After watching the outside of the building take on a new look over the last several months and anticipating a new restaurant option in town the time finally arrived to take a peek inside and discover what is StoneHill.
First impressions: Warm, welcoming and elegant. Stacked hewn stone (an obvious nod to the local quarry) and dark wood are in lovely contrast to the light painted walls, modern glass light fixtures and large windows - men and women alike will love the feel of this place!
The servers are very pleasant and willing to offer suggestions as to what they have tried and enjoy - which is always a nice 'extra' when trying to make up your mind as what to have. StoneHill is still finalizing their menu - they only opened 6 days ago - so they have a lot to offer in way of variety and it is likely that the chefs will be taking many notes on what people have ordered and found enjoyable and use that information to better the menu each time. I have a feeling this farm to table style restaurant may develop an evolving menu with a few mainstay, signature items and other items that will alter and change with the seasons - nothing like using what is fresh and available when in a town like Vineland where fresh local produce abounds!!
My sister and I ordered a few different things today: Baked Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos, Vik's 6 oz Burger (with a Julius salad on the side), and the Chickenini Panini (with sweet potato fries on the side). Side note (pun intended): StoneHill offers lots of choice for casual side dishes - fries, sweet potato fries, StoneHill salad, Julius salad (their spin on a Caesar), soup of the day, or tortilla chips and salsa.
We started out with the Baked Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos - one of my sister's favourite appetizers. The presentation was simple and clean. The siracha sauce that it comes with should NOT be mistaken for ketchup, as it appears very like it - this stuff will cause a serious hum in your mouth - not for weak tastebuds! As for the jalapenos themselves you receive 6 large jalapenos halved, filled with herb cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Initial flavour makes one believe that the bacon has been smoked. After deconstructing the app we realized it was the flavoured cream cheese that gave its smoked flavour. Although the bacon was nicely flavoured, the cream cheese definitely did not offset the heat of the pepper and left us gulping our water and asking for more. We could not even imagine using the siracha sauce provided as it would have caused our tastebuds to take a lickin'!
The Vik's 6 oz Burger definitely presents itself as a hand-formed, homemade burger. It was cooked properly to a mid-well with crispy, caramelized edges. One would think this had been created on a flattop but we discovered later that it was grilled. It was served on a fresh bakery bun which was a nice touch, but it was nothing more than a basic, plain kaiser. Maybe a onion, herb, or sun-dried tomato focaccia would have helped bring more flavour into the mix. The Julius Salad was served with crisp Romaine, sliced fresh mushrooms, crumbled feta, croutons, and bacon. The caesar dressing on the salad is toted as homemade and it mirrors the flavour of Renee's brand ( and we ♥ Renee's!).
Now for the Chickenini Panini - which turned out to be not be what I thought a panini to be but rather a lovely flattop grilled style sandwich on a multi grain bread. The overall appearance of this plate is very appetizing! The amount of chicken you get in this sandwich is generous - at least 4-5 oz - making for a very hearty lunch option. The avocado mayonnaise did not come through on flavour, maybe a garlic aioli or simply fresh sliced avocados would be nice in place of this somewhat redundant topping. The most prevalent flavour was the strong citrus note. We're not sure if this was from the lemon chicken marinade because it came across as more of a lime flavour allowing for some unpleasant, bitter notes when combined with the char flavour on the grilled chicken. The chili jam did not lend as much heat and sweet as one would hope - just gave a few hints here and there of it's existence - maybe if the chili jam were served on the side allowing you to dip your sandwich in it would be a nice way to showcase the flavour it has to offer. The aged cheddar was nice but a sharper cheddar would have again added a little bit more flavour. As for the side chosen for this sandwich the sweet potato fries were simply A-MAZ-ING!!
Our humble suggestion for making the Baked Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos better would be:
1. Pan frying, the way bacon is meant to be cooked - crispy and chewy and perfect!
2. Don't over complicate the cream cheese - it's there to balance the heat of the jalapeno, adding any flavour dimension to it defeats its purpose.
