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Templeton Rock ballet(pg. 5)

EARTH DAYFood & Wine 2013

(pg. 5) LifeNORTH COUNTY

FFOOOODD && WWIINNEE

GGAARRDDEENN

UNCORK THE FUNBianchi & cupcakes

(pg. 7)

BBUUSSIINNEESSSS

PAPPY’SMenu boasts killerseafood & more

(pg. 4)

Building brighter futures

WATER WISEPlanting tips

(pg. 3)

Natasha Dalton

All Vacaville High School athleteAaron Cantrell knew for sure wasthat he would recieve a sports

scholarship upon graduation.As a star wrestler, several universities

were looking to recruit him. Subsequently, Cantrell was invited on

five recruitment trips — including one toStanford, which he found to be too intimi-dating to accept — and ended up choosingCal Poly — because it provided nice ac-

‘College Trips’ business helps localstudents forge pathway to success

Let’s get ‘Bee Wise’

Courtesy photoLOOKING FORWARD — Paso Robles and Templeton High School students ex-plore Pepperdine University during a recent College Trips tour.

See COLLEGE TRIPS pg. 6

The buzz on honey bees and all their benefits

Jandy JonesBUSY — Honey bees live up to a “busy standard” for good reason: Theinsects travel thousands of miles visiting numerous flowers to make justa few pounds of honey.

Paso's newest tack store takes stockJennifer Best

The North County pridesitself on its Westernheritage, from the

grapes introduced by thepadres to the cowboys whostill bring in the herds. PasoRobles' newest riding and farmsupply store, The Tack Room,celebrates that country lifewith new and used supplies forthe horseman, cowhand andworking country folk.Owners Kathy Rutsky and

Laurie Ridgeway opened TheTack Room doors on Saturday,March 16 in the Lowe’s Shop-ping Center on Golden HillRoad just off Highway 46 Eastin Paso Robles.

Their initial stock includesa selection of farm suppliesfrom dog and cat food to Eng-lish and Western tack, helmetsand veterinary supplies to trail-side first aid necessities."We're here for people who

love horses, but who can't af-ford to have them, which ismost of us," said Ridgeway .The paint was barely dry,

and decorating had just begunwhen friends and neighborsstopped by for a preview partylate last month.Local artist Whitney Milby

was eyeing the blank wallswhere her oil and acrylic horsepaintings would soon hang."Ultimately, I want to offer

Photo by Hayley ThomasOwners Kathy Rutsky and Laurie Ridgeway opened The Tack Room doors late last month inthe Lowes Shopping Center on Golden Hill Road just off Highway 46 East in Paso Robles.Their initial stock includes a selection of farm supplies from affordable dog and cat food toEnglish and Western tack, helmets and veterinary supplies to trailside first aid necessities.See TACK pg. 5

Living the North County country lifestyle is easy at The Tack Room

Jandy Jones

Bees tend to illicit unease andfear in people. For Bren Ran-dolph, it’s just the opposite.

Randolph strives to create sanctuariesfor “wayward bees.”Randolph is still new to the bee-

keeping world — he has only beenworking in it for a year — but one

would never guess. Randolph enjoyshis hobby of honey bees because heunderstands the value of their pres-ence. “If there are no bees left, we have

four years left of the human race,” hesaid.Randolph started beekeeping after

a swarm relocated into his owl box.

See BEES pg. 4

APRIL, 2013

page 2 April 2013 North County Life

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of North County Life.Please contact us for news and comments at:

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Life April is here and so are the fantastic flowers, baby chicks and honey bees (pg.4). Discover the guitar talents of Paso Robles musician Adam Levine (pg. 3), revisit a local pub favorite (pg. 4) and maybe even celebrate with a few champagne-infused cupcakes crafted exclusively for the spring season (pg. 7).

Hayley ThomasNorth County Life Editor

NORTH COUNTY

Published monthly by the Paso Robles Press and

Atascadero News

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Paso Robles Press829 10th Street

Paso Robles, CA 93446(805) 237-6060

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Natasha Dalton

Paul McCartney’s dadencouraged his son tolearn to play an instru-

ment so that he’d get invitedto parties. Adam Levine’s dadbought his son a guitar tostudy it as a father-and-sonproject. “Dad turned me on to the

art of bossa nova, which is re-lated to jazz,” said Levine,who resides in Paso Robles.“He played the melody, and Ibacked him up. It forced meto learn chords and keep therhythm going.” “Teachers matter,” Wyn-

ton Marsalis likes to say. AndLevine—a talented local gui-tarist, who can play anythingwith equal ease—was fortu-nate to have exceptionallygood teachers.His first teacher was Steve

Dorff, who since became oneof the most successful song-writers in the nation. “He taught me the me-

chanics of music,” Levinesaid, “what’s a scale, whatchords go together, what’s thestructure of a song.”Later on, at the Berklee

College of Music, Levinetook classes with PatMetheny. “The whole fusion of rock

and jazz was just beginning tohappen, and I got to see thatin its infancy,” Levine com-ments. He names Eric Burdon,

Chick Corea, and groups likeWeather Report as his earlyinspirations. But it was in LosAngeles where he met themusicians who influencedhim most.Ted Greene taught Levine

“to figure out why the guitaris tuned the way it is, and howto discover things on the fretboard without a chord book.”At 27, Levine, who at the

time was pursuing the careerof a session musician, beganteaching at Valley Arts Guitar.

