The Next Iron Chef - Once Is Good, but Twice is Nice!

For anyone out there that watches "The Next Iron Chef", you'll want to read this post.  If not, then you might still enjoy it, but it won't be the same.

Recently, I (Bob) posted a pic of myself with Chef Duskie Estes in Napa.  It was really great to meet her, but little did I know that it wouldn't be my last Next Iron Chef encounter.

Ok, now for the part of the Napa story I didn't tell you.  Not only did Chef Estes come out and talk to us, she also signed Nate's (my friend) Bottle of wine (from her winery), and she signed a menu for Patsy (my wife).  I was so proud that I got Patsy a signed menu that I called her the next morning to let her know!  Then, as I was leaving the hotel room the next day, I forgot it on the table.  Bye-Bye menu...

The point to all this is that this past Friday night Patsy and I decided to have a date night and head down to Julian KC.  Julian is owned by Chef Celina Tio.  You might remember Tio making it almost to the end of the show.  She, in our opinion, was robbed of her chance to go against, and beat Canora, but what are you going to do?  Before I forget, I want to mention that Chef Estes specifically told me to say "Hi" to Chef Tio if we ran into her back in KC; so of course we took that as a mission!

When we arrived, they sat us right away.  Since we had a reservation, it was all good.  We were happy to see that it was a nice atmosphere - kind of simple and modern.  We were sat in a corner so we only had people on one side of us; it was perfect.  Then, after enjoying some wine, and a wonderful goat cheese appetizer, we saw her talking to another table.  It didn't take long and she came by.  We were actually in the middle of enjoying our dishes.  Mine was a crispy pork shoulder, sweet potato puree, surrounded by a tamarind pork sauce.  Patsy's was a strozzapreti pasta, with La Quercia prosciutto, Grana Padano smothered in a tomato sauce.  Both were fabulous!!!  Anyway, we spoke with her for a few minutes about the show and how disappointed we were that she didn't make it.

Once she left, we realized that we didn't even think to ask her about getting a picture.  After saying something to the waiter, we thought our chance may be over.  Then to our surprise she came back out with a signed menu and signed postcard from the show.  We were so excited!  Then she said that it would be no problem to get a pic and to just grab her before we leave!  We did and it was cool.

This was definitely our best restaurant experience in KC to date!  Thanks Chef Tio!

Be sure to check out Chef Tio's website and Facebook page and vote for her as Fan Favorite. 

 Of course, as I was reviewing our products in our online store for Christmas this past week, I ran across a new offering that just fit this post perfectly!  So if you are a fan of any Chef TV or you know someone that hopes their baby is an aspiring little chef, then you should pick up this great outfit.

I'm including an online code here that offers 15% off if you purchase before Christmas; just click the link below and enter the coupon code:
CB0020

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

New Mother Gifts

Kids With Courage Banquet Video - Champagne Baby

Check out this amazing event that we attended recently.  This is silent auction is organized by Kids With Courage Foundation.  This foundation helps kids that have recently been diagnosed with Type I diabetes; See our video documentary here:





Check out their website at:
http://www.kidswithcourage.org/

Patsy Champagne
Champagnebaby.com

Starting An Online Store - What Nobody Tells You

Just created our first hubpage!  For those of you that aren't familiar with it, it's kind of like writing an article and then people comment on it.  It's pretty interesting to read some of them; we find ourselves reading on topics that we wouldn't normally read.  Anyway, here's my hub for anyone that is interested in starting an online business:

Making Money Online Is Easy, Right?

Whether you've just lost your job, you're looking to stay home with the kids, or you just want to make some extra income the thought of an online business is very exciting! However, I can tell you from experience that the excitement can wear off fast. Many of us, including myself, jumped in with both feet and almost no online business experience. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it does set you back. If only I knew then what I know now, I'd be years ahead!

The problem here isn't a lack of skills or even good products. Those can be found and even outsourced if necessary. The problem is one that many conventional businesses face; time, money, & passion. By the time you realize how many things you need to be an expert at to make it work, you are several months into the process and have already made some bad choices that may cost you severely.  So, instead of giving you a bunch of how to's that make me look like I know what I'm doing, I'd prefer to give you some solid advice on things that I wish I'd known before I started:

What Are You Passionate About?

