WAM! Wine, Appetizers, Music @ Washington Square in Bellevue, WA

Just getting started, first guests of about 80, arrive. Grand Cru Wine Bar & Shop pours wine and sparkling wines, New World reds and old world reds......guests are able to order the wines they tasted and liked.

View down from The Loft @ Washington Square residences, looking south.

Mari, and Scott were "drafted" to help, and tasted some new, exciting wines in the process!

Geoffrey Castle, speaks to a fan......what a nice (& talented guy!). What beautiful music he plays!

Rob-Grand Cru WIne, Wesley & Hanna-Amato Catering.

Appetizers by
Amato Catering
Rustic Tuscan &
Northern Italian Flavor

Live music by
Geoffrey Castle
National Recording Artist
Electric Six-string Violinist

Wine provided by
Grand Cru Wine
Bar & Shop

It’s a party! Surprise Shrimp, & a couple of ladies from the neighborhood!

Jennie and Savannah Klein add spice to our impromptu seafood feast, thanks for helping Scott, Savannah! Scott made a unplanned trip to Port Angeles and brought home super fresh shellfish.

HANGER ONE Raspberry & St. Rosa Plum Juice Cocktail

Went plum picking with my Mother at her friend Betsy's house in Factoria/Bellevue. These ladies are docents at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens and really know how to make things grow! We have been lucky enough to be able to pick Betsy's trees for about three years now. St. Rosa Plum & Hanger One Raspberry Vodka Martini

1.5-2 oz. Hanger One Raspberry Vodka

(if you can't find it, replace with other berry vodka

2oz. Fresh lime juice, simple sugar & St. Rosa plum juice

Pour into Martini shaker half filled with ice and shake 30 seconds

Pour into pretty martini glass and garnish with mint or fresh raspsberry on a cocktail pick.

Note:

To juice the plums, bring pitted plums to a boil in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Stir, on and off for 10 minutes, turn off heat. Cool. Pour into cone shaped sieve-chinois, let run freely, then press until plup is medium dry. This will give you great thin juice for the martini and you can still use the remaining plup and juice to make St. Rosa plum sorbet. Here is a recipe, but I just use 2.5 cups plup & juice and a Cusinart ice cream maker, put the plup in, and turn it on. I drizzle the sugar in, put in a pinch of salt and then a 1/4 cup milk or half and half. In 30 minutes, if you time it right while eating dinner, you have this great sorbet, semi-soft from the ice cream maker!

You may use Purple Prun Plums, (this is a purple plum cake recipe I love) they come later at the end of summer, or black berries......these produce the most wonderful color drink or sorbet!