I spent the last few days in Sonoma, hosted by Kendall-Jackson, along with a handful of other bloggers, for their first annual blogger conference, Sip, Bite, Blog.

And whoa was it awesome. There was a whole lot of wine (obvi), gallivanting from one vineyard to another (hard work), education classes on wine and food pairings (I feel smart now), a meet and greet with Ruth Reichl (I chit-chatted with her. #nbd)…and so much more.

It all started with an early trip to LAX.  I was sleepy, I was wearing flannel, I wore some cozy socks. Typical airport behavior.

Santa Rosa Airport is teeny-tiny, super charming with an incredible view.

It’s one of those airports that makes you walk onto the runway, which always makes me feel really fancy, like I’m flying private or something…until I’m reminded that I didn’t check-in my luggage because I’m too cheap. #idratherspendmoneyonshoes

My computer battery decided to expand and near explode, so I hopped on the city bus and headed to the Apple Store. I came across this dude in a store window.

Cute? Nah…more like hella creepy. I have no idea what this store was selling; let’s hope it’s not these dog heads. The world doesn’t need ‘em.

I headed back to the hotel and met all of the bloggers, we loaded onto a bus and headed to the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center for the welcome dinner.

I was super psyched when I saw this view; little did I know this is how KJ rolls, on the regular.

The meal, cooked up by Chef Matthew Lowe, included a smokey fennel tomato soup, a fried green tomato, a pork belly slider and a kobe beef mini taco.

This taco was so cute I kinda wanted to punch it.

With the dessert wines, we were served a vanilla panna cotta (swoon!) and homemade caramel corn (double swoon!).

That night I learned the valuable lesson that caramel popcorn can be eaten with wine.

Side note: basically, there isn’t anything that can’t be eaten with wine. Maybe artichokes, but they figured out work-arounds for that, too.

After, what we thought was dinner, we all headed outside to drink even more wine and eat a second dinner, which included a beautiful heirloom tomato caprese salad, various pizzas and a tiramisu trifle.

The nights in Sonoma are idyllic; the sky’s are clear, the stars are bright and everything is really blurry.

The last part of that sentence might have to do with wine. Or not.

The next morning we took a tour of Sonoma County, driving to the various vineyards, meeting the winemakers, harvest workers, and learned–in depth–the process of wine making.

After touring all around, we had lunch at the Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyard, on a hilltop–it was breathtakingly gorgeous. And to make things even cuter, they gave us our lunch in personal picnic baskets.

My sandwich says “no bleu” because I’m allergic.

Being allergic to truffles and bleu cheese on a wine trip is the equivalent to being that weirdo kid in third grade who’s allergic to grass and peanut butter. #ugh

After a little breaky-break at the hotel, we went to a class where we were given a plate with various produce, and learned the very specific wines to pair with each.

I even ate a beet. All in the name of education, my friends!

P.S. They still totally taste like dirt.

I usually think lessons and talks like this are a bit of a snoozefest, but everyone’s passion was really contagious. You got the sense that everyone loved what they were doing. And that’s super cool.

Which brings me to the conclusion that wine making is one of the coolest jobs on the planet.

Before we headed to the artisan dinner, we stopped at their lavender garden a.k.a. every girl’s dream.

There were just bushes and bushes of free growing lavender. The entire garden smelled like a big bar of soap that I wanted to jump into. I was freaking out a bit.

After they dragged me out of the garden, we headed to the artisan dinner. KJ had local purveyors (duck farmers, mushroom foragers, grapeseed oil makers and cheese makers) feed us what they do best.

The oyster table was a bit of an issue for me. I sort of couldn’t stop eating them.

Their homemade mignonette and cocktail sauce were out of this world! I couldn’t just have one. So I didn’t. I had twenty.

The next day we went to one of my favorite places on Kendall-Jackson’s property: the scratch and sniff garden.

You know how people talk about wine like, This red tastes like black currants or hints of green tomatoes, and you’re like, Umm…I don’t know what you’re talking about, dude. I just taste red wine.

Well this garden was designed so you walk through the garden–with a glass of wine in hand–and taste the produce they say the wine resembles.

It’s like this amazing interactive reference garden.

Kind of a genius idea.

To top the entire weekend off, I got to meet and chat with Ruth Riechl. She’s was as intimidating as I expected, her hair was more wild and amazing in person and her signature smile was always present.