If you've ever read any books about starting a business (on or offline), this one is at the top of every list. If you are wondering why I'd even mention it here, it's because with an online business, this one is magnified ten fold!
Unlike an offline business, you will have no choice but to read, write, and generally breathe everything about your niche. That means the next year or two of your life will revolve around this niche whether you feel like it or not! Whether it be article marketing, Facebooking, Blogging, or simple content creation you need to become an "expert" at your niche, or you won't be found.

To read the complete Hubpage, click here:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Starting-An-Online-Store-What-Nobody-Tells-You

Yours truly,
Bob & Patsy



For baby gifts and more check out our online store: Champagne Baby.
For baby shower resources check out our Baby Shower Planning Guide

Funny Baby Quotes

I was just taking a look at some recent hubpage posts and ran accross these cute, funny, and sometimes inspirational baby quotes and wanted to share.  Makes me remember how special they are when they still smell brand new. ;)

Top Baby Quotes:
“A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.” Quote by Carl Sandburg

“Getting a burp out of your little thing is probably the greatest satisfaction I've come across. It's truly one of life's most satisfying moments.” Quote by Brad Pitt

“Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit.” Quote by Bill Cosby

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” Quote by Eda J. Le Shan

Read more at:
Baby-Quotes 


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My Trip to Napa

If you love wine like I do, then you know that Napa Valley California is THE region in the U.S. to see the best of the best!  So, when my best friend Nate decided to get married we thought there would be no better way for us to spend some bro time together than Napa; and what a trip it was!

Our first stop was in San Francisco.  Here we played golf at a course called the Presidio.  If that sounds fancy; it was.  This was the nicest course I've ever played at; although I admit to not being a golfer.  Later that night we stayed downtown at Union Square; which is the heart of San Fran.  We had a great time and stayed out of trouble, mostly.

 The next day, we woke up a little late and took a leisurely drive up to Santa Rosa (1 hour) and had a late lunch at Johnny Garlic's.  If you are familiar with "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives", then you will probably know Guy Fieri.  This is where it all started for him before the Next Food Network Star catapulted him to fame.  I had the seared Ahi Tuna sandwich and garlic fries.  They were fantastic!  I'd go there again in a heart beat!  I think this was also the only beer I had during the entire trip?

This is where the real fun begins!  That afternoon, we went straight up to Francis Ford Coppola's winery in Geyserville, CA.  This was a real treat.  Although I will admit that I wouldn't do the vineyard tour again if I had the chance; just didn't get much out of it.  It was the movie memorabilia that took our breath away.  Everything from the Godfather movies to the Dracula costumes to one (out of 51 ever made) of the original Tucker Torpedoes was on display.  Nate even snuck a seat at the original Godfather desk when nobody was looking.

To make things even more interesting, it turns out that the winery had only been open one week prior to our arrival and had undergone major reconstruction.  With the addition of new movie memorabilia, a new pool, boccie ball courts, and a major face lift we really got our money's worth.  Of course I don't want to forget the wines, of which we really enjoyed!  I especially liked the Director's Cut Cinema; a very nice Sonoma blend.

That night, we wondered off course a little bit and ended up just outside of Santa Rosa again.  Here we ate a little restaurant called Zazu.  This little roadside roadhouse was great!  For any of you that are fans of "The Next Iron Chef", you'll probably remember Chef Estes (Estez).  She is the one who voted for herself during the sandwich challenge.  This was a great experience because Chef Estes actually came out and spoke with us!  She even signed our menu and posed for a pic.  She even made sure to tell me to say "HI" to Chef Tio here in KC!  She was super cool and the food was delicious!  I had the pork cheek ragu with pasta and won't soon forget it!

To read about the message delivery to Chef Tio click here

During our stop at Coppola's first winery we had struck up a conversation with one of the security guards who filled us in on Coppola's other winery, Rubicon.  This turned out to be a gem!  So after making a couple of stops on the road the next day, we ended up at Rubicon; the creme de la creme of winery's.

