Do I Have a Dangerous Cupcake Addiction?

4/17/2010 6:57:00 PM

A few weeks ago I was in San Francisco for Design Week and the showrooms were all serving gorgeous plates of beautifully decorated cupcakes.  They were so fabulous and I just couldn't stop myself from eating one every time I saw them.  I can't help it--I'm a wuss when it comes to cupcake willpower!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days later I was in Sonoma County for the weekend and I was telling my sister how much trouble I was having with cupcake cravings.  She said not to worry, a new cupcake store had opened in Cotati named Sift.  We hopped in the car and drove to Cotati, located Sift and loaded up on a few dozen cupcakes to take home to her busy household.

Debbie's three boys are allergic to corn.  Since corn syrup is contained in just about every processed dessert known to mankind, they don't get a lot of treats.  You should have seen their eyes bugging out of their heads when we arrived with a huge pink bakery box stuffed full of cupcakes in every description.  We had a cupcake party!  Nobody's birthday.  No reason.  I'm not proud of it.  And I'm ashamed to say that the next day we went back to Cotati for more. 

READ POST reply   0 comments       

The Best Breakfast I Know of--Willow Wood Cafe

3/31/2010 3:02:00 PM

Do you like generous portions of delicious food.  Do you like fresh ingredients, original recipes, healthy fruits vegetable and herbs and home-cooking like grandma used to do?  If you do, you'll love my favorite place for breakfast, the Willow Wood Cafe in Graton. 

The Willow Wood restaurant is located in the tiny but charming town of Graton.  The town is old but has been restored into one little block of restaurants, shops and a market. 

Food served at the Willow Wood is of the bounteous, fresh farm produce, Italian influenced variety that feels at so at home in Sonoma County.  This part of Sonoma mixes it up with it's own unique blend of aging vegetarian hippie meets sophisticated vintner meets organic country gentleman and retired urbanite environmentalist.  The one thing that all these groups has in common is that they love the land and the food it produces.  You see pretty much all these groups in the Willow Wood. 

READ POST reply   0 comments       

The Best Breakfast I Know of--Willow Wood Cafe

3/31/2010 3:02:00 PM

Do you like generous portions of delicious food?  Do you like fresh ingredients, original recipes, healthy fruits, vegetables, and herbs?  How about home-cooking like grandma used to make?  If you do, you'll love my favorite place for breakfast, the Willow Wood Cafe.

 

The Willow Wood restaurant is located in the tiny but charming town of Graton.  The town is old but has been restored into one little block of restaurants, shops and a market. 

This part of Sonoma mixes it up with it's own unique blend of people:  aging vegetarian hippie meets sophisticated vintner meets organic country farmer meets retired urbanite environmentalist.  The one thing that all these groups has in common is that they love the land and the food it produces. 

Coming from Tahoe (land of the x-games athlete/"how'd you get those quads"/hike straight up the mountain and ski straight down the other side folks) as I do, and as a former Southern Californian, I find this diverse group of people to be both eccentric and charming.  You see pretty much all these folks in the Willow Wood and it can make for good people watching, especially if you're not from these parts.

Two Sundays ago, my daughter, Lauren, and I saved up our hunger and visited the Willow Wood around noon for brunch.  Food served at the Willow Wood is of the bounteous, fresh farm produce, Italian-influenced variety that feels so at home in Sonoma County.  Everything on the menu has been carefully thought out so that it is made the very best way the Willow Wood folks could think of.  Sauced and garnished to the max, plates are generous, every item is the best it can be and if it could benefit with a little sprinkle of the finest grade of cocoa or a little dollop of creme freche, then, by golly, it is!. 

Lauren's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when they served her this gorgous cafè mocha served in a generous 4" bowl, not a cup.  For a college student and equestrian who's every little extra bit of cash goes towards new britches and bridles, this was a real treat.  Of course, she had to photograph it with her cell phone and send it to all her friends!

Lauren ordered the Monte Cristo and it did not disappoint!

I had a delicious polenta topped with ragout and sausages.  It was complex, earthy and delicious.

The Willow Wood has a lot of unique dishes on the menu that you've likely never had before, but they also include breakfast favorites like Eggs Benedict. Yummy!

Everything is homemade, delicious and of the highest quantity.  Go, if you have the chance. 

Willow Wood Market Cafe
9020 Graton Road - Graton, CA 95444
Phone: 707-823-0233

READ POST reply   0 comments       

Downtown Petaluma--Ice Cream and Antiques

3/22/2010 4:32:00 PM

One of my favorite afternoon jaunts is down to Petaluma for an afternoon of antiquing.  Two wonderful antique stores are located right across from each other on Petaluma Blvd.  They are Chelsea and Sienna Antiques.  Both stores are huge and have wonderful selections of European antiques, although I have to say that the selection is not as good this year as it was in the past.  Still, they are well worth a visit. 

