After-Christmas sail

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, even though we didn't have Courtney, Dave, Cody and Alex visit us. Courtney is new to her marketing director job, so she has no vacation time saved up. It's so cool her career is going so well. Dave's business is also flourishing -- he did especially well after a freak wind storm last year that downed trees all over the area. Why is it we only succeed in this family through the misfortune of others? My freelance career is also going well because so many people have been laid off, and in this case I actually know the people.

Anyway, back to Christmas, Rob and I made one of the greatest discoveries since we moved here -- a source for USDA prime meat. Forget the "cattleman's reserve ranch" or whatever the supermarkets are calling their saline-injected shoe leather, any beef aficionado will tell you, the best beef is that graded by the United States Department of Agriculture. Prime beef is the best you can buy, but by and large it's unavailable in Southern California. When I wrote my food column, I would commiserate with other transplants who knew their beef about the lack of USDA prime beef.

Rob was reading the LA Times when he noticed an ad for Hows Market for aged prime rib roast for $8.95 a pound. I had passed a Hows Market when I went to the food writing course and had seen a Hows, I dimly recalled. This was such a good deal, we started to look to see where the closest Hows was to us when I noticed there was a Hows in Malibu. In fact, it was on the side of Malibu that's closer to Ventura County, in the Trancas Center. We happened to have an appointment in L.A. for Rob's eye and we were passing right by.

Now we have a great source of USDA prime meat, which is cool,and Hows has pretty reasonable prices on other items. It's worth the drive on the PCH.

We had Ryan, Lindsay and Rob's nephews,Sean and his wife Gen, Duncan and his girlfriend Mary and Colin and his lady Tracy, along with Rob's brother and sister-in-law Marilyn, along with Dena and Dena's mom patty. Dave, one of Lindsay's friends came over too.

I ended up making way more food than I'd planned. We had to travel all over town to find my goose -- a real wild goose chase. Then we had the 8 pound roast, so we could have our traditional beef roast, goose, Yorkshire pudding, asparagus parsleyed potatoes Christmas Eve dinner. The next day, Christmas, people were still wanting food, so I was able to snag a $9 dollar ham at the only open Vons and make some potatoes gratin, which I served with some store-bought rolls, canned beans and salad. All the meals were great.

Dena's mom Patty was out the door Christmas morning when her car broke down, so she ended up staying the night. unfortunately she decided she missed her dogs Titan and Stash, who've been living with us since August, so she took them back to Lompoc with her. We've really grown attached to these dogs and they have formed a pack with our little guys, so we're all a bit sad. You know the old saying: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished ...

Friday Rick, Marilyn, Kaia, Rob and I went to the beach so Rick could look at tidal pools. We went for lunch first and had a great time catching up. Kaia was really cute. she and Marilyn came over a couple of days before to make some Christmas cookies, but Kaia was cranky because she was fighting off a cold. This time she was just her normal sweet, funny self. She, Rob and Rick spent a bunch of time outside playing with a flying bug-thing I got for Rob for Christmas so he'd have something fun.

I got to talk to Courtney and the boys and we talked to them over the web cam today. I'm really excited about visiting them, although I'm apprehensive because flying is really really uncomfortable. Plus there's the whole artificial knee thing with security, which means I need extra time. Nope. I'm not looking forward to the trip at all.

Pre-holiday catchup

We have all the Christmas stuff up and are in the final countdowns to Christmas. Courtney, Dave and the boys couldn't make it out this year, but I'm going back to Dayton for a week after Christmas. Rob still has some inflammation in his eye and increased eye pressure, so flying probably isn't the best idea.

I have a lot more work for the Ventura County Star these days, especially because they just laid off a bunch of people. I'm not exactly comfortable that someone else's pain is my gain, but it's not as though I'm taking anything from anyone. And with the economic uncertainty being what it is these day, no one is blaming anyone for doing what they can to make a living.

I'm loving doing stories and taking pictures. Tomorrow, I'm off to see a group that plays kazoos and other instruments for seniors. I love doing senior stories. I've always enjoyed them, but now as I get closer and closer to my subject's age, I just seem to enjoy them, and their stories, more.

We had our Christmas concerts last weekend with the Ventura Master Chorale. It's turned out to be everything I'd hoped for and more. I just love having music back in my life. I'm also having a lot of fun getting "The Voice" back in shape. I read a bunch of stuff about Maria Kallas a long time ago, and she referred to her voice as "the Voice," almost like it was a third person. Sometimes I feel the same way about mine, although it does seem awfully conceited. I'm in no way comparing myself to Maria Kallas, although I do call her Tia Maria because she's a distant relative (by marriage), just to be pretentious. (Actually I only do that around Rob.)

Nonetheless, there are time when I feel my voice is an entity unto itself and it pretty much wants to do what it wants to do. Last weekend, however, it was behaving and I was able to go full-voice for the first time in a really long time. It felt so great. It's not something I can do often because my full voice can only be trotted out under very special circumstances. Otherwise it's an painful,ugly and very loud noise.

Singing Christmas music was such a treat this year. I got to sing at the San Buenaventura Mission, which was super-cool, and the St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, which has a really nice chapel.

Lindsay and Ryan are coping with their PTSD issues as best they can, with help. Lindsay has and Ryan have been hanging around more, which makes me very happy. In fact, at the risk of angering the jealous gods, I'm pretty happy these days and it's always important to celebrate the good times because they help get you through those times that aren't so great. I like to store away happy memories like a squirrel. They come in very handy when my head is racing with problems and fears.

Thanksgiving leftovers

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We had Kim and Dennis and Lindsay and Ryan over (you really have to refer to married couples and blank and blank, even when listing with others). We were everybody's second dinner, which meant a lot of "give me a tiny bite of ..." and tons and tons of leftovers, but everybody had fun. And no one ate all of Dena's food, something that's happened in years past, which she's never forgotten, apparently.

Rob and I got the house clean -- well Rob did the cleaning, and I did the decorating. We have been making our Thanksgiving centerpiece out of a pumpkin every year since Rob first saw the idea on Martha. I still love how it looks. Lindsay proclaimed my "tablescape" much better than Sandra Lee's, which she said are too fussy. Lindsay has had too much time to sit around and realize how nice it is to sit around.

I'm now writing the weekly farmers market column for the Ventura County Star. I'll post the link when it's published. This is a labor of love for me, so I'm super-excited. I'm also getting a lot more work from the Star because they had to resort to layoffs. It's hard because I know the people who have been laid off and I hate benefiting from other people's misfortune. But the whole economy is in such turmoil and we each have to grab whatever we can.

Nonetheless, it was a Thanksgiving full of thanks this year for us. We made it through some bad stuff, but with any luck, we're on the track to being OK, which is a lot more than many of my friends can say. And whatever good fortune we get, we'll be sure to share as much as we can.

Trina's corn salad

I actually have a bunch of stuff that's backed up that I haven't gotten around to blogging.

Trina, Ryan's sister, got married last weekend in Big Bear. she invited Rob and me, but we couldn't go. I did, however, find out that I'd been volunteered to "help with the food" by Lindsay. But Lindsay and I have two completely different ideas of what "helping with the food" means.

Basically they needed a side dish to an eclectic menu that included empanadas. So I decided on a corn salad with chipotle/honey dressing. I wanted it to be served in individual portions nestled in bibb lettuce cups.

So I went out and bought about 20-plus packages of shucked corn and microwaved them, two at a time (wrap wet ear of corn in plastic wrap and microwave for one minute, then turn and microwave for an addition 50 seconds. Let sit for at least 5 minutes).

I then had to cut the kernels off of each year. I combined the corn with chopped peppers of assorted colors. It was a really tasty side dish, and Lindsay and Dorothy Guzik said it was a hit.

