Cheese Stuffed Dates

When entertaining I find it best to get as much cooking done in advance as possible. That way I can spend the evening enjoying my guests rather than working in the kitchen. So, I try to prepare everything in advance. Below is a wonderful appetizer that is so easy even a child can do it, so elegant you might see it at a trendy Hollywood party, and so delicious I could eat way too many.

Medjool dates, goat cheese, marscapone cheese and prociutto are the main ingredients, so how could it be bad? Medjool dates are the big, plump, extra sweet juicy dates that you often see in bulk in the fruit and vegetable section. They're more expensive, but well worth it.

Cheese Stuffed Dates

20 medjool dates (pitted)
1/4 cup goat cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup marscapone cheese (room temperature)
handful of basil, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
10 slices prociutto (thin sliced, then cut length wise to make 20 pieces)

Combine the cheeses, add the chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the cheese in the dates, then take the prociutto and wrap it around the date, securing it with a toothpick. That's it.

This appetizer looks beautiful displayed on a glass serving tray. It is so rich that you can figure no more than two per person. The sweetness of the date combined with the tangy goat cheese and salty prociutto is a perfect blend of heaven. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Thirty Second Visit To Taft

Last week was the first time in a while that I've driven to Taft alone. Most of the summer I've enjoyed the company of my new friend Carole, but since she has moved to Santa Barbara I'm driving solo for the time being. I miss bouncing ideas off her, hearing stories about her experiences in the system and speculating on how our visits will go.

This particular Friday our son David also came to visit Ron. We enjoy his company so much and Ron looks forward to his monthly (at least) visits with great anticipation. Friday David came in and told us that a conversation Ron had with Michael Santos was the topic of Michael's latest blog. You can check out Michael's blog at www.michaelsantos.net. I have written about Michael before. He has been in the prison system longer than anyone else at Taft, yet he is upbeat and anxiously looking forward to his future. I admire greatly his attitude and hard work. Anyway, his most recent blog talks about the importance of balance in one's life. After 24 years in prison, Michael is focused on his career and success. Ron told him that when he was younger he had a similar attitude and that he had missed so much during the early years of our marriage. Travel and business forced him to miss many family dinners and evenings with the children. Ron's goal after his release is to spend the remaining years of his life making me happy and continuing to improve our marriage. Michael was interested to hear all this and feels that he came away from the conversation with a much more balanced idea about work and marriage. Knowing Michael and Carole I am sure they will be able to balance both.

Usually the time spent with David, Ron and myself is full of funny stories and jokes, but for some reason this week the conversation got more serious. Ron mentioned to David that he would only be coming to Taft about 9 more times, and the three of us got into a conversation about how we all like to count. I know I've talked about this before, but here I go again. Ron was saying that when he gets in the shower one of the things he does is count. He counts how many more showers he will take at Taft, how many more visits from me he will receive, how many more holidays he will be separated from his family. So David starts telling us how he counts Ron's time. How many more phone calls will he get from his Dad and how many more holidays will he be gone for. I chimed in with how I count. How many more miles will I drive, how many more weeks will I be visiting, how many more hours will I spend in the car driving to and from Taft and how many more crappy meals will I have in the visiting room. It's a game we all play with ourselves. It doesn't make time go any faster, but somehow it feels good to do.

So this visit was a good one. We talked about loneliness and how we both deal with that, but I will put that discussion off for another week. I'm getting ready to drive home tonight and count the jelly beans in my jar. That's another way I count the days. I have the exact number of jelly beans in the jar to last until Ron returns and I remove one each day. Last time David came to visit he ate two jelly beans, so I've got to check the number. I love to count!

A Night At The Movies-Priceless

Recently we gals have been getting together for "chick Flick Movies". You know, the ones the men have no interest in seeing. We saw Julie and Julia together (great), Sex in the City (not so great), and last night night Eat,Pray,Love(far from great). The best part of the evening was, as usual, the dinner and conversation after the movie.

I never read the book from which the film was adapted, but I think I would like it. It's about a woman in an unhappy marriage who leaves home for a year to find herself, to find balance in her life, through her travels to Italy, India and Bali. The photography of the various locations is beautiful, but the movie itself, well I really can't recommend it.

After the movie we came back to Kim's house, watched the sunset from her ocean front location, had a glass of wine, and critiqued the movie. Now that was spectacular. Seven strong women in their 50's and 60's talking about finding balance in life and trying to come up with one word to describe themselves. That's really hard. Just when you think you have the right word you think of something else that better describes you. One of the women said the word to describe me is "collector". By that she meant collector of friends, experiences, things, Another woman thought of herself as a "taster". A taster of life, a little of this, a little of that. I thought that was a really good word.

After the sunset we sat down for some serious eating. Based on the movie, Kim went with an Italian theme. Salad, fresh bread and hard butter, homemade minestrone soup, then pasta and chicken caccitore. The meal concluded with spumoni ice cream and biscotti and shortbread cookies. Oh, did I mention more wine? Yes, there was more wine.

I can't wait for the next chick flick movie extravaganza. The movie cost me $9, but the evening that followed, well that was priceless.

What's Hot in North County

As I was getting ready to write a blog about environmental events in North County, I was lucky to stumble upon a web site that is new to me, but is now saved in my "favorites". It's www.hotinnorthcounty.com. You've got to check it out. Everything you want to know about North County is just a click away. What will I write about in the future now that you have this web site to refer to? I'll figure something out.

I was going to write about some of the great "green" events that are happening in North County, but I will save that for another day. I will just share a few interesting tidbits that I found on the new website. I encourage you to check it out. You'll be amazed at the amount of information they have listed. Really fantastic.

I clicked on fairs/festivals and here is just a bit of what I found interesting that will be in our area next month.

The Poway Rodeo will be in Poway from September 25-26. If you've never been to a rodeo, this is something different you might want to try. Go to the website and click on fairs/festivals to find out more.