Here are a few photos of the marvelous antiques we enjoyed at Chelsea and Sienna this past weekend.

After tromping around these two large antique stores you will need a snack, at least that's what I've found!  You're in luck, the perfect treat awaits at Lala's Creamery a new "old fashioned" ice cream parlor located at 134 Petaluma Blvd.

Lots of delicious flavors to choose from.

A welcoming table.

This is a charmingly decorated parlor with French Bistro chairs, a black and white checkerboard floor and walls that combine white beadboard wainscotting with old bricks.  The servers are friendly and they bring your order to your table.  Lula's is a place to site awhile, rest your weary antique shopping feet and enjoy the delicious ice cream.  Yummy looking hot fudge sundaes were delivered to many of the tables during our visit. 

 

Classic old fashioned hot fudge sundaes.

A booth in the window.

Ice cream clown lips--just what a warm spring day calls for!

 

 

READ POST reply   0 comments       

A Beautiful Drive to Jimtown

2/15/2010 11:01:00 AM

A few weeks ago I was in Sonoma again for the weekend and we decided to check-out Jimtown and an adorable little antique shop/deli I've been hearing about.

 

The Jimtown Store

Jimtown is out in the country on the beautiful Alexander Valley Road which connects with the northern end of Healdsburg.  Alexander Valley is a stunning vineyard valley and this drive is popular with bicyclists and sight-seers.  Not the day we took it though...it was raining heavily.  It's been a very wet Sonoma County winter and the countryside is getting pretty soggy. 

 

Even so, we had a lovely drive.  There were several children in the car and on the drive we played auto bingo with some old fashioned bingo cards.  There probably isn't a better road in America for this game because it manages to have both modern cable dishes and all the rural water tanks, tractors and barns the game asks you to find.  BINGO! (Nothing worse than playing auto bingo and not getting to close any of the cute little windows on your card.)

Jimtown itselt is a tiny little rural town with a barn or two and the cheerful farm-style yellow Jimtown Store building. 

Love the old red truck out front!

A wet day!

The Jimtown Store's charming entrance.  There are tables out front for picnicing on a sunny day--not for us on this day!  There is a lovely view of a vineyard just across the street.

The barn next door--it's rural, folks!

Inside you'll find a fabulous deli and a delightful antique store that focuses on folk art and rural living vintage antiques.  It's a pleasure to browse around the store, visually tickling your senses while you ponder what delectable snacks you might order from the deli.

 

 

 

The store's collection of folk art and vintage farm and country antiques is charming!

 

They haven't forgotten kids at Jimtown.  The carrot for a family day trip in the car--toys and a snack!

The deli has wonderful sandwiches with gourmet ingredients.

They make great coffee!

 

The Jimtown store has been marketing an olive and fig spread that I've been buying for years from a local supermarket.  If you see at your local gourmet store, grab it--it's wonderful. 

 

They also have delicious treats like home-made pound cake served with lemon curd and whip cream.  Yum!  Here's some of their amazing cupcakes

 

 By the way, there are a number of wineries on the Alexander Valley Road drive:

Top Wineries on the Lower Alexander Valley

• Stryker Sonoma – A most spectacular tasting room
• Sausal – Zinfandel lovers delight
• White Oak Vineyards – Great lineup of wines
• Alexander Valley Vineyards – Excellent value in reds
• Hanna Winery – Best view, excellent Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc
• Field Stone Winery – Small winery carved inside a hillside

You can read more about the Jimtown Store's history.  It was started in 1865, but the current owners are former Silver Palate partners.  No wonder the food is so outstanding.  And the wines...of course, they're the best Sonoma has to offer, which is saying a lot!

READ POST reply   0 comments       

Open Studio Art Tours

1/14/2010 11:13:00 AM

Probably because it is such a beautiful place, Sonoma County attracts people who love beauty.  There are so many talented artists in Sonoma that if you love art, it is the place to be on certain weekends of the year. 

In June and October Sonoma Arts sponsors "Art Trails" in which artists all over the county open their studios for the public to tour.  It's a great way to meet a lot of artists and there's plenty of wine sipping to be done along the way.  Many artists also hold open houses on other days of the year to show their work and invite the public in to see their studios and their processes. 

 

Pottery on display at Nichibei Potters studio.

I recently attended an open house at Nichibei Potters in Sebastapol.  Cheryl Costantini and Mikio Matsumotos, the artists who own and run Nichibei Potters, met and fell in love in Japan where Cheryl was doing an internship in Japanese pottery.  Oddly enough, Mikio was not a potter at the time.  It was later that he began to carve beautiful intaglio patterns into Cheryl's pots.

