do you like fresh figs?

i love fresh figs..for many reasons..the obvious reason..taste..and the memories they evoke for me... i have written about the love i had (have) for my grandparents..the love i had for their home..and the memories of summers from my childhood spending vacation time with them. my grandparents had two massive fig trees in their back yard. those trees produced enormous quantities of fruit..actually, did you know that figs are not actually a fruit? they are an inverted flower that includes both the male and female flower parts...the fig seeds are technically the fruit..ok, i just learned this..and i may be off a bit with this explanation..so any "fig" experts out there..feel free to correct me in the comments section..but, as usual, i digress... so back to my grandparents...my sisters and i spent hours each day playing in their back yard..we would climb the fig trees..and eat tons of figs all day long...the days were really hot in southern california..the figs really warm straight off the tree..and i was in heaven.

fast forward many years...when my husband and i saw our farmhouse for the first time, i immediately noticed there was a fig tree in the yard. this was one of the reasons i feel in love with our house..the fig tree, the other fruit trees, and all of the herbs reminded me of both of my grandmothers...they both loved to garden..and peter's grandmothers also always had big gardens..so the house felt like home from the beginning. we moved into the farmhouse the month of september and that first year we had a bumper crop in september and october...more than i could eat straight off the tree. i began experimenting with fig recipes..and to be honest..went a bit overboard..we had fresh fig cakes, cookies, tarts, bread, poached figs, baked figs, roasted figs, stuffed figs, caramelized figs, figs in salads, figs with pork, with chicken, fig salsa, fig jam, fig marmalade...do you see where i am going? peter finally said.."enough! i cannot eat another fig this year!" well, i think he put a hex on my tree.... the next june our tree was fully leafed out with tons of fruit (or inverted flowers if you guys call me on my "fun fact"). who knew fig trees in napa had two harvests? june and sept/oct.... one morning around 6:00 am, we were still in bed and were awakened by a very loud crash..the ground was shaking...i almost thought it was an earthquake. we got up..walked through the house..didn't see anything..went outside and saw our fig tree split in half. my heart sank...peter took one look and said "it's gone..we will need to have it pulled up and hauled away. " i burst into tears..said there must be something we could do and so we called an arborist. happily, he said he thought the tree could be saved..told us to prune it way back..and to not let it get too full for a few years... he was right..four years later, our tree is producing as many figs as before..although we are much better at pruning..and despite an ugly gash in the middle of the trunk...the tree looks really good.

see the gash?

so it is the end of june today..we have a ton of figs..and are ready to begin the fig recipe onslaught once again..however, i do make much more jam and marmalade..and less daily fig dinners..no more hexes from my darling husband!


here are a couple of really easy fig "recipes"... so easy..not sure they count as recipes...


fresh fig appetizer..determine quantities based on the number of people..and how much you love figs...

fresh figs
prosciutto, thinly sliced
parmigiano reggiano cheese

slice figs in half lengthwise and arrange on a platter. mound up the prosciutto and cut the parmesan into small chunks..add to platter. drizzle with the aged balsamic vinegar and serve with bread..i serve this with bruschetta.

my sister susan and i wanted to create a not-too-sweet fig jam or marmalade..we read tons of recipes and decided to keep it really simple..just figs, a bit of sugar and meyer lemon zest(cause i have a meyer lemon tree) . some recipes suggest adding rum or brandy to this..i keep mine straight.. also, i do like to can so i make large quantities of this recipe, can it and keep on hand all year. if you want to do this..and have not canned before..i recommend using the process described on the bell or kerr mason jar boxes...otherwise..just keep in your refrigerator.
fresh fig marmalade
2 1/4 pounds figs
2 cups sugar
zest from one meyer lemon
wash the figs, cut them in half and combine them with the sugar in a large pot. ..do not peel! cook over medium heat until they come to a boil.( stir frequently).. add the lemon zest, reduce the heat and simmer, skimming away the foam occasionally until thick (about 25-30 minutes). you will know it is ready when you can place a spoonful of the marmalade on a plate..tilt the plate..and the marmalade sticks..does not run... transfer the marmalade to sterilized jars and process if you wish..i do..or keep refrigerated for up to one week.

fresh fig bruschetta
again..this is not really a recipe..just use the best and freshest ingredients you can... and adjust ingredients quantities to your liking...