The Cardiff Greek Festival will be in town from September 11-12. Food, activities for the kids, music and dancing will make this is a wonderful event for the whole family.

I'm looking forward to the Art Splash Street Chalk Fest in Carlsbad from September 25-26. Artists are assigned an area of the sidewalk to draw on, and the results are so really fantastic art.

I highly recommend you spend a few minutes surfing this website. It's a wealth of information on fairs, exhibits, restaurants and attractions. I plan to refer to it often.

Ever Tried a Tapas Bar?

The first time I told someone I went to a tapas bar they thought I said "topless bar" and couldn't figure it out. You must really enunciate when you say "tapas" otherwise who knows what they'll think?

When my mom and I were on our cruise in May we stopped at several ports in Spain. My favorite was Barcelona, not only because of the the beautiful covered marketplace just off Las Ramblas, called St. Joseph's Market, but because of the Gaudi architecture and the colorful street performers on Las Ramblas. But most of all I enjoyed the wonderful lunch we had at a little tapas bar off the beaten path. It was all locals in the bar, we sat down on the stools in front of the glass case and began a wonderful lunch.

Tapas are small snacks that are usually served with drinks as appetizers, but over time tapas has become an entire meal. A tapas menu will include hot and cold snacks of every possible variety. If you sit at the bar as we did, you can simply point to what you want and it will be served. If you're at a table away from the displayed food, you better read Spanish otherwise it will be difficult to order. We had more than enough food to choose from and were stuffed when we finished lunch. Tomato and cheese salad, fish salad, meatballs and a quiche like pie were our selections. Other items to choose from included potato salad, marinated mushrooms, potato croquettes, bruschetta, prawns, cured olives, nuts, and short ribs.

A friend of mine told me that the tapas bar she went to kept track of how much you ate by counting the number of toothpicks you had accumulated at the end of the meal. Very clever.

It's hard to find tapas restaurants in the US, but if you do, please try one. It's a great way to sample lots of different tastes, hot and cold, and you'll be surprised how satisfied you feel after just a few appetizers. We used to have a tapas restaurant in La Jolla, but it's been gone for awhile and I have not found another good one. Well, I'll just have to wait to get back to Spain for another fabulous tapas meal.

The World's Healthiest Diets

Is the American diet really so bad that t's time to look to other countries for help? The short answer is "Yes". That's the premise behind a spate of recent books touting all kinds of crazy diets. The latest entrant is The Five Factor World Diet, by celebrity trainer and author Harley Pasternak. The author noted that other countries, where the people were slimmer and healthier were eating a different diet than we Americans.

Pasternak's book lists countries with healthy diets that also have long life expectancies and low obesity rates. Japan tops his list because it has a 1.5% obesity rate (for men) and an 82 year life expectancy, vs. a 36.5% obesity rate and a 78 year life expectancy in the U.S. South Korea, China and Singapore also do well. France makes the list with a 6.6% obesity rate and an 81 year life expectancy, as do Italy, Spain and Greece.

What virtually all these countries have in common are low fat diets rich in fish, lean protein, vegetables, fruits and beans. Most of the countries in question practice portion control Although they indulge in high fat cheeses, cured pork and condensed milk coffee drinks, they rarely overindulge. It really comes down to common sense. As my mother always said to me, whether it was about alcohol, food, work or play, everything in moderation. Good advice.

The one exception, says Pasternak, is the Mediterranean diet, high in olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. A 2008 meta-analysis of 12 studies of 1.6 million subjects found that people who stick closely to the Mediterranean diet had a 9% lower death rate than people who ate the same diet less stringently. It is not yet clear what specifically makes the Mediterranean diet so healthy, but many scientists think it has to do with more fruits and veggies and less red meat.

So let's try to learn something from those that are healthier and living longer than us. The Asian countries have the lowest obesity rate, so that's where I'm looking. Lots of fruits and vegetables, some grains and a little bit of fish or chicken. All in moderation. That's the key.

Thirty First Visit to Taft

Last week I came home physically and emotionally spent from my visit to Taft. It was the last time I would be driving from LA to Taft with Carole. We've been driving together this summer but she is moving away to finish school and I will be driving alone. We've gotten to know each other quickly because we share the common bond of both having a husband at Taft. It makes for instant commraderie, for the Taft wives all understand each other, regardless of how different we are.

Carole has had years of experience in the prison system and has taught me so much. I'm new to it all and appreciated her honesty and candor. I will miss her. I know her hubby will too, as they'll only see each other once every 3-4 weeks.

We spent the entire day at Taft, and with the lack of anything good to eat there, I was upset that I would resort to eating a lot of junk. That's exactly what I did, but what are you going to do when all they offer is cheesecake, chips, candy, soda and a few sandwiches? So much for healthy eating.

Ron's childhood friends, Philip and Ellen came for their second visit. It was great to see them, and Ron loved spending time with them. They had just attended their high school's 50th class reunion, and had lots of stories to tell. They had sent Ron a class picture from the reunion in advance. He couldn't bring it into the visiting room, but they still had a great time reminiscing. Their dedication to maintain a friendship and to support Ron during this period is amazing. Ron and I appreciate their friendship more than we can say.

I came to Taft completely on edge. This was due to the fact that I hadn't slept the night before because I had so much on my mind to discuss with Ron. Each week I come to Taft with a list of things we need to talk about. These things can be as simple as talking about a budget when he comes home, to possible business ideas for the future, to where Ron wants to go eat when he is released from Taft. The funny thing is that the list doesn't get shorter every week, in fact it gets longer. Household bill paying was always Ron's job, but obviously I have taken over that chore. I always seem to have a few things to ask him. I want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly.

