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 When I was young my friend had a field that was filled with sweet peas. As children, we would wander through the field gathering bouquets of sweet peas. There were always a ton of them in a variety of colors. There are over 250 varieties of sweet peas and they self pollinate. Easy to get right???
No, apparently my friends field is not common. Sweet Peas are not easy to find or easy to grow. They are a fickle flower that with too much or not enough sun will die or just plain out refuse to grow. I have given up on trying to grow them for now. My backyard is a haven for sweet pea death as is my front yard, side yard, windowsill, etc…
The lady who I bought these from at the Farmers market told me that she even has difficulty with them even after 65 years of growing them. That small bouquet is $5 which is a deal! They do not last long. I would say 6 days at best whereas the Peony will last over a week if given fresh water and lightly trimmed.
They are one of the most delicious smelling flowers in the world. A room full of sweet peas is perfection. Good luck though finding a room full. This is not a flower that you can buy at any florists. Trust me I have tried. If I could have sweet peas delivered every week I would. It is not possible though. This is a flower where you need connections or a local farmers market. The sweet pea has been around since before the 1800′s. It was quite the popular flower in late 1800′s England. It is the flower associated with the Edwardian age.
In the language of flowers sweet peas are associated with blissful pleasure and childhood innocence.
I love the Healdsburg Farmers market. It is truly one of my favorite places. They have the BEST flowers! There are few things I love more than flowers. Introducing the fully bloomed Peony if you have never seen one before. They start out tightly wound and then unfurl into a beautiful spectacle of a flower.
The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek godof medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeussaved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.
The peony flower smells like a spicy old rose. I mean a rose of antique varietal. The cost of growing your own peonies can be as small as $10 to $1000+. They are certain varieties that are very rare and thus very costly. Personally, I do not think they are easy to grow. The bud attracts ants therefore you have to be super diligent or else the ant will get to the bud before you can. The pink ones I bought at the farmers market for $7. I got 6 flowers for that price.
The Peony is used in eastern medicine for everything from curing bad dreams to relieving gall stones. There is speculation that compounds found in the peony will be used in modern medicine to treat some of our most serious diseases. The peonies grown for medicinal use today come almost exclusively from China, Korea and Taiwan.
In Feng Shui the Peony is a cure for love and romance. It is considered metaphor for female beauty. It is often said that two peony in a single woman’s home will attract a mate. It is crucial to have at least 2. They also say that peonies in the bedroom of an older couple will bring an affair. If you are married just keep them out of the bedroom just in case. They look perfectly beautiful on the kitchen table.
(peony buds below)
Tags: floral, flowers
 While rates have come down in the past month, mortgage rates this week may affected by multiple bond auctions that are taking place, any of which can sway the market dependent on their volume. For this reason, the market will be moving forward with less certainty, which makes this week a great week to lock in rates to insure you benefit from downward movement of late.
As we head into a holiday weekend with Memorial Day Weekend approaching, many market participants will be leaving early on Friday, which all but insures weak trading volume which can cause erratic movement in bonds up or down.
Market Calendar for the Week of 5/23/2011
- Monday: 6 month bill auction
- Tuesday : New Home Sales, Rosengren, Hoenig, Bullard and Plosser from the Fed speak
- Wednesday : 5 Year Note Auction, Durable Goods, FHFA Home Price Index
- Thursday : Jobless Claims, GDP, Money Supply
- Friday : Personal Income and Outlays, Consumer Sentiment, Pending Home Sales Index
Simplifying GFE and TIL Disclosures:
It’s easy to become confused when getting a new mortgage due to the volume of paperwork involved. Adding to this confusion are a number of recent government regulations that have been implemented that are increasing confusion when their intent is the opposite. According to Elizabeth Warren, Special Adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
“A simple, straightforward and consistent presentation of a credit agreement is the best way to level the playing field between consumers and lenders – and among different types of lenders – and foster honest competition.”
To help create an easier to understand experience for consumers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has created a website where you can give feedback. Simply view their site and follow the instructions to help give them feedback on your preferences.
Tags: bond auctions, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, mortgage news, mortgage outlook
The first start of any great meal is the wine. Some people start with the food but I prefer the wine. I wanted Cabernet and since it was a SaturdayI had to dig through the “cellar” to see what was getting near its time. I am trying to do this once a week now. For wine lovers this is necessary otherwise you end up with wines you wish you had had 3 years ago. Enter the 2001 Beringer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It is perfect to drink now. With soft and supple tannins, notes of cherry, vanilla, Rutherford dust and just a bit of barn. The color is rich. It is a Yum. If you can find it, it is worth drinking.
To pair with the wine I made a flat iron steak on a bed of sauteed spinach with caramelized onions and Italian truffle cheese. This is a one pan meal which is always a bonus because who likes washing pans? Not me.
Cook the onions first (remove) and then the flat iron steak (remove) and then saute the spinach in a portion of the juices left over from the steak. Plate the spinach on the bottom with flank steak on top and caramelized onions around. Cover with italian truffle cheese. Enjoy:)
Total time less than 20 min. The pairing was delicious and low carb.