1 onion..sliced..sauteed in 1 tbsp good quality olive oil until onion is dark brown
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
6-8 fresh figs sliced lengthwise into 3 or 4 slices each
aged balsamic vinegar
6-8 pieces freshly made bruschetta..drizzled with best quality extra virgin olive oil

spread some of the mascarpone cheese on each bruschetta..1-2 tbsp. top each bruschetta with some of the onion and 3-4 fig slices. put on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler..broil until the cheese begins to bubble..just a minute or two..watch carefully to ensure they do not burn. take out of oven, put on a serving platter..drizzle with the balsamic vinegar..and serve while hot

note..sometimes i sprinkle on a bit of freshly minced rosemary or lavender before the vinegar...


romaine salad with roasted figs and pine nuts
6 fresh figs
2 tbsp. good quality olive oil
8 cups washed and dried romaine lettuce, torn into bit sized pieces
4 oz. parmigiano reggiano cheese (cut into small, bite-sized chunks)
1/3 cup shelled pine nuts..roasted in saute pan until light brown

vinaigrette
6 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
grey sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees. cut figs in half, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. roast in oven 10-15 minutes until hot and tender. cool to room temp.

make dressing..here is my trick..i always use a mason jar for my salad dressings... combine the olive oil, vinegar and salt/pepper to taste in a mason jar..cover with the lid..screw tightly..and shake away! very easy and quick. if you wish, you can whisk the ingredients together..but my way is much more fun...
place the lettuce, cheese and nuts in a salad bowl and gently toss. add just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves..toss again..taste and adjust seasonings if needed. place on a serving platter and arrange the roasted figs on top..serve immediately...note..i sometimes use gorgonzola cheese instead of the parmesan...

so enough recipes for today...please let me know what you think of them...and..this is really, really important...i always am on the hunt for terrific fig recipes..i will share some more with you throughout the season..but i always need more..remember peter's hex? so i invite all of you to share your recipes with me..and with the other readers..please post your favorites in the comments section of this post....my fig tree and i will be eternally grateful...

best,
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style"™

can you say "martha stewart rocks!"?

so i opened my blog tracker site this morning to get an update of the number of visitors for thursday and friday..there was a huge spike in hits as compared to most days... i wondered what was happening and clicked on the page that shows the site referrers.. i noticed that a majority of the visits were coming from the martha stewart website... i clicked on the referrer site and was taken to the everyday food, dinner tonight page...well!! i am shocked, flattered and very, very happy to tell all of you that this blog has been listed under the "sites we like" section of this page... how cool is that? now, i am not sure if this is temporary or permanent..but..whatever..i am very grateful!!

martha stewart has been a teacher, guide and source of inspiration to me for most of my adult life.... i have learned so much from her via her shows, books, videos, magazine (i, of course, was a charter subscriber) and website..this is truly an honor.

so..for all of the new visitors coming from martha's site..welcome!!

and to the editors of everyday food, dinner tonight (especially deb!!)..thank you from the bottom of my heart!

best,

napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style"™

Popcorn and Olive Oil?

It was over 100 degrees each day last weekend. That usually means we will have loads of friends over to eat, hang out..and just chill in the pool...and this weekend was no exception.. sometimes our friends phone first..sometimes they just show up.  In any case, I usually plan ahead to have enough food to feed a crowd. This is easy if the pantry is full of really good quality ingredients and if the kitchen has plenty of fresh, organic...straight from the farmer's market...produce and bread. I made a ton of food..but, as usual..one of the favorites was easily the simplest..popcorn!! However, my popcorn is different because..instead of butter..i always use extra virgin olive oil.

The popcorn and olive oil thing have been a staple in my family for as long as I can remember, so I always forget it is unusual. But every time I make it for someone new they rave! I even made this recipe (if you can call it that) for Wine Auction last year...representing a local company. The event featured some of the finest chefs in the Napa Valley preparing tastes of their signature dishes, yet the popcorn was one of the big hits of the day.

The key is the ingredients. The ingredients you chose will always make or break your dish so use the best quality products you can find. It is so worth it. Now on to the popcorn. Here is the "recipe":

organic popcorn
extra virgin olive oil
grey sea salt

That is it. Here is what you do for the complete version. Pop the corn in olive oil..you do not need an expensive version for this just make sure it is high quality and fresh. As soon as the corn is popped, drizzle with a really good, high-quality extra virgin olive oil. (I recommend the Prato Lungo from Long Meadow Ranch in the Napa Valley) and a really good grey sea salt.  I use the grey salt from Napa Style.  How simple is that? The taste is amazing..try it and let me know what you think..you can say it is an old family recipe too!