3. Add a touch of sweet - either by panfrying them in a little maple butter or maybe a kiss of maple syrup after it's out of the pan just to nudge the flavour up a notch.
End result: Sweet, salty, chewy, crispy, smooth, umami (that sought after 5th flavour on the taste buds), heat and cool!
We plan on returning to see the evolution of their menu and we'll keep you updated! We suggest you give StoneHill a try and encourage our new neighbour!!
♥ Cath-
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Splash of Colour
I was feeling quite inspired last night to sit for a moment and make a quick painting/sketch of the amaryllis given to me by dear friends just before the holidays...
When I first received the potted plant, the amaryllis had two short stalks, only 4-5 inches tall, they were potted along with white cyclomen and a pretty little fan-shaped, fern-like evergreen. Not knowing what to expect from the amaryllis shoots and being aware of my tendency to under/over water plants I sat the pot on the kitchen table in the light of the big Southern exposure window and hoped for the best.
I was shocked at the rate of growth over the next few days! You could almost see the stalks growing and stretching upward. Within a week they had tripled their height and the buds looked ready to burst. Within the next week the largest of the two buds split and revealed four flower buds each falling outward like points on a compass. By evening that day one of the blooms had already opened to reveal the most beautiful coral orange bloom. Within the next week all four flowers opened and the other stalk/bud followed suit and brought forth four more gorgeous blooms!
I took photos of the blooms but something kept nagging at me to sit and try to capture them in watercolours... So after a few moments of quick pencils strokes followed by those of a brush, I feel I captured an essence of the blooms intensity and prettiness amidst the the hasty wet-on-wet splashed and dashed brushstrokes:
(watercolour, 9x12")
I did a brief research of the amaryllis and found that the flower represents determination and radiant beauty that comes from within and shines outwardly... That brought to mind the bible passage in 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 3 and 4: "Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
My hope is that all of God's daughters will be inspired to learn from the amaryllis and be determined to grow upward and let the radiant beauty of their hearts be continually nurtured by God's Word through study and obedience that they may truly reflect God's light into the world.
♥ Cath-
Thursday, 3 January 2013
A New Day!
"A New Day"
(watercolour, 9x12")
Happy New Year!! The sense of a new start, a new beginning can sometimes feel so completely refreshing that one is invigorated with confidence anew to stride forward into each new day wanting to make the best use of their time and abilities. When I sat down to make an illustration to celebrate the new year I was filled with the feeling I have described and wanted to express it in picture form...
As I sat with my sketch book I pondered, "When does the feeling of looking forward to a new day begin?" I began to draw and came up with the idea of happily awaking and stretching - that moment when your mind peruses the possiblities of the day and how you plan on going about each task you intend to accomplish - when all feels right in your world:
New Day Idea #1
(sketchbook, graphite)
When this idea was jotted down I felt that it did not fully epxress what I wanted and could easily be seen as ready-to-go-back-to-sleep... So on I went thinking about the feeling of a new day, a new beginning and then I thought about the idea of getting out of bed with a smile, ready to take on the day:
New Day Idea #2
(sketchbook, graphite)
This wasn't quite right either and so after further consideration of when one is really taking the first steps into their new day I thought of the fresh, crisp air of winter that fills your lungs and the warmth of the sun on your face when you step out the door first thing in the morning. Whether you are heading out to your job, taking the kids to school, going to a friend's house or simply going for a walk to get the mail you begin each journey with that first step.
A couple of years ago I was going through a difficult time and feeling as if the days were flying by me and I couldn't grasp hold of any of them, I felt that I hadn't been using my time as well as I could have been and I felt very useless and depressed knowing I couldn't get back time that had already passed, but then a thought struck: "From wherever you are right now, BEGIN!"
Each day is a gift and if there is something I want to accomplish and better myself in doing, from wherever I am I BEGIN! I no longer dwell on 'could've, should've, would've' and sit in a puddle of self-pity and sorrow - I stand up and say, "From where I am right now, I'll BEGIN!" Whether it's becoming a better bible student, a better wife, mom, friend, a healthier, more active person I simply wake up and thank God for giving me a new day and I BEGIN!