Warm, open, chatty and earthy, it's easy to picture Cheryl tackling a fresh lump of clay on the potters wheel. She makes some stunning shapes and has really figured out the most beautiful glazes, as well.  Many of the pieces are definitely art statements.  However, Cheryl also makes pieces that are not just beautiful but practical, as well.  She makes fabulous sets of plates, bowls and mugs that go in the dishwasher and microwave.  The glazes and patterns are perfect for todays design sensibilities and would slip into the most put-together of homes with ease. 

Why not dine with art?  Cheryl's gorgeous shapes and glazes. 

While Cheryl is generous and talkative, Mikio has the quiet contemplative sensibility of an artist.  He has become a masterful carver and the patterns he carves into clay are simply stunning.  He is influenced by Japanese wood cuts, the American Arts and Crafts movement as well as Sonoma County's lush and varied wildlife and natures textures. 

 

Mikio's beautiful carvings

Mikio Matsumoto

Cheryl and Mikio at work in their studio.  For more photos of finished fired pottery being removed from their kiln, visit Have Muse

The Nichibei studio is open for the Art Trail tours and on several other weekends during the year, as well. They are also open by appointment.   Many pottery pieces are shown on their web site,  Nichibeipotters.com, and can be purchased or custom ordered.  The studio is located at 1991 Burnside Road in Sebastopol and their phone number is (707) 823-0950.

READ POST reply   0 comments       

Christmas Tree Farms

12/27/2009 6:33:00 PM

One thing you can count on from Sonoma County winters is a steady supply of rainy days.  The very thing that makes this part of California so lush and abundant can also mess up your weekend plans for fun activities in the sun!

 

A gentle winter rain ran afoul of our plans to enjoy a sunny December afternoon outing at a local Christmas Tree farm.  Well, as my friend Stan says, "there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing".   So next winter, grab your macintosh and rubber boots and head to the Garlock Family Christmas Tree farm. 

 

Several generations of the Garlocks have been running this farm since 1966.  In fact, here is a photo of the current Mrs. Garlock and the next generation running the gift shop.

 

 

 

 

The farm is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday on December weekends.  The whole Garlock family is there on the site helping customers find trees and enjoy their afternoon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will find a spectacular selection of trees to choose from in every size, variety and shape imaginable. 

They have a darling children's petting zoo and tractor pulled hay rides as well as horse rides, picnic benches and a childrens jumping tent.  Check their web-site for special events like carolers.

You simply grab a saw and tromp around the gently sloping property until you find the tree of your fantasies. 

Cut your tree and one of the Garlock men will help you get it down to the grooming area where they have machines to shake out all the extra needles and to wrap it safely for the ride home. 

 

 

 

 

Load it onto your car and you can proudly take home a fresh and fragrant tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new family tradition?  For many years my aunt and uncle and a group of their close friends would drive from Danville to the Garlock tree farm to select perfect Christmas Trees.  Afterward the entire crowd would have a big Italian dinner at the Union Hotel in Occidental Village.  If you have little kids, this could be a great Christmas tradition to start for your family, too.

READ POST reply   0 comments       

Wow Mother Nature...You Did it Again!

12/11/2009 4:10:00 PM

We were driving to the barn the other day and had to literally slam on the breaks at this sight!  The weeping willows are absolutely splendid in their fall color.  I just love the way the cows have trimmed up their branches into the perfect autumn bowl hair cut. 

READ POST reply   0 comments       

Crab Season is Here

12/11/2009 3:00:00 PM

Mid-November marks the start of crab season here and as I was visiting Sonoma County for Thanksgiving week, it seemed like a great idea to go down to Bodega Bay to pick up some crabs.  While we were in Bodega, we thought we'd take a family hike at Bodega Head which my sister has written up and you can read about at My Sonoma Life, if you're interested. 

Yes, you can buy crab in the markets, but it is so much more fun to go down and pick them out live and fresh right off the boats.  We followed "buy crab here" signs down to the bay where we found an actual crab boat, "The Robert Croll", which was parked right there at the dock. 

 

 

The crabber's wife helped us make our selections from a tank right on the boat. 

 

 

 

She was knowledgeable and helpful and had plenty of thrilling stories to tell about crabbing in stormy weather.  Her husband was out fishing alone on this day, but when she's not on the dock selling crab, she often accompanies him out into the ocean. 

 

She congratulated my nephew, Rip, on his selection of a crab with a barnacle on its back, which indicates that the crab is mature and has extra sweet meat in the shell. 

We walked back to the car with our crabs in hand and were greeted by this sight of our dog pack waiting expectantly for a hike. There's a little Jack Russel in the back there too, but he couldn't quite get tall enough to be a part of the photo!

 

 

 

Here's a shot of our delicious crab dinner.  We put out a lot of old newspapers, fresh drawn butter, lemons and a mix-matched collection of crackers and mallets. 

 

 

 

You know, it is almost impossible to have enough paper napkins on hand for a dinner like this.  But wouldn't you agree that part of the fun in life is getting messy!

READ POST reply   0 comments