Malibutopia

A New Front Doorl

2011-11-13T08:33:00.001-08:00

Below is how the entrance originally looked between the house and the old garage.

We would park our cars there. We didn't have a defined entrance to the house.

Then, when we built a new garage, this space was grated; drainage added.

We put in Gravel, "California Gold". That cleaned up the area, but we still didn't have a

defined entrance.

And we stilled parked our cars there,

kind of like parking on the front lawn, if we had one.

Charles had a great idea to put up a wall... Creating an Entrance and a courtyard.

Guard Dog on Duty

My Husbands Birthday Dinner

2011-11-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

The Husband wanted to cook everything outside.

His menu, fire roasted chicken, skillet beans, garden salad

and a bottle of wine we have been saving for a special occasion.

He rigged a rotisserie over an oak fire. The chicken is herb stuffed, tied up and slow cooked. We forgot how long it took to roast because the cook was drinking Chateau Montelena (prize winning wine from the film "Bottle Shock").

The Beans were a mix of pinto, red and white beans slow cooked with onions, garlic, tomatoes and some red pepper flakes finished off in an iron skillet on the fire.

Next he made a simple green salad from the garden.

A lemon, anchovy dressing.

Just about perfect!

Outdoor Movie Night

2011-10-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Warm nights are perfect for watching a movie Al Fresco

The Husband recently used his points to purchase an Epson Home Theater
It is easy to use and a lot of fun.

Summer Table Centerpiece

2011-09-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

I love melons mounted on these woodturned candle holders that the husband made.

So simple.

Too nice to eat.... at least not yet.....

Our first egg

2011-09-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Finally after several months.... the hens delivered...

Isn't it cute? We expect to be getting between 3 to 4 eggs a day.

Plenty for us and enough to give away.

Malibu Oaks Vineyard

2011-09-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

We went to dinner at our friends Vineyard up in the hills of Malibu. One of the great things about Malibu; you drive a few miles and the scenery changes. Their vineyard is known for their wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon and incredible views.

The Pacific Ocean sends cool air up the canyon.

And dinner of homemade spinach pasta with tuna with plenty of wine.

Summer Vineyard - Row management

2011-07-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

Leafing the vines-

One of the chores during the summer in a coastal vineyard like ours is to pull off leaves

on the lower part of the plant.

This allows for better air circulation and more efficient coverage when spraying Sulfide, both strategies combating the formation of Powdery Mildew (PM).

Powdery mildew afflicts vineyards worldwide and must be controlled in order to properly produce grapes. Sulfur; a traditional material used with two major positives: it’s cheap and effective. In addition, it’s been used to control PM around the world for over 100 years, with no development of resistance.

Leafing provides plenty of air circulation during the humid summer months. We leave a full canopy to provide shade from the direct sunlight otherwise the grapes can get severely sunburned.

I snapped these shots with my iPhone this weekend...

The Husband hard at work....

You can see the grapes hanging below the canopy.

Critical Mass Of Grapes Definition: The amount of grapes needed to generate a sufficient amount of wine to fill our wine cellar and keep the Husband happy all winter long.
Now that's critical!

"Turn the Color of Love" filmed in our backyard.

2011-06-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share this beautiful, cool video that was partly filmed on our property.

Even our dry, dusty grass looks great with the right Director/DP and Editor.

Favorite Font of the Month: Liebe Erika and Liebe Ornaments

2011-06-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

So girlie and sweet, how can you not love it?

Liebe Erika is the type and Liebe Ornaments are all the cool fancy Glyphs and Ornaments

"Retro Girlie Modern", that's what I call it!

My New Camera: Nikon D3100

2011-05-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

I finally upgraded from my old digital camera. I have been shooting with an old Olympus.

It was a great easy camera, and if I wasn't happy with an image I would "work it" in photoshop.

Results were okay, but not great.

I have been wanting to shoot close ups and better landscapes.

The Nikon D3100 had great user reviews and my friend, David, a professional photographer, thought that would be a perfect step up to the next level of photography.

Here is a bee caught in flight hovering over a Matilija Poppy

This picture was taken with the close up option, that automatically blurs the background.

Below is a crop from that image.

another shot of the bee...

I am super happy with the results. I couldn't get a picture of this quality before.

I can see the bees eye and the pollen that he is holding. Off to a good start.

If I want an even closer picture, I may purchase some close up filters that fit the 15-55 mm lens that comes with the D3100 kit.

Raising backyard chickens

2011-05-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

The girls have arrived.

What is light brown, fluffy, peeps and eats most of the day?

4 beautiful Buff Orpington hens.

The husband made a nice place for them at the bottom of the property. We get more exercise walking down to the bottom several times daily to feed, talk, watch and sit with the chickens.

The Orpington is a breed of chicken named after Orpington, England, which was made famous in part by this breed, bred to be an excellent layer. Their large size and soft appearance together with their rich color and gentle contours make them very attractive; its popularity has grown as a show bird rather than a utility breed. Being rather heavy, they are unable to fly, so they work well as backyard birds.

Our birds are only 3 months old and not yet laying eggs. One of the best things about chickens is that "they go home to roost". In the evening when we walk down to the pen, they are in the coop ready for us to shut the door. We put away the corn meal to prevent attracting more critters during the night.

It's important to make the coop safe. The outer cage is strong enough to prevent raccoons & coyotes from entering. We have a roof on the pen to keep out birds of prey and the rain.

