Holm Family Cookbook

Yesterday my friend Kim Bonde and I attended the 11th Annual Cowgirl luncheon in Oakdale, which was a fundraiser for the Oakdale Cowboy Museum and one of the events kicking off rodeo week in Oakdale. Tickets for this event went on sale February 15th and the 460+ seat event sold out in less than four hours. Kim drove the hour drive to Oakdale the day the tickets went on sale to get our tickets. The luncheon was held at the Oakdale Community Center.

Oakdale is also known as the "Cowboy Capital of the World," which is a title the town claimed long before its rodeo cowboys won 24 world championships. The small Texas town of Stephenville also claims to be the cowboy capital and says it has more cowboys per square foot than any place in the world. Hmmm. Wouldn't want to be the referee in that battle.

The Cowgirl Luncheon was held at the Oakdale Community Center

This was the first time Kim and I attended the luncheon--or even heard of it for that matter--and we wondered if we would know many people. When we got in the line in front of the community center, we stood behind Bobbie Telles, who we have known for many years. Bobbie told us she stood in line for two hours to buy her tickets for the luncheon. Throughout the day we saw at least 25 people we that we knew and hadn't seen in a long time, so we had a great time chatting with everyone. We even saw my cousin Stacie Holm Brown.

We saw my cousin Stacie Holm Brown at the luncheon

As we walked into the event, we were served champagne by some of the local cowboys and they continued to pour champagne for us throughout the luncheon. When it was time for lunch to be served, the cowboys lined up and began serving lunch to the female guests. The lunch was catered by Steve Medlen's House of Beef in Oakdale. This was one of the best catered lunches I have ever had.  If the lunch the House of Beef catered for nearly 500 people was so good, I'll bet the restaurant is great.

The cowboys lining up to serve lunch

Lunch consisted of grilled steak with peppercorn sauce, garlic red potatoes, and salad

Bottles of Cowgirl Sisterhood wine were on each table

A few of the cowboys serving lunch were world champion cowboys while I was in high school. I have to admit it was a bit of a thrill to see these folks that we looked up to when we were kids.  One of the servers sat at our table to eat his lunch when he was done serving. He was Daniel Green, who was a world champion roper around 2008-2010 (many years after I graduated high school). Daniel told us his daughters' year-round softball games and his son's sporting activities currently keep him from competing nationally. Good man, that Daniel--making his children a high priority!

World Champion Roper Jerold Camarillo filling my glass with champagne

Ace Berry, champion roper and bronc rider

Champion roper Daniel Green

For the last few years a woman involved in rodeo has been honored by the Cowboy Museum at the luncheon. This year the honoree was Emma "Pee Wee" Burge Ott.  Emma was born in 1919 in Giswil, Switzerland and immigrated with her family to the United States when she was 9 years old. After passing through Ellis Island, her parents found work on a dairy farm in the Imperial Valley of California. Emma became proficient in riding dairy calves and at the age of 17 was hired to ride steers in an exhibition.  Three years later she was roping competitively.  She was taught to ride saddle broncs and it was the thrill of her life. She was only 5 feet tall and weighed less than 100 pounds, which earned her the nick name of  “Pee Wee”.  She took up trick riding, bronc riding, and relay and flat races for six years--riding at some major rodeos, which included the Pendleton Round Up.  She retired from her career in rodeo at the age of 27.  Pee Wee married a dairyman, Joe Ott, and they had four daughters. At the age of 50, she went to college and became a licensed vocational nurse. Pee Wee died last year at the age of 92. Her daughters and granddaughters were at the Cowgirl Luncheon to accept her award. What a story and what a gal that Pee Wee must have been!

Saddle bronc riding Emma "Pee Wee" Burge Ott. Photo borrowed from Oakdale Cowboy Museum's Farewell Facebook Page.

Kim and I sure had a great time at the Cowgirl Luncheon and have plans to attend again next year. On our way home we encountered some bad weather, including passing through extreme rain, hail, and winds that had accompanied a tornado in the area! 

Funnel cloud seen in the area we were driving through on the way home

Besides the Cowgirl luncheon and the Oakdale Rodeo, which by the way is this weekend, Oakdale is also the home of the Testicle Festival. The American Cowboy Magazine lists the festival as one of the top 101 events to attend in the west.

~merry~

A sample of the some of the things to do in this area of Sacramento

A couple of weekends ago I attended the California CattleWomen's Spring Meeting that was held at the Embassy Suites on the edge of Old Sacramento. I looked forward to a weekend out of town, however, I either had a cold or really bad allergies and took naps some of the free time we had when we were not in meetings. I was also recovering from a surgical procedure that I had on one of my big toes and could not wear shoes or walk long distances, so I was not able to venture very far from the hotel.  

The Embassy Suites in Old Sacramento

I love staying at Embassy Suites, especially when kids are involved. The rooms are very spacious and the kids can stay in one room, parents in the other. I was sharing the room with my friends Kim and Melinda, so it was nice to have all of the extra space and the living room area with a couch and chairs where we could sit and visit. Nearly all of the Embassy Suites that I have stayed at have been very clean and well decorated. They also have complimentary cocktail receptions every night with some receptions being better than others. The Sacramento River runs right by the Embassy Suites and there is a riverwalk along the river. When standing in front of the hotel you can see the State Capitol just blocks away.

The Sacramento River runs along side the Embassy Suites

The California State Capital can be seen from the front of the Embassy Suites

One of the speakers at the California CattleWomen's meeting was an expert in certified meat products and the co-owner of a family owned broadline food service distribution company. His primary focus was to teach us about cuts of beef and he provided a demonstration on the difference between USDA Beef Quality Grades. The demonstration turned out to be quite tasty as we got to taste the difference between steaks that were choice and select grades. He had the steaks prepared and cut up into pieces in the hotel's restaurant.

Since we had an expert at our disposal, someone asked the question to the answer everyone wanted to know, "What exactly is the pink slime we have been hearing so much about from the media?" The expert told us that "pink slime" aka Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) is lean meat that has been separated from fat using a process similar to the process used to separate milk from heavy cream. Ammonia hydroxide, a natural occurring compound is used in the process. The ammonia hydroxide is a microbial inhibitor, which is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. It makes the meat safer and is used in the processing or production of many other food products such as dairy, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, breakfast cereals, eggs, fish, sports drinks, beer, and other meats. Hmmm, I think the media forgot to tell us that. By the way, the fat that is separated from the LFTB goes on to make soaps, cosmetics and other beef by products. So, enough about that.

Kitty corner from the Embassy Suites is a Joe's Crab Shack. Kim, Melinda, and I had never been to a Joe's Crab Shack before and made plans to go. The guy that checked us in at the hotel told us to get there before 7:00 because later than that the wait is 2 hours or more. We got to Joe's at about 6:15 and at that time there was a 1 hour, 20 minute wait. No worries. They take your cell phone number and call you when your table is ready, so you can hang out in Old Sac until your table is ready. Joe's Crab Shack is a fun restaurant. It's loud, lots of parties going on, and nearly every 30 minutes the servers break into dance. Some of the fun loving customers get up and dance with them--we weren't some of those customers. Joe's has an exciting drink called a Shark Attack made of Barcardi Limon, Skyy Vodka, Blue Curacao and sour mix. There is a vial of grenadine "blood" the server pours into the drink when the drink is served along with bells being rung and the servers shouting about a shark attack.  The popular foods served at Joe's are steam pots and buckets of crab. We enjoyed our dinner at Joe's.

