Are There Ever Enough Burger Joints?

The list of burger restaurants is growing by leaps and bounds.  Is it possible for there to be too many burger joints?  Right now I say no, but just like all other things, over time  the best will stay and others will fall by the wayside.  There are lots of new chains, some of them very good, others just average.  Here in San Diego we have so many choices.  Here are a few of my favorites, and Yes, I've tried every one of them.

Hodad's...Several locations, a great, messy burger

Claim Jumper...Several locations, 1/2 burger cooked anyway you like it.  At Happy Hour you get this for $7.  Their excellent fries are just $2 extra.

Elevation...Several locations, but I only know if the Carlsbad restaurant locally.  Grass fed burgers, either 3oz. or 5oz.  Pick your own toppings.  Very good.

Burger Lounge...Several Locations, very much like Elevation in size and toppings.  Grass fed beef.  Excellent.

Smash Burger...Many locations both here and around the country.  Several size burgers, many toppings, and you can choose as many as you want at no extra cost.  Delicious fries.  The burgers are not thick enough to order rare, medium or well done.  They're all medium.  Good burger, but not my favorite.

The Counter...This is a full service restaurant.  The burgers are great, cooked anyway you like them.  Burgers are 1/2 lb. and fries, both sweet potato and regular fries, are excellent.

The Habit...Originally from Santa Barbara, but also in L.A. and now Solana Beach, it's a good burger, a little messy, but very good.

Chief's...This is a bar in Solana Beach, where the 1/2 lb. burger and fries are delicious.  You can order it rare, medium or well done, and the fries are great.

D Street Bar...This Encinitas bar has a great burger, again 1/2 lb.  Fries are thick, and I prefer thin, so they're not my favorite. 

Red Rooster...A bar in Oceanside with delicious 1/2 lb. burgers and fries, cooked to order, with just the traditional toppings: lettuce, tomato and onion.  Excellent.

There are so many other restaurants serving good burgers and fries, but these are some of my favorites.  Will they all survive?  Probably not.  Burgers are in style right now.  Who knows what the in food will be next year?  Your guess is as good as mine.  I never could have predicted the popularity of pork and specifically bacon, that is all the rage.

All About Tomatoes: Looks Aren't Everything

Tomato season is upon us, and my mom sent me a great guide to what to look for in a tomato and how to store them.  First, the prettiest tomatoes are not necessarily the most flavorful.  Oddly shaped tomatoes are fine.  Only coommercial tomatoes have been bred to be perfectly symmetrical.  However, avoid tomatoes that are overly soft or leaking juice.  Thin walls are preferable, which leave more room for the most flavorful part of the tomato: the jelly that surrounds the seeds, which is three times richer in savory glutamates than the flesh is. 

Storing tomatoes is key to maintaining flavor and longevity.  Don't refrigerate tomatoes.  Cold damages enzymes that ruin texture by rupturing tomato cells.  Keep them at room temperature.  Freeze for the off season.  Listen up, Lynda and Dick.  Core them and freeze them whole in freezer storage bags for later use in sauces.  Freezing preserves tomato flavor better than canning.  Store stem end down.  Place unwashed tomatoes stem end down at room temperature.  This will prolong their life.  Finally, if your tomatoes are underripe, store them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple, both of which naturally emit the ethylene gas that hastens riping.  I hope this helps your tomatoes last longer and taste better.  Enjoy.

More Aging Challenges: Mohs Surgery

I had my first Mohs surgery today.  Many of you who read this blog have also had it, so most of this won't be new to you.  Dr. Mohs created this specific technique of removing skin cancer.  He realized that the skin defect may grow roots, and just removing the surface defect may not be enough.  The procedure removes one layer, tests it, then removes another and another, until the area is clean of cancer.  My procedure required three layers, then the stitching.  The result is a stitched area on my left cheek, about the size of a nickel. 

I discovered this small basal cell carcinoma a few months ago.  It was a little round area, smaller than a pea, that was white and flaky.  The first approach was to freeze off the defect, but that came right back.  The next thing that was done was a biopsy of the defect.  After waiting 10 days I got the news.  Basal cell carcinoma, requiring Mohs surgery. 