The coop inside is built sturdy and provide a safe place for the birds to roost during the night. When the chickens are older this is where they will lay their eggs.

Right now they are teenagers.

Below is a buff chick.

If we had purchased chicks, this is how adorable they are....

Image by ATIS547 via Flickr

Spring Beauty

2011-05-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Parsley plant has gone wild and we love it.... The flowers are so delicate & make nice flower arrangements. A lady bug in this photo enjoying the flower.

Photo by David Zanzinger

Goat cheese Appetizer with parsley and Garlic, garnished with a parsley flower.

Here is the Husband's recipe.

Mix together goat cheese with a little cream cheese.

Shape into ball. Roll into enough fresh chopped parsley to cover completely.

He then puts fresh garlic and some olive oil in a mortar and pestle, grinding until he gets a creamy paste adding more olive oil as needed.

Salt and pepper, garnish with red peppers.

Served with bread.... Heaven.

Here is another variation, add red pepper flakes in the olive oil, garnish with the bud of a leek plant. Or use whatever you have growing in the garden.

Bottling our Sauvignon Blanc Wine

2011-05-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

This year we were lucky enough to have the help of an Intern, our good friend's daughter, Tina. She assisted in sanitizing the bottles, carrying boxes and corking. This was great because things went along very smoothly with her added help. By the end of the afternoon we had 6 cases of wine bottled and put away in the cellar.

Sanitizing bottles with 1 teaspoon Potassium metabisultite and 1 teaspoon acid blend

in 1 gallon of water

Siphoning into the clean bottles.

Corking....

and corking... see the cases in the background.

It is very satisfying to bottle wine from grapes that you grow.

Organic Garden made from Recycled Wine Barrels

2011-04-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

We had been looking for a way to bring a culinary garden close to our kitchen so we can walk out the door and clip some herbs or vegetables for use in our meals. We have always had a garden, but they were located further away from the house.

Those gardens were less successful because of the "out of sight... out of mind" principle. Running off to work & forgetting to tend the garden happened more often than not.

The Husband came up with a great way to solve the location problem & recycle wine barrels at the same time. Plus it looks great!

As you can see we are getting great results with the right setup and some tender loving care. The Husband added rain gutters to funnel excess water that can be collected and

reused right back in the garden.

Click here to see a little movie on how to make your own barrel garden.

Re-purposing Old Wood into Something Beautiful

2011-04-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Husband has been busy making old wood veneer for various construction projects these past months. What to do with the small leftovers?

Easter Box

Old Ceder Siding Strips

The bottom of the box is composed of a clean piece of pine, so it stays neat inside.

This Fruit Box is made from old Oak.

St Patrick's Corned Beef & Cabbage

2011-03-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate St Patty's Day the weekend before because it fell on a Thursday this year & it was a good excuse to have a gathering of friends for a one pot meal.
How many meals fall into that category?
Not too many, and we like to do this at least once a year.

My husband, as the decorator of the family, started his morning picking spring flowers
and arranging bouquets all around the house.

Then it wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without the beer. The husband found a great wheat beer from a micro brewery in Augora, about 6 miles away.

And last but certainly not least the corned beef & cabbage, potatoes and carrots....

Homemade Spatzle, Or as we like to call it Bavarian Pasta

2011-02-20T11:07:00.000-08:00

One of the husbands specialties is cooking.... and one of my all time favorites is Spatzle.

The husband is a Dutchman, raised in Bavaria living in America for 30 years now. So he is full of culinary surprises and I am the very lucky recipient.

Ingredients:
1 dozen Eggs
Flour (enough to make a dough like consistency, but runny enough to slide through the holes in Spatzle maker)
Salt

Mix it up

We use a Spatzle maker from my parents that they purchased on vacation in Germany many years ago.

Add some dough to the top.

Here is the Husband in action... dropping the noodles into salted boiling water.

Let them boil until they float to the top. Remove with slotted spoon and drop into ice cold water.
This sets the noodle.
Let drain in a colander.

Finished noodles.... Yummy, light and delicious.

The Husband then sautes the Spatzle in a little butter until they start to turn golden brown.
Salt and pepper to taste.
We served with Roasted Duck and Mushroom Gravy.

And it is very... very good!

Happy Heart

2011-02-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Type font favorite of the month

2011-01-28T07:14:00.000-08:00

I have been a graphic designer for over 20 years & have always loved fonts. I recently started updating my font collection & this is one of my new favorites,
the friendly, human font
Sketchetik

I love the hand drawn shading and the disciplined shapes. It comes in various weights.

News Years Day Hike....

2011-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Resolution #1... Keep Moving

We took a 3 hour hike on New Years Day.

Zuma Ridge Trail.

Details posted on What To Do In Malibu

A New Year .... A New Look

2010-12-30T09:32:00.000-08:00

The Best Christmas Present Ever!!!!

2010-12-25T14:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a wine bottle cover that my beautiful 90+ Mother hand made for us for the holidays. Isn't it beautiful? I love it, it has a modern look in it's simplicity, and I treasure it even more knowing that my Mother made this.

Felt with Rhinestones glued in place reflect the light even in daytime.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dog in Flight

2010-12-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

Harvest 2010

2010-10-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

So happy this year's harvest is over. It was a strange year for our white wines. We were plagued with gray skies most of the summer. Here in California we call it June Gloom.... but this year it became July Gloom, August Gloom and late September Gloom. We harvested Late September with our sugar levels just on the border of being right. We were afraid we would loose the grapes to powdery mildew because of the colder than normal temps and moisture in the air.

