Happy Trails

Inspired

 

It has been a while! Let me catch you up on what's been going on around here...mostly focusing on the weekends, as that is when we have the most fun.

The past few weekends have been really wonderful in a lot of ways. There has been some sleeping in, and coming downstairs to the fire going, with the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the air. (Salmaan always rises before I do).

Two weeks ago on a Saturday morning Salmaan was lounging on the couch with a pile of new cookbooks looking pleased as punch. He treated us to 7 new tomes full of inspiration, and after a nice fluffy omelette full of ham, cheese, and assorted veggies, we cuddled up on the couch and read for hours, taking notes and sharing things that excited us along the way. And you know where we're going from here, yeah?

 

First up, a wonderful new way to use up leftover roast chicken (which we always seem to have a lot of, week after week). These quesadillas quite frankly rocked. We dressed them up with a dollop of sour cream, some ribboned romaine dressed with lime juice, and a bit of salsa. Mmm.

That following Sunday morning I woke up at 4:30, and couldn't get back to sleep, thinking about how much stuff I wanted to make. By 5:30 I gave up, and Salmaan and I made a batch of Curtis Stone's homemade Granola (which was fantastic--just go a little less on the initial baking time).

Homemade chicken soup was finished up and packaged away in the freezer for a day either of us has a cold and needs some comfort, and then we made a delicious brunch, consisting of poached egg inside of a crisped proscuitto cup on top of sauteed spinach and a toasted whole wheat bagel (also from Curtis Stone's cookbook).

It was our first time poaching eggs, and it turned out nicely. If we ever open a B&B, this is going on the breakfast menu for sure. For dinner we made Jamie Oliver's Mushroom Risotto.

Yes, yes, I gave risotto another try! We made this on Halloween night, and the risotto itself was quite delicious. The specialty grilled mushrooms on the top? Surprisingly not delicious. Not sure if it was the total lack of fat (oh butter, how I missed you), or too much citrus (he advises to dress the grilled shrooms with lemon juice and herbs), but it wasn't workin' for me. The base recipe, however, I would definitely make again, and butter up some bellas or shiitakes for the big garnish.

This past weekend both of us were feeling under the weather. In fact, we've both been fighting off a cold for about a week now. Instead of taking the chicken soup out of the freezer, we tried a new recipe--Tyler Florence's chicken tortellini soup. SO GOOD, and just what we needed. 

I pulled this out of the freezer last night, and it hit the spot for a quick and soothing dinner.

We've had a couple of friends over on the weeknights lately, and that has lead us to some new recipes that we will try again. Ina's new book just came out, and I made her turkey meatballs.

Very good. Her new book is a bit repetitive--not a ton of new ideas, really. But I like Ina and her sensibility, so it's fun just to read through it.

The next to last weekend in October, my parents came to visit us. They stayed the weekend, and we had a fantastic time. Saturday we went to the Powhatan Festival of the Grape, and sampled some tasty Virginia Wine.

Despite my ageeb looking face in this photograph, I really was enjoying myself...especially when we visited our favorite virginia winery--Horton.

Love this shot of my parents.

They really helped us with a lot of stuff around the house that weekend, including a raised bed that I'm very excited about:

Dad and Salmaan busted this out in only a few hours. The garden really went to hell this past summer (partly the terribly hot weather/water restrictions, partly my waning interest, partly the fact that the squirrels and chipmunks stole most of my yield), so it was time to scale back. I'm going to be using this solely has an herb garden, and we're going to seed the rest of the garden area with grass seed. We also took out the blackberry bushes, as I think I was only able to get about 15 berries all season, and they honestly weren't very good. Come Christmas-time (and my "extra" paycheck), we're going to sign up for a local CSA. I mean, have you seen the Rooster's blog? I've been inspired, and want to give this a go. 

Dad and Salmaan fixed some of our gates, too.

We may have put them to work, but we fed them well. Salmaan grilled up a beautiful beef tenderloin.

The dogs had a fantastic time, too. They couldn't have enjoyed the extra attention more.

As you can see, JJ is getting bigger every day. It's so cool to see the changes. His fur has gotten longer and CURLY, which is adorable, and his personality is really starting to be apparent--he dotes on River constantly.

