Casini Ranch Family Campground

This past winter we bought a camper trailer to stay at our county fair while Bryce shows his heifer, which is so much fun but living at the fairgrounds for five days isn't really like camping, in my opinion.....super early mornings, tending to the animals, no hook-ups and only a barely warm shower to use at the fairgrounds, parked in the middle of a dusty parking lot. 

Well, Casini Ranch Family Campground, on the Russian River, however, is amazing camping!  And we just found this out this past weekend.  

Let me show you.

Casini Ranch is set along the Russian River in Duncans Mills.  It's on 110 acres of land and has RV camping as well as numerous tent spots.  The RV spots we chose happened to be just a few spots down from the playground, which made it very convenient for the kids to ride their bikes to and from at their will.  Full restrooms with hot showers are scattered throughout the grounds if you don't want to use your RV hookup or are tent camping.

Pin It

Guinness Beef Short Ribs

 I thought with summer here and in full swing, I'd have MUCH more time to blog and have an easy schedule.....was I ever wrong....

I just returned home from the BlogHer Conference held in Chicago this past Sunday and only just now have had time to sit at the desk and bust out a post.....and it's not even about the conference because I still need to gather all of those pics which happen to scattered in every possible direction...phone, facebook, twitter, you name it.

So, in between dropping Paige off at gymnastics day camp and Bryce off at Lego Robotics camp, here's my recipe for delicious Guinness Beef Short Ribs.  Trust me, they taste better than they look....photographing meat {well} is something I am trying to accomplish in my life.  Considering we are a meat loving family, one would think I'd get enough practice in by now...

Okay, enough apologies and excuses.

Here's the beef.

Our freezer is at a bare minimum right now.  Digging through it the other day, I managed to dig out three packages of beef short ribs and decided to cook these all at once.

Sprinkle each rib with a generous amount of Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Roll each piece in flour and braise in olive oil.  About 1-2 minutes per side, until browned.

Saute some onions in a dutch oven, add the braised short ribs and pour in one entire can of Guinness {but don't forget to save a sip for the cook}.  Pour in one cup of beef broth as well....but if you're like and beef broth didn't make it to your shopping list, use chicken broth instead.  Cover with lid and place in to a pre-heated 300 degree oven for about 3 hours.

Out comes some fall off the bone, savory, tender beef short ribs....the entire pot was devoured in little over 30 minutes...no joke.

Hope you're all enjoying a warm, slow moving summer in your part of the world.....or a pleasant winter if you're from Brazil, Australia, etc. :)

Pin It

Kenny Chesney's Blue Chair Rum ~ National Daiquiri Day

If you know me, you know how much I love Kenny Chesney's music.  If you know me REALLY well, you'll know about how I almost collided with his tour bus many years ago on the way to the Sonoma County Fair venue to hear him perform before he was as well known as he is today.

You know when you're going through tough times and you hear songs that "speak" to you?  Well, that was the connection I had with Kenny's music many years ago.....always have since day one and still connect today.  My kiddos love his music also, I think they know every word to almost every song he sings.

So when I was contacted about National Daiquiri Day {tomorrow July 19th!} and featuring Kenny Chesney's new rum line, I was all over it.  Kenny just launched a personal line of spirits called Blue Chair Bay Rum (White, Coconut, Coconut Spiced).   Kenny dreamt up and funded the entire venture himself.  I'd say he's All IN.

If you get a chance, check it out and maybe try out this refreshing daiquiri recipe to go along with it...I know I will!

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem.

Pin It

Babes Showing Babies ~ Marin County Fair

We've been having a heat wave in Northern California the past week or so and smack dab in the middle of it was Dairy Show Day at the Marin County Fair.  

The Marin County Fair is a five day fair but the large animals are hauled in on 'show day' and then hauled back home the same afternoon.  This makes for a long day that begins at 5:30 a.m. with the kids {Bryce} washing his heifer before leaving the ranch and hauling her to the fair at 7 a.m.

Pin It

Crock Pot Honey Teriyaki Chicken

Just because it's summer doesn't mean you can't utilize that crock pot of yours.  I saw this recipe online and modified it to what I had on hand in the fridge.  So yummy, easy, light and perfect for a weekday summer night.

Here's what you need for success.....

Crock Pot Honey Teriyaki Chicken

1 1/2 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic flakes {I used Garlic Gold Nuggets}
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

*Put chicken into crock pot. 
Combine honey, teriyaki sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic. Pour over chicken. 
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. 

*Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. 
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. 

*Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to crock pot - can leave chicken in and simmer on low or serve. 
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

Pin It

Fourth of July EASY Mini Dessert

Okay, so I'm sure I've found the EASIEST dessert EVER to be baked.......Mini Cherry Pies.  Seriously, this took all of 7 minutes to prepare and 13 minutes to bake.....DONE!  

And SO good!

Can you tell I love this recipe?!

And perfect timing....this can be very patriotic for the 4th of July.

Two things are all you need.....and a third if you wanna splurge.  Pre-made pie crusts by Pillsbury and canned cherry pie filling....that is it.

Here's what you do.....roll out that pre-made Pillsbury Pie Crust.  Use a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter and punch out the dough.  Place into a mini muffin pan, gently.

Fill with your favorite canned pie filling.....I used cherry but blueberry would be great as well....or both! Bake these little gems for 13-14 minutes and you're done!  It is THAT easy.  Paige and I whipped these out in no time.

Yum, Yum, Yum.

The third, optional ingredient....whipped cream.  I suggest adding the whipped cream.....OH so good.

The only drawback....it's super easy to eat about five of these, in one sitting.  But I'm very thankful for easy, delicious desserts that most will love!

I'll be attending our home town parade and then a friend's BBQ, what are your plans for the Fourth?

Pin It

Patriotic Cocktail Recipes

My friends at Maestro Dobel Tequila and Three Olives Vodka are ready to help us all celebrate the 4th of July with their very patriotic cocktails to get the party started.  My favorite looking cocktails also happened to be the most brightly colored......Blue Devil-tini with tequila, Sideline Shooter and the Roman Candle.

Many times. at various parties thrown at our house throughout the year, I'll pick a theme cocktail to go along with the party and I think any one of these would be perfect for the 4th....or upcoming Labor Day as well.

Have a fun, safe and sparkly 4th of July!

Blue Devil-tini
 2 oz. Maestro Dobel Tequila
 ½ oz. Blue Curacao
 Splash Tonic
 Shake Maestro Dobel Tequila and blue curacao with ice.
 Strain into a chilled martini glass.
 Add tonic and garnish with a lemon wedge

Sideline Shooter
 1/3 oz. Three Olives Cake Vodka
 1/3 oz. Grenadine
 1/3 oz. Blue Curacao
 Layer in a shot glass!

Roman Candle
 3 oz. Three Olives Berry Vodka
 1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice
 Dash of Grenadine
 ½ oz. Blue Curacao
 Shake vodka, cranberry juice and grenadine in a shaker with ice.
 Strain into a martini glass
 Pour blue curacao gently down the side of the glass so it settles on the
bottom.
 Garnish with lemon twist

Pin It

County Fair Recap

Have you been wondering where I've been the past week? {or maybe you haven't noticed!} I haven't been blogging due to living out of a trailer at our local Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma this past week.  I'm back now and here's the fair re-cap..

This year, Bryce was old enough to show a large animal so he entered his sweet little Holstein calf, Jinx.  Fair time is so much fun....caring for large animals at the fair, most people camp out in trailers so they're close to their animals for the purpose of cleaning stalls, caring for them and milking them twice a day if they enter a milking cow.  It almost feels like a different world with the kids all running around, busy with their animals, to and from the trailers, like one big happy fair family that sleeps, drinks and eats fair for five days.

During the middle of the week, Paige and I were also in a good friend's wedding.  Needless to say it was quite challenging going from the dusty fair to a flower girl and bridesmaid dress.  I had my doubts on Friday night while cleaning Paige off before rehearsal dinner, but by wedding day, Saturday, she was in much better spirits....thankfully.  My goal was to wash every spec of dried manure off of her body {and mine}, hair and makeup...all while keeping this 6 year old with attitude, happy.

It worked, for about six hours where she then began negotiating her way back to the fair.  Daddy brought her back and all was well in Paige's world once again.

Pin It

Create your own Summer Day Camp for the Kids

Summer break is here and there are many summer day camps to choose from, for our kids….from Girl Scout Camp, Gymnastics Camp, Lego Robotics Camp, etc.  But if they don't fit into your budget, how about creating your very own Home Day Camp?! 

