Tag: vacation

Wine tasting in Paso Robles, Ca

Lori TisdaleLeave a comment

On Memorial Day we packed up the car and headed north … final destination Pismo Beach. Other stops included: Santa Barbara, Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo and of course Paso Robles…

Every now and then I get a longing to drive through these rollings hills where I once lived… my childhood full of memories of beach days, camping trips, playing with frogs in the creek and that sweet feeling of surrender… so we made it happen! After MUCH deliberation we planned our trip… and wouldn’t trade it for the world!

So today I am finally getting around to blog about our wine tasting tour through Paso Robles…

We parked downtown Paso Robles and waited for the The Wine Line bus to pick us up. How does The Wine Line work? Well, like a true tour bus…

Of course you can check out their website for the full story.

Lori Jean’s version? Riders can hop off the bus at any vineyard or tasting room, hang out for a while, and then hop back on the bus when they’re ready to move on to the next stop… and for the record, they are THE best way to experience Paso Robles’ vineyards!

Since we’d never been through wine country in Paso Robles before we let them suggest which vineyards we should stop at and in which order. There was 1 additional couple on the bus with us… and we all just tagged along and enjoyed the day together. Afterall, we do love talking to strangers, meeting new people and finding out what we have in common… it was a perfect day!

Come with us on the pictorial review of our tour… ?

How wine tasting works in Paso Robles
As we visited various vineyards we found each vineyard has a different deal on prices for tasting. One place gave us 5 free tastings, another let us try ALL 10 of their wines for $3 and others were the standard $5 for 5 tastings. And yet another waived the tasting fee if we bought a bottle of wine.

You see, the proprietors want you to taste their wine in hopes that you’ll buy wine (and buy a lot of it). Obviously they don’t make much on selling tastings… they make their money by selling wine. (And sending people like us home share pics and talk about how great the wine is, friendly the vineyard staff is and how priceless an experience it all was!)

We started at Castoro Cellars … where we learned they are currently bottling the “Coastal” brand for Trader Joe’s. (note to self!)

The vineyard and grounds look like you’d expect a vineyard to look like. There is a long walkway up to the tasting room, rolling hills of vineyards, a large patio with chairs and tables placed strategically to enjoy the view, bundles of California poppies and lavendar speckling the planters and large empty barrels sitting about.

The tasting room was as comfortable as my imaginary italian aunt’s home … the walls painted in warm yellow tones and rich cabinetry… sofas and chairs and a big fireplace. Our Wine Line Guide was right… this was the perfect place to start!

While I had been wine tasting once or twice at local tasting rooms my hero-of-a-hubby has not. So we asked for the beginner’s tour at our first vineyard stop. The friendly wine steward took her time to help us become comfortable with the “in’s and out’s” of tasting. She explained “how” flavors work, how to taste, how to ALWAYS ignore the first sip and to judge the wine off of the second taste.

She was patient with us, funny, knowledgable and excited about 2 particular wines that we couldn’t wait to taste!

We tried 5 wines for FREE and bought a 2007 Zinfusion (this was not her favorite – but it WAS in our price range). Perfect way to start the tour!

I took a gander through their shop and stopped briefly in front of the syrups, jams, marinades, etc.

I could literally sit here all day… but alas, this is the just the beginning. We had several more hours of this.

So I kept walking…

Afterall, this is just the first stop!

We came, we tasted, we conquered! Time to hop back in the bus and move on to vineyard/tasting room #2…

Tasting #2 at Zenaida Cellars – surrounded by yet another awe-inspiring view from the patio…

This tasting room had a completely different feel to it… dark black-brown painted cabinetry, antiqued gray-tan walls, blue neon lights hanging from the ceiling. Just felt a bit more “cool” and updated, like a downtown loft.

We enjoyed 5 wines for a small fee… and took home their Zc Red. While my hubby was paying our bill I took the opportunity to stroll around their property a bit…

And you guessed it, again I found that I wanted to sit here all day!

But no sitting was going to be done quite yet. I just couldn’t… afterall, it’s only noon! We’ve got some more touring and tasting to do! Let’s get a wiggle on…

Tasting #3 – (admittedly, my favorite stop of the day)… AronHill Vineyards

We drove up, climbed out of the van and saw THIS view…

Now THIS?! THIS is where I was going to sit for a while.

I mean, can you blame me?! Look at that view! It was a perfect 71 degrees outside with a slight breeze and we were among fantastic company!

Our Wine Line guide brought out the pre-ordered lunches (sandwich, potato salad and fruit) as we were treated to a remarkable wine tasting affair.