It was hard to say goodbye this week, both to Ron at the end of the visiting day, and to Carole at the end of our ride back to LA. I will miss Ron this week but know I will see him again next Friday with a new and longer list in hand. Carole, on the other hand, I will not see for a while, but will call or e-mail her to see how her school is going. Her husband will miss her terribly, but with what they've been through, this is just another minor hurdle. I hope the time passes quickly for them.

Sleepless in San Diego

I've never been a great sleeper. Most of my adult life I have awakend at least twice during the night. In the past it's been because Barney would snuggle up to me or Ron's breathing would awaken me. Neither of those things are causing me to awaken, but I am still a restless sleeper. The difference is that now when I awaken I can't go back to sleep. Four or five hours of sleep refreshes me, and when I wake up at 3am I'm wide awake. This has been going on for months. I've tried counting sheep, I've tried counting backwards, I've tried relaxation exercises and I've tried reading. I've even tried TV. You wouldn't believe what you find on television in the middle of the night.

Last night I awoke at 3:15am and turned on Meet the Press. Lucky it was Sunday night so I could at least watch something interesting. Most of the viewing is paid programming. Our culture is obsessed with health and appearance, and most of the infomercials fall into these two categories. Some of the shows I might have watched last night include Zumba Dance, Get Sexier in 90 Days, Bare Minerals Makeup, Look Younger in 14 Days, Stop Memory Loss, Seductive Hair Secrets, Size Matters, Your Baby Can Read, Smartest Kid in Class, and Clear Skin for Summer. I hope I can sleep until 4:30am, because that's when the networks start their morning programming. They all start with a business and finance program, then at 5am they start the morning news.

Turning on the TV is my last resort, but at least I've got that. With over 900 channels to choose from you'd think there would be something interesting. Sorry, that's not the case. I wish I was someone who could take a pill and sleep through the night. I never have, and never will. I'll just keep counting sheep, doing my relaxation exercises and watching boring TV as a last resort.

A Taste of San Diego=Food, Food, Food

Several weeks ago Groupon offered a great special in San Diego. It was a discounted price on a three hour food tour of Downtown San Diego by A Taste of San Diego. This tour company is owned and operated by Annette Legaspi, who guided us from restaurant to restaurant throughout our 3 hour food orgy.(www.atasteofsd.com) She is young, energetic, and full of information about San Diego, having lived here all her life. She's a wealth of information and we spent a lot of time picking her brain about other areas of San Diego worth exploring.

Food tours have become popular in recent months, a trend which I hope will continue. Myself and 5 friends bought the Groupon deal, then picked a date when we could all take the tour and had our own private tour of the eateries in East Village, a small section of downtown San Diego.

Over the three hour period we walked a little and ate a lot. We stopped at 6 different restaurants where we ate volumes of food. When Annette calls it A Taste of San Diego, I must disagree. We were served massive amounts of food. These were not just tastes. Even the heartiest of appetites would go home stuffed.

We began our tour at Bread on Market (breadonmarket.com) an artisan bakery and winner of the "Silver Fork Award" from San Diego Home and Gardens. We walked into the bakery, sat down and were served a huge basket of home made breads and sweet rolls. My favorite was the cinnamon roll, but the almond croissant wasn't far behind. Spreads for the bread included a soft butter infused with honey and orange, my personal favorite. This is a great place to stop and pick up sandwiches before a Padre game. They'll pack you a great picnic for $9.99 per person.

Next we stopped at a unique restaurant just a few doors away called J.Wok. (www.jwoksd.com). It's just the type of eating I love, lots of little plates. We had Fried tofu, Vietnamese spring rolls (cold) wrapped in rice paper and a fish egg roll with kimchi. They also serve seaweed salad, pork buns, lettuce wraps and tilapia with green apple. Nothing on the menu is more than $3.75, so you can order an assortment of items and split.

Our next stop was Valentine's, a delicious Mexican restaurant. We were served carne asada street tacos. The meat was well seasoned and tender, wrapped in two small corn tortillas, topped with guacamole, onions and cilantro. It was a real treat.

Next, we visited The Kebab Shop (www.thekebabshop.com). We were served falaffel in a garlic yogurt dipping sauce and several salads, including taboule and tomato and cucumber salad. Fresh and declicious is all I can say, so check them on line as they have several other locations.

Are you full yet? I was, but that didn't stop me from eating everything put in front of me at Venissimo (www.venissimo.com) cheese shop. We were all given a sample of 5 different cheeses, plus red and white wine to enhance the flavors. In addition, we were served a little red pepper stuffed with goat cheese, with just enough spice. I loved it and will go to the Del Mar shop and purchase some. Venissimo offers classes and tastings too. While we were there a local chef stopped by to purchase some cheese for the cheese platters he serves in his restaurant.

Last but not least we visited jsix (www.jsixsandiego.com) for dessert. Frankly we were all so full at this point that we couldn't fully enjoy the delicious dessert we were served. It was a semi frozen chocolate mousse, with layers of carmel and nuts and chocolate underneath. Beautiful and delicious, but unfortunately we were so full we couldn't appreciate it.

We rolled home around six, and here it is almost 24 hours later and I'm still not hungry! What a feast. Next time you're looking for something unique to do in San Diego, check out A Taste of San Diego. Annette has several other tours up and running. She's a wonderful guide, full of knowledge about the food scene in San Diego. We sure had a great afternoon.

3rd Corner's New Menu

A little over a year ago, a wonderful restaurant opened in the Lumberyard in Encinitas, 3rd Corner. Half wine store, half restaurant, it was the perfect place to go for a nice glass (or bottle) of wine and a light dinner. I had not been there in quite a while and was delighted with the meal I recently enjoyed with friends Laurie and Geroge. Many of my favorites are still on the menu, but they've added many entrees and have a wonderful Sunday Night Fixe Prix Menu.

