Every Day Is Valentine's Day For Me

Every day is Valentine's Day for me, so when February 14 rolled around it was just another day.  Our Valentine's Day is just another day, except for the extra effort I put into making a wonderful dinner.  No expensive flowers, chocolates or gifts.  During the year Ron often stops at a florist and brings me a little something, for no particular reason.  Or he'll stop at a French bakery and bring me an apple tart or a meringue.

This Valentine's Day I had some nice swordfish steaks in the freezer that I barbequed and just served with a lemon wedge.  I made asparagus and fresh creamed corn to accompany the fish.  Here's my recipe for creamed corn, which was just fabulous, as good as you'd get at Morton's, Flemmings, or Ruths Chris.  Here's how I made it.  Loaded with calories, but so worth it.

                           Fresh Creamed Corn

3 ears of fresh corn, scraped off the cob
juice from the cobs, scraped with a paring knife, for extra sweetness
1T. flour
2tsp. sugar
1T. butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and cook for 10-15 minutes.  The corn will thicken, and if it gets too thick, add a little more cream or milk to thin it out.  That's it!  You're gonna love this.  For extra deliciousness, add a few tablespoons of parmesean cheese at the very end, and mix until it melts in.  This dish can also be made with canned or frozen corn, but using the fresh corn is far better.  In California you can get fresh corn almost all year round, so use fresh corn.  Enjoy.

Bowling In The 21st Century

I haven't been bowling in probably 40 years, but one Sunday Ron and I spent some time with our twin grandsons Ryan and Spencer, and bowling was our activity.  How things have changed.

When I was a kid, a common Saturday afternoon activity, was bowling.  We had a bowling alley in Westwood (It was upstairs near the Bruin theatre). where we would hang out for hours, bowling and eating pizza.  What great memories.  When I was in college, I had many bowling dates in the student union.  It was cheap and fun.  I think we paid 50 cents for each game, plus 25 cents for shoes.  Boy, have things changed.

On our outing with the twins, we spent $39 for the three of us, one game plus shoes.  The funny thing was, the kids didn't really care at all about bowling.  They were waiting until we finished and they could play arcade games.  That cost another $20.  Lucky for us, we had just eaten lunch, otherwise it would have been another $20 for crappy food.

Bowling alleys today are sort of like Las Vegas.  You walk in.  It's dimly lit, but you  seeTV screens, video games, and lots of noise everywhere.  There are so many distractions and it's so noisy, all we wanted to do was finish and get out of there.  You can't even keep score anymore.  That is all done automatically today.  You put your names in on a computer, and the score comes up on a big screen for all to see.  The other thing I noticed was that they have guard rails in front of both gutters.  If you request, they put the guard rails up and you never get a gutter ball.

I must say bowling is a little like riding a bike.  You never forget how to do it.  By the third frame I was knocking down 8 or 9 pins on my first throw.  I wasn't very good at picking up the spare, but with a little practice I would probably do OK.  It was a lot of fun, but I don't think I'll do it again for another 40 years.

Breath Mints For Dogs

p>I just spent over $650 and put my dog through quite a trauma, but he came out with wonderful breath, so he won't be needing these mints for awhile.  I've had Pepper for over 5 years, and have been aware that one of his canine teeth had a hole in it and would eventually have to come out.  I kept putting it off. I had gentle cleaning done on him about two years ago, but that does not get the plaque and tartar that accumulates around the gum line.  My vet had told me he needed to have his teeth cleaned, which involves putting him under a general anesthetic, and that he would be having a dental sale in February, so I've been waiting for the sale.  When I called to find out how much the teeth cleaning would be I almost fainted.  $750 was the discounted price, and with extractions it could run $1,000 or more.  I decided to do some comparison shopping.  I ended up changing vets, not just because of the price of the teeth cleaning, but EVERYTHING was expensive.  I love the new vet, and his teeth were cleaned, including 5 extractions, for about $650.  What a deal.

So, for now Pepper's breath is kissing sweet, but that probably won't last.  I will try to brush his teeth regularly if he let's me.  In the mean time, I just made a batch of doggie breath mints.  The recipe is courtesy of my dog park friend Mirme.  Her dog Carly and Pepper are best friends!.  Here's the recipe.