We were lucky this year to have a loyal group of pickers that seem to want to help every year. (Shades of Tom Sayer and the white washed picket fence me thinks, but shhhh, we need them back next year!)

And an added bonus was Herman, My brother-in-law and his lovely wife Lenny visiting us from Holland during harvest time. They were great help and I appreciated having Chemistry assistance from Herman, a scientist working with Shell Oil. The tricky part at harvest time is getting the correct Total Acid and PH numbers & knowing how to adjust them if necessary.

(2009 Rosé made from Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes)

grapes)

I never really thought about what it takes to make wine until we started in 2007.

It really is an art to get it right.

Here is a slide montage of this years harvest... from picking to pouring the must (grape juice) into a fermentation tank ready for the yeast.

Click Here: 2010 Chardonnay and Sauvigon Blanc Harvest

Before harvesting Chardonnay grapes.... testing for Sugar & PH

2010-09-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

First of all you pick a random sampling of grapes, about 1/2 cup will do. You should walk around each row and get a few from all the area as some plants ripen before others. Before grapes are picked, crushed & pressed you want to know in advance what your sugar & pH will be.

Perfectly lovely Chardonnay Grapes, nice gold hues.

The Husband like to crush the sample with his hands.

This is a great little instrument and so easy to use.

Place a few drops of juice on the refractometer, shut the top and take a reading.

This is what it looks like. This reading is 23 Brix which will translate to about 13% alcohol.

Next testing for ph. Strain the juice.

Make sure that your PH meter is calibrated.

This is the reading for the Chardonnay. a ph of 3.5

Is this so boring you want to scream????

And do you just want to jump to the fun part of rolling around in grapes, crushing the fruit like Lucy & and Ethel????.... Or if you are a science Nerd, you will love the science involved in testing the grapes.

The Juice on the left is Sauvignon Blanc,greener color, and on the right, our golder Chardonnay.

These colors will carry over into the final product.... a perfectly lovely, chilled glass of wine.

Getting ready to harvest the 2010 Chardonnay

2010-09-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

The grapes are netted, the fruit tastes sweet & the testing for sugar & acid has begun.

Here is the same view as the previous post.... 10 years later.

Before the vineyard

2010-08-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

I found a great picture of the lower field from about 8 years ago, before the vineyard was planted. You can see the brush was recently cleared by the pile of weed to the side of the picture.
We used to say...
"What can we plant down here so we don't have the continual expense of brush clearance twice a year?"

Our answer... planting a vineyard. "It will look great, it's a drought tolerant plant, it will give us something to do, making wine."

Be careful what you wish for... A successful vineyard requires a lot more work than a field of weeds...

We are getting ready to harvest the 2010 Chardonnay... so stay tuned. In the next month I will be posting our progress, from testing the grapes for ripeness, the harvest, crushing and destemming, pressing, inoculation of the yeast beginning fermentation, and so on.

The real fun begins.

Sometimes it's nice to leave the farm....

2010-08-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Vacation in Munich.

We were there for the marriage of my husband's sister, Natalie who was marring Klaus.

A beautiful couple and a great time was had by all.

Great food!

A feast of Carbohydrates...

and everything pork...

Great Drinking!

Notice how happy the Husband is with a liter glass of Wheat Beer.

Sticky Monkey Flowers and the Big Blue

2010-05-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

We went on a hike this morning to Charmlee Wilderness Park, Malibu.
Here are some of the pictures ....

Sticky Monkey Flowers.
Native to southwestern North America from southwestern Oregon south through most of California.

This is the trail that takes you through an amazingly beautiful field.

I'm not sure of the name of this little white flower... but we really liked them.

The wind blowing through the grass was hypnotic

Then the big blue Pacific is right after the hill...

View of the coastline facing south.

It doesn't get much closer to heaven than this, My husband at peace with the world.

Wet dog days

2010-05-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

This spring has been a cold foggy one with temperatures
only reaching the 60's.

This Memorial weekend is finally in the 70's, so it's bath time....

Pan seared Scallops on an oak fire

2010-05-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

My husband made the most delicious scallops on an open fire.
Lately he has been cooking outside on oak & I am so grateful.

Scallops seared in olive oil,
garlic and fresh parsley cooked approximatley 4 to 5 minutes in very hot pan.
of course this depends on the size of the scallop.
Served over pasta with a garden salad and a glass of your favorite wine.
Just about perfect!

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I love Spring!

2010-04-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

The sage has gone crazy this year with all the rain...

The Bees are loving it.

Good morning

2010-04-03T08:12:00.001-07:00

Waking up in the out door shower.

This is the view from the shower that the Husband built last summer.
I talked about this in my blog
in September titled
The Outdoor Shower

Sunday morning

2010-03-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Typically on Sunday, with coffee in hand, we wonder down to the vineyard to check out the bud break that happens at Spring. A time to relax and not be very ambitious, listen to the birds, smell the flowers and in general, putz around.

I never grow tired of taking pictures at this time of year as there is always something new... growing, creeping, flying or buzzing around.

An ever present member of our group is "Brooklyn" a small mix of a rescue dog ... a cute, funny and silly creature, perfect for our amusement and companionship.

But today she showed us her stuff, what she is really good at... hunting.

She must be part Terrier as that nose is always to the ground...