“It was basically a musicstore—but a great musicstore, because all those ses-sion musicians who were myheroes frequented it,” Levinesaid. “One day Larry Carltonwalks in, then Steve Lukatherfrom Toto…you name aname, and they’d be there.” Eventually, Levine be-

came the Director of the Gui-tar Program at the renownedGrove School of Music,where he now had the privi-lege of booking the big musicstars for the workshops at theschool. Dick Grove, a film and

TV composer who worked onthe Julie Andrews’ Show,could bring in the likes ofHenry Mancini, Dizzy Gille-spie and other famous artiststo teach and do seminars. Getting acquainted with

the upper echelons of Los An-geles’ musicians enabled

Levine to get into such popu-lar shows as Cheers, Wings,and the Merv Griffin Show. Italso helped him develop hisown teaching method.“I feel that I bring to my

teaching that whole world ofwhat it takes to be a profes-sional musician, and what it isto play in different styles,”Levine said. “I like to breakthings down to the smallestpieces possible, and then putthem back together for mystudents.” He does it by assembling

single pages of “everythingyou’d learn in a year of stud-ies of, say, Harmony-101.” Each page holds a lot of in-formation, but it can stillmake sense to someonewho’d never taken Harmonybefore. “It’s not that you just take

a page, and you know every-thing,” Levine said. “I have to

guide my students through it,but I’ve seen huge success inteaching by using thismethod.”“Adam doesn’t just teach

you a song,” musician GrantChase said. “He has a sys-tematic approach. My studieswith Adam allowed me toskip most of the basic classesat Cuesta and get right tocomposition.”It’s not hard to find some-

one to show you the chords orto run you through a songbook. But it takes a brilliantteacher like Levine to recog-nize students’ talents and tai-lor the classes to theirinterests and potential. It’s nowonder that so many ofLevine’s former students be-came professional musicians.Some, like Adam Levy,Shawn Patterson and Pierre

North County Life April 2013 page 3

April In the garden:

Water with care

Gerald Burke

The old saying:“April showersbring May flow-

ers” doesn’t have muchapplication to our PasoRobles climate. And thisyear, we didn’t get ourshare of rain in Decemberand January so we’ll belooking at a dry yearagain. For those of uswho garden, that meanswatering with care,mulching to preservemoisture in the soil, andplanting cultivars that getby with minimal water.So what to do? For

starters, till the soil welland incorporate as muchorganic material as possi-ble. This is quite impor-tant in Paso Robles whereour topsoil is often aproblem. Second, try toplant as much droughttolerant-plant material aspossible. For shrubs andtrees, that means nativeplants will do best, andyour nursery person, if heor she is a good one, canadvise you on drought

tolerant varieties for thisarea.For vegetables and

flowers, the problem is alittle more difficult. Manyof the flower varieties weplant each spring forsummer bloom, needwater. But some need lessthan others and some ofthe best classes will dowell with careful irriga-tion. For flowers, tall anddwarf zinnias get by withless water, while tall anddwarf marigolds need alittle more. Other goodflowers for a dry summerare cosmos, celosia, allthe coneflowers, gera-nium, lupine, osteosper-mum, older petuniavarieties, portulaca, rud-beckia, dwarf sunflower,and vinca.For drought-tolerant

vegetables, try parsnip,beet, carrot, older vari-eties of cantaloupe (likeHales’ Best), BlackSeeded Simpson leaf let-tuce, mustard greens,okra, older, or heirloomvarieties of tomatoes andwatermelon. All of theseclasses of flowers andvegetables get by withminimal watering, but

Photo by Gerald BurkeUSE LESS — Zinnias areone of several classes offlowers that get by withless water in the summer.

Courtesy photoSTAR POWER — Paso Robles guitarist Adam Levine is pictured with country superstarCarrie Underwood during a recent show in Fresno. Levine’s former student is a memberof Carrie Underwood’s team.

See GARDEN pg. 6See GUITARIST pg. 5

Making sense of musicPaso Robles guitar teacher Adam Levine

helps the stars and locals alike

Community Action Partnership

North County Adult Day CenterServing family caregivers and their loved ones in our new Paso Robles location!