And that's pretty much what's been going on at Chez K. A fair amount of knitting has been accomplished as well, but that is for another post. I'm off from work today, hence the time to write--and hopefully posted about some FO's! 

 

FO: Winter Sunrise

My second Ulmus is off the needles at last. Ravelry notes my cast-on date as 7.10.09--eek! Well, I reckon if I can finish a shawl in 15 months, anyone can. ;-)

This is the Ulmus shawl by Kristen Kapur of Through the Loops--a lovely pattern, to be sure. Simple and well written, I can easily say I very much enjoyed this second knit, given how pleased I was with the first. This go round I knit the medium size, on #5 addi turbos.

The dark blue yarn is Malabrigo Sock in the Cotedazure colorway--leftover from my first Ulmus. I still have a decent amount of it left--certainly enough to contribute to my growing pile of sock yarn scraps, one day (optimistically) destined to become a barn raising quilt. The lighter blue is Araucania Ranco Multi in some unknown colorway--I just know it was on sale, and therefore landed in my shopping cart many moons ago.

The edging is definitely what makes this shawl. I adore the leaf motif, and found it much easier to knit the second time around. Probably a result of finally being able to read my knitting with some consistency, as well as an understanding of why a certain stitch is used to create this or that effect. With Salmaan's encouragement, I nearly finished this on our Manteo weekend getaway, and powered through the last few rows last week after we got back. As he watched me cast off the very last stitch, he excitedly asked, "Is it time to blot it now?!?!?!" Love that man.

After having had an incredibly productive Sunday morning at home, we headed out to Bleheim Winery this afternoon to pick up our wine club order, and enjoy a free tasting. The weather was incredible today--perfect for a leisurely drive, and a fun little photo shoot. After soaking up the sun we headed into downtown C'ville for dinner at the Continental Divide for the first time, a restaurant that has had a cult following for years. We both left stuffed and happy. Not a bad end to the weekend, and certainly a hopeful start to another work week.

A Time for Everything

Time is a funny thing. Recently, more than ever, I have become aware of how relative our perception of each passing day can be, and how that perception can affect mood, outlook, and productivity.

 I have no idea where June went.

In an effort to avoid wishing July away in the same mind blowing fashion, we've been filling our days and weekends with tasks and people to look forward to. Motivation to stay in the moment, and enjoy the summer that we'll wish we had embraced more fully once the chill wind of January burns our cheeks again.

We had an amazing Fourth of July weekend. Our wonderful wedding photographer, Fran, invited us to come down with the dogs for a visit. She and Roger live on 30 beautifully rolling acres in the Shenandoah Valley, just outside of Brownsburg, Virginia. Their house sits atop a hill, and through nearly every window, you catch a view of farmland and the Blue Ridge Mountains, their color muted by the hazy heat, but still as comforting as ever. 

We arrived in our own time late Saturday afternoon, enjoying the winding country lanes and the splashes of red from wine berries hanging from overladen branches lining Dutch Hollow Road. Those same wine berries (actually a species of wild asian raspberries) cover Fran and Roger's property, and I spent a couple of hours on Sunday morning picking them to enjoy at a later date.

 
 Saturday evening Fran put out a spread of cheese, crackers, and various other tasty things, and we sat in front of the house while the sun set across the valley, listening to the quiet music of a Rockbridge County evening. 

 She cooked an incredible organic chicken, which we enjoyed with salad and fresh corn on the cob. Afterwards we shared some of the blackberry/blueberry galette that I had made that morning (blackberries from my backyard garden patch--yay!) 

 The wine did flow, and once the sun had set, we took our beverages back out to the yard, watching the stars come out and shoot across a sky that felt like it was only an arms length overhead. We had planned to stay for just one night, but our hosts graciously asked us to spend another, and we were happy to oblige. I think it's probably the only time that my tendency to overpack has actually paid off.

 The kids also had a wonderful time. Fran and Roger have 5 four legged children of their own--3 of them dogs. While Sophie and Evie weren't really up for a ton of socializing, the newest addition to their pack, Mojo, became fast friends with Jayden about five minutes after we got there. 

