a pinch of inspiration - the inspiration project: 365 days of inspirations!

bargetto winery

June 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Inspiring People - (0 Comments)

This has been a long time coming. I have been inspired over and over by this family and their winery but today, they took inspiration to a whole new level.

Let me start from the beginning…

About a year ago, my uncle Sam (that just sounds funny!) told me that he had become a member of a local wine club. Knowing him and his superior taste in wine, I was little surprised to hear him speak so highly of a local Santa Cruz winery. As he told me about his experience with this winery, I quickly learned that there was so much more to it than just the wine.

Shortly after this conversation, my aunt and uncle invited me to join them for a tasting and I quickly fell in love. The family history of this winery truly sets it apart from the others. The Bargetto family has been making wine in Santa Cruz for over 75 years. Two brothers joined forces and the result has been years of award winning wines.

One of my favorite things about this winery is their dedication to philanthropic efforts. Each year, they choose a local non-profit to support with proceeds from their now infamous blend, La Vita. Historically, this wine has beat out other California blends and been awarded the prestigious gold medal and double gold medals from the California State Fair Wine Competition. What makes me so happy is that this humble, nonchalant winery is shining far brighter than its Napa and Sonoma competitors.

Today I was privileged to attend the unveiling of their 2008 La Vita and the announcement of the benefactor of their donation- Shakespere Santa Cruz! Having attended several of the Shakespere in the Park events, I have grown quite fond of the the group. It’s true that I have fallen asleep in most of the shows I have seen but come on, it’s Shakespere. And let’s be real: 2 and a half hours of “thou” and “hither” after two bottles of wine and you would be sleeping too!

It was a day of good food, great music, spectacular weather fantastic company (thank you to my aunt Debbie for joining me!) and amazingly smooth and supple wines… all to support a great local cause.

Next time you find yourself in Santa Cruz, go stop in and say hello to the Bargetto’s and drink some delicious wines!

www.bargetto.com

aqui

June 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Inspiring People - (0 Comments)

I moved down to the bay area on January 2nd, 2009. It was a snap decision and as we made the two hour drive down to San Jose from Sacramento, I will admit that anxiety kicked in and I began to doubt my decision. We decided to celebrate my first night in the bay with an evening of cocktails and exploring. Our first stop was Aqui- an all-natural, organic mexican restaurant in Willow Glen, CA. The whole day I had been fighting the urge to cry and then RUN back to Sacramento. My mood quickly changed when I began to discover the wonder that is Aqui.

The first stop was one of their signature margaritas. They have a chalkboard menu FULL of options but I was instantly drawn to their Industrial Strength margarita which combines vodka, TWO kinds of tequila, lots of fresh lime juice and their house-made limeade. It’s one of those drinks that tastes like you’re drinking juice but packs a punch. Absolutely delicious. I tall ya- anyone who can mix vodka in a margarita (which sounds positively revolting) must be doing something right. The next pleasantly shocking surprise was the $7 shot of Don Julio! I moved down here expecting larger than life price tags on most things. Cost of living is noticeably higher than in Sacramento and I was prepared for a pretty drastic change. So I was shocked and instantly questioned the pricing. I soon learned that (with the exception of a couple of tequilas on their shelf) all shots are $7. Add another star for this place!!

Then there’s the food. I’m going to save a lengthy description of my experiences because I could ramble for days about the wild salmon tacos, their salsas, the organic veggie enchiladas with housemade pesto… Seriously- I could go on and on. It’s one of those places where it literally takes 20 minutes to decide on what to order because it is all SO incredible. Light, fresh, super flavorful and HEALTHY! If you want to read more of my thoughts on this place, check out my Yelp review.

All that aside, my absolute favorite part of this restaurant (and the catalyst for today’s inspiration) are the memories I have from dining here. Above all, this is a place that my little half-siblings love to visit when they’re in town. We’ve started several Sundays with Aqui swirls (their industrial strength margarita swirled with various other tasty beverages) and it has become a cherished tradition. Now, every time I have a swirl, I think of Daniel, Annie and Mikie and smile.

As I write today, I sit with my biggest little brother, Mikie, enjoying their newest addition to the Swirl family- the Cranberry Manhattan Swirl. Their industrial strength margarita swirled with bourbon and house-made, fresh-squeezed cranberry juice. I say again, anyone who can blend bourbon with a margarita and make it taste good- nay, AMAZING- is a genius in my book.

