The Year of the Rabbit was a year of organizing, prioritizing, starting, completing, connecting, designing, gardening, cooking, sharing, and much more. I chose “Thrive” as my 2011 Themeword, and thrive I did.

Instead of blogging, I engaged in conversations on Twitter, Facebook, and especially face-to-face.

I observed trends, frequent questions, areas of expertise, and passions. I reviewed and recommended dozens of places and products. I attended educational events and shared advice on design, technology, social media, WordPress, getting organized, gardening, cooking, wine, and British entertainment. I resumed photography and collected topics for further exploration. In short, I spent the Year of the Rabbit immersing myself in life.

As the Year of the Dragon rolls in, I look forward to sharing some of those observations here and on official review sites, beyond the fleeting moments of Twitter and the walled garden of Facebook.

A huge thank you to those who have participated in these discussions and welcome to those who will join us this year. May you all enjoy a very healthy, joyful, peaceful, and prosperous Lunar New Year!

新年快樂! 恭喜發財!
Xīn nián kuài lè! Gōng xǐ fā cái!

Apple Strawberry Fruit Salad

L’Shana Tova! Wishing you all a sweet new year!

I love celebrating new beginnings, hope, and possibility. This holiday speaks to me of mindfulness and transformation as we leave the past behind and move forward with new intentions. As crisp cool temperatures replace summer heat waves and students begin a new school year, fall always feels like a good time for a fresh start.

Apples and honey are traditional Rosh Hashanah symbols for a sweet new year. While they are tasty together, I like getting creative with my fruit salads. This holiday is no exception!

The measurements below produced about 8 cups of salad. Please experiment with more or less of each ingredient to taste. (You might even add cinnamon or lemon!)

Ingredients

• apples (4 medium – tart crisp varieties – I used 2 Granny Smith, 1 Gala, 1 Fuji)
• strawberries (1 pound, about 20 medium berries)
• fresh basil (~6-8 large leaves – I used basil I’d dried, but fresh is prettier and more flavorful)
• fresh ginger (I used 1/4 teaspoon dried, but would prefer ~1/2 teaspoon fresh)
• honey (5 Tablespoons)

Instructions

1. Slice strawberries into serving bowl.
2. Cut basil over strawberries. Cutting tip: lay the clean leaves flat on top of each other, roll the stack of leaves into a tube, and snip first lengthwise and then crosswise to create small pieces that will blend into your salad. (If using dried, tear dried leaves and then rub vigorously between hands.)
3. Add dried ginger OR chop fresh ginger into ~1 mm cubes. (I don’t bother peeling ginger; washing is enough.)
4. Add honey and mix ingredients together gently with a wooden spoon.
5. Peel apples. Cut into ~1/4 inch slices and cut slices in half lengthwise. Stir apples into mixture to coat with the strawberry-honey-basil-ginger glaze.

Enjoy!

1. Wine Lover
   There’s a special magic about Wine Country. My first visit to Napa Valley at age 5 led to a fondness for Robert Mondavi and Julia Child’s televised cooking school. Since then, visits to Wine Country have included harvesting grapes and wine tasting.  After my trip last summer, I have been especially eager to go back and learn more about wine and wine making.
    
2. Writer
   I began journaling at age 10, in case I ever wanted to become a writer. I wrote everywhere and especially enjoyed writing outdoors. Later, English became one of my university sub-concentrations, and I participated in the New England Literature Program (NELP), 6.5 weeks of living in the woods, hiking mountains, studying New England authors, and writing. This was a major highlight of my educational experience. Now, I write and edit, both personally and professionally, and enjoy honing this craft at every opportunity.
    
3. Designer, Photographer, Branding Consultant
   With parents who are skilled in art and photography, learning about art, color theory, composition, and effective design has always been part of daily life.  We visited countless museums as a family and my siblings and I enjoyed starting our summer days with drawing classes on PBS. With an abundance of real art supplies at our fingertips, we dove into any medium available. This lifelong immersion in art and design has translated into a keen eye for branding and communications.
    
4. Quick Learner
   I taught myself video post-production to create my Murphy-Goode job application. Using skills in writing, design, photography, music, performance, and branding, I produced a video that has quickly received glowing feedback and ranks among the top 50 videos by vote. (Update: Top 40, as of June 25, 2009)
    
5. People Person
   I enjoy meeting new people everywhere and using social media tools to stay in touch. I’ve made many friends in random places and everyone in my life is 100% convinced I’m a natural for this job.
    
