new generation of wine makers...

well kids, with the economy in the slumps still we have resorted to making our own hooch!!
just kidding!!
we are just partaking in one of ben's family traditions...making wine. we started with about 150 pounds of some beautiful cabernet grapes and went to work crushing them to bits to start the fermentation process.





sweeten the pot...





check out our flickr stream for more pics...we are letting the crushed grapes ferment for about 7 days, then the reall work begins with the wine press. stay tuned...for the next step in the wine process!!
peace out

raindrops keep falling on my head...

...Drip drip the trees for all the country round,
And richness rare distills from every bough;
The wind alone it is makes every sound,
Shaking down crystals on the leaves below...
-Henry David Thoreau

yay for the rain in TX!!

some wally...

just some pics of the Wally...enjoy!


a close up...


wally and his girlfriend Mia


oooohhh the sleepy baby!!!!

Dining in Style

i have gotten my wish...we have a fancy schmancy new dining room table. we can now entertain more than 4 people comfortably in our home!! we found the table at a sale, it was considered damaged by the store so we got a heck of a deal. with ben's handiness and some elbow grease

,

the solid teak table has been restored to it's full glory, Wally can attest to that :)



...so once we get chairs come on over!!
ciao

the rise

i have embarked on another adventure....

MAKING BREAD

this is the real deal, the whole kit and kaboodle....not killing the yeast (weird but true), pounding the dough--nicely of course, waiting for it to double, etc., etc.
while it was a great endeavor, time consuming and slightly frustrating...i succeeded and produced 3 loaves of 'crusty italian bread' guaranteed "just like your grandma made" according to my recipe. i didn't take any pics of the dough process but here's how wally and i coped with the stress of whether my bread would turn out or not:



here's a peak at how my loaves turned out...they smelled delicious but i have to work on the actual taste a bit. but i'll be sure to keep trying!

Fun Outdoors...

so the hubby and i had a busy weekend full of exciting happenings outdoors. Ben got called up for the men's softball tournament on saturday, they had a good run won 2 lost 2 in the end. he played well and showed his mad skills at 2nd base!!

while he was doing an excellent job, the softball thought differently and decided to give him a fresh one...the ball won...see the evidence.
OUCH!!

i also finally got some pics of my newest venture...rowing or "sculling" on Town Lake. it's incredibly fun and so enjoyable after a day in the office. we are learning so much and it's exciting to really get some speed up on the water!
that's me in bow position (the last in the boat)
these pics are from this past sunday 8/9. enjoy!!!

Eggplant Wot...

just got back from a truly random and unique experience in pflugerville of all places...we ate with some friends at 'The Taste of Ethiopia'. it was very good food that we got to eat with our hands!!!! all of it....utensil free!! yay!!! the service was good, very friendly. after eating family style from woven bowls (2 hours) the owner invited us to the patio where her family was sitting to watch the coffee ceremony (could possibly have been an ethiopian mafia...but who knows)
we had coffee and listened to her story about africa and how she started the restaurant. incense (sp?) was burning, the coffee (ethiopian version of espresso after sunday dinner) was good and strong...it was a good time.
can't wait to go back.

lesson: go try your local ethiopian diner and see what you find.
peace out.