Inspiration can be defined in many different ways. For me today it comes from the pure joy that I feel from being able to share a fantastic breakfast (and a couple of strong drinks!) with Mikie. I feel blessed and inspired by his generosity and by the incredible work of the Aqui master chefs.

do not worry about tomorrow

May 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Inspiring People - (0 Comments)

For as long as I can remember, one of my all time favorite Bible verses was Matthew 6:34: “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own”.

I have drifted from my once Bible studying practices but no matter where I am in life, this verse will always ring true. I remember my step-mother reminding me of this as a child, over and over. Yes, I will admit, I have always been a worrier. Does it get me anywhere??? Absolutely not. But it’s a bad habit I have struggled to break.

However, I do remind myself of this often. That we have SO little control over what happens in our lives. As “in control” as you might feel, you absolutely cannot predict what might happen. Sometimes I forget this and waste countless hours worrying about my life.

I was reminded of this simple truth today by someone who I have tremendous respect for and who has become a guide for me as I try to make sense of the craziness that is life. It is so simple yet so powerful and, as she spoke the words, I felt myself breathe again. It was a moment of truth and an inspiration to remember that it really CAN be as simple as remembering that all we have to think about is what’s right in front of us… in the moment.

To be able to let go of what MIGHT happen tomorrow was truly a gift and Lisa, I thank you!

a good deed for a good cause

May 18th, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Beyond the Plate | Inspiring People - (0 Comments)

You’ve heard me talk about Zest bakery and my admiration for their creativity, passion and inspiration. Well, it just so happened that I was there yesterday, grabbing one of their amazing gluten-free bagels, and struck up a conversation with one of the owners. He shared with me that they have begun distributing some of their baked goods to a few specialty grocery stores but offered the disclaimer that it’s not always as great as it sounds as he needed to make a delivery to a gluten-free grocery store up in Sacramento the following day. “That’s so funny! I’m actually driving up to Sacramento tomorrow as well!” After a brief pause (I could see the wheels turning) I happily volunteered to deliver the goods. I was driving right through downtown anyway- it didn’t make any sense for us BOTH to go! At 12:00 the next day, I was packing my car with freshly baked muffins, cookies, breads and pastries. My car has never smelled so amazing. It was all I could do to not reach into the bags and devour some of the tasty treats. But I refrained. (He did send me with a few of the Anti-Cupcake Company’s gluten-free cheesecakes which I knew I would be scarfing on later).

When I arrived at the Gluten Free Specialty Market, I was met with smiling faces from the two owners (whose names has sadly escaped me!). They were equally (if not more) gracious and thankful for the delivery and tried to send me off with more goodies. In my work with consulting small business owners, I understand the blood, sweat and tears that go in to trying to run a successful business. To dedicate yourself so fully to something is inspirational in itself. Then, when you are still smiling and exuding SUCH passion, it takes it to a whole other level. I have such tremendous respect for anyone who takes the leap of faith and starts a business. It truly is inspirational- and these two women were nothing short… and you feel it the moment you step through the door.

I was thrilled to be able to offer some help to TWO incredible businesses. Even though my contribution was so minimal, I know it made a bigger impact on their lives- and THAT is an inspiration for me.

dusting off my dancing shoes

May 16th, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in New Adventures - (0 Comments)

The itchy feet are back! (Ew…that sounds gross!). Over the past decade, I have played a lot with learning how to salsa dance. It has come in phases and each time I feel like I improve just a little bit. Last year, I had the privilege of studying with two professional dancers over the course of 3 or 4 months. I finally made some good progress with actually learning where my feet are supposed to go (or at least making it LOOK like I know where my feet are supposed to go!). What I learned from that experience (aside from some better techniques) is that if a girl can follow well, dancing comes really easy. Once I let go of trying to control my footwork and movements, it clicked and suddenly became very easy for me. Now, I’m no Dancing with the Stars professional by any means…but I can hold my own on the dance floor and I absolutely love it.

It had been a few months since I had last put on my dance shoes (yes, I finally broke down and bought professional dance shoes. It changed my life! For any other dancers or wanna-be dancers out there, if you haven’t bought a pair already, you should!). After a Friday afternoon happy hour last week, my good friend (and salsa partner in crime) Karl talked me in to venturing over to Cigar Bar in San Francisco. I wasn’t wearing the right shoes and definitely wasn’t dressed for a night of dancing but really, how could I resist. After the first dance with Karl, my spark for salsa instantly came back. I danced my poor feet into the ground but had SO much fun whirling and twirling around the floor again. I was definitely rusty and the 4 1/2″ platform heels I was wearing certainly didn’t help, but I was surprised at how it came back so quickly. Now, less than a week later, I am buckling my shoes and venturing out for an evening of salsa.

