After being out of the loop for a while, I'm back in the questing world with a surprising and wonderful quest to share.
Apparently both Tom and I were in need of some time away. Luckily, we found a way to combine a trip with work. We've wanted to have some non-alcoholic grape juice to sell at our winery; in case you don't know, making shelf-stable juice for sale to the public is a completely different process than making wine, and smaller wineries often don't have the equipment to process their own, so we get it from the bigger guys. We like to get ours from Post Familie Vineyards in Arkansas; their 100% Muscadine grape juice is just yummy.
This time, however, we realized that Arkansas is a pretty reasonable drive, and since we'd never been to the Post Familie Vineyards we decided to take the money we would have spent on shipping to go get the juice ourselves. A quick check of the internet showed that a tourist town called Eureka Springs was right on the way, making a convenient place to stop for a little R&R. Frankly, I didn't expect much - it was, after all, just Arkansas, and I bought in to some of the negative stereotypes, maybe, just a bit. And I have been completely converted - I LOVE Arkansas!
Tom and I had a great time dining at an Italian restaurant with an outstanding wine list, lunching at a charming tea room, enjoying a burger on the second floor balcony bar/restaurant of our historic hotel. We shopped art galleries with local and national artworks. We enjoyed some amazing scenery. I can't wait to go back! So we made reservations for the Food & Wine Festival in early November, one of the myriad, delightfully diverse events in Eureka Springs.
Not to mention, this was the friendliest place I have ever been.
Enjoy a few more photos:
The mountains on the way to Post Familie Vineyards
I spent the day running around St. Louis to meet with our lawyer, pick up supplies, and visit with my in laws. I am so ready for a few laughs. Grab a glass and giggle along with me if you are feeling the same!
Everyone has to believe in something....I believe I'll have another glass.
How much whine would a wine drinker whine if a wine drinker couldn't drink wine?
My doctor told me to watch my drinking so I'm off to find a bar with a mirror.
I made wine out of raisins so I wouldn't have to wait for the wine to age. -Steven Wright
Wine improves with age; I improve with wine!
Hope you had a little fun with me tonight. What are your favorite wine laughs?
Laura and I decided to head up to Cuba to antique a bit first thing on Wednesday. We stopped by the building at the top, called 'Two Olde Crows' antique mall. We had intentions of visiting Lone Star Antiques too, but the amount of things to look at in this building is mind-boggling so we spent all our pre-lunch time in the Two Olde Crows.
I had a great time looking through stuff - Laura really knows her antiques so I learned a lot. And then there were just some fun things to look at. You have to go sometime just to see the coat of armor. Oh, and to see the ginormous pig made out of old license plates too.
I had fun trying on vintage hats:
Laura even got in on the hat action:
Hee heee!
We wandered around, and wandered, and wandered, and found some good stuff. One great find was a whole passel of vintage postcards and photographs that I picked up. $2.00 for a sandwich bag of vintage paper goodness? Yes please.
I also picked up something else that I will share after Christmas is over, but I can't right now. Just in case my dad reads this blog. (Hi Dad!)
Laura picked up a couple items as well. She found an awesome vintage datebook from the 1920's and a neat wooden soda crate.
We had fun looking for treasures, but the other thing we had fun with was checking out how different vendors had repuposed their vintage finds into new things. Here's one item that caught our attention:
Laura made a mental note of how they used that neat old bottle for a clock base, just in case she could come back to it later for her own bottle collection.
By the way, Laura's new car is awesome to go questing in! Very comforable, and plenty of room to stash everything.
Finally, we were starving, so we headed off for lunch...which I'll let Laura tell you about soon. I bet you can guess where we went!
LOL - Laura's 'no dusting required' gift idea was defintely a great one, and so I had to steal the graphic above for Stefanina's Pizzeria where Clyde and I ate at on Wednesday. We went to St. Louis on a supply run, stopped by to say hello to the family in St. Peters, and then headed home again. But on the way home, we stopped in O'Fallon to eat at one of Clyde's favorite Italian haunts...Stefanina's Pizzeria and Restaurant.