Here is a bit about long meadow ranch from their website:

"LONG MEADOW RANCH. Welcome to our 650-acre historic ranch nestled high atop the Mayacamas Mountains above the Napa Valley. Here we produce award-winning wines and handcrafted extra virgin olive oils - as well as grass-fed beef, eggs, and heirloom fruits and vegetables. Our extraordinary food products have been featured by America's top chefs.Our family - Ted, Laddie, and Christopher Hall - has re-established vineyards first planted on our ranch in the 1870s and we have resumed producing estate-bottled wine from the ranch's distinctive mountain "terrior."

Our vision is to make wines as food - to create world class wines that truly complement a meal - using sustainable, organic farming methods.However, our integrated organic farming system is built not only aroundwine making, but also includes world class estate-produced olive oil, a substantial herd of grass-fed Highland cattle, an organic vegetable garden, and an egg-producing poultry flock. We even breed and work our own Appaloosa and POA horses.
Taken together, we are creating a modern, commercially successful, version of the family farm - one that is widely acknowledged as a purveyor of fine food. All of our crops are organically produced and are certified by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Our wines, oils, beef, and vegetables have been featured by America's top chefs.
Our award-winning, earth-formed, wine and olive oils facility and the adjacent moist, cool caves allow us to produce handcrafted wines and olive oils entirely on our own estate under carefully controlled conditions. Led by winemaker, Ashley Heisey, our staff is committed to pioneering modern approaches to their centuries-old crafts. "

Their property is beautiful. I highly recommend a visit on your next trip to Napa.. and enjoy your popcorn! Oh..and here is a tip..if you do not have time to pop your own corn try using the paul newman organic microwave popcorn Pretty close!!

Best,
Diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

what is your favorite summer fruit?

summer fruit is here!!! we are taking a poll to determine the napa farmhouse 1885 favorite organic fruit to be used in a signature recipe. please vote for your favorite. the poll is listed along the right hand side of the blog..about 1/2 way down.... vote away..but hurry..the poll closes the 5th of july..we want to have our answer by july 4th... thanks... ( and if we have forgotten your favorite, please list it in the comments section of this post)

best,

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

whoops...feral or domestic kittens?

so here is a story parents, grandparents and aunts/uncles will appreciate..and perhaps provide some advice...my stepson, peter's son eric, got married two weeks ago in colorado. we went..had a terrific time..and brought my 10 yr old step-granddaughter allie back to napa with us the day after the wedding. the plan was to have her stay with us for 10 days while her dad and new stepmom were on their honeymoon. (o.k...no more "steps" used in this story..everyone is family). we stayed in a hotel the night of the wedding..left really early the next morning for the airport...of course had mechanical problems with the plane resulting in a 4 hour delay (thank you, united) drove from the airport to napa..went out to dinner cause by then it was 6:30 p.m....and...finally...made it home.

allie loves napa, and our home, so as soon as we walked in the house and put down our luggage she immediately went out the back door...ran through the yard and, of course, spotted a cat sitting in the rose garden. btw...mose was at a dog "resort" while we were away so i guess the cat felt comfortable making herself at home. i will tell you more about mose's luxury spa vacation later...he really is a spoiled dog!! anyway, allie ran over to see the cat...the cat ran under the porch...allie followed...only to see the cat poking her head out staring at allie. just as i got close enough to warn her about making sure this was a friendly cat a kitten popped his head out next to the cat.  before i could react 3 additional kittens also popped out next to mom. uh oh...can you feel it? 10 yr old girl and 4 kittens?? yikes.  within 5 minutes they were named!!! lucky, cleo, mumu and fluffy. before the night was through she was begging to take one back to colorado....and ensure we found homes for the rest. now we were really in a bind..cause mose was coming home the next day and 1 dog, 1 cat and 4 kittens in our yard was not a mix that was going to work out. we needed some help.

the next morning, peter and allie left to go pick up mose. i went to the gym. upon my return, i was met at the door by a sobbing allie. apparently, mose came home and started barking his head off. big surprise.  the cats went deeper under the house and allie was afraid mose would hurt them.  he wouldn't because he is just a big goofball.  i was actually more worried about what the cat would do to him while protecting her babies. i calmed allie down, phoned the napa humane society and pretty much said HELP!! they told me that we needed to determine whether or not the cat was feral or domesticated. a domesticated cat and her kittens could be trapped and brought to them for adoption..chances would be pretty good because the kittens looked to be about 6 weeks old..and honestly they were cute!...but if the cat was feral, they could not help us and suggested a non-profit group in the area that places feral cats with farmers and vintners to help with the rodent population.

