Pops Gets a Buck

I got an awesome call from Pops today. On the last day of hunting season, he got a buck! I'm super excited for him, it's probably been 10-15 years since dad harvested his last buck. He took an extensive hiatus from hard core hunting when I got really into volleyball and traveled to play year round. He's only begun hunting more regularly since retiring these last few years, but even that has been more about learning Oregon's systems and new country. This is the first season where he's actually sounded serious about getting out there--camping and hunting on foot...and go figure, the old ways still work!

A lot of the newer friends in my life may not know that I come from a hunting family. I started hunting with my dad while still in a car seat, but have never been interested in yielding the rifle myself. I spent a few years struggling with the cruelty aspect, but in the last year, as I've educated myself more about our food systems, I couldn't be more proud to come from a family that hunts. I come from people who hunted to feed their families in winter, when work was slow. I come from a father who respects the animals he's hunting, wastes nothing, and cherishes Mother Nature above all else. I realize now that, done respectfully, there's no more humane, sustainable, or healthy way to be a meat eater.

I'm looking forward to learning delectable ways to prepare the venison that will be coming our way this winter--Dad's typical pan-fried technique is not happening in our house! Congrats Pops!

The Comeback

Ok, ok, people, I'm back! I realize that many of you are having withdrawls (and many more are probably breathing a sigh of relief at having a week's break from me!) I assure you that I miss my blog more than you do. For those of you who haven't heard, I changed jobs (same employer & office, different position) a few weeks ago, so things have been crazy--I have a lot to learn, so I'm not making it home with much energy left over for blogging these days. I'll make a comeback tho, promise!

In other news, I was super stoked to check my Tivo today and see that the Oprah show was focused on animal farming techniques, spurred by California's Prop 2. Basically Prop 2 provides more cage space for a few types of farm animals: chickens, veal calves & pregnant pigs. (Btw, I tear up every time I see the Yes on Prop 2 commercial--while it's irrelevant to caging, I can't handle the shot of the live cow being pushed by the forklift.) While it's a step in the right direction, I'd prefer that we all take a much bigger step and vote with our forks by purchasing cage free/free range/grass farmed animals...you know: raised as Mother Nature intended. It's awesome to see a few of America's responsible, free range farms receiving some well-deserved, prime time exposure.

Side note: I learned from the Oprah show today that Chipotle serves only free range pork--guess I'll have to reconsider eating at Chipotle afterall (I've had issues with the white rice in the burritos!)

I'll be back with our latest venue options (and new woes) soon!

Venues: Fleur de Lis, Atascadero

Fleur de Lis is a private residence/rental property on a backroad in Atascadero.

• Cost: Mid-range for us. The cool part is for our very top-end venue limit, we could include rental of the house (sleeps 12) for the weekend.


• The Look & Feeling: Very clean cut. Basically it's the yard of this big ole house, including small barn for bar and dance floor.


• Competitive Edge: The option to rent the house, for sure.

They've done a great job with this place, but I think it's maybe a little too well groomed for us. What can I say, I guess I'm a dirt and trailers kind of girl!

Farmer's Market & Local Dairy

One of the great things about living in the Bay Area is the abundance of Farmer's Markets. They're everywhere. In Fremont we have them on Saturday & Sunday, year round--gotta love California living! The loot this morning included green beans, red potatoes (both currently cooking...the smell of garlic is intoxicating!), okra, big and baby tomatoes, carrots, dahlias and a loaf from Beckmann's Bakery in Santa Cruz.

If you live in the Bay, the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Guide is a great resource for finding your local farmer's market, as well as sustainable farms and restaurants. There's also a great list of in-season produce on page 50. Outside the Bay, cool resources include the Eat Well Guide and Local Harvest.

We made one more stop on our way home from Farmer's--the Ralph's in Fremont is the only place in town that carries dairy products from Straus Family Creamery, a dairy farm in Marin County. It's the only local dairy listed in these guides using sustainable practices--namely, grass grazing their cows, rather than feeding them corn in cages. We finally tracked down our first bottle (yes, glass bottle!) of their milk in the natural foods section (not dairy section) of Ralph's today. We also picked up a tub of their yogurt, and were excited to find some organic whole grain flour and active dry yeast nearby (so Raf can finally try to make his first loaf of homemade bread--woo hoo!)

I love Sundays--they often lead to good progress on the food front for us. Now to carry it through the rest of the week...

Venues: Dallidet Adobe & Gardens

We found Dallidet Adobe & Gardens on recommendation from Jin Ho. He DJ'd a wedding here recently and insisted we check it out. Raf also thought it sounded familiar from his college catering days. Turns out, it's amazing.

