Join your friends and colleagues on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 for the 5th Annual Wonders & Worries Unmasked Gala! Enjoy the mystery and celebration of a Venetian Carnival. Masks encouraged.
Proceeds provide professional mental health support for children and teenagers in central Texas who are coping with a parent’s serious illness.
Questions about tickets, tables or sponsorship?
Contact Rachelle Shuttlesworth at 512-329-5757, Ext. 107 or rachelle@wondersandworries.org.
Seedling spotlights the impactful lives of five extraordinary leaders
Seedling, an Austin non-profit organization whose mission is to support children challenged by parental incarceration with innovative, research-driven, school-based mentoring, announces the five extraordinary community leaders who will be honored as Austin’s Fab Five on April 6, 2019 at the Westin at the Domain from 6:30-10pm. VIP receoption from 6:00 to 6:30. The honorees will be:
Mayor Steve Adler – Mayor of the City of Austin
Terri Broussard Williams – Director of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances for the Government Relations, American Heart Association; Founder, MovementMakerTribe.com
Kristie Gonzales – President and General Manager, KVUE-TV
Jan Goss-Gibson – CEO, Civility Consulting
Neil Webber – Chair, Webber Family Foundation
“We are excited to be celebrating the achievements of five such extraordinary individuals, who have impacted so many through their leadership, community service and personal stories and philanthropy,” said Executive Director Dan Leal. “By shining a light on the successes of these amazing leaders, we hope to showcase the potential impact every person can have in our world – including the 8,000 children living in the Austin area who have had a parent who has been incarcerated.”
The purpose of Seedling’s Austin;s Fab Five event is to raise much-needed funds for Seedling’s Mentor Program serving children challenged by parental incarceration and to recognize five exceptional people who have had a significant impact on our community. Proceeds from the event will allow us to provide our students with hope, resiliency, and a vision for a bright future.
Austin’s Fab Five celebration will be held at The Westin at The Domain on April 6, 2019. The event will include a cocktail hour and dinner as well as a live and silent auction. Sponsorship opportunities are available for $1,800 – $15,000. VIP sponsors will have face to face time and photo ops with honorees prior to the program. The link to buy tables and tickets is: Fabfive.givesmart.com.
ABOUT SEEDLING
Seedling is a non-profit organization, serving the Austin area by providing children of incarcerated or deported parents with a long-term, positive relationship of a caring adult mentor, who helps them navigate the challenges experienced during an extended period of family separation and develop or maintain positive attitudes towards education. Seedling recruits volunteers from the community, matches them with eligible children, and offers ongoing support to both children and mentors. Since 2006, Seedling Mentor Program has served over 2,000 students on 150+ campuses in 11 districts and 16 charter schools in Austin and Central Texas.
Fall Creek Vineyards will host a Valentine’s Pique-Nique in the Vineyard to celebrate the holiday of love.
What: At the Fall Creek Vineyards Valentine “Pique-nique dans les Vignobles” guests will enjoy a French inspired pique-nique basket with maple glazed, house smoked salmon, arugula salad, demi baguette with brie, blanched haricot verts and new potatoes, and tartelettes au limon curd. Select your favorite Fall Creek bottle to pair with this sumptuous lunch. In addition, after lunch you are invited to stroll the vineyards for a hands-on viticulture experience with winery owner, Ed Auler.
Where: Fall Creek Vineyards on beautiful Lake Buchanan, 1820 County Road 222, Tow, TX 78672
When: 12 noon, on Saturday, February 16
Tickets are available here: https://fcv.com/product/valentines-lunch-2019-_-tow.
In addition, Fall Creek has a wine and food pairing recommendation for Valentine’s Day dinners, “Wines to Wow Valentine.”
Nothing ignites passion as well as properly paired wine with a delicious meal. Making a romantic dinner for your sweetie at home on Valentine’s Day is a great way to avoid the crowds. Taking your love to a festive Valentine picnic in a picturesque bucolic setting is also a sure-fire way to impress.
