Kitchen Tips & Recipes Archives | Page 2 of 3

Most Viewed Posts 2018 Edition

This is one of my favorite posts to do during the year. It is so fun to look back over articles and see what was popular and resonated with my readers.

This is one of my favorite posts to do each year. It is so fun for me to look back over my articles and see what was popular and resonated with my readers during the year. It gives me food for thought about what to include as future posts. 2018 was a year of huge changes for me. The first few months of the year, things went on pretty much as usual. I visited lots of places in Gold Country to find the gems to share with you on the blog. Then, somewhere around May, some events got put into motion and I decided to start a whole new chapter in my life. I wrote all about it in post #7 below. Top Ten…

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Most Viewed Posts of 2017

Last year, when I wrote a post about my most viewed posts of 2016, the blog had only been in operation for just under 10 months. During that time, I wrote 34 posts, an average of over three a month. I didn’t meet my goal of at least four posts per month but I was pleased with the quality of what I had put out. When I sat down to figure out my most viewed posts of 2017, I was a little shocked to see that during 2017 I only published 32 posts for the whole year. That’s way below my goal of four per month. Consistency is definitely my biggest short coming when it comes to blogging, but I believe in quality over quantity. I…

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Oysters and Smoked Meats at Jamison’s Ale House

The first time I went to Jamison's Ale House and Oyster Bar in Amador City, CA, I knew I would be going back often and would want to share it with you. You'll find things on the menu you won't find anywhere else in the county.

The first time I went to Jamison’s Ale House and Oyster Bar in Amador City, CA, I knew I would be going back often and would want to share it with you. UPDATE Fall 2018: Sadly, Jamison’s Ale House and Oyster Bar is permanently closed. It was sure fun while it lasted! Jamison’s Ale House If you want to know anything about beer or home brewing, visit Jamison’s Ale House and talk to co-owner Virginia Vasquez. Virginia has been judging beer for nearly 20 years, both commercial and home brew competitions. As a result, she began to appreciate how important it is to understand the ingredients, process and history of beer. She has organized pub crawls all over Northern California, blogged and written for a…

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This One’s All About the Food – #wbc17 – Part 2

In my last post I promised to tell you about the Wine Bloggers Conference food. Here are the two meals I had that were absolutely outstanding.

Wine Bloggers Conference Food – Recap Part 2 In my last post I promised to tell you about the Wine Bloggers Conference food. I had two meals while I was at the conference that were absolutely outstanding and wanted to share them with you. Jordan Winery Dinner Excursion When I registered for the conference, we had several choices for dinner on Friday night. I didn’t really know anything about the wineries putting on the dinners but after a review of their websites, I chose Jordan Winery. From the moment I stepped on the bus, I knew the hospitality would be amazing. Our hostess for the evening, Lisa Mattson, Director of Marketing and Communications for Jordan, started the trip explaining how welcoming guests with a glass…

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Everything You Need to Know to Find the Best Olive Oil

Do you know how to tell if you are purchasing a high-quality olive oil and if it is truly extra virgin? Australia and California make it easier.

What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of Australia? Is it olive oil? Probably not but, after you read this, that might change. I have been wanting to delve into learning more about local olive oil for some time now so when one of the pre-conference excursions for the International Food Blogger Conference was with Cobram Estate, I was eager to sign up. The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil Comes from Australia and Cobram Estate is Australia’s number one producer. Cobram Estate Rob McGavin and Paul Riordan, the co-founders of Cobram Estate, planted their first olive trees in Australia in 1999. Over the years, they perfected New World production techniques to become the world’s most internationally awarded olive oil producer. Early in…

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FoodSaver Review: My Favorite Money-Saving Appliance

Even as a single person, I still like to buy in bulk to save money. My FoodSaver review and how you can save money on groceries.

Even though, as a single person, I usually cook for just myself, I still like to buy in bulk to save money. However, buying in bulk doesn’t save you money if your food spoils before you use it. For example, I like to buy cheese in two-pound blocks. Even when I froze half of it, inevitably the other half would mold in the refrigerator before I used it all. Well, that all changed when I bought my FoodSaver a few years ago. I have saved the cost of my FoodSaver, in cheese alone, many times over! My FoodSaver review will show you how you, too, can save money on groceries. FoodSaver Review How Does the FoodSaver Save you Money? The FoodSaver Food Preservation System removes air from bags…

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Roaring Camp Saturday Night Cookout Experience

The Roaring Camp Saturday Night Cookout is an evening full of adventure, food, fun, entertainment, education and history for the whole family.

Of all the things I’ve done so far in Gold Country, one of my favorites is the Roaring Camp Saturday Night Cookout. It is an evening full of adventure, food, fun, entertainment, education and history. Descent into the Mokelumne River Canyon Your adventure begins at the Roaring Camp office on Tabeaud across from the Gold Country Campground in Pine Grove, CA. Everyone caravans from there at 5pm sharp to the Roaring Camp Mining Company staging area and entrance just a little farther down Tabeaud. There, trucks are waiting to take you down the very steep descent into the Mokelumne River Canyon. The trip down in the trucks is one of the best parts of the evening for me. The scenery is breathtaking and your guide tells you…

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Mushroom Farm Tour — Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms

Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms in Sloughhouse, CA, practices sustainable farming to raise many exotic varieties on their mushroom farm. Farm-to-Fork.

UPDATE 2/15/22: Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms is permanently closed! Ryker retired in August and sold his equipment. Mushrooms are one of those things that I think you either love or hate. Even if you hate them, though, learning about them is pretty fascinating. When I contacted Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms in Sloughhouse, CA, and asked if they could do a tour of the mushroom farm for my cooking group, the Saucy Sisters, I was pretty excited when owner, Ryker, said yes. We were in the middle of a heat wave the day we went, with the temperature somewhere over 100 degrees, but eight of us were dedicated enough to brave it. Ryker and Mushroom Ninja Valarie seemed genuinely happy to have us there to share all about mushrooms…

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Health Benefits of Nuts and the Ultimate Grilled Cheese

I love adding nuts to pretty much everything, including my ultimate grilled cheese sandwich. Check out my secret for always have totally melted cheese.

I absolutely love nuts, all kinds of nuts, and I put them in pretty much everything. Nuts are a healthy addition to your diet (good thing for me) and add flavor and texture. Some tout them as a healthy snack but the problem with nuts is that they are high in calories. I find it hard to control portions when I’m snacking on them so I prefer to add them to my food. I put them in salads, stir fries, frittatas, pasta, and even my favorite grilled cheese sandwich, which I call the ultimate grilled cheese. Health Benefits of Nuts I think most people have heard that nuts are “heart healthy” but they also have other benefits. Research shows that people who eat nuts tend to…

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Pasta with Pumpkin Cream – Not Just for Fall!

Pasta with Pumpkin Cream, Butternut Squash and Chicken Sausage - my version of a delicious dish we had at Villa Toscano from Chef Tim Benham.

Several weeks ago, the Vineyard Vixens had a pasta dish for lunch at Villa Toscano that we all just loved. Executive Chef, Tim Benham, explained his process to us and told us the ingredients but didn’t give us any specific amounts. I played with the recipe and tweaked it until I came up with a version that I find quite yummy. I’m calling my version of this delicious dish Pasta with Pumpkin Cream, Butternut Squash and Chicken Sausage. The original dish had an even longer name! One of the ingredients of the dish is soy sauce soaked, roasted pumpkin seeds. There weren’t any on the portion I got from the buffet at Villa Toscano so I didn’t get to taste them. I thought this sounded like…

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