating and grunting (get your mind out of the gutter!).  It starts out promising, but always ends up with all involved just wanting to get it over with.
2. Just Boxes and Bubble Wrap: There is ZERO energy left for unpacking after all the heavy lifting, so this is the stage (which typically only lasts 1-2 days) where you feel overwhelmed, wonder if you’ve made a horrible mistake, consider hiring someone who you can’t afford to do everything for you, and get the worst night’s sleep of your life.
3. Reluctant Perseverance: Even though you slept like shit and drank too much wine, the show must go on! Obsessive cleaning can take place during this phase (which it did), and eventually you get on a roll. Typically, one can get so engrossed in their activity that they are certain once they are done the whole house will be magically unpacked, decorated, and ready to go! Unfortunately, this is never the case…
4. Acceptance and Isolation: This is when you just can’t unpack ANOTHER BOX. You rearrange and “organize” the chaos to the point that it’s acceptable and then pat yourself on the back for the hard work you’ve put in. The couch and that glass of wine is calling your name. You sit down, freshly showered and exhausted, and then you realize… fuck… the internet and TV won’t be up and running till Monday (and it’s Friday).  This may not be as tragic for you as it is for me, but… it was horrifying… No Bravo TV?? No DVR?? My cell phone can’t do everything I need it to do on Facebook! How will anyone find me? I’m all alone!! WINE!! MUST HAVE WINE!!!
5. Connecting, Adjusting, and Strategizing: This is the phase that I’m currently in… Internet has been turned on (thanks to the boyfriend), the DirecTV guy is here connecting things and asking me questions I don’t have the answer to, the boxes are still set in their nicely organized areas, the fridge and cabinets are stocked with food, there’s a semblance of “home” that’s starting to come together, and Project Manager Mode has officially kicked in. There’s a list of things we need to get, lots of inspiration pics (thank you Pinterest), prioritizing, and strategizing. First things first… Window coverings. Next? LAMPS and END TABLES! After that? Call interior designer Jeff Lewis from Flipping Out (every Tuesday at 9PM on Bravo) and get a quote for his services… KIDDING… Sort of…

Now I know that I could continue to list the remaining STAGES OF MOVING, but I’m going to end it here because I don’t want to get ahead of myself! What this process has taught me so far is that I need to move forward “one box at a time” and that patience is a necessary virtue when going through major life changes… Along with wine, beer, and margaritas!

More to come!! Thanks for listening!

Emily

What are we excited about right now? Well that’s easy…..the stylish, revamped Granada Hotel and Bistro. If you never had a chance to visit the cozy and quaint (with delicious food) Granada Bistro in downtown San Luis Obispo, now is your chance to experience luxury in its renovated and re-imagined space. Granada, opening in October, will be San Luis Obispo’s first luxury boutique hotel complete with 17 unique rooms, a full-service restaurant, spa, and the city’s first rooftop lounge (a thirsty girl’s heaven). The restaurant stand apart from the rest, offering dishes ranging from tapas to Al Pastor to charcuterie…..all using the freshest local ingredients.

And of course, what would a thirsty girl’s boutique hotel be like without a stellar wine list? Granada will house an eclectic wine list including Spanish and Latin American selections, as well as a range of California’s quintessential varietals from local boutique producers.

Apparently others are excited about SLO’s newest addition to. New York Time’s article “California’s Central Coast: Part Two” recently featured Granada in its “SLO-Down” on San Luis Obispo. The article also includes many other great businesses and and places to sip wine in the Central Coast….if you are planning on heading to SLO county anytime soon, be sure to check this out. Hopefully you will get a chance to check out Granada once it opens; I’m sure you’ll be seeing one of us thirsty girls there:). For now, here’s a sneak preview of what’s in-store for the boutique hotel….