It is apparent that Judy, the proprietor of Aron Hill Vineyards, is in love with what she does on a daily basis! Not only did she personally deliver our tastings and talked to us about each wine… but she had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye that showed me she has found her passion in life and is living it outloud!

Can I tell you how much I love that?!

We sat, enjoyed lunch, enjoyed 5 tastings and took in this view…

We didn’t rush to get up and Nic, our Wine line guide, talked to us about the history of this region, how certain aspects of the wine industry work and his personal travels.

We brought home a bottle of the best wine we’d tasted all day, Judy’s 2006 Primitivo and two pieces of her stemware.

We helped ourselves to a self-guided tour of her new tasting room (it opened less than a month ago), which included her new shiny (and fully-stocked) chef’s kitchen where they will soon start preparing/selling food for lunches, etc. I noted she had a few panini presses and said “Oh – we’ll be back!”

Let it be known – the tour could have been over at this point. My expectations had been greatly exceeded and the rest of the day paled in comparison… (sorry in advance to the next 2 vineyards, I’m just sayin’… )

Tasting #4 at Norman Vineyards … known for their Monster Zinfandel. We brought home 2 bottles…

It was obvious they were cat lovers (that’s neither a good or bad thing) … not to mention the company logo.

I enjoyed strolling around their property with my camera, and of course with the cats following every move…

And it was time to get back in the bus…

Tasting #5 at Rotta Winery… the oldest family-owned winery in San Luis Obispo county.

As soon as I walked in I wondered if I was on the set of “Will & Grace”. Why? Our wine steward was the spittin’ image of Karen! Rather weird and comical all at the same time… but I didn’t say anything to her until the end.

On one end of the bar was a group of 3 guys who had obviously been drinking (oh, rather “tasting”) for a good portion of the day (and one who smelled pretty ripe, I might say)… these boys were “good ol’ boys” and were giving the wine steward quite the trouble. But it was all in fun…

Here we enjoyed a taste of each of their wines (I think a dozen of them?) for $3! Yes, only $3. We were definitely feeling our wine at this point…

Look at all those awards! They wanted us to TASTE what made them so good!

Ugh… it was now about 4:30 pm and we had been “tasting” since 11 am. Phew… I needed to sit down again (while I’m on that subject – why don’t these tasting rooms have chairs to sit in?!)… but the tv show look-alike was keeping us on our toes!

We brought home the 2007 Estate Zinfandel… she explained that this was the reason we came in today. And she was right! It’s pretty darn fantastic!

As we said our goodbyes at Rotta I asked the wine steward if anyone had ever mentioned her uncanny resemblance to Karen of “Will & Grace”… she laughed out loud (just like Karen, of course) and said “NO – but I love it!”

Then we hopped back in the bus, rehydrating with WATER and took the leisurely drive back into town… and our thoughtful and helpful Wine Line driver dropped us at a dinner locale downtown Paso Robles, just about a block from where we had parked. We slowly ate dinner, drank WATER and chatted over the favorite’s of the day, how we were impressed with the whole experience, etc.

We eventually walked back towards the truck and made our way back to our hotel in Pismo Beach.

We talked about how glad we were to have been able to experience this, and dreamed about how soon we can come back! We are glad we toured Paso Robles for our first wine tasting tour together… it was a complete experience!

(And we have half of a case of wine to prove it! Sheesh!)

Best part of it, my hero-of-a-hubby and I haven’t gotten away (just the two of us) for quite a number o years. We relished in the opportunity to reconnect, dream and relax together. What a treat…

And I leave you with this…

“When wine enlivens the heart, may friendship surround the table.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

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Raclette at the Swiss Chalet

Lori TisdaleLeave a comment

While in Tahoe last week I noticed a restaurant on Tahoe Blvd I wanted to check out online. I wanted to see if they had “raclette” on their menu… and what did their website tell me?

That they had raclette…

I talked my very loving (and gracious) family members to go out for yet another meal (even though a few of us were still full from lunch). We each just ordered an appetizer…

I first had raclette in a small village in Switzerland called “Gruyeres”… yes, like the cheese. Raclette is a certain brand of cheese that melts very well and browns up nicely under the broiler. It has a very gentle “browned” taste to it… a taste like I’d never tasted before. Click here for more on raclette.

In Tahoe, it was served a little differently… since it was an appetizer it was served in a nice tidy portion. (Part of me was disappointed – but the other side of me told me I shouldn’t have much more than this anyway… ahem!)