Open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday

Licensed by the State of California Community Care Licensing Division • License #405801854

A Non-Profit Organization • Donations Welcome

• Respite for caregivers• Caregiver support groups• Socially stimulating and therapeutic activities• Caring staff and a safe environment• Serving all areas of San Luis Obispo County

Call today to arrange a visit to ourNEW location, or let us come to you!

(805) 239-56791345 Oak St., Paso Robles, CA 93446

“The Adult Day Center has helped mymother and me in every aspect of daily life.

The people and the environment havemade a tremendous difference.”

Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a light-touchapproach suitable for all ages that releases tensions

in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction,improving whole-body health & performance.

• Pre/Post Surgery• TMJ• Headaches• Circulation

• Stress• Blood Pressure• Sleep Issues• Neck & Back Pain

• PTSD• Anxiety/Depression• ADD/ADHD• & Much More!

CST is increasingly used as a preventative health measure and iseffective for a wide range of medical conditions such as:

Relieve Pain & Reduce Stress

Greta HildeR.C.S.T.®Registered

CranioSacralTherapist

Call for more information:805-712-0977

945 Spring St., Ste #3, Paso Robles(Located in the Bates Plaza)

www.gretahilde.com

Hayley Thomas

What’s the differencebetween a bar andan Irish pub? If you

ask Donovan Schmit, it allcomes down to that perfectmix of welcoming atmos-phere, lively conversation andkiller comfort food. Now,what’s the difference betweenPappy McGregor’s and anyother Irish pub? Well, try find-ing any pub that sells Thaicurry mussels and fresh ciop-pino alongside award-winninglobster mac and cheese.Schmit owns Pappy Mc-

Gregor’s — a.k.a Pappy’s —alongside cousin Troy Larkin,who operates their second,San Luis Obispo location.Both owners reside in PasoRobles, but the story of theirpartnership begins on thecoast: at Schooner’s Wharf inCayucos.At Schooner’s, Larkin

worked his way up frombusser to server, and Schmitmanned the bar. About twoyears into working at therestaurant, it came on the mar-ket. With a little help fromfamily, the 20-somethingswere suddenly in the restau-rant biz. This decisionchanged the trajectory of boththeir lives.“We knew nothing about

management or owning arestaurant — we just jumpedin,” said Schmit. That was back in 2001.

Three years later, the duoopened an Italian café next

door. Fast forward anotherthree years, St. Patrick’sDay of 2006, and thecousins were celebrating thegrand opening of PappyMcGregor’s Pub & Grill at1122 Pine St. in Paso Rob-les, then known as TheCrooked Kilt. Two years ago, Schmit

and Larkin sold their twocoastal restaurants to open asecond Pappy’s at 1865Monterey St. in San LuisObispo.“We opened [Pappy’s]

here in Paso Robles becausewe absolutely love Irish pubs,and we knew that there wasn’tmuch here in the communityas far as that goes,” Schmitsaid. “Pubs are so fun andlively — everyone’s having agood time. Strangers get to-gether and meet and fall inlove with the place.”However, Schmit said he

and Larkin never got in thepub business to serve up thesame old Guinness and potatoskins. After experiencing arange of Irish pubs in Los An-geles, San Francisco and LasVegas, they set the bar high. Signature cocktails — like

their popular bloody mary andfederali martini — are servedalongside a respectable selec-tion of draft beer and Irishwhiskey. Then, there’s the food.“We have a diverse menu,

from your typical Irish pubfare to some incredibleseafood items, like our oystersRockefeller, calamari, fish and

chips to the halibut tacos,”Schmit said. Pulling from their years at

Schooner’s, it’s not hard to un-derstand why the menu is 25percent seafood.On the flipside, patrons

looking for a beefy dining ex-perience can order up a juicy,Kobe beef burger with friedegg on top or a Hearst Ranchprime rib strip steak cooked toperfection.“The menu is so broad, but

it’s also small,” said Schmit.“We try to focus on 25 thingsand do them perfectly well.”The menu changes every

three-to-four months, givinglocals a little something to tryout. However, some food willnever die.Case in point: Pappy’s

chili, awarded Best Chili at theCal Poly cook-off in 2010, orthe infamous lobster macaroniand cheese, which took homesecond-place at the Mac andCheese Fest last year. Pappy’soffers exclusively Paso Robleswines and partners with localfruit, veggie and seafood pro-ducers.