I wanted to ask her snooty questions like how it was working with David Foster Wallace, her relationship with MFK Fisher and how it must feel to be one of the most interesting women on the planet. But I didn’t. I was too shy.

Instead we spoke about local restaurants in Los Angeles we like (this place and this one) and places we want to try.

I think it’s safe to say that I want to grow-up to be like her. And Leslie Mann. And my mom. I’d be one happy lady if grew up to be a cross between those three women.

Not too shabs of a weekend, eh?!

I felt pretty lucky and grateful that all of these talented people wanted to share their livelihood with me.

They take so much time, care and passion into what they do; it was an honor to be shown their process, eat their food and drink their wine.

So, this is my last official post for A Cozy Kitchen. As you guys know, I started a new blog called Pink Basil, which is now my new home for all of my daily ramblings, recipes and who-knows-what-else.

When Adrianna and I started this two years ago (HOLY COW – have two years really gone by??) we had absolutely no idea what we were doing. I was a beginner baker, couldn’t find the F-stop on my camera to save my life, and the wide world of blogging was something completely foreign and scary.

I honestly had no idea how much fun this was going to be. I’ve learned so much about cooking, photography and have met a lot of fabulous new people.  Thank you to everyone that has visited this blog. You have no idea how much it means.

However, I’ve recently been getting a strong itch to write about things besides food, although it’s still my favorite subject by far. But since I made that decision, Adrianna and I agree that it’s easier for both of us if we each focus on one blog at a time, so I’m now turning over complete control of our brainchild to her. And let’s be honest, that’s gonna be pretty awesome. For her, for me, and hopefully for all of you readers.

I hope you all keep following me over at Pink Basil, or on my new Facebook or Twitter pages. Cause if you don’t, I’ll miss you. Like, a lot.

Thanks for everything,

-Caroline

So, I already mentioned that the terrible situation in Japan is making me realize that any petty complaint I have about my life really doesn’t merit any attention. I’ve stopped watching the news or reading articles because the tragedy is so overwhelming, not to mention that I feel helpless to do anything.

But – there is something we can do. The lovely writers of Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged have partnered with a ton of bloggers to try and raise money for ShelterBox. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items. These people were on hand right after the quake and are helping people now.

This is a really, really good cause. Whatever you can donate is appreciated.

Love & Peace

-C

So…I got married. Totally, completely crazy. And awesome. That’s the best word I can think to describe how it feels to be lucky enough to marry your best friend. Now, when you get to do that with a hundred of your closest family members and friends around, well, there really aren’t words to describe how that feels. Knowing that every guest at our wedding took time off from their lives, booked a hotel room, packed a suitcase and traveled just so they could be there for us is probably the best gift that we could have gotten.

It’s kinda like how I feel about you all. I know that it’s not quite the same amount of effort, but I think it’s pretty awesome that you’ve decided to take a few minutes out of your day to spend with our blog. There are like, 10 billion food blogs out there, and knowing that so many people have chosen ours to read and follow is seriously fantastic. From the bottom of my heart, thanks for being here.

Okay a few words on food. That is, after all, probably the reason why you’re here, and I definitely had a few noteworthy experiences while honeymooning (best verb ever!) in Mexico.

I ate the best chile relleno of my life. Period. If anyone has a good recipe for these, or can suggest someplace in LA to visit, please let me know! Thus far nothing I’ve had in the states touched this one. It’s enough to make me want to move closer to the border.

I drank more mudslides in the last week than I have my entire life. How are you supposed to resist these, especially sitting by the beach? I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect mudslide recipe for a few years, but haven’t quite nailed it. Can anyone help me with this? Pretty please??

If I wasn’t drinking a mudslide I most likely had this bright green concoction in my hand – Electric Lemonade. It’s really best for hot weather, which has pretty much left us here in CA but if you want to give it a try just add 1 oz of vodka to 6-8 oz of lemonade and then a splash of Midori. Yumm!!

You may recall that I’m a huge fan of young coconuts. Right after I drank this one I ordered another one. As in, 5 seconds later. If there was an eating contest for coconuts, I would totally enter it.

After your done drinking the water out of a coconut in Mexico they take the flesh and drizzle lime juice and chili sauce over it. This is AWESOME and my #1 new favorite snack. Try this – for real. If you don’t have chili sauce, sprinkling some salt and chili powder will also work, but I think the sauce is much tastier.

