CARNIVAL RIO DE JANEIRO

Carnival in Rio De Janeiro is truly a great wonder of the world. It is full of color, live action and some of the most amazing costumes you have ever seen. Did I mention the amazing people you will meet there. The foods, drink and culture of Carnival is an experience we all should enjoy at least once. However, there is a reason behind this most famous parade and celebration.

Carnival History

Although there are over 500 festivals going on all over Brazil during Carnival, this originally started as a Samba competition. Samba, which is the focal dance and at the heart of Carnival, was believed to be born in Brazil in the early 17th century. Pedra do Sal is the site of a former slave market. It became popular to the Afro-Brazilian culture as a meeting place and socialization hangout. Here it is believed that the first Samba, which is a ritual Candomble dance, was composed. It uses mostly drums and handclaps.

As a result, Samba instruction and teaching schools were created. Most of the students originally came from the poor to middle class citizens. They competed with other Samba schools to see who had the best Samba dance. They made elaborate costumes and floats. Everyone from the smallest child to the oldest adult was in full makeup and costume. The featured dancers, or more experienced dancers, rode on the floats. The others would literally dance down the street all around the float to represent their school.

What Next

As the word spread about this amazing phenomenon, more and more people would attend to watch the beautiful schools show their costumes and floats parade down the street. Once the word got out, more and more schools attended this competition. Carnival in Rio is a 40-day event. There are multiple festivals going on all over Brazil. However, the focal point is the parade of dancers.

The schools are categorized. According to their level, they will then be placed on which day they are to perform their routine. Each category can take up to 2 days to finish. Judging is done throughout the event. However, the champion is not announced until the day AFTER Carnival is over.

Origins of Carnival

The origins of Carnival date back as far as the 1600’s. The Natives would have elaborate celebration in honor of the Greek God of wine. YEP, you heard correctly. Carnival started out as a festive for the grape harvest to honor the Wine god!! See a great wine factors into every major celebration all over the world in every era!!! Dionysus is the god of wine and pleasure. Trust me, if you drink a truly fine wine, it is a great pleasure to be had!!

Over the years, Portuguese rituals blended in with the original celebration to include structured dances and competitions. Food and wine has always been the focus. In the 1800’s, the First RIO masquerade took place. This was the tip of the iceberg. After that is just got bigger and bigger and other influences added to the festival. In the early 1900’s, the Samba dancers had a major impact on the festivities. Since then, that has been the focal point of the amazing Carnival Rio de Janeiro.

Fun Facts:

Did you know the over 2 million people are on the streets constantly during Carnival? So you can imagine the security they would need to police that many people. People book hotels and reservations years in advance. Everyone comes there knowing they are going to have a blast. With a Mardi Gras type atmosphere, every culture is represented.

Fun fact #2: There are over 500 different festivals going on during Carnival. Every province has their own celebration. Even ethnic groups as well as cultural group will have their own party or parade. So, when you go, check out the locals and see which group you would be more comfortable partying with.

Fact #3: Did you know that there is a QUEEN crowned every year for Carnival? There is also a king called King Momo.

wine beautiful women celebration and Carnival what a great combination

#4 Fact: There is a facility that was built so you can attend and watch the Samba schools compete. It is a huge stadium type area. There you can purchase a ticket and go have a seat, order concessions and watch all the beautiful floats and costumes in relative comfort. However, it has been reported that the schools don’t find this quite as fun as they assumed it would be. They miss the interactions with the crowds and other party goers. However, there is an ordinance in affect concerning parades. Well not the parades but the block parties that are widely spread during Carnival.

Carnival Foods

This is the best part of Carnival to me…the food. I can just imagine all the various types of food you can find at Carnival. With all the various cultures spread throughout Brazil as well as economic situations, I bet you will find a plethora of food types.

Here are some more traditional foods that you can find while experiencing Carnival:

  • Feijoada (slow-cooked pork and beans with rice),
  • Moqueca baiana (a fragrant fish stew)
  • Carurú (a dish similar to gumbo made with shrimp and toasted nuts)
  • PÃO DE QUEIJO Brazilian Cheese Bread
  • CHURROS – well we all know where we can get some of those!!!
  • BOLINHOS DE BACALHAU – Salted Cod, veggies and spices rolled into a ball and deep fried
  • BRIGADEIROS – a dessert made with condensed milk, butter and cocoa. Then sprinkled with your choice of topping!!!

