Mouthful: Paws for Love features furry artists

Paws for Love Celebrates 15th Anniversary: On Saturday night, Feb. 8, from 6 to 10 p.m. the Finley Community Center (2060 West College Ave., Santa Rosa), will be filled with animal lovers buying animal-created art and celebrating the success of one woman's tender vision.

One day more than 15 years ago, Ellyn Boone was inspired by her pup's footprints. That inspiration spawned a series of paintings that Boone completed with shelter animals.

She rented an empty store front in Healdsburg, hoping to make a few hundred dollars that she could donate to a local animal group. Sale of the paintings yielded a whopping $11,000 and the Paws for Love Gala Auction and Foundation were born.

All these years later, the foundation has helped thousands of animals throughout the country.

It supports spay and neuter clinics and senior-to-senior pet adoptions, funds emergency surgeries and more, all with funds raised at the annual auction and gala, along with a few other events.

"Only in Sonoma County," Boone often says of her labor of love.

The gala features nearly 100 framed paintings created by animals using their paws, tails and whiskers, along with passed appetizers, wine, a live auction, a raffle for a cruise and more, including a tarot card reader and a chance to meet adoptable animals.

This year, wines will be donated by Kenwood, Mutt Lynch and Pedroncelli.

Advance tickets are $40 and $50 at the door. You can find them at www.pawsforlove.info and at a variety of locations throughout Sonoma County, including Western Farm Center (21 West Seventh St., Santa Rosa), and Fideaux (43 North St., Healdsburg).

Shed Supper: On Thursday, Feb. 6, chef Colleen McGlynn of DaVero teams up with two friends, San Francisco chef Loretta Keller of Coco500 and Angelo Garro of Renaissance Forge for a four-course winter dinner, which gets started at 6 p.m.

This is a great opportunity for fans of McGlynn -#8212; she is a longtime favorite chef -#8212; who may not have many chances to enjoy her cooking and also a perfect opportunity to savor Keller's kitchen genius without driving into the city.

As of press time, the evening's menu was not finalized but dishes under consideration include seared scallops with celeriac, DaVero Meyer Lemon Oil and Buddha's Hand citrus; Garro's handmade pasta with wild mustard greens; braised lamb shanks with Moroccan spices, roasted winter squash, mint and preserved lemons and bittersweet chocolate cake with candied kumquats, caramel and Chantilly cream.

Cost is $75 per person. For tickets, visit healdsburgshed.com or stop by Shed at 25 North St., Healdsburg.

Red's Apple Roadhouse Grand Opening: Red's Apple Roadhouse (4550 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol) opened quietly in what most recently was Henweigh Cafe.

Now it's hosting a grand opening celebration, this Friday, Jan. 31, from 5 to 8 p.m. There will be discounts on Lagunitas brews, along with barbecue, prizes and general fun.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday and for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

Breakfast and lunch menus are not yet posted on the website but the dinner menu features burgers, sandwiches, entrees like fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, along with soups, salads and hearty sides, like macaroni and cheese.

If you hail from Kentucky, you may be thrilled to find Hot Brown -#8212; an open-faced sandwich of mashed potatoes, roast turkey, cheese and gravy -#8212; among the selections.

There's a pastrami sandwich available, too, and we intend to find out soon if it is the real thing. Flying to New York City to satisfy a pastrami jones at Katz's Deli is so impractical.

Still Got Olives: Don "Olive Don" Landis is hosting a free workshop on Sunday at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards (24724 Arnold Dr., Sonoma). In his popular workshops, Landis offers all the details you need to cure your olives -#8212; i.e., get rid of their natural bitterness -#8212; without using lye. The workshop is followed by a tasting of olives, with cheese and crackers alongside.

If you'd like to stick around afterward, the Olive Mill, located at the winery, will offer a tour of the mill and host a tasting of their olive oils. Participants will receive a discount on wines purchased in the tasting room.

The workshop is free but you must make a reservation by calling 931-7575.

Bodega Lambs: In mid-January, Bodega Land Trust hosted a Lambing Walk at Bodega Pastures, the first event of its 2014 Walks and Talks series.

That walk was so popular and successful that they've added another, taking place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Space is limited, so if you want to join in email walks@bodegalandtrust.org right away. If there is room, you'll receive directions by return email.