SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 94
Hello and Happy Sunday. Thank you for stopping in to share Sundays With Celia Vol 94 with me today.
Looking Back On Sunday
This week on the blog I shared with you my yummy Fresh Peach Pie Recipe. Using the peaches fresh from my backyard tree, I whipped up a couple of pies and froze the remaining peaches for use in a future Pie, Cobbler or Crisp this winter, when peaches will be a fond memory of summers past.
If you missed the post for Fresh Peach Pie you can find it by clicking here. While you’re at it you might want to grab my recipe for White Peach Crisp too. Might as well enjoy the last vestiges of Summer while you can still find peaches in the market.
Have you begun to experience Fall where you live yet? Here in Lake Arrowhead it has certainly arrived. The temps are chilly, the air is crisp, and the leaves have started to turn. Although I didn’t think I was ready to say goodbye to Summer, I’m now enjoying the change of season. I even made my first Pumpkin Pie of the season yesterday to serve at a little dinner party I had Saturday night. Get my Pumpkin Pie In The Sky recipe here.
Picon Punch on Sunday
Our dear friends Jim & Brenda are visiting us this weekend from their new home in Reno, Nevada. As they do each time they visit, they came laden down with thoughtful gifts from the kitchen.
This time they brought along a bottle of Amer, Are you familiar with this bitter-edged liqueur with a distinct orange flavor that is popular in France? I had recently read an article about this aperitif in Saveur Magazine, and learned that it was originally brought to Nevada by Basque immigrants in the late 19th century. The French Amer known as Picon Amer, is no longer exported to the U.S., and thus has spawned a number of local replicas as a result. Since my friend, a new transplant to Nevada, has some Basque heritage in her family, I mailed her the article and asked if she had heard of the popular Nevada drink, Picon Punch, made with Amer. She was quick to respond that yes, she had already been indoctrinated into the merits of the drink that comes with a warning: “You only need one, PROMISE”. And, she said she’d bring along the fixin’s to make Picon Punch on her next visit. I can’t wait to try my very first Picon Punch tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes…
Olive Oil Cake For Breakfast
Brenda also made us a wonderful Olive Oil Cake to enjoy in the morning with coffee. She uses Nancy Silverton’s recipe from her cookbook Pastries from the La Brea Bakery. I’ve tried many recipes for Olive Oil Cake but never found one as good as this. I’m buying the cookbook here just to get this delicious recipe.
Wine Tasting At Fallbrook Winery
As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I am a member of a Book Club that calls itself the “Well Red” book club because we enjoy a little reading with our wine ;). One of our members left Lake Arrowhead for greener pastures in Fallbrook, California. I designed and manufactured the wrought iron light fixtures for her Fallbrook home, and have shown you her lovely abode here. Lucky for us, she has remained connected to our Book Club, and has invited us to her home for 2 years running to discuss our latest book, eat and drink, and have a fun girls sleepover. Our latest visit took place last week when our wonderful hostess, Susan, arranged for us to tour Fallbrook Winery, which is walking distance from her home.
It is here that the grapes from Susan’s own vineyard get crushed, bottled and labeled with their own family label, Lee Rose, named after Susan’s two lovely daughters.
Twelve of us girls enjoyed a leisurely stroll to the winery, passing beautiful vineyards along the way.
Arriving at the lovely winery I almost felt as though I were in Europe.
We began our tour in the tasting room where we enjoyed tasting multiple varieties of their award winning wines.
It’s hard to make out from this photo but the tables in the tasting room were ingeniously made from wine barrels. Corks were displayed on the top of the barrels which were then covered in a glass tabletop.
North San Diego county is a growing wine region with many wineries dotting the area. Fallbrook Winery happens to be the largest of them all.
The area is perfect for the cultivation of Cabernet and Merlot Grapes, which are the varieties most often grown in this region.
On the occasion of our visit we were very lucky because they were in the midst of a late harvest and press. We got to watch how the grapes were sorted and then put through an automated pressing machine.
The crushed grapes and juice are extracted into large vats where they are further processed.
After an afternoon at the winery, including a catered lunch, we walked back to Susan’s home where more wine and appetizers were awaiting us.
And, we actually did discuss the book, EDUCATED, a Memoir by Tara Westover. It was a fascinating Best Seller and true story about a woman who overcame incredible childhood obstacles and managed to educate herself, eventually earning a PHD. I’d highly recommend it.
Our friend Natalie brought each of us these cute cocktail napkins that are, tongue-in-cheek appropriate for the “Well Reds”.
A New Series To Watch On Amazon Prime
An unlikely friendship. A lost love resurfaced. A marriage at its turning point. A date that might not have been a date. An unconventional new family. These are unique stories about the joys and tribulations of love, each inspired by a real-life personal essay from the beloved New York Times column, “Modern Love” and now made into a series premiering on Amazon Prime on October 18th. Looks good to me!
A Beautiful Baby Shower On Sunday
A couple of weeks ago, while Summer still warmed the lake and mountain air, I attended a lovely, lakeside baby shower at Lake Arrowhead’s own Yacht Club.
My dear friend Dave, who was instrumental in helping us do the DIY wedding flowers for my son’s wedding last summer, helped my friend Natalie produce these flowers and decorations for her daughter’s baby shower.
It was too pretty not to share.
And a new local baker, Lulubelle’s, made the too-good-to-resist cake and pastries. My friend Lauren, who catered my son’s wedding also prepared a fabulous Asian feast for dinner, but sadly, I failed to take photos of her delectable dinner.
What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon while at the same time honoring a new little one to come.
Enjoy your Sunday!!
So there you have it: SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 94
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s what helps to make this blog possible. Thanks very much for your support.