There are 5 locations now, but the O'Fallon restaurant was the first. It's casual dining, and this location is definitely starting to show it's age. We had to giggle a bit at the decor hanging on the wall behind me....
Even with the homespun decor, the restaurant is still clean and comfortable. Plus the service was very friendly. And the food?
Ah, the food!
To start, I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio from A-Mano, which I had never heard of before......
...while Clyde ordered a beer. I have to admit that I'm starting to not enjoy Pinot Grigio very much, but this particular wine wasn't too bad. It definitely had a strong acidity to it, but fortunately not the bitterness that so many producers seem to leave in commercial PG's these days. I was generally happy with flavors in this wine, and the price is fantastic too - even at restaurant picing levels!
So once we had a sip or two, we set our minds to try to decide what we were going to eat.
It wasn't an easy decision. Now normally, it probably would have been easy; it's a pizzaria - order the pizza! But it was after 8:30pm and both of us went in thinking we would order a salad and maybe split an appetizer.
But then we looked at the menu. Oh, hmm, uh, well......let's just say that eating light went out the door. And when I say it went out the door it's because we pretty much chucked it out as hard as we possibly could!
I went for a calzone with mushrooms and spinach, while Clyde went for the Eggplant Parmesan. Not so light, but oh so worth it....
The crust was flakey and crisp, while the sauce was tomato perfection.
This calzone was the Camelot of calzones, I tell ya! The cheese was melted and oozed out, but not so much that you made a complete mess of yourself. The temperature nice and warm, but I never burned my tongue. The veggies inside cooked through, but still had enough body to them that their earthy flavors could easily mingle with the basil and tomato. I'm pretty sure it only rains after sundown when you are eating this calzone.
So if you are in the St. Louis area, I would heartily recommend a visit to Stefanina's, or giving a gift card. What are your favorite spots for pizza?
So I mentioned that I was going on a highly unusual quest on Wednesday, and I'm finally back to show off the results! A little background first....Steelville, MO has a Christmas parade coming up on tomorrow, and this year's theme is 'holiday movies'. Several volunteers wanted to host a float in the parade and brainstormed what they could put together.
One of the Steelville arts council's board members (Gary) is an artist who painted a cow up in Chicago for their exhibit back in 1999. Gary has spearheaded the painted canoes (read more about our canoe project here) in Steelville, and is a delightful person to be around. That's Gary, his barn and his painted canoe in the picture above.
The executive director for our council, Tina, searched around online and found a movie called 'Annabelle's Wish' which is about a cow who wants to be one of Santa's reindeer, and since Gary had a cow.....well, an idea for the parade float came into fruition!
My part? I have the truck to go pick up the fiberglass cow from Gary's farm and deliver it to the garage in town where it will be put together with the rest of the float. So Clyde and I ventured over to Sander's End on a frosty Wednesday morning to get a cow.
A painted cow.
Definitely a first!
Gary has converted his family's old barn into an amazing studio and display space. Here's Gary telling Clyde about a few of his paintings.
And without further ado, let me introduce you to Claudette Mooonet, who has been living in this gallery for the past year.
While Claudette Moonet has been enjoying Gary's artwork in his barn/gallery this year, she is geting udderly tired of just sitting in one spot all the time. So she was delighted to hear about the Christmas parade and her starring role on the arts council float.
Clyde and Gary loaded her onto the back of our pickup truck with ease:
"I'm ready for my close up Mr. Deville."
We strapped her in and laughed about how this is definitely the most unusual thing we have ever hauled! There were lots of gravel roads to get back to Gary's place, and we went pretty slow on the drive to Steelville. At one point, Clyde pulled over so that a driver behind him could easily pass. As the driver went by, he slowed way down and we could see he was laughing and shaking his head at our load. I'd like to hear him describe that scene to his co-workers!
