Try Something New

This bright weirdly shaped fruit caught my eye at the grocery store. "What IS this?!" It was the strangest thing—a Buddha's Hand. Well, I can see why. I Snapped it to a few people who had the same reaction as I. A few days later I went back to buy one, because OF COURSE I had to try it. How can one not?

After reading up on it, I found that it's the oldest citron known, and it doesn't have any edible fruit inside. The rind is used for flavoring lemon dishes. Which makes sense. It smells heavenly, like a combination of orange and lemon rind plus citrus blossom. I liked rubbing my nose all over it and breathing deeply—eyes closed for maximum olfactory pleasure.

Here's what it looked like inside.

Looking for a way to preserve it, I found a recipe and candied the rind.

Then I skewered a piece on a toothpick for each person in the family to try and we all gagged! IT WAS SO BITTER! I had to rinse out my mouth. So yeah, use the rind for flavoring, don't actually eat chunks of it. I left the jar at home with Dad. I assume he's using it in hot tea? (Need to contact him and see if he's had any adventures with it.)
Isn't it fun trying new things?

Little Napa

Over Christmas we took a day trip to beautiful Napa Valley. We decided on the jaunt last minute, so I didn't have much time to plan. I found a blogger who'd posted her trip to Napa so we followed her footsteps and took the 1.5 hour drive west.

First stop: V Marketplace off of HWY 29 in Yountville. (Who am I kidding, everything in Napa is off 29.) The marketplace has several different shops inside and some decent art, I actually found something I would buy which doesn't happen often. Alas...$$$$. The landscaping is immaculate. It's rather sad we experienced the landscape during winter. I think I would DIE if I saw everything in full bloom.

Around back we bumped into Bottega, a restaurant featuring the food of Chef Michael Chiarello from Food Network. Here's a description of the food:

Chef Chiarello has created a menu of micro-regional Italian cuisine, selecting the best dishes from across Italy and anchoring them with artisanal, heritage, or house-made ingredients. Chef and his team carefully select the purveyors for produce, meat and fish, and focus as much as possible on local sources. Pastas, cured meats, fresh cheeses, cured olives and the like are all made in house.

It was 10:30 and while reviewing the menu, prices didnt make us choke, so we stepped inside for an early lunch.

Bottega wasn't technically open but they took our names and seated us a half an hour later. Soon after, the restaurant was completely full, so I think we were lucky to get in. I believe that if you want to eat anywhere in Napa Valley reservations HAVE to be made. Or you can arrive before opening and check out the restaurant sans patrons and try to take pictures without anyone noticing. :)

By the way, French Laundry, a Michelin 3 star is located just down the street.  Reservations must be made at least 6 months in advance. And you can expect an 8 course meal for $270 each.

Ahem...back to Bottega...

Our experience here was one of the ABSOLUTE best I've had. The waiter was witty, sharp, and professional. When I say professional, I mean to say, it was his profession and he enjoyed it. It's so wonderful to receive that kind of service and interaction at a restaurant. Ahhh, the things money can pay for.

ALL the food options looked unique and mouth watering. Narrowing down my decision was difficult and Adam simply couldn't do it. The waiter suggested he take care of it so Adam took him up on the offer (barring anything squid-like.)

Course 1:
Anna orders: Polpette all Griglia—Grilled short rib meatballs with pine nuts in Sicilian tomato sauce, sweet Italian Peppers in agrodolce, fresh ricotta and coal-roasted eggplant.

Here, Anna almost starts to cry. The flavors were perfection. She can tell it's been cooked in a brick oven and the coal roasted eggplant has SO MUCH flavor! The meatballs paired incredibly well with the tomato sauce and sweet peppers. She eats slowly and moves the food around in her mouth for maximum impact.

Adam is served—Something Off-menu. Crispy soft boiled egg with ham, greens, sauce and ???
The waiter tells Adam this dish is inspired by the chef's two daughters to whom he used to read "Green Eggs and Ham."

Adam can't believe his tastebuds. The egg is unexpectedly delicious and the ham tastes NOTHING like ham, tastes like something...much better...juicy and almost sweet? And the sauce. Oh the sauce! His eyes roll back in his head as he crunches down on another bite of soft egg.

Course 2:
Anna Orders: Raviolo di Uovo—Potato pasta filled with farm hen egg yolk, ricotta and Swiss chard with truffled brown butter and sage.
The chef recommended slicing into the pasta to allow the egg yolk to combine with the browned butter and sage, thus creating a delicious sauce.

