Breakfast for Under 150 Calories

I'm always looking for ways to save calories, yet still enjoy nutritious and satisfying meals. Recently I read about several recipes that will allow me to do just that at breakfast. I love breakfast, but sometimes get tired of the same old thing. Puffed wheat or Kashi, sliced banana and/or blueberries and non fat milk. That's my regular. Here are two other ideas, with the same calories, that may make breakfast a little more interesting.

Cherries with Ricotta and Toasted Almonds

3/4 cups frozen pitted cherries
2 T. part skim ricotta
1 T. toasted slivered almonds

Heat cherries in the microwave on high until warm, about 1-2 minutes. Top the cherries with ricotta and almonds. 133 calories and delicious.

Morning Glory Muffins

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned oats or quick cooking
1/3 cup non fat milk
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light molasses
2 T. canola
1 large egg
3 medium carrots, shredded
1/2 cup chopped prunes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 standard muffin cups or line with fluted paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients except brown sugar, stir in oats. In a medium bowl, with fork, mix milk, applesauce, brown sugar, molasses, oil and egg until blended. Stir in carrots and prunes. Add applesauce mixture to floour mixture, stir just until floour is moistened (batter will be lumpy).

Spoon batter into muffin cups. (Muffin cups will be full). Bake 23-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove muffins from pan. Serve warm, or cool on wire rack. 165 delicious calories.

Heirloom Tomatoes..Beautiful and Tasty

This spring I planted four tomato plants, two of them heirloom tomato plants. What is an heirloom tomato? An heirloom is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family because of it's valued characteristics. Since "heirloom" varieties have become popular in the past few years there have been liberties taken with the use of this term for commercial purposes. Heirlooms come in many different colors sizes and shapes. They add a beauty and freshness to salads, and I love using them.

We all know that tomatoes have many health benefits. They are rich in lycopene, one of the most concentrated carotenoids found in the blood. Tomatoes are particularly beneficial to men in keeping the incidence of prostate cancer to a minimum. Men who ate more than 10 servings of tomato-based foods a week had a 35%lower risk for prostate cancer than men who ate less than one and a half servings per week. Tomatoes also provide solid defense agaist cervical and ovarian cancer. The only negative for tomatoes is that they increase the amount of acid in your system, thus they are not good for thoses with acid reflux (heartburn). Overall, the good outweighs the bad, and there is nothing sweeter or juicier than a just picked fresh tomato. Local supermarkets all carry heirloom tomatoes today or go to your local farmer's market and get some that have just been picked.

Below is a simple recipe for heirloom tomatoes, perfect for summer.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Lemon Tahini

1/2 tahini (sesame seed paste)
zest of 2 lemons
5 T. fresh lemon juice
8 medium heirloom tomatoes (washed and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 lemon(thinly sliced, for garnish)

In the bowl of a food processor, place tahini, half of lemon zest and lemon juice,. Pulse to combine.
With the motor running, add 7-8 T. cold water and continue to process until mixture is thick and smooth. Add salt to taste and refrigerate until cold.
Bring tahini to room temperature. Arrange tomatoes on a plate in a tight overlapping pattern: drizzle half the tahini over the tomatoes. Scatter remaining lemon zest on top. Garnish with lemon slices. Sprinkle fresh cracked pepper and ground kosher salt (or your favorite speciality salt) on top and enjoy. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Fresh ground salt and pepper really enhance the flavor, so don't just use plain salt from a salt shaker. It's not the same...Enjoy.

Twenty Third Visit to Taft

Ron is moving to Bel Air. That is, the Bel Air area of the Taft dormitory. As I told you early on, the sleeping assignments at Taft are on a senority basis. When you first arrive, you'll probably go to Flushing Meadows, the nickname for the area right near the bathroom. Obviously, the least desirable place to be. As time goes on you can move to better digs, possibly Sleepy Hollow. Ron requested a move and luckily he got it. He's now moved to area nicknamed Bel Air, as it is one of the nicest areas to live. Quiet, no lights blazing, and not a lot of foot traffic. Even though he hasn't been there very long, he was able to move to a better location. Maybe he won't have to sleep with ear plugs and an eye mask anymore.

Summers at Taft are long and hot. Ron likes his work in the garden, but when the temperature gets over 100 degrees, there is no outside work. It's just too hot. In fact Ron gets very overheated when it's in the 90's and he has to drink water and limit his activity. One thing the Taft mangement doesn't want is inmates getting sick from the heat. So the summer becomes very long. Ron goes inside where the weather is always comfortable, reads a book, does a puzzle, talks to his friends, or sleeps. The other reason summer is so long is that the guys are not playing softball in July and August (too hot), thus Ron is not umpiring. Umpiring is one of the activities that he really looks forward to, but that will have to wait until the weather cools off.

So for the now, things move along slowly. There's not much activity outside for the next few months, but hopefully he will have sudoku, crosswords, brain teasers and lots of books and magazines to keep him occupied. Some new things are coming to Taft soon, but I'll tell you about that next week.

The First Day of Summer

Monday, June 21 was the first day of summer, and I was prepared to begin with a bang. I was scheduled to meet my boogie boarding buddies at Fletcher Cove for a morning in the ocean. I awoke to clouds and cool weather. I was ready to cancel, but decided I would at least go down and say hello to everyone.