We made it back to Steelville with no troubles, and in town we met up with Tina and her husband to load Claudette into the garage where the float will be built.
Hmmm....Claudette doesn't look like she appreciates Clyde handling her back end like that.
But she's settled down now and getting ready to take on her starring role as Annabelle on Sunday. If you are thinking about a Sunday quest, come on down to Steelville for the Christmas parade at 5pm on Dec. 2, 2012. It's a fun, hometown event and beforehand you can visit the shops and galleries up and down Main Street.
Do you have an unusual load you have had to haul? I'd love to read about it in the comments!
Had a good day in Washington, Missouri today. My friend Lee was delivering some of her wonderful handmade Envisage Vintage Jewelry to a new local boutique, and I tagged along for lunch and shopping. Unfortunately, we found that much of Washington is closed on Monday, but there were beautiful holiday decorations in the historic downtown area, and we got very lucky on a couple of places we did find open.
We had lunch first at the Old Dutch Tavern.
Wow - there were over 90 beers available at this great old restaurant and bar. I asked for recommendations from the waiter, who was very knowledgeable and brought me two different beers that were both good (although apparently, two beers at lunch renders me incapable of remembering said beers' names - sorry!) Lee had the milk stout they had on tap for both her beers and she loved that. The food was quite good - updated pub fare with some local selections. Lee had a great burger with gouda cheese and sweet potato fries. My choice was a beef brisket sandwich from the local Williams Brothers meat market topped with caramelized onions, boursin cheese and garlic herb mayo. It rocked, and that's not the beer talking. I paired it with the house-made potato salad, also good (perhaps just a bit bland, but I like spicy.) All in all, a really good find and I will go back. Oh, and even though they specialize in beer, they did have a very solid wine list - they just need a local selection or two - and a list of good single malt scotch. And it was all housed in a beautiful historic building with an awesome bar, original tin ceilings, and a charming ambiance.
Then it was on to deliver Lee's jewelry to the new Fern & Sycamore, just up the street. It's an inspired shop with a variety of art and goods of superior craftsmanship from all around the country. You'll naturally pay more than you would at the big name discount store, but the quality of the merchandise is well worth the price. I loved that many of the merchandise tags gave a bit of information on the company history and the number of people employed by the business (I think the largest one I saw was 200 employees.)
This is a perfect Christmas shopping option for that discriminating, conscientious person on your list. (You know, in case you needed to get something for ME! teehee!!)
Are you traveling to turkey dinner this year? If you are, I have a few tips for arriving safe and sound to your destination....and having some fun with wine on the way there!
1. Planning ahead: check out your route online and see if there are any wineries along or near your route. Be sure to find out the hours of operations too. Most states have tourism listings with wineries - just google the state(s) your traveling through. Missouri has a great site complete with a trip planner that you can find here. There is also a MO winery app for your smart phone that you can download before you leave.
2.Bring snacks! This is especially good for the drive to your Thanksgiving destination. Nuts, crackers, granola....anything that travels easily. Plan to buy perishables like cheese & sausage at the winery or a local grocery store. You might end up finding some cool locally-made foods this way too.
3.Bring water! Staying hydrated is important for life in general, but especially important when you are traveling and planning on drinking wine. The rule of thumb I don't live by but should, is to drink at least one full glass of water for every glass (no more than two) of wine that you drink. So if you've sampled about 5 wines at a winery, you'll definitely want to sip some water before moving onto the next stop.
4. Add in extra time to enjoy your journey. Clyde and I rarely go to more than 3 wineries on any one day. You want to sit and enjoy the atmosphere, have plenty of time to savor the flavors at the places you visit and make a few memories. You can't do that when you're in a mad rush to get from one place to the next on tight deadlines. Thanksgiving day will come with it's own stress - you might as well take some time to stop and smell the rose while you are on your way to or from the big dinner. Add an extra hour or even another day so that you can relax!
5.Take turkey dinner leftovers to the wineries for a little picnic. Find out exactly which wine will pair well with next year's dinner while you support the local economy!