Anna softly breaks into her pasta, as watches as the yellow takes over.  She mixes the sauce, takes a bite, and now her emotions have caused her sight to get blurry! So far the experience in Napa has been lovely and refreshingly different. The waiter is a pleasure to interact with, and the food is so fantastic it's hard to describe. She has a whole day she's looking forward to in a beautiful valley and now as she slowly chews this incredibly fresh pasta she's blinking back the tears. She's NEVER tasted pasta like this before and it just brings her emotions to the top! Hopefully the waiter doesn't come by and please let Adam be too distracted by his dish to notice.

Adam is Served: Conserve di Anatra—Confit of half Sonoma duck, sautéed with wild pea greens, grilled strawberry-rhubarb mustarda, duck jus. (Not pictured)

Adam is a little wary of duck, he's never had it prepared well. But as he lifts the fork to his mouth and takes the first bite his face lights up—it's simply delicious and juicy—not oily. The strawberry-rhubarb mustarda is a delight paired with this brown meat. He offers Anna a bite...but not a big one.  His dish is his main focus now. Each bite he takes in he savors. Soon his half duck will be gone and he's dreading it. (Duck not pictured. Sorry...it was a bad photo.)

After lunch we pulled back onto 29 and enjoyed the scenery until stopping at Oakville Grocery.
(It was a nice spot but...I wouldn't recommend it if you're pressed for time.)

It was a tiny little store and everything in it was gourmet, specialty food. I enjoyed looking at the packaging.

We might have bought a few items...but when a chocolate bar runs $12.00 I am happy to just look. I think their bread must be excellent though. They were sold out and a customer was upset by that fact.

We hopped back into the car and kept an eye open for the Sterling Vineyard Winery.

Then, suddenly there it was...glaringly white upon the hilltop. We've never been to a winery before. Imagine the excitement.

Now, the only way up to the winery is by a solar powered tram. Okay by me!!!

We exited the tram and made our way up and down the hallways of the building reading plaques  about the wine making process. Since it was off season, no production was taking place. Everything was still. The rooms were full of barrels going through the aging process and the smell of wine was wafting all through the building.

The view of the valley was superb. I hadn't realized how small Napa is. And only 5% of the world's wine comes from here...but what a lovely, lovely place tucked away among the hills of California.

The sun was QUICKLY setting. So we thought perhaps we could catch a quick glimpse of the Castello Di Amorosa before dark. You can read up on the whole project here. 

This is an "authentically-built, 13th century inspired Tuscan castle. Building materials included 8,000 tons of locally quarried stone, in addition to paving stones, terra cotta roofing tiles and some 850,000 bricks imported from Europe. Among other features is has: a moat, drawbridge, defensive towers, and interior courtyard, chapel/church, knight's chamber, and a great hall."

When we arrived the tours were booked for the day. We could have taken a self guided tour—but I thought that wouldn't be particularly as interesting as listening so someone rambling off a bunch of cool facts so we opted to try again someday. (I kind of want to take the children's tour because it includes grape juice instead of wine. We don't drink and I've always wondered how the grape-juice from different wineries might taste. Silly, but hey.)

It was dark when we left the castle so we were done in Napa. (It's hard to vacation in the winter when the days are so short!)  But to finish off the day I remembered Fentons was on the way home. Yes! It was the perfect ending to a good-food-day. Fenton's house made ice cream and chocolate sauce are incredible. (Even Dad says so. I consider him the expert because he MAKES excellent chocolate sauce too.) Plus, the serving sizes never disappoint.
Pictured below is the Saddle Back Brownie. Yes, there's a brownie under there, and I added a banana for good measure.

What a short but incredible day. I hope we make the time to go back again.

Jingle Bell Run 10K

Wanting to run some kind of marathon while we were in California—I was hoping for one in Sacramento—but the only thing I could find was one up in Placerville on Christmas eve morning. Okay with me!
The description said: A Jingle Bell run among the Christmas decorated streets of Placerville. So I signed up for a 10k; thought it would be fun to run down Main Street.

After registration, I was unable to find a map for the run. So, I sent an email and got a quick response sending me to ANOTHER website with a COMPLETELY different run title: Placerville Path Mingle and Jingle.

The race was NOT down main street in Placerville, it was rather, on a running trail that follows highway 50 east up the mountain. How misleading! I was disappointed, but not enough to put me off the run. (I mentioned this to my new friends whom you'll meet below and they had thought the exact same thing.)

