Very Short Post for T

 

My plan had been to go on writing about our winter trip to the Southwest, but instead of telling you about Christmas at Bryce Canyon I can only write a very short post. My Etsy shop has become very busy - with cooler temperatures people want warm socks, hats and mitts. I'm currently knitting up a storm to fulfill all these orders. 

My business is a true one-woman business. I do everything myself - the tags with care instructions, little handwitten thank you notes that go with the purchase, packaging and shipping - and of course the knitting. I need to keep stock of business cards, tissue paper for wrapping the items, twine and shipping materials. It's a lot of work and the months leading up to Christmas are always particularly crazy.

This is what my items look like when they are wrapped, right before going in the recycled paper envelopes (like thin cardboard) and brought to the UPS store. Recently, the post office had replaced the old mailboxes with new ones that only have a small slit for regular letters, so I can't put bigger envelopes in there anymore. Thankfully UPS accepts USPS packages and the closest UPS store is in walking distance and I don't have to drive to the post office. The little cards on the packages are my Moo business cards made from my photos.

Since this is a post for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T Tuesday I'm sharing a photo from last Saturday when our friends Bim and Patti and we went to "our" winery for a pick up party. We were very lucky with the weather  and were able to sit on their patio. The wine and food pairing was excellent, but the company was even better. We had such a good time together.

And we have a new dinner guest! This little opossum appeared sometime last week and since then has devoured Kibeau's night portion every evening (Kibeau is not amused). They are really loud eaters, I can even hear her/him chew when I'm upstairs. But s/he is so super cute!

Sunday Wine Tasting

Last Sunday we went to our favorite winery in Healdsburg, Sapphire Hill Winery. We have been members of their wine club for several years and their wine seldom disappoints us. The winery doesn't have its own vineyards but buys the grapes from different vineyards and then makes their wine. It is owned by Chris and Lisa, and in addition to offering really nice wine, Lisa is also a great and experimental cook. Their wine tastings are always accompanied by food (at least for the club members). They used to do sit-down wine and food pairings (entire dinners) in their barrel room, but since the pandemic this unfortunately is a thing of the past (we hope that eventually they will come back). On Sunday we wanted to pick up our winter and spring shipment and since the weather was wonderful - sunny but not hot - we decided for a tasting on their patio.

We started out with a delicious warm brussels sprout dip - oh my lord! - paired with three sparkling wines (white, rosé and red).

We then had a potato leek soup with a dry Gewürztraminer followed by a red beet salad that had been pickled in the rosé that we were drinking with it. This was so refreshing!

On to the main "course", meatloaf sliders paired with a Zinfandel - I could have had more than one, to be honest. Zinfandel is my favorite red wine; the grape was brought to California in the mid 19th century and is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kaštelanski and Tribidrag as well as the Primitivo variety that is grown in Apulia, Italy. However, even though it is grown across the United States, Zinfandel is essentially a California grape, and Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley is one of the very best locations to grow it (aren't we lucky). 

The only thing left was the dessert - a warm brownie with salted caramel sauce. Lisa bakes these with ther raspberry-jalapeño jam in the centre that then oozes out when warmed. No, there is no heat and no taste of raspberry, just rich chocolate. This was paired with a full-bodied Old Vines Zinfandel.

You can probably guess where I am linking to - Elizabeth's T Tuesday and Kathy's Food Wednesdays. Thank you, ladies, for hosting!

T is for Tasting Wine

 

Last week I had to skip Elizabeth's T-party because it was so busy. This was not what I thought my life would look like after quitting my high school library job in the summer. I had dreamed of quiet afternoons spent in the garden tending to my plants or reading piles of books. There was this fantasy that I could take long hikes in the breath taking nature around us. And, of course, that I could write many many blogposts.

The reality looks quite different - I've been very busy with the German School since I had added another class that I was teaching in the evenings. That came to a close last week, but the regular class work still needs to be done (and I simply love teaching) and I also find myself planning which additional classes I could offer in the spring semester. The shop has been very busy, and since my bestseller (warm socks) is made to order I'm knitting every day. However, it does feel good that my items are wanted by people and I'm proud to offer good customer service.

But last weekend, the Geek and I finally went for some wine tasting again. We live in the midst of wine country and could choose to go to a different winery every weekend. However, we opted to go to one of our favorite ones where we are also members in the wine club. This winery doesn't have its own vineyards, but purchases the grapes instead and then make their own wine. Most of their wine is delicious. Lisa, one of the owners, is also a great and experimental cook and she always has food to pair the wine with (or vice versa) on the weekends. This time we got a six-course food pairing.

This was only for starters - afterwards I forgot to take pictures of the other food. Most of her food she cooks with one of their wines and she already inspired me a lot in the kitchen. She is one of those people that you like right from the start - I remember meeting her for the first time several years ago and she was so warm and welcoming. She is someone who laughs a lot and is full of energy. This welcoming feeling and warmth is something that defines this winery - they treat you like family.

It was such a lovely late autumn day, sunny and warm. We were sitting on the patio, having such a good time. It was relaxing and peaceful - and their selection of champagne sure helped as well!

You might notice that they use fabric napkins as well as real silverware and china serving plates. The plates and bowls were all made from compostable material - nothing went to waste here. Another reason why I like this winery and happily support them.

The last course was dessert - and they served Lisa's signature bownies - crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside and a saltted caramel sauce on top.

I'm so glad that I am able to participate in Elizabeth's T Tuesday this week. Thank you for hosting it, Elizabeth! To those of you who are in the US I wish you a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving. There is so much we can be grateful for.