LESS Alcohol ~ November 2025 ~ One Day at a Time

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  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member

    Can anyone recommend a nice white wine for cooking? Preferably, not too expensive. Also, once the bottle is opened, it can be kept in the cupboard, right? Or, does it need to be refrigerated?

  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member

    @chicbuc and @SparkSpringtime69 - I've been missing you both. I hope you both are doing OK! Take care friends!

    November:

    AF - 22
    A - 1

  • 2timesacharmmfp
    2timesacharmmfp Posts: 100 Member

    Thanks @WestCoastGirl_1! Reading your commitment and the outcome of your journey is so motivating!

  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member

    Thank you @2timesacharmmfp I struggled for a very long time just trying to get Day 1 AF. So I'm not sure where my newfound commitment is coming from 🤔 But I'll take it.

  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,737 Member

    14 AF

    1 LA

    9 A

  • globalhiker
    globalhiker Posts: 2,050 Member

    @WestCoastGirl_1 for a cooking wine, I'd go with a medium bodied, lower acid pinot gris especially since you live in the land of pinot gris and you can likely get it very fresh and inexpensively. My favorite Oregon pinot gris to-date is Illahe 2022 and 2023 and what do with the leftover wine (I'd consume it) is refrigerate it and it's only good for a few days. So maybe get a small bottle and ditch the rest. There is also a cheap wine sold in some gas stations here for under $10 that I find pretty decent flavorwise - Black Oak pinot grigio.

    I read to avoid oaky chardonnays and any wine with any particular strong flavor.

    Sutter Home and Vendange and anything next to these on the shelf are not wine in my book and I would not dare cook with these.

  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member

    @globalhiker Thanks for the suggestions. I will see what I can find. The wine selections at the grocery stores are almost intimidating. And, we do have some wineries in the area. I guess a little wine-tasting wouldn't hurt 😁 I once went wine-tasting in SoCal. A friend of mine and I were bored one Saturday. So, we decided to head for the wineries. The only catch is that you feel obligated to buy a bottle at every stop. And, neither of us were wine drinkers. Oh, well! It was a fun afternoon. Also, I never knew that wine had a shelf life after opening. Wow! I thought you just corked it and put it in the fridge. I have heard on the cooking shows that you should use something that you would enjoy drinking. It looks like I have my work set out for me.

  • Michieb125
    Michieb125 Posts: 1,595 Member

    @WestCoastGirl_1 cooking with wine is an art - I missed what you are going to use it for. Need a red or white?
    I rarely cook with it, with the exception of a red wine for a good pot roast meal - makes for an excellent sauce with beef stock.

    Or, if I’m doing shrimp scampi or seafood sauté etc., the lighter whites like Pinot Grigio are all good (not Chardonnay). You can always buy a split bottle which is only 12 ounces and toss the rest. Good luck.

  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member

    @Michieb125 Some of the recipes that call for white wine are seafood and pasta dishes. One is "Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta" that I found online (it's like shrimp scampi). It is very quick and easy, but good. Another recipe we used to make years ago was "White Wine-Marinated Steak". It was a Cooking Light recipe. It actually seemed a bit elegant (we watched all the cooking shows and thought we were master chefs back then - LOL). I can see how a cook red wine would be good for pot roast. What red do you use? Again, I guess wines only last for a few days after opening. That's depressing! I thought about freezing it in ice cube trays. But, with alcohol in it, it wouldn't freeze.

  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member
    edited November 25

    @Michieb125 I just noticed your comment about a split bottle. I haven't shopped for wines in many years. So I'll have to see what they have. I hate to toss what I don't use. But, I'm really not a wine drinker. And, if I drank a glass of wine, I'd probably want a half-pint of whiskey afterwards. But, then again, I don't cook with wine often, so I guess it would be OK.

    I'm not super hard-core with being AF. I feel it's best for me to avoid drinking, for the most part, for about 90 days to give my body a chance to reset and to lose some weight. I've already lost 17 lbs since the beginning of October when I started cutting back. I'd like to refrain (with an occasional exception) until I get to a weight that I'm comfortable with. After that, if I do drink from time to time, I don't want to plan my A days. If I feel like drinking, I will. If I don't, I won't. And, it can't be more than 2 days a week while starting later in the day and drinking less. Otherwise, I will gain the weight right back. I've experienced that before. But, when I start gaining it back, I don't notice until it's too late! Usually, I don't notice until it's about winter and my jackets no longer fit! Ugh!

    Have a nice day everyone!

  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member

    I Googled, "Can you can freeze wine". And, the answer is "Yes". You can freeze it in ice cube trays. It said to cover the trays with plastic wrap so the wine doesn't absorb odors. Freeze for at least 4 to 5 hours and place the cubes in a freezer bag. Not only would this be good for saving wine for cooking, but you could use the cubes in your wine if you like your wine chilled.

  • WestCoastGirl_1
    WestCoastGirl_1 Posts: 162 Member

    @Womona Your suggestion to @BurnMode05 was good…grilled burgers or pasta. It doesn't have to be turkey or ham. We decided not to cook this year because neither of us have much family left…I only have a brother left. We're close but he lives in Las Vegas and it's not easy for us to get together. My brother is cooking the traditional Thanksgiving meal this year. It's just he and his SO. Her grown kids will be there for Christmas and he said they are going to make lasagna. I think I'll make my mom's lasagna for Christmas too. I can make that the day before and cook it whenever we want.

    I was really happy when I woke up. I was glad that I didn't go to the liquor store last night. I was still debating after 6 pm. I said to my husband that I didn't know if I wanted to go to the store or not. He said, "You've been doing so good without, I don't know!". Anyways, I'm happy that I didn't. I slept really good (in fact, I slept in a bit 😀). And, I'm also glad that I don't have to cook. I'll have to think of something else to cook on Thanksgiving.

    You said it well…

    May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving , and a fantastic start to the holiday season. May we all gracefully deal with family drama. May we all stick to our goals. May our teams win. May our turkeys be moist and the skin crispy. May we all stop to remember all that we are truly thankful for.

    I am so thankful for this group, and all of the support I’ve received over the years. We may be internet strangers, but it feels a lot more like friends. You guys are the best.

    Happy Thanksgiving All!

  • itladyee
    itladyee Posts: 8,486 Member

    December is up and ready for you…

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10952462/less-alcohol-december-2025-one-day-at-a-time

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