So…that’s all I have for now. Sorry if this post is a bit scattered, but it sort of reflects my life for the past few weeks. I’m hoping things will return to normal from now on. But seriously, thanks for reading, and thanks for being here.

BTW – like our wedding photos? Check out Elaine Bella Photography’s website and blog to see more! Best. Photographer. Ever.

I don’t know who decided that cucumbers were especially cool vegetables, but I suspect he/she may have coined the phrase “cool as a cucumber” after drinking some cucumber juice. This stuff is by far the best way to eat a cucumber. Granted, it takes a little more effort than just dunking slices in salad dressing, but the extra work most definitely pays off.  And over ice, this drink finally gives meaning to the expression “cool as a cucumber.”

While we’re finding meaning in expressions, can I discuss a few others with you?

Dollars to Donuts – I heard this for the first time about a week ago, and I am already looking for every opportunity available to work it into conversation. Is it bad that I might actually be happier winning donuts instead of dollars? I wonder in that case if I can still use the phrase…

The Bees Knees – this makes no sense. Absolutely none whatsoever. I don’t even know if bees have knees, or if they do, what could possibly be so great about them. I can tell you right now that if I had wings and could make honey on a whim, I wouldn’t be pointing out my knees as my best feature.

The Cat’s Pajamas – If I ever own a cat again I’m buying it the coolest pajamas you’ve ever seen. And taking at least a million photos.

Brownie Points – I think of s’mores, knot tying and campfire songs when I hear this saying. Does anyone else remember being in the Brownies in Girl Scouts? Anyone?

And from now on, when I hear “cool as a cucumber” I will think of sipping this awesomely green juice. Give it a try, cause seriously, this stuff is the bee’s knees.

Cucumber Juice

Recipe adapted from Sunny Anderson

Print this recipe!

The only complaint I had about this juice is that it was a little sweet for my taste, so I cut way back on the sugar. Chase also had a great idea – make this without the sugar and freeze into ice cubes. Pour water over the frozen juice and you have some instant cucumber water.

2 English cucumbers
½ cup sugar
2 cups water

Peel the cucumbers, saving the peel. Chop the cucumbers into small pieces. In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and the water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the chopped cucumber flesh and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the peels. Blend everything together until smooth, using either an immersion blender or regular blender.

Line a bowl with a cheesecloth. Pour the mixture into the bowl and gather the cheesecloth in one hand to squeeze out all the excess juice. Chill the juice until cool, about 1 hour, and then serve over ice.

When Caroline and I first set out to do a food blog and were looking for inspiration, we turned to the really popular food blogs:  David Lebovitz, Smitten Kitchen, Amateur Gourmet, and through them we stumbled upon Joy’s blog and were totally addicted. It was exactly what we wanted to do–something that felt personal, sweet and familiar. Along with the amazing, though accessible recipes she features, her sparkling personality is the thing that keeps you coming back for more.

(Me, Joy and Caro.  Geez, I’m short.)

When we first heard about the picnic we were expecting just that,  a picnic in a park. You know, something super low-key. Umm…when we arrived and there was valet I knew we were in for much more than initially expected. We were totally blown away. It was on a beautiful rooftop in Downtown Los Angeles with an awesome spread of food, a raffle with prize giveaways and gift bags!! Yes, people, gift bags!  I got a awesome eggplant colored Baggu bag, some awesome brittle and some rishi tea.  And besides all of the awesome free stuff, we also met some really cool food bloggers and ate some cozy fried chicken and delicious cupcakes.  Thank you, Joy The Baker!! You’re awesome.

Beautiful red velvet cupcakes…umm, I had, like, five.  Please don’t judge me.

I’m getting ready for the attack.  The frosting was so incredibly buttery, yet light. Ummm…heaven?  I think so.

Marshmallow cupcakes? Yes please.

Okay so I know you’ve already heard by now. Adrianna and I were official competitors in the 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational. It was…shall we say…an experience.

So, this is how it started. A friend of mine sent me a link for the competition while I was bored at work one day, with a joking line about how silly it was. Upon seeing that such an event did actually exist, I was consumed with a desire to take part somehow. I sent a message to Adrianna, my foodie partner-in-crime, and within a couple hours we were entered to compete.