On the menu it read “Raclette – served over potatoes, with cornichons”. I had to ask what “cornichons” stood for (since that didn’t come with the raclette serving I had in Gruyere). The waiter explained that they were pickled vegetables. The small pickled onion and gherkin were a nice addition to this plate…

Once melted, raclette cheese is very different from fondue. Fondue is more creamy… more like a sauce or a dip. Raclette is more true to the melted cheese form… and perfect over potatoes!!! Or on bread… or even by itself.

If you have never had raclette… I encourage you to search out a place nearby so you can try it. It’ll change your view of cheese! I promise…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

art imitating life…

Lori Tisdale1 Comment

Recently returned from a road trip. Drove to South Lake Tahoe to be with family (which I get to see about once a year). One day while Dad, Mom and myself were driving around the hills of Tahoe (we were NOT stalking the rich and famous!!! we weren’t!!!) we found this stunning chateau. I took a quick shot of it from the passenger’s seat as we were rounding a sharp corner.

So, I’m currently scanning through the nearly 1000 shots I took while “on the road”… and ran across this one!

I just had to post it…

I may or may not have taken pictures in this manner from the driver’s seat on the way up there (and the way back)… no comment!

Gramma’s rockin’ the bierocks!

Lori Tisdale2 Comments

My Gramma ROCKS!!!

Here’s why: she makes Bierocks !!! (Actually, to be honest, she rocks for way too many reasons to count… but today this is why I’m bragging on her…)

Let me tell you something about bierocks… they’re delicious! That’s all there is to it. She explains that she got the recipe from a friend. And I say “THANK YOU TO GOOD FRIENDS!”

She started by making a buttermilk dough – which she says is easy. (I’ll have to take her word on that… because I’ve never made them before. One of these days I’m going to learn it for myself.)

Then the kneading begins…

I love these hands… to me they represent the Proverbs 31 woman. Nothing could state it any better than that.

She explains that she knows it is done kneading when the dough feels like silk. Next step… letting the dough rise until it doubles in size.

For the filling? Ground beef, onions and cabbage…

By now the dough should be ready. So she got her aggressions out by punching down the dough… then she rolled it out, cut it into small squares, transferred a large spoonful of filling into the middle of the squares and closed up those pouches.

She transfers them to a slightly oiled cookie sheet and into the hot oven…

If only you could taste these (and smell this kitchen)!!! For the record, our family knows full well exactly how blessed we are to have this woman in our lives.

Proverbs 31:28a “Her children (and grandchildren) arise and call her blessed…”

I love you, Gramma! Thank you for teaching me … thank you for loving me!

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EDITORS’ NOTE: Gramma just sent me her bierocks recipe… here it is!(updated 6/14/10)

BIEROCKS
Recipe courtesy my Gramma Helen Haraldsen

NOTE: This recipe is a 2-step process: 1) Make the biscuit dough and 2) Make the filling. So the

5 Way Buttermilk Rolls

Ingredients
1 quart buttermilk
12 cups of flour (approximately)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup shortening, softened (or butter)
3 packets of yeast
Flour
1 tablespoon salt
Canola oil

Instructions
Warm buttermilk in microwave (or in a double broiler on stove). Then add: sugar, baking soda, shortening and finally yeast.

Stir in flour (1 cup at a time) to make a soft sponge. (This will be very sticky at this point.) Add salt and more flour to make a soft dough that you can turn out on a counter to kneed. Continue to add flour (1 cup at a time) until dough is not sticky and kneed until it feels velvety in your hands. Put into a greased bowl (in a warm spot), cover with a damp cloth and let rise, punch down and let rise again. Keep in a warm place.

Filling for bierocks

Ingredients
3 pounds ground beef
1 ½ pounds onions, chopped
1 ½ pounds cabbage, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
In the meantime, cook ground beef and chopped onions until slightly browned and juices cooked down. Add salt & pepper or seasoned salt to taste. In a separate kettle cook shredded cabbage until soft. Add the cabbage to the meat mixture and stir all together.

This is where the two steps merge…

After the bread has risen the second time, punch down slightly, divide into 4 sections and roll out with a rolling pin as you would for cinnamon rolls. Cut the dough into sections about 5″ square. Turn the meat mixture into a colander so any juices will drain away, Put 2 or 3 tblsp. of meat onto each square; bring up corners to center and press together. Pour some oil onto a cookie sheet; dip the bottom of the beirock into the oil and then turn over with the pressed edges underneath. You should be able to get 10 or 12 of these rolls on each cookie sheet. Let them rise. Bake about 30 min. in a 400 deg. over and enjoy.

