In this season of being busy, rushing around, and spending too much money on holiday gifts, fun and free stuff sounds especially good.
For those in the San Diego area, there’s a Dressing Rehearsal on Thursday, December 12th from 6 to 8 pm at Whole Foods Market Encinitas (687 S Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024)
And there’s a music performance with Mat Kearny on Saturday, December 14th from 4 to 6pm. Take a break from your holiday shopping to join a unique music and wine experience!
You’ll be able sit down with musician/songwriter, Mat Kearney, in a private setting prior to the public event. Taste some of his wonderful new wine, Verse and Chorus, and learn about his inspiration in a short Q & A session.
Mat Kearney was raised in Oregon, with vineyards in his parents’ backyard. He received critical acclaim for his debut album, Nothing Left to Lose, and is releasing his fifth album in the upcoming year. Now he is honoring his love for wine by working by working with two of the best family vineyards in Napa Valley to create a rich and flavorful bordeaux-style blend.
- Thursday, 12/12/13 from 6 to 8 pm
- Features of the event:
- Beer & Wine – Holiday favorites, pairings and sampling
- Holiday Cheese Board – How to create
- Premier Party Dips sampling
- Coffee and seasonal treats sampling
And for everyone, there’s a free national Cheese Night event that will be taking place in all Whole Foods stores on December 10.
Don’t know jack about cheese? Whole Foods Market removes the guess work with step-by-step instructions for an all-star cheese plate.
Tips for How to create a cheese board
• Pick cheeses of contrasting textures and flavors: creamy, firm, sweet, pungent.
• Contrast Old World cheeses with New World selections.
• On a budget? Buy one or two fantastic cheeses, rather than five or six so-so options.
• Two ounces of cheese per person is a good rule of thumb.
• Let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving for optimal flavor.
• Serve with bread and crackers for different textures and flavors to accent the cheese.
• Talk to your cheesemonger. They can offer suggestions on which cheeses pair well with others. Not to mention, Whole Foods Market has 147 Certified Cheese Professionals™ in stores throughout the country, who have mastered the art of cheese from making to aging to handling. Don’t forget to ask for a taste!
One lucky winner will win a $100 Whole Foods Gift Card!
Winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to reply, at which point another winner will be selected if winner does not reply.
Using Rafflecopter, enter to win the giveaway by completing the first three tasks and any optional ways you’d like to enter.
Leave a blog comment below in response to the first question and follow the prompts for additional entries. Sometimes the widget is a bit slow to load, so please be patient.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Also be sure to enter the $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway and the Outshine Fruit Bars Giveaway
cheese PLEASE ;)
$100 at Whole Foods?! I’m going to be boring-ish. We used to live near a WF, but now the closest one is a 2 hour drive (and we haven’t gone …yet). So that just means that we miss our WF faves. With $100 for WF, we would go and stock up on our fancy chocolate and their 365 ginger ale (and probably a fancy ginger ale too). Then maybe some cheese and pepper jelly and/or some pickles. So many possibilities!
I would buy organic fruits and vegetables that aren’t available at my (cheap-o, ghetto) local grocery stores.
I would love to try all of the items that I have always wanted to try but never quite make it to my shopping list!
Grass-fed meat, cheeses and organic produce
Healthified juices, cheese, everything. Yup.
Flowers for the holiday season! And seafood! Yum!
I would buy fancy granolas from the bulk bins!
I would buy everything!
a beef tenderloin for christmas
chocolate, vanilla beans…
I would splurge on kale chips and some beauty products
I’m vegan, and on a tight budget. I would stock up on essentials, beans, grains, nooch. Plus I would get some holiday treats, like the Field Roast En Croute for Christmas dinner. And there would probably be beer and chocolate in my basket!
I love their produce and bulk food section, so I would stock up on bulk foods, fruits and veggies, and cheese!
I would love to get some really yummy cheeses and local produce
I would pick items from the self serve bin area like dried mango and nuts. Then splurge on items in the meat, chocolate, bakery and frozen food sections.