If you love visiting wine country but are tired of the usual crowds and commercialism, you should consider paying Northern California's Anderson Valley wine region a visit. Situated in the uppermost western corner of the state in iconic Mendicino County, the Anderson Valley isn't your typical California wine region. Here's what visitors of Anderson Valley wineries can expect to enjoy: 1. You'll Be in Redwood Country  Few natural wonders are more compelling sights than the redwood trees of the Northern California coast.

Grocery stores sell a variety of seasoning blends, but at a high price. These blends also contain additional ingredients that you may not want to consume, such as fillers and preservatives. Instead of spending your hard earned money on these dry mixes, create your own blended meat seasoning. The seasoning stores well in an airtight container placed in a cool, dry location. Chili Seasoning Mix Whether you have a few football parties on the horizon, or you simply want a meal that will warm you up on a cold evening, chili seasoning mix is the way to go.

There's no place quite like your favorite bar and grill, places like 316 Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill. It's a great place to hang out and unwind after work or watch a game with your friends on the weekend. But let's face it, bar food isn't the healthiest option around. It's fine to treat yourself now and then, but you don't want to overdo it on the fried food and fatty snacks – not only are they bad for your long-term health, they can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable for the rest of the night.

Having a Keurig coffee maker makes it so much easier to brew coffee in the morning. All you need to do is load your k cup in the machine, push the button, and enjoy the scent of freshly brewed coffee as it pours into your cup. But while a steaming mug of coffee with milk and sugar is enjoyable, there are ways to take your beverage to the next level. Here are some ideas to get you started.

If you think that you can't plan a dinner menu around rolls, think again. Homemade or fresh, store-bought Kaiser rolls can easily be the star of the show with a little culinary creativity. Known for their crusty exterior and soft, tender interior, these small, round wheat rolls can be topped with everything from sesame or poppy seeds to Parmesan cheese, depending on your preferences. They're also popular plain or topped with a bit of salt.

Eating out at your favorite Mexican restaurant once in a while is a great way to bond with family and get rid of some household stress in a lively environment while allowing you to take a break from the kitchen for a night. But your family's meal out might not deliver as much nutrition as you'd like without a little planning ahead of time. The consumption of vegetables is important for overall health and can reduce your family's chance of developing chronic diseases when they're included in each meal, even those enjoyed that are eaten in restaurants.

Italians are known to place a strong emphasis on family meals and for cooking up large feasts to be shared with the entire family. This is why you'll almost always find a big pot of soup being cooked at Italian dinners, as soups are easy to share with everyone. If you're going out to an Italian restaurant for dinner, you definitely want to order a soup for your appetizer, as Italians have perfected the craft of cooking soup.

According to food truck experts, one of the most overlooked, yet potentially very successful locations for food trucks is college campuses. Whether you attended college or not, you can imagine that college students become very tired of the food served in their dining halls (if they have one) and are always looking for fast, yet delicious, foods to munch on between classes. If you are currently running a food truck that could use a little boost in profits or are in the planning stage of opening your first truck, here is a guide to tailoring or creating a truck with a menu that can please every college student and what equipment you need to prepare it.

Forget about finding a wine tasting event in your area for your next girl's night. Today's market is trending towards something a little healthier: olive oil. With the rise of boutique olive oil manufacturers and a trend towards interesting infused flavors, research has shown that olive oil is one of the fastest growing components of the food industry, enjoying around a billion dollars worth of annual sales. Unfortunately, even the priciest bottle of olive oil won't matter much unless you know how to use it.

A box of chocolate is a versatile gift that most anyone will appreciate. It will be appreciated even more if those chocolate goodies are homemade. Here are three simple recipes for chocolate treats. Prepare a batch of each, arrange them nicely in a few flat boxes, and distribute them to your friends and family members as holiday gifts. (Sample one or two yourself, too!) Classic Caramel Turtles Caramel turtles are a classic, and this recipe calls for just three ingredients.