I love to boogie board, but I hate cold water, so I'm usually in the ocean from around June 1-September 30. I have to have water temperature of 68 degrees or more, otherwise I won't go in. I got to the beach, and just as I arrived, the sun came out. Happy day. The water was only 67 degrees, but with a short wet suit my friends convinced me to just do it. I did, and what a happy morning I had. There is nothing I do that makes me feel young again like boogie boarding. It's exciting to be out in the ocean, challenging to try to catch a wave, rewarding when you catch one and ride it all the way in to shore.

The only other activity I do that gives me the thrill of boogie boarding is skiing, and with my bad knee I can hardly do that anymore. Boogie boarding is great because old bones feel good in the water, even cold water. The ocean is freeing, I feel uninhibited and relaxed. The 20 year old life guards that are watching the beach get a big kick out of us. I can only imagine what they are saying to each other when they see a group of 10-15 women in their 50's, 60's and 70's marching into the ocean. Actually I think they wish their mothers and grandmothers would get there with us.

All in all, it was a great start to summer, and the first of many mornings spent catching a wave. You're never too old to enjoy the ocean.

The Marshmallow Experiment

My mom is busier than anyone I know. She's either playing bridge, mentoring seniors, gallery hopping, going to the theatre or attending an interesting lecture. The last lecture she went to dealt with the subject of success, and what leads to success. She told me about the marshmellow experiment. Many of you who have studied psychology probably know about it, but I did not, and found it extremely interesting.

In the mid 1960's, Walter Mischel of Stanford University, was in charge of study to identify the mental processes that allowed some people to delay gratification while others simply surrendered. Here's what he did. He put a child in a room and put a marshmellow on the table. He told the child that he could eat the marshmellow while the tester stepped out of the room for a few minutes, or he could wait until the tester returned and he would get two marshmallows. It was interesting to watch the children fighting the urge to eat the marshmallow. Some would pick it up, smell it and put it back. Others would take just a little bite and leave the rest, hoping they may still get the second marshmallow. Still others would find other ways to occupy themselves until the tester returned, then they would get their reward.

What did Mischel find out from all this? He found a direct correlation between the ability to delay gratification and success. Those who could delay gratification were better behaved in school, better able to plan ahead, had a greater ability to cope well with problems, and on average, scored 210 points higher on the S.A.T. test than those who were "low delayers." (unable to wait for the tester to return for a second marshmellow).

He actually followed these kids into adulthood, and found the more successful adults were also the ones that ended up getting the extra marshmallow. What I find interesting is that even though every child may not have the ability to delay gratification at age 3 or 4, it is definitely something that can be taught. So, if you know as a parent or grandparent that your child is imppulsive and wants everything now, you can actually teach him to delay gratification and improve his chances for success in many areas of his life. I thought this was an interesting study and wanted to share it with you.

Noodle Kugel You'll Love

I love noodles, pasta and just about anything that's a carbohydrate. That's a problem for me, and since I've been working hard to reduce, meals high in carbs have been off limits, with one exception. I love the noodle kugel I am giving you the recipe for below so much that I will make a casserole of it, wrap it in individual servings, and dole it out over about a month. It's just delicious. There are sweet and savory kugel recipes. This one is sweet, but not too sweet. It goes well with roasted chicken or brisket. I'm not a fan of matzo kuegel. It's pretty dry. This kugel is moist, sweet and creamy, and loaded with calories. You can lighten it up by using low fat cottage cheese, low fat sour cream, and three egg whites + one egg yolk. Enjoy.


Noodle Kugel

1/2 lb. cottage cheese
1/2 pt. sour cream
3 eggs
1/8 c. sugar
1/8 lb. butter
pinch of salt
1/2 lb. wide noodles
1/2 c. raisins.

Grease a 9X12 inch pyrex pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain well. Put in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Pour into baking pan, and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Let it rest before cuting it into squares. It can also be eaten as a main course for lunch, with a garden salad. I hope you like it.

Remembering My Dad

It's been more than a year and a half since my dad passed away at 93, but hardly a day goes by that I don't think of him. Father's Day made me reflect on him, and his influence on me. You don't realize while you're growing up the influence your parents have on your personality, intellect and character. It's years later, when you hear their voice in your head that you realize how far reaching their influence is.

My earliest memories are of my father as a story teller. From the time I was very young, bedtime to me meant that Dad would tell me a story. No reading stories for him. He would create his own stories that were far more interesting than anything in a book. He loved to create jungle stories filled with adventure, and later my sister and I would hear war stories. When my own children were young, one of their favorite parts of sleepovers with Grandma and Grandpa was bedtime. My Dad created long stories for them, told over weeks or months. They couldn't wait for the next installment.

I remember my Dad teaching me to swim, to ride a bike, to play the piano,to fly a kite and to shoot a bow and arrow. He always wanted me to take fencing lessons, I don't know why, but I never did. He was a good teacher, very patient most of the time and I loved spending time with him. He also taught me to play chess, checkers and gin, and we played often.

I was lucky, as I had a dad that worked at home. Most of my friends didn't see their dads much, they were all out making a living. My dad was a composer and worked at home, so we had him around most of the time. When he was working we weren't allowed to bother him, but just knowing he was available was a great comfort.

I don't remember my Dad being involved in school decisions like what classes I took or helping me with homework. I think that was my mom's department. I do remember being praised when I came home with good grades. That encouraged me to work hard.