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

Friday night in Clovis

Lori TisdaleLeave a comment

Last friday I had the opportunity to check out another farmer’s market: Old Town Clovis Farmers’ Market

Our first stop (oh wait, after the tri-tip sandwiches – which I didn’t get a picture of because my hands were drippy) was the corn! Oh – did we search out the corn…

And wow – this is some special corn! It’s fire-roasted in the husks, then stripped and cleaned. Next, the corn starts to receive layer after layer of tasty-goodness: starting with butter, followed by mayonnaise, followed by parmesan cheese and lastly followed by cayenne pepper!

Exchange it for a few dollars and you’re off to enjoy the rest of the farmers’ market…

Let me introduce you to my friend Heather – she likes the corn! (And that’s an understatement!)

Take a walk with us… see what we saw!

If you haven’t had the chance yet… find a farmers’ market near you! They are full of people-watching opportunities, great fresh produce and some really great times!

But don’t take my word for it… check it out for yourself…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

Time in the kitchen with some cuties!

Lori TisdaleLeave a comment

Last weekend, I visited an old friend. I take that back, she’s not old – she’s the same age as me (ahem!)… but we have been friends for over 20 years!

I had some help making one of my favorite breakfast treats: My favorite sous chef. Hadley just loves “ciMM-a-mon-non”!!!

And once they finished baking… we ate them! Look at the wide-eyes and the licking of the fingers…

But first, Declan… I think he had at least 3 of these! Oh …

And Camden? He wanted so badly to eat the whole thing…

But for the life of me… this is all I could get out of Hayden. (She reminds me a little of me… I really don’t like it when the camera is pointing in my direction!)

But Hadley on the other hand… she loves the camera! Just as much as she loves “ciMM-a-mon-non”.

Again, Hadley, THANK YOU for being my sous chef… I hope you have many years of fun in the kitchen, I hope you learn a lot, and I hope you don’t get sick from eating all of those monkey muffins!

Now, it’s my turn…

Monkey muffins with the kids…

Lori Tisdale3 Comments

Last weekend, I visited an old friend. I take that back, she’s not old – she’s the same age as me (ahem!)… but we have been friends for over 20 years!

I had some help making one of my favorite breakfast treats: My favorite sous chef. Hadley just loves “ciMM-a-mon-non”!!!

And once they finished baking… we ate them! Look at the wide-eyes and the licking of the fingers…

But first, Declan… I think he had at least 3 of these! Oh …

And Camden? He wanted so badly to eat the whole thing…

But for the life of me… this is all I could get out of Hayden. (She reminds me a little of me… I really don’t like it when the camera is pointing in my direction!)

But Hadley on the other hand… she loves the camera! Just as much as she loves “ciMM-a-mon-non”.

Again, Hadley, THANK YOU for being my sous chef… I hope you have many years of fun in the kitchen, I hope you learn a lot, and I hope you don’t get sick from eating all of those monkey muffins!

Now, it’s my turn…

And for the recipe? Monkey Muffins, thank you (once again) Pioneer Woman!!!

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

My first sous chef!

Lori Tisdale1 Comment

Started a road trip last week… and had contacted a friend to see if I could sleep on her couch as I drove north through her quaint little city. Of course she said “Of course!”

So then I thought I should do something nice for them (for taking the time to clean off the couch for me). So I made them Monkey Muffins for breakfast. Of course I did!

But first I needed a sous chef… her daughter Hadley offered to be my first sous chef!

Stay tuned for more pics of us enjoying the aforementioned Monkey Muffins… they’re coming! I promise, you don’t want to miss these!

Thanks Hadley! You’re the best sous chef I’ve ever had!!!

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

another vacation breakfast with hubby…

Lori TisdaleLeave a comment

He usually eats a frozen/microwaved breakfast sandwich… now he’s being spoiled.

And so am I…

I love mornings at the house with my hero-of-a-hubby!

Especially when it starts out with a yummy breakfast. Bacon and cheese omelet with tomatoes and green onions! Doesn’t get much better than this… oh, except for the scrumptious biscuit!

Off I go for a bike ride now…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

vacation time = breakfast with hubby during the week!

Lori Tisdale2 Comments

In the past several weeks, while on vacation, I’ve been reminded of the benefits of having days off with my hero-of-a-hubby. You see, his days off are during the week (while I’m typically working).

But with these weeks of vacation I’m riding out … we’ve had more time together.

And more time together = more meals together. And that includes breakfast for two…

We simply love the Grands Biscuits … I find them in the frozen section at our market. They are individually flash frozen and then sold in a bag of about a dozen or 15 of them. You can cook up just two of them to make breakfast, or four of them to go along with dinner. Makes my world so simple and so yummy!!!

We of course made the most of it and made our own breakfast sandwiches. Oh, the bliss of vacation days…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…