 They rolled around and played pretty much constantly all weekend. It was also a big event because this was the first time we had EVER let the dogs off-lead in an unenclosed environment. We were super anxious about it at first, but after the first few hours, we realized that River loved us enough to come back from her wanderings to check in every 20 minutes or so, and Jayden was so enamored with Mojo he wasn't going to leave her side. River chased two deer, got stained and sticky with wine berries, and was a magnet for pretty much every thorn and burr on the property, but she couldn't have been happier.

 
 Jayden is growing so fast, we can barely keep up. 

 While is face is still as silky as the finest cashmere, his body hair is starting to get longer and coarser--something I don't recall happening to River until she was much older. He is such a sweet, sweet little gentleman. Always close, and always ready to cuddle.

 

 

Fran maintains a lovely garden around the house, and Sunday after berry picking I walked around the property with my camera, attempting to capture as much of the serenity of the day as I could. 

This was the only sunflower in the garden, and in this photo I feel like it has its own personality. I half expect it to say aloud, "whatchoo lookin' at?"

 

There were a ton of butterfly bushes, and I used the telephoto lens to get in as close as I could, with exciting results.

 

 

While I'm not usually one for buzzing bees, I couldn't seem to stop trying to capture these little guys as they hummed around me. Their wings are exquisite.

These moth-like guys were also quite abundant. 

Sunday night we sat outside again with hors d'oeuvres and beverages, and watched the sun set across the valley. 

 
After a delicious dinner, I rode with Fran down the road to pick up Evie at a neighbor's house. Evie is good friends with the dogs down there, and Fran and her neighbor have quite the unique arrangement--Evie gets dropped off in the mornings (if she doesn't wander down there on her own) when Fran leaves for work, and she picks Evie up to bring her home at the end of the day. They call it Evie's "second family". It was cool out and on the way back up the long winding driveway with the windows down, I heard a loud *ping!* against my glass of wine. I didn't think anything of it until I was back out on the dark porch, and took a sip of grasshopper. Even the bugs were into having a laid back weekend. ;-)

 
 Monday morning we headed back home, sad to leave, but also feeling rejuvenated from the change of pace and hospitality we enjoyed there. Not to mention the fact that the dogs have pretty much slept the last two days straight. We will always think back fondly of the time we spent there, until the next visit! Thank you Fran and Roger!!!

Ringing in the New Year in Style

Last week we travelled to a beautiful B&B in Charlottesville called Cedar Spring Inn, and celebrated the New Year there. It was an incredible place. Probably the nicest place we have ever stayed, and we took advantage of everything they had to offer.

We arrived Thursday evening around 5:00. As it was dark, we didn't get to appreciate the beautiful views until the next day. We did, however, go out to dinner at one of my favorite pizza joints from college days. It was Vic's Pick all the way for me--and it was just as good as I remembered! Once back at the Inn, we jumped into our bathing suits, and headed out to the hot tub with a bottle of bubbly. Salmaan selected a wonderful prosecco that he had tasted at our local wine shop, and it was excellent. It was a foggy night, but as we sat in the soft glow of the tub, we saw fireworks going off just over the ridge to the rear of the Inn. It felt like we had our own private fireworks show! 

We didn't stay up until midnight or watch the ball drop, but we did have some incredible conversation. As we talked and laughed, I worked on this sweater, and thought about how much I love knitting and how lucky I am to have a spouse that supports and encourages me in the pursuit of my passions.

 It was a pleasant thought to fall asleep to. The next day we were pampered with an incredible breakfast experience--freshly sliced oranges and grapefruit, banana nut bread, and our choice of 3 entrees with a choice of meat for a side (it was like this every morning--fruit, a sweet bread, choice of entree and sides, and a never ending supply of delicious juice and coffee). We each had an omelet with sausage, and it was to die for. Afterwards we spent a good 2-3 hours by the fireside, chatting with some of the other couples staying there. It was an interesting blend of people, professions, and personalities, but it was quite pleasant. We left the Inn and had lunch at my other favorite college joint--Bodos Bagels. Food BLISS! 

Back at the Inn, we decided to explore a little. We walked around the property on the Brady Trail, which hadn't been traversed since the last snowfall. Just us and the wildlife.

It was quiet and peaceful, and as we headed back to the Inn and the warmth of the fireplace, the sun began to set.

 After that we spent the rest of the evening at the Inn--too comfortable to even leave to go out to dinner (which is saying something). Instead, we enjoyed some nibbles that I had packed for New Years Eve that we didn't end up having.