I'll concentrate on dinner, as that's the only meal I've eaten at 3rd Corner. To start, they have wonderful appetizers and salads. Artisan cheese plate (five assorted cheeses), baked humboldt fog goat cheese with wild mushrooms and toasted brioche, and heirloom tomato tart are a few of the appetizers I have tried, all just delicious. Select a glass of your favorite wine at a very reasonable price to make everything taste better. Salads include a wonderful caesar salad with fresh anchovies, smoked duck breast salad and goat cheese salad. All salads are generous and could be split.

Small plates for dinner include charcuterie plate, pate sampler, smoke salmon plate, grilled shrimp skewers and several sandwiches. I love the smoked salmon plate. 3rd Corner has added some more hearty entrees to the menu including beef short ribs, grilled pork chop, new york steak and 1/2 roasted chicken with veggies, roasted potatoes and lemon chicken jus. I ordered the latter last time and loved it. It was perfectly roasted chicken, moist and tender, with wonderful veggies and potatoes. I had plenty left for another meal the following day.

Sunday night 3rd Corner offers a Sunday Brunch, which I have NOT tried but sounds delicious and a Prix Fixe meal in the evening. For $25 you can get a three course menu with several choices and wine pairings with each course. It's too much for me, but a bargain for big eaters.

3rd Corner is in the space formerly occupied by Meritage (Sbicca owners). Encinitas is the second of three locations. They're also in San Diego and the Palm Dessert area. One of the best things about the restaurant is that they're open until 1am. I can't think of anywhere else in North County where you can get a late night meal. The restaurant is full of energy, a sophisticated clientelle, friendly and knowledgable servers and very good food. I look forward to dining there again soon and trying something new.

Finally, for those in North County, look for Phils Barbeque to open this fall in San Marcos. Yeah!!!

Food Trends That Will Be Here Soon

It's hard to call a "roach coach" or a "taco truck" a food trend as it's been around as long as I can remember, but yes, it definitely is a trend we're going to see here in San Diego sometime soon.

The visual that comes to my mind when I think of a lunch truck is a construction site with a truck across the street serving Mexican food, drinks and pretty good coffee. I've seen these trucks in L.A. for many years. The owner/chef was serving a need in the community while serving up some pretty good food and making a nice living. What's happenng in the mobile lunch truck industry is a far cry from the tacos and burritos I remember from years past.

This food trend started in Los Angeles and New York, and has spread to many large cities like Chicago and Miami. They're not in San Diego yet, but I'm sure they're coming. New York now seems under siege with these rolling kiitchenettes. Rickshaw Dumplings and the Gay Ice Cream Truck are just two of the trucks you might see in New York. Some of the top chefs in big cities have gotten into the kitchen on wheels business, serving such gourmet items as truffle flavored french fries, banh mi pork sandwich, beef and broccoli, latin burgers, and gourmet bistro food. Some trucks even concentrate on simply desserts, like warm chocolate bread pudding or light, sweet cupcakes.

In Los Angeles the mobile truck everyone is raving about is Don Chow's Taco Truck. It's a combination of Asian/Mexican fusion food. They serve Cuban tortas (sandwiches on Cuban rolls), fried tofu tacos, soy ginger shrimp tacos, carne asada tacos and something called a chamale. It's a tamale filled with kung pao chicken, and it looks delicious. You can follow them on Twitter at donchowtacos.com....They seem to be everywhere in LA now.

The trucks are so prevalent in Chicagothat the local legislature has passed a law prohibiting cooking, cutting or prepping on board, but the issue is far from over there. Chefs and owners of thes huge kitchens on wheels are going to fight it out.

South Florida is the latest area to be inundated with trucks. Miami's first gourmet mobile outfit, Gastropod, debuted in December. The shiny silver Airstream is the baby of a Johnson and Wales-trained chef who is turning out gourmet bistro food. The menu changes frequently, to accomodate the many tastes of South Florida, from Latin to Carribbean, to vegan. Some operators of the food trucks are actually helping to employ out of work Miamians as cooks and dishwashers. That's a great way to help the community.

If you're going to eat a gourmet quality lunch and pay a fair price for it, wouldn't you rather sit down than stand on a corner and balance food and drink? I would. It's a gimmicky concept to me. I think the traditional food trucks continue to serve a great need in the community, mostly to workers that can't get away from the job site for a meal, but for office workers or ladies meeting for lunch, it wouldn't be what I would choose.

Every week when I drive to Taft I see a food truck on the road, out in the middle of nowhere. I have stopped twice and had very good Mexican food. Who eats there? Visitors to Taft (maybe 100 go by each day), plus farm workers from the immediate area and truckers carrying produce from the farms to the store. My guess is this food truck does a bang up business. It's filling a need. The dozens of trucks in New York are not filling a need, they're just increasing the number of food choices people have. And I'll say it again, do you really want to eat a gourmet meal standing on the corner and balancing your food? No, I want to sit down and relax when I eat lunch. Stopping for a New York hotdog from a stand on the corner, now that's another story!

Thirtieth Visit to Taft

I've learned alot from Ron over the past 41 years. He's one of the smartest men I've ever met, so I've learned from him because of his intellect, but also because of another, not always seen side to him. He has a sensitive side, an understanding side that you might not recognize at first. When Ron first began seeing a therapist around 2003 he was focused on a multitude of personal and financial disasters that were taking place in his life. He said something at that time that has stuck with me, and which I think of often. Someone asked him how he got through the day with all that he faced and he said, " I give myself 10 minutes every morning to feel sorry for myself. Then I get on with my day". I have not forgotten this, and whenever life is getting me down, I remember his words. Feeling sorry for yourself is not attractive. Everyone has problems. We never know what most people are going through, even our friends. I really don't have many days when I get down, but recalling what Ron said many years ago brings me out of it right away. As one of his friends used to say all the time, we have to do our emotional pushups.