Now, there were three categories that you could choose from. The first, “Missionary Position,” restricted you to using only bread, butter & cheese. You could use a variety of each ingredient, but they must all fall under those basic categories. The second was “Kama Sutra,” an anything-goes category in which any and all ingredients could be used. Finally, “Honey Pot,” was meant for grilled cheeses in dessert form. Since this was our first competition and we weren’t sure what to expect, we opted for the “Missionary” category.

Now, at the time of entering we had roughly a week to prepare, which is not much when you’re going up against 300 other competitors. Yes, 300!  Are you shocked? I was. So, with the pressure on, we devised a game plan. We came up with a list of ingredients, different cheeses, breads, and butters and divided them up. During the week both Adrianna and I went home and experimented with our ingredients to come up with the best options from each batch, and the day before we competed we met to narrow it down to our final recipe. After a week of cooking, experimenting, adjusting, and much tasting, (a special thanks to all our friends who helped!) we came up with the recipe for our Cozy Grilled Cheese. (see below)

The next day was the competition. Chase and I arrived and you could feel the excitement in the air. You could also see the ridiculously long line to get into the competition area. Luckily, as a being a privileged competitor, I was able to cut to the front of the line. (special thanks to all our friends who waited hours in line to come see us!) I marched proudly up to the check-in booth and gave them our team name (Team Cozy, of course) and waited while they looked, checked again, looked some more, and then told me the could not find our competition materials (voter’s ballots, plates, utensils, etc.) Great. Perfect. Then, a call from Adrianna. She’s running late. “Where is this place again??” Things were definitely off to a rough start…

Well, after the check-in folks confirmed that the package of materials we were supposed to be given had magically evaporated into thin air, it was decided that they would make a whole new one for us. I was worried that we would miss the chance to compete, but the entire event was apparently so well planned that it was an hour behind schedule, so that helped calm my nerves.

At about the same time, both my teammate and our materials appeared, and Adrianna and I got down to business. We dressed in the attire, which you’re probably laughing at right about now, and prepared our workstation. A very dramatic countdown occurred on the giant Grilled Cheese Clock, and off we went. The basic idea of the competition was to cook about 5 grilled cheeses, divide them up, hand them out to observers with voter’s ballots attached, and hope that they gave you a good score. With me prepping the sammys, Adrianna at the grill, and Ryan, Adrianna’s boyfriend, handing them out to the crowd, we had a nice assembly line going. Our biggest difficulty was trying to keep the grill pan hot, since it was unusually windy and the flame was less than consistent. In the end, we got all of our sandwiches made in the time allowed, and Chase, who took all these wonderful photos, told us he heard people raving about our cheesy goodness as they tried it.

Well, sad to say we didn’t win, but it was a worthwhile experience nonetheless. And hey, it brought us our Cozy Grilled cheese which has made the world seem just a little brighter, right? Give this one a try and let us know: were we robbed??

A Cozy Grilled Cheese

Print this recipe!

Okay, a couple of things before we get started. I am a huge fan of the standard grilled cheese that consists of bread, butter, and a couple slices of processed yellow cheese. This recipe is NOT meant as a replacement, but as another option for when you’re feeling adventurous. Also, some of these cheeses may not be in your local grocery store, but no worries, I tried to give an alternative that everyone should be able to find.

Ingredients:
2 pieces of your favorite fresh bakery bread
Salted butter
Raw milk white cheddar (or you can use any mild white cheddar)
Jarlsberg (or you can use Swiss cheese)
Blue cheese, crumbled
Sliced American cheese

To build the sandwiches:

First, butter both pieces sides of the bread. And don’t be stingy!

Now for the cheese! First, slice up the raw milk cheddar, or the white cheddar if you couldn’t find it. (I could only find it at Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have that you may be out of luck) This cheese was so rich and melted so beautifully that we made it the base for the sandwich, and there’s more of this cheese than any of the others.

Next, we grated up some of the Jarlsberg, or Swiss cheese, and sprinkled a thin layer on. This added a little bit of a bite to the taste. Then, add a very thin sprinkling of the blue cheese. It adds a great flavor, but since it’s so strong you don’t want to add too much or it will overpower everything. Finally, top it off with a slice of good-ole American. This adds color and is a nice tribute to the original.