Joe's Crab Shack in Old Sacramento

Our other dinner during the weekend in Old Sac was at the Embassy Suites. During the cocktail reception I ordered an onion soup. The soup was served in an hollowed out onion that was sitting on top of rock salt. It was really quite tasty. We also ordered prime rib French dip sandwiches that we took to our room.  The bread on the sandwiches got a bit mushy in the to go boxes, so we would recommend eating them in the restaurant.

The onion soup at the Embassy Suites is served in a hollowed out onion

Well it was nice to get away for the weekend and get that pink slime mystery cleared up. I hope to get back to Old Sac again soon since I didn't get out to see all of the sights during this trip.

~merry~

Wine tasting at the Brice Station Winery in Calaveras County

It has been a tradition for several of my friends and I to go to the mountains over President's Day weekend. Since everyone's kids have grown, one of the snow days has turned into a wine tasting day. We have been heading up to Calaveras County in the California Gold Country and attending the President's Wine Weekend for the past several years. This wine country continues to mature! 2012 marked the 16th Annual President's Wine Weekend with 23 participating tasting rooms.

Brice Station Map

The President's Day Wine Weekend is a two day event and we attended on Sunday, which is day two of the event. Our first stop that day was the Brice Station Winery where we picked up our glasses for $10. This was one of the few stops with glasses left. I limited my tasting as I was the designated driver. The favorite appetizer here was the seeded baguette with almond and Gorgonzola spread, broiled and topped with a fig orange peel jam. Also on the Brice Station Winery property is a blacksmith shop that offers blacksmithing classes, and Quyle Kilns. This cooperative kiln offers a variety of pottery and styles. There were various animals around the property including chickens, dogs, geese, and llamas.

Brice Station Tasting Room

We drove on down the hill to Murphys, where the main street is lined with shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms. We stopped at the Vina Moda Winery, which is in a unique building. Across the street was Tanner Vineyards where they were serving the guests out in their gardens. I tasted the Syrah, which complemented the sausages hot off the grill.

Tanner Vineyards Tasting Room

My friends really enjoyed the Zinfandels at Milliare Winery. They particularly enjoyed the Clocksprings from Amador County. In fact, they picked up a bottle for our Kale Soup dinner. It was a wonderful Zinfandel!

Frog's Tooth Winery offered a wide variety of red wines. For food they were serving meatballs in a Tempranillo cranberry sauce.

Frog's Tooth Tasting Room

There were so many tasting rooms in this area, that even though I was driving, my friends could not stop at all of them! My "must visit" wineries are Stevenot Winery and Newsome-Harlow. Chuck Hovey, the winemaker at Stevenot and Scott Klann, owner and winemaker at Newsome-Harlow are judges at the Alameda County Fair's Best of the Bay Wine Competition and Zin Challenge.  I bought a bottle of Viognier at Stevenot and a Syrah at Newsome-Harlow.

Entrance to Stevenot Tasting Room

Inside the Stevenot Tasting Room

Both the Stevenot and Newsome-Harlow tasting rooms are very friendly. The owners of Stevenot, the Oliveto family, were pouring that day. They were serving delicious sausages from the Big Trees Market in Arnold. At Newsome-Harlow, Scott Klann was pouring. His wife, Melanie, was busy with The Kitchen at Newsome-Harlow. They offered fried root vegetables from their garden, a colorful variety of treats. The Courtyard has seating, a gas fire pit, and heated tubes, offering an alternative to the busy street and tasting rooms.

Newsome-Harlow Tasting Room

The courtyard at the Newsome-Harlow Winery

The last stop of the day was the Black Sheep Winery where Jane Drummond–Mullarkey purchased the Raspberry Sparkling Wine. Her Bunco group loves it!

Should you have an opportunity to visit Calaveras wineries – do so! You won’t be disappointed.

~Susie Calhoun~

Don't be fooled by outside of Knickerbockers in Greenwich Village, the food and decor is not like T.G.I. Friday's inside

Last October I attended a conference in Jersey City, New Jersey and right across the Hudson River from my hotel was my favorite city, New York. My sister Susie happened to be right across the river too, but we never did meet up.

The conference organizers coordinated a group of us to go to dinner together at the Knickerbocker Bar & Grill in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York one night. To get to the restaurant we took a ten minute PATH train ride from Jersey City to Greenwich Village. From the PATH train station we had to walk a few blocks (city blocks) to the restaurant. We were so focused on staying together, finding the restaurant, and getting to the restaurant on time that we really did not look at our surroundings. After dinner we were able to walk at a more leisurely pace back to the train station and although it was dark and drizzling, we really enjoyed the sights. At one cross street we looked down the street and saw the arch at Washington Square Park. We walked to the park, took some photos, and continued on our walk back to the train station. As we walked we saw small upscale restaurants in the basements of some of the buildings we passed by (check out the Lion restaurant). Limos and town cars lined the streets waiting for their passengers dining in these restaurants. Many of the buildings are over 100 years old and have ornate hand railings on the staircases leading up to the buildings. Some of the apartments had beautiful glowing chandeliers that we could see through the windows. There were window boxes with flowers on other buildings. I would sure like to go back during the daylight to see this charming neighborhood and check out some of the restuarants.

The arch in Washington Square

When we arrived at Knickerbocker's I thought we had been misguided and would be dining at a T.G.I. Friday's type of restaurant. The outside of the restaurant was quite deceiving as the inside of the restaurant has the look of a classic New York eatery with an old school bar, piano, and caricatures by the legendary caricaturist Al Hirshfield.

Caricatures by the legendary caricaturist Al Hirshfield.

Knickerbocker's bar

The group that I went to dinner with really enjoyed Knickerbocker Bar & Grill. A couple of the guys started off with the French onion soup that was served in the traditional soup crock with melted cheese over the top of the soup and a slice of bread. It looked great and the guys that ordered it said it was great. I had some of the best pasta ever. It was housemade pasta with linguine, shrimp, fresh chili, garlic, breadcrumbs and just incredibly good. Others had the filet mignon and the giant T-bone steak. One guy had a gianormous burger. For dessert I had the key lime pie that was also incredibly good.

My incredibly good linguini and shrimp at Knickerbocker Bar & Grill

The filet mignon

Knickerbocker's famous T-Bone steak

Key lime pie

I had always heard that New Yorkers eat late. As we were leaving the restaurant around 9:00 pm there were several groups of people waiting to get seated--this was not the case when we arrived at 7:00 pm. In my hometown the restaurants are starting to close at 9:00 pm on a Tuesday night. 

I love New York.

~merry~

The "Quaint" Mohonk Mountain House

If you read our blog with any frequency, you know my husband Troy and I traveled to New York in October. Our trip was inspired by the nuptials of Betty Higdon and Brendan Lovett. Betty, who was originally from Fairbanks and later Juneau, Alaska, moved to New York and became a Paramedic for FDNY. It was there that she met Brendan, an EMT for FDNY. Now residents of Brooklyn, they chose Mohonk Mountain House resort in upstate New York for their nuptials.

When telling her father about the location that she and Brendan chose for the location of their wedding, Betty described the Mohonk Mountain House as “quaint."  At first glance of the Mohonk Mountain House, you think grandeur, but once inside you see the quaintness.  Inside the hotel off the main passages are little rooms with fireplaces, comfortable chairs and couches . . . and just the right lighting.  The resort, described as a Victorian castle built on the spectacular cliffs above the deep-blue waters of Lake Mohonk, is located in the midst of the Mohonk Preserve and was built in 1869. The abundant porches have rocking chairs that look upon the lake, beautiful boulders and foliage.