Corn and pepper salad with feta and chipotle/honey dressing

4 ears of corn, cooked as detailed above
1 bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Chipotle/honey dressing

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon pureed chipotle with adobo
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey

Mix everything together using an immersible blender.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

I've been searching for years for the perfect chocolate chip recipe and I've hit on what -- for me -- comes out the very best. I like a thin, crisp buttery cookie with a soft, goo-y interior.

I recently tried one of Cook's Illustrated test recipes for chocolate chip cookies and it needed improvement IMO. This recipe is the result of years of testing and reading. And, for me, it came out exactly the way I wanted it to.

Chocolate chip cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli, which are amazing)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Heat oven to 375. Melt butter by cutting in pieces and melting in heatproof bowl (I use my 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup). Cool butter for about 5 minutes. Mix together in separate bowl flour, baking soda and salt using a whisk, to fluff and mix. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and flavorings and mix thoroughly. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Scoop by mounded teaspoon onto Silpat covered baking sheets. Cook for four minutes on middle rack of oven, one sheet at a time. Turn cookie sheet around and put back into oven for another 4 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes after removing for oven, then place on cooking rack.

UPDATE: I took a plate of cookies to choir practice and they were DEVOURED. after the first one was gone, the rest disappeared faster than a 401K.

Busy bee

I've been pretty busy lately. The Star announced layoffs and while that totally sucks for everyone involved, it means more work for me. Anyway here's a recent article I wrote for the Star. I'm putting my original version and linking to the online version.

We actually had a photographer come over and take pictures of the food. It was funny because Kaia was also coming over and Sean dropped him off. Sean knows all of the Star photogs seeing as he's a videographer for KEYT news, so they said hi. I think Rob Varela (the star photog) was surprised, as people often are that we're related (the same last name would seem to be a clue -- especially because it's pretty unusual).

And on the Lindsay and Ryan front, Ryan's immediate physical wounds have healed, but they're grappling with the horrible PTSD aspects of any violent act. I wish them both the best. I'm just now becoming more able to drive loger distances without taking a Xanax, and I can still freak pretty easily, so I know how hard it can be.

Five meals under $15
By Anne Kallas
No one has to tell you that the hard-earned food dollar doesn’t go as far as it once did, even a year ago. So when the commercials come on TV for fried chicken meals or pizza deals that can be had on the cheap, it’s probably tempting to pile the spouse and the kids into the car and head for the greasy bucket or checkered tablecloth. Not so fast. Now maybe the commercials make you think there’s no way you can throw together a delicious nutritious meal without having to hand-print a “Will work for food” sign, but advertisers can be wrong.
Here are some family favorites that use inexpensive ingredients, along with some money-saving tips:
• Never pay more than $6 for meat. This means a lot of looking, but it can be done.
• Look for in-store specials. Since meat is highly perishable, keep an eye out for sell-by dates, especially with chickens. You can find $.67- to $.99- a pound whole chickens, if you know when to shop. If you notice a big pile of chickens, look for the sell-by date and stop back at the store then and nab one, or two – if you’re having company.
• Don’t forget Hispanic markets. They often have some of the best deals on meats and produce around. They are staffed with butchers who will cut your meat to order.
• Be willing to cherry-pick your stores. With gas prices going down, it’s worth it to shop at a number of stores. Trader Joe’s is great for cheese, butter and eggs. The big grocery chains advertise, so pick up the flyers and look for sales. If you belong to a super-savings warehouse store like Sam’s and Costco, swing by to pick up paper items and other supplies you know you will use in quantity – pet food, cereals. Don’t forget milk and other dairy items that don’t necessarily have to be bought in such huge quantities.
• Go to the farmer’s market. I pick up locally grown organic lettuce for $1.50 a head from by buddy B.D. Dautch of Earthtrine Farms up in Ojai. There’s something very satisfying about picking up leeks that are almost as big as baseball bats for only a couple of dollars.

Beefy spaghetti ala Bolognese
(Costs $9.04 , add $1.49 for bread and $.50 for Parmesan cheese, if using)
4 pieces bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
11/3 pounds ground beef (get the more inexpensive, fattier meat. You’re going to drain excess grease and the meat will be more flavorful).
1 onion, chopped into ¼ inch pieces,
3 large carrots peeled and diced into ¼ inch pieces
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leave
1 tablespoon oregano
Thyme
2 large cans crushed tomatoes with puree
½ cup red wine
¾ cup milk
Salt to taste
1 pound spaghetti, prepared as directed on package
Cut bacon into ½-inch pieces and brown in a ceramic-covered Dutch oven. When bacon is browned add ground beef and brown. When all the meat is browned, about 5 minutes, drain off excess fat. Add chopped onions and carrots and start to cook until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and cook until the garlic in fragrant, about a minute or so. Add herbs and cans of tomatoes and stir. Add wine and milk. Taste before salting, often the bacon will leave the sauce salty enough. Cook on low simmer for at least three hours. You can also make the mixture up to this point and put it in a Crockpot for the day. Because of the tomatoes and carrots, a side salad isn’t necessary, although you can serve one if you like. This makes a ton of sauce. Divide in half and freeze half for another day before adding 1 pound cooked spaghetti to the pot and stir until pasta and sauce are mixed together. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side, if you want. I serve my spaghetti with garlic bread, which I make from the large French loaves ($1.49). I slice the bread into about 1-inch pieces and slather on butter and garlic powder. I wrap it up in aluminum foil and cook at 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Pounded pork cutlets and chorizo collard greens
(Cost $11.30)
Boneless pork, whatever’s cheapest. Boneless loin chops work well, as do any “country-style’ ribs
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons canola oil
Pound each piece of pork between two pieces of plastic wrap until about a ¼-inch thick. Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbes de Provence and onion and garlic powder on a plate. Spread thin layer of mayonnaise on each side of the pounded meat and dredge in the bread crumb mixture until the meat is covered. Heat 3 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet and place meat in heated skillet. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides.

Collard greens
1 package prepared collard greens
½ package chorizo
Chicken broth
Remove casings from chorizo and brown in the bottom of a ceramic-covered Dutch oven. Drain excess grease if necessary – you want some grease for the greens, but not too much. Add collard greens and cook until starting to wilt. Add about a cup of chicken stock and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
*Best fried chicken ever (*if you don’t believe me, I’ll make you some)
(Meal with cole slaw costs $11.26)
2 cups canola oil
1 whole chicken cut up or one family-size package of drumsticks
2 cups white whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur flour, which makes the best fried chicken IMO)
Lawrys seasoned salt
Ground black pepper
2 cups milk
This chicken will be an immediate family favorite. I try to make enough so I have leftovers for the following recipe, but if you have a hungry family, they may eat everything, like mine did. Heat ½ to ¾ inches oil in an electric skillet set at 350-degrees. Cut up a whole chicken into 10 pieces or just take the drumsticks and place in a shallow plastic storage container with milk or buttermilk, which adds a little extra flavor. Place flour, Lawry’s seasoning salt and black pepper in a clean paper bag (save the outer bags when you get a grocery order double-bagged, or ask for an unused paper bag). Drop milk-coated chicken pieces in the bag and shake (carefully, the more pieces you have the more the bag will want to tear). Place coated chicken pieces in hot oil and cook 15 minutes on a side. Drain on a paper-towel covered plate. Serve with homemade coleslaw

Homemade coleslaw
1 head green cabbage, sliced into strips using a mandolin or a knife
1 cup Miracle Whip sandwich spread
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients together. It’s tastier the longer it sits.

