Hello, I'm Amanda.

So Pleased To Meet You
Welcome to Wine, Books, & Wanderlust! This site has been in my imagination for such a long time. I’m beyond excited to see it come to fruition!

This blog is the culmination of all of my favorite things: delicious libations, wonderful food, amazing literature, fantastic travel, and everything in between.My philosophy is to make life an adventure…every day. Whether you’re in between trips or on the road, it’s incredibly important to add to your own journey no matter where you happen to be standing. 

A Little Bit About Me
Growing up in a small town can do wonders for the imagination. When there’s little to do, you just try the best you can to keep yourself entertained and out of trouble. I spent my childhood with my nose buried in books, which blossomed into a lifetime love affair with new places, fancy foods, and photography. I’m a total contradiction in terms. A Type-A planner with a creative side, a social introvert, a 50/50 dreamy realist, a lady with a potty mouth…but I’ve finally reached a point to where I’m able to really explore all of the things I’ve come to love over the years! I met my now husband (lovingly referred to as the Man Friend) in 2010 and he has happily indulged my weirdness ever since. He and my family have been my guinea pigs for new recipes, crazy travel plans, and weird books. They’re all pretty amazing!  Our home is filled with good food, love, and three furry children. Our two crazy dogs and one lazy fat cat make our little Texas house a home. We travel as often as possible, but enjoy our time at home by creating  (and re-creating) recipes…and diving into books no matter where we happen to be staying!

An Incurable Bookworm
Surprisingly enough, books are the only item on my life-love list that I’ve enjoyed for practically my whole life. My traveling has really only started in the last seven or so years and I didn’t develop a love of cooking (or an appreciation of a “real” adult beverage) until my mid-20’s. I remember always toting around a book of some kind, whether it was headed to a restaurant or on a road trip. One of the first books I remember was “The Monster At The End of This Book.” Now that I have a nephew, I love being able to have a childhood flashback every time I hear my mom read it to him.

My literary tastes are incredibly varied, from bestsellers to the classics, sci-fi to the occasional trashy romance novel. My taste in books, music, and other entertainment is certainly eclectic. I bounce around from genre to genre. Variation is the spice of life! Finding a book that opens your eyes and your heart is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. A good book just gives me chills, dammit.

Kitchen Queen
My grandmother ignited the spark for cooking and hosting an amazing party. Her Christmas parties are the stuff of legend. And I am still searching in vain for her miniature cheesecake recipe. All of my attempts have tasted like crap. 

My cooking varies in degrees of difficulty, from easy peasy to effin hard. I’ll try to designate an experience level for each recipe. While I’m not above the occasional splurge, I try to eat fairly healthy. I opt fresh, whole ingredients as often as possible. Fats such as butter, bacon, or cream are used sparingly and usually for a pop of flavor. Surprisingly enough, there is such thing as delicious, healthy food.

A Traveler’s Soul
As I said before, most of my traveling has been completed in the last ten years or so. While I didn’t get a chance to experience a lot of adventuring in my early 20’s, there’s a lot to be said for not having to be totally dependent on a budget to see the world. Also, I’m way too introverted to share a bathroom with a bunch of strangers hostel-style. Just…no.

My travel plans are usually planned well in advance to get the best deals. It also gives us a chance to pay for everything over time, instead of having a ton of expenses come up at once. My airline of choice is Southwest, mainly due to our geographic location. However, their business model is pretty fantastic!

The Man Friend and I are middle-of-the-road travelers. While we usually plan for at least one “dress up” dinner, most of our destinations are more local and away from the touristy areas. We’ve found this saves us money and gives us a chance to have a more authentic experience.

Our travel goals are usually pretty simple: good food, good booze, and ability to walk pretty much anywhere. It’s always frosting on our cupcake when we find “the bar”….a local joint we walk into as strangers and stumble out of 7 hours later with a whole new group of friends. We also subscribe to one simple rule: we don’t do anything we could do at home: no chain restaurants, no movie theatres, etc. Life’s too damn short to be boring and predictable.

This & That
You’ll also find blogs on gardening tips, my darling fur babies, my adorable nieces and nephews, and other various topics. I have so many interests, it was really difficult to establish a core foundation for this site. So this spot is my catch-all. If you don’t like posts full of cute kids, pretty flowers, and adorable creatures…then maybe you should just skip this section.