Viansa Winery!

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Jamie

When I walked up to Viansa Winery in Sonoma County I had no idea what to expect, but one thing that truly caught my eye was their entrance.  It was beautiful.

Another fine detail as we walked up to the main tasting room entrance was the intriticity that went into the handles as you walked along the walkway.

Viansa Winery is very much Italian inspired, and you can tell as you walk up to the winery.  The building is aligned with Italian inspiration from the statues that adorn the building to the intricacy of the handlebars to the hilltop view of the vineyards below.

But what first caught my eye when I walked into the tasting room was the wine bottles that aligned the walls behind the tasting bar:

And then the beautiful merchandise surrounding the tasting room.  And if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m obsessed with finding creations made out of corks *hint, hint*

 

But of all places as to where I would want to enjoy my wine at this vineyard, it would be out in the terraces beneath this beauty:

Even though I did not try any wines at this vineyard (lets just say I was feeling a little good by this point) there were a few that grabbed my attention: Aleatico Rosé 2011, and their dessert wine: Tocai Friulano 2010.  I will be back to try these in the future.

So what do you think, will you be visiting Viansa Winery in the future?

 

 


Categories: Travel, Wine | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

My Adventures at the OCFair!

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Jamie

The thing I absolutely love about moving to a new place is just that, everything is new to me.  I get to experience a ton of firsts, and capture those moments with my camera.  To me, nothing is better than a first impression.

This past weekend I took in the OCfair with my SO, and couldn’t wait to see what it was all about.  The truth is, I was a huge fan of the Minnesota State Fair, and ever since I’ve moved out here I’ve been looking for a replacement.  So, when I saw the OCfair was happening I had to check it out.

A few days prior I took to twitter to ask what some of the favorites were at the fair.  My good friend Alma from Field Trip Mom said to make sure to check out the pig races so I placed that in the back of my mind.  Others chimed in with the fact that the OCfair was less crowded so it was more enjoyable, and of course, some chimed in on the some of the concerts happening throughout the fair.  I looked up some of the concerts while there and Adam Lambert was performing, some tribute bands such as “The Cured.”  And Sheryl Crow and even comedian Jeff Dunham will be there.

Sunday morning came and Sunday morning went.  We took our lazy Sunday in then got up and drove off to the fair.  When we got there, the first thing I saw? My chance to win a Toyota.  I was feeling lucky so I figured I’d sign up.  Hey, free cars never hurt anyone before, right?

We soon found a map to discuss our plan.  And that’s when we found ourselves in the Fine Arts building.  I loved looking through all the artwork then I crossed the aisle to see the photography.  Not only did it make me realize that my photography could be shown, but it inspired me to look within myself to start showcasing it.  I’ve made it a goal for 2013 to enter my photography in some sort of gallery or contest.  It was the spark I needed to get the ball rolling.

We then wandered into the Home building and sat in on a demonstration from Chef Jenny Ross from the restaurant 118 Degrees.  Chef Jenny Ross is a raw vegan chef.  She showed us how to make one of her recipes with the use of cocunut water, avocados and raw cacao. It could be utilized as a morning smoothie or frozen for the use of a chocolate pie.  By listening to her talk I realized more than ever how I was changing especially with my eating habits.  In the past I never would have been interested to sit through her demonstration, but this time around I was excited to see what she would show us, and to hear more about her restaurant 118 Degrees (which I need to check out!)

Afterwards we walked around looking at all the food options.  This is where I noticed a very distinct difference between Minnesota and how California does their fairs.  In Minnesota everything is literally on a stick.  It was our motto, what we were proud of.  Here, at the OCFair I honestly felt as if all the vendors were trying to actually give us a meal.  Whether it was BBQ, Turkey Legs, or even Crepes, everything seemed big and in large portions.  It took me a long time to decide what I actually wanted to eat.  What did I decide on?  An awesome Pita Burger, in which, has now given me motivation to create one of my own at home.  When, and if I do, I will be sharing the recipe with all of you.  Of course, I finished with dessert, a huge banana split.

And then of course the rides.

And my favorite part of the fair?

The Skyride.  It was truly where we saw the entirety of the fair, and the people down below.  And it felt good to sit down after walking around for a few hours too 😉

And last but not least we headed off to the livestock area where the pig races took place.  It turned out our section voted on the winning pig.  YAY

In the end I was very pleased with my first impression with the OcFair, and I will definitely be back in the future.  For those that have been going for years what are some of your favorite things to do at the fair?  What are some of your favorite foods, and what events do you look forward to each year?

I’d love to hear your feedback because I’m so new to California =)

 Disclosure: I received a free OcFair ticket by my attendance of UniqueLA last weekend.  It made for a great date day!  

 


Categories: Fun Stuff, Life, Travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

30 makes me look at my eating a heck of a lot more!

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Jamie

I have bad eating habits.  I always have.

but… last December I turned 30,

and something inside me changed.  I started to care about what foods were going into my system, and to pay attention to healthier food options.

In March I had the opportunity to attend ExpoWest, the biggest natural food expo in the world, and I learned how good eating healthy could be.  In the past, it was always my fear if I chose healthier options that would mean giving up the flavors I loved so much.  I learned fast at the expo this wasn’t the case at all.

In April I took the Hint 21 Water challenge, in which, I concentrated on drinking more water, and eliminating caffeine completely out of my diet.  By the end of the challenge, the caffeine was gone, and water was apart of my diet again.  But I went back to old habits fast.  Today, I went back to drinking water, and I noticed how my body was responding.  How much more energy it gave me, and how I was feeling better all around.

On Sunday, at the OCfair, we sat down and heard the Chef from the restaurant 118 Degrees speak.  118 Degrees is a Raw Vegan restaurant in Orange County.  She shared a simple recipe that could be used as a morning smoothie, or even frozen to be treated as a chocolate pie, etc.   And it was made with cocunut water, raw cacao, and avocados.

And I’m finally opening my mind to salads.  I have never been a fan of salads.  They never filled me up, and I just didn’t understand why so much work could go into something that just made me feel “blah” afterwards.  This evening I had a pretty good salad with ham and cheese pieces inside it, and I loved every last bite.

My mind has altered on healthier eating, and I really only want to promote healthy products on my website.  I know I still have a long way to go on my eating habits, but I know I’ve come a long way since moving out to California.

When we go grocery shopping, there is a lot more produce added to the cart, and less boxed meals.  We are still eating meat around here, but making sure we’re creating an entire meal when we do cook.

Now the hard part for me will be this: cutting down on how much sugar I intake.  I am a sweet tooth, and I don’t know how to get around this one yet.

I’d love to hear some suggestions from all of you about your healthy eating habits, and what genuinely works for you in making sure you’re eating habits remain healthy.

 


Categories: Cooking, Life | Tags: , , , , , , | 33 Comments