6. Performer
   My parents spotted musical abilities when I was 2 years old and started me in piano lessons as soon as I was old enough for a teacher to take me. I also sing, dance, and act. My stage work includes, among other things, six Gilbert & Sullivan comic operettas. I enjoy collaborating and look forward to jamming with winemaker David Ready Jr and creating Wine Country podcasts.
    
7. Traveler, Linguist
   Endlessly curious, I’ve been fascinated with different cultures and languages for my entire life. I grew up celebrating Chinese New Year, learned bits of various Asian languages, and started Spanish from an early age. I added Chinese in college, and then Italian, French, and a bit of Hindi and Punjabi. There are many more languages and countries on my list. I look forward to reviewing Spanish, Italian, and French through the people in Wine Country and the language of wine.
    
8. Foodie
   My family had an organic vegetable garden while I was growing up. The herbs from my mom’s garden are the most flavorful I have ever found, and I use them in my own cooking. As children, we were encouraged to experiment with food and ordered from the adult menu at restaurants. This experimentation from an early age led to playful creativity in cooking, and I enjoy teaching others how to do the same.
    
9. Green Thumb
   Growing up with an organic garden, composting, recycling, energy conservation, and a very close relationship with nature, I have a keen interest in eco-friendly and sustainable farming practices. Everything in nature is interconnected and an opportunity for learning. One of my earliest and most delightful memories is discovering a nest of newborn bunnies in the garden, and why it’s ok to look, but not touch. I am eager to learn all about the grape growing ecosystem and how sustainability is applied in Sonoma.

Convinced? Vote here!

I rarely measure, so the following is a list of estimates for what I used to make one sandwich. These are simply guidelines for enjoying your own unique creation, so experiment!

Sorry there aren’t photos, I was hungry and the sandwich was hot and tasty!

Ingredients

• baguette (about 6 inches)
• pepper turkey (small handful of chipped deli turkey)
• portobello mushroom (1/2, washed & sliced)
• swiss cheese (1 large deli slice, ~1 oz)
• herbes de Provence (~1/4 dried – my blend contains thyme, rosemary, savory, marjoram, & basil)
• fresh basil (~5-6 medium leaves)
• butter (~1 tsp)
• white wine (~1 Tbsp Sauvignon Blanc)
• honey (~1 tsp)
• cayenne pepper (dash)
• nutmeg (dash)

How I made this delicious sandwich

1. Warm a pan with butter on medium heat.
2. As the butter melts and begins to bubble, add dried herbes de provence.
3. Add mushroom slices. Let cook until the bottoms start looking wet and then flip.
4. Add nutmeg & cayenne pepper. Continue cooking, stirring periodically.
5. Add pepper turkey and mix gently into mushroom mixture. Place swiss cheese on top.
6. Add white wine and honey.
7. Allow cheese to melt and liquids to bubble. The liquids in the pan will help prevent the cheese from sticking to the pan and browning, but it is fine if the cheese browns. Explore this flavor!
8. Cut baguette into sandwich size and slice lengthwise, but not quite all the way through to create a hinge.
9. Open hinged bread over hot ingredients in pan and use a spatula to help get contents into bread as you flip bread under. (If you’ve ever seen a proper Philly cheesesteak being made, it’s very much the same technique! )
10. I found it easier to pour the rest of the contents of the pan (both solid and liquid) into my sandwich. Be sure to balance the amount of moisture vs. bread so that you don’t end up with a soggy mess. (I actually squeezed my sandwich out a little immediately and then served it on a fresh dry plate!)
11. Tear basil into small pieces (or snip with kitchen sheers) onto the sandwich.
12. Close sandwich and enjoy!

My sandwich was very moist, but not soggy. I served it with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc because that’s what I had open, but I’m very curious about your suggestions. Because of the swiss cheese/honey and the heat from the black pepper/cayenne, I think this sandwich might work well with a Reisling or Gewurztraminer. You?

Many people have encouraged me to share my recipes and even start a podcast to show people how easy it is to enjoy delicious homemade food. I hope you’ll enjoy the adventure as I include some of these ideas on my blog.