Luckily the doctor had an opening in about 5 days, so I didn't have to wait for weeks.  I must have been anxious, because my BP was 175/74 when I arrived at the doctor's office.  Everything went well.  A little shot of novacaine was all I really felt.  The first layer was removed, and I went to the waiting room to sit with Ron for an hour while the pathologists examined the slide.  I needed more removed, and the procedure was repeated 2 more times.  Finally, all clear.  By this time the novacaine was wearing off and I had some pain, so I told Dr. Thomas to numb me up.  He did, and he completed the stiching in about 10 minutes. I'm icing my face every hour to keep the swelling down, and in a few weeks I should be as good as new.

Only negative is that once you've had one basal cell carcenoma, you 're 50/50 to get another.  Dr. Thomas saw two other defects on my face that also need to be checked.   I'm pretty sure one of them will have to be removed.  Oh, the saga of aging.  You fix one thing, and something else breaks.  Lucky for modern medicine.  The doctors keep putting us back together. 

One final thing.  Dr. Thomas told me that 30 SPF is sufficient sunscreen protection.  He also told me that by the end of the year, no sunscreen above 50 will be sold.  I don't know why, but that's what it will be.  As I told my kids today, the best protection against basal cell carcinoma is to teach your kids, from the time they're tots, to wear sunscreen and a hat at all times.  I just got myself a new hat, and if I don't have it on next time you see you, you have permission to kick my butt.

Eat The Whole Lemon

I've always known that lemons are good for you, including the peel.  Thank you, Linda, for enlightening me on the best way to make sure to use the whole lemon.  Freeze it before grating it!  So simple.  Here's a copy of the information Linda sent me on both the benefits of lemons and how to use the entire fruit. 

DON'T WASTE THAT LEMON PEEL


Many professionals in restaurants and eateries are using or consuming
the entire lemon and nothing is wasted.
How can you use the whole lemon without waste?
Simple..place the lemon in the freezer section of your refrigerator.
Once the lemon is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole lemon
(no need to peel it) and sprinkle it on top of your foods.
Sprinkle it to your whisky, wine, vegetable salad, ice cream, soup, noodles,
spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi, fish dishes. All of the foods will unexpectedly
have a wonderful taste, something that you may have never tasted before.

Most likely, you only think of lemon juice and vitamin C. Not anymore.

Now that you've learned this lemon secret, you can use lemon even in
instant cup noodles.

What's the major advantage of using the whole lemon other than
preventing waste and adding new taste to your dishes?

Well, you see lemon peels contain as much as 5 to 10 times more
vitamins than the lemon juice itself. And yes, that's what you've
been wasting. But from now on, by following this simple procedure of
freezing the whole lemon, then grating it on top of your dishes, you
can consume all of those nutrients and get even healthier.
It's also good that lemon peels are health rejuvenators in eradicating
toxic elements in the body.

So place your lemon in your freezer, and then grate it on your meal
every day. It is a key to make your foods tastier and you get to live
healthier and longer! That's the lemon secret!

Better late than NEVER!

The surprising benefits of lemon!
Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is
10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.
Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories
interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge

profits. You can now help a friend in need by letting
him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease.
Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of
chemotherapy. How many people will die while this closely guarded
secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial
multimillionaires large corporations? As you know, the lemon tree is
known for its varieties of lemons and limes. You can eat the fruit in
different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press,
prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc... It is credited with many
virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts
and tumours. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all
types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer. It is
considered also as an anti microbial spectrum against bacterial
infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms,
it regulates blood pressure which is too high and an
antidepressant,combats stress and nervous disorders.

The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the
largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than 20
laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that: It destroys
the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate,
lung and pancreas ...The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times
better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used
chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. And
what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract
only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy
cells.

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It's Been One Year

On Friday it will be one year since I made my last drive to Taft.  In many ways it seems like years ago and in other ways it seems like just yesterday.  I remember it so vividly.  Release was always first thing in the morning, between 8-8:30 and of course I wanted to be there on time, so I drove to Bakersfield the day before.  I spent the night before Ron's release with Linda and Rod, the wonderful friends I had met through Carol.  I spent many nights with them over the course of 19 months, and have wonderful memories of our time together, especially Christmas, 2010.  Anyway, we talked most of the evening, about the past, and the future.  I'm still in touch with them and follow their journey through her blog and our own communication.

