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Posts from the ‘Play’ Category

Aug 29

SNIPPETS OF A SUNDAY

It’s been a while since we’ve been home for a weekend. Time has flown lately and only a whisp of summer is left. We’ve had visitors, family trips, vacations, work trips, nap training, nap jail, sleeping through the night at last!! It’s been a whirlwind to say the least. But this past Sunday was one of those deliciously lazy, weather-perfect Sonoma Sundays with nothing and everything to do. So we spent it doing what we loved most: antiques, good eats, family, naps, good wine and slow Sonoma time. Here are some snippets from our Sunday.

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1. Mexican hot cocoa at one of my all time favs, Bovolo 2. Freshly made donuts from Bovolo, i.e. Cocoa dippers 3. Little man & mama 4. Bovolo breakfast sandwich with house made bacon 5. Vintage vinyl time 6. Little man rides high at the Healdsburg Antique Fair 7. Basil extras from our backyard herb garden 8. Fresh batch of basil oil 9. Caprese salad with said fresh oil-divine! 10. Vinyl art 11. Grilled Dinner 12. Little man’s favorite time of day 13. Red wine and good reads.

xo, eve

Jul 8

VINEYARD PHOTO SHOOT

A few weeks ago, we attended a free KRSH concert at Kunde Winery where Brett Dennen was playing. We gathered up a few friends, packed a picnic, secured the last shady spot in the area and opened some Kunde Sauvignon Blanc, while grooving to tunes and letting the wee ones crawl all around. It was a lovely time and there is another free KRSH winery concert this weekend at St. Francis Winery. I’m not sure if we’ll be attending this weekend’s concert as I’m trying VERY hard to not plan anything for just one weekend, but who knows. We’re known to get a little stir crazy in the house on the weekends, most especially when the weather is this nice and there are al fresco free tunes involved. In the meantime, here are some snapshots we took in the vineyards that day. Enjoy and happy Friday!


Jul 1

MOO-COW GOODNESS

Nothing quite says Sonoma County grown like Cowgirl Creamery Cheese. Artisanal and organic creamy goodness, it pretty much exemplifies all the things we love about Sonoma County.

I first fell in love with this brand years ago at a fancy wine auction in Napa. Part of a multi-course meal, their Mt. Tam cheese was the cheese course star, served at perfect room temperature and crusted in crushed pistachios. I’d never tasted cheese so divine. From that day forward, my love affair with Cowgirl only grew. Our love affair low point: my 9 month pregnancy-can’t eat rind cheese horror. Our love affair high point: my first taste of Mt. Tam post-baby. Almost as good as that pistachio-crusted Mt. Tam I remember so well.

A few years ago, Cowgirl Creamery cheese moved their production facilities to little ‘ole Petaluma. I wanted to tour their creamery for years now, but was never able to find the time. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that they were opening their doors to the public on the same night as Petaluma’s Wednesday night farmers market opening night. Add in the fact that they were partnering with their neighbor, Three Twins Organic Ice Cream – my new ice cream LOVE – and enough temptation already. There was no way I was missing out on free tours and free samples of my two moo-cow loves.

We packed up the little guy and hightailed it downtown before the market, following the trail of happy ice cream eating customers. The tour was lovely, as were all the Cowgirl Creamery gals and most especially, the cheese samples. There was a curds and whey demonstration, cheese aging examples (see collage below) and I even learned what the born on dates mean on their packages (best eaten 40-60 days after). At the end of the tour, Three Twins gave away samples of their delectable ice cream which little dude tried his hardest to confiscate from us.

If you’re not in the area, be sure to check out Cowgirl’s web page. You can order their cheese online anytime or perhaps join their Artisan cheese club. If you are local and find yourself in Petaluma or Point Reyes, be sure to book a reservation online for their “Milk to Cheese” tour. Delectable free samples included of course!


Oct 26

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PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE HORSES

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I drive by these guys every week.

I’m secretly in love with them.

They frolick in a large open field which is nestled between vineyards on Hwy 116, right outside of Sonoma (near E. Bonness Rd). In fact, I’ve been wanting to take their photos for 2 years now but could never quite coordinate it correctly.

