Ryder's 1st Birthday

We had Ryder's Birthday party on Saturday. We had no idea it was at the beach so expectantly Jocelyn saw the beach for the first time! Thankfully Summer had baby suntan lotion as well! Jocelyn had a blow out right when we got there so it was the perfect opportunity to change her clothes and then spray her down with suntan lotion! Thankfully she had a hate and sunglasses in the diaper bag! They also had a tent which we kept her under most of the time! We had a great time though and got to catch up with a ton of friends! The birthday boy, Ryder, Summer, Jocelyn and I, Dylan and Dana! Madalyn and Jocelyn!First time in ocean water!!

Mac and Cheese in Sonoma

Tasty Mac and Cheese

Kari and I had this dish at The Fig Cafe and Wine Bar in Glen Ellen, California - Sonoma Wine Country.  The thing I remember most about this Mac and Cheese is the bread crumbs on top: it was as if they grated crack cocaine on top of the dish!  In addition, the addition of the green herbs (don't remember what kind it was!) was a nice visual touch!

The first time Kari and I had this was on our honeymoon in the summer of 2008 and we shared the dish.  The next year, summer of 2009, we went back and each got our own and had no need to share!  In fact, I think we just had the Mac and Cheese as if it were our appetizer and then had a full dinner elsewhere...

Christmas Wines

The BV Delatour 2000 was perfectly aged and went down smooth. The 99 Cinq was tasty, yet the tanins were still having a party...

It's been a year...

Wow...it has been a year since posting on this blog...I guess since Kari was pregnant with Jocelyn I didn't drink too much wine...

There was one wine that I consistently was drown to: Andrew Murray's 2007 (06 was better!) Tous Les Jours Syrah...very fruity and well balanced...just had with tri tip from Beach Pit Barbaque and was pleased through and through...

Wine #6

Menage a Trois - Red and White Table Wines

Simply amazing taste and value for the money for both of these wines!

The red wine is a blend of: Zin, Merlot, and Cab Sauvignon.

While not quite a technical meritage blend, the combination of these varietals and the percentage of each make this a great wine for a Tuesday night when grading papers and eating barbeque or Costco Chicken Noodle Soup! This is Steve's favorite wine right now!

The white wine is a blend of: Chardonnay, Moscato, and Chenin Blanc.

Kari and I were looking forward to trying this one for a while and did the other night with much pleasure! We were interested to find out how the Moscato made the wine taste because Moscato is such sweet varietal; we were and very happy with the sweet balanced achieved! I believed Kari said, "This is awesome!"

Wine #5

Buttonwood Hawk Red 2006 Santa Ynez Valley

Kari and I were very surprised at how fruity this wine was; it was like we were drinking a box of Juicy Juice! Very approachable after decanting for thirty minutes or so...Highly recommended!

Wine #4

07 Carhartt Sauvignon Blanc Kari and her two friends, Jennifer Dorosky and Alison Seedorf, drank this wine during the UFC fight a few weeks ago. Reports are that it was crisp and refreshing with melon overtones. This is from a winery that is special to me and Kari!













Epiphany Purite I did not get to taste this one either; however, the ladies seemed to enjoy and Kari wants us to pick up some more when we go up to Santa Ynez after Christmas.