Busy, Busy Summer

This summer is flying by even faster than most. I think that's because both Kevin and I worked (or in my case, am still working) summer school this year. Neither of us have ever done it and we were both offered the opportunity at our respective schools, so we decided to work. I feel so fortunate that we're in a position to not 'need' the money, but I also feel that, with our economy so precarious at the moment, it would be foolish to turn down the opportunity for some extra cash -- even if it is just to pad the bank account.

Kevin's summer school job ended last week and mine ends next week. It hasn't been bad at all. In fact, I could definitely get used to it! Where as my regular job is 7:30 - 4:00, Monday through Friday, summer school hours are 8:00 - 12:00, Monday through Thursday. Which one would you rather work? Yeah, me too!

At any rate, we've been doing little fun things here and there. We're headed to Old Town Temecula soon to go antiquing and wine tasting (cheese tasting, too, because there's a wonderful artisanal cheese maker in the area!), and not long after that, we'll be headed to San Diego for some fun in the sun ... and sand ... and surf ...

In between summer school and fun, we've also been accomplishing many projects around the house. Yard work, deep cleaning, washing and ironing, cooking for the freezer, and I've even tucked in some crafting projects here and there. All in all, it's been a wonderful, albeit busy (!) summer.

School starts early for both of us - Kevin's on August 25th and mine the following day - and fall will be fast approaching. Holy cow, before you know it, it will be Christmas!! (Oh, did I mention I've already done about a third of my Christmas shopping? No? Oh, well ... now I have!)

That's All Folks!

Last Saturday night, we returned to the Hollywood Bowl for another fantastic performance. This time it was ... What fun! Before the piece, the conductor would introduce the it and tell us a bit about it and the cartoon that it was in. After that, the screen would show the cartoon - or section of the cartoon - and the Philharmonic would play the piece. It was great!! My cartoon man, Kevin, was in Heaven =)

Jammin'

Finally!! I've been meaning to write a post about making jam, but I've put it off because the batteries in our camera were caput and we kept forgetting to get new batteries. And, let's face it, what's a blog post without a few photos -- right? So, about three weeks late, but, better late than never!

The last weekend in June, Kevin and I decided to make a batch of homemade jam. Kevin had never tried it before and I haven't made jam in about three years or so, so we were both excited about it! We bought some jars, gathered all of our ingredients together and got started.

We decided to make strawberry rhubarb jam. Why? Because it's soooo good! At Easter, I made a strawberry rhubarb crumble that everyone raved about. It truly was delicious. I thought that, since that was so good, and jam is really pretty much a crumble or a cobbler without the topping, wouldn't strawberry rhubarb jam turn out just as delicious as the crumble? Of course it did! Here are a few pics of our first attempt at making jam together: Supplies ... Cooking the jam ... The finished product ... After we finished with the jam, Kevin looked at the finished product and said "All that work for seven jars of jam?!" Which, is true ... however, I did reason that these were fairly large jars of jam. If we'd made smaller jars, it would have looked like more =)

Of course, we couldn't really stop there. We were so inspired - and fruit was so plentiful (and CHEAP!) that we decided to make more jam the next weekend! We made more strawberry rhubarb (which we've determined will be our specialty!) as well as raspberry apricot and triple berry - which has strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. YUM! All told we made 36 jars of jam. After giving some away to family, our neighbors and our landlords, here's a pic of what we have left: Don't ya just love those cute little labels?

Do You Know These Ladies?

Would you if I said "There's No Crying in Baseball!"

If you don't know them, allow me to introduce you: Lois Youngen, Delores "Dolly" Brumfield, Marge Villa, Gene Travis, Maybelle Blair, Jeanie Descombes, and Pepper Paire. These seven ladies were part of AAGPBL - also known as All American Girls Professional Baseball League. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, do you remember the movie "A League of Their Own"? If so, than you do know who these ladies are!

Yesterday Kevin and I had the opportunity to meet all of these ladies in person! We attended FanFest at Anaheim Convention Center -- all things baseball. They are the nicest women - all with such interesting stories. What an amazing part they played in the history of baseball. Solidarity Sistahs! It did sadden me, though, when one of the ladies mentioned of that they are losing, on average, one of their members per month. Or as she said 'we're all dying off' =( Lucky for us, we got to meet these seven women before ... well, you know. We now have a baseball added to Kevin's collection that all seven of these women signed. What a great addition to the collection!

