So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

The year 2007 is almost over. What a GREAT year this has been!

Farmer Chef Jeff was honored by the James Beard Foundation when he cooked a dinner in New York in February, the TV show filmed at Zin Restaurant, Giada's Weekend Getaways, aired in March, I had nasal surgery and we got to go to Italy in April and eat pizza in Naples (wow!!!).

We gave a cooking demo at the Windsor Farmer's Market in May and started enjoying the bounty of our garden while June found us, "Zin Restaurant at Eastside Farm" starting our farm stand at the Thursday night Farmer's Market AND cooking the gala dinner for the Pinot Day's in San Francisco for 150 people (in a make-shift kitchen...OYE!).

In July, at a the taste of Sonoma/Showcase, Farmer Chef Jeff won the "Steel Chef" competition AND we started canning (the first item to be canned was the Santa Rosa Plum Jam (the color of a summer sunset!). August found us entertaining a lot in the back yard and working the farm (never underestimate how much one little plant can produce...or 500!!!) AND Farmer Jeff was in his first movie, Bottle Shock. According to the Internet Movie Data Base, the film is due out in 2008 but WILL be premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

We welcomed September and fall with more catering. We are, after all, in Wine Country, and "Crush" is our busiest time of the year. The restaurant was crazy busy and so were we. Farmer Chef Jeff also won 3 ribbons for his tomatoes AND participated in the world's BIGGEST BLT by donating 125 pounds of house cured bacon. In October we took off for the South and loved it! We ate like little pigs and are now paying the price for those distant taste memories.

November blew past in typical whirlwind fashion with caterings and all of the other things we do every day that keep us busy. December...well...here we are. Another large catering in the middle of the month, a fast trip to San Diego, the holidays in the Central Valley and now home.

Now that I have given a calendar like summary, I feel the need to really focus on the important things. The time I get to spend in the garden with my honey, the moments sleeping in the couch with a cat curled under one arm and a dog sleeping on my legs, knitting with my girlfriends on Saturday mornings, the new internet friends I write to, the connections I am making in the farm and poultry field. Connections.

I am now producing my "sustainable sacks" and am selling them at the Cheese Shop in Healdsburg. The owner, Doralice Handel, has been kind enough to carry them for me. They are made from "hand-me-down" fabric from my late mother and from Jeff's Aunt K. I am so tickled to finally have them in the store. Jeff's mom, Barbara, was kind enough to help me get the first batch of them out the door.

We also got our Gnarly Old Vine Zinfandel Grape Jelly placed at the Cheese Shop AND at Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves. It has been really fun for us to see our products sell.

I am grateful for my husband, our family, our friends, our home, our animals. I welcome the new chickens and I bid a very sad goodbye to our newly departed cat, Tommy. Tommy, we loved you even though we never got to snuggle with you. I will miss you terribly. Tell the next lost and hungry kitten to come to our house. There is always space at the food bowl.

I leave you with a photo of my latest addition. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!