 

Kiplinger’s outlines some great tips to get us started……

·         Day 1: Learn survival skills—show kids how to use a compass and a map. Then send them on a scavenger hunt that requires them to use their new skills. If you have older children, teach them about animal tracking and head to the woods to see if they can find and identify tracks.

·         Day 2: Pick berries—take the kids to a pick-your-own berry patch early in the day before it gets hot. When you get home with your bounty, you can make jam, scones or muffins. Then celebrate your hard work with a tea party that includes what you and the kids made. You can either do this all in one day or spread the activities out over a week.

·         Day 3: Take a hike—an easy activity in your own yard, which makes it easy for younger children, is a bug hike. Use a magnifying glass, jars and paper to examine, collect or record the bugs you see. You can also take a wild edible hike, sampling the things in fields, forests or your backyard that can be eaten. Another option is a creek hike; many state parks have waterways that are accessible to the public. Hike upstream through a shallow creek, turning over rocks and discovering what lives under and around them.

·         Day 4: Create a wildlife habitat or garden—show kids that it’s ok to get their hands a little dirty by planting vegetables and herbs they can eat or flowers and native plants to attract wildlife. You can even do this in a few large pots if you don’t want to dig up your yard.

·         Day 5: Camp out—show your kids how to pitch a tent, either in your backyard or at a campground. Teach them how to build a fire and bring along food that you can cook over an open flame. When it gets dark, look up at the stars and try to identify constellation.

For more great tips, here's the link to the Kiplinger article. in full.

What's YOUR favorite summer time activity to do with your kids?

Pin It

Travel Trailering and Three Olives Cake Batter Martini with MILK!

Hey, did you realize the 19th of June is National Martini Day?!!  I hadn't until I received an email from Three Olives Vodka cluing me in.....Oh. Yeah.

I figure since we'll be camping out in this most of the week,

Pin It

Mouth Watering Lobster Grilled Cheese

June is Dairy Month and what better way to help celebrate but by having a Lobster Grilled Cheese sandwich.  Yes Please!   I received this recipe yesterday via email, courtesy Chef Marc Forgione and T-Fal and thought it looked absolutely mouth watering and just had to share it with you.  

Winner of the Food Network’s Next Iron Chef (Season 3), Chef Marc Forgione began his career at the age of 16, joining his father, Larry Forgione –a culinary legend who revolutionized American‐style cooking in the '70s and '80s- in the kitchen at An American Place. Forgione fully embraced his father's livelihood and has built on his unique culinary foundation to carve out an identity of his own.  With Marc Forgione, formerly known as Forge, Forgione's first restaurant, he has created an approachable place "that people walk by and are compelled to enter and where the ingredients are the star."  Forgione was most recently coveted with his third Michelin star in the 2012 guide, making him the youngest American‐born chef and owner to receive the honor in consecutive years (2010, 2011, 2012).

Lobster Grilled Cheese

Makes 4 whole sandwiches

Ingredients

For the Chili Lobster:

·         2 cups Lobster Stock (If you can’t find Lobster Stock, get seafood stock, which should be available at Whole Foods or Fox & Obels)

·         4 (1 ½ pound) lobsters, claws removed

·         ¼ cup Sriracha

·         2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

·         Juice of 2 limes

·         6 ounces (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, divided

·         4 tablespoons canola oil

·         Kosher salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

·         8 slices of fontina cheese

·         4 slices Pullman Loaf or other high-quality thick sliced white bread (1” thick)

Preparation

1.       Cut the tails off the lobster bodies, and into 1-inch pieces while the tails are still in their shells

2.       Bring the Lobster Stock to a simmer and add the Sriracha, soy sauce and lime juice. Piece by piece, whisk in 6 tablespoons of butter until emulsified. Reduce the remaining sauce until it slightly thickens, about 2 minutes.

3.       Toss the lobster tail pieces in oil with salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Place the lobster pieces in a bowl and transfer to the fridge until cooled. When the lobster pieces have cooled, pop the meat out of the tails and set aside.

4.       For each sandwich take two slices of bread. Place one slice of fontina cheese on top of the first slice, cover the cheese with some lobster meat, sprinkle ½ tablespoon of tarragon, cover with a second slice of fontina cheese, and then top with the second piece of bread. Brush the outer sides of each slice of bread with melted butter and season with salt. Grill the sandwich on the T-fal Mini Grilled Cheese Griddle and serve with a small bowl of the chili sauce on the side.