One of the many seating areas inside the hotel

Just a sample of the Mohonk Mountain House's beautiful grounds

A few of the rocking chairs on the abundant porches at the Mohonk

Being the second weekend in October, the fall colors were making a grand appearance. The wedding was held inside due to the weather—it  wasn’t cold, but the fog hugged the mountainside. Betty's brother, Ben, played guitar as the wedding party walked down the aisle. A short, meaningful service was officiated by Brendan's grandfather. Betty and Brendan had special vows they whispered into each other’s ear.

While the wedding party was down on the dock having their pictures taken, the guests were up on the deck enjoying cocktails and appetizers. One table was set with a beautiful plate of cheese, crackers, and crudités with a variety of dressings. Another table had the warm appetizers that included sautéed mushrooms, a smoked duck with cranberry on a raisin crostini, and coconut shrimp.

While the wedding party was being photographed on the dock, the guests were served cocktails and appetizers

The appetizers

The newlyweds share a laugh with guests

A sit down dinner was served in the West Dining Room. Betty had paid such attention to detail! Each of the round tables were set with a birch vase filled with lit branches. There were candles, along with our name cards in birch holders, a small tree encased in a tube, and an ornament with their names and wedding date in a small organza bag. Betty and Brendan had their own smaller round table at the front of the room, providing family and friends an opportunity to visit with them. Of course, the newlyweds were up mingling with the guests as well.

Each table setting included a small tree encased in a tube and an ornament

The newlyweds had their own table at the reception

The dinner was absolutely delicious! A loaf of sliced artisan bread was served with two spreads – garlic and sun dried tomato. Next a roasted sweet potato and cranberry bisque, a delectable combo! The guests had their choice of entrees: a grilled New York strip steak with shallot mashed potatoes and Chasseur sauce or seared swordfish with eggplant puree and sweet tomato compote. There was also a vegetarian option, which was mushroom ravioli. I was privy to taste a bit of each and they were all bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection.

New York Strip Steak

Grilled Swordfish

Father of the Bride Greg Higdon, Bev Munsterman, Susie Calhoun, and Troy Bowers

Many toasts followed the dinner. The two best men, the maid of honor, bridesmaid and fathers each shared their emotional and reflective sentiments. Rather than tossing the wedding bouquet, Betty did something unique. There were four women among the guests that will be getting married in the next year, two of them sister-in-laws. Betty had a special bouquet made for each of them, which she handed to them as she said, "We already know who is getting married!"

The three tiered wedding cake was an Osnes family recipe, Betty's mom being Pauline Osnes. It was a zucchini cake, filled with lemon and iced with Bavarian Cream. Dancing followed the cake, with song titles provided by guests. They even played Troy's and my wedding song, Tequila!

 The wedding cake

Most of the family and Betty's personal assistant, Scott, traveled from Alaska. One uncle traveled from British Columbia, another uncle with her cousins from California. Brendan's family, mostly from the New York area didn't have quite the trek. People joyfully came from far and wide to celebrate the marriage of Betty Maria Higdon and Brendan Gerald Lovett! Here's to the newlyweds . . . and a gracious thank you for including us in an inspirational wedding celebration.

PS – you can see a picture of Betty and Pauline on page 150 of our cookbook, with Pauline's Oak Run Zucchini recipe.

The sight of lovers feedeth those in love.

~William Shakespeare - As You Like It, 3.4.54

~Susie Calhoun~

Bacon Date Tapas, easy to make and delicious to eat

My husband Troy and I had the opportunity to stay at the historic Casa Munras hotel in Monterey, California. The Estéban restaurant just off of the hotel’s lobby offers Mediterranean tapas and Spanish inspired cuisine. During the weekend we were there, the Sunday special in the bar was tapas. My favorite tapa was a date stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon. Knowing this would be a great appetizer to take to parties, I searched the Internet for the recipe. With only three ingredients, it is very simple to make.

The three ingredients: dates, blue cheese, and bacon

Last weekend one of our cookbook testers, Pat Byrne, had a gingerbread house making party, which these tapas were just perfect for. And, they were a hit! I thought our readers would enjoy them as much as I do. They are the perfect appetizer--simple and delicious!

Hey, maybe Pat will share her gingerbread recipe with us!?

The gingerbread house making party was a perfect event for the tapas

One of the gingerbread houses at the party

Bacon Date Tapas  -  Makes 24, prep time 30 minutes, bake time 30 - 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound bacon, medium thick slices work best

24 dates, fancy Medjools work well

8 ounces of blue cheese (I prefer Point Reyes Blue Cheese)

24 toothpicks

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with non-stick foil. Split the dates open, remove the pit. Fill the vacancy with blue cheese. Cut the strips of bacon in half and wrap the filled date in the half slice of bacon, then secure it with a toothpick. Place on cookie sheet/jelly roll pan. Put on a higher rack in the oven—the bottoms tend to burn when on a lower rack. Check after 20 minutes, if needed, turn them. Continue checking until golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel. These may be served at room temperature.

Removing the pit from the dates

The dates filled with blue cheese

The stuffed and bacon wrapped dates ready for the oven

The tapas are almost done cooking!

Enjoy!

~Susie

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."  ~Doug Larson

As Livermore's downtown continues to grow with new wine bars, pubs, and restaurants, one of the best is hidden out in Livermore's wine country

The first few miles of Tesla Road in Livermore is blanketed with vineyards, wineries, and tasting rooms. Hidden among them is the Underdog Wine Bar, which is one of my favorite places to go to unwind with friends and family or have a light leisurely lunch. The Underdog Wine Bar is adjacent to Concannon Vineyard's tasting room.

The decor at the Underdog is modern and tasteful

The wine distribution system keeps the wine at the optimal temperature

The decor in the Underdog is tasteful, modern, and leaves you with asking, "Is this really Livermore?!?" The decorator has also done a great job of incorporating grapes and vines into the decor.  One of the Underdog's assets is the outdoor patio that looks out on the Livermore hills, vineyards, and Concannon's grape arbor. The patio has heaters, so you can sit out there in all seasons and enjoy the view. There are tables, chairs, and couches for seating that can accommodate a fairly large group of people.

With views of the vineyards and Livermore Hills, the patio is one of the Underdog's assets

The wine can be ordered by glass, flight, or bottle. I usually order a flight which is three glasses on a wooden stand, with a fairly substantial pour. Ordering the flight gives me an opportunity to try a variety of wine. 

A flight of wine at the Underdog

The small plates served at the Underdog are incredible and designed by gourmet chef Barbara Llewellyn. The menu changes throughout the year and the items removed are replaced with seasonal foods. Currently on the menu is a braised short rib dish with seasonal vegetables that is out of this world. On a recent night when my sisters and I were at the Underdog, we could smell the short ribs cooking and it was a dizzying experience for the Calhoun sisters, especially since we were so hungry when we arrived. One small plate of the braised short ribs led to another . . . .

Homemade potato chips

Seasonal flat bread with walnuts, prosciuto, cheese, and grapes

There is an ahi tuna tartar tower that is always on the menu and is made with cucumber, avocado, radish, wasabi aioli, and coriander oil served with lightly salted wonton chips. Most of the people that I've been to Underdog with have ordered it and loved it (I don't do raw fish).  The desserts are not to be missed. One of the static menu items and always the best is the valrhona extra noir chocolate tart that is served with coffee bean caramel and sprinkled with grey salt. During the spring we took our cousin Becky and her daughter Kelsie to the Underdog for wine and dessert. My teen daughters and Kelsie thoroughly enjoyed the desserts especially the buttery strawberry shortcake that was on the menu at that time.