I had a restless night's sleep in anticipation of our reunion.  I arrived at the camp about 7:40.  I was in a different area of the camp, one I had never been to before, and wanted to make sure I was there on time.  I announced myself, and they told me to have a seat and wait.  I was the only one there, and after about a half hour I was wondering what to do next.  I went to the desk again, told a very nice lady who I was waiting for, and within 5 minutes, Ron appeared.  I had clothes for him to change into, so he went to the bathroom and made a quick change into jeans and a tee shirt.  He threw his khakis and white tee shirt in the garbage, took his little box with letters, books and mementos, and we were out of there.

We hadn't driven more than 1/4 mile when Ron remembered that he had $11 in the pants pocket of his prison pants.  It was what was left of his commissary money.  I asked him if he wanted to go back and get it and he said, "Absolutely not.  Let's get out of here." 

I believe there's a bit of shock for the prisoner being released.  For months they have thought about this moment, then it's here, and they're out.  Ron was quiet on the drive home.  He let me listen to my radio station (very unusual) and was content to just be with me and putting distance between himself and Taft.  We arrived at Denny's in Valencia for breakfast around 9:30am.  Ron was still getting his land legs.  He was very tentative about everything.  It's hard to describe, but I felt like he thought someone might come at any moment and take his freedom away. He seemed concerned that any move he made might be wrong.  Luckily, this did not last long, and within a few weeks, things looked pretty good.

It takes a long time to fix the inside, however, maybe the rest of his life.  There's not a day that goes by that he doesn't think about where he's been.  He wonders when his P.O. is going to make another surprise visit to the house, and what she will have to say.  There are so many things that remind him of prison and the system that he can't really "forget" it.  So many movies and TV shows are constant reminders.  Men who say they put the experience of prison behind them and never look back are unusual.  19 months in prison is something that will affect you forever.  You become so close with the men in prison you can't possibly imagine forgetting anyone.  But wait!

Six months after being released Ron could not remember the last names of any of his cell mates.  Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.  Ron remembers everything about the experience, yet cannot recall names of people he spent all his time with.

In the last year much has changed.  Babies have been born, kids have fallen in love, friends have died, new friendships have been formed, and others have waned.  We're moving forward as best we can.  Restrictions on travel make it difficult for Ron to see our children and grandchildren.  So much for the prison system trying to keep families together.  I don't get it.  Ron works several jobs.  He loves to be busy.  Of course he'd like to be doing something in his field of expertise, but has not found anyone willing to give him a chance yet.  So much for second chances.  He loves his umpiring and accounting, and fills in the day with other less exciting jobs.  Emotionally he's feeling great, and with each day realizes that the prison experience is behind him.  His fear has lessened.  We drive to LA occasionally to see my mom, and except for the LA traffic that he hates, Ron feels fine.  It's a far cry from what used to be, a hole in the pit of his stomach, a fear of running into people from his past.  That's all gone.  So is my radio station.  He now gets in the car and turns on his radio station right away.  What a difference a year makes.

Chicken Kale Salad

I recently had a most delicious salad at Napa Valley Grille in West Los Angeles.  This is my interpretation of that salad.  I made it with chicken, but it would be just as good as a vegetarian meal.  Kale is so good for you.

                                         Chicken Kale Salad

2/3 c. shredded or cubed cooked chicken
1 bunch kale, tough stems removed, washed and cut (like chiffonade, but not quite that thin)
1/3 c. red leaf or romaine lettuce, cut
1/2 c. pine nuts (no need to toast)
1/2 c. shredded parmesean cheese
1/4 c. golden raisins
1/4 c. dried apricots, cut into small pieces

                                         Lemon Dressing

1 lemon, juiced
1/2 c. olive oil

Assemble all ingredients for the salad in a bowl.  Add the dressing.  Depending on your taste, you may need more dressing.  This will give you a lightly dressed salad.

Mix dressing into salad plate.  Arrange artfully on the plate.  This salad has already become a favorite of mine.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Native American Sweat Lodges

Early settlers to North America have chronicled the sweat lodges used by many North American Indian Tribes.  Their purpose was two fold:  to clean themselves and to purge their bodies of evil.  The white man saw the sweat lodge, with its sacred and religious implications, as a threat.  Even after the Indians were subdued, Christian missionaries and government officials systematically denied the use of the sweat lodge, interrupting a continuity that lasted thousands of years.  Enforcement depended upon how great a threat they felt from a particular tribe. 