Sometimes they’re there…sometimes they’re not. And when they are there (typically afternoons and late evenings), I’m usually sans camera, late for an appointment or another horse-loving-camera-toting person got to them first. Or take your pick combo of all the above.

But today was my day.

I think these guys might be part of the famed Sonoma Castagnasso Clydesdales, but I could be wrong. Regardless, they’re delightful and I had so much fun hanging out with this one. He (she? are there panties on this one?) came trotting up to me after I parked the car and quickly started nibbling my camera hand, which with my new macro lens (Happy Birthday to me!), had to be held ultra close to his face to capture the shot. Poor guy. Clearly he hadn’t read the sign.

So I snapped off a few shots, gave him/her a little rub and before he/she could start accidentally eating my camera, said au revoir.

I think we might be new besties.

(Thumbnails below can be clicked on for larger viewing)

Oct 2

Syrah Grapes
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HAPPY HARVEST SONOMA

If you have the time and the pleasure, do yourself a favor in the next week or two, and wake up a little earlier than perhaps is your usual. Grab a steaming latte (or other caffeinated beverage of your choice), jump in the car and head out to your favorite winding back road in Sonoma wine country. It’s now chilly these mornings, so wear a scarf or fleece, crank open the sunroof and of course, don’t forget to tune your radio to the KRSH.

You see, Sonoma is in the thick of harvest right now and it’s the absolute best time to drive through wine country in the early morning hours and watch the world of wine wake up.

Syrah Grapes

Thick white fog still hugs the vines of the valley floor early in the morning, allowing you to only see a few feet deep into the vineyard. The sun is rising, but obscured by the blanket fog, casting a rich, yet muted, golden glow on all you see. Vineyard workers are at the front of the rows, working feverishly to pick their grapes while the morning air is still cool. You’ll be amazed at how fast they move – as if someone forgot to let off the fast forward button. A large, open-top grape truck creeps alongside the pickers, while another worker stands above the open bins spreading out grapes and picking out debris. Up walks a picker with his fully loaded grape bin hoisted over his head. Up and over, he dumps his grapes into the truck, quickly rushing back to the next section of vine. On and on they’ll go, fast and furious, until all the grapes are picked and on their way to the winery, hopefully before the fog burns off and the temperature starts to creep up for the day.

Onward to the winery, which you’ll sometimes smell before you see. An olfactory haze permeates the air around the winery, equally as thick as the fog still burning off in the vineyards: thick, sweet, fermenting grapes. The winery is already bustling with energy and life, the winemaker and cellar workers probably having been there before the sun was up. Loud music plays full blast over the cellar speakers – a welcome addition, as the morning caffeine still works its magic on what was probably a late night before of filling tanks and barrels, washing grape bins, hosing down equipment, getting ready for the next morning’s grape deliveries. Crusher/destemmers move fast, grapes are sorted, presses hum in the background and tanks are filled. Sweet, sticky, fermenting grapes.

It’s harvest time. You can feel the energy.  My favorite time of year.

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This weekend is the Sonoma Harvest Fair, actually starting today. I haven’t ever been, but it seems like a great time for those wanting to get into the harvest state of mind. Wine tastings, art receptions, live music, grape stomping, barnyard scrambles. What more could you ask for?! Plenty of fun activities for both adults and the little ones. Oct. 2-4 and you can find the full schedule *here*. Have fun!

Sep 22

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FLOWERS WINERY LUNCHEON

9-20-09 Flowers Winery Lunch

This weekend I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Flowers Winery out on the Sonoma coast for a tasting, tour and afternoon luncheon. The invite came through some friends and we gathered up a group of 5 for a most excellent day. Warm, sunny weather (a bonus out on the NorCal coast), great Pinot Noir & Chardonnay and absolutely stunning food (courtesy the chef from Restaurant Eloise in Sebastapol).

I’d be hard pressed to think of a better way to spend my Sunday.