Valrhona extra noir chocolate tart with coffee bean caramel and grey salt

The seasonal straberry shortcake is made with a buttery pastry

The next time you're looking for a great place to spend some time enjoying a glass of wine, good conversation, and good eats, venture out to Livermore wine country's gem. You will be happy you did.  ~merry~

If all be true that I do think, There are five reasons we should drink:  Good wine— a friend— or being dry—Or lest we should be by and by—Or any other reason why.

~Henry Aldrich (1647–1710)

My husband, Troy, and I were able to attend the Brew Angel’s 63rd Annual Pub Crawl. The crawl was well attended, with 31 people boarding the bus for our trek to Moylan’s Brewery and Restaurant, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Third Street Ale Works and finally, Bear Republic. The back of the bus is reserved for the homebrews that members brought to share, very popular and tasty. It was a bright sunny day with beautiful views as we drove across Highway 12 from Lodi to the North Bay. This bus was equipped with a restroom, which we were discouraged to use for obvious reasons and “hold on” if we did!

Moylan's Brewery and Restaurant in Novato

Our first stop was Moylan's Brewery and Restaurant in Novato. The bartender lined up a plethora of brews for us to taste: Hopsicle Triple Hoppy IPA , Celts Golden Ale, Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale, Ryan O’Sullivan’s Imperial Stout, Irish Style Red, Orange and Black, White Christmas Spiced White Winter Lager. I would say my favorite was the Orange and Black, a special brew commemorating the San Francisco Giants World Series win. I first bought this beer in a bottle – a stout with hints of orange. All the beers were delicious and well balanced. Moylan’s has won many awards, both nationally and internationally. This was voted as our favorite brewery so far!

Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma

Up the road in Petaluma, we stopped at the Lagunitas Brewing Company.  A trip to the TapRoom and Beer Sanctuary is something to experience. A brewery that has always pushed the envelope, their facility is so very unique and artistically eclectic. Brian, our Lagunitas historian and tasting guide, shared much of their history and the story behind some of their beer names.

One such story would be the release of a brew to commemorate the Undercover Sting in their early days. They are in the process of a multimillion dollar expansion. We had the opportunity to taste Hop Stoopid, Pils – Czech Style Pilsner, Maixmus and a few others. Most of their beers I would consider “big beers” with high alcohol content, very well hopped.

Loved this stop! You may want to check out the Beer Circus in May. There was a great write up in The Celebrator Beer News about this now annual event, check it out!

Third Street Aleworks

Next stop was the Third Street AleWorks in Santa Rosa. This being our lunch stop, we were in need of food. The almonds and jerky I brought along were not holding up to the big beers! They had an extensive beer list, with lists posted on the wall, including alcohol content. We were offered a limited lunch menu with plenty of choices. Most popular at our table was the fish and chips.

At our table there were also grilled tri tip steak salad ,

and the Italian Pizza.

I ordered the Bird on Third - grilled chicken breast with bacon, avocado, pepper jack cheese served on a toasted French roll.

What do I like best about pub food? French fries! They were cooked to perfection, with the skins on. Some of the beers we tasted were: Annadel Pale Ale, Bodega Head IPA, Stonely Oatmeal Stout, Cascadian Dark Ale and American Wheat Ale. The service was remarkably smooth for a large group. Some people took the opportunity to run over to Russian River Brewing and taste some of their famous Pliney the Elder.

Bear Republic Brewing Company and Restaurant

Our final stop was Bear Republic Brewing Company and Restaurant in Healdsburg. Known for their Racer 5 we tasted that along with Big Bear, Red Rocket, Peter Brown Tribute Ale. Brian, a brewing assistant, gave us a short tour and took us over to the Barrel Room. The Barrel Room was set up for a dinner that evening. Bear Republic has won many awards, is home of the Best IPA in the US and has expanded their brewing facility to Cloverdale. The beer was tasty, well hopped. You could tell the day was wearing on us by this stop and it was time to load up the bus. As we were leaving Bear Republic, the dinner crowd was filtering in.

The bus ride back to Lodi was quieter than the ride over. There was still beer in the back for those that wanted it. As we pulled into the Flying J lot at the intersection of I-5 and Hwy 12, designated drivers met the bus. All headed home, looking forward to next year’s 64th annual Brew Angel’s Pub Crawl.

Susie

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer."

- Abraham Lincoln

An Anything Goes billboard on the corner of Broadway and 47th Street

Last month my husband Troy and I made a quick trip to New York City. Before leaving on the trip we made a list of everything we wanted to see in the city. First on the list was  a Broadway production! The thought of standing in line with hundreds to get a half price ticket at TKTS had no appeal, so when Travel Zoo sent out an email with discounts to Broadway productions, I hopped on it. This helped narrow our choices. Troy and I chose Anything Goes, a revival of the 1934 musical, at the newly remodeled Stephen Sondheim Theater. When looking at the reviews on didhelikeit.com to make a choice, Anything Goes had rave reviews.

The newly remodeled Stephen Sondheim Theater

We had tickets for the Sunday matinee and naturally we had to get a meal before seeing the show. While we were on our way to the theater the first restaurant we came upon was Heartland Brewery . . . which was PERFECT for us craft beer lovers! First off we ordered the beer sampler that included one of the specialty brews and six other samples. We started with the Indian River Light which was described as having the flavor of orange blossoms with coriander to enhance the crisp finish. It was the best of all. This was followed by Cornhusker Lager and a Harvest Wheat. Red Rooster Ale followed, this one tasted really good with French fries. The IPA  was flavorful, but it really couldn't compare to the California IPAs. Farmer John's Oatmeal Stout has won various medals at the Great American Beer Festival - this was a bit light for my liking. Finally, the specialty brew that day was the Smiling Pumpkin Ale, which was a lightly spiced brew. One of their "beer cocktails" was Stumpkin, a blend of the stout and pumpkin brews. The stout was so light it could be over powered by the pumpkin.

The Heartland Brewery in New York City

The beer sampler at Heartland Brewery

Along with the beer and food, Heartland also served a variety of cocktails, beer cocktails and wine. On the wine list was an Axis, 2007 Lodi Zinfandel for $36. The menu was a typical pub menu, with some variations. We chose the mini bison burgers with BBQ sauce and sliced tomato, it was juicy and flavorful. The French fries had skins on, were well done, and sprinkled with sea salt - just like I like them! Finally I had a chop salad with capers, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, kalamata olives, red onions, grape tomatoes, celery and croutons. It was too heavily dressed for me and the vegetables a bit wilted. Heartland has several locations throughout Manhattan.

Heartland Brewery's mini bison burgers

The chop salad at Heartland Brewery

When we arrived at the theater, the line to go in had already formed and people were all ready entering to see Anything Goes. Each doorway had an usher dressed as a sailor. The sets for the musical are described as "deco." I cannot say enough about this production. Every detail left a favorable and lasting impression. The music, the dancing, the costumes, the sets, the performers – all made for a memorable theate rexperience.

It was a great first day in New York City!

 ~Susie

This month has been just crazy. I've traveled over 12,500 miles and lucky for me, I do love to travel. During my travels I attended a conference in Jersey City, New Jersey.  The conference was held in a hotel in the Newport area of Jersey City, which is just across the Hudson River from New York City. With all of the tasteless reality shows featuring residents of New Jersey these days, I was wondering what I was getting myself into. Fortunately, I never ran into anyone that even resembled Snooki or The Situation, one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, or even anyone that looked Jerseylicious.