Chicken tacos ole
(Costs $8.07)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Leftover chicken skinned and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 package seasoned corn and black beans (this often comes with tomatoes, peppers and onions)
Taco shells
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Taco or hot sauce
Skin leftover chicken and remove meat from the bones and shred it. Heat oil in a skillet and add meat and spices and onion and garlic powder. Add seasoned corn and black beans. Cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Heat taco shells in oven according to package directions. Set out the shredded lettuce (I finely cut whatever lettuce I have in the refrigerator), shells, hot sauce and sour cream. Let the family built their own tacos.

Potato leek soup with toasty cheese sandwiches
(Costs $12.32)
2 large leeks sliced into ¼ inch rings and cleaned
4 to 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into large 1-inch pieces
Chicken stock
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Jalapeno pepper minced
Loaf of sturdy rustic bread, sliced
Cheese, what do you like? Cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, Monterey jack, Colby
Clean the leeks by cutting into rings and placing into large container or sink full of water. Fish the rings out and drain on paper towels, leaving the grit behind. Place in ceramic-covered Dutch oven, along with potato pieces and one quart of chicken stock. Add salt and pepper to taste, but be careful many stocks already have lots of salt, so you may want to hold off. Add jalapeno peppers to taste. Simmer on stove for about 30 to 45 minutes. Using an immersable blender, blend soup until creamy. Serve hot.
To make the sandwiches, cut bread into ½ -inch pieces and add cheese. Spray the outsides of the bread with aerosol olive oil and toast in a medium-hot skillet, flipping once until both sides are browned and cheese is melted.

Accounting:
(All items were priced/purchased at Von’s and Ralph’s in Ventura in mid-October)
Beefy spaghetti ala Bolognese
4 pieces bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces $0.75
1 pounds ground beef (get the more inexpensive, fattier meat. You’re going to drain excess grease and the meat will be more flavorful). $4.71 for 1.35 pounds at $3.49 a pound.
1 onion, chopped into ¼ inch pieces, $0.89
3 large carrots peeled and diced into ¼ inch pieces $0.74
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced $0.06
1 bay leave $0.18
Oregano $0.18
Thyme $0.18
2 large cans crushed tomatoes with puree, $2.99 for 28 ounces
½ cup red wine $0.25 (1/2 cup Charles Shaw merlot aka Two-buck Chuck)
¾ cup milk $0.15
Salt to taste
Spaghetti $0.99 a pound, if it’s on sale
Pounded pork cutlets and chorizo collard greens
Boneless pork, whatever’s cheapest. Boneless loin chops work well, as do any “country-style’ ribs $4.28 for 1.43 pounds
Bread crumbs $0.31
Parmesan cheese $.50
Herbes de Provence $0.36
Mayonnaise $0.15
Garlic powder $0.18
Onion powder $.18
Collard greens
1 package prepared collard greens $3.69
½ package chorizo $1.09
Chicken broth $1.99
2 cups canola oil. $1.00 (savings tip, keep leftover grease, drained of any flour or other solids, in a jar and re-use)
*Best fried chicken ever (*if you don’t believe me, I’ll make you some)
1 whole chicken cut up or one family-size package of drumsticks $5.45
White whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur flour, which makes the best fried chicken IMO) $0.49
Lawrys seasoned salt $.025
Ground black pepper $0.25
Milk $0.40
Homemade coleslaw
1 cup Miracle Whip sandwich spread $1.88
1 tablespoon sugar $.02
1 teaspoon black pepper $0.25
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) $0.02
1 tablespoon cider vinegar $0.06
1 head green cabbage, sliced into strips using a mandolin or a knife $1.19
Mix the first five ingredients together until you have a smooth dressing and toss with the cabbage. You can also add shredded carrots if you have some leftover from making the Spaghetti Bolognese. It’s tastier the longer it sits.

Chicken tacos ole
2 tablespoons canola oil $.04
Leftover chicken skinned and cut into small pieces
Chile powder $0.37
Ground cumin $0.37
Dried coriander $0.37
Garlic powder $0.37
Onion powder $0.37
1 package seasoned corn and black beans (this often comes with tomatoes, peppers and onions) $2.49
Taco shells $1.39 (10 jumbo)
Shredded lettuce $0.24
Cheese $1.25
Sour cream $0.75
Taco or hot sauce $0.10

Potato leek soup with toasty cheese sandwiches
2 large leeks sliced into ¼ inch rings and cleaned $2.99
4 to 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into large 1-inch pieces $1.74
Chicken stock $1.99
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Jalapeno pepper minced $0.50
Olive oil spray $0.10
Loaf of sturdy rustic bread, sliced $1.49 (Von’s whole wheat French bread)
Cheese, what do you like? cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, Monterey jack, colby $3.50

Nutrition Facts
Spaghetti ala Bolognese
8 Servings


Amount Per Serving

Calories 407.1

Total Fat 22.5 g

Saturated Fat 9.0 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g

Monounsaturated Fat 9.6 g

Cholesterol 67.8 mg

Sodium 185.6 mg

Potassium 428.2 mg

Total Carbohydrate 27.6 g

Dietary Fiber 2.8 g

Sugars 3.1 g

Protein 18.4 g


Vitamin A 41.7 %

Vitamin B-12 33.8 %

Vitamin B-6 16.8 %

Vitamin C 12.3 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 2.4 %

Calcium 8.0 %

Copper 9.5 %

Folate 17.0 %

Iron 19.9 %

Magnesium 10.2 %

Manganese 27.7 %

Niacin 26.8 %

Pantothenic Acid 5.3 %

Phosphorus 17.4 %

Riboflavin 14.0 %

Selenium 36.6 %

Thiamin 16.0 %

Zinc 22.3 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.








Nutrition Facts
Pounded pork cutlets
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 745.9

Total Fat 43.0 g

Saturated Fat 13.9 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 7.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 18.7 g

Cholesterol 205.1 mg

Sodium 773.8 mg

Potassium 894.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.7 g

Dietary Fiber 0.7 g

Sugars 0.8 g

Protein 75.2 g


Vitamin A 4.8 %

Vitamin B-12 28.5 %

Vitamin B-6 46.5 %

Vitamin C 4.9 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 14.4 %

Calcium 43.5 %

Copper 10.4 %

Folate 6.9 %

Iron 20.4 %

Magnesium 17.3 %

Manganese 6.9 %

Niacin 66.0 %

Pantothenic Acid 17.8 %

Phosphorus 72.7 %

Riboflavin 44.4 %

Selenium 155.4 %

Thiamin 145.3 %

Zinc 38.6 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.








Nutrition Facts
Collard greens with chorizo
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 288.2

Total Fat 22.5 g

Saturated Fat 8.4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.2 g

Monounsaturated Fat 10.7 g

Cholesterol 50.5 mg

Sodium 1,100.3 mg

Potassium 393.2 mg

Total Carbohydrate 3.6 g

Dietary Fiber 1.3 g

Sugars 0.2 g

Protein 17.3 g


Vitamin A 48.0 %

Vitamin B-12 21.0 %

Vitamin B-6 18.6 %

Vitamin C 21.2 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 4.8 %

Calcium 6.1 %

Copper 6.1 %

Folate 15.9 %

Iron 6.8 %

Magnesium 3.7 %

Manganese 12.4 %

Niacin 22.9 %

Pantothenic Acid 7.6 %

Phosphorus 12.6 %

Riboflavin 14.5 %

Selenium 19.8 %

Thiamin 25.4 %

Zinc 14.0 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.