Whether you are enchanted by the historical nature of the winery that was founded in 1871 or you are simply impressed by the almost half-mile tree lined entrance and  beautiful stone columns that great you, there is no doubt that this is worth the stop!

 Of course, you can add to that list the amazing caves that house some of the historical wines from their decades of production.  As well, Coppola has left just enough of his film making memories here in the form of photo's and historical "magic lanterns" to keep you engaged.  Again, I can't forget about the wine.  We tasted one of his premier wines, Rubicon Estate, which goes for more than $150 per bottle.  Granted, we only had one glass, it was fantastic and probably the only time I'll ever taste it again.  ;)

After Rubicon, we slowly made our way down to the town of Yountville and stopped at the Villagio.  Here we visited the meeting place for my company's upcoming shareholders meeting and meandered around the town that boasts the highest percentage of 5 star restaurant's in the U.S.  We actually ended up eating at Bottega, which is owned by another food network chef, Michael Chiarrello.  Unfortunately, our experience there wasn't as good as it was at Zazu and Johnny Garlic's.  The portions were small and expensive.  On top of that my pork chop was overcooked.  However, it was still a great atmosphere.

Anyway, this was such a great experience that I had to share it!  Although you would think that I was a big Coppola fan before this, I actually wasn't.  I really hadn't seen many of his movies.  However, I think that has to change; I've already added Dracula and Apocalypse Now to my Netflix que.  Oh, and it turns out that Coppola is filming as we speak with Val Kilmer - so keep an eye out for details on his latest quiet project, "Twixt Now and Sunrise".

The only regret I have on this trip was that it was way too short!

Thanks for reading!

BOB


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Our story about Halloween!

I will admit, this is not the first time we tricked or treated, but it's the first time worth mentioning.  Last year, the baby didn't like her costume and she was too shy to go to people's door to ask for candy.  This year, it was different!

It all started at the "Just Between Friends Sale" when I was looking at the Halloween costumes.  I knew we had found hers when she yelled "Cookie Monster" as I pulled the costume off the rack.  Having the right Halloween costume for her made a huge difference.  We actually started "celebrate" Halloween with the Pumpkin Palooza  at our church on Wednesday night.  After that, we got "booed" on Thursday night.  For those of you who doesn't know what it is, I'll try to do my best to explain.  We got home that night and we had a pumpkin at our door steps.  Inside the pumpkin there was some candies, a "BOO" sign and a piece of paper explaining what to do.  You have 2 days to BOO somebody else by doing the same thing; make a copy of the explanation sheet, make a BOO sign, put yours on your door and giveaway some treats.

So we got ready for the "Booing" on Saturday afternoon.  The bad thing is that you are supposed to do it secretly.  Well, it didn't happen exactly in secret.  We went to our next door neighbor to "BOO" them when they had people over :-0  The door was open and they saw us putting the pumpkin on their door steps.  Not really settle.  Anyway, our neighbors are so cool that they invited us over to carve some pumpkins.  Which ended up being really cool, since we had never done it before.  The baby "put her hand in the pumpkin", as she says it, and got somt of the "stuff" out, as least for a little bit.  Then, she got to color her own pumpkin.  OK!  I admit, I helped her a little bit ;-)

Finally, Halloween was here.  It was kind of chilly that evening, so I was very happy that "Cookie Monster" was very warm, and had a hood.  Anyway, it didn't take DD very long to realized what was going on... you go to the house, you say "trick or treat" and they give you candies.  After 2 houses, she started to say "Let's get to another house!".  But that's not it!  At the beginning, instead of saying thank you, she was saying "I Cookie Monster", like they didn't know ;-)

Bottom line, just to see her face (as shown above), it was priceless.  But I have to admit that if we wouldn't have our friends with us, it would not been as fun.  "Cleopatra" (I think that was her costume :-) was taking a very good care of my Cookie Monster.  Thank you, you were my precious little angel :-)

Now, I have only one question... what I am supposed to do with all these candies???  There is no way we are eating all that!