The Buzz

We had a relative visiting from New Hampshire recently, and as good hosts do, we took her all around the area to see the sights. It was during this week-long adventure of daily excursions that I was reminded of what a plethora of wonderful natural sights and adventures Placer County and the surrounding area have to offer. All too often we get tied up in our busy lives and don't take the time to appreciate the beauty in nature all around us. There is truly so much to encounter just minutes from our doorsteps.

In one week's time, we were able to take in the wonder of the Foresthill Bridge along the Foresthill Divide and all the stunning canyon and river views, a closer look at the American River, Upper Lake Clementine and the amazing waterfall created by the dam, Overlook Park with a view to the canyon and dam site, another beautiful canyon view at Canyon View Overlook (off of Maidu), and a gorgeous Sunday drive along highway 49 where we stopped to check out the true heart of Gold Country, Sutter's Mill and Marshall Gold Discovery site. We also squeezed in a stroll in Old Town Auburn where we checked out several of the quaint shops and had a nice meal (along with beer for the men and cider for the ladies) at The Auburn Alehouse. Finally, we took a few hours to check out the museum in the Courthouse building where you can see the collection of Placer County's gold nuggets as well as lots of other items and books about the history of Gold Country.

Venturing outside of Placer County, we continued on 49 beyond Placerville where we eventually ended up in Amador county and (finally!) made it to Daffodil Hill (just outside Volcano, CA) to see the daffodils in full bloom. This was a somewhat long, windy drive to see a "quaint", but not neccesarily "breathtaking" sight. However, the discovery of a daylily flower farm/nursery and more importantly, a dozen or more wineries all nestled in a hilly area of Amador County, was worth the drive. I can only imagine the flower farm will be stunning when all the lilies are in full bloom and the nursery offered all sorts of flower and plant varieties that you don't find at your average box-store nursery. The wineries offer spendid views of vine-covered knolls, one after the other, and at least a day's worth of tasting!

Back in Auburn, we headed North on Highway 80 and up to Meadow Vista where we took a nice drive along Placer Hills Road and eventually down Plumtree Lane where the wonderful views of Bear River awaited us. Down in the canyon along the river, we were surrounded by Pine trees reaching up to the clouds. This is perhaps my favorite spot around here. It is a simple and serene surrounding. The crackling of the river over the rocks and the blue dragonflies dancing over the river always remind me that I am exactly where I want to be; home.

We also took the time to show our guest the lovely communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Both towns offer nice window-shopping opportunities. As a musician, I was especially excited about the World Instrument shop that we discovered in Nevada City as well as a neat little father-daughter art studio offering children's wall art, cards, bookmarks, etc.

After our week of discoveries, our visitor was most impressed by all the breathtaking views just minutes from our home in Christian Valley. She couldn't believe that some of these stops were just "side trips" along the way to a final destination.

If you haven't taken the time to find out about all the wonderful opportunities for outdoor adventure in our little paradise, you might be surprised to learn all that Placer County has to offer. According to the 2007 Placer County Citizens' Report, Placer County...

Has hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding

Has the largest concentration of world-class ski resorts in US

Has many lakes for boating, swimming, fishing and camping

Is home to the Tevis Cup 100-mile Hourse Endurance Race

Is home to the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run

Is in the heart of histroic Gold Rush country

Has 6 museums

In my estimation, everything described above is just a sampling of what the outdoors has to offer in our area . We didn't even make it up to the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe afterall, but that awe-inspiring trip will be reserved for the next visit!

The new Safeway (in the building that used to be Pak N Save) is shaping up into a very nice store. It is still under remodel but the Bakery & Deli departments had their grand opening today. The displays are very well-done as they invite you to select something scrumptious-looking. This makes for a pleasant shopping experience as long as you don't have two wiggley-whiney kids like I do. The presentation of all the cakes, cookies, pastries, salads, entertaining platters, cheeses, etc. is beautiful. There is a specialty olive kiosk including sicilian, kalamata and other varieties of marinated olives and mushrooms. There is also a huge Chinese food buffet (I was there at 8:30 a.m. so I didn't actually get to see how all the food looked). This seems to be a fairly high-end store carrying lots of gourmet cheeses and in-store baked breads.  The major bonus? There is a new Starbucks right inside the store (on the left-hand side as you walk in). There were only two negatives I noticed during my 1 hour shopping adventure. 1) They only had one check out line open that was not an express line. 2) In many cases the prices seemed extremely high unless an item was on sale. I was not a frequent shopper of Pak N Save, but I would be willing to bet Safeway's prices are significantly higher. Although the store is very nice, I'm not sure I will be going there too often for that reason. They are charging $5.68 for a half gallon of OJ. Ouch! At any rate, the store is a nice addition to our grocery shopping options in Auburn.  However, it still needs more time to ramp up the customer service.

Are you looking for something fun to do with your baby, toddler or preschooler this summer?  How about taking a music class together?  Did you know there is an internationally recognized children’s music program available right here in Auburn?   Music Together® is specially designed for babies, toddlers and preschoolers and the adults who love them!  The program supports the natural learning of the child as well as the participation of adults. Kids (and grown-ups) get the chance to explore all kinds of music through songs, chants, dancing and instrument play.  Even adults who feel they aren’t musical learn along with their child without even realizing it.   

Music Together does not only nurture children’s musical development, it also provides a relaxed environment for families to have fun together.  A Music Together class is a time for kids and parents to sing like kitty cats, dance with scarves, explore rhythms on drums and generally act silly together.

I started this program with two of my daughters two years ago and I loved it so much I became a Music Together teacher!  My only regret is that I didn’t find out about it sooner so that my older daughter could have attended when she was a toddler.  I am currently not teaching because I have since had one more little girl, but I still take my whole crew to classes each week.  (Most of the classes are mixed-age so I can take all of them with me.  The big kids watch the adults, and the little kids watch and learn from their old siblings.)  They all have tons of fun, and I love being able to spend time with my children doing something they enjoy so much.  And if that’s not enough, add to it that the children are developing a natural ability for music that will last a lifetime!

Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.  The program also fosters musical development outside of class by including two CDs and a songbook with each session.  Each music compilation includes a wide range of music from traditional American folksongs to original jazz and blues tunes to words and rhythms of various languages and cultures. 

Auburn Music Together is currently accepting registrations for the summer session which begins on July 9^th.  For more information or to sign up for a class, visit the Auburn Music Together website www.auburnmusictogether.com.  Music Together is a very special program I wish every parent could share with their

Just tried a new recipe for ribs that was a huge hit, so I thought I would share since Father's Day is coming up soon. My husband raved about these ribs all night and I was happy because they were very easy to prepare (not a two-day marinade process like so many other recipes). If the way to a man's heart really is through his stomach, then I think these ribs would do the trick! The recipe says to put the ribs under the broiler as the last step, but we put them on the BBQ instead and they were fabulous.

Who Loves Ya Baby-Back?

Dry Rub:
8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Braising Liquid:
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

*This recipe makes several batches of dry rub. If more rub is needed, it can be extended by any amount, as long as the ratio of 8:3:1:1 remains the same.