Saturday, October 30, 2010

Tough Enough to Wear Pink!

Yesterday was "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" Day at the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Futurity in Paso Robles. With the Wrangler brand at the helm and Purina Feed a show sponsor, cowboys, cowgirls, retailers and manufacturers are motivated to raise awareness and money to breast cancer research. The show was a sea of pink and I was honored to participate.

I had a special visitor at the show - This is the new addition to my mom's dog family. He doesn't have a name yet. Any suggestions? My mom likes "Lucky" because he is an Irish Water Spaniel.

My Mom, the best cheerleader!

The girls and I - they work really hard and I am thankful for all their help.

Picking cows is pretty tough stuff... but, it all pays off when you pick 3 good ones when your almost last in your set!

And... we are all smiles! Reserve Champion in the 15,ooo Amateur - 217.5 and taking home Chunk's first buckle. Thank you Scott for everything. Couldn't have done it without you!

More pictures and Chunk's video to follow!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

San Francisco Treat!

Melissa Good Taste loves sports just as much as she loves food!

Come on GIANTS... You can do it!

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Sow's Ear - Cambria, CA

Driving through the charming town of Cambria there are people strolling the streets and plenty of shops to entertain the interests of tourists from far and wide. We drove into town with a couple of restaurants in mind but decided The Sow's Ear was our choice for the evening.

There were people waiting outside so I was afraid we could not get in, however it was early and we were pleasantly surprised. A table with our name on it was waiting for us!

The bread was served in a flower pot. I thought it was so cute. Sourdough on one side and a nutty wheat on the other. It was warm and I am sure it was just baked. I ate more than my portion, with plenty of butter. The Early Dinner and regular Dinner menu threw me through a loop. So many choices!

Scott chose an item on the Early Dinner menu because he wasn't very hungry. Fresh Salmon with a Citrus Balsamic Glaze was char grilled and served with a wild rice pilaf. He said the glaze reminded him of barbecue sauce, an interesting choice for fish.

I saw several things on the menu that I wanted to try. The Sheppard's Pie, Petrale Sole and it was Friday so you know I wanted the Chowder too! But I decided to go for something that I wouldn't normally go for - Lobster Pot Pie. I promise you it was packed full of tender lobster, mushrooms, peas, shallots served in a super rich, creamy lobster broth topped in a puff pastry. I couldn't finish it by any means. It should be served for two people!

This was a lovely dinner in a historic, charming building. Over a couple glasses Santa Barbara pinot noir it was an enjoying evening on the Central Coast.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Sea Shanty - Cayucos, CA

Lisa, Scott and I went on a surf mission and we ended up in Cayucos at good old place called the Sea Shanty. The outside was all dressed up and ready for Halloween.

Hats lined the ceilings and we sat at the bar to watch the start of the Giants game.

A local beer? Sure, order me the Cayucos Ale. Then I see on the bottle it was bottled in San Jose! That was funny, it was still tasty.

Clam Chowder? World's best? Not so much. With a few shakes of pepper and hot sauce it did the job!

Lisa and I both ordered the Petite Halibut. It was cooked to perfection and it was just the right size. I had the side of rice and it was full of lots of vegetables. A few shakes of hot sauce and again, I was good to go!

Red Snapper for Scott. He bragged that it was just fabulous, I tried a bite and have to admit it was pretty delicious. The toasted bread was smeared with plenty of butter, yum yum.

A pretty shot of the rock in Morro Bay on our way home...

Happy Friday!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

October, Baseball & Beer - Love it!

Ok. This man meal is not for the weak hearted. This is what I like to call P&B Sloppy Joe's - Are you interested in what makes this? If you are all in in on the San Francisco Giants I might divulge my secrets. Can't wait to hear from you! Comments welcome.

Back to work!

We dodged a few raindrops but got the remuda worked... Off to Paso Robles tomorrow!!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Rainy day schedule!



All the vegetation makes Upper Ojai look tropical or something...

Happy Monday readers!

Eggs 'n' Things - Ojai, CA

Good Morning Ojai! I can't remember the last I had a decent breakfast so we wandered down the hill on a drizzly morning. Where can you go to get a good breakfast in Ojai. Well, you can go to Bonnie Lu's, Ojai Cafe Emporium or Eggs 'n' Things. We chose Eggs 'n' Things. Drive directly 1103 Maricopa & Highway 33 and get excited!

While you wait you get treated with a crepe on the house. How cool is that? Crepes are not my thing but I thought it was pretty cool they made the extra effort.

Hungry yet? This is the California Omelet - Think sour cream, cheese, avocado and salsa! Three eggs make up this plate and with the hash brown sides you can't go wrong!

Ok, here it is! The official "Eggs 'n' Things Benedict" - Poached eggs, tomato, avocado, cheese served on an English Muffin with Hollandaise Sauce. I loved this so much. So good! I think I love breakfast so much because I never have it.

Ojai. You make me hungry just thinking about you. Thank you.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Customer Appreciation Day - Lemoore

We were up and at them early for our last Customer Appreciation Day of 2010. We served hot coffee and big, tasty muffins to the early morning fuelers. A large portion of the customers who use this site in the morning are tow trucks and school buses so we were thankful to make their morning more enjoyable.






Fugazzi's - Hanford, CA

Welcome to Fugazzi's - 601 West 7th Street in Downtown Hanford. Apparently this location used to be the Purple Potato. Who knew? This is one of many other Fugazzi's located throughout Kings County so if you are not local, try the Visalia or Tulare sites.

Before starting our dinner Jennifer and I grabbed drinks from the bar. I think mine was called the San Simeon. At least that is what I thought the gentleman called it. it was a little bit of everything. Did I or would I order another one? No thanks! It was pretty though!

Jennifer ordered Premium H2O.

Jennifer had a craving for a salad so she ordered the Chopped Thai Salad. Crisp greens, chopped chicken, cabbage, celery, red onions, peanuts, edamame and cilantro. All tossed in a creamy Thai dressing - topped with crispy wontons. She loved it.

Mine of course was the fish. Halibut sauteed with a pistachio crust served in a lemon butter sauce. I had it served with vegetables and rice. I didn't touch much of the rice though! It was plenty of food!

All and all this was a pleasant experience. Lovely atmosphere and a ton of items on the menu for you to try. I would go back for sure!

Customer Appreciation Day - Hanford

Hanford Customer Appreciation day has come and gone for 2010! Last week we grilled hot dogs on a bbq (propane powered of course) along side chips and a drink. Thank you to the customers in Kings County who continue your business with us! We appreciate you!







Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Antioxidant Power House!

I have been good to my body today. I started my day off right with Pom Antioxidant Super Tea - Pomegranate Lychee Green. Proven to have more antioxidants than red wine, green tea, grape and aqai extracts! Go Melissa Good Taste!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Oktoberfest


This will be my first, and last, Octoberfest Celebration.
Too much beer. Way too much.

Farmer and the Cook - Ojai, CA

The Farmer and the Cook is community hang out where locals regularly gather to sample the salad bar, baked goods and the all organic, vegetarian Mexican food. The marketplace features specialty farm and organic products.


Raw Tacos. Have you ever heard of such a thing? I was skeptical at first, especially when I read the description: 2 cabbage leaves filled with walnut, sun-dried tomato-chipotle filling, pico de gallo and cashew cream. What the heck? But, let me tell you it was the most delicious, filling thing I have eaten in so long. I left feeling really good - not weighed down like I usually do on my Mexican food binges. I think I can really get into this... There is much more to try on their menu and you can bet I will be back!