There are three basic forms of the sweat bath in North America: the hot rock method, direct fire chamber, and a more sophisticated type (which has no name).  Sweat lodges were used for meditation and cleansing the soul, but were also used as a remedy for almost all illnesses known to North American tribes. 

I was in San Juan Capistrano on a recent Saturday to visit my neice Alison, who is now living there.  We visited, shopped, ate and talked.  She told me about her new favorite thing to do.  Visit a North American sweat lodge.  She goes once a week and she says when she is finished she feels like a new person.  Alison says the temperature is 150 degrees.  Ouch.  That's mighty hot.  She is in the lodge for 2 hours without towels or water.  Much better than a sweat box for losing weight, and her skin looks fantastic.  There is danger in sitting in that heat for that length of time, as you've heard about people dying!  With my high blood pressure I certainly wouldn't try it. 

I told Alison that I'd never heard of the sweat lodges.  She told me they're everywhere, and sure enough, I went on line and found that they indeed are easy to find.  If you wait long enough, what's old becomes new again.  Yoga is thousands of years old, yet it's the hottest "new" form of exercise in the 21st century.  I don't know if sweat lodges will catch on the way yoga did, but for a certain type of person, one looking for ways to enlighten the body and mind, it may be good.  I'm not sure I could take the heat, but anything that's been around for thousands of years must have some benefit.

Napa Valley Grille For Lunch

On a recent Saturday Ron and I went to LA to visit my mom, and celebrate the 2nd birthday of our twin grandchildren, Spencer and Ryan.  The party was held at Playsource in Tarzana.  It's a big room with every imaginable type of toy and play equipment for kids ages 2-6.  Slides, bikes, dollhouses, puzzles, trampolines and much, much more.  The kids had a ball, the adults enjoyed watching and  picture taking, and noshing on bagels, fruit, pizza and  cake.  I refrained from doing so because my mom and I were planning on having lunch together after the party.  Ron was going to visit an old friend, and we would meet up at my mom's in the mid afternoon, pick up Pepper (who was visiting Captain, my mom's dog), chat with my mom for awhile, and then head home.

Mom wanted to take me to Napa Valley Grille in Westwood for lunch.  I had been there for dinner and happy hour in the past year, but never for lunch.  She knew I would like it.  They serve lots of little plates, like cheese, marinated veggies, grains, etc.  All the food I like.  Little did we realize that we were there on the day of the UCLA graduation.  The place was packed with graduates and their families, but luckily we were able to be seated immediately.  When the menu was delivered, my mom said it was a different menu than she had the last time she dined there.  However, it was a great menu, and there were numerous items on the menu that I liked.  I ended up with the Chicken kale salad, which was a mix of chicken, kale, quinoa, apricot, almonds, parmesean, raisins and lemon vinaigrette.  I absolutely loved it, and when I figure out the recipe, I will blog about it.  Fresh, healthy and so filling.  My mom ordered the ahi tuna salad.  It consisted of perfectly seared ahi, avocado egg, tomato, olives, butter lettuce, blue lake beans, in a citrus vinaigrette.  It was beautiful to look at and even better to eat. 

Other items on the regular menu include blue crab cakes, black figs and prosciutto with burata cheese, roasted veggie salad, several sandwiches, salads, burgers, and simply grilled fish and vegetables. 

Every table is served a delicious coffee crumb cake to start, as much as you want.  It's hard not to fill up on the cake.  It is warm and fragrant, and impossible to resist. 

The manager came by to ask us how everything is.  You know how they usually just rush by and ask how things are, not even waiting for the answer?  Well, this manager really wanted to know.  I told him that we had originally come to Napa Valley Grille for a particular menu, but arrived on graduation day and got another menu.  He said the reason for the change in menu was to make the meals easier to serve.  With lots of small plates, it would be difficult to accomodate a full house at lunch.  I suspected that was the case, and told the manager we were pleasantly surprised with the change in menu, but would be back again another time to try the regular menu.

Napa Valley Grille is a winner.  I have had lunch, dinner, and happy hour there, and have never had a bad meal.  The servers are excellent, very attentive and friendly.  The management too, makes you feel welcome.  On your next trip to Los Angeles, try Napa Valley Grille if you're in the Westwood area.