Mini T-Fal  - Specially designed for making grilled cheese, the T-fal Mini Grilled Cheese Griddle is a small, non-stick pan that heats up quicker than larger pans and is the perfect size for cooking a single grilled cheese sandwich. It has a flat griddle base to ensure even heat distribution for a perfectly melted grilled cheese sandwich. The griddle is scratch-resistant and its nonstick coating ensures quick and easy cooking and clean up. Available at Target for $8.24

Images and recipe courtesy Marc Forgione and T-Fal

Pin It

Sum Sum Summer Time

We made it through another school year, already.  Growing up, my parents constantly would say "Time goes SO fast" and I remember thinking how slow it actually felt to me.....well, I know now exactly what they were feeling back then.  It DOES go fast.  The busier we are, the faster it goes.

We've started our summer out with a bang, this past Friday was the last day of school where we have a pool party for the kids, parents and any alumni who would like to attend at our teacher/principal's beautiful house.   I think I want to move in to her pool house for the summer....felt like I was on vacation.  Ninety degree weather and a 90 degree pool was a cause for celebration....oh, and the blood orange mimosas helped with that as well.

Our busy weekend included a swim meet for Bryce on Saturday....another 90 degree day.

I coordinate the snack shack for the meet and here was the calm before the storm.....

Later that day we managed to attend the Novato Art and Wine Festival only to come home and collapse after the long day....{no pics, too tired to think about it}

The next day, Sunday, was our 4H fundraiser BBQ.  The kids put on some animal workshops to get ready for the upcoming county fair next week.  Here Paige is practicing Showmanship with her bunny, Sweetie.  Sweetie is a very good girl....she lays on her back for Paige without a problem.  Hoping she'll do the same during the actual fair competition.

And today we have the 4H dairy group kids coming over for a workshop on cow clipping {haircut} and preparing the barn display for the fair.

The school year went fast but I think summer will go even faster.....

Pin It

Refreshing White Sangria

Our last day of school happened today.  I now have a fourth grader and a second grader and almost three full months of filling time in the summer.   Hmmm, it's sangria time.    Sangria is one of the most refreshing, easy and delightful drinks you can make.  Simply served and easy as cherry pie to put together.  After searching the web, I came up with this sangria concoction from Williams-Sonoma for my 'Best of the Web' this week.

Plum and Necterine Sangria

Look for plums and nectarines that are ripe but still firm to ensure that they do not become too soft when soaked in the wine. Rinse the fruits well to remove any surface chemicals before slicing them. Use a dry white Rioja or Sauvignon Blanc for the wine.

Ingredients:
3 plums, halved, pitted and cut into thin wedges
3 nectarines, halved, pitted and cut into thin wedges
1 can (12 fl. oz.) nectarine nectar
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1 bottle (750ml) dry white wine
Ice cubes as needed
1 bottle (24 fl. oz.) sparkling water, chilled

Directions:

In a large pitcher, combine the plum wedges, nectarine wedges, nectarine nectar, orange liqueur and wine. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours to blend the flavors.

To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes and add the wine mixture, dividing evenly. Top off each glass with sparkling water. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Photo credit: Williams Sonoma

What's your favorite summer time party cocktail?

Pin It

Top Seven Dessert Bar Recipes

Tis' the season of graduations, school end parties, end of season little league parties, pool parties, you name it!  For my 'Best of the Web' this week, I couldn't just choose one bar recipe...so I went for seven!

They are all courtesy of Pillsbury and look delightful......especially this Lemon Blueberry Pretzel Cheesecake recipe....salty and sweet all in one bite.  Can't go wrong!

Pin It

I Found Raw Milk at Sprouts Farmers Market

I was invited to attend the Pre-Opening Party for Sprouts Farmers Market in Petaluma yesterday.  Even though there are upwards of 70 Sprouts Markets in scattered across California, I hadn't stepped foot in one until yesterday.  This new Petaluma Sprouts is the first one within a 50 mile radius from me so I was excited to check it out.

After talking with Glade Campbell, Sr. Director of Operations for CA and CO Sprouts, I headed straight over to the dairy case, of course.   For those of you who have been wanting to buy raw milk, Sprouts has it.

I was thrilled to see they had our own local Clover Milk in the case....

If you're into olives, you'll love their Olive Bar...yum.

They have a wide selection of cheeses in their cheese case....I didn't see any of our local varieties though.