As you can see, so many different treats and foods to enjoy. Best yet, you can enjoy a cold beer or a great wine with either of them. Although during Carnival, beer is the drink of choice. However, as you experience Carnival at home, you can enjoy your own favorite wine with one of the amazing foods.

Join us on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 on our Wine and Dine show to see some amazing foods cooked by our club members as we travel to Carnival Rio de Janeiro in our own homes and Kitchens.

8:30 pm EST, 7:30 pm CST, 6:30 MST, 5:30 PST. See you there. Just follow the link below to join us. Bookmark this link so you can join us every Wednesday in the month of March to experience a different Theme and food and wine pairing. See you there!!

THE WINE AND DINE SHOW LIVE ON ZOOM EVERY WEDNESDAY:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/267159642

id# 267159642

PGN – Performance Giving Network

PGN – the Performance Giving Network what exactly is that?  This is an amazing new platform that will enable you to do just about anything and everything.  It will also enable you to help others along the way.

The PGN platform incorporates many different programs.  So that you are already a part of.  However, this particular platform allows you to not only join these programs but also make money while you use them.  Let me explain the most recent additions to this program. tipping circle

TIPPING CIRCLE

Tipping Circle is basically GoFundme and PayPal rolled into one and on steroids.  With Tipping Circle, you can create tipping buckets that allow you to create all sorts of fundraisers,gift programs, and organizational funding programs that you can market anywhere.  This platform also allows you to send and receive money to individuals as well as organizations.  Tipping Circle is a secure network that takes away all the guess work and allows you to let the program do the working.  All you have to do is set it up and watch it run.  When the allocated time is up, then you just move the funds into the designated account that you want to cash it out to.  It is really that simple.  But tipping  circle is a whole lot more that just collecting, sending and receive money.  Anyone that signs up to use your tipping circle will enable you to make commissions on their usage.  So you get to make money by helping others make, send and receive money.  Unheard of concept, right! But so easy to join.  Just a few easy steps to have access to this free program.

GET PREMIUM CABLE WITH INTERNET 

Yep, you heard me correctly.  You can now get rid of your cable TV and start streaming cable.  It is so much cheaper that your current cable TV.  With BlendTV, you can stream most of your currently favorite TV shows.  I know a lot of the programs that I was paying extra to use on my DirectTV, I can now get with this monthly subscription at a significantly cheaper price.  With a 30-day free trial and for only $49.95 a month afterwards, I have access to programs like:

  1. Disney
  2. Nickelodeon
  3. DIY
  4. FoodNetwork
  5. Sports
  6. Boomerangfree cable tv
  7. Hallmark
  8. Local news
  9. Football
  10. A&E
  11. HGTV
  12. HISTORY CHANNEL
  13. TLC
  14. QVC
  15. ESPN

These are just a few of the programs that are available.  This platform is adding channels every month as they get the credentials to market them.  Better yet, you can watch it on up to 2 devices at once and not have to be watching the same channel.  What about those long drive with kids.  With your Iphone or Smartphone, just download the APP and they can take it with them.  If you have internet access, then you have access to your cable shows.  Now tell me how you can beat that.  And the price is just amazing.

Wait, I haven’t told you the best part.  This program allows you to make money off the time you watch TV!!! You actually can make money while you are watching shows with this TV platform.  Go figure.  You will actually get paid to watch TV.  Better yet,  if you refer three people to download the program and they keep it, then your monthly subscription will be free and you still make money watching TV.  What are you waiting for?!  Sign up today and start making money watching TV.  Don’t forget to refer your friends.

PAID TO CHAT

GET FIRED UP!!! TIME TO GET PAID TO CHAT (1)

Say what?!  I did not stutter.  With this innovative chat platform, you can get paid for chatting.  How often a day do you chat or text?  More that you talk on the phone if you are like me.  Well now you can sign up for this program, invite your friends to do the same.  Then you will have created your own chat network.  When you chat within your network, you will get paid for your chat time.  As with anything, you have the free version and the paid version.  The paid version allows you to chat with anyone, not just your circle that you create.  However, inviting them into your chat circle and signing into the program will only add to your monthly compensation.  So yes, now you can get paid to chat and text.  The way this program is growing I wouldn’t be surprised to see it include talking in the very near future.  