It's funny how so many details from childhood are hard to remember, but I do know childrearing was very different. Men's roles were more defined in the 40's and 50's. I don't remember my Dad ever taking me to the doctor or taking care of me when I was sick. That was a woman's job.

One other thing I remember fondly is the letters he used to write me when I was away at summer camp and later, when I was away at college. He was funny and creative and his letters always made me feel good, especially the little drawings with which he ended each letter.

I have always believed that every day should be Mother's or Father's Day. Just honoring your parents one day a year is not living by the fifth commandment, "Honor thy father and mother". I think the word "everyday" should be added to the end of that commandment. I see so many young children today who are disrespectful to their parents and it doesn't feel right. These children will most likely grow up and have their children treat them the same way.

The older I get the more the lessons my parents taught me become a part of me. That's a good thing, because I like what I have become, the values I hold dear, and the character I possess. I give them both credit for developing these traits in me, but today I give special thanks to my Dad.

Twenty Second Visit to Taft

I've noticed a big change in Ron in the past two weeks. Two weeks ago he was having a very hard time. He was depressed, bored and lonely. He is still bored and lonely but he is definitely NOT depressed. The support network at Taft, and I assume all institutions, is amazing. If an inmate is willing to reach out to others for support, he will definitely get it. Ron has a small group of close friends that he is able to talk openly to, thank goodness. That really got him through a difficult period. They have lots of time to talk and listen. No one has any place to go, so Ron had some very good listeners who helped him. Early on Ron spoke about each man coming to terms with his sentence, and until that happened they could not move forward. Ron definitely had that meeting with himself early on, but after 5-6 months, the boredom sets in, and they need to revisit that time when they first arrived when they came to terms with their future.

Recently Ron has been thinking more about his future. When he thinks about business, he gets excited. That has always been what makes him tick. Planning what he will do, talking to others about his ideas and talking to me about the future bring him alive. It's great to see.

Last week I talked a little about loneliness. I can only speak for myself, and although I lead a busy, full life, there are still moments. It can't be helped. At night just before falling asleep, I feel lonely. Some Sunday afternoons when I don't plan anything to do I feel lonely. Holidays can be lonely, but so far I have tried to keep busy. For Ron loneliness is a little different, as he has much more down time. Afternoons on his bunk are lonely, weekends when there's nothing to do are also lonely. His loneliness is different because he's in a new environment with new people. There's an issue of who he can trust. He's got to be a really good judge of character. I am in a comfortable place with people I know I can trust. I can open up to people and know it won't hurt me.

I guess this is all part of the roller coaster ride we're on. It's funny that I use that analogy, because I hate roller coasters and always have. But I've always used the roller coaster analogy when referring to life in general. It seems to fit so perfectly. The best part of the a real roller coaster ride to me is the climb up a steep hill, and in real life that's where we are right now. I'm going to enjoy the ride, and hope it's a very steep hill.

Effects of Solitary Confinement

Last night National Geographic aired a disturbing one hour program on the psychological effects of solitary confinement. I found it disturbing to watch. I made it through half the program, then turned it off and decided I would rather read about it than actually see it.

The program focused on inmates at Colorado Correctional, a prison of over 600 men, each in solitary confinement. Each prisoner has a private room, probably about 6X8feet, with a bed, sink, desk and toilet. That's it. No television or radio. The rooms they showed all had a window (way up high). They are confined to their room for 23 hours a day. They have one hour of solitary exercise in a gym and 15 minutes shower time. They have no human contact. Their meals are delivered through a slot in the wall. Some of these men have been there for years!!! Just thinking about that makes me angry. Apparently we are one of the only countries still using solitary confinement as a form of punishment. So let's see why they're in solitary.

Many of the prisoners are there because they are a danger to other inmates or to themselves. They act out and are violent. The method used to control them is to take everything away from them, then have them earn back privileges, like reading material or television. If they screw up at all, they go back to square one and that's why so many of them have been in solitary for so long. Prison officials maintain that they isolate them to protect the regular prison population from violent criminals. Sounds reasonable, but at what cost?

Dr. Stuart Grassian is an expert on the psychiatric effects of solitary and he lists a variety of behaviors that inmates in solitary may exhibit. Panic attacks, difficulty thinking, concentrating and memory, obsessional thoughts, primitive agressive fantasies, overt paranoia, problems with impulse control and hallucinations. These are not the behaviors you want to see in someone you are trying to rehabilitate.

I understand that violent criminals need to be segrated from the population, but I suspect there are other ways to deal with many of the prisoners. Apparently there are court cases waiting to be heard that may determine whether solitary confinement is constitutional. We'll have to wait and see. In the mean time, we need to know that prisoners that are being housed in what they politely call "administrative segregation" are not getting better, in fact quite the opposite. They are simply being housed, and many of these prisoners develop severe mental illness over the course of their incarceration. It just seems to me with what we know today about the human psyche there must be another way to deal with many of these prisoners. It seems to me, a lay person in the area of prison reform, that alternative ways of incarcerating violent criminals is something that should be examined. Just a thought.

New Eats and Some Old Ones Too

There are two new restaurants opening in North County that I am anxious to try. In Del Mar, Prep Kitchen is opening soon, and in Encinitas, Blue Ribbon Pizza opens on June 18. Both promise to bring a new level of dining to the local scene.

