Tightrope, Naramata Bench

Photo: Contributed Wine: Rosé, 2016 Winery: Tightrope, Naramata Bench Why drink it? As summer whips in, prepare your patio with pink. A blend of Pinot Noir with just five percent Barbera, a varietal that lends a bit of structure and is rare in the Okanagan, thi

Are we there yet?

Photo: Contributed It seems we were all waiting with bated breath for summer to begin this year. Spring was a slow and poignant thing, and not the luxurious beginning to a decadent season of warmth and richness of blossoms and bounty. Summer did arrive right on time in the Okanagan,

Hillside, Naramata Bench

Photo: Contributed Wine: Muscat Ottonel, 2015 Winery: Hillside, Naramata Bench Why drink it? The flagship wine, a white, from Hillside Estate, the vines have been on the property since it was first planted three decades ago. The older the vines, the more intriguing th

Cool dads like it really hot

Photo: Contributed With Father’s Day this weekend, it seemed the perfect thing to write an ode to the barbecue. In this part of the world anyway, dads are generally the ones who own the grill in most houses. I know my dad was the grill master when I was growing up, and my hubby h

Homemade bacon

With all the recipes and cooking videos available on the internet and the rise of bacon flavoured everything, finding out how to make yours back at home takes some research. The good news is that it can be done, and it isn't terribly difficult. Free to Cook shows you how to make the best cut of

Noble Ridge, OK Falls

Photo: Contributed For Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjo

Eating at summer camp

Photo: Contributed Soon, the regular daily routine will go out the window as we head into summer. Kids will be out of school so there are no more bag lunches or after-school snacks. When I was little, it was the thrill of popsicles and making my own sandwiches that I loved in the su

Black Widow, Naramata

Photo: Contributed For Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjo

The perfect burger

It's nothing all that complicated, but Gordon Ramsay demonstrates the small tricks along the way that can have a big impact on your hamburger.

The wisdom of Pooh

Photo: Contributed Isn’t it funny how some things keep coming back to you throughout your life? I have a good friend who says that life keeps presenting lessons to us until we learn from them. I was reminded of her expression amidst the sound bites of speeches by famous peop

Wild Goose, OK Falls

Photo: Contributed For Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjo

Easy veggies

Here are a few vegetables you can easily grow in a small space, just from scraps.

Salad by any other name...

Photo: Contributed As things heat up, I am encouraged to see the garden grow, and know that soon we will have our own veggies from the garden. Salad is a staple at our house during the warm season, and I love being able to gather the ingredients from the back yard. I remember as a kid

Mile-high fun at Star

Photo: Contributed Fine wines and the Great Outdoors will come together this summer. The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society and SilverStar Mountain Resort host the Mile-High Wine & Music event on Aug. 12. Experience Canada’s highest outdoor wine and music event as 30 wineries

La Frenz, Naramata

Photo: Contributed For Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjo

Female energy of spring

Photo: Contributed May is a month for matriarchs, it seems. Mothers' Day was May 14 in Canada and this weekend we celebrate Victoria Day (Queen Victoria's birthday). In Quebec they have Patriot’s Day, but I'm sure there were female patriots, too. What is it about t

Extracting lobster meat

Gordon Ramsay explains how to extract every last bit of meat from a lobster. Say goodbye to the days of wooden hammers and brute force. To break down this expensive shellfish the right way requires a little more finesse.

Perseus, Naramata

Photo: Contributed For Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjo

Monte Creek, Kamloops

Photo: Contributed For Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjo

Getting down and dirty

Photo: Contributed They say April showers bring May flowers. In the Okanagan this year, we are all hoping very strongly for that to happen, since we are feeling a bit waterlogged. Thankfully, here in Paradise, a slump never lasts long – as I like to say, if the weather is all the