Our dog found a fresh new Gopher hole, a gardener's nemesis...

a little root eating, hole digging Gopher.

The Husband found a way to trap a Gopher without killing it.

First you dig out the gopher hole.

Then you dig another hole beside it.

Then my job is to turn on the hose.... That's why the picture is so far away, that and poor planning on my part. That is also why you won't see the Husband scooping up the tiny wet creature on the tip of his shovel as it was scrambling out of the flooded hole.

Here's the Gopher safely placed in a tall plastic trash can.

And a very frustrated Dog.

And a happy ending... Off to release the Gopher in an empty field.

The Gopher's new view.

The Califonia Lilac

2010-01-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

Also know as Ceanothus.

Ours is blooming now... usually by the beginning of February.

I love them!
I read that there are more than 50 species native to California and most Ceanothus species live here in California. Ceanothus can acquire it's own nitrogen with the help of a natural fungi. Adding fertilizer will kill off the good fungi. So you can see why this is such an easy plant to have in your garden, drought tolerant & they make there own nitrogen... sort of self fertilizing.

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Pruning Grape Vines

2010-01-31T15:10:00.000-08:00

Time to prune... We generally start in the beginning of February before the buds start to burst. Pruning vines rids the plant of the previous years growth.

It has become a meditative activity that I really enjoy... sunshine, fresh air and all.

Freshly pruned rows of Chardonnay grape vines.

We stack the canes at the end of the rows. The husband will drive by in the John Deer and pick them up to be mulched later.
Here is a detail of a pruned vine. If you leave too many canes on the vine the quality of the fruit will suffer. It takes energy from the vine to ripen your fruit. The more clusters of grapes the more energy needed. If you have too many clusters you won't have the energy needed to ripen all of your grapes. So you can see this is an important process. It's really sets the framework for a successful harvest.

How do you know where to cut? You count up at least 2 buds and then snip.

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100 years ago part 1

2010-01-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

The Husband & I have been so busy this last 3 months of 09 I haven't had the time to post on the blog. I have to be relaxed in order to write & think... and relaxed is not what I've been. We went to Palm Springs on Christmas day with the hopes of rejuvenation and relaxation... while at the Palm Springs Museum we heard about the architect, Albert Frey and his philosophy... "You don't own possessions.... they own you"

When we returned home to a cluttered "after the holiday" living room we started cleaning house vowing to eliminate what we do not need... hoping to clear our home of clutter and

our minds would be clear too.

Came across the letter from my great great aunt Lil that she wrote many years ago. In the letter she is reflecting on life in the early 1900's ... 100 years ago. She talks about her move from a farm town, Dudleytown, to a bigger city in Seymour Ind, 1910

A perfect read for 2010... a description of what life was like for a young girl 100 years ago. Here I've been wining and moaning about how hard things have been since the economic downturn.... whaaa I'm too this or I'm too that.... whaaa whaaaaaaa!!!!!

This was a major attitude adjustment reading about my great great aunt's life. They had it much harder than we... but there was plenty to be thankful for. I felt a little ashamed...

Here is an excerpt...

Moving day from Dudleytown, Indiana to Seymour, Indiana early 1900's

" How simple life was then, - we were content with the basic necessities, happy and secure in our home, nurtured and loved by two very strong individuals, our dear parents. Now a new way of living would begin for us in Seymour, a change and a challenge as well.

I recall so little of moving day, I was very young - only confusion as our furniture was brought into our home. Hulda and I were very curious, in everyone’s way. Once we discovered the stairway, we ran up, and found so many rooms there, all empty. We went to the windows, and found we could see all the action taking place below as our household goods and boxes were taken from the horse wagon and

carried in the house.

Our new home seemed so large to me: a two & half story frame building, eleven rooms, a spacious attic - a basement with coal furnace. Gas provided light, and there were toilet facilities on the second floor. The house is still being protected by a slate roof, which has stood the test of time. Now with more space and modern facilities, most of us more able to assume responsibilities, all contributed to an easy adjustment.

Our family was warmly welcomed to Seymour by our neighbors, members of our church. One evening the “Mannerchoir” came to meet all of us, - they brought a lunch, and during the evening entertained us with many of their songs. This was the evening we met our Parochial teachers, teachers Lange and Wilde.

Our first Christmas we were wakened at midnight by Immanuel mixed choir singing beautiful carols. They were standing in our side yard, - there was a deep snow on the ground, we looked through our upstairs bedroom window, - the moon was so bright,- we could see them all so plainly, a silhouette of each one standing in the snow. What a beautiful memory: Emma said Mother asked them in for a bit of wine, but they refused, wished us all a Merry Christmas and left singing. I was recovering from typhoid fever at the time and recall how disappointed I was that I had to miss the children’s Christmas program, and how happy Pastor Phillip Schmidt made me when he came to my room Christmas eve and brought my “treat that every child receives.

My father was no stranger to Seymour. When he graduated from the Medical School in Louisville, for a time he worked in a drug store, in the pestle and mortar business as he used to say, - became acquainted with the doctors, and was wondering where he might be practicing medicine. It must have been at this time that he met our Mother, his beloved “Yettie”, as he referred to her in a lovely poem he wrote. Several years later, in 1891, he served a term in the Indiana State legislature, and while they were in session, Carl was born, and delivered by Dr. Green. This is something Emma told me as I was not born yet.