Prep Kitchen comes to us from the crew at Whisknladdle, a highly acclaimed restaurant. They believe the Slow Food Movement, which is a way of living and eating. It is a global grassroots movement that links the pleasure of food and wine with a commitment to community and environment. Prep Kitchen works with local ranchers, farmers and fisherman to provide you with the best possible product in the most conscientious way. The menu they have created looks amazing. Salads like warm white bean and arugula salad, beet, grapefruit and avocado salad, and corn and green bean salad with bacon and carmelized onion salad are needed departures from the standard salad choices.

Sandwiches too, are old classics with a new twist. Chicken salad sandwich with roasted apple, walnuts and mustard, or how about meatloaf melt with onions, gruyere and remoulade. Main courses inclusde everything from half a roast chicken with saffron risotto to Niman Ranch beer braised beef with mashed potatoes. Everything sounds fantastic. I will review it after I actually eat there. For now, my mouth is watering thinking about how I will choose.

Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizza (www.blueribbonpizzeria.com) is opening on June 18. I will be there shortly to check it out, but for now I'll just give you a preview of what to expect. There restaurant is the creation of Wade Hageman, former chef at Blanca in Solana Beach. His concept is to use local, organic ingredients to create wonderful salads and pizza in a casual atmosphere. His menu is exciting.

Salads and starters include fresh burrata with sea salt and organic argula, hand stretched mozzarella with local tomatoes and basil, artisan cheese plate with peperonata and black mission fig mostarda, sweet corn soup with chili oil, and peasant tomato and bread soup with basil oil. Pizzas look home made and include all the basics some with special ingredients like fennel sausage. I'm having lunch there soon, so will review it after I eat there.

Finally, there are two restaurants I want to mention that are NOT new, but I love Vietnamese food and wanted to tell you about them. One is Pho Lucky, a comfortable restaurnt in shopping center in Vista. I have eaten there several times and have always been pleased with the high quality ingredients and friendly service. The other restaurant is Pho Ever, also in Vista. I have not eaten there, but will go there as soon as possible on the recommendation of my friend Alan who knows where to eat, and appreciates good food. If he says it's good, I've got to try it.

So here are are few places for you to try this summer. I have a feeling that restaurants in our area are improving. The first two I talked about have real promise. I'm excited to try them both.

The Effects of Birth Order on Personality

Last week my Monday book club transgressed from our book topic and spent time talking about birth order and how it effects one's personality. I love this group of bright, insightful and just all around fun women that I see every month in order to discuss important literature. We were suprised to find out that a large number of women in the group were firstborn children. .

Firstborn children's common traits are energetic, logical, ambitious, enterprising and scholarly. Did you know that most American presidents are firstborn children? I didn't either, but it makes sense. Also, a large majority of CEO's of major companies are firstborn children. Firstborns aggressive traits are: movers and shakers, natural leaders, perfectionists, driven, conventional, always have things under control, assertive and want things their way. Does this sound like any firstborns that you know? It sure sounds like some that I know. The compliant traits of firstborns include people pleasers, crave approval, caregivers, reliable, conscientious, cooperative and team players.

Our book group has many leaders and very few followers, yet everyone is respectful and listens. That's because we all respect the intellect and insight each and every woman brings to the group. Just because we've got a bunch of assertive perfectionists doesn't mean everyone doesn't get a chance to express her opinion, argue and disagree. It makes for lively discussions, regardless of the topic of the book, on everything from politics to religion.

I found it interesting how the characteristics listed for birth order fit the people I know. Of course these are general traits and we always know someone who doesn't fit the mold, but in my family and with the people I know, birth order has had a huge influence on their personality.


Firstborn children have much to deal with. First they are an only child, then they're the oldest child, often they are a surrogate mother to their siblings, and with all these changes going on they may act out if they don't like what's happening in the family. No matter what a child's position in the family heirarchy is you can be sure of one thing, they probably wish the birth order were different.

Remembering My First House

Last Thursday I awakened to the sound of the phone ringing, and the words, "good morning, grandma", from son Brian. He and his wife were the proud parents of two baby boys, Ryan and Spencer. How exciting! I was at my mom's house, so I decided to take a long walk before driving to the hospital. I put on my walking shoes, and headed for our old neighborhood in Brentwood, the place I had grown up myself, and later, the place Ron and I had bought our first home.

Brentwood Glen is a small neighborhood of about 14 streets, just west of the 405 and south of Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. My parents bought their first home there 62 years ago, and I lived in the neighborhood until I was 11 years old. Then 25 years after they bought their home there, Ron and I also bought our first home in the very same neighborhood. We paid $32,000 for our small home. Today, comparible houses are $1 million. Anyway, I decided to walk the neighborhood and see how things have changed.

First, many of the houses have been torn down and rebuilt with beautiful two story homes, using every inch of the 50X105 lot. Many of the other homes have not been torn down, but merely restored and spruced up. I walked down our old street where we lived for four years and where my firstborn son, David began his childhood. There was a young lady and two boys coming out of our old house, so I decided to stop and chat.

She told me she had lived there for five years, and she was in a hurry but that if I returned another day she would be happy to show me all the improvements that had been made to the house in almost 40 years. I said I didn't know when I would be back because I was on my way to the hospital to see my twin grandsons that had just been born. Then she tells me that she is a pediatrician and is just on the way to the hospital to see twins that have just been born and are her new patients. I thought this is too much of a coincidence. Could she possibly be my grandkids pediatrician? No, she was not, but it was such a funny set of events.

