Author Archives: PlumpJack

Conversations with Hilary: Lee Woodruff, Novelist & CBS contributor


What do you believe to be your greatest accomplishment?I know this is going to sound cheesy—but honestly- – turning out four (so far) great kids who are empathetic, kind, happy and respectful is my greatest achievement. It’s a tough world out there and some of the things I hold most dear are under attack in this culture of sleaze and shame and sexting and…. Well…. Don’t get me started. So im proud of the fact that I nagged them to death about looking people in the eye and writing thank you notes.

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Conversations with Hilary: Andy Wirth, CEO Squaw Valley

What do you believe to be your greatest accomplishment?

“My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.” Winston Churchill. Mr. Churchill and I have this in common. I most certainly “married up.”

Do you have a prized possession(s)?

Two “possessions;” however, while these are material things that are “prized” to me, they’re value has nothing to do with their monetary value, as they have deep meaning, soul, sound and carry with them (both) a great number of very powerful memories.

One, I have a custom made saddle, chaps, spurs and bridle that are holdovers from my days of working with horses at my ranch back in Colorado. The saddle is a slick fork working saddle that is what I think to be the perfect saddle for working with horses and working cattle. The saddle, spur straps and bridle were made by a legendary saddle maker out of Oregon. My other prized possession is a custom made K24ce Taylor Guitar, made of Koa wood. It sounds remarkable – perfect – and is, simply put, beautiful.

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Conversations with Hilary: Designer Ken Fulk

San Francisco Designer Ken Fulk

What do you believe to be your greatest accomplishment?

My 21-year relationship with my husband, Kurt.

Do you have a prized possession? What?

I would say my most prized possession

is our brood of golden retrievers. We’ve had many – currently Delilah and Hubbell are the beasts that rule our lives.

What do you love about yourself?

I’m loyal.

What do you think others love about you?

I’m loyal.

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Punch Drunk Love for Party Cocktails

Dickens drinks punch

Christmas is a time for parties… sharing, gift-giving and more parties. If you want to impress your friends with a delicious libation they won’t soon forget, look no further than the classic punch! Punch is just a general term for a wide assortment of drinks that generally contain fruit or fruit juice. Since they do not necessarily need to contain

alcohol, you can easily create festive and seasonal drinks appropriate for all ages, and because you make them in large quantities, they are perfect for parties where your time is better spent hosting your guests than constantly making drinks!

Origins of the drink can be traced back to India where it was later introduced to England in the early seventeenth century by sailors and employees of the British East India Company. The word punch is derived from the Hindi word panch (meaning five). Traditionally it was made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, lemon, water and tea or spices. After that it spread like wildfire throughout the rest of Europe. Originally it was made with a wine or brandy base, but around the mid 1600s Jamaican rum came into use and the

modern punch was born.

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Conversations with Hilary: Lori Puccinelli (the Pooch)

Conversations with Hilary kicks off with the first installation featuring her best friend and well-known San Francisco PR maven, Lori Puccinelli Stern, also known as “The Pooch.” Lori is a fifth-generation San Franciscan who has successfully navigated PR, events and marketing in San Francisco and beyond for more than 20 years. She now works with GlodowNead Public Relations specializing in keeping her clients happy – because when Lori is running the show, “It’s All Good.”

HN: What do you believe to be your greatest accomplishment?

LP: Marrying my husband Peter Aiken Stern – AKA: Peaches (“Petey Peaches” was Peter’s nickname as a child because of his love of peaches). When his former and fellow CAL Berkeley and USA Water Polo teammates found out during his college years – let’s just say…it stuck and to this day, most everyone calls my husband “Peaches” or some variation of it.

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Chef Wyatt Gets Cookin’ this Thanksgiving

Chef Wyatt cooks up some pizza in the wood fired oven

PlumpJack Cafe’s Executive Chef Ben “Wyatt” Dufresne shares his secrets of his perfect Thanksgiving and what he plans on doing with the leftovers. Learn more about Chef Wyatt and the PlumpJack Cafe here.

Where do you usually spend Thanksgiving?

I either spend it with my family back East in Vermont or upstate New York, or at my house in Reno.This year it’ll be at my house with some friends, my sister and my wife.

Do you have any time-saving techniques that you’d like to share?

This is the only holiday of the year I have off so I like starting early and going big.

I’ll start prepping days in advance so I just have to bake the turkey and reheat some sides day of.This way I can enjoy our company and relax!

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Spring Fashion Trends are on the Horizon

Get it while it’s cool out. Trina Turk’s Heavenly Jacket now available.

It’s hard to imagine spring trends as we transition into cooler weather, but we can’t help but seek further sunshine in the spring months around the corner and the fashion that comes with them. The PlumpJackSportteam is excited about what’s to come for spring,
after our buying trip in New York. Three trends we’re seeing that you should be thinking about too:

  • Printed bottoms – whether its shorts or pants, fun prints on your lower half make any spring outfit pop.
  • Lace – a classic fabric with a feminine feel. Lace makes its way on flowy tops, as well as dresses and maxi skirts for spring.
  • Pastel – soft colors will be seen on anoraks, pleated blouses and soft dresses and are great tones to incorporate into your wardrobe color palette.

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Our Tahoe Top Five in Fall Things to Do

Fall is filled with new beginnings – children starting a new school year, teenagers going off to college, and the start of the harvest season. But just because summer is over doesn’t mean the fun has to end. Lake Tahoe is the perfect fall vacation getaway to enjoy the beauty of nature away from the stresses of daily life. Here are our Top Five this Fall:

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