Our first September in Seymour, the five younger ones of our family were enrolled in Immanuel Parochial School, and completed our years of secular and religious training. We were entrusted to the willing and faithful service of our teachers to teach us the truths of the Bible. We were required to memorize so much of the Scripture, Many hymns and Psalms, all still fresh in my memory, to guide and direct me now when the hills and valleys of life seem insurmountable as I grow older.

As in Dudleytown, if disciplinary measures were necessary, a strap was used on the boys, a ruler on the palm of the hands for the girls. Our school building here was two-story brick, with a basement, heated by a coal furnace and toilet facilities in the basement. In bad weather we played in the basement. In the front entrance were long racks for all our winter coats, and a long shelf held all our lunch boxes of many shapes and sizes. Country children walked to school as well as those living some distance here in town. We were fortunate, - we had but one block to walk."

.... to be continued

Winter in the vineyard

2010-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Winter is in full swing here in Malibu... finally getting much needed rain.

Signs of Winter... The water bill goes way down.

Exercise consists of raking leaves instead of going to the gym.

The 08 Syrah is bottled and racked in the cellar.

We spend more time indoors with fires going in the wood burning stove. Oh Yeah... most importantly... drinking the o8 Syrah in front of the fire

Ever since we planted the vineyard we feel more connected with the seasons.

The vines go through distinct changes from fall - golden leaves heading into winter with bare wood.

The hard working plants go dormant and get much needed r&r. It's time for fertilizing... row management... planting cover crops and letting the vines rest.

With the winter rain our natural ground cover explodes into rich green abundance.

Panoramic Photography

2009-11-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

Our friend David loves to take panoramic pictures.

Here is one that he took this past Sunday as we were getting ready for our hike.

We headed off to Solstice Canyon at Corral Canyon Road and PCH in Malibu.

This is the view from the Rising Sun Trail.... So majestic!

A Change of Season

2009-11-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

Season change & the Time Change = Short days = less time to spend outdoors. We try and use the Gazebo through Thanksgiving. After that we put our furniture in storage, ready to enter the California Rainy Season.
This year we have had amazing weather during the first 2 weeks of November.
Clear sunny days and cold nights.

Vineyard at Night. We throw a few lights on the first row when we are seated outside.

Adding pumpkins and vine leaves to the table makes a nice outdoor centerpiece.

Kitchen Island

2009-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned how lucky I am?

I was away for for a couple of days and came home to find that The Husband whipped out this little gem.... A new kitchen island.

Storage, or lack of is always a problem in the kitchen...

Extra features like this cutting board with beautiful detail on the pull...

and a new walnut and brass knife holder that matches the Island.

Fall is here

2009-10-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

October happened and I haven't had time to post anything this month...

But there's always time to play with the dog...

Favorite Pet #3 Dog Dreams

2009-09-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

I'd love to know what's on her mind...
Milou looking out the back yard.

Stainless Steel tank for this year's Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-09-24T07:53:00.001-07:00

Cleaning a stainless steel tank.
Today we are going to press the cabernet.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose...."

2009-09-22T18:44:00.001-07:00

Pictures from when we bought our little piece of heaven...

House on left and Garage on right.

I have been wanting to write a post about the name "Malibutopia".

It's not a place. It's a feeling. A state of mind not unlike when you were ten years old and you dove into an ice cold swimming pool the first time. Or when you have just had the best meal shared with special friends in a special place and you know you couldn't recreate it if you tried.... it's that special moment in time and you know how grand life is....

That is how I feel living here in this, former horse stable, converted to a house by a drunk lady from a family of alcoholics. No that's not me...
It's the former owner two titles ago.

We heard about the original owners from some of the old Malibu residents... The family owned quite a bit of land in this area and slowly sold off the parcels until this was the last one left... This place needed lots of TLC.

I think it's been the process of imagining what it could be like, dreaming... and a whole lot of work, mostly by The Husband, that's made our life so Malubutopia.

So, you don't have to live in Malibu or Miami or Montana... or a tropical Island to experience what I'm talking about...

It's all in your head... (sounding very hippie like, man!)

ps. The Husband thinks this post is too sentimental... Oh Well.

What to do with a half ton of grapes?

2009-09-16T18:01:00.001-07:00

You crush and de-stem them.... Dump in a big vat....
and make some wine!
We are making Cabernet Sauvignon this year.

No this isn't a berry yogurt desert....
It's wine yeast being prepared to inoculate the must.

Favorite Pet # 2 Gotta love the goose

2009-09-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Nice day for a bath.... In Goose life everyday is a nice day to get wet...

This is Goosie, Our Chinese Swan Goose -
The Chinese goose is easily identifiable by the big lump in the forehead where it joins the beak. These geese are now widely raised in the West as well as in China. They are somewhat smaller than the European goose and a lot less fierce.

Most people would wonder why a goose as a pet? They are noisy, they attack people they don't know.... Our goose was a wonderful pain in the neck, but we really loved her. She followed us around like a dog.
Her favorite pass time .... bath, eat, nap, eat, bath.....

No pond is too small. Our Goose loved this galvanized tub.

Off to eat more dandelions...

The outdoor Shower .....

2009-09-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky.... I know that. I have a talented husband who enjoys making our space beautiful. All I have to do is show up and enjoy. The privacy fence and outdoor shower is done. I blogged about it in my June 30th post "A New Fence" where you can see more pictures of the construction.

Here is the finished project.

The Soaking tub was added to the plans.
All the water gets filtered and into a gray-water system that is used on the lawn and shrubs.