Nutrition Facts
Best fried chicken ever
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 408.6

Total Fat 9.5 g

Saturated Fat 3.4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 g

Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g

Cholesterol 73.6 mg

Sodium 5,352.3 mg

Potassium 263.0 mg

Total Carbohydrate 52.8 g

Dietary Fiber 8.6 g

Sugars 6.2 g

Protein 31.3 g


Vitamin A 6.2 %

Vitamin B-12 5.3 %

Vitamin B-6 21.0 %

Vitamin C 2.3 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 0.2 %

Calcium 17.7 %

Copper 5.2 %

Folate 1.6 %

Iron 12.6 %

Magnesium 7.8 %

Manganese 15.1 %

Niacin 36.8 %

Pantothenic Acid 8.8 %

Phosphorus 16.2 %

Riboflavin 7.8 %

Selenium 20.2 %

Thiamin 4.6 %

Zinc 9.1 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.







Nutrition Facts
Homemade cole slaw
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 165.2

Total Fat 12.1 g

Saturated Fat 2.0 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 6.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g

Cholesterol 0.0 mg

Sodium 989.6 mg

Potassium 120.0 mg

Total Carbohydrate 14.1 g

Dietary Fiber 1.2 g

Sugars 7.4 g

Protein 0.7 g


Vitamin A 1.2 %

Vitamin B-12 0.0 %

Vitamin B-6 2.2 %

Vitamin C 24.1 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 0.3 %

Calcium 2.4 %

Copper 0.9 %

Folate 4.8 %

Iron 2.5 %

Magnesium 2.1 %

Manganese 5.5 %

Niacin 0.7 %

Pantothenic Acid 0.6 %

Phosphorus 1.1 %

Riboflavin 1.2 %

Selenium 0.6 %

Thiamin 1.5 %

Zinc 0.6 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.








Nutrition Facts
Chicken tacos ole
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 634.4

Total Fat 28.9 g

Saturated Fat 8.2 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 7.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 10.1 g

Cholesterol 114.4 mg

Sodium 505.8 mg

Potassium 802.8 mg

Total Carbohydrate 59.2 g

Dietary Fiber 10.1 g

Sugars 3.8 g

Protein 37.9 g


Vitamin A 23.2 %

Vitamin B-12 9.1 %

Vitamin B-6 40.0 %

Vitamin C 31.8 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 15.4 %

Calcium 20.4 %

Copper 15.0 %

Folate 43.3 %

Iron 25.8 %

Magnesium 35.0 %

Manganese 30.3 %

Niacin 45.8 %

Pantothenic Acid 22.7 %

Phosphorus 47.8 %

Riboflavin 24.0 %

Selenium 36.0 %

Thiamin 27.4 %

Zinc 30.0 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.








Nutrition Facts
Potato leek soup
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 164.8

Total Fat 2.9 g

Saturated Fat 0.8 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g

Cholesterol 2.5 mg

Sodium 1,583.3 mg

Potassium 767.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate 22.0 g

Dietary Fiber 2.0 g

Sugars 2.1 g

Protein 13.1 g


Vitamin A 16.5 %

Vitamin B-12 8.4 %

Vitamin B-6 19.5 %

Vitamin C 29.7 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 2.8 %

Calcium 4.5 %

Copper 22.5 %

Folate 12.2 %

Iron 12.5 %

Magnesium 8.7 %

Manganese 42.0 %

Niacin 33.7 %

Pantothenic Acid 5.3 %

Phosphorus 20.0 %

Riboflavin 8.7 %

Selenium 9.2 %

Thiamin 8.1 %

Zinc 5.0 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.








Nutrition Facts
Toasty cheese sandwiches
4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 514.5

Total Fat 27.1 g

Saturated Fat 13.1 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5 g

Monounsaturated Fat 8.9 g

Cholesterol 59.5 mg

Sodium 672.1 mg

Potassium 345.4 mg

Total Carbohydrate 48.1 g

Dietary Fiber 5.6 g

Sugars 0.0 g

Protein 21.8 g


Vitamin A 12.0 %

Vitamin B-12 7.8 %

Vitamin B-6 10.4 %

Vitamin C 0.0 %

Vitamin D 1.7 %

Vitamin E 9.8 %

Calcium 43.9 %

Copper 12.6 %

Folate 14.5 %

Iron 18.1 %

Magnesium 22.7 %

Manganese 87.1 %

Niacin 16.8 %

Pantothenic Acid 5.2 %

Phosphorus 46.3 %

Riboflavin 23.6 %

Selenium 62.3 %

Thiamin 15.9 %

Zinc 21.0 %






*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.




s

Update on Lindsay and Ryan

Well, we're taking back some of the bad things we've said about Ventura cops because in this case they've been exemplary. Lindsay said they caught the other guy. Sean checked with some police contacts he has as the result of his job at KEYT and they say these two appear to just be losers from Oxnard and not gangbangers or otherwise professional criminals/psychos.

Ryan is healing. He looks as well as can be expected for someone who got the crap kicked out of him. The police and doctors think these guys must have had brass knuckles or quarters or something because the damage to Ryan's face is pretty extensive, although he was very lucky not to have lost or chipped any teeth and he has no apparent skull or jaw fractures.

Lindsay has been dealing with all of the assorted paperwork and appointments, which is considerable between the attack and the truck being demolished. I have to say that it concerns me that Ryan is going through this seeing as he's my astrological twin. I'm finally emerging from quite the little tailspin of my own and the karmic goblins that were affecting me seem to have landed on Ryan. I hope they move on soon.

The police have been great about pursuing this case. They say it's really great that Lindsay called 911 before the first blow was even landed because they were able to catch one of the guys, which isn't often the case in stranger attack.

Singing my little heart out

After all the surgeries and recuperation of the past year, I decided I wanted to do something fun and challenging for myself. I had been reading about the Master Chorale of Ventura County for years when I worked at the newspaper. I had always wanted to join, but because I worked nights, it seemed out of the question. I was assigned a story about the Children's Choir, which is part of the Master Chorale. I remembered how I'd always wanted to join so I auditioned and they let me in on the spot, which was really cool, since none of the other people I was with made it.

I'm really out of shape vocally after having not sung in over 10 years, and it's been hard. This is a pretty rigorous group with high musicianship demands. Part of my problem is that I've been made a soprano. I'm actually a mezzo soprano and have always felt more comfortable as an alto.

The higher notes are a real struggle for me and it's been hard to expand my range. I've often ended up losing my voice by the end of rehearsals, although that's getting better. But I still need to have throat lozenges available to keep me from getting all chocked up in my throat when I sing too high.

Tonight is our first concert. I've been working really hard on the music, but last night when I was singing, reaching really hard for a high note, one of the other choir members came over and said. "You might want to sing that note" -- and she pointed to the high G-sharp "an octave lower because it really isn't ..." and she trailed off and made a face like she smelled something bad.

My confidence shot, I avoided all high notes for the rest of practice and my throat started to tighten, which it does when I try not to sing loud because I think I suck. Sigh. I'll update this after the concert.

Update: The concert went really well. I was able to calm down the more I realized that I was in a choir and so my chances of messing up were greatly decreased. One a side note, I had chili for dinner and note to self: chili isn't really good pre-singing food, what with all the ensuring burping.

On a more serious note, Ryan was hurt last night when he was attacked outside a bar. He, Lindsay and a couple of friends were out and as they left some random guys started yelling at them and followed them out. Then one of them punched Ryan, who went down, he got up and was hit again and the guys kicked Ryan in the head. Lindsay called the police.

She said the 911 call wasn't one of the high points of her life, but I think most of us would be freaked out if someone came and randomly attacked us. The police showed up really fast, which was great and Lindsay says one of the guys ran away and she doesn't know what happened with him. the other guy attacked the police and was, needless to say, arrested. Poor Ryan has a badly broken nose and will require surgery tomorrow.