Lynda's Got Tomatoes

I recently visited my friend and neighbor Lynda and Richard, and she couldn't wait to show me the 17 tomato plants they had planted in their yard.  Once tomato plants start producing, they are very prolific.  They planted sweet 100's and Better Boy plants, and are going to have more tomatoes than they know what to do with.  Here are a few ideas on how to use the hundreds of tomatoes Lynda and Richard will soon have.

1.  Freeze them (yes, they can be frozen, but check out instructions for doing so)
2.  Can them
3.  Dry them

                                              Oven Dried Tomatoes

Pick some tomatoes
Cut them in half
Cut out bruises
Take out seeds

Slice them in thin slices
Place on cookie sheet or if you have a dehydrator just place on the racks

Place cookie sheet out in the sun (if out in sun use a cheese cloth on the top to keep out bugs)or in low temp oven (150 degrees)

Let dry till all water has been removed
When done, the tomatoes should be flexible, like a raisin from a fresh bag; not brittle. Most describe them as leathery with a deep red color, without free water or a tacky feeling.

4.  Give extras to nice neighbors
5.  Give extras to a food bank
6.  Make salsa
7.  Make tomato soup
8.  Make gazpacho soup
9.  Make fried green tomatoes
10.  Make marinara sauce and can or freeze
11.  Make spaghetti sauce and can or freeze
12.  Make a caprese salad (be sure and use the best mozzarella or burrata you can find)
13.  Make a tomato sandwich (thick slices of tomato on whole grain toast, sprinkled with lots of coarse salt)
14.  Make salads with stuffed tomatoes
15.  Cook Italian.  Almost every recipe contains tomatoes

Number 4 and 12 above are my favorites.  Lynda is a creative cook, so I'm sure she'll find many additional ways to use her tomato crop.  The dried tomatoes will keep forever and can be rehydrated for use in all kinds of dishes.  Watch out for those cankor sores.  If you eat too many, you may end up with sores from too much acid.  Speaking of acid, for those with GURD, ignore this blog altogether.  Tomatoes are one of the worst things you can eat if you have acid reflux.  With all these tomatoes, though, Lynda and Richard should have no problem fulfilling their daily requirement of Vitamin C.

Fire Up Your Dendrites

I was recently taking a Somatic Flexibility class from Linda at the Y. She had just returned from a conference on this topic and was very excited and wanted to share some of what she had learned with us. The first thing she started talking about was dendrites. I remembered the word from high school biology, but couldn't remember what they were. She explained that they were tree like branches that grow out from the brain. The more the better for your intellect and movement and balance. She was saying how important it is to try new things, challenge our brains, make those dendrites grow and work.

  Take balance, for example. As we age, our balance gets worse, but there is so much you can do to reverse this, in fact make it better than it was years ago. Repetition of a movement teaches your brain to remember. If you practice "tree pose" every day for a month, you will be shocked at how much better you are. You're using your dendrites! The old saying "use it or lose it" applies to us all. Dendrite strengthening can be achieved in a number of ways. I just spoke about the repetition of a movement to strengthen dendrites, but you can also strengthen them in other ways. Repeated chanting, as in religious prayers, strengthens dendrites. Treatment of chemical or emotional dependence may involve a combination of dendrite dissolving and rebuilding. Alcoholics Anonymous and Weight Watchers are also examples which emply repetitive actions and realizations in an effort to solidify new dendrites. Dentrites affect our intelligence. Researchers have found that each neuron (brain cell) can grow up to 20,000 dendrites. It is acknowledged that the number of connections in our brain affects our level of intelligence. People who have more dendrites and hence more possible connections between them tend to be more intelligent.

  This raises the question, "how do we grow more dendrites?" The simple answer is by using the brain. Most schools cater to left brain learning, like math, logic and science. These activities only develop the left side of the brain. Students who develop the right brain from activities such as music, song, dance, puzzle solving, and playing chess, develop both sides of the brain, grow more dendrites and become more intelligent. This may be a little more than you want to know about dendrites, but the bottom line is that we need to continue to use our brain, both left and right sides, throughout our lives. You will continue to grow dendrites throughout your life

. One of the hardest things I have done in recent years is learn to tap dance. That was something I never learned as a child, but always wanted to learn. I am no dancer, but through repetition I actually learned steps I never thought possible. If a clutz like me can learn to tap dance, anything is possible. Just keep challenging yourself, both physically and mentally. Keep those dendrites fired up!