So, she took a few minutes to walk me through the house and show me how it had changed over the years. It was much improved over the time we lived there, but just being in the house brought back a flood of emotions and memories. I could remember clearly the day we moved in, the day we brought David home from the hospital, the many times I'd come home home and several babies from the neighborhood and the babysitters would be sitting on the lawn and having a grand time. I remember the wonderful friends we made in the neighborhood, and I especially remember the day we moved. Our moving truck didn't show up, so the whole neighborhood got together and helped. They rented a truck and with my father and Ron in charge, got our entire house onto the rental truck and into the new house in just a few short hours. What a memory.

What a great walk I had. Lots of great memories were recalled. Then I got in the car, drove to Woodland Hills to meet my new grandchildren, with whom I hope to have many more wonderful memories.

Twenty First Visit To Taft

Ron and I had a wonderful visit Friday. Our son David also drove up to spend time with his Dad, which always makes for lively conversation and lots of fun. We were all excited about the birth of twin boys on Thursday in Los Angeles. The father is Brian, Ron's oldest child, and the mother is his wife Beth. They have waited a long time for this blessed event, and everyone was very emotional.

Luckily I was able to bring a grainy picture of the twins for him to see Fiday. He will hang the pictures in his locker and get a big smile on his face every morning when he looks at them.

Even our son David was emotional about the birth of his nephews, and told us that he started thinking about how Ron couldn't be at the birth and that David's Grandpa (who passed away about 1 1/2 years ago and he was very close to) would never get to know them either. It made him very sad.

Special events are particularly hard for someone who is incarcerated. I could tell when Ron called me and I said, "Congratulations, Grandpa", that he was choked up. Unfortunately he was not there for the birth, will not be there for the briss, and will not see much of them during their first year. Fortunately, Brian and Beth plan to bring the boys to Taft as soon as they can handle a two hour car trip. That will be very special. A few months ago one of Ron's friends had a visit from his family, including a six month old grandaughter. He was so emotional when they arrived. The tears were streaming down his face. Tears of joy.

Special events are particularly hard for men that are incarcerated. They know they are missing parties, births, funerals, birthdays and graduations. It makes them feel even more isolated. Taft Camp does offer furloughs to some inmates for these events, but it is usually required that an escort accompany the inmate. Most men don't want that. However, Ron has applied for some extra phone minutes for June and July and will most likely receive them. Good thing, because we love to talk and our 300 minutes every month goes very quickly. On the positive side, births, deaths, graduations and the like bring families closer together. The birth of the twins has brought our three boys closer than they've been in years. Texting, calling, and sending photos, they're in constant contact with each other. It's great to see.

Two of Ron's good friends recently missed special events in the lives of their families. One man missed the college graduation of his daughter, another was unable to attend the funeral of his 90 year old father. The inability to attend these events makes the inmate feel especially lonely. I will talk more about loneliness next week but for now I'll just say that happy or sad events make both of us feel lonelier, as we are unable to celebrate these events together. More next week about this.

I have always said to Ron that our life together has been a roller coaster. We started at the bottom, with nothing, rode it all the way to the top with lots of ups and downs along the way, took the big plunge down, and are now creeping back up, slowly but surely. I know there will be bumps along the road, but we're on the way up and our future looks bright.

The History of Salt

There's a new restaurant in Boulder, Colorado called Salt. I was going to review it here, but decided instead to talk a little about the history of salt and review the restaurant at another time.

Salt's ability to preserve food was the foundation of civilization. It eliminated man's dependence on the seasonal availability of food and it allowed man to travel long distances. It also tastes great. It was a highly valued trade item, difficult to obtain and until the 20th century it was one of the prime movers of national economies and wars. Today, salt is universally accessible and relatively cheap.

The main sources of salt are sea water and rock salt. Rock salt occurs in vat beds of sedimentary evaporite minerals that result from the drying up of lakes, playas and seas. In the United States underground beds extend from the Appalachian basin of western New York through parts of Ontario and Michigan. Salzburg, Austria was named "the city of salt" for its mines.

Salt was used by many civilizations in antiquity. It is commonly believed that Roman soldiers were at certain times paid with salt. It was also of high value to the Hebrews, Greeks and Chinese. Salt is referred to in the Old Testament. Mosaic law called for salt to be added to all burnt animal sacrifices. In the New Testament, Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth."

Salt played a prominent role in determining the power and location of the world's great cities. Liverpool rose from just a small English port to become the prime exporting port for the salt dug in the great Cheshire salt mines. The salt mines of Poland led to a vast kingdom in the 1500's, only to be destroyed when Germans brought in sea salt. Venice fought and won a war with Genoa over salt. The gabell-a hated French salt tax- was enacted in 1286 and maintained until 1790. During the many wars in American history, salt has been a major factor in the outcome. In the Revolutionary War, the British used Tories to intercept the rebels' salt supply and destroy their abilty to preserve food.

Today, salt has many uses, including bath salts, salt for icy roads, and of course food salt. One of my favorite web sites for checking out and buying gourmet, exotic salts is www.saltworks.us. You won't believe the dozens of different varieties of salt that are available, including Cyprus flake salt, fleur de sel (my favorite), Himalayan salt, grey sea salt and Cyprus black lava salt. There are many more, and believe it or not, salt is not just salt. They do taste different and some are a wonderful addition to food, especially GOOD salt sprinkled on a fresh tomato.