“People don’t come toPaso for Italian or Napa wines,we’re right here in wine coun-try, so why not?” said Schmit.“We’re a local business andwe like to team up with localestablishments.”Whether you order the

spicy buffalo wings, a pot piemade to order with lobster orchicken, or halibut and chipswith curry sauce, Schmit saidit’s all about offering “simplefood done amazing.”Chefs and brothers Chris

and Marty Beckett have beenworking with the owners sincethe old days in Cayucos —more than a decade. Together,they’ve created a menu that’sbecome cherished by locals ofall ages and walks of life. Allfamily members are welcomeduring lunch and dinner hours.“Recently, we had an 8-

year-old girl who came in forthe oysters Rockefeller,”Schmit said. “Her mom wastelling me the story, that whenshe picked her daughter up forschool, all she wanted was theoysters. They were sittingright next to two grandmas in

their 80s having a martinilunch with fish and chips.”It’s that casual, welcoming

feel that Schmit said bringspeople back.“Any day, you can come

up to the bar and make newfriends and chat,” he said.“That’s the great thing aboutthe pub. That’s what we fell inlove with.”Pappy McGregor's Pub &

Grill is located at 1122 PineSt. in Paso Robles and openseven days a week, 11 a.m. to2 a.m. The San Luis locationis situated at 1865Monterey St. near Grand Ave.Happy hour takes place

twice a day: Monday throughFriday from 3 to 6 p.m. and

Sunday through Thursday, 9p.m. till 2 a.m. Music and dancing are

available Fridays and Satur-days with a DJ spinning from9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Aprilthrough October, and enjoylive bands Thursday throughSaturday.Sundays and Monday

nights, locals get 25 percentoff their food and militarymembers always get 25 per-cent off food seven days aweek.In April, enjoy free pub

trivia at 8 p.m. on Thursdays.Show up 15 minutes prior toget a table. Pick a team nameand win a range of prizes.

Aprril 2013 North County Lifepage 4

BUSINESS FEATURE

“Any day, you can come up to the barand make new friends and chat. That’sthe great thing about the pub. That’s

what we fell in love with.”

— Donovan Schmit, Pappy McGregor’s co-owner

A menu worth a second look: Pappy McGregor’s Pub & GrillSeafood, signature coctails and local wine make this Irish pub a neighborhood favorite

Courtesy photos

MEATY — The blarney burger, featuring your choice ofUSDA, free-range Hearst Ranch or Kobe beef, topped withthick cut bacon, crispy onion rings, barbecue sauce, Irishcheddar, lettuce, tomato and onion on a brioche bun.

He carefully extracted the comb and re-located it to another box. “A swarm is when the hive gets

cluttered,” Randolph said. “They willlay a queen cell and — once the newqueen is born — the old one takes offand looks for new space.”Once Randolph collects his way-

ward bees, he offers them new homesin boxes around the county. In ex-change for housing the boxes, home-owners get beautiful flowers andgardens and maybe some tasty honey.The honey flavor is based on what thebees are feeding on. Popular flavors aresage, wildflower and orange, he said. “I get such a positive response from

people who want bees,” Randolph said.“I have had compliments on how theirflowers look and their overall gardens.” The flying gardeners go from

flower to flower collecting nectar aswell as pollen. Zooming from plant toplant creates cross-pollination. The endresult is beautiful flowers, bountifulgardens or orchards and knowledge thatyou are keeping the planet going. Randolph takes this environmen-

tally-friendly approach a step farther by

recycling the honeycomb he collects.He places the pieces inside the boxesand the bees eventually rebuild andadd on to it. If all goes well, they fill itwith honey and then cap it off withbees wax. When the pieces are full,Randolph takes and scrapes the waxoff and places it in a centrifuge to getthe honey out. This allows the comb toremain intact while getting out thesweet treat. It takes happy bees tomake honey though.Randolph spoils his bees by keep-

ing the boxes clean, feeding them welland watching out for diseases. It is justlike any other animal, including ge-netics.“Beekeepers do all this research

and genetics on bees,” Randolph said.The bees are bred to tolerate heat or

cold and even to have a mild tempera-ment. The Italian queens are the onesRandolph prefers. Unfortunately, he has encountered

aggressive colonies and he was re-quired to kill the queen. However, witha carefully timed process he was ableto introduce a new queen and the hivecontinued to thrive. Beekeeping requires skill, patience

and some caution. Too many stings cancause an allergic reaction. The bee isjust trying to protect its home and self.If you encounter an angry bee, slowly

turn your head away from it and placeyour hand between it in your face, Ran-dolph suggested. Do not swat at it, thisonly makes it angrier, he said. Honey bees are an influential part

of the environment and as long as theyare buzzing around, Randolph will con-tinue to find them homes. For more information, contact

Randolph at 286-0492.

BEESContinued from pg. 1

Photos by Jandy Jones

SWEET HONEYCOMB — The honeycombsits at a 17 degree angle so the honeywon’t drip out. Once the cell is full, thebee will cap it with wax.

North County Life April 2013 page 5

“Adam Levine is the one who made the guitar makesense to me; you couldn’t ask for a better teacher.”