Magic Water Beads

It's when you're not looking for anything in particular that you sometimes find the most interesting items.  I was recently walking through a street fair with Ron and Pepper, when some colorful marble looking balls caught my eye.  I went over to take a closer look and discovered Magic Beads.  Magic beads start out dry, about the size of a large grain of salt.  When water is added, they plump up and become about the size of a marble.  It takes 6-8 hours to hydrate the beads, and then the fun begins.  \

I bought two different colors at the street fair, green and purple.  I plumped them in water, then stored them in a plastic container.  Magic beads come in so many colors you won't know what to buy.  I decided to try out two colors, then layer them in a vase and add cut flowers.  The display is gorgeous.  When the balls begin to dry up (which doesn't happen for a long time), just add more water. 

I liked the magic beads so much that the following week I went to the website www.magicbeads.com and ordered more beads.  They're very inexpensive.  I bought a variety of colors, and have made some cute air fresheners with them.  For example, I took yellow bead, put them in a glass dish (vase), but not too high, added the beads, and a bit of lemon fragrance extract.  Add water to hydrate the balls, and in 6-8 hours you will have a wonderful air freshener for your bathroom.  (these make great gifts)

There are endless uses of the magic beads and  flower arranging.  The best thing to do is go to the website and get some ideas.  If you're artistic, you'll come up with lots of ways to use the beads.

Finally, the beads are very inexpensive.  You can make gifts using the beads or just give the beads as a gift.  Everyone seems to love them.  I store them in plastic containers, each color in a separate containers.  Enjoy.

The Joy Of Cooking

No, I'm not writing about the cookbook that everyone uses, but the joy of cooking with family. My mom recently visited us, and one of the things we did together was cook, or should I say bake. Several months ago we had been in Colorado together, visiting Phil and his family, where we acquired a recipe for focaccia. Phil is into baking bread and he made his focaccia for dinner one night. We enjoyed it so much that we decided we would make it when we returned home. So that's what we did.

There's nothing like cooking together. Almost everytime I'm with my kids, we end up cooking. It's just a great time to enjoy each other, reminise about days gone by, or talk about the future. I remember cooking with my mom when I was a child, cooking with my kids when they were young, and now cooking with my adult children.

Several weeks ago I went to LA to visit my mom and we spent the morning making spanikopa. Those are the delicious triangles filled with cheese and wrapped in filo dough. We talked about the past, how we used to make hundreds of these cheesy delights and freeze them for future use. Phil and I cooked together a lot when he was young. As an adult, I remember several visits to when we spent hours together just cooking. David, who also loves to cook, has spent many afternoons cooking with me. It's one of my favorite ways to enjoy my family.

Anyway, my mom and I made Phil's focaccia. It's easy, but time consuming, about 3 hours in all. The good part is that each step takes just a few minutes, then you have to wait 30 minutes for the dough to rise again. That's great time for talk. We just had a ball, and ended up with some delicious bread. I'm not giving you the recipe because I doubt if anyone wants to make it, but it was delicious. We had the warm bread, a variety of olives, a wonderful aged Gouda cheese, and a great bottle of wine as the start to a fantastic dinner. Actually, it could have been the whole meal, but we also had a marinated barbequed flank steak, roasted vegetables and a baked potato. We were all stuffed. I'm including a picture of our beautiful bread, and I can tell you that it tasted every bit as good as it looks. It was a great day of baking, eating, and enjoying each other.

16 Ounce Limit On Soft Drinks In New York

When I first heard of Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to limit the size of sugary soft drinks that could be sold in New York to 16 ounces,  I thought to myself that I didn't want anyone telling me what size drink I could buy.  Of course Bloomberg's motive is to make consumers more aware of what they are drinking, how much they are drinking, and what it is ultimately doing to their bodies.  If someone really needs more, they can buy 2-16 ounce Cokes.  The proof is out there.  We are killing ourselves with sugar and fast food.  Other than American Samoa, where 93%  of the people are overweight, we are the fattest nation in the world.  67% of our  people are overweight.

What all this means is that in the not too distant future, Type 2 Diabetes will be commonplace among teens.  Heart and vascular disease will continue to rise, and health costs will reach astronomical numbers.  If you think health care costs are high now, just imagine what they'll be in 20 years when half our population will be diabetic. 

Sometimes the government has to step in and propose things for its people that they aren't doing for themselves.  It's for the good of the whole.  Trying to curb the drinking of sodas is meant to help people control their sugar intake.  It's a small step, and it can't solve the problem, but it just might raise people's consciousness.