So, in another email I inquired as to how many runners had signed up. 97 That's it. And that was split between a half marathon, 10k, and 5k. I was more deflated. But I still wanted to run a Christmas eve race...and race fees are nonrefundable—it's just the way things are—so I went with a good attitude :) That's what running does to you. Heh. Heh.

It was in the lower 30's that morning. SO COLD. I picked up my running bib (with no chip) and Adam left me so he could go back home to pick up the cheering squad. I waited and walked around and around this bus station trying to stay warm while looking quite fashionable in my Ugly Christmas Sweater and hat.

It's funny how people tend to attract to one another...somehow we three saw each other waiting alone so we grouped together and ended up becoming 20 minute friends.
I don't even think we traded names, but we had fun chitchatting while waiting around for instructions.

I said good luck and Merry Christmas to my friends (they were doing the 5k) and grouped with my 10kers and started running when the bearded man said "go!" and pressed his official stopwatch. There were perhaps 20 of us in the 10k group.

The path was nice, forested in parts, and we didn't see the freeway much. It was uphill for the first half for an elevation gain of 449 feet! Since my training in flat Texas elevates about 115 feet... there were a few places I had to walk just to get my heart rate back down or else pass out. But knowing there was a cheering squad I couldn't disappoint, I pushed myself to keep pace!

Below: the overpass goes right over Highway 50 just outside of downtown Placerville. A few cars honked as we ran over. It was fun!

I had the pleasure of passing this awesome cheering squad twice! It was such a small race, they were the only ones cheering anyone along the path. One runner told me she felt the love.

I don't know if they truly WANTED to come—except to support me—so I am grateful! (I mean, who REALLY wants to get out of a warm bed to come cheer a bunch of strangers...?) But it makes such a difference as a runner, who's doing something hard, to know there are people waiting to cheer. It was AWESOME.

The nice thing about this race being uphill during the first half....is that the last half was all downhill! Who doesn't like running downhill? (Though, it put an unusual kind of strain on my hip, and I paid for it later. I could barely lift my leg for a couple of days and the pain was so intense I felt it in my back. The pain still isn't totally gone.)

The girls and Mo met me before the finish line and ran with me to the end. Then I hit the finish line where everyone else was waiting. So fun. I love my family. I think about this day often when I am out running alone (more like limp-running since my hip is still giving me problems. Yes, I know I should stay off it. I know. I know.)

I picked up my official FINISHER certificate...no comment...and picked up my goodie bag of kale chips—because thats what every thirsty, dry mouth runner wants at the end of a good run—and went home to enjoy the rest of the day in the usual Christmas Eve fashion.

You are all AWESOME!

What Happened 30 Years Ago?

1987 happened! Duh! Or is it "No Der?"
It was a big year...disposable contact lenses became available, so did prozac. We enjoyed the sophistication of Star Trek the Next Generation as well as entertainment of a different kind from the Simpsons. I had fun researching noteworthy events for a trivia game (whilst jamming out to 80s tunes) a couple weeks ago.

Last Saturday three wards (church groups) in our stake (region) came together to celebrate their 30th Anniversary. Because I am an introvert and go BLANK (ugh) when I have to talk to people...I don't much care for a potluck gatherings unless some other activity is involved to get things more lively.

So, as the new Cruise Director (Ward Activity Specialist)...I suggested a 1980s trivia game in conjunction with the potluck. It took me about six hours to research and format the questions so they'd be interesting and interactive. And it was worth it! We received quite a bit of positive feedback so I think it went well.

From where I was standing some people absolutely freaked out in excitement about several of the questions (could definitely tell who the Trekkies were.) So I wanted to share the game so you can use it for your next very large gathering. Click here.

How to:
The game will work for any amount of people—just divide them into teams.
It does seem to be more fun with a crowd. Playing it with a small group of people just doesn't have the same energy level.

We prepared for 360 people and thought dividing them into 8 teams would be manageable. Each group received a gallon paint stick with a colored piece of paper attached to wave in the air and shout out if they had the answer. I took score according to their color. (I printed off a sheet with colored boxes on it, if the team got a point, they got a tick mark next to their color. Easy.)

It's helpful to have a handsome MC can run the game while a lovely assistant takes score and helps with parts of the game. (Or vice versa.)

Enjoy!

Note: Don't use noise makers—like a bell or horn to honk to answer. It doesn't work in a crowd. We tried. Also, since our teams had 4 tables per team, I do wish we'd provided a colored stick per table instead of only one per team.