o.k. folks..getting the picture?..10 yr old girl wanting kittens, husband not going for the "trapping the cat and checking to see if feral approach" and golden retriever not accepting animals under the porch...loads of action at the napa farmhouse!! so here is the current state of affairs...the cat/kittens seem to have disappeared! either they are so far under the house, and only come out at night, that we cannot find them..or.. the mom cat has relocated her family somewhere safe..good for mose..but not good for the cat population..i was hoping to at least be able to spay/neuter them..so i would really appreciate your thoughts, ideas and/or suggestions regarding this situation. what should we do? i can not believe this cat had the babies under my porch and they lived there for 6 weeks without us knowing. i suspect the cat moved her kittens in while we were in colorado thinking it was a nice, quiet, safe place.. it this possible?

what do you all think? one thing though..life is never boring at napa farmhouse 1885!!! please post your ideas in the comments section of the blog..or feel free to email me..

best!

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

i gave my nephews 1/2 a goat??

regular readers know that i love to talk about non-profit groups that i feel really make a difference. i strongly believe that the "teach a person to fish" approach delivers lasting change. one of my favorite organizations is heifer international. i have found that many people i meet are unaware of this amazing group..so..here goes one of my stories....

as many of you know, i have twin nephews...truly loves of my life...they just turned 12 last week..the fastest twelve years of my life. they also celebrated their confirmation this month..so i spent some time thinking about what would be an appropriate gift. i asked the boys what they would like for their birthday..and chris said.."you know auntie..i really only have a couple of things i asked for..you know..i really have everything i need"..how cool is that? but, you know..he is correct. our family is so lucky..we really do not need more things. so for the boy's confirmation i decided to give a gift to charity in their name. i thought heifer international was perfect for them because i could..kinda..give them an animal...so..to explain...this is the organization's mission...

"heifer international is a nonprofit organization working to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. heifer provides animals and training to help impoverished families become more self reliant. since 1944, heifer has helped 8.5 million families in more than 125 countries. each recipient agrees to "pass on the gift" of one or more of their animals to another family in need, creating an ever-widening circle of hope"
so it works like this..you "buy" an animal..say a cow. the money you send funds the cow and care training to a needy family somewhere in the world. the family sells the milk to provide an income. the family breeds the cow and gives the offspring to another family to pass on the gift. there are all kinds of animals to pick..i selected a goat for the boys because..for some reason..my grandmother loved goats and it became a family "thing". she used to say she liked goat milk because it tasted "goaty". it made me laugh when i gave the goat..i know that somewhere in heaven gran is smiling... it made me feel good to gift a gift in the boys' names..chris and shaun..and know that as a family we were working to "give back".
please take the time to check out heifer international at http://www.heifer.org/ . their web site provides loads of stories and additional information. for now..i will leave you with a couple of quotes regarding this amazing non-profit..
"Heifer International deserves its stellar reputation. Its approach offers immediate help to our planet's most vulnerable citizens; and it builds community strength for longer-term solutions. Linking people across continents, Heifer is the positive face of globalization--connecting communities around the world through hands-on projects that get to the root causes of hunger." — Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé, Small Planet Institute
With a gift of a Heifer International animal, it is not just giving money away to some vast organization that you hope is going to trickle down to the people who need it. You are giving a living, breathing, breeding gift, so that you know exactly what it is that participants in Heifer programs around the world are going to get, and you know it's going to change their lives dramatically." — Brad Whitford/Jane Kaczmarek, Actors



best,
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style"™

overwhelming response!

just a quick update to thank all of you for the overwhelming response to the robert mondavi post. i have received countless emails..everything from long stories describing your memories of past trips to napa..your personal commitments to giving back..and the emails that just say.."one more donation to the charity"...i am learning that you guys are quite the emailers..and not so much posters. a couple of you asked for instructions on how to comment..just click the word comments at the bottom of the post and you will be taken to the proper screen.

in any case..we will have quite the contribution to the napa opera house in mondavi's name..thank you so much...and remember..we will add to the contribution for each post or email left until this sunday night..so post away...


best,
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style"™

how do you thank an icon?

robert mondavi died on friday morning. for those of you who live in the napa valley, you know that this has been front page news for the past three days. the tributes and shared memories are non-stop...this has been the main topic of conversation all weekend. for the rest of you, you have probably heard about his passing on the news..and this may or may not have been a lead story where you live. if it was not..it should have been.