I know we're all trying to reduce the amount of salt, so when you do use salt, use something good. I gave you a little history of salt today, and shortly I will review a restaurant in Boulder that takes salt to a new level.

Sweet Deliciousness

I heard about a delicious topping for ice cream and apples or pears, and couldn't believe it. I had to try it. I just did and it is the easiest dessert topping you can imagine. It's thick and creamy and tastes like caramel and vanilla. Try it, you won't believe it.

No Fuss Dessert Topping

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Tear the paper off the can of condensed milk, put in a slow cooker, cover with water, and set the dial to low. Wait 8 hours. Remove the can, let it cook for an hour, then open the can. You will have the most delicious topping for ice cream or fruit. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Short and sweet.

There's Always Something New

Memorial Weekend was slow for me. I had been to see Ron on Friday, had dinner with my mom in LA on Friday night, and came home the same night. I was home for the weekend and had very little planned, so after my pool workout on Sunday morning I stopped by the Leucadia Farmers' Market. It's located on the campus of the Paul Ecke Elementary School on Vulcan, just south of Leucadia Blvd. I've written about it before, but every time I go there seems to be more to buy.

I came back with a big sack of groceries and some great ideas. I also saw and bought some new produce, never before seen by me. So here I go, I've got lots to tell you about.

New produce and products. Susie's Farm sells all kinds of sprouts, mung beans, peanuts, garbanzos, dandelions, and popcorn sprouts. I had never seen or heard of popcorn sprouts before, but after sampling them, I had to have them. When the corn stalk first sprouts, there is a grassy sprout which they harvest and sell as popcorn sprouts. It has a distinctive corn flavor, but is like a grass. I'm going to sprinkle some on salad. The gal told me not to eat too much at one time because it is a grass, and it may be difficut to digest. Anyway, I learned about something new. Red walnuts was another product I had never seen before. They look just like regular walnuts, but are a deep red color. I didn't buy them, but will when I need nuts. The third and most delicious thing I bought was a green drink from Morning Star Ranch called "Green Drink." The farm is strictly organic, and grows everything from avocados to grapefruits and lots of green veggies. They're located in Valley Center. The green drink is a delicious blend of nine different vegetables including spinach, swiss chard, kale and collards. To this they add a bit of grapefruit, apple, flax seed and sweeten it slightly with agave. It is fantastic. I bought the 32 ounce bottle for $9. Sounds like a lot, but it was really good.

Plants. The Farmers Market has several stands selling flowers, plants and garden products. For $30 you can buy a large terra cotta planter filled to the brim with every imaginable herb. This was a great deal, and for those who don't like to garden or don't have much space, this was a fantastic buy. I was tempted, even though I have so much growing in my own garden. The other wonderful booth that gave me lots of ideas was a gal selling succlent plants and arrangements. She makes the succulent wreaths, but had some new ideas I had not seen before. She took something like a narrow wire kitchen rack, filled it with moss and made a succulent hanger. Then she put a hook on it and hung it up. Beautiful and easy to do.

Prepared foods. One of the best things to do is to go to the market around 11, stroll around for an hour, then have lunch at one of the many wonderful booths to choose from. That is if you're not too full from the samples you've been eating all morning. Favorite booths of mine include the crepe stand, making fresh crepes before your very eyes and filling them with everything from strawberries and whipped cream, to chicken, cheese and veggies. Yum. Another lunch I love has chicken kabobs with fresh grilled organic veggies like artichokes and asparagus, and authentic Cuban sandwiches. The sandwich consists of grilled chicken, lettuce and tomato and avocado, on a cuban roll with a little spicy sauce. It is delicious. Other great choices include fresh made tacos, Indian fusion, Middle Eastern food with pita, falafel and hummus, and hand made sausages grilled and served on a roll. There is a picnic area (shaded) with tables to eat your meal, so it's not necessary to do a balancing act.

So next time you're looking for a great way to spend a few hours alone, with friends or even husbands (they'll love it too), check out the Leucadia Farmers' Market on Sundays from 10-3. You'll come home with some great produce, locally grown, and a full stomach.

Captain and the Crows

My mother has a little 12 pound chihuhua/daschound mix dog named Captain. She's the sweetest thing ever and just loves to cuddle. She doesn't really like to play much, but she likes to explore my mom's backyard for a few minutes every afternoon, then come right back in the house.

One afternoon not long ago, Captain was out in the backyard, my mom called her, and she wouldn't oome, so my mom went to check to see what was wrong. There was an injured crow on the grass, apparently with a broken wing because he tried to fly away and couldn't, being followed by Captain. The dog was following the crow around the backyard, not trying to kill it, just follow it!! Well the crow knew he was in trouble and was squawaking in distress. You've got to picture this, because the crow and the dog were almost the same size, and the dog didn't have any interest in killing the crow, she just wanted to follow the bird around.

Well, all that squawking was for a reason. Within a few minutes, three of the crows "friends" came to help out. They swooped down and started terrorizing Captain by trying to pull hair out of her back. They were protecting their injured crow friend. I had never seen anything like it. Captain, who is usually scared of her own shadow and was very brave with a single, injured crow, was out of there in no time flat. Two swoops to her back to peck at her was all it took. She made a beeline for the house.