Cheers! -Katie

September marks the beginning of my absolute favorite season: FALL! Besides the fact I get to start wearing my fabulous pea-coats and scarves again (within reason, I DO live in San Luis Obispo, CA), fall bring beautiful scenery, delicious comfort food, and grape harvest . Kick-off this fall season with a wine-inspired get-away to one of these five gorgeous destinations around the US!

1. Central Virginia Wine Country

As if central Virginia’s fall scenery is breath-taking enough, the wine is equally as delicious. Travel to Virginia’s Piedmont region and indulge in a tasting at White Hall Vineyards, then opt to stay at one of the region’s adorable Bed and Breakfasts like Foxfield Inn.  Next, tour Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, then pack a cheese and meats picnic with a bottle of wine from a local winery.  Fall in Virginia also offers wonderful apple-picking opportunities, so be sure to stop at an apple farm too!

2. Calistoga, California

This picturesque town couldn’t be more beautiful than in the fall. Harvest season offers a variety of different events and festivals to join in on the grape stomping. Shop around for thanksgiving and Christmas accessories on the main street then end your day with a relaxing mud bath at the hot springs. Visit the famous Chateau Montelena, the birthplace of California Chardonnay, and the many other mom and pop wineries scattered throughout the hills. Be sure to stop in at Boskos Trattoria for a delicious Italian meal.

3. Hudson River Region, New York

When I think of the ultimate fall vacation, I think of upstate New York. My father is from Oneonta, New York (a town in upstate New York), and growing up I always thought it was the most beautiful place in the fall, full of color and juicy apples. Now,  I have come to realize this region also grows great wine! For a taste of autumn paradise, visit Millbrook Winery, located in a renovated Dutch dairy barn…..is doesn’t get more homey. For your picnic, pick up some home-made creamy cheeses from Sprout Creek Farm and a fresh apple-pie from one of the local stands (yes, wine goes great with apple pie!).

4. Walla Walla Wine Country, Washington

Tour the unique Walla Walla wine country, stopping at notable wineries like Woodward Canyon Winery, L’Ecole No. 41, and Reininger Winery. When lunchtime rolls around, stop at the Olive Market Place and Café for artisanal cheeses, flatbreads, and sandwiches. Rent bikes for the day and enjoy the scenic trails throughout the valley. Downtown Walla Walla is an adorable town, stroll the streets, stop in the stores, and maybe even do a little antiquing:).

5. Willamette Valley, Oregon

Oregon’s Willamette Valley is filled with fall festivals and grape-stomping affairs in September. In downtown Carlton, the Crush Harvest Festival (Sept. 15^th) includes twenty-four stomping teams from local wineries, barrel rolling races, a wine thief relay, and a watermelon eating contest……let’s just say if you’ve got a little competitive blood in you and you love wine, this is the destination for you. In addition to Carlton’s festival, there are countless other wine-filled activities planned in this region that are sure to be entertaining. For the ultimate fall experience, stay at Leaping Lamb Farm http://www.leapinglambfarm.com/, where lodging is provided in quaint cabins surrounded by orchards and a wrap-around deck.

So if you’re sitting at home sulking about the sun-filled summertime coming to an end, you can stop now that you know some of the treasures this new season has in store!

Cheers! -Katie

If I missed any of your favorite fall spots, email me at katie@borracha.us and I’ll be sure to include them in my next post!

Many of you Borrachas out there already know how great Wine Wipes are, but thanks to this summer’s hottest wine events, more and more fans are discovering why Wine Wipes are a must-have! In July, the always entertaining blog Gay List Daily introduced Wine Wipes to its readers because in their words, “purple teeth are never sexy, unless they’re attached to an Abercrombie & Fitch model” (even then, not sure they can be justified;)). They praised Wine Wipes for being a compact handy-helper when it comes to drinking reds and keeping your pearlies white!

