Olive oil – Canned Comfort

Sunset Magazine Wins Again

Thank goodness I read the latest Sunset Magazine issue that featured camping. This issue had great new ideas and instructions on campfire/charcoal briquet cooking. We have decided to try 4 of the recipes! I have read all the instructions, prepared and prepped all the ingredients per the instructions in Sunset! I had given my husband the responsibilities to prep for the “Hobo Bundlels”. Guess what? He did not do the prep! So we set up at our site. My brother sets up his new toy, a great cook stand. Oh yeah, we cannot have open campfires! It is high fire season and we have a drought!!!!

So along with no cocktails, no fires permitted, we also have to finish the prepping in our kitchen and pop the bundels into the oven to cook. We are all settled in, our outside lights are on, table set, the chips, salsas and Martinis are handed out — oh happy nights!

We are parked in our favorite sites. There are not many people here but more than the last time. Weather is a little cool and windy but no rain, no gusts and only the sounds of families camping. Even the doggies are all settled into their fenced play space. Thirty minutes have elapsed and the bundles are done, lights are up, the propane outdoor heater is on, table set and we are relaxed. Dinner was so delicious and filling, worth the wait. Now the sun has set, there is a slight breeze, we are ready for our cappuccino nightaps and NO KALUHA to be found… Yep, my brother forgot the Kahluha, but we did bring the frother.

The morning dawns a little cloudy and breezy but the grill made the Sunset Magazine’s wholegrain, lemon buttermilk pancakes recipe a big winner. The heat of the grill made cooking easy and quick. The lemon flavor was a real treat to the palate. Coffee, friends, a new breakfast food and the meal outdoors, not in the trailer, was a real treat. Actually a new phenomenon for us. We usually cook in the trailer and sometimes eat outside. This time we cooked and ate outside. We are now learning the essence of al fresco dining.

My mom has been in hospital fighting cancer chemo side effects so we want to check in on her status. There is no cell access in the Pinnacles NP. We then drive to Hollister to get reception, call mom and get Kaluha too. I then convince all that a quick ride down the Cienga Rd, wine trail would be fun, on the way back and I could finally try some local olive oil.

Mom is fine, grocery list done and now onto the wine trail. The trail needs help BIG TIME! No real signs or directions and we almost pass two wineries. The one we were looking for is the Pietra Santo Winery. It is as beautiful as ever and it looks closed. Again. But it is open, it just looks closed. We go inside and it is beautiful. I find the olive oil. They have three kinds, lemon, rosemary and organic! The olive oils taste fresh, light and great enough for dipping. The organic is light, clean and cooks well. We do not see any price on the shelves. It is a little difficult to find the oils from the wine and chocolates.

The tasting room is beautiful but the staff is less than helpful. We don’t get any information on the winery, their wines or olive oil processing. We have to almost beg to get the staff to help us. The setting for this place is idyillic. We have been here before but were stood up for a photo op and then came to a function and could not taste any wines unless we bought the bottle! If you want a beautiful setting, stained glass windows and quiet with swallows flying about then visit.

We winded our way back to Pinnacles and bagan our relaxation for the rest of the afternoon. We took a 45 minute walk aroung the campground area that had many, many tent spaces and all inset into the woods. They have group and single tent spaces and the the few trailer/RV spaces are grouped by the entrance. There is only electric hookups, no generators are allowed, there is dump station with a fresh water spiggot for filling the freshwater tanks of the trailers. Quite nice. It was very clear and sunny and the heat of the sun was wonderful. It has been a long time since I was able to be outside to enjoy the sun. What a treat!

While we were out walking our traveling companions were preparing our carne asada meal! This is the second time we have been able to enjoy this meal and the homemade tortillas. The new grill is perfect for this sort of cooking. We have now baptised the grill with breakfast and now our dinner. It really got a workout and we loved it. The aromas, the heat and the fun of cooking with friends and enjoying the meals is a wonderful part of camping.

Oh looking forward to another gentle day for enjoying family and beauty. . . . .

Rain Rain Happy Day !

How wonderful to actually be hearing RAIN again. The warm weather is beautiful but the rain is what we need. It also makes we want to travel. Yep, weird huh. While everyone is on the road during the good weather the cooler, more unpredictable weather and fewer options for open campgrounds etc make it more exciting.

I must say without the weather challenges, less utilized camp grounds and quieter landscapes we would be bored. No fun, goofy memories. I love reading the many blogs that feature Airstreams and decor. It makes me think, what is our style of travel. We know we love to cook, then Airstream comes out with limited edition gourmet cook version of our dream size coach. Ohhhh bad! The challenge is to make more with less space and re-think the decor, comforts we slowly find we either need or don’t. Oh boy more fun! In two weeks we are traveling far away (90 minutes) to the Pinnacles National Park. Shall we see California Condors, large wing bats, winter flowers, secret vistas that take your breathe away or just the beauty of sitting and drinking in pure wonder given to us from Mother Nature! No not just wine and olive oil that is abundant in this area! That means a trip to Santa Pietra for olive oil, and one of the local wineries we have yet to discover.