Sprouts prides itself on their bulk options....coffee....

and all sorts of grains, seeds, nuts, etc...

I asked Glade if the produce and products they stocked was bought locally, most of the produce is bought in California until the off season comes around, then it's purchased from out of the country to keep up with the demand.

They carry both organic and conventional products to keep everyone happy.

You can also find Game Meats in their frozen meat case....Ground Elk, Ground Wild Boar...

and if you have a hankering for ground Kangaroo...guess what?...they have it!.....happily sitting next to ground venison!

My take on Sprouts Farmers Market is that it lies somewhere between Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  It's larger than TJ's with a fresher and more abundant variety of produce and not as "local" as Whole Foods is.  The price point also lies somewhere in between, closer to TJ's.

The new Petaluma store is located in the new Target Shopping Center near the fairgrounds.  If you happen to be in town, I highly recommend checking it out.

Pin It

Venison Sausage Fest~ A Family Affair

If Venison Loin is my first favorite cut of venison, coming in a close second would have to be the Venison Sausage that the family makes 2-3 times a year.  It's super tasty with hints of cinnamon, and very low in fat.
It's made from the meat of deer that are hunted on our property during deer hunting season.  This long standing family tradition is something to look forward to for kids and adults alike.

Pin It

Barbecuing Tips

It's the beginning of barbecue season, Memorial Day is just around the corner and I'm sure many of us will be spending time outdoors around the BBQ.  Here's some quick and simple tips to make your barbecuing experience the best it can be.

• Thaw your frozen meat in the fridge.  
• Try not to defrost meat or poultry and fish on the counter top....bacteria can easily multiply at room temperature.  If you need to speed things up, use the microwave on its defrost setting and then grill immediately.
• Cook meat once it reaches room temperature....this will keep the surface from burning.
• Preheat your barbecue before throwing down your meat.
• Don't poke your meat.  Frequent turning and poking of the meat will cause juices to flow out and dry out your meat.
• Rest.  Let your meat rest after it's cooked to retain juices.

Pin It

Flavorful Venison Loin

We hunt here on the ranch and surrounding ranches during deer season every year, so along with the beef we have stocked in our freezer, we also have venison.  One of my favorite venison cuts is the loin. It's certainly a treat,  especially when made like this...

Pin It

Smashburger Novato

When I received an invite to attend the Smashburger grand opening in my home town, I made sure to clear my evening schedule.....I have the biggest burger fiend alive, that lives in our house and I knew this would make his night.

Bryce is eight.  He's a little guy.  And he doesn't order off the child's menu in any restaurant anymore....the food portions are just too small for my big eater.  Being the burger connoisseur that he is, I relied on his comments as a big portion of my review of this new burger restaurant.

After we put his bacon cheeseburger together, he all but inhaled the thing within 5 minutes.  I'm not exaggerating.  He loved it.  He wanted another one.  I said "No, eat your sweet potato fries."  He had a few, I had more than a few....they were good....crispy, salty and sweet all in one bite.  Bryce would be happy if all he ate was some sort of meat, preferably burgers or steak, raw veggies and an assortment of fruit....fries and other sides don't really interest him.

Unlike his sister, who would rather only eat the sides and the bread.  She ordered a hot dog off the child's menu that came with fries.  My picky eater was a little skeptical of the "spotted" bun when it arrived at our table but after one bite, I didn't hear another complaint.

Earlier in the day I had eaten a sandwich on a Ciabatta bun, so I felt I had had my bread intake for the day and ordered my barbecue bacon cheddar burger on a "lettuce bun".....only got to eat half of it, because Bryce was staring at it from across the table, so I shared....he gobbled.

I ordered a side of veggie frites.  Lightly battered and fried green beans and carrots served with ranch dip...yum!

For dessert, they came around with samples of Butterfinger and Nutterbutter Shakes....OH MY!

The atmosphere at Smashburger Novato is very pleasant, very open, walls of windows, bright and comfortable.  You place your order at the counter, where you can also order craft beer {Lagunitas} or domestic beer, take your number to your table and the food is brought to you.

We'll definitely be going back to Smashburger Novato and if I left it up to Bryce, we'd be eating breakfast, lunch AND dinner there.  Their menu is small with a variety of burgers, chicken burgers, vegetarian options, hot dogs, a few salads to choose from and shakes and malts.

Pin It