there will be tons of stories about the impact of robert mondavi and his family on the wine industry in this country..especially here in california. he passionately believed that wine produced in california...especially napa..could rival the best wines in the world..and he spent his life proving that assumption to be true. in my opinion...equally important but less publicized...were his philanthropic endeavors. every story i have read about him this weekend has used the word "generosity" when describing his life. when you live in napa..or have the opportunity to visit...the evidence of this fact surrounds you.... so this post spotlights the mondavi legacy of "giving back"

i never had the good fortune to meet the man..but i often saw him and his wife margrit biever mondavi at charity events, art venues and restaurants. two weeks ago, my husband and i attended a concert at the napa opera house. we saw dave brubeck and his band perform. robert and margrit were in the audience seated two rows behind us....margrit in an aisle seat and robert in his wheelchair sitting next to her. the napa opera house is a fantastic historic building which opened on feb 13, 1880. it closed in 1914 due to extensive damage suffered from the 1908 san francisco earthquake. in 1997, robert and margrit mondavi issued a challenge grant of $2.2 million to help jump start the efforts to restore and reopen the theatre...their challenge was met and the theater was restored... the venue is beautiful and, in honor of the mondavi's, was renamed the margrit biever mondavi theatre. during the brubeck concert, margrit was called to the stage after intermission to welcome dave brubeck back to the stage. she graciously thanked all of us for supporting the opera house and for supporting the arts in the community. she received a standing ovation and as she acknowledged her husband the entire audience turned to look at him and give him his own standing ovation. he looked very frail and, frankly, very old..but he was beaming and smiling as the applause went on and on..... little did we know that two weeks later he would be gone. that night, as we were driving the short distance home, i reflected on how much the mondavi's had "given back" to napa. in addition to the opera house, robert mondavi was one of the main leaders who founded auction napa valley. this annual event raises money for non-profits in the napa valley. the first auction was held in 1981 and, to date..almost $80 million has been raised. this year's event..always held in june...should include a pretty massive tribute to the man. the mondavi's gave a $20 million bequest to launch copia, the america center for food, wine and the arts. copia is kind of a museum to food..they have organic gardens with garden tours, food and wine events, art shows, film festivals and concerts. the mondavi's founded the summer music festival, which supports the napa valley symphony and music programs at schools throughout napa. they have been major contributors to the lincoln theater in napa and to the oxbow school..which is a high school focusing on the arts.... they donated to the cantor art center at stanford university and gave $35 million to uc davis to build the mondavi center for the performing arts and the robert mondavi institute for food and wine science. i could go on and on..but you get the idea. regular readers of this blog know that i often like to spotlight individuals, companies and not-for-profit entities that i admire. robert mondavi certainly qualifies for a tribute....so, how do you thank an icon that you never met? for me, i hope that telling people outside of the napa valley about this amazing man is a start. in his name, napa farmhouse 1885™ will give a donation to the napa opera house for each comment made to this blog, or for each email...so please comment often and share your thoughts as to what it means to you to "give back".....

and raise a glass to toast robert mondavi..an american icon....

best,
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™"

mothers?

happy mother's day to my mom and to my sister..two of the coolest mom's i know.

“To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.”
—Lao-Tzu (ca. 600 B.C.), philosopher

to all mother's who love deeply! we love you back..more than we can properly communicate.

love from napa farmhouse 1885™!

"live a green life of style™"

have you experienced a natural disaster?

two weeks ago there were fires in southern california raging out of control. this photo was taken from the main street of a small town called sierra madre, ca. the town is next door to the town of pasadena where i was born. i have relatives living throughout the area..this photo was sent to me by an uncle who lives just a few blocks from where this was taken..scary and... .oddly..beautiful. the photo is a bit blurry..but was taken from a camera phone....happily, there was damage to only one outbuilding..no homes, businesses..or more importantly..people were hurt. the photo reminded me of the numerous natural disasters i have lived through..and what those experiences do to your psyche. when i was growing up..we lived in the foothills of the san gabriel mountains. really beautiful..but a fire danger most years. southern california experiences something called the "santa ana winds". this usually occurs during september and october each year. the weather is still pretty hot, and when the santa ana's occur the wind blows from east to west. normally it goes the other direction and ..blowing from the west..you get the ocean breezes to help cool things down. the santa ana's are strong, swirling, and blow really hot air. if you are not from southern california it is hard to imagine what this does..but historically fires start, rage out of control and massive damage occurs. i have many memories as a child of watching fires near our house..being on the roof with my dad hosing it down..smelling the fire and breathing in the bits of burned char swirling around in the hot breezes and preparing to evacuate... a number of times we were ordered to leave..and there was nothing scarier for a kid than to be in the family station wagon with your mom, dad, 2 sisters and the family dog..and whatever possessions would fit..driving away not knowing if your home would be there upon your return. thank god..it always was there..and we were always o.k.