Flowers Vineyards & Winery is located about 2 hours north of San Francisco, off of winding Highway 1, just north of Jenner (google map can be found here). It’s quite remote and they do not have a tasting room at the winery or elsewhere in the county (although we hear the search continues for that unique space they know is out there). I’ve enjoyed their wines before while dining out, so when I received the invite to visit the winery for the day, I jumped at the chance. Plus, how could I pass up such a great SCL post? (more after the jump – both literally and figuratively…)

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Aug 31

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BOUNTY OF PHOTOS: PETALUMA FARMERS MARKET

Hello Petaluma Farmer’s market! Good-bye Petaluma Farmer’s market. Our time together was good, but oh so fleeting.

I was able to (finally) make the Wednesday night farmer’s market in Petaluma this last week. My first of the season, their last of the season. *Le sigh* I must clearly work on my timing next year.

  1. Petaluma Farmers Market

Those of us that live in the Bay area know how lucky we are to have access to such wonderfully fresh and local produce, practically year-round. Sonoma County is home to many incredible summer-only markets, that in my opinion, end all too soon (usually just when things are getting going out in the fields). And although a permanent produce stand is a close runner up to the quintessential farmer’s market (Green String Farms: thank you!), there’s just something about a lively weeknight market that a produce stand, no matter how good, can’t fully replicate. Live music, food stands, dee-lish kettle corn, samples upon samples, face painting and a community gathering together – something that seems to be a lost art in these social media-centric times.

Click on the link below to view SCL’s photo celebration of the summer farmer’s market season. Almost all produce and vendors you see are Sonoma County based. Until next year…

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Aug 7

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RADIO ISN’T DEAD: THE KRSH

Vintage Radio

Every good adventure needs a soundtrack. And every good Sonoma County adventure should have that soundtrack be The KRSH (pronounced ‘crush’), the local Sonoman wine country radio station found at 95.9FM.

You might have already noticed a link to The KRSH over yonder under ‘Stalk-Worthy Sites’. And it’s true. I love to stalk The KRSH. It’s that perfect of a Sonoma County Line soundtrack.

Based in Santa Rosa and only reaching (quite literally) to the Sonoma County lines, The KRSH (95.9FM) describes themselves as ‘Wine Country’s Roots Radio: featuring an eclectic array of Blues, Americana, Rock, Acoustic and Singer Songwriters,  Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Gospel, Rockabilly, Jazz, Reggae and World Music’.

Whew. That’s a mouthful. I like to describe it as Country Americana Blues Rock sprinkled with great local and indie flavor. And they’re serious about their music at the KRSH. It’s what radio stations used to be before unending contest giveaways, prank calls and wanna-be celebrity radio personalities.

To give you an idea, here is a sampling of their recent playlist just this morning (which you can access online): Jimi Hendrix, Delbert McClinton, Jeff Buckley, Regina Spektor, Anya Marina, Eric Huchinson, Lucinda Williams, The Killers, Tom Petty, David Gray, Moby & Stevie Ray Vaughn. As you can tell if you know your music, it’s quite the eclectic mix.

With minimal morning talk radio (which for the record, I HATE) and some very interesting local commercials (believe me Wild Birds Unlimited: I care about the birds), the KRSH is also very active in supporting the community and local artists.  They also put on some great live music concerts throughout the summer:  Backyard KRSH concerts (held outdoors at their studio; upcoming: Alabama Mike & Duke Robillard) & Lakeside concerts in Rohnert Park (upcoming: Anya Marina, Zee Avi & Inrid Michaelson).

My favorite KRSH memory: crushing Chardonnay grapes during harvest in gorgeous Alexander valley with The KRSH playing full blast across the vineyards and winery. Some favorite shows include: KRSH Americana, New Music Mondays & The 501 Blues show. Also, Ziggy the Wine Gal has a Wine Wednesday show, that for obvious reasons, I find quite entertaining.

Next time you’re on a Sonoma adventure, turn off your IPOD or satellite radio, set your radio to 95.9FM, roll down the windows and get the real Sonoma soundtrack. Believe me. It’s part of the Sonoma experience. Once you hear Wild Birds Unlimited’s bird call commercial in between a little Stevie Ray Vaughn & Johnny Cash, you’ll understand why. It just fits.