 We have to do this sort of thing more often--it was simple, delicious, and very romantic. The steam room was probably my most favorite amenity, I'd never been in one before, and it was awesome. Friday night we braved the cold (and dude, it was COLD) and went back out to the hot tub. This night the sky was so clear, I felt like we could see every star in the sky. The moon was very nearly full as well, and the combination of snow and moonlight made the whole setting glow in an otherworldly way. 

The next day we headed to our favorite wine bar, Enoteca, and had dinner at the C&O. We left Sunday and had lunch with a buddy in C'ville, and visited Blenheim Winery on the way home. This winery is owned by Dave Matthews, and I was impressed by their selection. We left with half a case and happy hearts.

It was a wonderful getaway, and the perfect way to ring in the New Year. During this time together, we laughed so much (details to come), finished one another's sentences, and found the space to be ourselves together. We're looking forward to our next visit. Hope your New Year's was fabulous as well!

Tasting, Touring, and the Nitty Gritty of Those Grapes Up Your Ass--I Mean! In Your GLASS...

Okay, so it's high time for a rant, folks. HIGH TIME. This is directed not at you, dear readers, but the World in general--especially the world encompassing tasting rooms across America--or, more specifically, their visitors. 

First of all, I LOVE wine tasting. LOVE. There is something magical about touring through beautiful countryside, and leisurely visiting a small farm winery, surrounded by vineyards (many of which have been painstakingly planted by ancestors, spouses, friends, sons, and daughters), and literally enjoying the fruits of the vine. There is a physical music in tasting a handcrafted wine that has clearly been coaxed and cared for throughout the fermentation process, and is a reflection of the passion that the owners and winemakers have for their land and their craft. These guys are a perfect example.

We have toured and tasted in the Napa Valley, Willamette Valley, and across Virginia as well as a few other states here and there. I share this not to tout my knowledge or expertise, but to illuminate the fact that in my experience, people do NOT know how to behave when tasting and touring. It isn't a Here or There thing, it's an everywhere thing, and it's high time someone said something about it!

There are books of etiquette on just about everything: How to write a thank you note, how to plan a wedding, sushi bar etiquette...how to how to how to....After this weekend, I googled "wine tasting etiquette" and this was a pretty consistent example of the results generated. None of these resources tell you the appropriate way to BEHAVE...not really, at least...and isn't that the biggest part of what proper etiquette is all about? Civility? 

I have been shocked by the behavior I have witnessed in tasting rooms these last few years. And no, I'm not talking about that guy who didn't know how to aerate the wine in his mouth, and ended up sucking it down his throat, resulting in a coughing spasm that was incredibly protracted and probably quite painful...*quick aside to shake head with affectionate pity*. I'm talking about the entitled Turds that walk into a tasting room and put on an invisible black robe, imagining they are Judges of the High Court of Spirits and Libation. You aren't there to JUDGE, friends, you're there to SAMPLE, and, if you're lucky, truly enjoy.

The rules of the elementary school playground apply here. There should be no pushing, shoving, cutting in line, or name calling. It is not nice to "hog the ball", so to speak, and stretch your elbows so that you can dub yourself Queen of the Tasting Bar. It is still considered impolite to "make faces", and talk about the fat kid behind his back in a whisper that an Armadillo could hear 5 miles away. (They're hard of hearing by the way. Very, very, hard of hearing). Oh, and furthermore, as ALWAYS, NOBODY likes a know-it-all. 

In my opinion, a tasting room is like the foyer of a person's home. You should be conscious of the fact that this is someone's craft and passion. They are NOT there to please you. YOU came to THEM, not to be SERVED, but to SAMPLE. There's a huge difference between going wine tasting and going out to dinner. If you don't like what you taste, then be polite, and move on. So many times I have stood beside the quintessential Hermione Granger of Oenology, who can't seem to stifle her incessant desire to be an insufferable know-it-all, and feels it is incumbent upon HER to inform the tasting room of what SHE thinks of every wine on the menu. *whew! That was a long one...deep breath in recovery...* And I just want to say, "Oh really? And what do you think about the Cabernet Franc?" and then, RIGHT after she begins to pontificate, I want to get all Oprah on her ass and abruptly BARK, "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINKuh!!!" And watch her blink as the realization of Truth dawns in her eyes....it really doesn't matter what she thinks--to anyone else, that is. Keep your trap shut, Granger!

