Tag Archives: World Market

Dessert and Wine Pairings to Impress Your Valentine

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Between the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day, the first two weeks of February are jam-packed with good eats…and, of course, quality time with loved ones. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’ve turned our focus away from seven-layer dip and hot wings to dessert and wine. If you’re preparing a nice dinner for your significant other, best friends or family, use this dessert and wine-pairing guide to impress your loved ones. After all, we believe in the sentiment that the way to anyone’s heart is through his or her stomach!

Wine toast

Dessert: Tiramisu
Wine pairing: Zardetto Zeta Prosecco, $22.99 at Wine.com
A sparkling wine with high residual sugar will complement the sweetness of a classic tiramisu. Zardetto Zeta Prosecco is a good pairing choice for this dessert, given its rich and creamy notes. If you prefer a lower alcohol content, you may want to try pairing tiramisu with Moscato D’Asti, which usually contains 5.5% alcohol by volume.

Dessert: Figs with blue cheese and honey
Wine pairing: Chateau Guiraud Sauternes, $75.00 at Wine.com
Sauternes pair wonderfully with sweet and savory flavors, and a simple dessert of fresh figs and blue cheese drizzled with a bit of honey fits that flavor combination. Pair it with the 2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes, which is layered and complex, boasting aromas of honey, juicy fruits and almonds. Originally $75.00, it’s on sale for $49.99 at Wine.com, so take advantage of the deal before it sells out!

Dessert: Molten chocolate cake
Wine pairing: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, price varies at World Market
The only better than chocolate is, well, more chocolate! Hints of bitter chocolate, roasted coffee and caramel in Young’s Double Chocolate Stout make it a perfect partner for a decadent molten chocolate cake.

Dessert: Old-fashioned apple pie
Wine pairing: Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port, $34.99 at Wine.com
Ah, the comfort of a warm slice of apple pie. Complement the cinnamon, nutmeg and butter in apple pie with a full-bodied port. The dark berry flavors and spice in Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port do a lovely job of highlighting the warm spices and richness of apple pie.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Shopilly!

Shopilly’s Favorite Summer Cocktails

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Beyond beautiful weather and longer days, one of our favorite things about summer is berry season. As summer approaches, we dream of luscious strawberries, plump blueberries and fun hybrid berries like olallieberries. And, like most people, we love berries in all forms — fresh, in pies, and as jams — but our favorite thing to do with berries is to enjoy them in summer cocktails. In the spirit of summer cheer, we’ve included recipes for two of our favorite cocktails so that you, too, can take advantage of berry season before it’s over!

Shopilly's Favorite Summer Cocktails

Strawberry Basil Lemonade (inspiration: theKitchn)
Makes 1 serving

  • 3 strawberries, de-stemmed
  • 5 basil leaves
  • 1.5 ounces vodka (the original recipe calls for Smirnoff Strawberry Vodka, but unflavored vodka will do as well)
  • 1 ounce pureed strawberries
  • ½ cup lemonade
  • a few ice cubes

Start by muddling the strawberries and basil leaves and vodka in a glass*. Transfer the mixture to a cocktail shaker and add the pureed strawberries to the mix. Add ice, shake for 15 seconds, and then pour everything back into the glass. Lastly, fill the glass with lemonade and stir before serving.

*we like these Rocco Blue Double Old-Fashioned Glasses or, if you’re feeling playful, these Mustache Double Old Fashioned Glasses. Both are available at World Market.

Blackberry Cooler (inspiration: Rachael Ray)
Makes 1 serving

  • 4 mint leaves
  • 4 blackberries
  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1 ounce elderflower liqueur (the original recipe recommends St-Germain)
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • a few ice cubes
  • optional: agave nectar, to taste

Start by muddling the mint leaves in a cocktail shaker, like this one from World Market. Add the berries and continue muddling. Add the remaining ingredients into the cocktail shaker and shake to combine. Strain the mixture into a rock glass* and enjoy.

*we’re fans of the Harry Rocks Glass from Crate&Barrel — beautiful and inexpensive.

We hope you enjoy these recipes, and we’d love to hear about your favorite summer cocktails in the comments below!

Cheers,
the Shopilly Team

Photo credits: worldmarket.com, rachaelraymag.com, crateandbarrel.com

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her

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While some of you may still be in the process of taking down holiday decorations or sweeping away the remaining New Years confetti, the chocolate, roses and hearts have already come out in full force. That’s right, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – in fact, it’s exactly one month away! Are you shopping for a special someone this year? We’ve compiled a guide of Valentine’s Day gift ideas to help you out. This week, we’re showcasing our picks for the special female in your life. Check back next week for gift ideas for the fellows.

Paloma Picasso Love & Kisses Mini Bracelet

While jewelry may not be the most original gift idea, there’s a reason it’s a Valentine’s Day standard. However, picking jewelry out for someone can be a tricky task since taste in jewelry can vary so much from person to person. Unless the woman in your life has dropped some not-so-subtle hints in the past few months or you’ve pinpointed her style, we suggest picking out a simple, classic piece rather than a trendy or extravagant (and therefore risky) piece. Here are some of our favorites:

Assorted Parisian Macaroons

What would Valentine’s Day be without sweets? While candy necklaces and conversation hearts might not cut it anymore, these gourmet treats will surely be a hit:

Bloomspot

Now that we’ve covered the Valentine’s Day standards, let’s think outside of the box – experiences! Psychology research suggests that receiving experiences as gifts makes us happier than receiving material gifts. These Shopilly brands consistently offer great deals on experiences like upscale meals, getaways and hotel bookings:

Cheers,
The Shopilly Team

Photo credits: tiffany.com, surlatable.com, bloomspot.com