Gaming – Get Paid to Game

Do we have any gamers out there? Did you know that there is a league of professional gamers who get paid to game?  Tournaments are hosted throughout the world for gamers to be invited to attend.  You get to put your skills to the test to some of the best gamers from around the world. However, most people are not aware of this.  You practice at home or with your friends on your gaming systems, but to what end?  Just for bragging rights.  Why not put your stills to use.  This gaming platform will allow you to hone your skills, battle others from all over the world and create your own teams and clans.  As you skill level increases, you will have the potential to be recognized within the gaming community.  Who knows, you may get an invite to one of these professional gaming tournaments.  A perk to this platform is that they host their own virtual online gaming tournaments.  You and your team or clan can compete and earn money or tokens based on your outcome.  As a result, your dreams will finally come true.  You will be able to earn a living by becoming a professional gamer. So what do you have to lose.  Download this free program and start gaming! Some of the games you are currently playing may already be available to you.  Then all you have to do is get your team together and start gaming.  WORKING ON MY FUTURE

IoT – INTERNET OF THINGS

This is a totally new and innovative idea.  However, it is gaining ground in the business and marketing world.  Did you know that everything electrical emits some type of energy and is just floating around in space?  Did you know that this energy can be converted into Bitcoin if captured and harnessed?  Until this point, there was not a way to do that.  Well, I have found a company that has developed such a device – Helium Hot Spots.

Helium hub

These Hot Spots can decipher the residual energy emissions and convert it into bitcoin.  Not only can you now mine bitcoin from your computer for free, with this Hot spot, you can virtually pull it out of the sky.  This program also allows you to buy a city and formulate your hotspot to that city and mine all the residual energy within that city.  Image having a city like New York, Las Angeles, Houston or even Key West to mine.  The income would be staggering.  With the way bitcoin is growing, you may be able to supplement your income or even create a retirement nest egg that would alleviate the need for a part-time job in your retirement days.  Financial freedom can become a reality.  If you would like more information and to actually purchase your own Helium Hotspot, then click this link to get started.

WINE CLUB – ALWAYS HAVE A BOTTLE ON HAND

wine mask logoDid you know that wine is the #1 alcoholic beverage here in the US?  How often to you open up a bottle?  It is great with a meal, dessert or just to have a glass to relax with at the end of the day.  With everything going on with the COVID-19, getting your favorite beverage can become somewhat of an ordeal.  But what if you had it delivered to your door every month?  Well with your own wine of the month club, you get have just that.  Select your own reds or whites or a combination of both and get them shipped directly to your home.  No more need to run out of your favorite beverage.  Also, what goes perfectly with wine, some great cheese.  All ready for you at the click of a button.

So sit back and enjoy watching your favorite TV shows, playing your favorite games, chatting with friends or just lounging around while sipping your favorite wine and snacking on some great cheese or chocolates.  Rest, relax and enjoy all your favorites all in one place.  Shop with Mamachief card 5_1_20 part 2 bigger

The Cigar – The Gentleman’s Calling Card

The Cigar – The Gentleman’s Calling Card don’t you think? I think it so sexy to see a man relaxed with a glass of wine and a great cigar.  He appears distinguished and refined and at the same time like he has the world at his feet.  It is a look that screams sex appeal.


Cigar of the Month Club

A good premium cigar is like a fine wine – it goes well with anything.  To me a cigar speaks of quality and elegance.  Premium cigars are about quality and not necessarily price. Nothing looks as sexy as a man or woman socializing with a great cigar and fine glass of wine.  It looks both relaxing and sexy at the same time without looking obscene or trashy.

 

Cigars are about the only socially accepted form of smoking allowed.  Even Vaping is becoming sort of an outcast in the smoking community.  The Cigarette has long been ostracized from the social scene for all the health issues caused by this long-standing product.   A lot of classy and elegant events feature a fine wine selection as well as a great cigar selection.

Good Cuban or Havana cigars are among the world’s best made and highest quality.  You have the long, skinny, short, fat, and even flavored.

Taste and Flavor

Good Cuban or Havana cigars are among the world’s best made and highest quality.  You have the long, skinny, short, fat, and even flavored.

Each brand and type of cigar has its own unique taste. Whether a cigar is mild, medium, or full bodied does not correlate with quality.