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Malibu property pictures taken by a Pro

2009-08-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend David Zanzinger, a professional photographer,

took some great pictures of this years Savignon Blanc harvest.

If you'd like to see more of his photography you can visit his photography blog.

Photography Blog: http://d-zanzinger.blogspot.com/

Harvesting grapes for home winemaking in Malibu.

2009-08-22T12:05:00.001-07:00

Chardonnay grape harvesting for home wine making is fun, but a lot of work so plan on spending a full day picking, crushing, de-stemming and pressing the grapes.
Harvest Brix (sugar) and PH readings should be checked the morning of the harvest. There are many books available on this subject that explain this testing much better than I, so I won't go into that here. You can also check home Brew and wine making shops in your area for more information. www.homebeerwinecheese.com is in the Los Angeles area and they have everything you need for home wine making.

We're lucky where we live because we have enough land to grow our own grapes... but you only need a backyard to grow grapevines. Once established they are an easy to manage.

Picking

Fruit of our labor... pardon the pun.

Pouring grapes in the Crusher - de-stemmer with the help of my brother-in-law, Richard.

Out comes slightly crushed grapes without their bitter stems.

My sister, Lynda, is stirring in Potassium metabisulfite, a common wine or must additive, in which it forms sulfur dioxide gas (SO2). This both prevents most wild microorganisms from growing, and it acts as an antioxidant, protecting both the color, and delicate flavors of wine. This dissipates over time... during the wine making process. There is a great article, Solving the Sulfite Puzzle" in Wine makers Magazine if you are interested. We try to keep our additions to a minimum.... and stay as bio dynamic as possible.
http://www.winemakermag.com/stories/article/indices/34-sulfite/634-solving-the-sulfite-puzzle

Nothing is waisted ... these stems will go in our organic compost.

Getting ready... cleaning the press...

Pouring a sanitising solution on the press... can't be too clean...

Press is assembled and the crushed grapes are poured in... the first juice (free run) gushes out... this is the premium juice.

Free run juice...

As the container fills we pour it in our stainless steel tank...

Oh yeah, I left out the part where everyone is pooped and want to be fed and sample some of the previous years wine.... The fun part!!!! Of course I was too tired to take pictures of that.

Now you have a harvest dinner....

You let the juice settle over night keeping it cool... Then syphon it into another clean tank, add yeast nutrient, then in goes the yeast... Below is a picture of white wine fermenting.... It smells great. I'll post more on this part of the wine making process in my next post.

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Think before you buy!!!!

2009-08-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

My friend sent me this link to a trailer for a documentary titled "What's Organic About Organic?"

Here it is

http://whatsorganicmovie.org/watch-the-trailer/

I have been trying to buy organic products for about a year and a half now. In the beginning there wasn't a lot of choices at our regular supermarkets. But I've noticed that the Organic Produce area is getting larger with more variety... This is great. If you buy Organic the stores will finally get the message and stock more products. The growers will get more orders and the Agricultural Industry will get the message too. I know it costs more, but I try and eat less (we all could eat less) and I'll end up spending the same in the long run, plus the health benefits to myself and the planet... a win, win as far as I'm concerned!!!!

The Husband is getting ready to bottle last year's Syrah.

2009-08-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've mentioned that we make wine... Last year together with friends, we purchased a ton of Syrah grapes from a local Topanga - Malibu area grower. That is the wine we are getting ready to bottle.

Fermentation & punching down the cap pictured above.

Pictured above is what it looks like after pressing. This is called the cake. It's the seeds and skins and will end up in the compost. Below is fermented juice being transferred to stainless steel tanks.

We grow white varietals here on our property...
The cool cool breeze from the ocean is perfect for whites, but we don't have the hot temperatures necessary to ripen red wine grapes. Further up in the mountains at higher altitudes produces wonderful red wine grapes. This could be as little as 2 miles away and the climate changes dramatically.

These are pictures of the bottles that we have recycled over the year... they have been scrubbed out and sanitised with a sulfide/acid blend solution. Right now they have water in them.... not wine...darn!

So back to the wine making....We crushed on September 08, fermented, pressed and aged this wine in American Oak.... now it's time to clean and sanitize bottles.

A ton of grapes yields around 730 bottles of wine give or take a few...
I'll post pictures of us bottling soon....

We'll let the wine age further in the bottle and
we'll be drinking it for Thanksgiving.

A truly awesome Concert.... Coldplay July 18 Home Depot Center

2009-08-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Viva La Coldplay!!!!!

Now it takes a lot for me to leave my little world here in Malibu.... Fear of crowds... traffic.... the unknown.... But I went to the most wonderful concert ever on July 18th at the very cool Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. We met good friends Christi & Ryan.... and it was great to share this experience with them. We were all blown away by the fabulously talented Coldplay Band and the whole technological experience. Kudos to the set designers... lighting designers and all the talented people that put their creative efforts into this great concert.

Favorite pets #1

2009-07-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a very special pet that touched your heart in a way that no other has? All of our pets are special, but some just seem to connect to your soul. This 29 lb Basenji "Arnold the Destroyer" was one of those special guys.

Here he is doing what he liked to do the best.... sleeping in the sun.
Have you ever had a favorite pet?

Zuma/Trancas Canyons: Canyon View Trail Hike

2009-07-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

2009-07-18T15:18:00.001-07:00

First... You can easily grow your own tomatillos.... or not! Tomatillos can be grown in a container on a patio if you don't have the room for a garden. Or they can be purchased at most markets.

