Your Invited to Our Wine Tasting and Pairing Party Today

When our international cooking group has special events held like this wine tasting and pairing event, all the foodaholics in our cooking group come out in droves. Our hostess, Janet has assembled some amazing and delicious food and wine combinations that even the most jaded connoiseur can learn and appreciate from this event.



Here are some highlights from the days events.

Isn't this the most delicious tray of chocolates and fresh fruit, everything seems to be dripping with some exciting sensations. I would like to try some more please?

How about a sample taste of an apricot with extra sharp dry cheddar and match that with a dry gewurstraminer or a nice reisling?

Oh, what a lovely floral arrangement this is, but why is it moving?

Oh I'm sorry, excuse me....

My friend Janet and her accomplice Ron are such photo hams, they really add sparkle to any food related event, thank god!

Alright, does everyone have their wine glasses ready, let the tasting begin!

Oh its soo hard to choose what I want with these lushious strawberries and truffles, a nice glass of champagne or a delicious pinot noire, maybe I'll do both.

Let me just give you a heads up on some of what you'll be sampling on our pairings today, but first let me just warn you that if you drinky a little too much now and fall off the railings....none of the rest of the drunkies in this group will notice, so take care and enjoy :)

Okay I think some of these group has had a little too much sampling going on and probably didn't sample any of the food pairings either!

What are you doing with that last bottle of wine there....its for everyone to share!

Oh look all bottles empty and not a drop to spare, what a successful event!

A Hike Through Shiloh Canyon + George Winston

Aloha Friend,



Please come and join my friend's Julie and Christiane and myself on a hike through the Sonoma hills up in Shiloh's wine country. To set the mood, go ahead and click on the you tube link below of George Winston's Blossum/Meadow, which is a perfect complement to our hike....okay, its time to start our walk.













We are going to climb first so it will be a nice workout, but I promise the views up on top will be worth the effort, plus we are getting a head start with our work out resolutions for the year.  Wow, I forgot how steep this trail is.

Theres a little canyon area that we have to cross before we get to the top and it has some beautiful gnarly oak trees, hardy manzanita shrubs and lots of wild ferns, watch out for the poison oak.


































We are getting very close to the top, its a clear day so we should be able to see all the way through the various vineyards below and down to the ocean.
























That was a fantastic fast hike to the top, now we can take our time going down and visit a pond so we can throw some sticks for Daisy.





























Oh this is Daisy's favorite pond and she just loves to fetch, I just hope I can find a large stick this time.













Okay Daisy this is the last time, I've already tossed this out to you more than enough, can you please shake yourself away from me please?
































Well, we are almost at the end of our hike, there should be a clearing coming up soon and we will reach the valley floor down to the parking lot.






















Here we are finally back down to the bottom, what a spectacular day, you couldn't have asked for a better morning to do a hike. It was actually a very warm day today considering how the temperature drops down to the 30's at night time and it must be already 70 degrees this morning.

That was fun, thanks for joining us on our hike today.

Wordless Wednesdays, Mustard Blooms + Sonoma Scenes

Feels like the Blues, A Visit Back to the Mainland

I made a visit over the holiday season back to the Bay Area / San Francisco to relive some of my old haunts, see friends and devour any exciting food cuisines that I have missed out on. I arrived on an icy cold night and the next day was no better. Since I had the day off mostly to myself, I though that a trip downtown to see the holiday lights and cheer would be the perfect anecdote to my gloomy mood.

Well, it didn't work, the drizzly rain turned into a cold downpour and the icy winds made me remember why I hated the bay area during the winter time. It got worse when my flimsy coat got completely soaked, the crowds were pushy and window shopping really put me in an off mood considering that I really didn't need anything but still had to buy a few presents for family.

The pictures I tried to take around Union Square, shops and windows were really too contrived, touristy and the rain spots didn't help either. So I decided to post these photos that I took on the same trip to convey the same feeling I had on that first morning downtown.

On a good note, I met up with an old friend and had a nice meal of Hot and spicy Thai food to forget about the blues outside for a short while, and it put me in a better frame of mind for what the holiday's are all about.

A New Years Greeting and Poem

Another fresh new year is here . . . Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, To love and laugh and give! This bright new year is given me To live each day with zest . . . To daily grow and try to be My highest and my best! I have the opportunity Once more to right some wrongs, To pray for peace, to plant a tree, And sing more joyful songs!” William Arthur Ward Happy New Years to everyone, aloha! Noel

Christmas Cookie Exchange + Night Christmas Parade, yes Please

Whats not to like when you combine a Christmas cookie exchange party with some close friends and a night time Christmas Parade in Keaau Hawaii. Everyone in our international cooking group set up some pop-ups and some really amazing cookie treats to take home for the holidays while enjoying some night holiday cheer.

Here are some of the highlights

This old pickup and tree just starts of the parade right!

Whats a parade without old roadsters and revving up the engines!

Now I know what happens to naughty kids that are not sooo nice all year long.

All the big boy trucks where out on Parade tonight, including their tractors too!

Now here are the Christmas Treats....help yourself please...

Thanks for joining the party, hey there's still alot of cookies left over - take the whole thing please!