— Adam Levy, Guitarist with Norah Jones and former student

Family Owned and Operated for Two Generations

Over 60 Designer Colors — 5 Year Work WarrantyCustomer Satisfaction Guaranteed! — Service & Maintenance Available

One Piece Seamless Returns — Seamless Copper & Aluminum7 Distinctive Styles of Gutters — In-House Fabrication of Gutters & Downspouts

FIVE STARRAIN GUTTERS, INC.

461-3283 / 226-90063226 El Camino Real, Atascadero

www.FiveStarRainGutters.comLic.#876930 • Bonded & Insured

Gauthier, made it big. Mostcontinue to keep in touch. “My students live all over

the world,” Levine said.“And I feel like I’ve becomea part of their lives. I loveteaching and helping peoplefind the gift of playingmusic.” For more information, e-

mail Adam Levine at Guitarplayer5310@gmail.comor call 237-1135.

GUITARISTContinued from pg. 3

the community a choice. Noteveryone can walk in and buyhigh-end stuff. We'll carryquality products for everyonefrom the 4-H member to justgetting into horses to sea-soned competitors," Rutskysaid.The mother-daughter duo

also brings to the store horsesense developed throughdecades of hands-on experi-ence. They established GrandIllusion Farms and beganbreeding Andalusians andArabians in Southern Califor-nia in 1985."I've been schooling,

breeding and training. Youname it, I've done it, from cir-cus to racetrack and every-thing in between," Ridgewaysaid.In 2009, after Rutsky sold

her insurance brokerage os-tensibly to retire, they movedthe entire operation, includingtwo dozen horses, four dogs,and both households, to PasoRobles."We found a lot of feed

stores, but there was only oneother tack store. We found the prices were

astronomical. We decided wecould do better. There's nocompetition for what we'reoffering here," Rutsky said.As visitors noshed on

sandwiches, strawberries,beer and wine at the previewparty, Ridgeway proudlyshowed off the new digs. Shepointed out price tags and avariety of brands more oftenseen on the East Coast."The goal is to have the

entire pet section stockedwith products made in theU.S. Nothing made in China.We offer a large variety of de-wormers, shampoos, flysprays and other products soeveryone can find their fa-vorites," she said.In addition to brand new

products, The Tack Room

plans to sell quality used tackfor all riding disciplines."If you have something

and we like it, we'll buy it out-right rather than have it sithere on consignment for twoor three months," Rutskysaid.A small selection of boots

and apparel already hangs onthe racks. Eventually, Ridge-way would like to see thestore offering used showclothes, chaps and coats."We're still developing the

store and some ideas,” saidRidgeway. “Eventually, I'd re-ally like to have show cloth-ing rentals, and we're workingtoward an extensive vet sec-tion complete with breedingsupplies for collection and in-semination.”

TACKContinued from pg. 1

COMMUNITY CALENDARGet involved, see, taste and play

Courtesy photo

MUSICAL POWERHOUSE — Paso Robles guitarist AdamLevine performs widely on the Central Coast. His studentsrange from local performers to celebrities.

Photo by Jennifer BestLaurie Ridgeway, at left, and her mom, Kathy Rutsky, arethe proud founders of The Tack Room in Paso Robles.

WEDNESDAY,APRIL 3

NORTH COUNTY NEWCOMERS CLUBNorth County NewcomersClub is open to all residentswho have lived in the NorthCounty for two years or less.Monthly general meetings areheld the first Wednesday ofthe month from 11 a.m. to1:30 p.m. For more informa-tion, go to www.northcountynewcomers.org.

FRIDAY,APRIL 5

ALMOND COUNTRY QUILTERS' GUILDThe Almond Country Quil-ters' Guild will hold its Aprilmeeting on April 5 at theAtascadero Masonic Lodge,2607 Traffic Way, Atascadero.Social time begins at 6:30p.m. At 7 p.m., Joy Lily willspeak on the topic "Be a Care-free Quilter." The generalmeeting will follow her pres-entation. For further informa-tion about the guild, check outour website www.almondcountryquilters.org.

SUNDAY,APRIL 7

SYMPHONY OF THE VINESCONCERTThe Symphony of the Vineswill host a romantic eveningconcert with Schumann andProkofiev, which will featurea special performance byrenowned pianist TorstenJuul-Borre on Saturday, April6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday,April 7 at 3 p.m. at TrinityLutheran Church, 940 Cre-ston Road, Paso Robles.Tickets are $20 and $30, andare available online atwww.symphonyofthevines.org or at BooBoo Records inSan Luis Obispo or Matt’sMusic in Templeton. Stu-dents with ID receive a 50percent discount.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

GRANGE BREAKFASTThe Paso Robles Grange willhold its monthly breakfast thesecond Sunday of the monthat 7:30 p.m. at the Paso Rob-les Grange Hall, 627 CrestonRoad in Paso Robles, from7:30 to 11 a.m. This month'sbreakfast will be held onApril 14. Pancakes, eggs,bacon, orange juice and cof-fee will be served. For moreinformation, call LesterRougeot at 238-2340 or 801-1766.