 

You wouldn't stand in the foyer of someone's home, as a guest, and criticize their choice of wall color, would you? (Well, most people wouldn't, there are always exceptions to the rule). Nothing obligates you to purchase--the whole point of tasting is for you to determine if you WANT to purchase. Whether you choose to or not, the goal of the exercise has been achieved. Your sampling informed your decision, either way.

It seems what I would consider "comprehensive" literature on wine tasting just isn't available. Perhaps that's because no one who is passionate about a hobby or activity would consider it necessary to inform a newcomer how to avoid being an ass while doing it. That's something we're supposed to have learned already, right? On the elementary school playground? 

Yes, I could go on. And on, and on and on and on and on and on. But, I won't. I'll spare you that. You get the point, right? Soak it all in, enjoy your time, savor the intention in every glass. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. And for goodness sakes, if you're going to buy a glass, DO IT, and move your ass! And to that, I say, "Salute". 

Rockbridge Winery

Last Sunday, after visiting the LYS (see below), Salmaan and I stopped at Rockbridge Wineryfor an avant garde picnic before heading back home. It was really pretty awesome. We've been to this winery on numerous occasions, and really enjoy the covered pavilion with picnic tables and porch swings. You can look out over the rolling hills of Raphine, covered on one side by the vines, and the tasting room is situated in a picturesque red barn. It fits right in with the rest of the country landscape. We enjoyed the St. Mary's Blanc with some crackers and crab dip that my Dad had sent us home with. The tea was good too--it was rooibus (my absolute favorite tea--it's red) with a hint of pomegranate.

The dip was so flavorful--it had crab, artichokes and spinach, and went really well with the slightly acidic wine.

Here's the recipe for the dip. You really MUST make it, it was that good. Feel free to used reduced or low fat dairy products--just don't use fat-free. Makes it taste plasticky if you know what I mean.

8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
4 oz sour cream
1/4 cu mayonnaise
blend the above ingredients well
 
1 can artichoke hearts in water (squeeze out most of the liquid) and chop coarsely.
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to pkg directions and then squeezed very dry.
8 oz crab meat.  You could use the imitation crab  for this.
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
add all the ingredients and mix well.  Add freshly ground black pepper and some Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste.  This can be served cold as a spread, or put in a small casserole dish and baked until bubbly, 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

YUM. We had it cold as you can see. We had a great time, and River did too, seeing as how she got some extra treats and ice water to keep her company. Look at my beautiful family!

I'm really lucky.

Let's Celebrate Sunday...

In 2007 Hubster and I celebrated our last spring break ever by heading to West Virginia to do some skiing at Winterplace. Once there, brochures touted the wonders of the local wineries--and if you don't know by now that we like wine? Well...now you do. Naturally we went and checked them out. The wine? Not so great--a lot of super-sweet dessert wines, which definitely isn't what we're into. However, we did come across this great summary of Wine and the Bible, which I have rewritten in my own words:

"Wine was given to us by a beneficent God who knew that from time to time, we would need it. The Bible has a lot to say about wine--in fact, the grapevine and its primary product, wine, is mentioned in this sacred text more than any other plant. In the Book of Genesis, after the Great Flood, Noah begins to replant the earth with a vineyard. Noah's father, Lamech, said that by doing this, Noah would "bring us relief and comfort from our work and the toil of our hands." Noah was the first wine-maker. With the first wine came the first instance of drunkenness. The Bible warns of the pitfalls of too much wine. It declares that wine is a mocker and whoever is led astray by it is a fool. However, it also reminds us that God created the wine that gladdens the heart of Man. Clearly, moderation is called for. It was customary to serve wine to travelers. It was used at feasts and marriages. In times of scarcity it was mixed with water or milk. God deprived Israel of it as punishment. Jesus's first miracle was turning water into wine for the marriage celebration at Cana. Paul also recommended wine to Timothy as a digestive aid. So celebrate Sunday the way God intended--This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it by sipping a nice big glass of some quality Old Vine Zin."

Well, I added that last line. I'm off to go take my own advice--hope you will, too.