This just happened a week after Ryan's truck, which was parked on the side of the road was hit and totaled by some drunk driver at 2 a.m., who then tried to flee the scene on foot. As someone who's just been through a karmic black hole, I can only extend my greatest sympathies and hope he gets through all of this crap OK. On the bright side, they seem to have caught two of the guys, and they'll both likely have their entire lives ruined for having done this to Ryan. We can only hope.

Dippity doo-dah

We had a really cool visit from Rick and Marilyn who were out for their annual September trek. Marilyn comes out to babysit Kaia while Gen and Sean go on their honeymoon vacation. Apparently all the kids like to have honeymoon vacations where they celebrate their marriages and honeymoons with second, third, fourth, ad nauseum honeymoons.

Courtney's managed to take a trip each year, no matter how tight money is and Lindsay started off by taking a cruise to mark her one-year anniversary. Gen and Sean take a trip each year, and heck, even Colin and Tracy make note of when they met.

Rob and I, on the other hand, have never had a honeymoon, much less a commemorative vacation. All of our money has always either been tied up in the kids, during the first years, then tied up in trying not to go under, which is making us just like everyone else these days.

We had a break from our subsistence-style life when we invited Rick and Marilyn over. We always have so much fun when we have people over. This was a particularly enjoyable occasion because with Rick and Marilyn here there's always more help, along with more fun. Marilyn is great at helping out and Rick is truly a funny guy to have around.

Our menu for gatherings these days tends to be whatever's on sale. the day before everyone came over, Rob and I decided to go shopping and singled out a local Von's (they're the southern California version of Safeway) that always is well stocked. But when we got there there were all kinds of sample stations and people milling about.

We did our shopping, noticing that the store had some new stuff -- like an olive bar, which always looks fascinating, while frightening at the same time. Soon there was an announcement that at 4 o'clock they would be giving everyone 10 percent off their groceries, along with an additional $10 off coupon for orders over $50. It was 3:30 p.m., so we pulled up a chair at the Starbucks and waited.

By the time we left, there wasn't a place left in the parking lot, and we had everything we needed for our little party. This would include stuff for dips. One consensus that's emerged from our gatherings is a love that exists for old-fashioned sour-cream-based dips. I always make the classic, sour cream and Lipton's soups mix, which is hugely popular and always tastes better than any prepared dip. This time I also made a vegetable clam dip, which I ended up eating most of (oink oink). I also made a cheese dip that we put in Ryan and Lindsay's Crock Pot, for which I used peppers from my garden I roasted, along with some pureed chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

These aren't gourmet or foodie recipes by any means, but I can assure anyone who is looking down his/her nose, if you put these out, they will be wildly popular.

Crab vegetable dip

1 package Knorr's vegetable soup mix
1 can minced clams, drained (you can also make this with crab meat in addition or in place of the clams)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pint sour cream

Spinach dip
(I haven't made this for the kids yet, but it's a perennial favorite and worth listing. The common presentation is in a loaf of bread --preferably the Hawaiian sweet bread, although I prefer a good rye)

1 packaged Knorrs vegetable soup mix
1 can water chestnuts, sliced or chopped
1 pint sour cream

Cheese chipotle dip

1 large package Velveeta (anyone who has made cheese dips knows that Velveeta will make the dip have a much better texture, just real cheese tends to separate and get gross)
4 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese
8 jalapeno chiles, roasted*, peeled and chopped
3 Anaheim chiles, roasted*, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons pureed chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
heavy cream

Put all ingredients in a Crock Pot on low heat, except for the heavy cream, and allow to melt. Stir regularly. When all the cheese has melted and you've added all the peppers, the dip will be really thick. Add heavy cream to thin to desired consistency. Remember to check and add more cream during the course of the evening, as the dip with tend to thicken.

*There are a number of ways to roast peppers. You can pierce them with a long-tined fork and roast them directly over a stove flame, if you have a gas burner (be careful to use an oven mitt to hold an all-metal fork) . You can roast them, flattened on a cookie sheet, skin-side up, under a broiler. You can also roast them skin side down on an outdoor grill. The common element, is to roast them until the skin is blackened all over. Don't roast with the non-skin side toward the flame. Then put all the blackened peppers in a paper bag and seal it. Let them sit for about 20 minutes and the skins should peel off easily under running water.

Finally fall and chicken Little was right, the sky IS falling

Like everyone we're shaking in our boots as our government works feverishly to avoid the complete and total meltdown of our economic system ... which would be bad. We're hanging in there, but we're having to cut out more and more. Nightly fires are a thing of the past -- the logs are really expensive. We don't eat fast food any more. We're cutting back at the grocery store. In case you haven't noticed, food prices are soaring and the options are becoming limited for good bargains.

It's becoming an art form to try to figure out the day meat goes on sale -- usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays and swoop in a snag a 69-cent a pound chicken, such as the ones I found for our Labor Day feast. I make ground beef into hearty spaghetti a la Bolognese and I pound out the odd sale-priced pieces of pork, bread them and make them into cutlets, which are tasty served with pasta and veggies from our garden.

I'm finding that I tend to do better when faced with adversity. If there is a crisis brewing, there's no time to be depressed or to wallow in misgivings and self-recriminations. Not that I'm masochistic, I do appreciate it when things are going well, but there's something to be said for a respite from mid-life self-reflection.

As usual, I find solace in the kitchen. We've been able to make some really wonderful Salad Caprese with the tomatoes we've managed to grow. Unfortunately, the tomato plants have been attacked by tomato worms. Rob's found a few, but they did a number on the plants. We still have had a bunch of grape tomatoes that I made into a really delicious topping for our steaks one night.

I'm not going to write out a recipe for salad caprese because it's just tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil drizzled with oil and vinegar or whatever dressing you like.

The cutlets are just pieces of pork pounded out with a meat mallet between two sheets of plastic wrap until about 1/4 in thickness. Mix some bread crumbs with herbs and spices. I use oregano and sometimes a garlic powder, onion powder and light salt (be really careful adding salt because the Parmesan cheese is salty and the cutlets can become too salty easily).

To make the crumbs adhere to the pork use mayonnaise (it's the idea featured on the side of the jar), it works really well and makes the pork a bit more flavorful. This literally stretches the meat out so it can feed twice as many people, and it's really tasty.

Tomato and provolone-topped grilled steak

2 small steaks, use a cheap cut of meat for this -- it really helps a tough cut of round or chuck
2 cloves garlic
Red wine
Worcestershire sauce
1 pint grape tomatoes
4 or 5 sliced to 1/4 inch Anaheim peppers
Three sliced shallots
olive oil
fresh oregano
fresh thyme
salt and pepper
sliced provolone

Take meat out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking to bring it closer to the temperature of the grill. Let it sit in a marinade of Worcestershire, red wine and garlic cloves that have been cracked by banging them with the side of the knife and the papery skin removed. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes, peppers and shallots with olive oil on a high sided baking sheet. Add springs of thyme and oregano and lightly salt and pepper. Place in oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Grill the meat according to taste -- about 4 to 5 minutes a side. Remove from heat. Let sit for five minutes. Top with grilled veggies and two slices of provolone and place in oven for five minutes, to melt the cheese. Serve.

The best Labor Day ever

Courtney, Dave and the boys came out for a long Labor Day weekend. It's been more than a year since I've seen them. Rob and I haven't really been able to travel what with all the surgeries and in Rob's case there is a specific prohibition against him flying because his eye isn't yet stabilized.

It was great to see them all. The boys are growing up so fast. But it was a delight when it became obvious that Cody remembered our house and remembered me. My very favorite moment was when Courtney, Cody and I went to get some carryout seafood from Andria's Seafood, which is the favorite of locals for fresh, delicious, basic seafood.