This past week was an interesting and rewarding one for some of the men at Taft. Yeshiva students came to Taft for three day-long seminars for those that were interested. Ron learned a lot, got to bond with many of the inmates, and got a relief from the summer doledrums. It's a great service that the Aleph Institute offered and one that was greatly appreciated by the parcipants. I hope that they do it again. The Aleph Institute does fantastic work keeping religion alive for Jewish inmates around the country. Go to www.aleph-institute.org to read more about the great work they do.

Ron feels his incarceration has helped take our marriage to a new level. He says that when faced with a long separation as we are, both partners must be active participants, not passive recipients in the marriage. Often during a long marriage one partner becomes passive, a taker, and is not really putting his all into the relationship. This role can change many times over the course of a long marriage, but when the partners are faced with long term separation, each must be actively engaged to make it thrive.

I've told you before how I try to be totally present when we are together. This is a huge change for me, because in the past much of my time listening to Ron would be done as a passive listener. Not anymore, and I hope not ever again. It's the same for Ron. We have such little phone time and such little time together that we must both be present all the time.

I remember Ron always used to ask me the same question multiple times. He wasn't listening to my answer. That doesn't happen anymore with either of us, so I must conclude that this experience has taught us both to be better listeners and ultimately better spouses. I know that when he returns home our newfound active listening will continue.

Where is Our Summer Weather?

I'm sitting here on another cloudy morning, the last day in July. By now I have usually been to the beach a dozen times, boogie boarding or just enjoying the sun. To date I have have been boogie boarding twice, and the water has been so cold I had to wear a wetsuit! What's happening? I heard that this was the coolest July in 77 years. But go back east and it's hot, hot, hot. I just returned from Colorado, known for hot dry, summers, but 101 degrees, that's ridiculous. So the east and middle states swelter, and we're still wearing a sweater. I tried to find out WHY this is happening and all my research cited global warming.

I looked at www.climatechange.ca.gov and found lots of research, statistics and forecasts for the future. What I got did not explain why part of the country is so hot and the westcoast is so cool, but it did give me some good information. California is responsible for producing 1.4% of all the greenhouse gasses in the world. That's pretty significant, so we must be part of the solution. Legislation over the past 10 years has definitely moved toward positive change, but change is so slow. Changing car emissions and factory emissions is necessary, but why make change so slow? Some of the reductions in greenhouse gasses are not mandatory for 10 years!!!

Global average temperatures increased over the past 100 years by about 1.1 degrees F. There is at least a 90% chance that the 1990's was the warmest decade for the planet since 1861 and the beginning of instrumental records. There is strong evidence that most of the warming observed fover the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. Each of the last nine years has earned a spot in the rankings of the 25 warmest years on record.

Rising temperatures will potentially effect California water and forest resources. Warming would raise the elevation of snow levels with reduced spring snowmelt and more winter runoff. Added winter runoff is generally not storable because of flood control needs. Climate change in CAlifornia will result in a higher frequency of large damaging fires. Regional climates that are hotter and drier will result in increased pest and insect epidemic within California's forests. Finally, less fog in the northern part of the state has adversely effect the forests, due to less moisture and humidity.

The answer is not clear or easy, but it seems obvious to me that we should be doing everything humanly possible to convert to electric energy for our cars. If we did nothing more, this would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33%, according to the EPA. I'm looking forward to the acceptance of several new electric energy cars that will be out this year.

If you haven't already seen it, I urge you to rent the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and see how what the government and big business did to the electric car in the 1990's cost of 15 years of development. Just another example of how it's all about money. See the movie and you'll know exactly what I mean.

So back to my original question, why are we having such a cool summer, cool ocean temperatures, while the rest of the country is sweltering? If you have an answer, please let me know. I'm thinking that August and September may be scorchers. We'll see.

San Diego Embarcadero-Great Summer Day

In May Fran and I took our Wanderers group to the Embarcadero in San Diego. This was such a fun filled day I want to share it with you. It's a great summer outing for adults, children or out of town visitors.

We began by taking the Coaster from Solana Beach to it's final stop at Kettner in San Diego. The 30 minute ride was stress free and beautiful. Our first destination was to walk along the coast highway. We saw the Midway, the Star of India, and several other ships. You can purchase a pass to visit several ships in one day. We had other things to see, but if you like ships, you could spend all of your time doing that. We however, had planned something more artistic.

Several years ago San Diego began a program called Urban Trees. Each year they invite local artists to submit outdoor sculpture to be displayed for one year along the waterfront. All the artwork is for sale. We saw about 20 of the 31 pieces being exhibited this year. Some were good, some were great. You can print a map online of all the artists and a description of their work. It was really fantastic.

The next stop we had planned was the north end of Little Italy. This is an area that is in development. Art studios and antique stores are popping up everywhere. We were short on time, so we cancelled this part of our tour and went straight to Little Italy. We visited specialty Italian markets, boutiques and checked out all the wonderful places to eat, before ending up at Felippi's pizzera. We chose Felippi's because it's a long time favorite, they have a big room where 30 of us could sit at small tables and talk to each other, and because the smell as we enter the restaurant was so damn good. Our servers were excellent, most of us enjoyed the antipasto salad and a slice of pizza. Everything was delicious.

Some of us concluded the meal by stopping for gelato on the way out, or by visitng Yogurtland (my favorite) for dessert. A sweet end to a sweet day. Then it was back to the train station for our short ride back to Solana Beach. A great day out with wonderful friends. Try it this summer. You might want to check this trip out on a Saturday, when the Little Italy Mercato (farmer's market) is in full swing from 9:00am to 1:30pm. Enjoy.

Firenze Osteria: A Taste of Italy in North Hollywood

I recently spent a delightful evening of great food and conversation with some new friends, at a restaurant that was new to me, Firenze Osteria. (www.firenzeosteria.com). It's just minutes from Universal City, right on Lankershim Blvd. The decor is warm, contemporary and inviting. I particularly liked that the tables were not on top of each other. You could actually talk to your guests without the next table being part of your conversation.