6.Bring your camera & a fun prop. An empty picture frame, a toy, or even just plan to do the same goofy pose at each stop. You'll remember that year as the "fish face" turkey day, or the "planking" turkey day...whatever you choose, talk with the winery staff to find out the best spots on the property to take a few pictures.
7.Talk to fellow wine questers at the wineries you visit. You'll meet some neat people, find out great travel tips, and you never know what will happen! If you're stumped on how to start a conversation, here are a few sure-fire openers:
"So what was your favorite wine on the list here?"
"What other wineries have you been to / Where else are you headed to today?"
"Is that a bottle in your pocket, or are you just ...." Hmm...well, you might not want to use this one. :)
Speaking of which, if you do happen to be stuck in a conversation you want out of, think of these chickens:
(love Doug Savage!)
Where ever you head out to for your Thanksgiving, be safe and have a great time!
Last night we were lucky enough to join our nieghbors at Sybill's Restaurant to celebrate Crytal's birthday. After checking out a couple options, Crystal chose this bottle - a 2008 Monte Antico Toscana. It came highly recommended by the waiters and for good reason!
There's the birthday girl checking out her glass of wine (and her birthday carrot cake!). The color was a lovely dark red and clear as a bell.
This was a medium bodied red with loads of fruitiness spiced with oak. The Monte Antico turned out to be the perfect red to order for the table as it paired well with the array of entrees we ordered.
I ended up ordering the chicken caprese last night, and the light acidity in the wine went perfectly with the balsamic reduction sauce covering the chicken. The guys ate red meat and the wine was hearty enough to complement their dishes, and Crytal didn't mention any pairing issues with her shrimp scampi. This just goes to show that a good wine will pair with many foods.
If you have a chance to try this, I highly recommend it! And here's the birthday group:
Happy birthday Crystal - thanks for letting us tag along last night! And um, please ignore the THREE wine glasses in front of me. Sybill's had an Italian wine flight offered, and three wines are better than one, right?!!
(Ugh, last night's post wasn't saved and somehow I hit the wrong key, and, and and...when I lost it all, I gave up. So I'm retrying today - and saving as I go along! Live and learn.)
We have lots of visitors to Steelville who plan to do a float trip on one of our lovely rivers, but for those of you who aren't so river-ready, you might like to check out the great Steelville Canoe Float. Businesses and artists throughout town have sponsored painted half-canoes which are on display up and down our Main Street. Plus several businesses have canoes posted in the outlying areas too. (The photo above is the canoe that Flint's Feed Store sponsored this year.)
No paddles needed to enjoy these canoes! You can drive by, or better yet, park your car and walk along the main street to check out the displays. It would be a great way to enjoy the weekend after Thanksgiving, and there are plenty of shops in town with art, gifts, and food available while you are visiting. Here are a couple of teasers of what to expect:
This canoe is locted in the window of Three Rivers Publishing in Steelville. The designs are carved into the fiberglass canoe, and then a light shines from behind. Be sure to swing by this one after dark to enjoy it properly!
This canoe is located at the corner of Hwy 8 and Hwy 19, next to Missouri Hick BBQ South in Steelville. It just about sums up the perfect day on the river in Steelville!
There are so many other canoes around - you'll really enjoy checking each of them out and reading up on their stories. Be sure to stop by the Explore Steelville store for a guide when you come into town. And afterwards, come by Peaceful Bend, relax your feet, sip a little wine, and tell me which was your favorite canoe.
Happy Trills,
Katie
P.S. - maybe Laura should give us all a ride through town in her snazzy new questing vehicle!
I had family visiting from all the way out in CA yesterday and today, so I missed my regular blog post. I'm sorry. Bad Blogger! And of course, there are darn few flowers out right now. So I hope you'll accept these sunset photos taken at the back of our property tonight as my redemption instead.
I hope you got to enjoy the sunset tonight with a glass of vino!