In August, The Dish’s Vineal Vixen wine blogger stumbled upon Wine Wipes after the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland, OR. Wine Wipes came to the rescue in “Red: Speed Dating”, or fast-paced red wine tasting which led to “a sea of unattractive purple teeth”. The days of passing on the full-bodied, tannin filled reds are over, because with a few easy swipes of Wine Wipes, your purple smile is back to bright white.

The start of September means one thing in New York City: Fashion Week. Guest of a Guest, a hip blog that covers everything you need to know on high-profile social events, people, and places, named Wine Wipes as one of 10 Beauty Products to get you through New York Fashion Week. With 20-stain removing wipes and a convenient compact mirror, what better way to keep you smiling pretty? After all, you don’t want a purple smile to take away from your gorgeous Jimmy Choos

Borracha Fashion Tip: Wine colored dresses=Yes! Wine colored teeth=No!

Cheers!

-Katie

This past week, I headed east with my family for my cousin’s wedding. Our first stop was Gloucester, MA…a lovely little town where the movie “The Perfect Storm” was filmed. The town is fueled by seafood, which was a delight for me since I am in LOVE with crab and lobster. While in Gloucester, we visited The Crow’s Nest, the famous bar in the movie…which was a great little whole in the wall with cheap drinks ($3/beer). The next day, we stocked up on Chardonnay, and  hit the beach all day in Rockport, MA. That night we feasted on crab, lobster, shrimp…you name it. We pretty much continued this routine all vacation, mixing in some bloody marys in the morning and white russians at night. Aside from the late nights with the family and endless games of catch-phrase (where my sister referred to a unicorn as an extinct animal), there were also some very pretty scenery. Here are a few snapshots of my trip, including the maple syrup straight from the tree and my aunt’s angelic looking cat:)

Recently, unique food and drink recipes have become extremely prominent on the web. With the help of the ever-so trendy Pinterest, food and drink bloggers everywhere are pinning their favorite recipes and cooking tips. A few that I have stumbled upon look absolutely delicious, for instance, Butternut Squash and Quinoa soup, Sweet Potato/Black Bean/Roasted Pepper Burritos, Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta. And then there are those popular recipes that look like they would either be served in a cafeteria or give you an instant clogged artery, like corn muffins stuffed with hot dogs, Avocado Egg Salad w/ mayo (cholesterol nightmare), or Buffalo Fried Chicken Enchiladas (including a stick of butter).

Many of the recipes I’ve checked out look great online….but they turn out to be a dud. But lately I had been seeing tons of posts on flavored water, and I decided I’d try it. I’m definitely one of those girls who loves lemon in their water, so when I tried this with multiple flavors, it was delicious! To flavor your water: fill a pitcher with water, toss in your desired fruit or vegetable, and let sit overnight in the fridge! I was skeptical at first, thinking that flavor wouldn’t come through, however, I was proved wrong. Here are a few ideas for flavoring your own water:

• Pomegranate/Blueberry
• Lemon/Ginger
• Cucumber (really thinly sliced)
• Sliced Apples
• Lime/Mint leaf
• Mango/kiwi
• Pineapple
• Strawberries/Vanilla Extract

So, if its not quite 5-o-clock somewhere and you’re in the mood for a refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage, try some flavored water!

Cheers!

-Katie

No one likes moving. And if you do, you should probably be working for a moving company, because that’s rare. I especially hate moving, and yet I have had to move over four times within the past 12 months. Some instances were because I had to, some because I wanted to, but either way….it wasn’t fun. Now, as the end of July approaches, I find myself having to move again. I seriously think that Uhaul trucks should give me a rental punch card, or I should just buy a truck. The next move will be my tenth time moving, and mind you, the first time I moved was only 4 years ago.

