Thursday, May 3, 2018

time out

Well.
I am still a whole lot surprised that I managed to finish the A to Z Challenge. But, more on that on Monday May 7 when the team holds its Reflection Day. 
Suffice it to say, I was sooooo ready for the weekend, even if it meant still having the Z post to write on Monday morning. 
Monday was a day off so writing that post would be no problem. 
 
Which left the weekend to celebrate.
And celebrate we did. 
The weekend was probably the first actual spring weekend around these parts - no temps below 45, no precip, wind at less than gale force and most importantly SUN!
a tiny redbud overlooking the lake.
We hopped in the car with Blue Skies, our wooden sloop in tow, and headed down to Lake of the Ozarks where the fixer upper lives.
The plan being to paint the hull of Cool Change then take Blue Skies out for a spin on 'the big lake'. 
More on this next week. 

We also planned to have dinner at one of our favorite lake spots - Shawnee Bluffs Winery. 
The winery is a small spot on Bagnell Dam Boulevard, less than 5 minutes from the dam. The winery consists of four stone buildings with 8 rooms to rent - each one overlooking the lake, the tasting room and the restaurant. There is also an outdoor pool and moderately sized deck area for outside dining, all with that lovely view of the lake. They have a small menu of appetizers, sandwiches and entrees and desserts.The wine selection features the house label as well as some national wines.
I don't believe we have ever had a bad meal here.
The stuffed peppers are just a-mah-zing! tiny peppers with just a little kick, stuffed with goat cheese, roasted in the wood fire oven then drizzled with balsamic. served with fresh salted bread.
Rob had the Flappers and Philosophers chardonnay from Shawnee Bluff. Crisp, a hint of tartness. This wine easily matches national brands.
 I gave the tempranillo rosé a try. Sadly, I did not get the brand but it was wonderful. Not sweet like most rosé, it had a slight spice and a little more body than you would expect. 
Most weekends there is live music and when the weather is as nice as it was this past weekend, the music is outside. 
Patrick Mureithi, a musician with roots in Kenya, performed. His mellow, peaceful original music interspersed with stories and an occasional popular tune was just the perfect tone for the evening. 
Not the best picture but I love how the pink tent the pink redbud glows!

Besides the food and music, there is one other reason to make this wonderful place a destination:

They have one of the best views of the sunset anywhere on the lake.

When I returned to work on Tuesday I felt as though I had been on a tiny vacation. 
And wondering why I am not on vacation all the time....


12 comments:

  1. Tiny vacations can do a world of good to mind, body, and soul. Thanks for the reminder :-)

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    1. It was one of the reasons we chose the boat. So wonderful to be away from the everyday stuff.

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  2. I'm glad you got out and had a break from all that AtoZing. We went to visit our kids on Saturday and had a day away from the laptop (YAY!) I then spent Sunday catching up on my commenting - it's sooo nice to take a step back and breathe again.

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  3. Absolutely lovely little interlude. You earned it!

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  4. Oh, don't tempt me. Not that I'm a big wine geek, but I checked their wine menu. I was hoping they had a Norton wine available - they do. (I've had Norton wine in Virginia and that grape has an interesting origin story). Also some interesting Missouri blends. Living an hour from New York wine country, I enjoy sampling wine from places with different climes than ours. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    1. I am usually not a fan of local wine but these folks do a great job!

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  5. The peppers look amazing! I'd love to get the recipe. It looks like a beautiful place to stop.

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    1. They are so easy! Piquant Peppers stuffed with goat cheese. Brook or roast until browned. Drizzle with balsamic glaze! Sometimes we add chorizo to the cheese when I make them at home.

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