• Cost: Super reasonable. It's owned by the SLO Historical Society, so the prices are great.
• The Look & Feeling: It's gorgeous--a little garden haven, quiet and serene. It even has a couple random redwood trees growing out of the middle of the grounds (which Raf noted as symbolic for us, due to the Big Basin engagement, etc. How cute is he?!)
• Competitive Edge: It's in downtown SLO! It's at the end of two dead-end roads on either side, so even though it's right downtown, I never even knew it existed. It's not obnoxious like most places in the middle of town where people driving by can see you in the backyard.

Unfortunately, Dallidet has one (very significant) downfall--your event has to be over and cleaned up by 6:30pm. BOO! We're so bummed about this place. Obviously a daytime wedding is totally doable, but we're looking forward to enjoying a long party with our friends and family. The last thing we want to do is ask our families to travel 12 hours (by car from Oregon for my family, by plane from Poland for his), then call it a day at 6pm! This is yet another place where I want an excuse to throw a different party though. Visions of baby showers...(no time soon, of course!)

WhiskyFest, San Francisco

Hmm...I wonder if I can use WhiskyFest as a clever ploy to get my siblings to come visit me?? Although...it'd probably be easier (and cheaper) to just promise to stock my cupboards with Jack!

Venues: Holland Ranch

The final stop on the Saturday venue tour was Holland Ranch in SLO. It's on one of the beautiful backroads between SLO and AG, surrounded by farms, rolling hills and jagged rock mountains.

• Cost: Mid-range for our budget. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. It includes tables and chairs, but the chairs are metal and blue, so that's not happening. They also have a huge built-in BBQ pit, which is a plus and a nice apt above the barn that can be used for the bridal party prep.


• The Look & Feeling: Here's where I struggle. The ceremony site is absolutely breathtaking. I've never seen a ceremony spot that I think is more beautiful. However, the reception takes place up at the barn, which has been blinged out country bar style--complete with neon signs and mounted heads. This is the kind of place I feel most at home when grabbing a beer, or would be perfect for a family reunion, but it just doesn't feel quite right to me for our wedding. I want paper lanterns and twinkle lights in our pictures, not neon and wildlife. Sigh. I'm going to have to make better money so I can throw a non-wedding party here someday.


• Competitive Edge: The amazing ceremony spot! You read more about the venue and see some awesome photos, as covered by photographer Cameron Ingalls here.

Ode to The Bean

The Nautical Bean, that is. Goodness gracious, I miss this place! The Bean is a coffee shop around the corner from Nena's house in SLO, where I lived in college. I always wake up at Nena's with a smile on my face and a spring in my step because I know that the goodness of The Bean is just steps away.

When you want to do the local thing and avoid chain coffee shops (that I frequent far too often), The Bean is exactly the kind of place you want to go--cozy, funky, cool and always hoppin. The walls are homey and colorful, covered in a revolving display of local artwork, the coffee is excellent, the food is super yummy, and the price is great!

It always pains me to return home after a weekend in SLO to a metro suburbia, void of cool local coffee shops. But then, my business school background tells me I should see this as an opportunity, rather than a weakness. Hmm...

Venues: La Perla del Mar

Stop #3 on the venue tour was La Perla del Mar Chapel in Shell Beach. This is such a great little place, with an awesome story behind it. The Chapel was saved from development by two local women who have turned it in to a community center. It's now used for everything from church and weddings to art shows and yoga classes.

• Cost: Very reasonably priced. They've also renovated the little school house next door that can be used to support weddings--including space for the bridal party to get ready, bar/catering space, etc.
• The Look & Feeling: Classic, romantic, simple, beautiful...and tiny. This would be a great place if we were shooting for a 70 person wedding, but were looking at more like 120. It's probably doable, but would be one tight squeeze!
• Competitive Edge: The bones of the Chapel are so beautiful that you really wouldn't need to spend money on decorating.

It's not going to work out for us, but this is one great little spot.

Venues: The Garden at Peacock Farms

Our second stop on the venue tour was The Garden at Peacock Farms in Arroyo Grande. The young couple who owns this place have done an awesome job turning their home into a beautiful wedding venue. She does floral design for local weddings, he's a greenhouse farmer--his handiness and her wedding experience clearly paid off for them as they designed this place. Here's our breakdown:

• Cost: Not unreasonable, but also not in our range. The base price is right on the edge of what we'll consider, but there are required add-ons that put it over the edge for us.
  
• The Look & Feeling: It's beautiful. Every detail has been considered to be sure couples have options. We loved the cover of walnut trees over the reception area, the little bar shack, and the windmill. It's, of course, also covered in flowers, including a rose garden outside the bridal prep area.
  
• Competitive Edge: They really did think of everything when designing this place. You can even bring all your booze, etc., the day before and store it in the walk-in cooler she has on-site for her flowers.

Long story short, we have to cut it due to budget. And that's ok, I think we tend to prefer something a little more raw.