After ordering, I waited inside and Courtney took Cody to look at the boats. Cody is at that delightful age when everything is a wonderful and fascinating discovery. He loved the big fishing boats and watching the birds and fishermen working. After I got my order, I went outside and Courtney and Cody were coming up the walk from the docks. Cody looked up and his face lit up and he yelled, "Me-ma!" I replied, "Cody!" and ran over and hugged him. What a cute little guy. He looks so much like my brother Rodger did at that age. Cody has the hardheadedness that runs in the Gamblin family and he's also got a big heart.

Alex is coming into his own and despite lagging a bit in the walking department -- I'm afraid it appears he has inherited my exaggerated sense of personal physical danger. But he's quite precocious verbally and is saying a few words with great gusto. He can say "see" and "uh-oh" and "bye, bye" and his very favorite "no."

The two boys seem well on their way to forming one of those incredibly close, contentious and complex bonds siblings of the same sex who are close in age form.

We went to the beach each day because although we Venturans forget, others love to see our beaches when they visit. And the boys loved the water. Cody kept saying we were visiting Nemo.

Dena and Chris are living in our upstairs, so we had the boys stay here with us and Courtney and Dave spent the nights with Lindsay and Ryan. This arrangement worked out really well for Courtney and Dave, who were able to sleep in and enjoy some time away from the boys. I ended up sleeping with the boys.

The first night they both woke up scared and I took them into my bed. They're both twitchy kids, just like their Me-ma, so sleep was impossible. Cody loves to cuddle, which is no problem, but he can't stay still, So I'd move him away to try to doze off, but he'd always come back over and start wiggling around. Then my lump, which is back, started leaking. I thought the wet spot was the boys, but worse, it was me. The next night they slept in their Pack N Plays, but the third night, Cody came back to bed with me. The fourth night they both slept through the night.

They both had colds and I discovered quickly, it takes a village to keep the snot wiped off their little noses. Those poor boys couldn't pass an adult in this house who didn't grab a tissue and wipe their little noses. We all ended up with colds for our efforts.

We all went out for dinner Sunday night. We wanted to go someplace that would be family friendly. Eventually we settled on Boccalis in Ojai because they have pizza and Italian food, which Dave wanted, and they have picnic benches set outside in a grove of oak trees at the base of the mountains outside of town. It's absolutely gorgeous. One of the amazing things about California, which I've never figured out, is there are very few bugs outside. The air is fresh and cool, but comfortable and on a late summer evening the setting was delightful.

There was a bunch of kids running around and it soon became obvious that they were from different tables. They ranged in age from about 2 to 5 or 6. Cody wanted to play and soon he was just running after the pack, having the time of his life. The highlight of the evening was Cody running by the table, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm running FAST," he yelled. He managed to kiss two little girls, one of whom kicked him. It really was one of those moment of pure happiness and contentment that you file away for those sad days when you need to find a happy place.

I also had a chance to go out with Lindsay and Courtney, something I don't think we've done for years. We had a fun, giggly time. We enjoyed sharing some memories, along with our usual goofiness. It was one of the most happy and relaxed evenings I've had for a long time. There's such a deep connection and bond between the three of us.

The final night, we had everyone over -- Colin, Tracy, Sean, Gen and Kaia, along with Shelby, for a Labor Day dinner. I made heaping mounds of food -- two grilled teriyaki chickens, eight hamburgers, 12 sausages cooked in beer with onions and bay leaves, potato salad, beans, chips and dip. Rob was going to chide me for making too much until everyone just ate and ate and ate. It was great to have everyone over -- a real all-American holiday.

The trip ended way too fast for everyone. Courtney said when they pulled up to the house Cody started yelling, "No." He wanted to go see Nemo again. We haven't worked up the heart to take down the Pack N Plays and car seats, although the toys are all put up. I really miss having them all around, but I'm sure glad they came.

More squash blossoms

We invited Lindsay to join us on our weekly pilgrimage to the Ojai farmer's market yesterday. It's one of those things everyone wants to do until I tell them we get up there around the crack of 9 a.m. because that's when the best flowers are available -- and flowers are the main reason for the trip.

So Lindsay was all excited and gung-ho: we'll give you a call. Then we'll go out to breakfast. Then Sunday morning rolled around and she called and said Ryan didn't want to go, he was still sleeping. I said OK, but Rob smelled a rat and told Lindsay to just come over herself and we'd take her up there with us.

Lindsay called back: Ryan was really up and they'd go up separately. Check mate in the life game of chess we all play.
So we met up with them. It's really easy to spot Ryan in a crowd because he's 6'4" or close to it and he rises above the rest of us. Lindsay complains that he's too tall for her to dance with because she has to strain her back to look up that far.

We wandered around and picked out flowers. I got some more fresh eggs because the farmer's market ones are so fresh and good. I got my weekly allotment of salad greens from B.D.'s market. Then I saw some tiny squashes with squash blossoms at one stand -- these aren't the ones that are sold at the big artichoke, pencil thin really expensive asparagus place. These were much smaller. So I had to get them. I also got some really cool heirloom cherry tomatoes that I'm going to use to create a recipe for the National Chicken contest.

I love my weekly expeditions to the farmer's market. I run into people I know and the drive is so cool up the 33 to Ojai on Sunday mornings. It's kind of my version of church.

I know I've written about stuffed squash blossoms before. But I created a different recipe for them last night and they really came out well. I've been making all kinds of peach cobblers and my peach streusel bundt cake (recipes are on this blog for August 2007), so it was nice to make something else for a change.

Stuffed squash blossoms, take two

1 cup canola oil or enough for 1/2 inch of oil
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup milk (or as much as it takes to make a thick paste, about the consistency of pancake batter)
1 teaspoon or to taste Trader Joe's barbecue, grill and broil seasoning (this stuff is great it as no salt and is just peppers, garlic, onion and herbs)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
10-15 squash blossoms with squash attached, if possible. Some of these will fall apart because they're very very delicate. Don't worry, just fry each part up separately, remembering to stuff the blossoms with cheese
Pepper jack cheese

Heat the oil until it's rippling and hot and turn down to medium heat. Mix flour, cornstarch, grill seasoning and salt with milk until smooth, pancake-like batter forms. Very carefully separate the blossoms and put pieces of pepper jack cheese in the middle of the blossom. Handle very gently, because these are so delicate. Dip the stuffed blossoms in the batter and coat. Cook battered squash in hot oil and cook about 5 minutes on a side or until golden brown all over. Drain on paper towels. Serve these with jalapeno jelly..

Amputating The Lump

Ever since I was hit by the truck, I've had a big, old lump on my right hip. It just sits out there like a baby's head has been put under my skin. I've had it drained twice, to no avail, so my orthopedic surgeon finally had to go in surgically to try to get rid of the thing.

So last Monday, I had to go in for yet another surgery. Rob and I are becoming quite the surgery connoisseurs. The procedures themselves haven't been so bad, at least not the last two. Rob's eye is sore after and my hip was sore, but we really were hit hard by the anesthesia, which left us both feeling as though we'd been beaten up.

I could actually feel the build-up of lactic acid -- the chemical that makes muscles sore -- in my muscles and I was so sore I couldn't even lift my arms over my head. The pain was untouched by the Vicodin I was prescribed. In fact, it felt as though the Vicodin made it worse. I just felt as though I needed to be flushed out, so I drank a lot of water and by Day Three after the surgery, I was feeling much better.

Right now, the lump is draining, which is good, but it hasn't closed up yet. So I'm not supposed to be doing much moving around, although I did just bake a peach streusel bundt cake, but I can't sit around doing nothing.

This should be the final surgery for all the injuries I sustained in the accident. It will be nice to have a life that's free of doctor's appointments, surgeries and recoveries.

The results are in

The results are in. I got a blue ribbon for the peach pie and a third place for the chocolate chip cookies. The rest got a Big Fat Nada. Oh well. There's no accounting for taste. Everyone who's had the cookies here has LOVED them and that's what counts.