i have lived in california all of my life..this means i have experienced earthquakes..too many to mention..including the 1989 earthquake in san francisco...no damage to our home. our napa farmhouse is located across from the napa river and we dealt with the floods of new year's eve 2005..we live on a corner lot and all three streets flooded and came to the top of the sidewalks..we needed to evacuate..but no water came onto our property.

i wrote a post last week and asked "what are you grateful for?" i was thinking this morning as i looked at the sierra madre photo...of how grateful i am that my family and friends have endured all of these natural disasters safely without any damage to themselves or their properties. we are all o.k... the same is not true for so many people..both in this country and throughout the world. napa farmhouse 1885 supports habitat for humanity...and their efforts to rebuild in the katrina ravaged parts of the gulf coast states..along with other agencies helping others rebuild their lives...my heart breaks for the people of myanmar..and we will do what we can to help..

have you experienced a natural disaster? if so, please share your story.

best,
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™"

gardening or meditation?

today was a perfect day..one of those days where....right in the middle of the day..i realized how happy and grateful i am to be "retired." why the quotes? retired is a funny word to describe my life. remember in one of my first posts i told you that after 25 years in corporate life i decided to take early, early retirement? i smile because it is not as if i get retirement benefits..i was too young to qualify when i stopped working. but my husband and i invested, saved and realized that we had enough to live on..now we certainly are not rich..but we just did not require more "stuff" and would rather be together than keep working to climb the corporate ladder..we just could not see the pay-off for us..and for our life. the funny thing is i am now starting my own very small business..just cause i want to...but this is totally different. for one thing..i am the boss..can i tell you how cool it is to say that? no one but no one can tell me what i should be doing..what i should be thinking...how i should behave..etc. all the "coaching" and "performance reviews" corporate life brings..yuck! and i can set the vision and mission and product assortment exactly the way i see it in my mind.."my brand"...now, on the other hand..my company is based in my kitchen...i have not yet opened the on-line store so no revenue..and i have no "people" so i do it all myself..but i am having a ball. i plan to write about starting a small business in another post..wow! what an education. how many of you work from home..or have started your own small business? what works for you? what doesn't?

but today's post is about taking the time to appreciate simply being at home..living life. i have been working hard the past month operating in "start up" mode for the business. ..but i am able to go to the gym in the middle of the day 3-4 times per week to ensure i take a break...i am able to cook dinner every night. now i love cooking so this is really cool..if you do not enjoy cooking this may not sound so wonderful...i can have a meeting with my business partner, (my husband, peter), in my pajamas drinking coffee, and i can take mose for walks throughout the day..he is the company's director of security so they are business walks :).. today i decided to take the afternoon and work in the garden. my roses needed pruning, it was 75 degrees and i said.."what the heck"..that was the whole point of retiring..finally being able to do what i wanted to do..when i wanted to do it. our farmhouse has a small rose garden in the front of the house and a few rose bushes spread around the side and back. there are 25 total..not a ton..but for a girl that lived in a san francisco flat for 15 years without a yard..it is enough. spring in napa can be tricky..there are always a few really warm days in january and february, so the roses are pretty well leafed out in march. march and april have a number of rainy days, a number of foggy days, some warm to hot days and cool..sometimes freezing nights. so the roses sometimes get really whacked out (love my gardening term?) they start blooming early..and frequently develop black spot and rust...o.k...if you do not garden i know i am probably losing you with this post..but hang with me for just a bit...back to the roses...
so, to avoid the rose diseases, it is important to keep them pruned enough to allow sunlight to hit all the leaves..at least this works for me. i noticed this morning that they were a bit overgrown and needed pruning and decided this afternoon was a perfect opportunity. i started pruning, mose sat next to me and moved each time i moved to a different bush..and before i realized it..4 hours had passed. you know what, i felt fantastic..relaxed, pleasantly tired, and really happy. i had been concentrating on the pruning..ensuring each cut was the correct cut..and just kinda zoned out. the roses looked great, i had come up with a number of ideas for the business, and i felt really good. i realized that this was one of the first times i had experienced gardening without a predetermined time frame. prior to retiring my life looked like this.... leave napa early monday morning and drive to my office in san francisco. stay in the city, away from my family, monday-wednesday night, work thursday until really late and then drive back to napa... work from napa on friday. this happened on the rare weeks that i did not fly out on monday morning on a business trip and return friday night. that meant that something like gardening had to be completed on the weekends..along with everything else..so i always was on a schedule..even on the weekends. i enjoyed gardening, but felt the pressure to "just get it done". today..no pressure.. i only finished half the roses but..no worries..i can finish tomorrow..or saturday..or whenever i want. i have never, ever been able to live this way. it just felt right to acknowledge how grateful i am for being able to enjoy everyday things like cooking, gardening, exercise, walking the dog..living a real life... and to commit even more to ensuring there is adequate time in my life to give back..and give thanks..for my life, my family, my friends, my faith...