 It is sunny and warm which means it is a white wine week. It is crucial to have a solid by the pool wine for this type of weather. Thus the wine selection of the week Kendall Jackson, Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
Notes of green and red apples, peach, and nice sweet oak. A solid everyday Chardonnay. Estimated Retail: $14 This wine provides a lot of value for its cost. It is far superior to most of its competitors in this price range. If you want to spend under $20 on a Chardonnay this is a great choice.
Random Fact: This is the #1 selling Chardonnay nationwide for the last 20 years
By in cocktails, contra costa county, food, Healdsburg, Hidden Gem, lifestyle, Marin County, napa county, San jose, sonoma county, wine and yes vodka is involved
I have been obsessed with cheese for about 5 years. To the extent that every dinner out starts and ends with a cheese plate. For the true cheese lover the below are two of the restaurants I feel have true cheese experiences for the cheese lover
1) Willi’s Wine Bar, Santa Rosa. Local small production cheeses with a bit of foreign chesse to provide the perfect mixture of ummm and hmm. They always have truffle honey which is absolutley divine. Don’t go there without trying their cheese plate. Also their martini’s are pretty addictive too. Martini’s and cheese for dinner = perfect.
2) Napa Rose, Anaheim. I am amazed by the cheese they find. Every cheese has a story and every cheese is one I have never tried or seen. I am 90% sure they have a person whose entire job is searching out small production cheeses. If you are going any where near Disneyland, make sure you book dinner at Napa Rose. You can bring kids and the waiters are amazing with them but for the experience and cost I would drop them off at the Grand Adventure hotel daycare. The wine list is even better than the cheese plate.
Tilapia is the 5th most consumed fish in the world. It has low levels of mercury, low carbohydrates, low calories and low sodium while still serving a healthy dose of protein. A one ounce serviong has 36 calories, 7 grams of protein, 0 carbs and one gram of fat. Better yet it can taste very good.
I discovered my love of Tilapia at Portofino’s in Santa Rosa. Portofino’s is like the TV show Cheers. There are all the regulars who know each other but sit a few seats away from each other at the bar (daytime). I spent quite a few lunches there when I worked downtown. On the weekends the Portofino’s bar is packed. It has been packed for the last 15 years on Saturday nights. They have the best bartenders of all time, Sue and Joel, and an atmosphere where you know you can just relax.
Once in awhile they do a coconut crusted Tilapia that is beyond good. I know that replicating that recipe is far beyond my capabilities so instead I just do a basic olive oil with herbs and garlic. Bake at 350, covered for 20-25 min and serve with a wedge of lemon and some vegetables. Yum! Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised and it is good for you.
NOTE: Stay away from farm raised Tilapia. The farm raised fish eats feed stuffed with corn which basically destroys the health benefits.
I absolutely love pancakes but what I love even more than pancakes is chocolate which is why it makes perfect sense to eat only chocolate chip pancakes. If you use an excessive amount of chocolate chips there is no need for syrup. Just add whipped cream. Recipe below
You will need:
1 cup of chocolate chips. I like semi sweet but you can do whatever you like. Always feel free to add more than one cup:)
1 1/2 cups of flour
2 tablespoons of baking soda
2 pinches of salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 cup of milk
Mix all the dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) together and then add in the wet ingredients, adding the milk last. With the milk it is really not an exact science you just want it to be a decent pancake consistency. Stir in chocolate chips
Cook on griddle like a normal pancake. Once done slather in whipped cream and give to delighted eaters. Yes, adding a little chocolate sauce on top is a nice touch.
Enjoy:)
Today in wine country we all suffered a great loss. Jess Jackson, pioneer of Kendall Jackson as well as multiple other fantastic wine brands passed away at the age of 81. To me he was the Walt Disney of the wine country. No idea was every too big and no boundaries existed. He redefined California wine-making and gave all vintners a glimmer of what you could become if you really worked hard. We all have raised a glass of Kendall Jackson in his honor tonight. He may be gone but he will never be forgotten. Thanks Jess for all that you brought to the wine industry and our lives.
-Jennifer Ready
I like to have a good dinner party. Most of the time though my guests would prefer if I did not cook. Cocktails, wine, dessert, cheese I have proven skills in that arena. Cooking for 10….not so much. So how do you have a great dinner party without cooking? Order takeout? Hire a chef? Although both of those are fantastic ways to throw a dinner party without cooking I have another trick.
The Great Chicken Cook off:
We do this once a year and invite a few of our friends over to compete for tastiest chicken. It can be any variation of Chicken. Chicken salad, whole chicken, chicken pot pie etc… It is up to the contestants to choose. We have a fun competitive group of pals that relish any chance of bragging rights over the group.
The host provides, dishes, a salad and plenty of wine. With the wine selection it is key to have a variation because you have no idea what type of chicken is going to come. For sport we started with a Petit Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Noir. We added a Chardonnay and Zinfandel later.
Every year everyone has a great time and the food is plentifyul and divine. See below for pics of the most recent cook off food.
 
 
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