I went to the fair for the results with Dena and Rob this year and they helped find all the entries. Dena was disgusted because the winning zucchini bread had chocolate chips, which just sounds gross and isn't any kind of zucchini bread I'd want. The winning sugar cookies had frosting, which I think is not the way to judge a sugar cookie. IMO it should be just the quality of cookie that's judged.

Anyway, we moved on and went to the commercial tent, which Rob loves and we had lunch. I was able to walk pretty well, although by the end I really needed to sit down and the ankle was quite tender. I'm just glad I can walk as much as I can.

I have one final surgery scheduled. It's to get rid of the lump on my hip. It's, big and round and looks like there's a baby's head on my hip. The doctors have drained it twice but it keeps coming back. Now they're going to try surgery. Some of the doctors think my bursa broke, but they're puzzled because it doesn't hurt as much as one would think a burst bursa should.

It should be an easy surgery, but I do have to go under general anesthesia again -- the third time this year. With any luck, this will be it and I'm all done with the surgeries. I just hope this doesn't make things worse like the first knee surgery did. Otherwise I just want to get it over with.

My garden is going crazy and I'm harvesting zucchinis and cucumbers. I made some zucchini fritters the other night and they turned out really quite well, especially after I added some Parmesan cheese. I ate them with sour cream and they were quite delicious.

Zucchini cheese fritters

1 large (from the garden) or 2 store-bought zucchini, shredded by food processor or by hand
4 tablespoons canola or other high-temperature oil. I used grapeseed oil.
1 large egg
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
3 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
large pinch of salt
pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet and mix the rest of the ingredients. Spoon mounds onto hot skillet and flatten. Let cook about 5 to 6 minutes a side or until cooked through. Drain on paper towels and serve with dollops of sour cram and a dill garnish.

Blue-ribbon day before the Ventura County Fair.

Right now I'm totally psyched. I always love the day I've got my Ventura County Fair entries in and I can garner all the blue ribbons in my head. Tomorrow, when the fair opens and I actually learn the results, I may be crushed, so today -- well, today is the blue-ribbon day.

These are my leftovers from all the baking I did for this year's entries. Last year the best I got was a second place ribbon and a bunch of honorable mentions. I HATE honorable mentions. What? This-didn't-poison-me-but-it-wasn't-very-good-mention? Forget it, just tell me I suck.

But rather than tucking my tail between my legs, I came back, bigger and better than ever this year. I've been doing some researching and did some major tweaking of my recipes. I was able to make a real woven lattice crust for my peach pie and I was able to use my own peaches from my own tree this year -- they've been too late in ripening the past two years. Actually, I was only able to get enough peaches for one pie and a couple of those had to be force-ripened. (BTW you know that to force-ripen fruit, you put it in a sealed paper bag with a ripe banana and the banana will release that fruit-ripening gas that will ripen all the fruit.)

I made sure to use the best ingredients: Plugra European-style butter, which has a higher butterfat content, and King Arthur flour -- widely belived to be the best around. I used fancy Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey's spices and I had a couple of types of sugar -- extra fine and organic, crunchy sugar. I couldn't find extra fine grain salt, which is better for baking, so I ground the salt by hand in a mortar and pestle. I put actual vanilla bean in the sugar cookies. So we'll see if any of this is noticed by the judges.

There is one kind of amusing aside: When I went to enter my stuff, there was the usual contingent of older women processing the entries. It takes a while, so we got to chatting and before you know it, we were all swapping notes on our surgeries -- my knee replacement, the other woman's hip replacement. I was able to counter -- and trump -- the eye problem story with Rob's eye surgeries.

As I left, I realized: These are my peeps these days. Me and all the other old ladies, sitting around talking about our surgeries. If I'd stayed longer, I'm sure we could have moved on to grandchildren and pets.

Sigh. When did I get so old and why did it happen when I'm still so -- relatively -- young?

Doggie palace

We're still knee-deep in pets because Patty is feeling too porrly to have her girls come home just yet. It's great for us, though because the two nbew dogs are really sweet and have adjusted to living with us. We've switched their diet from the nasty generic dog food to dry Evo food, which we prefer because it's manufactured locally and uses all-natural products better suited for dogs.

I'm gearing up for the Ventura County Fair where I will, once again, be entering some baked goods. I'm thinking of adding a couple of entries -- zucchini bread because my zucchini has put out a really cool looking cojoined zucchini that's just dying to be put in a bread, and peanut butter cookies. I've narrowed down the sugar cookie recipe from five, so we'll see how the judges are going this year. My peaches are on track to give me at least one good pie's worth, which will be the first time in three years they ripened in time.

I don't know why I get all psyched for the stupid baked goods contest each year but I do. Even the fact that I got lousy -- for me -- marks last year (stupid honorable mentions), doesn't deter me. I totally get that these food contests are really arbitrary. I know because I've judged them. Like everybody, I rank foods on personal preferances, which are different from the next person's.
Nonetheless, I have a few tricks up my sleeve this year and hope I do well.

I've never figured out why I totally love the Ventura County Fair. I think it's the combination of things. I love that it's right on the ocean at Seaside Park. I love that there are all the local crafts, hobbies and foods. Rob and I love looking at all the different displays. We tend to avoid the animals because they're being sold to slaughter, which makes us sad, but we take Kaia there and don't tell her about the butchering part.

We also just love taking Kaia with us each year and get such joy out of watching her ride whatever she wants to ride and play whatever games she wants to play. When I was a kid, going to fairs and amusement parks was always a study in misery. My mom never gave us any money and she'd never let us ride on most of the rides. I always made sure my kids had enough money and unlimited opportunity to do whatever their little hearts desired. But I really get to relive my childhood with Kaia, probably because she's not my kid, so I don't have to play the mom role, I can just be a much older, doddering friend.

So next week it's time for the fair. There will be fireworks each night, which we can hear and kind of see from our house. It's my favorite part of the summer.

A fur menagerie

It was Rob's birthday yesterday and unlike last year, I was able to spend it here with him. We had a good day: breakfast at Pete's, shopping, I baked a cherry pie and Lindsay and Ryan came over for a great steak dinner. Colin dropped by later with Dexter.

We're also watching Dena's mom's dogs while Patty (Dena's mom) is in the hospital. The dogs are really cute; a small white poodle named Titan and a shi-tzu name Stache or Stash, for moustache. The poodle Titan spent the first day on the stairs, waiting for Patty to come back. Stash, the little one, worried about Titan, but really started having a good time with the other dogs. Brindle saw Patty with her new dogs -- Brindle had lived with Patty for years -- and has been angry with the latest interlopers, but Fuser and Rascal seem OK with the new guys.

I think if anyone had told me when I was 20 that I would turn into one of those little-dog-loving old ladies, I would have balked, gagged and denied it vehemently. I had always liked the idea of animals, but my family was never really an animal family. Even though we had family dogs, they were treated like animals.

It wasn't until Rob came along that I really started to appreciate pets. Jersey was our first pet together. I had promised the kids I'd get them a dog. We went to the local Humane Society-type place, but they wouldn't let us have a dog unless we had a note from our apartment complex. I didn't want to get one because we would have to pay extra for our rent. So I decided to hell with them and went to a store and bought a cocker spaniel, Jersey.

The idea was to let the dog sleep with the kids, but Rob took his turn sleeping with Jersey and wouldn't let her leave our bed. Jersey was a really pretty dog, although she had an underbite that made her less than ideal for breeding, even though she was AKC registered. We wouldn't have bred her anyway, but it was kind of a ripoff. She was also the cutest little dog, along with being imperious and temperamental. She absolutely detested other dogs. She kind of liked little white fluffy ones, but Rob says she thought they were kitties.