When the husk turns brown... they are ready. These are the husks that we peeled off.

Here the Husband is grilling the tomatillos on the stove. You can use an outdoor grill too.

He has added to the grill 2 pasilla chile peppers. But you can substitute other type of peppers.

While they are grilling prepare the onion, cilantro & Garlic.

Here are all the ingredients.....
A variation is to add a little lime juice if you want to.

Throw in a blender and .... shazam.... Oh, and drink a Beer with Lime while you're doing it...

Here is the final salsa.

Yummy!!!! This salsa is a nice change from the tomato versions.

Saving a bad picture....

2009-07-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Haven't you ever taken a bad out of focus photo? Well I have. In the excitment of the moment taking spontaneous pictures and hoping you got something you can use.
That last post with the picture of the hummingbird is a good example of what I'm talking about.
Here is the picture before and after .
I used a free action that I downloaded from mcpactions.com and manipulated it in Photoshop.
After playing the action I added an adjustment layer (overlay at 50% fill) and bingo... the picture looks a heck of a lot better. Works great on people as well. Here is a quick shot, self portrait, taken by the husband and our daughter.

Before....
After using sharpening action....

A Humming Bird In The Hand

2009-07-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

This little Humming Bird flew against a window and was knocked out for a moment.

The husband placed him in a protected spot in the garden and thankfully he regained his composure and flew away... That would have been a huge bummer to have our house cause birdie death. I'm planning on putting up some window decals so the birds know not to fly against the window.

Organic Barrel Garden

2009-07-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

We have always planted a spring garden with the hopes of harvesting healthy robust produce all summer long. But alas, this was not to be.... we would plant in sites far away from the house and invariably neglect the garden. In the rush of our daily lives we'd forget to water and or fertilize the plants. And every year we'd say to ourselves, "What's wrong... Why can't we grow decent tomatoes?....Whaaaah!"

With a little guidance from Kathleen Hiraga at organicsrx.com we were newly inspired to try again. Kathleen gave us great instructions for sprouting seeds and fertilizing continuously from sprouts through adult plants with ORGANICSRX products. Plus her site has great gardening tips.

The Husband came up with a great container garden using recycled barrels.

This garden is located right by our kitchen. So easy to walk out the door and harvest for dinner.

Easy to water and easy on the back... no bending over.

I will post instructions on how to assemble a barrel garden in an upcoming Post.

Below a herb barrel with Italian Parsley, Chives, Cilantro & Purple Sage.

Mixed Lettuce Varieties

A new fence...

2009-06-30T16:03:00.001-07:00

We decided to put up a privacy fence on the east side of our house. That is the bedroom side and we are eventually planning to open it up with either french doors or a large glass sliding door so we can see the ocean from our bedroom. So as not to feel exposed this is the plan....
Erect a cedar fence. The husband wanted it to tie in with the new garage that we built two years ago (more on that at a later post) so he designed a stucco section in the middle of the fence.

Here is a shot with the cedar planks. He purchased Dog Ear cedar fencing, which is the cheapest cedar to buy. He then cut off the dog ears and screwed the planks in place.

Detail of stucco & cedar plank fence. Our lot is on a slope so Charles had to step down the fence when the posts were set in concrete. He used landscape timber along the bottom.

Next is the really cool part. We could let the cedar naturally age or we could apply a stain. My husband's brother, Arie, came up with this recipe for an all natural stain.

All you need is a plastic bucket.
A packet of steel wool.
A gallon of white vinegar.

Step 1. Place steel wool (approx 6 pads) in bucket and add enough water to cover it. Let sit for a week so it gets nice and rusty. Stir occasionally.
Step 2. Add white vinegar and let sit for 24 hours... stir.

(Husband note: It's better to make more stain than you need. These materials are cheap so make enough. You don't want to run out of stain halfway through the project and have to wait for a new batch)

In the bottom picture is the color of the stain when it's ready.

Next fill up a spray bottle with the liquid and spritz on the wood. You can make a test plank if you like. Wear gloves when applying. In the picture Charles has applied the stain on the top half and is working his way down the bottom. It doesn't change much in the beginning.

Here is a before .......and ........about 6 hours after shot.
A couple of days laterThe wood darkens up....

Interior 10 years ago... and now...

2009-06-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for old pictures of the interior of our house when we first purchased it. This is all I could find. It was before the digital camera era so I don't have that many pictures. In addition life was a blur because we spent all our money buying the Malibu house and needed to rent it out fast. We weren't able to sell the house we were living in at that time. So here we are with two home mortgages.... after painting everything white and throwing some furniture in place hoping for the best.

That little square rug is the living room and we are standing in the kitchen.

My good friend Wendy and I after a few glasses of wine.

View of kitchen... all white and bright.

Below is a picture of the kitchen now. I don't like to say before and after as I believe a house is a work in progress. It keeps evolving with time.

I love the green cabinets and red watermelon in this picture...

This biggest change was tearing out the dropped ceiling and exposing the beams. This made the house look larger with the additional ceiling height.

We completely redid the floor with Saltillo precast tiles in Terracotta from www.bourgetbros.com
A very forgiving and inexpensive flooring solution.

Tore out all the existing cabinets. They were nasty old prefab. My husband designed an open kitchen without upper cabinets. He put open shelving there instead so we could display urns and colorful bowls and pots.
To help with additional storage he designed a butcher block island with storage underneath.
Here is the Island / butcher block that serves to separate the kitchen from the rest of the house.
My Mother helping out. Don't you love that?