The yacht harbor in the Newport area of Jersey City, New Jersey

The view of New York from one of the walking paths in the Newport area

The Newport area of Jersey City was very nice. The conference was held at the Westin, which was one of the nicest hotels I have stayed at in a few years. The beds and linens in the rooms were awesome. They have gone above and beyond to provide you with a great stay by providing high quality soaps, shampoos, lotions in the sleeping rooms, heated towels and disposable ear buds in the workout room (the workout equipment all have individual TVs), and you can help yourself to apples in lobby. The food was incredible at the restaurants in the hotel and believe it or not, even the food served at the conference was outstanding. It also appears that the hotel staff has gone through extensive training to provide outstanding customer service, which I really appreciated.

Night time view of New York City from my room at the Jersey City Westin

Vegetable Rolls at the Fire & Oak Restaurant in the Westin

There are several restaurants in the area surrounding the Westin. One night during the conference we had an evening event at Michael Anthony's restaurant, which is situated on the Hudson River with a great view of New York. The event included a cocktail reception with passed appetizers and a sit down dinner. While the location of this restuarant is outstanding, I kept expecting chef Gordon Ramsey to appear for a Kitchen Nightmares makeover saying something such as, "What the f**k are you serving here? This food is f**king terrible. They quit serving this s**t in the 80's." He would have also had a field day with the servers serving the dinner as well. Given the great views of New York and the river, I would actually give the restaurant another try. I have found that even some of the best restaurants bomb when catering a large event.

Michael Anthony's restaurant on the Hudson River offers an outstanding view of New York City

The bar at Michael Anthony's

Another restaurant I tried in the area was Azucar Cuban Cuisine, a restaurant right across the street from the Westin. I really enjoyed the food, music and ambience at Azucar. One of the specialties at this restaurant is their Cuban sandwich, which is notorious for beating Bobby Flay in a throwdown. For a few weeks during October I was on a shrimp kick, so instead of the Cuban sandwich I tried a shrimp dish, Camarones a la Plancha, which were grilled shrimp seasoned with lime, fresh herbs and black pepper. The shrimp were great. My coworker, Rena, tried the grilled chicken breast, Bistec de Pollo al Grill, which was a lime juice marinated grilled chicken breast covered with onions and peppers. She said it was very tender and tasted great.

Azucar Cuban Cuisine restaurant

The Camarones a la Plancha, grilled shrimp seasoned with lime, fresh herbs and black pepper

Bistec de Pollo al Grill, lime juice marinated grilled chicken breast smothered in onions and peppers

I really enjoyed my visit to Jersey City.  Besides the Westin, there are other hotels in the area, such as a DoubleTree and a Courtyard Marriott. There is a Path train station about a block away from the Westin.  For $3 we took a seven minute train ride into Greenwich Village for dinner one night. Rena took the Path train into New York a few times and said she was able to easily walk to some of the attractions she wanted to see or transfer to the subway, which took her to other attractions.

I would definitely stay in this area again. I'll have to catch Snooki on some other trip.

~merry~

Adult food and beverages found at the Epcot Theme Park

Disney's Epcot Park in Orlando holds an international food and wine festival in October and the first part of November each year. The international marketplace that surrounds the lake at Epcot has kiosks set up in each "country" where you can buy a beer or wine paired with a tapa-sized entree or dessert specialty from the 22 countries represented. So, you can start in Australia (which is number 1 on the map below) and drink and eat your way around the world. On an occasion or two I've made the unfortunate mistake of not pacing myself and halfway around the world I've found that I've had a wee too much to drink.

A map of the Epcot theme park with numbers marking all of the opportunities where you can try food and beverages from other countries during the Food and Wine Festival

In addition to the kiosks in the international marketplace, there are also events that you can purchase tickets for in advance. Some of these events include cooking demos and meals prepared by well-known chefs from TV cooking shows and upscale hotels and restaurants. There are also Italian and French food and wine pairing events, tequila tasting, and a chocolate tasting paired with spirited beverages and wines lead by a professional chocolatier.

This year I had an opportunity to attend a private dining event during the Food and Wine Festival. In the true magical Disney fashion, we were driven behind the scenes and led through the park to a huge decorative wooden gate that opened to a dining hall that looked like it was decorated for the arrival of Cinderella. Inside there were stations set up with chefs at each station that prepared a dish for us and we were served a glass of wine that had been paired with the dish. My favorite dish of the night was the lean spiced duck medallion that was paired with a Pinot Noir. My friends liked the seared scallops the best. Oh yeah, did I mention that I also had a cosmopolitan?

The entrance to the dining room where the private dinner event was held

A couple of the chefs

Lean marinated duck served with potato mash and mango chutney

Scallops served with a grilled lemon and garlic bread

Short ribs served on pureed parsnips

If you visit Epcot when the food and wine festival is not in operation, never fear--you can still eat foods and sample alcoholic beverages from other countries. Just to name a few of the opportunities available, in Mexico they are always serving margaritas, there is an outstanding Norwegian bakery and a fancy French restaurant, German beer is always flowing in Germany, and there is a great British pub just waiting for you in Britain!

~merry~

Did you know that Liberty Enlightening the World was originally the name of the Statue of Liberty? On our recent trip to NYC, Troy and I secured some of the last tickets to walk to the crown of Lady Liberty, prior to the next remodel.

When you're 125 years old, there is a good chance you too could use a facelift! If visiting NYC, I would highly recommend this trip. Easily accessible via the subway, it makes for a full day when you also visit Ellis Island. Tip, do not take a pocket knife.Troy had to "secure" his knife in the bushes, at the suggestion of the security screeners.

After walking to the top, all 354 steps, we were ready to rest our legs. Just happened that there was a tour about to start. The U.S. National Park Service ranger, Dave Stack, imparted so much information with passion and beautiful back drops - the Manhattan and New Jersey shorelines, and the Statue of Liberty.

Dave shared some of the symbolism of the Statue. Her foot is not flat, but preparing to take a step, always moving forward. The shackles at her feet broken, freedom. The crown, always lit for enlightening. Did you know there are 250 watt bulbs to light that crown? Next stop was Ellis Island. This was a self guided tour. I loved reading the stories of people's reaction when they first viewed the statue as they entered the United States.

Needless to say, after our tours we were ready for some dinner and beverages. We caught the subway to Houston, just a few blocks from Bleecker (the street where the apartment is that were staying at). As we walked down Houston, we passed Gilda's Club www.gildasclubnyc.org/ - which supports anyone with cancer, the street also had a sign, "Gilda Radner Way." She was such a GREAT entertainer! So I diverge...

We headed to John's of Bleecker Street, Johnsbrickovenpizza.com. John's was recommended by Susie Ackerman, one of our recipe testers, and written up in United Airlines Hemisphere magazine. I had to eat John's New York pizza!

We had passed by John's at 9:00 on a Saturday night and again 6:00 on Sunday night, both nights had lines out the door. Tuesday at 5:00, we were seated immediately. John's was decorated in quite an eclectic way. The wooden booths had years of carvings on them. Actors and sports celebrities had autographed photos throughout the restaurant. I was seated under a picture of the 1961 Yankees. Troy selected the roasted tomato (with both red and yellow tomatoes), sliced meatball, and black olive pizza.