NORTH COUNTYWOMEN’S SHELTERTRAINING

North County Women’s Shel-ter/Sexual Assault Recovery& Prevention Center willhold volunteer crisis coun-selor training from Monday,April 15 through May 18 onMonday and Wednesdaynights and every other Satur-day. Call 226-5400 for moreinformation.

MONDAY, APRIL 18

LET IT BE“Let It Be” will bring itsunique mixture of live band,Beatles songs and dazzlingdance display to the Temple-ton Performing Arts CenterApril 18 – 20. Tickets are $25for adults, $19 for children(12 and under) and seniors(65 and above) by going towww. b r ow n p a p e r t i c kets.com/event/342017. Formore information, go towww.northcountyperformingarts.com or call 610-7570.

FRIDAY,APRIL 19

EARTH DAY FOOD & WINEThe seventh annual EarthDay Food & Wine Festival —a weekend celebrating thevery best of the Central Coast— will be held over theweekend of April 19 through20. The feature event will beheld on April 20 from 1 to 4p.m. at Pomar Junction Vine-yard and Winery, where morethan 200 growers, vintnersand chefs will come togetherto serve pairings of award-winning wines with one-of-a-kind dishes made withlocally-sourced fruits, vegeta-bles, meats, cheeses, oliveoils, chocolates and more.Purchase tickets atwww. e a r t h d ay f ood andwine.com or call 466-2288.

SATURDAY,APRIL 20

SHOW N SHINE CARSHOWOnce again, Heritage Ranchresidents will be opening uptheir hoods and polishing uptheir paint jobs in preparationfor the second annual Show‘n’ Shine Car Show on April20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Theevent kicks off at the OakHills Center, 2150 HeritageLoop Road and features apresentation by Cappy CulverSchool youth as well as a50/50 raffle and barbecue.

PLANT SALECelebrate Earth Day byjoining the Upper Sali-nas-Las Tablas ResourceConservation District forits second annual PlantSale on April 20 at Tem-pleton Community Parkfrom 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.during the TempletonFarmer's Market. The se-lection of native anddrought tolerant plantsare not only low-mainte-nance but will add beautyto a yard or garden.Plants sell fast so makesure to show up early orfill out a pre-order form,available at www.us-ltrcd.org to reserve plantstoday. For more informa-tion, contact Jillian Coleat 434-0396 ext. 5.

BEARCAT SERENADEThe Paso Robles High SchoolBand Backers proudly presentthe Bearcat Serenade at PearValley Winery on April 20 at4900 Union Rd. in Paso Rob-les. Come and join them for anight of incredible food byBerry Hill Bistro, delectablewine by Pear Valley Wineryand beautiful music by thePRHS Jazz Ensemble andPercussion group. The showis from 6 to 9 p.m. Ticketscost $50. Funds raised willhelp sustain the band programfor the coming year. ContactLisa at 237-9264 for ticket in-formation.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

CHAMBER BIZ EXPOThe Paso Robles Chamber ofCommerce will hold the 2013Business Expo, on Tuesday,April 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. atthe Paso Robles Event Center.Visit more than 100 ex-hibitors and take advantage ofthe opportunity to networkwith those on the cutting edgeof Paso Robles Business.Visit www.pasorobleschamber.com to reg-ister now. For more informa-tion, contact the Chamberoffice at 238-0506.

SATURDAY,APRIL 27

WILD WEST CASINO Support the youth of PasoRobles at the Paso RoblesYouth Sports Council’s Wild,Wild West Casino Night Bar-beque Dinner Fundraiser onSaturday, April 27 at 6 p.m. atCentennial Park in Paso Rob-les. Tickets are $45 for a tri-tip dinner, two drink tickets,entry into the casino andchips for gambling. Theevening will also includemusic and raffle prizes. Visitwww.PRYSC.org.

commodations on the trip, andbecause it looked “reallypretty.” Obviously, good land-scaping matters, but it should-n’t have been the major factorin choosing a college. At sev-enteen, Cantrell wasn’t evensure what he wanted to study,let alone where. Lookingback at his decision process,Cantrell describes it as “irre-sponsible”—which is not tosay that he was irresponsible:coming from a blue-collarfamily, he simply didn’t knowhow to go about selecting acollege.Seeing his students strug-

gle with the same problems,Paso High teacher Cantrellfounded College Trips withthe idea of helping young peo-ple understand their options.“What’s a good fit when it

comes to a college?—It’s acombination of 40 things,”Cantrell chuckled. “It’s a-head-and-a-heart thing. It’show it looks on paper, andhow it feels, and where it is,and how much it costs. It’s in-formed consent.”Cantrell warns against get-

ting fixated on the cost andlosing the bigger picture. Helikes to remind his studentsthat the elephant’s trunk is notthe whole elephant, howeverdistinctive that trunk might be. “Say, I find a Victorian

house on the Internet,” he said.

