Well, here I am at Charles R in Livermore. How in heck did that happen!
I’ve worn many different hats during these years, including World Airways with free traveling (Yes!!), G.E. Vallecitos Nuclear Center, and eventually to Livermore City Hall as Deputy City Clerk, then back to college for legal courses/certification to work for over 20 years as a legal assistant for the Livermore City Attorney’s Office.
I’m a home-grown native Californian, grew up in San Leandro, then moved to San Lorenzo, Sunol, and Livermore.
In 1971, there I stood with three small children in a dilapidated old cabin in Sunol and a PG&E tech was telling me he was going to condemn the house! No!!! School starts in two weeks, we cannot move. The tech relented and we started tearing out walls, poured a foundation, and re-built the cabin. That continued through two cabins which eventually led to Livermore and bare land.
Our family bought a mobile and moved onto the property, cooked and heated water on a barbecue (Dick hauled water home in garbage cans). Our teenagers washed their hair in the neighbor’s horse trough fed by a windmill and natural spring. Friends would invite us for dinner and a shower!
We bought a compressor for nighttime only electricity and TV and eventually drilled a well. After many, many delays and long months, power again! Electrical and telephone wires were strung on poles and we had power, water, and a telephone!
Many years later, talking about retirement with our neighbor Tom at Bent Creek Winery, he suggested turning Dick’s shop into a wine storage warehouse. Good idea! Dick poured the flooring, insulated walls, added a huge air conditioner, and licensed/bonded the building and surrounding area as a winery/storage. Bent Creek was our first renter and is still here.
Our son, Randy, was a home brewer and about 2002 he said “I’d like to make wine” and off we went . . . He worked, studied, asked questions, and turned into a wonderful winemaker with mentoring from many of the best winemakers here in the Valley, and today we follow in the same traditional methods of quality wine making and sourcing our grapes from friends and neighbors.
It’s been a bumpy ride, and we have a wonderful family, wonderful business with so many great friends, and we get to share our wine with you all!
Bonnie Bartlett
This recipe is an old family favorite, Nina’s French Toast. The original recipe came from The Gold Quartz Inn, Sutter Creek that closed many years ago. This is a great recipe to feed your family for Easter Brunch.
NINA’S FRENCH TOAST
Remove crusts off of 14 slices of Branola original bread. Place seven slices in the bottom of a 16” x 11” casserole dish. Slice one pound of cream cheese and place on top of the bread. Spring ¼ cup brown sugar over the cream cheese slices. Top with the remaining bread.
Beat 15 eggs, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon almond extract and 2 cups milk. Pour over the top. Sprinkle an additional ¼ cup brown sugar over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately one hour. Serves 12 people.