SCL Insider tip: While you’re away from the (actual) county line, you can always listen live online 24-hours/day.

Aug 3

HIDDEN GEM: THE LAST RECORD STORE

Last Record Store

Exit stage left: sterile & fluorescent-lit aisles of Best Buy. Enter stage right: your old memories of that elusive, near-extinct institution – the independent music store.

Located in Santa Rosa on Mendocino Avenue (near Santa Rosa Junior College to be exact), the Last Record Store was founded in 1983 (January 15 to be even more exact) by two friends (Doug and Michael; as exact as we get here at SCL).

Doug and Michael founded the Last Record store at a time when vinyl was passé and music stores couldn’t give it away fast enough to make way for those new and exciting compact discs. Walk into their store and you immediately know they have a true commitment to vinyl and great music, although you’ll now find both new and used CDs alongside the awesome vinyl selections.

The LRS is worth going just to see the schwag collected through the years hanging from the walls; it’s a bit like a music museum: the original Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique & Bruce Springsteen Born to Run promo posters, Grateful Dead concert ticket stubs, an employee door literally covered in music stickers from various decades, original cardboard cut-out promos hanging from the ceiling and eclectic staff personalities to match. You feel like you’re shopping for some new tunes in your best friend’s old basement from times bygone; with Tom Waits playing in the background of course.

In the middle of ringing up a customer, I watched as the staff raced around to the back wall (with no explanation) only to return with a used copy of the disc the customer was buying. Saved her $7. Soon after, SFMOMA tips on current photography shows was shared. Now there’s service you won’t find in Best Buy and both their Indie Rock & Local Artist sections  can’t be beat.

The LRS also holds in-store music events and you can purchase local concert tickets in-store where they’ll only charge you a $1 service fee. Seriously. $1.

I hope Doug & Michael continue to thrive in their holdout against corporate chains. It’s an institution that would be heart breaking to see disappear.

The Last Record Store:  1899a Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA (Just by the SR Junior College); 707-525-1963

SCL insider tip: After you score your ‘new’ Terrapin Station album, a stack of cds from the $1 bin and a LRS t-shirt, head over to the cafe next door for some great gelato. And even if you can’t visit the LRS in person, you can still support their cause and score some great tunes in the meantime through their ebay store.

Jul 27

COWGIRL CREAMERY TOURS

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(photo shamelessly swiped from MadeHereFoundHere.com)

Bring on the Cow! Bring on the Cheese!

Now here is something I’ve been craving to do for some time now. That whole job thing just seems to be getting in the way of a random Wednesday tour. Go figure. But if you can swing it, be sure to check out Cowgirl Creamery’s Petaluma tour for me – sure to be a good time as you get down and dirty with the Queens of Cheese and I’ll be so jealous you get to go. I’ve always wondered if they wear cool vintage cowgirl boots when making cheese. It just seems right.

Cowgirl Creamery started in 1997 in Pt. Reyes, CA – two gals with a dream of making hand-crafted, environmentally responsible, get-in-my-belly-now cheese. They just opened a Petaluma creamery location last year (Pt. Reyes location is still open as well. Petaluma is wholesale only + tours). If you’ve not had the chance yet to try their Mt. Tam Triple Cream, get yourself to one of their locations or retailers STAT to change the way you look at curds and whey. My favorite Cowgirl moment? Red Hawk cheese coated in pistachios and served at ultra room temperature. Melt. In. Your. Mouth.

Tours are Wednesdays from 11:30 to 12:30 at their Petaluma location. Included with the guided tour is a cheese making demonstration and tasting at the end (my favorite part of course; right after the fact you get to take a SAMPLER bag home with you!!!) The tour costs $30 and reservations must be made in advance.

Visit Cowgirl Creamery’s website for more details.

SCL insider tip: Cowgirl Creamery in Petaluma now has a more intensive tour, called the ‘Milk to Cheese’ tour. A little pricier and a little longer, this is perfect for the cheese aficianado in your life. Or me. I’ll go. Come on. You know you want to take me…

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