We accompanied that with a house salad - iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, pickled beets, onions dressed with a light vinaigrette dressing.

Beverage of choice was Yuengling Lager, a darker lager brewed in Pennsylvania www.yuengling.com/. It was great a NYC Greenwich Village neighborhood experience!

~ Susie

The Original Fried Pies sign in Davis, Oklahoma

Sometimes when I visit my sister in Texas we take trips up to Oklahoma.  We have visited the Arbuckle Wilderness drive through animal park and Turner Falls Park, both in Davis, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City where we have toured the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.  We always make a point to stop at Original Fried Pies in Davis, Oklahoma. It is in the heart of the Arbuckle Mountains.

The Original Pies Shop pamphlet says the fried pies were originally made for ranch hands in the fields in 1893.  They have other locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, but the Davis, Oklahoma location off Interstate 35 is the original location.

The Original Fried Pie Shop's menu

The generous sized hand held fried pies come in many flavors.  The fruit fillings are apricot, apple, peach,cherry, pineapple and blackberry.  You can also get the fruit pies sugar free. The cream pie fillings are coconut, chocolate, lemon and vanilla.  They also have pecan, which is one of my mom’s favorites (along with the blackberry). They have breakfast pies – sausage, cheese and egg and bacon, cheese and egg.  For lunch and dinner you could try chicken and vegetable, beef and vegetable, broccoli and chicken, spinach and mushroom, polish sausage and potato in a light cheesesauce, Tex-Mex or pizza style.

Fried pie crust and fillings

Assembling the pies

Assembled pies

Cherry fried pie

My husband thoroughly enjoyed the sausage, cheese and egg.  My favorite is cherry.  The crust is light and flaky.  My great nephew Karson really liked his cherry pie.  He had his almost eaten before I sat down with mine. 

Karson loooved his pie!

We always eat one there and take one or two with us to eat later.

If you like them hot, it only takes a few minutes for them to make one in your choice of flavor.

My sister goes up to the animal park quite often and she always has to stop at Original Fried Pies. If you are ever in the area, take a break and stop and get a fried pie.

~Wendy~

Cafe Espanol in Greenwich Village

Last Saturday, my husband Troy and I traveled to New York City for a short visit . . . unfortunately, it was way too short!

Our arrival into Manhattan's Greenwich Village was via one of those fast, wild New York cab rides.  We were dropped at the apartment we rented for our stay on Bleecker Street, near New York University.

A friend had highly recommended that we go to John's Pizza while we were in New York. In addition to our friends recommendation, on the flight in, there was a short blurb in United's Hemisphere magazine on John's being one of the best NYC pizza places - but "no slices!" This is where we wanted to go for dinner, but when we flew by in the cab, we saw the line of people waiting to eat there was way out the door.

After getting settled in the apartment, we had decided the line was too long at John's and we really wanted a beer and food, NOW! Luckily, Bleecker Street is full of restaurants. Just on our block there are at least six restaurants! We decided to walk down the street a bit and came upon a Spanish restaurant, Cafe Espanol, which is a charming restaurant. It looked small from the outside - narrow and deep. They had several rooms for dining, a front patio and a garden. We ate out on the front patio, so entertaining!

There was an extensive menu, with at least 50 tapas and entrees. These included meat, poultry, fish, seafood and many lobster dishes. Seeing how it was late, Troy and I didn't want a heavy meal. So many choices! First, BEER! Though we should have gotten sangria, we quenched our thirst with Negra Modelo.

Our Negra Modelo along with a olive oil, garlic, olive, and pimento dipping sauce

The meal started with fresh bread, served with a dipping sauce of olive oil, garlic, olives, and pimentos. I have got to try to make this at home! Next we ordered the avocado salad, which was full of Haas avocados, romaine lettuce, and tomatoes along with a flavorful, creamy vinaigrette.  Next Troy ordered a tapa, Lomo de cedro con champinones, pork loin with sautéed mushrooms and wine. This was delicious! We also ordered some sautéed string beans.

The avocado salad at Cafe Espanol

Lomo de cedro con champinones tapa, pork loin with sautéed mushrooms and wine

Sautéed green beans

The service was fantastic--attentive but not overbearing. All of our servers were men that all seemed to love their job. They even offered to take our picture! Should you happen to be in this neighborhood, Troy and I would recommend this restaurant, not only for the food but the atmosphere. As we sat on the patio, we watched the people and the traffic . . . driving by was a Bentley, a Rolls Royce, and several hundred taxis.  Hello New York!

~Susie

We’re fixin’ to take ya’ll on a trip to the South by way of Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen in Berkeley… We recently took our friend Deana, a native Louisiana gal, on her first trip to Berkeley. Telegraph Avenue is one of my favorite spots to take tourists to give them a unique view of the hippy mecca, a time warp back to the 60’s (I did end up buying a couple of leather bracelets from a street vendor, really!!). But the main reason for this trip was get Deana out of the house where the kids were getting ready for their surprise 30th anniversary party. So her daughters and I found a restaurant online that touted southern hospitality and Louisiana cuisine, Angeline’s Kitchen, the perfect diversion - food from home! The Blume family knows southern hospitality, and fortunately, we have often been the recipients … red beans and rice, huge pots of gumbo with a slooooooow cooked roux, shrimp casseroles, home made root beer, another story to be told in a future blog.

So we covertly headed to Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley with an appetite and found Angeline’s, a small unassuming storefront, but once you step inside, it’s southern comfort all the way.

The aromas from the kitchen, decorations on the walls, the bar and open kitchen make you feel right at home. It was a tough call when the menu came, we wanted to try everything, and we almost did! Prices were very reasonable, and the portions looked plentiful as the plates were passing our table by. There were only three of us but we did our best to eat our way across Louisiana, you would have thought we were ordering for a small army.

Deana recommended that we start off with the Hush Puppies, a traditional cornmeal fritter with honey butter. Those puppies were served hot and full of flavors from the South, herbs, spices and a wee bit of a kick, which won Deana over from the start, she was home!

Hush Puppies with a flavorful kick

Our traveling partner Rose chose the Classic Muffuletta, overflowing with salami, mortadella, provolone, and olive salad, taking us on a flavor trip right back to New Orleans. The Baked Mac & Cheese with a crunchy parmesan crust was calling her name, so we all got a taste of some home cookin’, just like mamas.

Classic Muffuletta, Potato Salad and Mac & Cheese

The Southern belle ordered a NOLA classic, the Shrimp Po’ Boy dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Creole mustard, mayonnaise and hot sauce. Fresh crunchy shrimp was spilling out and the kick of the mustard and hot sauce was LA all the way. Their sandwiches come with a side of Potato Salad, red potatoes with Creole dressing and green onions, the dressing gave it a very flavorful kick. And for just $2.50 you can substitute your side with Angeline’s Gumbo full of okra, andouille, tasso ham, and shrimp, so instead of having to choose one or the other, we got both. We were beginning to fill up!

Straight from the South Gumbo and Shrimp Po' Boy

I ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken, I was so excited with the menu I didn’t realize it was boneless breast of chicken, not whole pieces, my only disappointment, but it had a crusty crunch on the outside and was moist and delicious on the inside, great flavors. The chicken came with ginger-vanilla sweet potato mash, tasso ham cream gravy and Blue Lake green beans. The sweet potato mash was absolutely divine, that alone was worth the drive to Berkeley! Sweet, creamy and full of flavor, it could be a meal in itself, close to sweet potato pie delicious.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and heavenly Sweet Potato Mash

The Blume family tells me that it’s very hard to find a hot, fresh Beignet outside of New Orleans, well we hit the jackpot at Angeline’s, they were cooked to order, hot and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious with a mountain of powdered sugar sprinkled on top. I didn’t know that you’re supposed to eat beignets with your hands, not a fork, so I got a teasing from Deana, me the hillbilly that usually doesn’t have the best of manners. And you’re supposed to have powdered sugar battles at the end of the meal, so don’t wear black!