You may remember executive chef and owner Fabio Viviani from the TV show Top Chef. He's charming, good looking, and a fabulous cook. He describes his cooking as Northern Italian comfort food. Fabio has been working in the food industry for most of his life, and his passion for food and expertise in the kitchen are showcased nightly at Firenze Osteria.

There were four of us on the night I ate there, which gave me a chance to sample several dishes. I will have to go back again and try others, as the menu is extensive. The menu is a mix of old and new, which I really like.

Starters include prociutto e melon, carpaccio de Manzo (beef carpacio with shaved parmesean), two old favorites, along with some more contemporary items, like tartara di manzo (filet mignon tartar), polenta con le quaglie (quail and polenta), and calamari e zucchini (fried calamari and zucchini) I shared a delicious cesare salad, complete with whole anchovies (which I love) and a crusty crostino. Carole had a soup of the day, a very hearty minestone with barley. Delicious and enough for a whole meal.

Firenze Osteria offers a light menu and a regular menu which health conscious people will appreciate. The light menu inclued skillet sole with sauteed cherry tomatoes and roasted vegetables, sesame encrusted ahi tuna steak with baby greens and several roasted vegetables, and whole wheat spaghetti, chicken breast with arugala, roasted cherry and sundried tomatoes, in a light pesto sauce.

I opted for the Pollo Arrosto, roasted chicken. It was one of the best roasted chickens I have ever had. Semi boneless, roasted to perfection with a crisp dark skin, but moist and juicy inside, it was heaven. It was served with roasted potatoes, again among the best I've ever eaten, roasted a long time so they were dark and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside.

Others at my table enjoyed the ravioli di brasato, braised short rib ravioli. This was a beautiful dish of ravioli stuffed with braised short ribs, topped with a balsami reduction. It was so good. Many pasta dishes are aviaible, including penne with a rabbit ragu and black olives, lobster ravioli, risotto with carmelized fennel sausage and wild mushrooms and fettuccine bolognese. As you can see they mix long time favorites with new, contemporary ideas. I can't wait to go back and try some of these homemade pasta dishes.

We had some gelato with Creme de Menthe for dessert, which was light and refreshing, but they also offer cannoli, panna cotta, tiramisu and a flourless chocolate cake.

Firenze Osteria's goal is to make your experience a special one, and they have a unique way of doing so. If you reserve a special evening in advance, the chef will be available during the evening to help you plan your menu and talk to you about the food he is serving. It's a very nice experience for those wanting a special meal and special attention. The restaurant also offers occasional cooking classes, so check the website for information. Finally, chef Fabio has released his first cookbook, Cafe Firenze Cookbook, Mangia e Bevi. It is available at the restaurant.

Next time you're in North Hollywood and want to treat yourself to a fine dining experience, try Firenze Osteria. Great food in an inviting atmosphere, it's a place you'll want to come back to again and again.

Violence Against Women in Sweden

America is abuzz about the books by Stieg Larsson. The trilogy of books, beginning with "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" was completed only a few months before the death of the author in 2004. He was a journalist and worked for the magazine Expo, and tackled many controversial political and social issues. Now, all three books have been published in America (I've read the first two) and the first two have already been made into movies. (I saw the first movie). The common theme running through all the books is violence against women, and in the case of these books, women that were helpless to fight back. The books are compelling, and got me thinking, "Does Sweden really have a problem with violence against women"? After all they're the first country you think of regarding gender equality, but the dirty little secret is YES, they do have a problem and it just being revealed.

Sweden is the country that first comes to mind when we think of women's rights and gender equality. Sweden ranks at the top in the number of women who hold public office, serve as cabinet ministers, graduate from university and hold jobs. Mothers are granted long periods of maternity leave, and they send their children to excellent day-care centers.

But there is one signifcant blot on the record of women's empowerment here: domestic violence, a crime that until recently remained muffled in shame. Swedish men are not any more violent toward women in Sweden than the men of most other Western European countries. It has simply been easier for them to get away with violence against wives and girlfriends, experts and politicians said, and harder for women to get the help they need. Attitudes about wife-beating have been slow to change.

In an unforseen twist, Sweden's well-guarded sense of privacy and its leadership on women's rights served for many years to mute, rather than elevate the issue into the public sphere.

The cat is out of the bag. A recent statistical study called Captured Queen, by Eva Lundgren has exposed their secret and forced them to take action. The study sent out a questionnaire to 10,000 people (remember Sweden is a small country). Many of the questions were extremely personal, yet they received responses from 70%, a very high number.

Here, in simple terms are the results. 46% of the women had been subjected to violence by a man since her 15th birthday. 56% of all women were sexually harassed, regardless of age. 25% of the women had experienced physical violence since their 15th birthday. Income, country of origin or type of employment did not seem to make any difference. The biggest factor was marriage status. 67% of divorced women had been abused either by a former spouse or boyfriend. 50% of women who were cohabitating with a man had been abused, but only 11% of married women had faced domestic violence. I found these numbers shocking. As progressive as Sweden is in the area of women's rights, they are in the dark ages regarding violence against women.

A stinging Amnesty International report and startling admissions by well known victims, both of which were deeply embarrassing to the country, sparked a national reckoning. What they need to change is attitudes. Sweden already has legislation in place, but attitudes are more difficult to change. A former television journalist recently acknowledged that her husband had abused her for a decade. This is the biggest human rights issue of their time, and they are definitely dealing with it.