If you are among those that don't want government telling you what to do (and I include myself in that group) think of these things that the government has told us we must do.  Think of what life was like before government instituted these restrictions, or rules.  They were made for the good of the people.

1.  Seat belts....how many lives have been saved by seatbelts.  Remember the resistance at the beginning?  Now no one would think of getting in a car without a seatbelt.

2.  School vaccinations...again, these were mandated by the government to protect each individual child and all children from certain illnesses.  Today, except for some religious exceptions, we accept this and are happy to comply.

3.  Ban on smoking....This one was fought for years, but now everyone accepts that smoking is bad for you and you should not expose people to the risks of second hand smoke.

4.  Canvas bags for shopping...Solana Beach just imposed an ordinance that requires people to bring their own bags to the market, rather than use the paper or plastic that was traditionally used.  The environmental reasons are obvious.  Some people have been providing their own bags for years, but others simply would not convert.  Now they must, and in time, it will become second nature.  This is another ordinance imposed by government that will be for the betterment of everyone.

So back to the 16 ounce soda.  I reconsidered what at first glance looked to be an infringement on my right to drink a Big Gulp and realized that sometimes the government must step in and put restrictions in place that some might not like.  Most of these are implemented to improve the health and safety of all citizens.  We are a nation of laws, most of which are meant to protect the health and safety of the people.  Those that are implemented that don't work out, like prohibition, are repealed. 

If our schools would stop selling soft drinks all together, stop serving our children such calorie laden, fat laden breakfasts and lunches, and provide our kids with some healthy food choices, we'd be headed in the right direction.   There's so much to do to get children on the right path toward good nutrition.  Mayor Bloomberg's proposal is only a small step in a giant problem.

Better Than Moth Balls

There's nothing I hate worse than taking out a nice wool sweater, and having it smell of moth balls.  Not that I have that many wool sweaters anymore, but I still do have wool clothing, and in order to keep the pesky moths away I hang moth repellant in the  closet.  What a terrible smell.

A few weeks ago I was out with some friends, and Carol, Jean's sister who is visiting from New Jersey, asked if I'd heard that lavender is a moth repellant.  No, I had not heard this, but how nice would it be to have the smell of lavender on your wool clothes rather than the smell of traditional moth repellant.  I told her I'd check it out and get back to her.

Lavender can protect your valuable wardrobe from moths with a fragrance that will soothe your soul.  Unlike mothballs which smell toxic and cedar which can stain clothing, lavender can be used to prevent, clean and store your clothing without any negative effects.

Begin by taking everything out of your closet.  I know that sounds like a big chore, but look at as a chance to clean out your closet too.  Vacuum the floors and "swifter" off the walls with lavender floor soap.  This preventative step will greatly reduce the probability that these destructive pests will choose your closet for their next meal.

Moths will be attracted to any biodegradable soil in clothing, so dry-clean or wash everything.  Tossing lavender dryer sachets into the dry cycle will provide lighter scent and can also be used as refresher for clean woolen sweaters and blankets on "dryer press" cycle.

Finally store your clean out of season clothes in garment bags and hang lavender sachets on the inside over the hangers.

Experts say these measures should be taken twice a year.  I doubt if I would do all this twice in a lifetime, but hey, I live in California where not much in the way of wool clothes is needed.  I told Carol the best thing for her to do was to leave New Jersey for California, and never have to worry about moths again.  That's not entirely true.  Moths do attack leather and blended fabrics, so even though we don't have a lot of woolen clothes, precautionary measures need to be taken.  But twice a year, come on!

I Love The Olympics

I've been hooked on the Olympic Trials.  These competitions determine our Olympic team in gymnastics, swimming, track and field, and many other sports.  The competition is intense, as fractions of a second determine who goes to London, and who watches at home.  I admire these athletes.  Many have devoted most of their young lives to training for a chance to represent our country.  Most are disappointed, but from what I've been told, would do it all again.

One of the most heartbreaking things that can happen to an athlete is to suffer an injury just prior to the Olympics.  This happens often, especially in gymnastics.  Young athletes train for years, thousands of hours, and a slip on the balance beam could dash their hopes.  Getting to the Olympics is winning.  It's like being nominated for an Oscar.  Just the nomination puts you in an elite class.  So too for our athletes.  We forget that the rest of the world is training just as hard as we are to be winners on the world stage.  The Olympics is the ultimate test of strength, courage, and determination.

