Month: April 2010

Win Tickets to Festa di Vino! They have Fudge!

Next Saturday, May 1, celebrate the area’s best in food and wine at Festa di Vino, an event held at the Aerospace Museum. The entire museum will be transformed to host more than 20 local restaurants and 20 area wineries, each serving up samples for you to feast all night long.

Restaurants include 33rd Street Bistro, Il Forno Classico, Iron Steaks, Mamma Susanna’s, PF Chang’s, and more. Wineries include (my favorite) Rail Bridge Cellars, Madrona Vineyards, Todd Taylor, Scribner Bend, and others. Last year’s famous fudge made by nonprofit Women’s Empowerment will also make a guest appearance this year. Trust me, you don’t want to miss that fudge! (I helped make it last year. And helped eat it. By the pound.)

Best of all? You can attend FREE! I’ve got one ticket each for the first two people… Continue reading “Win Tickets to Festa di Vino! They have Fudge!”

State Parks tax measure closer to ballot


at Marshall Gold Discovery Park

Environmental groups were successful in gathering the required signatures to place a new measure on the November ballot which would add an $18 charge to most DMV registrations in order to keep the state parks open.

If approved by a simple majority of state voters on Nov. 2, the measure would increase annual vehicle registration fees for California motorists by $18 a year, and allow any car with California license plates free admission to the state’s 278 parks, which currently charge fees that range from about $6 to $15 per visit.

Of course, tax groups and the Governator will fight such a measure. But though I am no tax lover, to me this actually sounds like a great deal and a major boost to state park attendance, I would think. Of course, that’s because I know that I would really get my money’s worth.

Continue reading “State Parks tax measure closer to ballot”

UFL Mountain Lions seek Director

Bring it on!
You think this is hard?

I was browsing one of my favorite sites recently, ultimatecheerleaders.com, when I came across this post advertising an open position with the new UFL Sacramento Mountain Lions.

The search is now on for a Cheerleader Director for the new Sacramento Mountain Lions…The season will run from September through November and there will be approximately 5 home games…Interested candidates should have a bio/resume and head shot, two letters of recommendation and a video reel of their choreography.

I’d love to read one of these letters of recommendation.

Do You Have the Right Stuff?

Four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris is coming to Sacramento next Friday, April 30. YOU could be there to meet him… If you’re lucky…

Harris stars in the new film Touching Home, based on the bestselling memoir Either You’re In or You’re in the Way written by Northern Cali twin brothers Logan and Noah Miller. The story follows the brothers’ efforts to save their homeless father (played by Harris) by pursuing professional baseball careers–despite their working class background. The publicity folks call it “a coming-of-age drama, an account of overcoming enormous odds and a tale about family and the bonds that matter.”

The movie premiers red-carpet-style with a VIP event next Friday that’s selling for $100 per ticket (proceeds benefit the B Street Theatre). The ticket price gets you into a pre-party with the stars where they’ll be serving up free apps, wine, and Lagunitas beer, followed by a red carpet walk with the stars (and local dignitaries), the movie premier followed by a Q & A with Harris and the twins (who also star in the film), and finally, an after-party at Social Nightclub. The best part? Your favorite SacRag writer (that’s me, GreenBeet, right?) will be there, too. Now that’s what I call a party!

But wait… There’s more! If you have the right stuff, YOU can win a free ticket to join the fanfare. Continue reading “Do You Have the Right Stuff?”

Earth Day Parade & Seed Demo with GreenBeet

Backyard Farmer GreenBeet teaching kids about seeds.

The sun is shining. The birds are twirping. What a great day for an Earth Day parade! Join me at the Capitol Heights Academy, where K-5th graders,their families and friends will enjoy an event filled with live music, crafts, and green-living tips. This includes a seed demo by yours truly, Backyard Farmer GreenBeet. I’ll be making seed kits for kids to take home and plant. Your kid is going to want one, too!

The event is being hosted by the Leadership class of the Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce. The leadership team adopted the Capitol Heights Academy’s afterschool program as their ongoing community project, calling it the Green Monster project. So far, the kids have learned about recycling, composting, gardening, nutrition, and living a green life. This is my kind of project! I hope you will join us for the fun.

Event details:
What: Green Monsters Earth Day Festival
When: 11am – 1pm TODAY, Saturday, April 17
Where: Capitol Heights Academy, 2520 33rd Ave (just off Broadway behind Immaculate Conception Church)
Who: YOU!

Live Free Or Die Trying

I am a wanted man.

I am a fugitive from Sacramento County. Lock your doors and keep your children close. There is a warrant out for my arrest. Clearly, I am a threat to the community.

No, I’m not making this up.

I truly love this city, and have been looking forward to blogging here about all the wonderful things Sacto has to offer. Then $#!+ like this happens, and all I want to do is move back to Paris and live out my days as an itinerant street musician…

Continue reading “Live Free Or Die Trying”

Free Stuff: April 2010

In these tough economic times, it’s nice to know your local Web log is here to turn you on to a few deals.

Paso Robles Wines coming to Sacramento

Paso Robles is the third largest wine making region in California and the fastest growing, but seems to get neglected out there on the Central Coast. Let’s face it, with Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and the Sierra Foothills boasting great wineries only a spit bucket away, many Sacramento vinophiles aren’t going to make the 6 hour journey out to San Luis Obispo County unless they know that they are going to get stellar wines at a fair price.

This is why the good folks at the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance have decided to take their show on the road. 30 of the region’s best wineries are coming to visit us next week to hopefully seduce us into making the journey. I have visited this area several times and keep finding new hidden treasures tucked away in the rolling hills. One advantage to the remote location is that you truly feel like you are visiting a hidden paradise of wine. Unlike Napa Valley, you are not going to get caught in a traffic jam of limos and tour buses.
Continue reading “Paso Robles Wines coming to Sacramento”

“Little House” musical to pitch in with Habitat for Humanity


Photo Credit: © Michal Daniel, 2008

The stage musical version of Little House on the Prairie opens this week at the Community Center Theater. The show stars Melissa Gilbert, who made a name for herself playing Laura in the 1970s TV series based on the books. And over the weekend, the cast will be tackling a Habitat for Humanity house in Del Paso Heights:

Throughout its 34-week, 26 city tour, Little House on the Prairie will make a minimum donation of $1,500 per market to the work of Habitat for Humanity through June 2010. In addition, the cast and crew will help local Habitat for Humanity affiliates build homes in each location.

Neat idea! But what I want to know is: Will the house come with a hollowed out log for smoking venison? Will there be a big iron stove for making pancake men?

GreenBeet on TV Tonight!

GreenBeet (that's me) giggling and holding a cake while everyone is hard at work shoveling dirt.

Tune in to the DIY Network tonight at 7:00 PM for a show called Turf War. Tonight’s episode features yours truly.

Turf War is a new reality TV show developed and produced by local company Idea Factory. The show pits two neighbors against each other in a battle for the most picture-perfect yard. As you can imagine, my husband and I aimed for a green-theme in our landscape. In only two days, we seek to transform our backyard from a weed patch to a drought-tolerant thing of beauty.

Will our green lifestyle win out in the end? Can we do it all in just two days? Am I extreme enough to handle the tough competition? Will all my experience in the veggie garden be enough to get me through this show? You can expect lots of drama, intrigue, and sore muscles in a real-life story taking place in my back yard.

For a sneak peak, click here.