I have already thought of our menu, our travel times, reserved our space and have plans to coordinate with my brother and his wife on Saturday of the 3-day adventure. The challenge is, I need to re-think what our creature comforts are and how can we go from ” what we started with” to “okay what do we do now?” That says a lot of laughs and more fun.

Reading “J5MM” blog I am immediately wowed and a little intimadated. She is so vibrant and brings new views of what we can do in our little silver rolling statement! Where do my needs and adventurous energies lead us to?

Ohhhhhhh what shall we do? Dream and go! I am determined to go from where we started our statement to we are venturing out to find our FUN and adventure NOW! Yes Rain makes us start thinking of places to go and things to see. Especially near our home turf! See, the silver wink beckons. We are anxious to get on the road!

Two sites I have found that are inspiring are J5MM and Social Vignerons are two new fun, informative sites that make me think of luxurious, simply fun, tasty adventures on the road! Let’s get traveling.

Silver Dreaming

We are prisoners of our routines. I know I feel like there is this hamster wheel I keep running on without the ability to jump off. Then I look out and see a glint of sunshine on our silver Flying Cloud that keeps winking at me. It seems to say “come on we should go someplace”. We just returned from the ice-cube travel to the Idaho countryside that took five days. We had a timeline, many miles and new lessons learned — NO MORE POOPSCICLES!

As we look at our work week and think there is not enough time or money to make another trip somewhere right now. Wrong, we live in beautiful Santa Cruz County on the Monterey Bay, hmmm. There are many state parks and national parks close by. The Pinnacles National Park is the farthest away at 90 minutes! Sea Cliff and New Brighton are 15 minutes away. They do need reservations all year round but well worth the planning. If you’re self-contained there are even more opportunities to run away.

When we first bought our beautiful Airstream I had many things on my mind, I did not want to rough camp, I wanted to be comfy, I did not want left over household items as our trailer pantry and stores and I did not want to create a large footprint as we traveled. I loved the pictures of others luxuriating as they “camped”.

The first five years were filled with meltdowns, tears, new lessons, forced communication all with new eyes to see our world. We have traveled from California to Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado. We marvel at the bigness of our country and the kindness of those we encounter. Again though that took up to eleven days to get there and back. That is too much time.

A friend of mine who lives in Aptos, California told me when his kids were younger they would get into their Class C RV and drive 10 minutes to New Brighton State Park and feel like they were worlds away from home and had fun like tourists do. Hmm hadn’t really thought about the local parks.

That makes escape easier and more relaxing. We have many wineries here in Santa Cruz County and Monterey County, Olive oil tastings, ocean shores, mountains and quiet relaxation. This doesn’t even touch on great foodie adventures. With our little Silver coach reminding us of the why behind our investment we smile. It is a new year with new possibilities for seeing what we don’t see every day. When I drive to work everyday I drive by miles of open beach, the Elkhorn Slough, miles of farmlands growing everything we eat but I just drive by and take it for granted.

We often lose sight of what we have right next to us because it is just there. Now we can see that with a little time spent on the State Parks and National Parks internet sites we can make a reservation and be on our way within an hour after work. This puts a little lift in my spirit and lets the stress release. I have made one day car trips to Lake County to pick up Six Sigma Wine, but it is a long day. Here I can go out of my daily circles and in 10 minutes to 90 minutes max, be in another beautiful place. If you’re prepacked with all your creature comfort have to haves, you just add a little sprinkle of your favorite wine, steak, comfort food and off you go! What we have and don’t see is what takes the energy out of our lives. We don’t have to go to Paris to find adventure. Here where we live, if we open our eyes we can find it here!

The inbetween time . . . . .

Waiting for the next trip or is it planning for the next trip that seems soooo frustrating? This is also of time of restlessness for me. I know where I would love to be going but there is no time yet. There are things I should be trying out, planning, researching and yet I sit.

I know what I want to put next into my grown-up glamping pantry but I procrastinate. I should be taking a photo of the next addition and typing a blurb about what I would add to the experience of our outings but I don’t. So I think alot like a certain bear we all know and dream about the perfect trip.

Yesterday we drove to Pietra Santa winery in the hills south of Hollister, California AGAIN. We learned there was to be “Music in the Vines” event. Driving from our home to the winery is beautiful and alot less treacherous without our silver friend behind us. Our truck was happier.

