Happy Anniversary!
On February 9th, 2010 Samuel and I will celebrate nine years of marriage. Like all couples we have experienced ups and, yes, even downs, but we are stronger for it and I am just as in love now as I was all those years ago!
If you know us well,
you will not be surprised that our mini-getaway to the wine country,
the Napa Valley,
centered around-what else?
Food!
Our first stop was the Oxbow Public Market, the "go-to" spot to pick up fantastic gourmet items like these beauties from Kara's Cupcakes.
We opted for Organic Three Twins Ice Cream, because if it's organic it's fat-free, right? Well, several extra fat grams is still cheaper than their $3,333.33 sundae, which is totally worth it if you call ahead for the cellist to perform! Ha!
After some sightseeing and shopping we hit our new favorite restaurant, Neela's! It's Indian cuisine, which is completely new to me, and I absolutely fell in love with it!
The next day we headed north to St. Helena, California to visit the Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A.), where we had reservations for a cooking demo.
I was in hog heaven and loved every minute of this experience!
We learned how to make Italian Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini Soup with Meatballs.
The highlight was seeing fresh pasta being made and seeing it stretch from a tiny ball of dough to strands and strands of long, thin, beautiful pasta.
You'll have to take my word for it, this soup was delish!
I'll be sure and post the recipe on my food blog soon!
The views from the C.I.A. are stunning, or maybe I'm just biased because of the lovely "scenery"!
A moment I'm not proud of:
Plucking a "souvenir", a gorgeous lemon from the garden!
At the Greystone Restaurant we sat at the bar and watched the countless dishes being prepared at lightening speed by the talented chefs!
We had the good fortune of arriving as they debuted a stunning dessert sampler complete with a Lemon Curd Tart, Vanilla Panna Cotta, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream in an Almond Lace Cone, a Dried Fruit Tart, and...
...a decadent Chocolate Mousse covered in Dark Chocolate Ganache with an edible gold leaf!
As you can imagine...
...we loved every bite!
To round out the afternoon we stopped at the Castello de Amarosa, a stunning 13th century castle boasting, of all things, a torture chamber!
Be forewarned, the tours are pricey!
We opted to tour the open area on the first level instead.
Before heading home, we stopped at one final destination:
They have the most amazing deli and fine foods shop. After sampling freshly made dark chocolate, artichoke & lemon cream cheese, and honey-dijon dip, we opted for the fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella pannini, gnocchi in a velvety tomato sauce, and an assortment of olives, fresh mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes.
It was heaven on a plate, and the company was 4-star as well.
I love my sweetheart, and it wasn't quite nine years ago that we picniced at this same winery. We were newlyweds then, and I was 7 months pregnant with Isabella. So much has changed, and yet so much has stayed the same.
I love you sweetheart!