This is something I enjoy so much, it puts a big smile on my face, it’s great exercise, it’s an awesome way to meet people and it is a fantastic skill to possess….so why am I not dancing more often?? My inspiration is to make time for salsa! There is a huge community of people out there and it’s a great avenue to get more involved.

Viva la salsa!!

the next food network star

May 14th, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Foodie Fun - (0 Comments)

I am completely addicted to the Food Network. I rarely watch television but when I do, I go straight for my favorite Food Network shows (thanks to Hulu and FoodTV.com, I can watch them whenever, wherever!). I started seeing advertisements for a new season of The Next Food Network Star. I managed to catch a few episodes last season and was immediately hooked on the show. I love how enthusiastic and passionate the contestants are about food in general and about cooking from their particular point of view.

The new season premiered yesterday and I was able to sit down and watch the first episode today. I am amazing by the unique backgrounds of this season’s contestants and their tenacity to prove themselves as chef’s and television personalities! I am inspired by each and every one of them to continue developing my knowledge and passion for cooking and entertaining. Who knows… perhaps you’ll see me on the show one of these days!

queso frito

May 13th, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Foodie Fun | Jessipies - (0 Comments)

Make sure you say it with a latin accent. Sounds pretty sexy, eh? Well don’t tell anyone because this is my new secret. Yes, it’s true. It’s fried cheese.

You might be asking yourself, “cheese is so good on its own, why on earth would you need to fry it”? Well let me introduce you to a whole new world.

I actually had a similar variation of this a couple of months ago at one of my favorite wine bars. Warm, savory goat cheese coated in a crispy shell and fried to a light and airy perfection. It seemed so simple yet was SO incredibly delicious but it was one of those dishes that I never believed I would be able to make. I’m not sure where the doubt comes from. I guess I am just my own worst enemy.

I was reading one of my very favorite blogs today, Smitten Kitchen, and I ran across a similar dish. What I most love about Smitten Kitchen is the way she describes her inspirations, her recipes, the process and the food in general. She makes recipes sound SO easy. As I was reading this morning I couldn’t help but think, if she can do it, I can do it.

This recipe is SO easy to make and unbelievably delicious! I also tried a couple of different variations and am so inspired to try others in the future. You can play with the kind of goat cheese you use, potenially mixing other ingredients into the cheese (including other cheeses possibly!), mixing in different spices into the coating and even creating yummy dipping sauces for these savory treats. Tonight I served them atop a fresh spring salad with a light lemon vinagrette and also a couple on their own as an appetizer. They are so light and ooey-gooey melty yummy that it really is hard to stop eating them! I am so inspired to add them to my recipe repetroire. With so many variations and applications, this might just be a new go-to recipe.

Check out my recipe and inspired variations at Jessipies!

jessipies

May 12th, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Creatives | Jessipies - (0 Comments)

As you have hopefully discovered, I have been keeping up another blog in addition to this one. Jessipies started a few years ago when I found myself away from home, craving my cloud biscuits but no recipe. My first solution was to create a mini recipe book that would be easy to transport. But that wasn’t practical OR fun. Then I had the genius idea of creating an online archive of all my favorite recipes so that no matter where I am, I have access to them by phone or computer. It has turned into a fantastic resource not only for me, but for others as well! It is really nice to be able to respond to someone when they ask for one of my recipes, “Oh! Go check out my website! Jessipies!”. I love the title the most.

Which brings me to today’s inspiration!! Two months ago, I left the comfort of blogspot (which allows you to pick a template and simply plug in whatever text and photos you would like) for my own domain and the challenge of building a website (basically) from scratch. I am still working to migrate my original recipes over to the new site but it is definitely picking up speed.