                               Doggie Breath Mints

1/2 c. rolled oats, uncooked
1/2 c. parsley, well chopped
1 T. water

Mix all ingredients until well blended, then roll the dough into pea size pieces and place on a cookie sheet.  Transfer to the freezer until frozen, then pop them in a plastic bag.  They are ready for use.  Give dog 2 mints to eliminate bad breath.

Is The Drought Over In California?

The short answer is NO!  The long answer is also NO.  We're on our way, but we're not yet ready for a "drought over" party.  Northern California has come out of drought conditions.  With 12 feet of snow in Tahoe, and weeks of heavy rain, the reservoirs are just about full, and the snow pack is way over normal.  You see pictures of areas of Sonoma Valley where people are getting around in boats due to heavy flooding, and think we surely must have enough water.

Years can start out with heavy rain only to be dry the rest of the year.  The scientists say that about 45% of California is out of drought conditions.  The southern  part of the state, despite heavy rain, still has a long way to go.  I hope we do not forget the dire conditions of the past five years and go back to our wasteful ways.  Let's keep the new habits we have developed.  This will insure that we always have water in our reservoirs and enough to keep our agricultural economy with what they need.

A Day In Corona

To celebrate my birthday, and the birthday of my niece Alison, I got together with my mom and sister Madeleine in Corona.  Corona is about 60 north of Oceanside on the 15 freeway, past Temecula, Murietta and Lake Elsinore.  The only time I'd ever been to Corona before today was to go to Glen Ivy, a day spa, several years ago.  We met at a shopping center on Temescal Canyon Road, had lunch together, and lots of lively conversation.

Since we all live in different directions, we try to find someplace in the middle, and Madeleine decided we would have lunch at Taps, a very nice restaurant in Corona.  The shopping center also has Miguel's, and another upscale restaurant, so there's  quite a bit to choose from.

Taps has a varied menu, and for the most part, the food was excellent.  We started with a cheese plate with several cheeses, olives, pickled onions, and roasted garlic.  It was beautiful and delicious.  Madeleine and Alison each had the lobster bisque (a pretty skimpy cup, if you ask me), then they shared the pear and endive salad, which was excellent.  Mom had the ahi tuna starter.  It was creatively served in a fried won ton shell, like a taco.  She loved it.  I was the only one who was not happy with my meal.  I ordered a butternut squash and quinoa salad topped with burrata.  It looked delicious, but when I tried the burrata, it was terrible!  It had been whipped, and actually tasted like whipped cream.  I returned the salad, and ordered a very nice wedge, which I was much happier with.  For dessert we ordered the red velvet cake.  It is cooked to order in a black skillet, and finished table side.  Cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream, nuts and fresh fruit are placed on top, then everyone digs in.  It was delicious, and with four of us  sharing one dessert, we each had a little taste.

I must say the help in the restaurant was apologetic  for my salad.  The chef even came out to talk to me.  He told me he was trying to do something creative, and I told him he should leave the burrata alone!  We discussed politics, the drought and the power of positive thinking, among other things.  We always have some lively discussions.

We decided to meet again soon in LA, and do it all again.  It's a long drive for lunch, but it's so nice to get together.

Maniere or Vertigo? What's The Difference?

My medical school class through Brandeis focused on dizziness this month.  There are lots of causes of dizziness, from dehydration to Maniere disease.  The latter is a disease of the inner ear which effect both hearing and balance.  Maniere disease has effected many famous individuals over the years, including Vincent Van Gogh, Alan Shepard, Emily Dickinson, Peggy Lee, Les Paul, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Swift.

The majority of people who see a doctor for repeated dizziness suffer from benign positional vertigo.  This means that dizziness occurs when changing the head position, like getting out of bed or bending over.  There are exercises that can be done to reduce the length and frequency of these episodes.  Maniere disease is another story.  Those with this disease also have positional vertigo.  It's typical symptoms are dizziness, ringing in the ears, sudden episodes of vertigo and loss of hearing.  It is caused by fluid in the circulatory canals in the inner ear, and may ultimately cause death.

The first course of treatment is usually diet.  Physicians recommend a low salt diet and possibly a diuretic, to reduce fluid in the patient.  Maniere disease can lead to loss of hearing and even complete deafness.

Why do I call it Maniere Disease rather than Maniere's Disease.  Physicians now have dropped the 's at the end of disease named for a person.  The only exception to this is Lou Gehrig's disease.  Why they keep the 's for Lou Gehrig's Disease and not for other diseases is a mystery to me.