Help for battered women is in it's infancy in Sweden. Women's Shelters and safe houses have just recently been expanded. But more and more women are coming forward with their stories. The journalist I referred to was fired by the network over fear of a law suit. She had been told the topic was off limits. Sweden is a progressive country and I am opimistic they will deal with the problem. In the meantime, people throughout the world need to speak out on issues of domestic violence, journalists and writers need to address these issues, as difficult as they are. Thanks to Stieg Larsson for presenting the topic in a way that got my attention.

Twenty Ninth Visit to Taft

Two weeks ago I talked about time, and how keeping myself busy helps time pass more quickly. Unfortunately for Ron, his activites are limited by his confinement and the heat, and time does not move quite so rapidly for him. I will give you an idea of his daily routine during the summer months. These activities all depend on how hot it is. If the temperature gets to 100 degrees, all outside activity ceases. Those in charge don't want anyone getting heat stroke, so everyone goes inside.
This summer has been cool so far, and the inmates are hoping the next few months will not be typical. (it's usually over 100 degrees in August and September)

A typical day begins at 5:30am, wake up, dress and get ready for breakfast. 6:00am, breakfast. Ron is on the Kosher plan, so he gets 1/2 grapefruit, cold cereal with milk, 2 slices of whole wheat bread or toast. After breakfast, Ron usually does one or two laps around the track, then it's back to bed for an hour. 8:00am, either work or class. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Ron has his Toastmaster group or his horticulture classs. The rest of the mornings he works in the garden. At 10:30am the inmates come in and have count (mandatory several times a day). 11am is lunchtime, which consists of vegetables, apple, portion of protein (maybe peanut butter) and 2 slices of bread. At 1pm Taft has a 15 minute Torah reading, which Ron has started to attend. He likes the feeling of community that he gets from participating in this event. From noon-3pm Ron works in the garden. At 3:30pm, it's mail call. That's one of the highlights of the day. Everyone is always hoping to receive a card, letter or package. At 5pm dinner is served, which is similar to lunch. After dinner Ron does a few more laps around the track. After dinner Ron watches a little TV and goes to bed at 9pm. There's a little time during the day for reading, playing cribbage or gin, or just talking. That's about the extent of the day. The only variety is Friday night when they have religious services.

Whenever there is a new newsletter published or information about policies or procedures, everyone goes to the library and the camp is buzzing with information and misinformation. Just like any other large group, there are rumors all the time. Actually, rumors add a little excitement to the daily routine and that gives them all something to talk about, even if it's not true.

As you can see, the schedule is very routine, and if it's too hot, everyone has to come inside. Sleep is the other way that many inmates pass the summer months. If they're not readers or talkers, they probably spend their free time sleeping.

So Ron is counting the days. 300 days is the maximum number of days left and if he gets lucky it could be less. Sounds like a lot, but it will be over before we know it. My jelly bean jar is getting lower each week.

Cuyamaca Water Conservation Garden

A great find in the San Diego area for garden lovers and conservationists is Cuyamaca College. Their water conservation program is meant to promote water conservation in the Southern California landscape. It does that and much more.

I recently spent an enjoyable morning with friends touring Cuyamaca's garden. Our docent Maggie was knowledgable, and what she didn't know, she found out. Cuyamaca College is in El Cajon, truly a desert landscape, so it's an appropriate location for a garden meant to teach us about water conservation. The garden has many educational activities for the public. They have a training program in water conservation for professional landscapers, adult tours, children's tours, and 4-6 classes per month for the public. In addition, they have wonderful plant sales with great prices, and special events. Check out their website at www.thegarden.org for more details.

The Cuyamaca garden demonstrates how to turn a water guzzling backyard into a drought tolerant landscape. It's challenging, but so important. The garden also teaches visitors about composting and vegetable gardening. I especially enjoyed the picnic area available to visitors. Bring a picnic lunch and they provide several beautiful areas to enjoy the lovely surroundings. Next time I visit I will bring a picnic lunch.

Our group, however, had planned to have lunch at Gio's a wonderful restaurant in La Mesa, that I reviewed several months ago. We were not disappointed. It was a beautiufl sunny day, so we sat on their expansive patio, enjoying salmon salad, santa fe salad, steak salad, turkey wraps, caprese salad and burgers. Everything was delicious. This is a great outing for a change, but wait until the weather turns cooler. It's inland, and the summer can be scorching.

Be A S.L.O.B.

I recently heard about a movement that promotes exactly what I believe in. If I owned a business in San Diego, I would become a S.L.O.B. Since I don't own a business, I will do my best to support S.L.O.B. businesses.

What am I talking about? The acronym SLOB stands for Support Locally Owned Businesses. I believe that small, local business is what America is all about. I believe it is the entrepreneureal spirit that has made our country what it is. So here's a little more information on the SLOB movement.

SLOB is the brainchild of Joe Grant, owner of Grant's Marketplace in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego. He's a longtime advocate for preserving neighborhoods and the unique quality that locally owned, personality-driven businesses bring to communities. Joe saw a need in the locally-owned business community for a place where like-minded entrepreneurs can both see and be seen, share ideas, and promote their businesses. His goal is to promote and support locally owned and operated businesses. I'm all for that.

The businesses that he has brought to the organization so far are all local and varied. Everything from Automotive shops to Restaurants, Markets and Beauty spas have become part of SLOB. Next time you go to local market or beauty spa, ask them if they're a member of SLOB. My guess is that they will NOT have heard of the organization, but the question and your answer might at least get them interested.

Some local establishments that you might want to try to frequent are The Big Kitchen, Hamilton's Tavern, The Station Tavern, Grant's Marketplace (founder Joe Grant's business) Halycon Tea, Olive Tree Marketplace and Sara Elizabeth Skin Care. They're all members of SLOB. Check their website for more information on the movement and more busiesses that belong. Go to www.imaslob.org.

If I were a businesswoman, I'd like being a SLOB, at least this kind of slob. One that promotes the feeling of community, helps improve the quality of services to the community, and one who gives every patron who comes to the business a personal experience. That's the way to do business. Burger King and Wal Mart need not apply to beome SLOBs.