“It’s looking like a good deal:$10,000 for 6,000 square feet.But then I look closer, and seethat it’s in Detroit; people areliving in it already, and there’sa hole in the driveway…” Similarly, choosing a col-

lege based on the looks of itsgym or landscaping is likely tobackfire just as surely as itwould with house-huntingbased on Internet ads alone.College Trips are meant to

educate. During each trip, stu-dents spend three hours onevery campus. The itinerarycombines an official programwith ‘guerilla tours’, which in-clude meeting local alums andlearning about their experi-ences. “Students tell what they

like and what they don’t like,”Cantrell said. “When the stu-dents on the tour say, ‘The col-lege tour guide told usblah-blah-blah.’ Is it reallyso?” It’s not uncommon to

hear back: “‘Not exactly.’” On the last trip, 10 UC

Berkeley students from Pasoexchanged e-mail addresseswith those on the bus. “That’s a part of your in-

vestigation,” Aaron Cantrelltold his high school group.“Each of them knows 15 otherstudents who can tell it how itis.”Cantrell believes that it’s

never too early to begin a fam-ily conversation about collegeselection: what is a good col-lege versus a bad one; what’s agood fit versus a place just toget a degree, etc. “ M ydaughter (a sophomore) and Iput in almost 12,000 mileschecking out colleges,” hesaid. “When I take my daugh-ter on these trips, it’s aboutgetting the feel for the school,seeing if it might be a good fitfor her.”Ultimately, it’s all about

the due diligence. There are

many factors that need to beconsidered. Seeing a collegeand getting a feel for it is notall there is to it, but it’s an im-portant part of the process. “I wouldn’t say that visit-

ing colleges should replaceany other research, but it isn’ttrivial,” Cantrell said. “Obvi-ously, the financial aspect isone of the most importantpieces of the discussion, but italone isn’t the most importantpiece.” As with everything else,

simply knowing what youwant helps you get it. Whileshopping for a couch, you canjust walk in and ask: “I’ve got $7,000. What can

you sell me for this amount?”With colleges, it’s more com-plicated. If you want to get thebest out of your college years,

you need to do some workfirst. On April 29 through 30,

College Trips will visit Stan-ford, UC Berkeley, UC Davisand Sacramento State. Formore information, visitwww.CollegeTrips.org orFacebook.com/CollegeTrips.

April 2013 North County Lifepage 6

they will need somemoisture to grow andproduce.For those of us who

have little space andwant to conserve watertoo, try container gar-dening. Large contain-ers will produce manyflowers and vegetableswell and will take lesswater than a large open,in-ground garden area.

Use a good soil, orgrowing mixture, onethat will hold moisture,and use plenty of or-ganic material at the topof the container to helphold moisture in. Manyflowers and vegetableswill grow reasonablywell in containers thatare at least 12 inchesacross and 12-to-15inches deep.The Home Garden

Seed Association,www.ezfromseed.org,has an interesting article

on pollinators in itsSpring 2013 issue. We sometimes forget

that bees and other pol-linators are important toa healthy and growinggarden, so you mightaccess this article at theabove site to learn moreabout bees and butter-flies. Apparently bees

have been disappearing,and we, as gardeners,need to learn moreabout protecting them.

GARDENContinued from pg. 3

COLLEGE TRIPSContinued from pg. 1

Courtesy photoA HIGHER CALLING — PasoHigh School teacher AaronCantrell, pictured below,founded College Trips with theidea of helping young peopleunderstand their higher educa-tion options.

www.centralcoasthospice.comP: 805-540-6020 F: 805-540-6025

Come make a Difference!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDCall today or check online about our

volunteering programs.

North County Life April 2013 page 7

Bianchi’s wines have re-cently become popularin Hollywood. Chosen

by Chef Gordon Ramsay, their2009 Petite Sirah and 2010Chardonnay were paired withhis lavish menu for Sir EltonJohn’s 2013 Oscar party. Stars caught sipping

Bianchi’s wines have includedHeidi Klum, Sean Penn, StevenTyler, Bono, Jenna Elfman,Christina Hendricks, Katy Perry,Naomi Campbell, Dave Grohl,Taye Diggs, Miley Cyrus andBrittany Spears. “It was at every table and

every bar — not too bad for asmall family-owned winery inPaso Robles,” Beau Bianchisaid. “I guess the word is gettingout.”The Bianchi family has been

in the wine industry since 1974.Their first vineyard — located inthe California Central Valley —utilized the most advanced farm-ing and production technologiesand soon became an industryleader. In the pursuit of craftingthe perfect wine, Glen Bianchipurchased 40 acres in Paso Rob-les in January 2000 and has beencreating amazing wine eversince. Proud of his lifelong work,

