San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club
Hiking, Arts & Crafts, Wine Club, Book Club, Cooking, Golf, Poker, Bridge, Bunco, Luncheons
January 27, 2012 at 7:26 am · Filed under Hiking Club
5-Mile Lake Chabot Hike
Pat, Jeanne, Aleta and Sharon did the 5 mile hike in 2 hours ( a couple of tenths weren’t recorded.) The second half was a little wet but that just hurried us along a bit! Afterwards we had lunch at Lucca’s, a good Italian deli in Castro Valley that Jeanne recommended.
Pat, Aleta, and Jeanne take a break from the rain to have their photo taken by Sharon on there hike along Lake Chabot.

January 27, 2012 at 7:20 am · Filed under Luncheons
A Great Start to the New Year
What a perfect way to start off the new year by getting motivated by our speaker Gerri Levitas. Gerri is a certified Hypnotherapist and a Transformational Weight Loss Coach.
She is dedicated to helping women with their personal journey towards better health and well being.
Geri has worked with hundreds of women in the area of weight management, self esteem and personal growth.
Contact Gerri at 925-935-2502 or gerri {at} bayhealing(.)com
Her website is Bay Healing.
January 17, 2012 at 6:13 am · Filed under Hiking Club
A Hike and a Cake
Sure looks like I planned to have the fence post shadow aim right at the Birthday girl! Actually got the photo of Sharon blowing out the candles. I deleted the “funny” face photos of you all.
Pat, thanks so much, you put on a great spread and that cake, Bobbie, was to die for.
Trekking Always, fran

January 13, 2012 at 6:08 am · Filed under Book Club
SRVNC Book Club
When: Feb. 28- Tuesday
Time: 1:00- 3:00
Where: Donna C.
RSVP: donnaclarke109 {at} hotmail(.)com by Monday, Feb. 27
Our book will be Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. This is a haunting World War II story that was made into a movie.
We welcome new members so think about attending one of our meetings. If you have any questions (except to RSVP), please call the Chairperson, Suzanne Z.
Mar. – The Tigers’s Wife by Tea Obreht
January 5, 2012 at 6:15 am · Filed under Hiking Club
Hiking Lafayette Reservoir
On December 30th Pat, Rose, Bobbi, Shirley, Muff, Jeanne and Sharon hiked two laps around the Lafayette reservoir. There were a lot of people out walking with babies and dogs.
We saw white pelicans, egrets, and Jeanne and Muff spotted a river otter. We enjoyed looking at the holiday tree decorated with ornaments placed on it by people passing by.
The day was dry with a light drizzle early on that made the paved trail a little slippery. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch at Bagel Street Cafe.
It was a nice ending to 2011.
December 30, 2011 at 6:20 am · Filed under Cooking Group
SRVNC Annual Cookie Exchange
Twelve SRVNC Members were able to attend the Annual Cookie Exchange graciously hosted by Marilynn Hoffman in her fully Holiday decorated home.
It was nice to see Sharon M. again. We tasted multiple chocolate chip versions, peanut butter cookie candy bars, chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, pecan cookies, oatmeal chewies, cranberry spirals, red velvet bars, pizzelles, tea cakes and adorable little reindeer nose pretzel candies.
Cindy Inloes made the “reindeer noses” with various flavors of hershey kisses placed on top of pretzel rounds, slightly melted in a microwave oven and then pressed down with a colorful m&m for the nose.
We enjoyed the variety with coffee or tea and conversation. Later, we all left on sugar highs, wishing all a wonderful holiday season.
December 15, 2011 at 7:29 am · Filed under Wine Club
Tamas Estates, Wente Vineyards, Rios-Lovell Winery and McGrail Vineyards
The wine appreciation group celebrated the season in the Livermore Valley Wine Country by visiting four wineries that included Tamas Estates, Wente Vineyards, Rios-Lovell Winery and McGrail Vineyards & Winery. We met at the Alcosta Park & Ride and car-pooled together so we could have a limited number of designated drivers…if you know what I mean.
Most every location was packed as this was the weekend for the annual “Holidays in the Vineyards” celebration in Livermore. On our way to the first Winery we passed by the downtown park where a large number of people had gathered and they were having all kinds of fun events, even man-made snow for the kids to play on. We finished the tour at McGrail Winery where a band was playing and they had lots of vendors selling Christmas & other merchandise.
“And you could hear us proclaim as we flew out of sight, a fun time was had by all and to all a good night!”
December 15, 2011 at 7:18 am · Filed under Hiking Club
Here are 2 photos of Cull Canyon, first one show’s the mostly shaded area with Shirley and Pat. The second one is the walk up the open area before we turned around with Jackie, Carol, Barbara, Jeanne, Pat and Shirley.

December 15, 2011 at 7:08 am · Filed under Recipes
Fresh Yams Baked in Orange Sauce (Favorite Recipes II, Sunset, page 96)
4 lbs yams
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 tlbs cornstarch
1 tsp salt
2 cups orange juice
4 tlbs butter or margarine
1 ½ tsp grated orange peel
1 orange, thinly sliced
Peeled yams cut into ½ in thick slices, discarding thin ends. Overlapping slices, arrange in rows in a shallow 3 quart casserole or baking dish; Set aside.
In a small pan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt; stir in orange juice until well blended. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens and becomes clear (about 1 minute).
Remove from heat, add butter and orange peel, and stir until butter is melted. Pour over yams. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and baste tops of yams thoroughly with sauce.
Continue baking, uncovered, basting with sauce several more times, for 15 minutes or until yams are tender when pierced and tops are well glazed. Garnish with orange slices.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.
December 9, 2011 at 12:46 pm · Filed under Bunco
Bunco Dinner Party
A delicious, dinner party for Bunco 1 was hosted by Anita and Tina on Wednesday Dec 7th. regulars and subs were invited to Anita’s beautiful new home where we enjoyed a ham dinner with all the trimmings.
top row: Susan, Bobbi, Audrey, Sharon
middle row: Tina, Marian, Jo, Paula, Fran
first row: Anita, Mary, Gale, Judie, Myrna

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