what are you grateful for?

best,

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style™"

oh..and if you have tips for organic rose care ..please share.....

to keep or to give away?

it happens to most of us. a friend or family member will give us a gift and...it is just not to our taste...sometimes it can be pretty awful. but we know the person picked it out because they thought we would love it..or because it was something they really liked. what to do? keep it and put it out for display or wear it if it is clothing? keep, but store in a closet or attic? give away?



i have such a hard time with this topic. my personal style is pretty clutter free...and i just am not comfortable with a lot of "stuff" around. yet i have major guilt issues with giving away items given as gifts..it just feels wrong... i believe you can be really grateful for the thought and effort that went into buying or making the gift..even if you do not care for the actual piece. even worse are those items that have been in the family for a long time..not valuable heirlooms...but handmade items...made with love. a perfect example is a doll collection my mom saved for me. these were dolls that i played with as a child. a few were handmade by my grandmothers..some were hand-me-downs from relatives..the rest were purchased by my parents or other family members. my mother lovingly kept all of them for me.. in case i ever had a daughter to pass them to. well, i never had children of my own..and i only have nephews...so what to do? putting them on display is so not my style..and i can not fathom giving them away..especially the handmade ones. so there they sit..packed away in the attic. seems wrong. i am starting a company where all the items are made from repurposed, reimagined, recycled and/or reused materials and this process has really inspired me to lose the clutter..and donate or reuse to avoid adding to the landfill. i am getting better with giving away the non-sentimental items..i keep telling myself that donating will do some good, and other people will enjoy...but am struggling with the rest of the "stuff". my sister, kathi, has a good solution for her home. when her house was being built, she designed a special cupboard..she calls it the "memory closet"...where she stores items with meaning for her...family items..the crafts her boys made when they were small...anything that she wants to keep..but does not want on display in her home. when she is feeling sentimental she opens the closet and enjoys the contents. when she is through she shuts the door..it all goes away!! unfortunately, the closet is completely full so any other "memories" will be a problem :).



while i feel that giving away/donating to charity the non-sentimental items is good for the planet..i cannot bring myself to tell the gift giver what i am doing. how do you tell someone you just do not like their gift? and i still do not have a good solution for the family "memories". but just writing about the topic is helping.



so today's questions..what do you do when given a gift that you just do not like? what do you do with family hand-me-downs or other sentimental items that do not fit your style? please add your tips, suggestions and/or comments to this post. (oh..by the way..the photo in this post was a free download from the net..could not use an actual photo of something someone actually gave me..that would just be mean...)



best,
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™"

do you "make up" recipes?

by "make up"..eat something terrific at a restaurant and try to recreate it at home..without a recipe??? i do this all the time cause i really do not like following recipes unless i am baking. i love trying to figure out all the ingredients used in the original recipe and duplicate..or..even better..improve. sometimes this results in a big success..sometimes..omg!!..disaster..

happily, today's effort resulted in the former option. it was one of those days that seems to been happening more and more frequently..a friend or two will ring me up and ask what i am doing..somehow this leads to the aforementioned friends being invited for dinner..how did that happen? i did not have time to shop..and had on hand fresh eggs from the farmer's market, organic asparagus, and really good french bread from an amazing bakery here in napa. i remembered a dish i had last month at a restaurant in a small town near here called sebastopol..it was amazing..and decided to try and recreate. well..every bite was eaten..requests for me to make more occurred and everyone asked for the recipe. here is the dish...not really a recipe..

poached eggs with asparagus and truffle oil (serves 4)

2 bunches of organic asparagus
8 eggs (organic and fresh from the farm if possible)
best quality truffle oil
parmesan-reggiano -shaved..as much as you like
organic grey sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
best quality french or sourdough bread-sliced into thick pieces
best quality extra virgin olive oil (i love big...make you cough.. e.v.o.o.s but pick your favorite)

steam asparagus until crisp-tender.
poach eggs..i use the vinegar in the barely simmering water trick..and put each egg one at a time in a small shallow bowl before sliding in the water..cook until the whites are set but the yolk is still soft (about 2-2 1/2 minutes)
meanwhile, toast or grill the bread..when browned to your preference..remove from oven or grill and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil.
assembly:
divide asparagus among 4 plates and season with salt and pepper. drizzle with truffle oil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. top each plate with 2 poached eggs and season eggs to taste with salt and pepper. drizzle dish again..including the eggs with additional truffle oil...be a bit sparing with the truffle oil..a quality version will be quite strong...
serve with the grilled bread.