Glen Bianchi — Beau’s father— said, “We support the beliefthat it is vital to grow only thosevarieties of grapes which arebest suited to the particular as-pect of the land: such as soil, ex-posure and climate. That is whythe Cabernet Sauvignon, Zin-fandel, Syrah and Merlot areplanted in the winery's slopingvineyards. These varietals makeup our sought-after Heritage se-lection.”Glen believes this so

strongly that their signature se-lection wines are made fromgrapes purchased from premiumgrowers in and around PasoRobles and the Central Coast.The winery has combinined thebest of both worlds — or shallwe say — grapes.Always in search of a beau-

tiful picnic spot, I came acrossBianchi Winery recently andimmediately fell in love. As you

arrive at the gates, you’rewhisked away to a new world. A driveway lined with pur-

ple-topped trees greets you asyou arrive — behind them arerows of vines ready to producenext year’s crop. Pulling open the nearly two-

story tasting room doors, youenter a building that takes fulladvantage of their surroundingsand view. A wall of glass doorsopens to the lake and a fantasticpicnic area. Inside the tastingroom, a fireplace lounge, stonewalls and a wooden ceiling withsteel beams add a virtual feastfor the eyes.I took my family to Bianchi

on a sunny Sunday afternoonand we bought a bottle of theirCalifornia Champagne. We satby the lake, and as I sat there —with a glass of their bubbles inmy hand and a slice of birthdaycake next to me — I was in-stantly inspired to combine thetwo together. Bianchi’s California Cham-

pagne is a lively and fruity stylebubbly Brut that adds complex-ity to these miniature cakes. I encourage you to use only a

bottle of sparkling wine that youwould enjoy drinking, as theflavor of champagne is strongand you want to choose some-thing really delicious. Bianchi’s California Cham-

pagne is incredibly delicious andreasonably priced at $16 a bot-tle. Be warned: You will use al-

most an entire bottle for the cup-cakes, so I recommendpurchasing two when you visitBianchi. This way, you have one to

cook with and one to drink withdessert. What could be better?

LifeFOOD & WINE

BIANCHI & CUPCAKESYour favorite cocktail, now available

in delicious cupcake form

AUDREY JOHNS

Health blogger atLose Weight by Eating

WHAT YOU NEED:2 cups flour3/4 cup sugar¼ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda2 cups California champagne½ cup unsweetened apple sauce¼ milk

FROSTING:

5 strawberries quartered¼ cup orange juice1/4 cup white wine vinegar or applecider vinegar3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

GET COOKING:

�� Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Butter 24 muffin tins, unwrap yourbutter, put it on a plate and use thewrapper to butter your tins. If youwant to use muffin liners use baking

spray on them. Otherwise, the cakewill stick.

� � Combine flour, sugar, bakingpowder and baking soda in a largebowl. Slowly add champagne so itdoes not bubbly over, then add applesauce and mix together. Do not usea mixer, use a spatula or spoon oth-erwise it will bubble over. Once it’smostly combined add the milk andmix until there are no lumps.

� � Bake for 14 to 18 minutes untilthey are firm to the touch. Let coolin the tins as they will continue tocook in them. Once cooled place infridge for 20 minutes while youmake the frosting.

� � Use the whip attachment on mixerand whip ¼ cup, 2 cups sugar, 1 ta-blespoon of raspberry jam andliquor until it just starts to ball up onthe attachment. If needed add 1 ta-

blespoon of warm water at a timeuntil proper consistency.

� � Take half of the cupcakes out ofthe fridge and with a frosting piperor a spoon cover with raspberry top-ping. After they sit for a couple min-utes you can top with freshraspberries and move back to thefridge for 30 minutes to help thefrosting set.

� � Make the orange frosting thesame way you did the raspberry,substituting the liquor for warmwater. Cover cupcakes, let sit for aminute top with orange slices andplace back in the fridge for 30 min-utes to set.

� � Sip on the glass of champagne leftin the bottle while the cupcakes setup, later serve with Bianchi’s California Champagne.

Champagne cupcakes with raspberry buttercream frosting

Photo by Audrey JohnsSWEET IDEA — Try Audrey Johns’ edible take on a mimosa or Chambord and champagne. These cupcakes are full of bubbles and topped with orange and raspberry butter cream frosting.

Courtesy photoGET OUT OF THE HOUSE — Enjoy spring from the patio at Bianchi in Paso Robles. Take a picnic and enjoy a bottleof their wine for a picture-perfect afternoon. For more great picnic-style recipes, visit www.loseweightbyeating.com.

Photo by Audrey JohnsCELEBRATE — For a tasy, bubblytreat, use Bianchi Signature Selection Champagne to createthe delightful cupcakes, picturedabove.

page 8 April 2013 North County Life