Dizziness, if it persists, should not  be ignored.  Give your doctor a complete list of symptoms and some medical history so he or she can make the proper diagnosis.

Who Is Eduardo Kobra?

Eduardo Kobra is a Brazilian street artist, one of the most well know muralists in the world.  His murals usually depict portraits with a technique of repeating squares and triangles.  Kobra uses bright colors and bold lines, while staying true to a kaleidoscope theme throughout his art.

I first became taken with mural art many years ago.  The freeways in L.A. have been covered with mural art for decades.  Mural art, done by street artists, has become popular throughout the world.  I took a group on a tour of some mural art in downtown L.A. last year, and we all left the tour wanting more.  Eduardo Kobra works mostly in his native Brazil.  Both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have multiple murals on walls and buildings.  But you don't have to go that far to see his work.  There are three murals done by Kobra, all in 2013, in Los Angeles.  One is of Albert Einstein, another is his depiction of Mount Rushmore, and the third is called "Whose eyes are those watching us?"  He likes doing portraits best, and has one in Minneapolis of Bob Dylan and one in Lexington, Ky. of Abraham Lincoln.

Kobra was born in 1976.  He's young, so I expect to hear and see much more of him over the years.  He is involved in an art movement that is sweeping the world.  There's hardly a country you can go to today that doesn't have a strong presence of mural art.  It's my favorite new thing to look for when I travel.  We have quite a bit in San Diego.  Vista, too, has a lot of mural art, and Oceanside has just proposed to have 10 new murals painted throughout the city.  I can't wait.

Genetic Mutation of CCR5 Gene Could Save Your Life

Scientists have been studying the possibility that a genetic mutation perpetuated by the organism responsible for bubonic plague, or Black Death, in the Middle Ages, might give people now, who have the mutation, increased resistance to HIV.  Everyone didn't die from bubonic plague.  Those that survived, in fact did not get the deadly disease, probably had the genetic mutation of the CCR5 gene.  This is currently what scientists think.

I was at a class called "Medical School" that I take through Brandeis.  We were talking about influenza, and that it can be deadly, especially in older people.  One student said she had never gotten influenza in all her 85 years.  The professor told us that some people are protected against influenza with a genetic marker mutation, just as some are protected against HIV by CCR5 marker.  I was surprised, and even more surprised to learn that descendants of those that survived bubonic plague were the ones protected against HIV.

Scientists are looking at the possibility of using gene therapy in treating HIV.  At this time the cost is astronomical, but there is hope that gene therapy could be used in the future.  It's complicated, but if you research Wikileaks on the subject of CCR5 genes you can find out much, much more.  When I first heard this information I was surprised.  I had never heard of people actually immune to HIV because of a gene mutation.  Protection from influenza also seems to take place with certain mutations.  There is so much more to learn about our genetic makeup.  Study of the subject is in its infancy, and I can't wait to see what more we find out.  For now, I thought I'd share this small bit of information about genes and gene mutation with you.

Breakfast Republic in Encinitas

Always on the lookout for new and interesting restaurants, Christie, Cheryl and I went to the new Breakfast Republic in Encinitas after book club in February.  I did not know when choosing that restaurant that they served breakfast only, but I know that now.  They are only open until 2pm each day.  You won't get fresher food anywhere, and the portions are huge.

Breakfast Republic moved in where Firefly used to be.  They did little remodeling, put in some new lighting, a paint job, and some new furniture.  That's about it.  They kept the bar, and several singles  were sitting there eating breakfast.  The restaurant was not very crowded at noon, which is not a good sign, but the fact that it was a rainy day may be the reason.  Breakfast Republic orders the traditional breakfast foods, some with a twist.  I had apple pancakes, with two kinds of apples.  Good, but not loaded with apples the way I would have liked.  Cheryl and Christie both had breakfast burritos, with eggs, potatoes, avocado, cheese and salsa.  Huge, and it was delicious.  They also serve several forms of french toast, scrambles, egg dishes and lots of pancakes.

It's a nice breakfast addition to Encinitas, but frankly, I wouldn't wait in the long lines that assemble there on the weekend.  Great coffee was a pleasant surprise, and always brings me back, even if the food isn't great.  This food was good, and the coffee was great.

Are We Doing Enough To Prevent Bullying?

Bullying is a type of abuse.  This abuse comes in the form of repeated acts over a span of time.  These acts are an attempt by the bully to gain and enforce power over a person or group of people.