So from wherever you are right now, BEGIN! Embrace each new day as a new moment in time to begin accomplishing healthy goals! May God bless you with confidence and ability to keep striving forward!
♥ Cath-
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
And now to relax...
"Gift of Love"
(watercolour, Thank you card design, 2007)
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Day... I have a feeling the biggest gift you gave to others was your friendly smile, your warm hug, your helping hands and your appreciative heart - 'cause that is the best gift you could give anyone, anytime throughout the year but an especially cherished gift during the Christmas holidays!
As I think back on the past two days, Christmas Eve through to the late hours of Christmas Day, the feeling still lingering in my mind is that this years gatherings were not the whirlwind of wrapping paper as in previous years but a more relaxing time with each of our families, appreciating the time we were blessed to spend with them during the holidays!
From our family to yours we wish you a BIG box of love and thoughtfulness! May you each know just how loved you are - just for being you!!
God bless you!
♥ Cath-
Friday, 21 December 2012
A Celebration!
"A Celebration"
(watercolour, 8x11")
“Oh, Mama, it’s the most beautiful flower I’ve ever seen!” L’il Bunny clasped her paws together and tucked them under her chin in an exuberant, cheerful manner.
“We’ve been waiting a long time and here it is blooming in the winter snow!” Mama’s eyes gleamed as all the woodland animals gathered to admire the beautiful addition to their forest.
“Mama, I think God has blessed us all! God is so good!” L’il bunny was so overjoyed she could hardly keep her feet on the ground.
“You are right l’il one - God is wonderful, and we are all truly blessed!”
We just celebrated the 1st birthday of our beautiful niece - a long awaited bundle of joy and a true blessing for her Mommy & Daddy and everyone else who loves her!
A few months ago I was inpired with the idea of a rose blooming in the winter representing my niece, and all the l'il woodland creatures gathering to celebrate representing all of us who gathered around when we heard the wonderful news of her arrival! It's already been a whole year and she's growing and learning rapidly, always more reasons to celebrate!
God has truly blessed our family! We praise Him continually for His goodness!!
♥ Cath-
Friday, 14 December 2012
Winter Joys
"Moonlight Skate"
(watercolour, family Christmas card design, 2007)
This is a Christmas card design from several years ago... our oldest was in her "everything blue" phase and our youngest was in her "everything purple and pink" phase.
I love this design because it reminds me of the need for quiet moments. When I look at this painting I slow down and I begin to feel the crisp air and I hear only the sound of the girls giggling and the sound of skate blades running atop the ice... and then after a few moments I can't help but release an exhalation of relaxed contentment!
I hope as the holidays rush upon us that we will each have time to slow down enough to hear the sound of children laughing, the snow squeaking under our steps, the comforting crackle from the fireplace, and to observe the beautiful purple-blue shadows that stretch across the ground, the diamond-like twinkle of snow on the branches, and to feel the true warmth of a hug from a loved one!
God has blessed us all! May we share His love and truly reflect His shining light to everybody we meet this holiday season - making it a joyful time of year for everyone!
♥ Cath-
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
"Let It Snow"
(watercolour holiday card design)
Many of us are both hoping for snow and dreading it at the same time. I think most everyone loves the romantic beauty of a crisp white blanket of snow, just in time for the holidays. We all love the ideal that the snow will fall silently through the night when everyone is snug and cozy in their beds and we'll awake to the twinkling crystaline beauty of it all.
In reality we have all created busy schedules for ourselves that often times has us driving from one place to another and so for that reason we may not be looking forward to the snowy weather. I hope though that we can take some time this month, and through the rest of the winter as well, to stay in one place long enough to be able to relax, and even enjoy the sight, when the snow begins to fall.
Falling snow is beautiful!! Sometimes when the flakes are big and slow in their descent I enjoy going outside and just standing there, letting the flakes fall on my face and feeling as though I, myself, am in a big snowglobe... it's moments like that that I appreciate the seasons and thank God for the beauty that each season brings!
♥ Cath-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)