Fried to order Beignets with just a little powdered sugar!

We met Angeline’s Chef, Brandon Dubea, who hales from Louisiana himself, Baton Rouge, where he spent many an hour growing up in his grandpa’s Cajun grocery store, and helping out with crawfish boils. I think he has hot sauce running through his veins, he definitely made his grandpa proud with this meal.

Direct from Baton Rouge, Chef Brandon Dubea

If it wasn’t for the 3 cups of coffee we drank (goooood coffee) we definitely would have eaten ourselves into a Cajun coma! It was a good thing we were planning to introduce Deana to the Telegraph neighborhood where we could walk off lunch browsing the street vendors, and yes, there was a tie-dye t-shirt vendor peddling his wares on the corner.

We will definitely be heading back to Angeline’s Kitchen, it wasn’t just a meal, it was a gastronomic adventure! A few items I plan on trying next round are the Fried Catfish, Voo Doo Shrimp, Crawfish Etouffee, Grilled Boudin, Abita Pure Can Root Beer, and we will definitely finish up with another round of beignets, eaten without a fork. Our Southern belle Deana gives Angeline’s a thumbs up!

Laisser les bons temps rouler!

Nancy, Deana & Rose

Just about an hour drive from my house is Half Moon Bay, which is a small farming community next to the Pacific Ocean. On Thursday, my sister Nancy and I took my girls there for the day. Shortly after arriving in Half Moon Bay, my youngest daughter let us know she needed to be home early because she was going to an event that night and her friends were all meeting at our house at 4:30 pm to get ready. So, what had started out as a leisurely day in Half Moon Bay, now became the "let's see and do everything we can in a few hours day."

Our first stop in Half Moon Bay was at Jeff Clark Maverick's Surf Shop. Jeff Clark was one of the founders of the world famous Maverick's surf contest and is a world class surfboard shaper. Nancy ended up buying a surfboard. OK, so it wasn't a full sized surf board-- it was a wooden postcard shaped like a surfboard.

Jeff Clark Maverick's Surf Shop

Our next stop was the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company for lunch. Although it was cold and foggy, we opted to sit outside to eat. Nancy and I shared one of the Maverick's beer samplers. We really liked the Devil's Slide Summer Ale, which was served with lemon. As for the food, we started off with the artichoke hearts that are battered with an amber ale batter. A couple of us had cups of the clam chowder, which was outstanding. The consistency was just right and the flavor was great. The soups are made daily from scratch. Nancy had Avô's Portuguese Fisherman's Stew, which was also outstanding. The fisherman's stew is a mix of fresh fish, shellfish, fennel and linguica in a garlic broth with cilantro. If you click here, you can get the recipe. My daughters both had the pear salad, which is made with radicchio, spring mix, endive, candied walnuts and pecans, roasted pear, dried cranberries and bleu cheese with raspberry vinaigrette. I had the crab louie. Reminder to myself: If it's not crab season, don't order the crab louie.

Half Moon Bay Brewing Company

Maverick's Beer sampler

Half Moon Bay Brewing Company's clam chowder

Avô's Portuguese Fisherman's Stew - Click here for the recipe

Right across the street from the Monterey Bay Brewing Company is Barbara's Fish Trap, which is our parent's favorite restaurant in Half Moon Bay. We ran into to some other people that day that also said Barbara's Fish Trap is their favorite restaurant in the area. Barbara's is a four star restaurant on Yelp and Half Moon Bay Brewing is only 3.5 stars. Might be worth checking out.

Barbara's Fish Trap in Half Moon Bay

Our next stop was Main Street in the historic downtown Half Moon Bay. Cuhna's Country Grocery was one of the places we really wanted to visit on Main Street. At Cuhna's we were pleased to find a selection of Portuguese foods, which included a few types of linguica and pies from a Portuguese bakery. The Portuguese offerings in our hometown are pretty minimal.

Cuhna's Country Grocery

There are quite a few interesting stores and sights in the Historic Downtown area. At the southern end of Main Street is the Toque Blanche cooking store and next to it is the Moonside Bakery and Cafe. Had we not been on stringent schedule, we probably could have spent half of the day in the cooking store, which "sells professional quality cookware and tools to the serious home chef." It appears they do cooking demonstrations in the store and the staff is very knowledgeable about the tools and cookware that they sell. The bakery and cafe next door had quite a variety of sweets and an indoor dining area that was decorated in such a way that you would feel you were dining outside.

Toque Blance cooking store

Moonside Bakery and Cafe bakery goods

Moonside Bakery and Cafe dining area

There are a few boutique hotels in the historic downtown area. Each one looks very inviting. I would sure like to get back there to stay in one of them for a weekend.

Hotels in historic Half Moon Bay: San Benito House (left) and HMB Hotel (right)

Cottage Industries handcrafted furniture store

It's Italia restaurant front (left) and a window display a few doors down (left)

One of the murals in historic downtown Half Moon Bay

Historic home

Half Moon Bay's historic jail--I expected a Barney Fife character to step outside any minute

Not sure, but we think this is an art gallery

Part of a mosaic in the town square

While on Main Street we also visited the Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel store, which is actually still a feed store that in addition to livestock feed sells farm and ranch supplies, horse tack supplies, pets and pet supplies. They also sell chickens. They had an impressive variety of chicks available. One of the employees spent a few minutes with us showing us the color of eggs that each breed lays. The chicks they were selling would produce brown, pink, and blue eggs.

Chicks for sale at the Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel

Just blocks away from the historic downtown are public beaches. As I mentioned earlier, it was cold and foggy in Half Moon Bay on Thursday; however, since we were so close to the ocean, we really needed to at least take a walk on the beach.

Auntie Nancy on the beach with my daughters

The cliffs along the beach

When we drive to Half Moon Bay from the East Bay Area, we take Highway 92, which winds it's way down a mountain into Half Moon Bay and we pass several farms selling food, flowers, and plants. During the fall the farms sell pumpkins and during the winter you can cut your own Christmas tree. Naturally, we had to stop at a few of the farms on the way out of town.

Flowers, pumpkins, beans, sunflowers and other crops along Highway 92

Beets and Swiss chard

Cabbage and freshly cut zinnias

Honeycombs and pumpkins

Honey, pumpkin blossoms, and green onions

All-in-one gift store, flower stand, and veggie stand

As you can see, we were able to see a lot in a very short amount of time in Half Moon Bay. Some of the things we did not get to enjoy were the bike trails, watching surfers, cocktails at the pretentious Ritz-Carlton, and playing in the water. So, I guess I'm just going to have to go back for the weekend real soon.

~merry~

The 320 Ranch Dining Room

During our recent vacation in Montana I noticed that there are many "guest ranches" (formerly known as dude ranches) along the Madison and Gallatin Rivers. Most of the guest ranches are situated at the base of a mountain in a cluster of trees and have attractive log cabins for the guests to stay in. The ranches offer horseback riding adventures, trout fishing expeditions, rafting, hiking, and many other outdoor activities. I would like to stay at one of these guest ranches some day.