That was one of the most interesting things I've seen in quite a while. I did a bit of research to see if it was typical crow behavior for them to protect each other, but I could not find the answer. I did find out that they usually mate for life, so maybe the husband was one of the three birds that came to protect the injured bird. In any event, the squawk noise of the crow was definitely a disstress call, and his friends came to help out. It was really amazing. Why Captain wanted to follow the bird and not kill him, I'll never know. Most dogs, large or small, would have tried to kill the crow.

I never liked crows. When I lived in Los Angeles there was a group of them that lived in a tree in the front of our house and they scared the hell out of me. I had a big Akita (dog) with lots of hair, and they used to torment her by swooping down and pecking hair out of her back. They have always given me the creeps, but I will think of them differently in the future. They're intelligent and protective, traits I admire, so I will think of them with more respect in the future even though I still don't like them.

Twentieth Visit to Taft

As I've said before, the highlight of my week is Friday, from around 8:15 until I leave Taft, usually around 1:30. I plan my week so that everything is completed before I leave home so I have a clear mind and am not burdened with things I have to get back for. The first month or so I was exhausted when I returned home Friday night. I needed the weekend to recuperate. That has changed. It's so interesting how the body adjusts. I'm doing the same thing I did in February, but when I get home Friday night I am no more tired than I would be from any other long day. Writing this has made me remember my teaching days. When school would reopen in September, I would come home each day for the first few weeks and wonder how I was going to get up the following morning. But I did, and in a few short weeks my body had adjusted to standing, talking and bending all day and I was fine. The body is a wonderful machine.

Speaking of machines, my car now knows it's way to Taft without me!! I feel like the car is on automatic pilot. It's a little scary sometimes when I've passed landmarks on my way to Taft and don't even remember. It reminds me that I must stay alert and sharp no matter how well I know the route.

I was feeling a little overwhelmed last week. I was feeling that I not only had my own things to attend to (which I have easily gotten used to), but I had so many things to take care of for Ron. He wants newspapers, magazines, information on such and such, could I call this person, could I find out about internet service? Yes, of course I could, but for the first time in months it overwhelmed me. I thought to myself, "Why do I have to do all this, why does Ron want all this? After thinking that I just didn't want to do all this, I realized that I was the only one who could. If he could do it himself, he would. If he wanted it done in three months he wouldn't be asking me to do it now. So I got out my paper and pen and made a list. I'm a big advocate of lists. I listed all the things Ron has asked me to do in preparation for his return (I know it sounds a bit premature) and have taken care of just about everything. I shouldn't be questioning why he wants to know about a phone for the house when he returns. I know the answer. He has lots of time to think about things and when he thinks of them he tells me and wants to get answers.

I totally get it. I was not being sensitive to the fact that he is inside, I am outside, and I am the one that can gather information and make phone calls. He can only think of what needs to be done. I have to do it. I'm fine with all this. I'm over the feeling I had that I was being asked to do too much. I'm not. I can handle ANYTHING and will, happily, so long as there's always Friday to look forward to.

It's National Doughnut Day

Friday, June 4 is National Doughnut Day. The doughnut is so good, so popular, that it gets its own day. I thought this was a creation of the snack food industry to promote themselves, but actually it started in 1938 as as fund-raiser for the Salvation Army. Women of that organization started America's love affair with the doughnut during World War 1. As part of their effort to bring a little bit of home to the American troops in France, the Salvation Army served coffee and doughnuts.

Who actually invented the doughnut? This is still being debated, but most cultures have a variety of fried bread. Dutch immigrants are often credited with creating the first American doughnuts, called "olykosks" (oily cakes). By the 1920's machines had been invented to mass produce doughnuts. The Chicago World's Fair in 1934 declared the doughnut "the food hit of the Century of Progress,"

Some of today's popular chains were around for the first National Doughnut Day. LaMar's (from the Midwest) opened in 1933, Krispy Kremed started in 1937, and Dunkin' Donuts opened their doors in 1950.

Both Krispy Kreme (free without any other purchase) and Dunkin' Donuts (free with purchase of a drink) will be handing out free doughnuts today. Recently the doughnut has been pushed aside by the bagel by thoses concerned with sugar and fat. I'd just like to point out that a glazed doughnut is LESS calories than a plain bagel.

For me, the best doughnut is still VG's in Cardiff. I haven't been eating them recently, but my mouth is watering thinking about how Ron and I used to stop in around 8pm, just before closing. The doughnuts were being prepared for the next day, the smell was intense and the taste of warm doughnuts actually melting in your mouth, well, there is just nothing better. So go pick up a free doughnut tomorrow, or better yet, stop by VG's when they're fresh and warm.

East Village Asian Diner-So Good

Most Tuesday nights you will find me at the Esplanade Bridge Club in Solana Beach, with one of regular partners, Meena or Kay. Last week I played with Kay, and asked her to join me for dinner beforehand at a new restaurant in Encinitas that I'd been dying to try. East Village Asian Diner opened about six weeks ago, and I just haven't had a chance to get there before last week. Now that I've been there, I can't wait to go back.

The restaurant is on Highway 101 right across from the construction of the new Whole Foods in Encinitas. (www.eateastvillage.com). It's definitely got a diner feel to it, but sleek and modern. Nice comfortable booths, some tables and a bar area. The waitstaff is friendly and know the menu well. They will help you order. The food itself is all over the Asian map. China, Japan, Korea and Thailand are all represented on the menu.