Here is the view from the kitchen into the living room. My husband is a surfer and collects surfboards. We like how they look suspended from the ceiling.

Brooklyn gets a haircut...

2009-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Real men aren't afraid of grooming little dogs....:)

Thick as split pea soup!

2009-06-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning to thick coastal fog and drizzle. Great for the plants and animals but not so great for the grapes. Husband is worried about Powdery Mildew on the grape vines.

Happy Bunny and sage...

Musings, confessions and a whole lot of nothing….

2009-06-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

I’m having an existential crisis of sorts….. why am I doing this? What’s this blog all about Alfie? I'm writing about stuff that I like… blah blah blah… a whole lot of nuttin…

Is this blog like a Sienfeld episode…. A blog about nothing, but not as funny?… what’s the point?

I have to ponder this for awhile….

Brown is the new Green!

2009-06-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

We have a big back yard that was green only in the spring when we mowed the weeds that grew. Looking for a drought tolerant replacement to weeds brought us to Buffalograss. We prepared the yard the old fashioned way by pulling the weeds. At the time Goosie was alive and helped by eating the Dandelion. Also using BurnOut weed and grass killer made from clove oil, vinegar and lemon juice helped rid us of the existing weeds. (Roundup is bad!!!! It is used like crazy everywhere, but I called Roundup and asked them if it was dangerous to grazing animals (Goosie) & they admitted that it was for at least 2 weeks) So please think twice

before spraying Roundup.

We seeded in the early spring and this is what out lawn looks like now.

I love the tanish wheat color... It's soft on the bare feet too!

Buffalograss is a fine-leaved native grass species that has prospered on the Great Plains for centuries. It has survived severe weather extremes and has evolved into a water-efficient, sod-forming grass of incredible durability..

Goosie being the wonderful pest that she was....

Morning light and finally a blue sky!

2009-06-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

We've had May gray & June gloom long enough.

This morning we woke up to soft blue skies so we used this opportunity to shoot updated pictures for this blog. It was about 7:30 am when we took these photos.

If you look real hard you can see the ocean at a distance.

This is where we play pétanque and barbecue with friends.

This is why we live in California. The temp today should be between 65 to 70 degrees.

Here is Brooklyn, the dog, who pretty much goes wherever we do...

Chardonnay vines need warm days and cool nights. We live 2 miles from the coast and this is a perfect grape to grow here. Plus we love a good glass of Chardonnay.

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is believed to have originated in the Burgundy region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced.

Part of the morning routine is watering the garden.

Thanks for stopping by & have a great morning!

Sunday Paradise Stroll

2009-06-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is a large part of what makes living in Malibu just perfect... just so malubutopia!

Sunday we took the most amazing stroll on the beach starting out from Escondido Beach heading towards Paradise Cove. Have you ever had one of those days when everything was perfect? Perfect weather... lighting... company and the ever perfect natural setting of the Malibu coastline.

Paradise Cove Surf Break.

Charles looking quite happy...

Me in front of Paradise Cove Beach Cafe at Paradise Cove, Malibu, a beach with a fancy Malibu trailer park that is equipped with ocean views, a nice restaurant, a tennis court, and a basketball court. Paradise Cove is a clean and long beach stretching north and south below beautiful crumbling cliffs. The pier is currently off limits, plans to renovate are in discussion. There is excellent skin/scuba diving and shore fishing. No surfboards are allowed at Paradise cove, however, a short walk north leads you to some great surf breaks.

California native flowers...

2009-05-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the plants that we have on our property. When we landscaped, we kept drought tolerant California Native plants in mind. California is on water restrictions this summer, so I'm glad we went this route... and it just makes good sense!

Common name: Purple Sage. Genus: Salvia Species: leucophylla Variety

Common name: Flannel bush, Family: Sterculiaceae (Cacao)

Habitat: Dry, mostly granitic slopes in chaparral, oak and yellow pine woodland, pinyon-juniper woodland, rocky ridges to 6000-7000'

Blooming period: May to June

Wine Tasting - Paso Robles

2009-05-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

We just came back from a very fun trip to the Central Coast of California for a bit of wine tasting... Okay, a lot of wine tasting! My sister, Kris & brother-in law, Pete, arranged the details of what turned out to be just about a perfect getaway. Some of our Favorite vineyards.... White Horse, Tolo, Justin, L'Aventura & Villa Creek Winery.

The Caves at Justin Vineyard

Justin Vineyard- Wine Library.

Bud Burst...

2009-05-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

I love spring. The vines have the first signs that the next harvest is coming.... and the Matilla Poppies burst open like little fried eggs:)

The Gazebo Is Open!

2009-05-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Finally the weather is dry and warm enough to eat outside.

Our first spring dinner al Fresco

My first blog!!!

2009-05-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Hi.... My name is Cyndy.

I have been fascinated with blogging for quite awhile now. I've enjoyed reading fellow bloggers like makingitlovely.com and thepioneerwoman.com and have looked forward to catching up on their lives and doings.

Since moving to Malibu, California 9 years ago, which is a beachy rural life (contrary to what one might think) and working as a Graphic Designer sitting at a computer most days, it seems that my world keeps getting smaller in terms of meeting new people. I hope this is a way to add some fun and interaction to my days.

So hello there!