Given how much I love the name of the site and what it means for me (an everyday recipe + some Jessica flare = JESSIPIES!), I know that it needs a good logo. Now, please keep in mind that I am NOT an artist or graphic designer, but I do like playing around with images, fonts, formats, etc. to see what I might be able to come up with. The inspiration struck at about 1:00am this morning after 12 straight hours of working on business plans, revenue analysis and marketing strategy. I was looking for anything I could do to take my mind off of work for a few minutes and here’s what I came up with:

I’m excited to at least have a start and to have come up with something that ties my creativity to cooking. It’s an inspiration to continue developing this site so that not only will it be a useful tool for me, but a fun and informative resource for others as well.

caltrain

May 11th, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Make a change! - (0 Comments)

This is an obvious one for me as I have never been one for public transportation. This dates back to elementary school and the bus. I HATED taking the bus. Not just because it was hot and smelly and uncomfortable, but because of the social experience of it. Let me put it this way: our teachers used to use a spot at the front of the bus line as an incentive for good behavior, good grades, completed homework, etc. because everyone knew that the back of the bus is where the cool kids sat. Well, I always got good grades, completed my homework and was not so arguably the best behaved in my class and I still didn’t sit in the back. I knew that if little ‘ol me who the popular girls used to pick on (but then secretly wanted to be my friend outside of school) took up one of the coveted back seats, the torture that would follow would be ruthless. So I sat in the middle. Far enough away from the populars that even if they were still making fun, I couldn’t hear it and far enough away from the driver that I couldn’t be considered a brown noser. Not so surprisingly, this was the same in high school. Except there rarely were any “cool” kids because they got rides from friends who had cars or lived close enough to walk. I had a few friends with cars but my house was far enough away from the school that it was a nuisance for people to drive me. Again, horrible experience. By the time I got to college, I felt that I’d rather catch a plaugue than ride the bus, which actually ended up being a healthy choice anyway as I walked or rode my bike everywhere I went!

This all changed when I discovered Caltrain.

My first experience was EARLY on a Sunday morning- the day of the Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco. Costumed and ready, I downed a little liquid courage (hey, don’t judge. Bay to Breakers day is the one day a year where it’s okay to have a mimosa at 5:30am!) and prepared for my first public transportation experience in the better part of a decade). Admittedly, I was terrified as I walked across the parking lot, dressed as an orange otter pop (picture bright orange with polka dots, sequins, sparkles and pigtails). Knowing nothing about Caltrain, my biggest fear was having to find someone to help me figure out which train, how to buy tickets, where to go, etc. As I walked across the quiet parking lot, I glanced to my left and saw a group of 6 girls in full scuba gear and pink tutu’s. I laughed and breathed a sigh of relief.

As it turned out, the train was FULL of costume-glad, beer guzzling riders that day. As in the past, the chose a seat in the middle. Instantly, everyone made friends with everyone. The excitement of the day radiated through the train and I felt incredibly at ease. It is one of my most favorite memories of all time.

I write today from the train again. It’s Friday afternoon and the train is packed! People are standing in the aisles and sitting in the staircase. After a long week, I can tell that people are tired… yet still cheerful and friendly! There are all ages, races and walks of life. Gone are the days of cool kids and strategically selecting a seat. As I look around, I can’t help but smile at how my perception of public transportation has changed because of my Caltrain experiences. I now take the train at every opportunity. In fact, I have even built events around it! One Sunday, I took a few bottles of sparkling wine, grabbed a few friends and turned it into a mimosa/train adventure.

My next inspiration might just have to be BART….

lessons learned from mom

May 10th, 2012 | Posted by Jessica B in Inspiring People - (0 Comments)

It’s newsletter time again for one of my clients. This month, the theme is Spring Cleaning and Things My Mother Taught Me. I asked each member of the team to provide me with something they learned from their mom. I sat down and read them this morning and was SO inspired. This might be one of my favorite posts thus far in the project!

Here are a few of the lessons learned from mom…

… to think the best of another person regardless of their words or actions…

…to always do your best at what you do…

…that family is always the most important part of your life…

…if it’s worth doing – do it right…

EVERY single one of these rang so true and was a much needed reminder of the kind of person I want to be. What I find funny is that when I started thinking about my own experiences and things I learned from my mom, my mind instantly went to how to make pesto, how to BBQ oysters and how to make the perfect gin & tonic. I was expecting these types of responses and was touched by the thought that each person put into this exercise.

In rethinking this question, one thing I have learned from my mom is to keep a smile on, even when you might not feel like it. We have all heard the term, fake it ‘til you make it? Well, there is some good truth to that.

Take today, for example. I am working with an incredibly frustrating individual. In the past, I have lost my patience with this person and since then I have been working very hard to maintain a high level of professionalism and patience. When I was reading the mom lessons during a break from our meeting, I was reminded at how much power we have in controlling our thoughts and actions. All it took was this reminder and when I returned to our meeting, it was with a smile and more patient heart.

I am taking these lessons and using them as my screen saver so that I am constantly reminded, and inspired, to be a good person, to work hard, and to do everything with purpose and a positive attitude.