The first section of the menu is "Snacks". Handmade pork and shrimp potstickers, beef curry dip with flatbread, edamame, and chicken lettuce cups are just some of the offerings. The potstickers looked amazing, our waitress recommended them, and I will try them next time.

The next section of the menu is "Noodles". We ordered thai peanut noodles, which can be ordered vegetarian or with chicken, pork or shrimp. It was delicious. The flavors were subtle, the vegetables fresh and crisp, and the presentation was gorgeous. The also offer a cold soba noodle salad, beef noodles and pan tossed noodles.

Nex, East Village has a sandwich/wrap and salad section, including a pulled pork sandwich, a happy buddha vegetarian wrap, chinese chicken salad, and chicken bulgar wheat salad. Their produce is so fresh I can only imagine that the salads and wraps are delicious. Maybe next time I'll go for lunch and try some of these items.

Main courses include bowls of rice topped with various meats and vegetables. Teriyaki chicken bowl, kung pao shrimp, and sweet and sour chili shrimp are all on the menu. We ordered the latter, and again, fresh, beautifully presented, abundant, and delicious is all I can say.

How about apple wontons for dessert? Hot apple pie bites covered with cinnamon sugar, caramel, and vanilla ice cream. Next time I may start with dessert.

Prices for starters range from $3.50-$8.75, and the main courses are from $8.50-$12.00. Casual, moderately priced, friendly and delicious. I can't wait to go back.

Stick to What You Know

Every spring I plant vegetables. Last year my crop was not so good, so this year I added lots of ammendments to the soil and started early. I am growing several varieties of tomatoes and several varieties of squash. Other than that, all I have is some arugula, basil, flat leaf parsley and a few other herbs. The plants have gone crazy this year, and I should have my first tomatoes in about three weeks.

All those tomatoes gave me an idea. Since tomatoes and mozzarella is one of my favorite salads, I decided to try my hand at making, from scratch, buffalo mozzarella. Not a good idea. It sounded so easy. It was a disaster.

I had to go to three stores to get the simple ingredients, milk, rennet tablets and citric acid. Ralphs didn't have these things, but I found them at Stater Bros. The directions were so easy, but it simply did not work for me. You're supposed to heat the milk until curds form, but I only got a few curds, not enough for even a small ball of mozzarella. I ended up having the milk boil over and making a mess, then burning the pan. I threw the whole thing out and will not try again unless I'm under the guidance of someone who knows what they're doing.

Some things in life are meant to be purchased, not made by me. I guess cheese is one of those. I learned 40 years ago that wine was something else I should purchase rather than make. When Ron and I were first married, my friend Ellen and I decided to make red wine, just like they did on I Love Lucy. You all remember the scene where Lucy and Ethel are stomping grapes. Well, Susie and Ellen went to the store, bought the grapes and put them in the bathtub to stomp them. It really was great fun. Then we followed the directions, transferred the juice to a glass Sparkletts bottle and capped it with a cork. We put it in the living room to ferment.

About two weeks later I came home from work to find my living room ceiling decorated with grape juice and pieces of grape skin. The fermentation had gone crazy and exploded. That was the end of my wine making career. As I said in the beginning, some things are better off purchased. Cheese and wine are definitely two things I'll be buying, rather than making.

Are there Four or Five Tastes

My recent cruise was a food and wine cruise that featured guest chefs in the main dining room, lectures and demonstrations by various world class chefs, and a $950 tasting menu with wine. No, we did not attend the dinner, but we did have the opportunity to attend lectures and demonstrations by some wonderful and entertaining chefs.

Jon Ashton was my favorite. He has appeared on the Martha Stewart Show, the Rachael Ray Show, and the Food Network. He's a young Brit, and thoroughly charming. He started talking about the five tastes during one demonstration, and told us that the fifth taste, umani (or savory) has just recently been added to the Western list of tastes. Up until recently we only included salty, sour, bitter and sweet. Who knew? Anyway, umani is a savory taste and common in Asian cooking. There are apparently several other tastes that might be included in the future, including fatty!

Jon made a lovely Rosemary Apricot Pork Tenerloin that I will share with you.

Rosemary Apricot Pork Tenderloin by Jon Ashton

2 lbs pork tenderloin
3 T. olive oil
4 T. finely minced rosemary
6 garlic cloves, minced
coarsely ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1 c. apricot preserves
3 T. fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush port with 1 T. oil, sprinkle with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2T. oil in large ovenproof skilleter over medium heat. Add pork and cook until brown on all sides, turning often, about 5 minutes.

Transfer pan to oven, and roast pork until meat thermometer registers 150 degrees, about 15 minutes. While pork roasts, combine preserves, lemon juice and garlic.

Remove pan from oven and brush jam mixture over pork. Let rest 8 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Serve on top of polenta. Drizzle sauce on top.

I think you'll enjoy this simple recipe. It's full of lots of flavor, and great tastes. You'll get to experience several different tastes (of the five tastes we have).

Tastebuds are mainly located on the tips, sides and back of the tongue. The receptors change over time and explains why people often find their taste preferences changing over time. The strength of your tastebuds is also supposed to diminish over time and helps explain why many elderly people lose interest in food. That has no happened to me yet. My tastebuds are alive and well and continue to enjoy all five tastes. In this dish you will experience four of the five tastes (no bitter), so give it a try. I hope you enjoy.