Sadly, Jersey died when she was about 15 1/2. It broke our hearts. I lasted a few months, but I really needed my doggy loving, so I started looking for another dog. Dena had given us the idea of getting a small dog -- maybe a King Charles Spaniel or something. We really didn't want another cocker spaniel because we could never replace Jersey. We found a group online -- Four Small Paws -- and I contacted them saying we would like to adopt a dog. About a week later, I got a call from a lady saying they had a small dog who needed a home. We arranged to have her come out. She said he was a chihuahua mix, and I'd always thought chihuahuas were kind of ratty dogs.

The lady showed up with the little guy she called Chewy. He immediately proceeded to walk to the fireplace and started peeing on the fireplace irons. At least he got that out of the way. He then sat next to the Four Small Paws lady and shook. He looked so scared. I showed her around the house and she must have liked what she saw because she left the dog with us.

We immediately decided we didn't like the name Chewy and because he was a rescue and had only had the name a short while, we changed it to Fuser -- after Motorcycle Diaries, where Che Guevara was called Fuser. Rob came up with the name after I ruled out all the stupid names, like Pepe or Paco, although we did struggle with calling him Lord Peepee because the little guy does like to mark. He bonded with me because I took him in my lap the first day and just held him and talked gently to him because he was so scared. He started to calm down.

Fuser hated Rob at first, so we took him to obedience classes so we could get him over his dislike. It really didn't work. What worked was me going to Ohio for Cody's birth. One of the problems with trying to train Fuser is that he's the most non-food driven dog I've ever met. He'd starve before letting Rob feed him at first. Fuser gets really nervous around food and can be a flighty eater. But there is one thing Fuser can't live without -- one thing that's more important to him than almost anything else and it's cuddling. After I left, he was stuck hanging out in the bedroom and growling at Rob when he came in the room. After a couple of days, though Fuser couldn't take it and came out into the living room. He then crawled up next to Rob to cuddle, but if Rob looked at him, he growled. He's come a long way since then and really loves Rob now.

Brindle came to live with us shortly after. We'd watched her for Patty from time to time and then Patty went to Oregon and asked us to watch Brindle and she never asked for her back. Since Brindle is actually Dena's dog, I think Dena decided to have us keep Brindle so she would be close to her. Fuser and Brindle formed a really close bond. Brindle has taught Fuser how to behave out in the world. Where Fuser was afraid of his own shadow, Brindle has taught him how to handle bigger dogs -- she goes submissive -- and how to run around and smell things.

Finally, we got Rascal. Lindsay's roommate Coral found him wandering around filthy and half-starved in Oxnard. She thought he was a brown dog because he was so dirty, but when they washed him, they found out he was white. Lindsay brought him over here and we got one more dog. Poor Rascal is our "special" dog. He was badly affected by the neglect of his early time and he has a real hard time learning new things. He's the biggest of the dogs and the most timid.

These guys are in addition to our two cats, Mythos and Lily, both joined our home by coming to our door and crying to be let in. Mythos is about 17 pounds and is the second biggest pet. He thinks he's a dog. He has to run outside with them and wants to have his belly rubbed. Lily is pure cat. She comes around when she wants to and she'd as soon look at you as scratch you. In fact, she got me up today by sitting at the side of my bed and hitting me with her claw.

We love our animals and they give us so much joy. They have such distinct personalities and they show unconditional love and affection.

So there we were on Rob's birthday with six dogs running around while we had steaks with baby potatoes and scallions I got at the farmers market. I made up a big salad with frisee and bibb lettuce, also from the Ojai farmer's market. I served the pie up on some beautiful plates Jennifer got me. All in all it was a lovely birthday celebration.

Ain't no time for the summertime blues

So here we are, sitting around on a beautiful sunny summer day in Ventura. Our major surgeries appear to be behind us and we're both working on healing and regaining at least some of our former strength and endurance.

Rob has been declared officially disabled because he is legally blind in his bad eye and can't drive or operate heavy machinery. We're not sure how much better his sight is going to be. We have to wait until he's fitted with glasses to know exactly where he'll end up.

I'm walking almost cane-free for the first time in a year. My knee feels almost completely healed. It swells sometimes if I'm on it too much and is a little stiff going up and down stairs. But mostly it's pretty strong and flexible and there's no pain when I walk on it.

My bad right ankle is proving a bit more dicey than I had realized. The foot wants to collapse inward, despite the metal rod stuck through it. It's also screwed on at a weird angle. My heel hits normally when I put on shoes, but my toes are riveted to the side -- a 10-degree angle my doctor said, proudly. Only thing is, my feet really don't WANT to be at a 10-degree angle and are perfectly happy just being straight up and down like everyone else's.

I'm not sure if there's much I can do about it. I bought some running shoes with lots of support to force the foot into an upright position. My physical therapist, Ryan, said if I didn't get into the support shoes the ankle was sure to collapse. It kind of looks as though I have two left feet right now. But I am able to walk and I can stand in lines a bit better than I used to. I'm hoping the tendon will continue to heal and the situation will improve.

I'm also stuck with a big old lump on my right hip. I need to see my doctor about it, but it doesn't hurt or anything. It's just gross-looking -- like a small baby's head just sticking out of my hip, with skin all puckered up under it. And I'm so sick of going to the doctor that I've been avoiding it. I suppose I should get it out of the way, but it will require some surgery to debride it, which will hurt, at least for a little while.

All in all, though, we're starting to be able to see some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. I'm able to get around and I'm doing more stories for the Ventura County Star, which is fun. I really should never have gone to the copy desk. It's not where my heart lies. I really enjoy writing and gathering news much more. And I really, really love freelancing. I don't enjoy working with people; they get on my nerves for the most part. I can sit at home in my office/dining room, with the big, glass window that overlooks our thriving garden and plant-filled patio, and listen to birds as I type my stories. Sweet.

Fair time is looming and I want to at least enter a couple of things. So this is one of my favorite times of the year as I start making some trial recipes to decide what to enter. Gen, of Sean and Gen, was saying she wanted to maybe enter and encouraged her. It's so much fun. Even if you do end up with the dreaded "honorable mentions" that I got last year.

One of the things that happens in the summer for me is I get a small sweet tooth, mainly because of ice cream. Like about everyone, I love ice cream. I've discovered those teenie little Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Daas containers. They give you just one small serving, which is usually 260 calories. They come with small spoons so you can eat them really slowly. I love them because you keep your portions under control and you can get a nice taste of yummy ice cream.

Unfortunately, I also made another, potentially lethal discovery last summer when I was visiting Courtney and Dave in Ohio. I discovered you can make an absolutely wonderful, tasty hot fudge sauce just using the microwave. It's also possible to make this in a low-carb version if you use unsweetened chocolate and Splenda, which I did for Courtney, who is on a low-carb plan.

This is so easy to make and one thing I love is that the sugar doesn't have a chance to melt, so it gives it a nice crunch, along with the deep fudge flavor. And it hardens on the ice cream the way good fudge should -- not quite as hard as Magic Shell, it's more fudgy.

Microwave hot fudge sauce

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (use the best quality available -- I use Gharadelli's -- it makes all the difference)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
heavy cream to desired consistency

Heat the chips in a microwave-safe mug by heating them on high for 20 seconds. Stirring, then heating for 20 seconds, then stirring, repeating until the chips have melted. Add butter and stir in. Add sugar, vanilla and almond flavoring and stir. You can heat it for another 20 seconds if it starts to thicken too much. Add heavy cream and stir until you have the consistency of hot fudge sauce. Heat for 20 seconds and serve over ice cream. It's unbelievable over coffee ice cream, BTW.