Our American team is just about set, and London is just a few weeks away.  (July 27).   I can't wait.  Unfortunately due to the time change most of the events will be in the middle of the night.  We'll probably be watching it all on tape anyway.  I remember back in 1984 when our family took an apartment in London for a few weeks, to escape the crowds in Los Angeles during the 1984 Olympics.  We watched the Olympics in the middle of the night then, and I guess if there is any live coverage, we'll watch in the middle of the night again.  In any event, it should be a spectacular show. 

I've included a flag in this blog.  Take a look and see how many of these country flags you recognize.  Many of them will be represented in London.   I hope to see the stars and stripes on top many times in the next few weeks.

Amazing Grace: The Story of John Newton

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...."  So begins one of my favorite hymns, sung around the world by followers of many religious denominations.  The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost, then found, saved by amazing grace. 

Newton was a man with little schooling, but was taught religious scripture by his mother, who died when he was a child.  His father was the commander of a merchant ship.  When his father retired, Newton took over.  However he found the conditions onboard the H.M.S. Harwich deplorable, and deserted.  He was soon captured and publicly flogged. 

Finally, at his own request, he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone.  He became the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused.  In 1748 Newton was resuced by a sea captain who had known his father, and he ultimately became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade.

It was on homeward voyage from West Africa, while attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, that he experienced what he referred to later as his "Great deliverance."  He felt that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him.  He had begun to study Hebrew, Latin and Greek, and was able to read the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Latin.  After he returned safely to England (after making it through the storm) he devoted his life  helping mankind.  For a time he continued in the slave trade, however he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely. 

He decided to become a minister, applied to the Archbishop of York for his ordination, was initially refused, but persisted and was subsequently ordained in Olney, in the county of Buckinshamshire.  He was so popular that the church had to be enlarged to accomodate the crowds that came to hear his sermons. 

Among John Newton's many contributions were a number of hymns that are still loved and sung today.  Amazing grace is the most famous.  It was probably composed between 1760-1770 in Olney.  It was likely written for one of his weekly services.  There were six original verses, but other verses, by other writers, were added later.  The melody is either an early American folk melody, or a tune of a song the slave sang.  No one knows for sure. 

Newton was not only a prolific hymn writer but also responsible for much of what is known today about the eighteenth century slave trade.  He kept journals and letters which have been invaluable on  uncovering what happened on the slave ships.  The first few stanzas of this hymn refer to his survival through the storm, and how he turned his live around.

The next time you hear the hymn "Amazing Grace" you will probably think of John Newton, his trip through a treacherous storm, and his conversion. 

Amazing grace!  How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home

Speculoos Cookie Butter

About a year ago I wrote about a delicious product, Biscoff Spread. It comes from Lotus Bakery, and it is mainly available online. It looks like peanut butter, but is made from speculoos cookies. It's amazingly addictive. It's a spread similar to Nutella, and is very popular in Europe, but just making its way to the U.S. Recently Trader Joe's started carrying something called "Speculoos Cookie Butter." It's the same product in a different package, and you've got to try it.

When I saw this product at Trader Joe's I knew it was just like the Biscoff spread. Speculoos cookies are buttery, brown sugar and spice cookies. For the spread they are crumbled, then additional ingredients, like margarine and more sugar are added. The Trader Joe's spread comes from the Netherlands, is $3.49 for a jar of delishisness. It is only 90 calories per tablespoon, but you wouldn't eat more than that at one time. Spread it on pancakes, English muffins or toast. Dip pretzels in it. Get creative. You can substitute it for peanut butter in cookies. I think this will become a staple in your pantry.

Several years ago my mom introducted me to a restaurant in Los Angeles (it's a chain) called Le Pain Cotedian. It's a little French bistro that we both love, and on each table they have their own product, similar to the Speculoos Cookie Butter. It's so good you want to eat it right out of the jar. My mom loves the spread, so when I tasted this product for the first time, I called my mom right away. I sent her to Trader Joe's to get her own bottle of the delicious spread. She loves the stuff more than me, so I doubt if it will last long at her home. She said she's going to have to hide it from herself!

If you're close to a Trader Joe's you can try Speculoos Cookie Butter too. You're going to love it, as I do.