Bullying is the most common form of violence in our society.  Between 15%-30% of students are bullies or victims of bullies.  The AMA study estimates that approximately 3.7 million youths engage in, and more than 3.2 million youngsters are victims of moderate or serious bullying each year.  Membership in either bully or victim groups is associated with school drop out, poor psycholosocial adjustment, and criminal activity.

Here's the statistic that really shocked me.  25% of teachers see nothing wrong with bullying or put downs and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents.

A great deal is being done to stop bullying in school.  Many schools, at all levels, have started anti-bullying programs to raise awareness of this issue with children, teachers and parents.  I recently saw on the news that a group of Carlsbad children were walking the beach in solidarity against bullying.

I don't think there's anyone who escaped childhood without being bullied.  Anyone who is the slightest bit "different" is a target.  If you dress differently, think differently, are too fat, too thin, have too many freckles or are not athletic, you could be a target.

It's important for children to have good communication skills, so that they can tell an adult if they are bullied.  There is no place for bullies in our society.  They need to learn that every person is important and should be treated with respect.

Bullying does not stop with high school graduation.  It continues into the work force and general society.  Again, bullying at work must be reported to a supervisor and dealt with.  Unfortunately, young boys and girls who bullied often grow up bully as adults.  There is no place for it in society, yet we see people at the highest levels, bullying to gain an advantage.  Look no further than our new president.  He bullied many of his competitors.  I find it so ironic that he is a bully himself, and his wife Melania, wants to make bully her issue, as First Lady.

Pokiritto Is Awesome

A few weeks ago a group of us went to Dim Sum lunch at Jasmine, on Convoy.  Right across the street is a shopping center that houses, among other excellent restaurants, Pokiritto.  Melanie mentioned to me how much she loves poke, so we made a date to try it.  I was not disappointed.

Think sushi in a burrito.  They offer about six different sushi burritos.  The burrito is started with a seaweed wrapper.  On to that is spread a scoop of crab mixture.  From there on, the ingredients vary depending on what burrito you order.  I order Maui Sands.  It had two large scoops of ahi tuna, lotus chips, cilantro, broccoli, a small amount of an Asian slaw mix, and a nice mild sauce.  You can get it spicy if you want.  Melanie ordered the classic burrito, which had a few different vegetables and different fish, maybe a combo of salmon and ahi.  Both were delicious, in fact too big for  me to finish.

Pokiritto also offers poke bowls, both small and large, and yakitori.  The place was packed, and if you eat there you'll know why.  Good value, fresh ingredients, and friendly help.  Pokiritto also has another location in Little Italy.  If you're in the Convoy area, be sure and give it a try.

RakiRaki is Yummy Yummy

One of the hottest places in San Diego, and on everyone's "gotta try" list, is RakiRaki.  I went with a group of friends one day after the rains had finally stopped.  We ate at the Convoy Street location.  They have another restaurant on India Street.

No matter when you go there, there's a line out the door.   Just write your name on the pad inside the entrance, and  take a walk.  Our wait on a Wednesday at noon was about 20 minutes.  It was well worth it.  You can tell that the customers are all regulars.  They know exactly what to order.  We, on the other hand , had to study the menu and ask a lot of questions before deciding on what to eat.  It's mainly a ramen restaurant, with a few bowl, salads, and sushi platters.  We all ordered the lunch special, for $9.95.

We each got a small bowl of original ramen.  It consisted of delicious broth, home made noodles, slices of either chicken or pork, and several vegetables, including cabbage and scallions.  It was flavorful and delicious, and by itself would have been enough for lunch, but there was more to come.  We also chose from either a salad, a rice bowl, or a sushi platter.  Marilyn opted for a bowl of fried chicken with mayonnaise and two other dipping sauces.  It was fantastic, and so much that she took much of it home for dinner.  Viv and I had the kale salad with fried chicken.  The kale was tossed in a soy dressing, and on top of the kale was fried chicken strips, fried won ton strips, ginger, and sesame seeds.  It was delicious!  Melanie had the poke roll.  She's a poke lover, so this was perfect for her.  A cut roll with poke in the middle.

Everything we saw come out of the kitchen looked enticing.  I must go back again soon and try something else.  The menu has something for everyone, and the four of us loved everything we ate.  If you're in the Convoy Street area, be sure and try RakiRaki for lunch.  It's a winner.