Laura and Bill are godparents to our children, Brian and Delaynie, while Robby is watched over by the United Church of Christ congregation in Redfield, South Dakota. John’s Uncle Paul was pastor there for many, many years and baptized Robby in his arms at their fount. 24 years later Uncle Paul married Robby and Sarah […]
On Saturday, some of us met up at Tracy’s shooting range, donned eye and ear protection, and experienced the magic of fragmenting paper targets. Very fun afternoon. To transition into evening fun, Delaynie heated Beef Dip (family fave!) and arranged a cheese and salami tray. John constructed chicken, beef, and veggie kabobs for the barbie. […]
Saturday, June 28th, John and I headed over to Wente ‘s 130th Vintage Celebration. There have been many changes since we last visited Wente Family Estates on Tesla Road. A bocce ball court is ready for play and beyond is a lawn with adirondack chairs and picnic tables. It was delightful to see the older […]
So much artistry and science goes into making wine. Sometimes we can forget that it all starts with the humble grape. So how does that wonderful fruit come to achieve its ripe wonderfulness? After the fall harvest, vineyard managers trim back their grape vines severely. To the untrained eye, the resultant vines look near death. […]
A few Sundays ago, we had the pleasure of attending a “Taste of the Vines” wine club release party at Eagle Ridge. Owners Jim and Cheryl Perry consistently out-do themselves with these parties, so it is safe to say that expectations were high. And again, they exceeded their previous best. This party celebrated the release […]
The third Sunday of June is dedicated to celebrating Dads. Livermore Valley has an abundance of activities and gifts perfect to make any dad’s day a perfect day. So whether you want to treat your father to presents via UPS, a day full of your presence, or something in between, here are a few ideas. […]
One of the perks of joining a winery’s wine club is that you get to attend their wine release parties. Our strategy is to belong to enough wine clubs that we have a release party every few weeks. This week was particularly fun, because we had TWO release parties. Our first party was at Darcie […]
Bearnaise Sauce 37 years ago this month, John and I were married. (Yes, the groomsmen stylishly wore baby blue tuxes.) One of the wedding gifts that has been most used over the years is the cookbook, Joy of Cooking, a bastion of clear instructions for mostly complicated cooking. The 2 most prepared recipes in my […]
Sarah wanted to meet to talk about her coaching individuals through the 21-Day Fix (which she successfully followed to look drop-dead gorgeous for Delaynie’s 21st birthday celebration in Las Vegas). What better place to meet than Ruby Hill Winery‘s Gem Member Patio?! Needless to say, Sarah and I insisted on starting with Ruby Hill’s NV […]
Great wine should always be paired with great food. Here is a recipe for chicken and rice that is a favorite at our house. Quick, delicious and so easy that even John can execute it! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Quick Chicken Saute over Rice (Serves 2) Start cooking the rice. […]
Mothers’ Day is one of the few times that Mom gets to kick back and let other people take care of everyone. Every other day of the year has Mom making sure that everything is perfect: venue, food, beverages, even a purse full of creams, salves and pain relievers. That one precious day of the […]