*recipe can serve 8 for a lunch or light dinner

this dish is really easy..even for beginning cooks..however, i have been spending a lot of time lately with friends and acquaintances that just do not cook..and are hesitant to try even easy recipes...so we have been having informal..very fun..wine included..cooking classes in my kitchen while i prepare dinner. when they see how easy it can be..nothing complicated or requiring loads of technique..but roasting, sauteing, steaming, grilling, etc..they gain confidence and want to try for themselves. i actually get help in the kitchen now which is new. even better, i know that my friends feel comfortable stocking their pantries with quality ingredients, shopping at farmer's markets for organic produce, meats, fish and good bread..and cooking for themselves and their families..really cool.

do you have favorite recipes that you "created" after tasting them somewhere else? share them in the comments section of this post, or email me..let's build a recipe collection for napa farmhouse 1885!!

also, if you have questions about specific techniques used in the recipe above..or are a beginner cook..feel free to email me for answers. if i don't know, i will research and get back to you..

best,

napa farmhouse 1885

"live a green life of style"

what is "coopetition"?

no..this is not a misprint...the word is "coopetition"..what is it and where did it come from?..first..let's go back a bit... i wrote in earlier posts about my disillusionment with the corporate life. i loved leading/managing my team..and the actual work. but i grew so tired of all the politics, and one-up-man-ship..for those of you that have been there..you know those endless meetings planning future meetings?..the ones where you just know the individuals that will need to make a point..even if the point has already been made..because they just have to talk..hoping to make an impression on the senior most executive in the room. nothing is more frustrating than the time wasted in these meetings. ick..i just could not take it anymore. i also never could get used to the dishonest people..the ones that would steal ideas and not give the proper credit..the ones so insecure that they looked at everyone else as competition..and tried to eliminate that competition. people that could not help or support others because they were jealous and thought if others were successful it would somehow make them less so....i have seen this in major corporations..and in small local businesses. where does that come from?

this is why i continue to be so impressed mary jane butters. i have talked about her before..she started a company called maryjanes farm which is a combination of organic food, gardening, farm living and giving back. please see my earlier post can you live in town and be a farmgirl? to get a bit more background on this amazing woman. today, i want to talk about her philosophy on supporting others in business. although she is working very hard to ensure her business is a success, she believes wholeheartedly in sharing and supporting other people in their businesses. there was a post to her online forum that articulates her philosophy really well.

this was written by brenda from spokane..aka past blessings:

"MaryJane has a wonderful philosophy on business. She encouraged me when I was dealing with someone not handling competition in a very kind way. She
said she fully believes in what she termed "coopetition" which is combining the words cooperation with competition . . . meaning we help each other even when we may be involved in similar things. For example she is very into organic farming, but rather than acting like she should be the "only organic farmer" she encourages others to come walk beside her in their endeavors.She has been a huge encourager to me with my endeavors in antiques and other creative venues. I think embracing one another in our talents and abilities is something she encourages and she truly likes seeing other women succeed.I think this thought process is what has helped us to be so endeared to her.If only the rest of the world operated like this . . . seems to me wars and famines could all be a thing of the past. I am honored to know someone of such high standards and example."

whoa..how often do you see this in business? mary jane butters exemplifies the best of a businessperson..and a human being..in all that she does. i really encourage you to check out her website http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/ ..read her books..buy her products and her magazines...you will be glad that you did!

one more thing to illustrate the character of mary jane..i emailed her to ask if i could quote her philosophy in my blog..now, she does not know me from adam..but she personally replied..no assistant here...and this is what she said:

"But of course you may use it and THANK YOU so much for asking first. Your blog is adorable. I love this blog trend. It gives so many unsung female heroes an outlet for their creativity. Write on! MaryJane"

need i say more?..i can not think of anyone in business i respect more than mary jane...

which business leaders do you admire..and why? please share your stories in the comments section..

best,

napa farmhouse 1885

"live a green life of style"