Thankfully we knew where we were going because there were no signs pointing to the event. We arrived and there indeed was music! The setting was beautiful. Very green with vistas that could have been set in the 1800’s of California’s past. Ohhhh so breathtaking.

We then walked into the winery and were abruptly met with a table with sales people ready to sell bottles of their wine and picnic goodies and water. I asked if we could taste any of the wines first and was told NO. I also asked about their olive oil and was also informed not at this function. Had we arrived during regular tasting hours it was available. We bought a bottle of red and one bottle of white, water and the cheese bundle they were selling. Wine good, the cheese bundle gave me ideas. The cheese etc were from Trader Joes and were tasty enough to compliment the wine. Why not Trader Joe’s for a large group you may meet on the road as we travel the riveted lifestyle? Well because the local cheese we find on our journeys is more of a find and story.

As we left for home we turned right onto the two lane road going south not north toward our home. The ranch lands were vibrant, quiet, glowing with the rays of the setting sun. This vast, vital landscape was worth the disappointment, again with this winery. If you are going to the Thousand Trails campground, now open to the public, or on your way to the Pinnacles, Cienega Rd is a road less traveled and full of beauty. It would take you maybe an hour out of your way but you end up on Airport Hwy and can continue on your journey.

If you are lucky you may actually get to taste some little known wines and taste local olive oil from 100-year-old trees!!! We are planning on actually camping at the newest National Park the Pinnacles. Happy wanderings.

A Foodie Must

Glorious, wonderful roads take us many places. How we travel them is a choice. We prefer going where others don’t. If hoards of tourists gather we will go in an opposite path. Nuggets of golden information and joy pop-up in unpredictable places.

Saturday was such a time. Traveling on a day trip with friends and without my silver coach we tasted wines from a barrel, savored great small plates of food paired for us in the 92 degree heat. So what was so unusual? The chef. We sat and spoke with Chef Mark Linback who works with Six Sigma Ranch and Winery, gave us his recommendations of the “must haves” for our Airstream Galley! His suggestions: 1 lb of flour, regular salt, salted and unsalted butter, olive oil-either EVOO or VOO, your favorite spices and baking power. Why? To make pastry, scones, coat fish or chicken, be able to fry anything and add the spices you like to make new finds your kind of yummy.

I have often wondered how long you can keep spices before they loose their taste or get yukkie. Here is what I found walking about in Los Gatos California’s Napa Style store! A cardboard cylinder with stacked small containers with screw lids on them! Not only is it small, about 1 inch in diameter, the containers have spices in them. The label states these will stay useable for up to 4 years if stowed in the cardboard tube in a cool place. It was $29 plus tax and I really am liking that is does not take up precious space in my galley and I have lots of choices to add to local food finds in our travels. Wow! This fits nicely into my galley pantry and is a first must for cooking or grilling as we travel. I like the fact it can be stored for a long time . The portion sizes help keep thing fresh and we can replace spices with our favorites if needed.

On the way up to Six Sigma Ranch we stopped at the St. Helena Olive Oil Company to pick up our favorite rosemary infused oil. We asked the sales person how long we can store our olive oil? Her answer was for up to 2 years from the press date! So now we know how long we can store our spices and olive oil and the sizes we use fit nicely in our galley.

The following Monday we hooked up our Airstream for a day trip to Pietro Santo Winery just south of Hollister California and on the way to the Pinnacles National Park. We were to meet one of the marketing staff to discuss a nice place to visit on our way to the new beautiful national park. This is not a well traveled “wine trail” so it may be a nice side stop on our travels. It was an overcast day but balmy and comfortable. The directions from the winery took us south and away from the main roads to Hollister and Tres Pinos, California. The Cienega Road is a lovely, quiet ranch road. It is a paved 2 lane road. The scenery is breath taking. It is like being dropped into the 1800’s. The time when cattle was king and hard working cowboys may appear on horseback at any moment. It is a winding quiet road, occasionally bumpy but no one is behind you honking, because you are slow. Occasionally vehicles just passed by and people waved.

The wine trail is home to approximately 6 wineries, all closed on Mondays or have tastings by appointment only. The tasting rooms all seem to be about a mile off the main road and there is very little signage to direct you. Our appointment never materialized but the winery grounds are beautiful, clean, green and bottling was in progress. They have an olive press in the tasting room building. This is what I wanted to see. Although the interview never came together the journey was beautiful. Taking a wrong turn almost got us to the Pinnacles instead of homeward bound. Airport Hwy is quiet and as we turned around we approached Tres Pinos, Balado Park and a small, good Mexican restaurant for a homey lunch. This little community of 500 is very reminiscent of the old California I new growing up. Had I not had my appointment on a new trail I would have missed the scenery we often dream about and it is nearby in the Gabilan Hills.