When I think back on all my moving, I can’t help but remember my worst time. It was about a year ago, when I was moving out of an apartment, by myself. Everyone I tried to recruit to help “wasn’t available”, and I couldn’t convince my mother to come down and help. So, instead of calling a moving company to help, I decided to suck it up, and rent a Uhaul truck and move everything out myself. It was one of the hotter days in San Luis Obispo, about 95 degrees (I know, that may not seem scorching to some of you, but it is hotter than hot in SLO), and I had regretfully just done spin that morning (making me extremely tired). All my things were upstairs (with a crooked stairway), so the mattress was quite a hassle. I began with my desk dragging it along the sidewalk….then my boxes, at first carrying each, they eventually kicking them along. And while all this was happening, my Uhaul was blocking the entire parking lot entrance, because the parking lot was designed by someone who had obviously never moved. So, I continued carrying out my clothes, kitchen things, and so on, all while residents honked at my for blocking the way (and just watched as I carried everything one by one by myself). Then came the bed. It took me a half hour to get the mattress down the stairs, as I threw myself against the mattress trying to shove it through the crooked stairway. Once I got it out the door, I rolled it inch by inch into the truck and continued the same process with the box spring…which was much worse. It was miserable. After I had finished everything, a guy came out from his apartment and asked if I needed help…..I’m sure you can imagine my expression. I then grumpily climbed in to the truck, and drove the Uhaul to my storage unit (as everything flew back and forth and the back while I drove), and continued to unload everything into my storage unit.

After the day from hell, I drove straight to Trader Joe’s, picked up 5 bottles of wine, and drove straight to the bare apartment. For the rest of the night, I sat on the floor, 3 bottles of wine uncorked next to me, watching episode after episode of True Blood.

After that experience, I have came to the conclusion the only way to deal with moving is to “wine” about it. This time, I am fully prepared for my move (stocked up on wine of course).. and plan on getting someone else to drive, so that the wine can be consumed during the move, not just after. Hopefully, with the help of wine, this move will go much smoother:)

Cheers!  -Katie

If you haven’t already heard, the Borracha gals and I have embarked on a 30-day Health Challenge, inspired by Pearly Wipes, and we want our customers and fans to join in too! The Challenge: for the month of July, ditch a “guilty habit” from your usual routine and tack on something new to better your health. All of us here at the office had been talking about getting fit and shaping up our eating habits, so what better way than to do it all together, right?

So, after we all decided to accept the challenge, I started thinking, shit, what will I give up (it reminded me of lent, but this time it HAD to be something better for your health). At first, my co-worker and I considered alcohol…..and then we realized that was just a little too unrealistic. Then, I thought, maybe limit my wine to one glass a week………then I remembered the DIY cork ideas I had just bookmarked on my computer, and realized one glass a week would not help me reach my cork goal:) So, after careful consideration, here is what I have decided:

-DITCH the sweet tooth–that means no baked goods, pastries, candy, muffins, and as much I will try to convince myself it isn’t a “dessert”, chocolate-chip banana pancakes.

-DITCH hard alcohol…..I think I can just stick to wine for a month:)

-DITCH pasta, as much as I love it, my bikini body will love me more if I give it up for a bit

-START spin class at least once a week….this may seem trivial to you, but considering the class is at 6:45am, and I am the farthest thing from a morning person, its a tough one for me

-START exercising at least 1 hour for 5 days a week—can be walking, running, hiking, elliptical, whatever floats my boat that day

Well, that’s my challenge. Doesn’t seem too terrible, but then again I know those days when I just feel like going home and watching the Food Network for hours on end, it will definitely be a challenge. But, I know I will stay motivated because, A) its summer, and my bikini will thank me and B) I will have my co-workers and you all taking on the challenge right along with me! Everyday, Borracha will be posting health tips, recipes, and workouts on Facebook, so follow our page for inspiration. Also feel free to post your own personal challenges for the month, and any tips you have! I’m excited to start the process, and I hope you are too! Although….I am baking a chocolate cake tonight for a birthday…and its going to take everything I have not to eat one of those little chocolate chips that just happens to “escape” the bowl:)

Cheers!   -Katie

P.S. Here is the cork project I’m working on….would you be able to resist it?:)