Whether you believe in the physical or psychological properties of aphrodisiacs or not, it sure is fun to eat healthy food with the love of your life on Valentine’s Day. Wonderfully prepared food affects our hormones, our energy levels, our brain chemistry and other physiological properties that set the mood.
Lamb is for Lovers
A voluptuous red wine with a hearty dish will stoke passions. There have been many health claims about red wine in recent years. The most important one for Valentine’s Day lovers is that Italian scientists claim that a glass of red wine each day can boost your desires. We’ve got just the right red for you.
Fall Creek Vineyards Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Salt Lick Vineyards 2016 is a special wine worthy of the most romantic dinner. Made with grapes grown in the Texas Hill Country, Fall Creek GSM is a highly acclaimed wine, recently scoring 90 Points from James Suckling 2018 Report.
This is an elegant, velvety wine with the right amount of finesse to make your Valentine take notice. With brambly raspberries blackberries and black cherry cordial flavors intertwined with licorice, chocolate and hint of pepper, this wine has depth through the palate to a long finish. The tannin bites in a flirty way. This wine is as potent as your lover knows you will be.
Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre pair incredibly well with grilled meats like lamb seasoned with rosemary, garlic, black pepper and topped with mushrooms sautéed in butter. Of course, lamb is for lovers. Mix up a simple marinade and fire up the grill.
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 (2- to 3-lb) butterflied boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat
PREPARATION
Combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in sealable plastic bag or a glass pan. Add lamb and let that baby marinate, chilled for around 4 hours. Bring lamb to room temperature, about 1 hour, before grilling. Grill on a lightly oiled grill rack, turning over occasionally until the temperature reaches 125 to 128°F for medium-rare. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes on a hot grill. Let lamb stand 20 minutes before cutting across the grain into slices.
The elegant, yet audacious GSM paired with the lamb will make every morsel taste lovely.
Now you have your menu for Valentine’s dinner and an elegant lunch that are sure to spark romance. We’ll leave the rest up to you.
Sandra Spalding, Director of Marketing at Twin Liquors, has created a handy wine and cocktail pairings guide that includes some of Valentine’s Day’s most popular dishes. Sandra expertly chose a variety of wines with palates perfect for bringing out the best in decadent dishes. All featured French wines are available for purchase at Twin Liquors with 20% off when you purchase two or more bottles.
Rib Eye Steak – Left Bank Bordeaux Rouge
Generally Cabernet based, this hearty red has enough tannin to cut through the fat of the beef, while offering a rich, dark, fruity taste.
Truffle Mac and Cheese – Red Burgundy, Pinot Noir
A perfect accompaniment to any dish with earthy flavors, while it still has enough acidity to balance the fattiness of the cheese.
Seared Scallops with a Citrus Reduction – White Burgundy, French Chardonnay
Go for a rich, luscious French Chardonnay like a Côtes du Beaune. These wines will have enough weight to stand up to the richness of the scallops while delivering an acidity to match a citrus sauce.
Caviar & Oysters – Champagne or Martini
Sparkling wine is our favorite for most occasions, but when there are oysters involved, we always go either martini, sparkling or both!
Cheese Fondue/Cheese Board – Côtes du Rhône or Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wines like these offer big fruit and big tannin that balances the fat and tang in the cheese. This pairing is like cheese and wine holding hands.
Chocolate Pot de Crème – Minervois
Rhone varietals offer great, bright fruit and just enough tannin to cut through the richness of the chocolate without enhancing the bitterness.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake – Rosé Champagne or Cremant D’Alsace Rosé
Need we explain?
Join your friends and colleagues on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 for the 5th Annual Wonders & Worries Unmasked Gala! Enjoy the mystery and celebration of a Venetian Carnival. Masks encouraged.
Proceeds provide professional mental health support for children and teenagers in central Texas who are coping with a parent’s serious illness.