 

Among the factors which contribute to the scent and flavor of cigar smoke are tobacco types and qualities used for filler, binder, and wrapper, age and aging method, humidity, production techniques (handmade vs. machine-made), and added flavors. Among wrappers, darker tend to produce a sweetness, while lighter usually have a “drier”, more neutral taste.

Cutting and Lighting

Yes, there is an art to cutting and lighting a cigar.  You cannot pull, puff and inhale on a cigar. The smoke will KILL you!!! You will have a coughing fit to beat the band.

The Cutting of the Cigar

cigars
The right cut makes a difference

Some cigars come with the ends twisted, banded and some even have the ends sealed with a type of sealer to keep the tobacco intact.  As a result, these ends need to be cut and removed in order to enjoy the cigar.

The basic types of cigar cutter include:

  • Guillotine (straight cut)
  • Punch cut
  • V-cut (a.k.a. notch cut, cat’s eye, wedge cut, English cut)

The Lighting Of The Cigar

The “head” of the cigar is usually the end closest to the cigar band, the other the “foot”. The band identifies the type of the cigar and may be removed or left on. The smoker cuts or pierces the cap before lighting.

The cigar should be rotated during lighting to achieve an even burn while slowly drawn with gentle puffs. If a match is used it should be allowed to burn past its head before being put to the cigar, to avoid imparting unwelcome flavors or chemicals to the smoke. Many specialized gas and fluid lighters are made for lighting cigars. The tip of the cigar should minimally touch any flame, with special care used with torch lighters to avoid charring the tobacco leaves.

 

 

 

Women getting into the Cigar Scene

A third and most traditional way to light a cigar is to use a splinter of cedar known as a spill, which is lit separately before using. The thin cedar wrapping from cigars with one may be used.


Click. Save. Celebrate. - Famous Smoke Shop Cigars

Smoking Techniques

A perfectly constructed cigar is made to burn slow and cool in order to impart flavor in a steady progression. While there are no set laws as to how long a cigar should last, we believe that a five-inch cigar should last you at least 45 minutes. If you’re sucking down a five-inch Robusto in 10 minutes, you’re treating the cigar like a cigarette, and that’s a big mistake. Puffing every 30 seconds to a minute should be an appropriate interval.

Keep in mind that smoking too slowly could have a negative consequence as well. Puff too infrequently,  and your cigar will go out, meaning you’ll have to relight it over and over again. Constantly lighting an extinguished cigar could introduce unpleasant flavors of char, carbon, sulfuric fumes and bitterness. But don’t sweat a relight now and then.

Sophistication and charm 

Leave the ash on for as long as you can. The ash serves as a temperature regulator and minimizes contact between the air and the lit tobacco, thus keeping it cooler. Great cigars are made of whole leaves, not chopped up tobacco. Those leaves have structure, and will hold an ash of a size that’s surprising to a novice.

Appearance

Standards of quality are determined by appearance, combustion, aroma and flavor. A highly aromatic, flavorful tobacco that is pristine in appearance and elastic to the touch is going to be more expensive than a coarse leaf that doesn’t have much smell or taste.

cigars and wine0
Relax and enjoy a fine Cigar

Some tobaccos also take longer time to age and ferment for maximum performance. That process will also end up raising the cost of your cigar—the longer the cycles, the longer the tobacco has to be stored in a warehouse, and that costs money.

The tobacco could be a low-yielding varietal, meaning that the crop was not large in the field, yet the small amounts produced were outstanding. This could also make your puros a little pricier. Sometimes it’s merely a question of supply and demand.

My Conclusion

As with a fine, premium wine, The Cigar also has it processes, varietals, techniques and pricing differences that appeal to a variety of people.  You have the novice who is just getting his basics to the aficionado who knows all the ends and outs of a great Cigar.  As with the Wine connoisseur, the Cigar aficionado studies and researches his cigars in order to have the best experience in any situation.

 

So if you want the look of being a Gentleman with refinement, skill and sex appeal, then the art of the Cigar – the Gentleman’s Calling Card is a great study.  But going hand in hand with that look is a glass of a fine, premium wine, a great personality and a suave, debonair, devil-may-care look.

But men, the women are fast becoming the upstarts on the Cigar life.  Look over your shoulder and you may see a few of the ladies with a sophisticated look about them with a glass of their favorite wine and holding a long, slim Cigar.  Talk about mysterious and dangerous.