The entrance to the 320 Ranch

One of the ranches in Big Sky, the 320 Ranch, has a pig roast on Monday nights during the summer and it's not just for the guests of the ranch--everyone is welcome to attend. A couple of Monday nights ago, a group of us met up at the 320 Ranch for the pig roast. The cost of the pig roast, an all you can eat buffet dinner, is $10, which includes ice tea and lemonade. The night we were there they had live music, $2 beer on tap, and some nice wine.

The entertainment

Everyone enjoyed the beautiful evening and surroundings at the 320 Ranch

The pork is served with whole wheat buns and two different types of sauces. One of the sauces was a very tasty BBQ sauce. Accompanying the meat was beans, a coleslaw, potato salad, and cookies. Often times when you attend an event like this, the coleslaw and potato salad are bought in bulk and flavorless or tastes packaged. All of the side dishes, including the beans were freshly made and full of flavor.

The buns and pork

Coleslaw and potato salad

Beans and cookies

The pig

Members of our gang at the pig roast

It's not often that many of us have an opportunity to attend an event in a setting like this. So when opportunity knocks, I say go for it!

~merry~

If you were to float down the Madison River in Montana, you would see some of the most beautiful country in America and the Campfire Lodge and campground is nestled right in there, along the Madison river, in some of the most beautiful country in America. The Campfire is located about 20 minutes outside of West Yellowstone. The Campfire has a cafe, which is a favorite breakfast spot for the locals and the folks that summer in the area. So, when we visit our Calhoun side of the family that summers in the area, a trip to the Campfire is a must.

Wild flowers are scattered throughout the Campfire property

The Campfire's riverside cafe

The counter

My favorite corner in the cafe

One of the dining rooms

The patio in back

The view from the back dining room and the patio is just incredible. We can watch people fly-fishing or look for wildlife while we are dining in these areas. It's not often that you can see an Osprey dive into a river while you are eating breakfast, and at the Campfire's cafe we have seen it happen.

While I usually eat something that is full of fiber and low in fat for breakfast, I don't at the Campfire's cafe. During our visit to the cafe last week, Harold Foster and I both ordered the pancake "sandwich," which we expected to be two small pancakes with an egg and bacon. Were we ever surprised when we were served two huge pancakes, about 10 inches in diameter, with the egg and bacon on top. Three days later I was literally still chipping away at the rest of pancakes that I brought back to the cabin with me.

The pancake "sandwich" that includes, not just one, but TWO giant pancakes

My husband ordered the chicken fried steak, which was the special that day. It too was of substantial proportion and well seasoned.

The special of the day, chicken fried steak

After breakfast we drove through the Campfire's campground. The wildflowers and scenery were just incredible.

Have you ever stayed at a campground that looks like this?!

Wild hollyhocks

If you happen to be in the area, be sure to drop by the Campfire Lodge cafe and drive through the campground. However, make sure you take off your wet waders before you go into the cafe, as the sign says at the door, NO Wet Waders.

~merry~

Grilled marinated tri-tip

My family and I just spent an amazing week with our cousin Becky Foster and her family at Hebgen Lake in West Yellowstone, Montana. Becky's parents have owned a beautiful log cabin that overlooks Hebgen Lake for many years. The first day we arrived was Kelsie Foster's 17th birthday. A few of the neighbors from the surrounding cabins were invited to the cabin for Kelsie's birthday dinner.  One of the neighbors brought some great sauteed green beans, another family supplied fireworks, and we provided Livermore Valley wine (a Cuda Ridge cabernet). Becky had been marinating some beef tri-tips from California for a couple of days, which her husband Harold grilled to perfection. She also made some outstanding mashed potatoes, pasta salad, and green salad.  While waiting for dinner, our daughter Laina gave the other teens henna tattoos.

Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone, Montana

One of the henna tattoos

The teens amusing themselves before dinner

During dinner there were lively conversations and lots of laughs. We enjoyed a delicious cake from a bakery in West Yellowstone and after dinner we were treated to an incredible fireworks display that was provided by the neighbors from Kansas. What a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday!  Below is the marinade recipe that Becky used to marinade the tri-tips. It is a recipe that Becky had provided for our cookbook. I often use the recipe at home and really enjoy it. I hope you will too. 

The birthday cake

Meat and Game Marinade - Makes about 1 1/4 cups

We used to have this growing up when dad would go deer hunting. It was so good with fresh venison. About 2 pounds would be cut into 2-inch cubes, coated well with the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. It is much better if you can let it marinate overnight. You can also marinate a whole flank steak or tri tip and then barbecue it. Be sure to slice it on the diagonal. Also try dredging cubes of marinated meat in flour and frying them in oil, turning once, until cooked. -Becky Calhoun Foster

Ingredients

3/4 cup salad oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

Directions

In a nonreactive pot or bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, honey, garlic powder, and garlic. Place the meat to be marinated in a glass pan or gallon sized freezer bag and cover with marinade. Let meat sit in marinade for at least 6 hours. Turn meat occasionally during marinating to ensure all sides are marinated. 

~merry carter~

Susie Calhoun, Lori Neely South, and Hank the Longhorn at the Gaylord Texan Resort

My trip to Texas was a quick one. Some of our Holm cousins relocated to the Dallas area several years ago and have embraced the spirit of the state. They wanted me to see as much as I could in an evening, so a trip to The Gaylord Texan Resort was in order. Inside the atrium you can visit various areas of Texas. It is beautifully landscaped as you see a representation of the Alamo, take a walk on the Riverwalk, or visit the Hill Country.

There is a large selection of restaurants to choose from. Representing the Riverwalk is the Riverwalk Cantina with Tex Mex food, Old Hickory Winebar and Steakhouse, Zeppole for Italian food and the Texas Station Sports Bar and Grill. Our cousin, Lori Neely South, knows I love sports, so she decided the Texas Station would be best for us, especially with two of her young grandsons joining us.

Texas Station features a 30’ x 52’ HD screen for your viewing pleasure. There were also many other screens strategically placed around the room. Those watching March Madness were in heaven! The food was classic pub fare – the meats flavorful. As the food was delivered our cousins said, “At least Wendy (fellow cookbook partner) isn’t here so we don’t have to take pictures of the food!” The response was, “but Susie’s here!” So indeed I got a few pictures. I had a pulled pork sandwich. It was too large to consume the whole thing in one sitting. Most dishes were accompanied with Texas Toast, fries and cole slaw – who doesn’t love that! I had a signature Orange Mojito – so refreshing.

The big screen at the Gaylord's Texas Station

The Texas Station's orange mojito

Texas Station pulled pork

Texas Station ribs

Texas Station wrap

Our next stop was Pete’s Piano Dueling Bar in Addison – its smoke free. With two pianos, some wild musicians and a crowd celebrating many bachelorettes and birthdays, some fun was had! The grandsons had to miss this part of the evening. Jessica’s husband, Robby, was so kind to put in a request for the Beach Boy's, California Girls. From then on throughout the evening references to “Susie and the California gang” came up. I have never seen a place serving up so many “shots” and challenging people to earn them! There was a competitive spirit in that crowd that made it extra entertaining. Pete’s is scattered throughout Texas and now Las Vegas.

Thanks to Lori, Jessica and Jamie I was able to experience so much of Texas in a brief visit…too short of time with my cousins, but so memorable. The Gaylord Texan is only six miles from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. If you need a place to stay and visit Texas in a hurry, I can suggest the Gaylord Texan. It’s BIG, just like Texas!

~Susie Calhoun

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck