The Wife of a Dairyman ~ Churned in Cali: frozen cocktails

Showing posts with label frozen cocktails. Show all posts

May 8, 2010

Birthday Girl

I had the pleasure of celebrating my good friend's birthday the other night with a very fun group of girlfriends that have been in my life for the last 10-15 years. We have been through so many things together over the past 10 years, from trips to Tahoe, Texas, Las Vegas, horse camping, to weddings, divorces, new relationships, illness and so many other things it's difficult to recount them all. So, at every birthday or any occasion we can think of, we try to all meet up for dinner.

Devi was the Birthday Girl this time and she chose to eat at Piatti's in Mill Valley. It was my first time at this restaurant and I loved it. I loved the atmosphere, as it sits right on the water, has patio dining, a full bar and good food.

But, first things first. We felt the need to start out the evening at Wildfox for cocktails. WooWoos all around.

Thanks Debbie for driving from stop one to stop two and back!

On to Piatti.....

(left to right: Wendy, me, Devi, Cynthia, Jody, Kellie & Debbie)

I was having such a good time, I totally forgot to snap photos of our food! Or maybe I was just really hungry. Oh well, I had the roasted salmon served with asparagas and roasted yukon gold potatoes in case you're interested and LOVED it! Here's their menu if you want to take a peek: Piatti

The birthday girl......Devi.

A friend is someone we turn to when our spirits need a lift.

A friend is someone we treasure for our friendship is a gift.

A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy and grace.

And makes the world we live in a better and happier place.
Unknown author

I'm so lucky to have such a great group of true friends :)

Happy Saturday! Pin It

February 26, 2010

A Wild Fox Girls Night Out~ and Tomato-Herb Flank Steak Recipe

I had the pleasure of celebrating my friend Kellie's birthday with her and three other really great girlfriends last night at Wild Fox Restaurant.

We started out with what I think is going to be my 'new favorite cocktail'....the 'Woo Hoo'

I think it's actually called a Woo Woo but after a couple of these, it quickly became renamed to the Woo Hoo! The cocktail is a blend of vodka, grapefruit juice, peach schnapps and cranberry juice......absolutely delicious! Woo Hoo!! I have always had a great dining experience at Wild Fox and I just love the atmosphere. There's a nice long bar, an outdoor patio with fireplace, and it's all dark wood and cozy on the inside. There are a bunch of meat eaters in this group. Three of us had the Flat Iron Steak special, all with different sides. Kellie's with a side of mash potatoes and butternut squash....

Devi's with a side of swiss chard and asparagus.....

And Jody's with a side of green beans and butternut squash.......

Debbie ordered a Pesto Pizza with tomatoes and pine nuts.......Yum!

I ordered Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry which was so good. They served a huge portion so I was able to eat the remaining half for lunch today......

Dinner paired so wonderfully with this fabulous bottle of Ledson Zinfandel that Jody brought to share......thanks Jody!

Kellie's gooey smore-like birthday dessert (yes, those are toasted marshmallows you see emerging from the glass).....

Apricot, chocolate chip bread pudding with a scoop of mocha ice cream on top we ordered to share.....

We all had a fantastic time and an even better visit. Nothing like a Girls Night Out...

Flat iron steak makes me think of this recipe..... Tomato-Herb Marinated Flank Steak

In this recipe, a dual-purpose sauce is made from garden-fresh tomatoes, shallot, marjoram and rosemary. Using half the sauce to marinate the steak and the other half as a basting sauce. Pasture-raised, grass-fed beef is gentler on the environment, free from growth-promoting hormones and typically lower in fat and calories than grain-fed beef. Marinating grass-fed beef for a full day helps make it tender. Look for it at natural-foods markets or find it online - Grossi Natural Beef.

Ingredients 1 medium tomato,
chopped 1 shallot,
peeled and quartered
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed

Preparation
1.Puree tomato, shallot, vinegar, marjoram, rosemary, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup, covered, in the refrigerator. Scrape the remaining puree into a large, sealable plastic bag. Add steak and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24hours.

2.Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade). Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the steak 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or 6 to 7 minutes per side for medium, turning once and brushing the cooked side with some of the reserved sauce. When the steak is cooked, turn it over again and brush with more sauce. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak crosswise and serve with any remaining sauce spooned on top.

Tips &

Notes Make Ahead Tip: Marinate steak for up to 24 hours.

Kitchen Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) Nutrition Per serving: 169 calories; 7 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 47 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 0 g fiber; 275 mg sodium; 440 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (29% daily value). Exchanges: 3 lean meat

Happy Friday! Cheers!

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January 20, 2010

Day to Day Happenings

My day began on Tuesday getting myself and Bryce ready for kindergarten. Breakfast was a 100% whole wheat english muffin, topped with a sliced hard boiled egg made with my EggGenie.....LOVE the EggGenie! The easiest way to boil eggs, just add water, seven eggs at one time, plug in and let it do it's thing.

On Tuesdays, I volunteer at the one room school house Bryce attends and puppy Chloe comes as well. Mrs. Doyle, the teacher/principal, owns a relative of Chloe.....Cooper, a Maltese / Shi Tzu mix just like Chloe and Tuesday mornings they have a standing playdate appointment at school. A fun time for all! Photo below ~ Chloe and Cooper atop Mrs. Doyle's desk ~ well behaved students!

In the evening, our family attended the Redwood Empire Dairy Holstein Association's annual dinner. A short meeting is conducted during dinner, where the attendees are informed of any upcoming dairy shows, heifer sales, meetings, etc. The junior division, California Junior Holstein are present as well. Awards and scholarships are presented to the winners. The juniors announce up-coming competitions that they will participate in such as, Dairy Jeopardy, Dairy Bowl, and Public Speaking to name a few. The dinner was held at the Elk's Lodge in Petaluma. It's a catered event which consisted of tri-tip, chicken marsala, fresh roasted vegetables, ceaser salad and a creamy penne dish. Photo below: the future of the dairy industry...hopefully, if our local dairies are still around in 10 or 15 years.

Moosemilk ~ a loaded drink ~ not for the kiddies

1 oz. white rum 1 oz. dark rum 1 oz. Kahlua coffee liquer 2 scoops vanilla ice cream 2 fresh strawberries Mix all together in a blender and enjoy! (this can also be made in big batches and served punch bowl style) Pin It