Spiced Loquats

While walking through the Farmers Market a few weeks ago, I notice loquats were everywhere. I see loquat trees everywhere I go, and many of you probably have them in your back yard. Most of us do nothing with them. The birds and squirrels enjoy them instead. Well, one of the stands I stopped at had a recipe for Spiced Loquats. I think you would use this as spread for crackers or bread, or like chutney, on chicken or fish. I think it's a great way to use something that usually just rots on the ground. If you've got some in your backyard or have a neighbor with a tree, this recipe might be for you.

Spiced Loquats

3 pounds firm loquats, stems and blossom ends removed (do not peel skin)
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cider vinegar
1 T. whole cloves
1 T. whole allspice
2-inch stick of cinnamon

Combine sugar, water and cider vinegar in a large pot. Tie the spices loosely in cheesecloth and add. Boil 10 minutes. Put in fruit and cook gently until tender. Remove the fruit and place in the jar, pour remaining syrup into the sterilized jars. Fill almost to overflowing with hot syrup and seal at once. Makes three, 1-pint jars. Let me know if you find an interesting way to use spiced loquats.

Eating Like a Skinny Person

Most Monday mornings I go to Solana Beach to meet with a group of weight conscious friends. We've been meeting regularly for over three years. Originally we had our own Weight Watchers group, with an official leader and lectures, but after 12 weeks, many in our group dropped out and we did not have enough participation to keep Weight Watchers on board. So we started our own weight management group. We've been meeting Monday mornings ever since. Have we lost weight? Well, some of us have, but more importantly, most of the group has at least maintained their weight. Each week someone brings information for the group meant to inform or instill things we already know about weight loss. There's no one in the group that isn't a professional dieter. Atkins, Slim Fast, Jennie Craig, Weight Watchers, fasting, we've done it all. It's hard to find anything new to say about dieting, but I found an article this week that opened my eyes.

The article was called "Eating like a skinny person." This article talked about how skinny people deal with food and how they eat. If you know how skinny people eat, all you have to do is COPY what they do. Very simple. There were a few important concepts in the skinny story.

First, skinny people do not eat until they are stuffed. They eat until they are satisfied. Measure your fullness half way through your meal on a scale of 1-10, then again when your have about 1/4 of the meal left. If you are satisfied, stop eating. We don't have to be members of the clean plate club. Rating how full I feel will definitely keep me from overeating.

Eating when you're hungry is NOT an emergency. It's ok to feel a little hungry, you will get something to eat soon. Skinny people have no problem delaying eating, wheras heavy people feel they must eat right away. It reminds me of my old dog Barney. When he first came to me he'd been living in a shelter with other dogs and had to fight for his food. So when he came to my house he devoured his food in no time flat, thinking someone might take it from him. After a while he realized that the food was his, no one would take it, and he could postpone eating if he wasn't really hungry. We need to realize that we don't have to eat the minute we're hungry. We can delay eating for awhile and it will still be there.

Fruit. Skinny people eat more fruit than non skinny people. Not juice, but fruit in its original form. So try to incorporate fruit into each meal. Maybe its blueberries on your cereal, sliced pear on your turkey sandwich, or a baked apple for dessert. I just came back from a cruise where half the clientelle was Asian American. The most obvious thing I noticed about their eating habits? Most of them piled high the fruit on their breakfast plate. It was so apparent that they ate differently than the rest of us. Yes, they were all thin.

These are just a few of the many ideas suggested in the article. The bottom line is to watch skinny people eat, and copy them. Easier said than done, but at least I'm going to be measuring my level of fullness. That should help.

Twenty Eighth Visit to Taft

I just got home from Taft, exhausted, and swore I would wait until tomorrow to write about my visit, but here I am at the computer. I drove 350 miles today, spent 5 1/2 hours visiting with Ron, then spent 3 hours visiting my 7 week old twin grandsons, dinner with my mom, and home. I had a very full day.

About 10 days ago Ron called, very upset. One of his friends had a heart attack and was rushed to Bakersfield Hospital. What usually happens in such cases is that because of poor health, that person gets transferred out of Taft and into a medical facility. The inmates at Taft are never told of his whereabouts or his condition. Fortunately in this case the man was returned to Taft and is awaiting a stent, probably this week. This particular event had a happy ending, but often the inmate is never heard from again. It must be extremely hard to make friends and then poof, they're gone. I know how close these guys get. They are family to each other, and then the relationship is over, either because of transfer or release. Inmates cannot see or contact each other after release, except with special permission.

So all the relationships that they rely so heavily on are just temporary. It's a little like camp or a bus tour on which you meet lots of people, become fast friends, and then it's over. Ron has had many strong male friendships throughout his life and fortunately he has met some wonderful men at Taft. He gets very close to people very fast, and I know that when he leaves next year, leaving them will be very emotional.

The temporary nature of relationships at Taft goes along with the temporary nature of just about everything else there. Just when you get to know the guards, they change. Just when you've settled in to your bunk and feel comfortable with your bunkies, they move you. The warden, assistant warden and Ron's counselor have also changed since he's been there.

The best thing about the temporary nature of things at Taft is that Ron's time at Taft is also temporary. Ron and I have been together for over 41 years. That's more than 14,965 days. He will be at Taft around 525 days. Even though it doesn't seem so now, that's a little blip on the screen in the grand scheme of things. I've always talked about our life together as a roller coaster. It's temporarily on pause but will soon be up and running.

Every emotion and situation in life is temporary. Being happy, sad, rich or poor, things are always in flux. This is one of the wonders of life, it's ups and downs. It doesn't always feel good when your mood or situation is not what you want, but hey, that's life. One thing you can be sure of and that is that next week or next month or next year things will be different. I just try to enjoy each day to the fullest.