Thank you, ladies, for all of your many contributions to the game we love.

Here's another pic ... Kevin and I at FanFest. We had such a great time!!How lucky were we? Bob Feller was also there yesterday, signing autographs. Bless his heart - he's 91 and still out there giving to the game he loves. Thank you, Mr. Feller! It was very nice to meet you - and thanks for autographing our baseballs =)

Summertime??

We've had several weeks of questionable weather here in So Cal. What do I mean by that? This morning, the weatherman pointed out that our first week of July was half a degree cooler than the first week of this past January.

Hmmm ... curiouser and curiouser.

That said, I'd much rather have May Gray/June Gloom/July Can't See the Sky weather than the nasty heat wave they're having back east. WHEW!

Bowling

Hollywood Bowl-ing that is! This past Friday night we - Bev, Ken, Deb, Bill, Pat, Drew, Vicky, Kevin and myself - headed for the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate Independence Day. What fun we had!!

We all contributed goodies for an old fashioned picnic. Our fare included fried chicken, potato salad, watermelon, marinated green beans, fruit salad, buckeye bars, rice krispie treats and, of course, red, white and blueberry cookies. YUM!

Each of us came from different directions and just met at 'our spot' at the Bowl. We enjoyed our delicious picnic and then were treated to the fantastic LA Philharmonic for the first half of the show, and then the amazing Vince Gill for the second half of the show. At the conclusion of the second half, the spectacular Hollywood Bowl fireworks began. SO COOL!! We all had fun ooooohing and aaaaaaahing over the brilliant flashes of fireworks above the HB stage.

During intermission, we met several of our 'neighbors' behind us. We had fun talking with some new folks and sharing our homemade treats. We joked around saying that, since they're in our family picture, we're all family now =)

We all had such a great time. It was Pat and Drew's first Hollywood Bowl adventure, and the first time Vicky had been there for an LA Philharmonic show. I think all were suitably impressed. May I just say, if you ever have the opportunity to attend something - anything - at the Hollywood Bowl, do yourself a favor and GO!! (Dudes, what's up with those expressions?!)

First Picnic of the Season

I love summer. For many, many reasons, not the least of which is Hollywood Bowl and picnic season. It's such a true joy to see somethings wonderful at the Hollywood Bowl. We've seen everything from John Fogerty to John Williams; from Brian Wilson to Eric Idle. Each show has been more fun than the last - never a dull moment in the bunch! This past Friday night, we went to our first show of the season at the Hollywood Bowl. Billed for the evening was this ...Sing along? Boy, did we ever ... and so did everyone else there. We had a blast!!

Naturally, the first HB show of the season also equals the first picnic of the season! Kevin and I took the responsibility to bring the provisions this time around. I love creating picnic menus. There are so many wonderful choices that sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the possibilities. Sometimes. But not this time!

Friday Night's Menu
Grilled Corn Salad - with cucumbers, red onions, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and cider vinaigrette
Avocado & Endive Salad - with green onions, fresh parsley, and lemon juice
Bowtie Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto
Ginger Sesame Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies with Vanilla Ice Cream

YUM!

Making everything took longer than I thought it would -- of course, when doesn't it, right? But it was fun. And everything was absolutely delicious! Here's a little peak at the Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies in process: Great fun, great company and great food - what more could one ask for??

(Next week: an Old Fashioned 4th of July picnic! Fried chicken, potato salad, grilled corn on the cob, fresh watermelon ... MMMM!)

Vintage Cotton Pillowcases

Shortly before Kevin and I got married, I happened to spy a pair of the sweetest vintage cotton pillowcases on ebay. Though the cases themselves were white, the crocheted lace and embroidery were that luscious shade of green - jadeite, seaglass, aqua (choose your favorite description) - and, unbelievably, they were monogramed with Kevin's initials, so I couldn't resist!

As much as I loved those pillowcase, I packed them away. Why? Because, though I love that color, we didn't have anything really in the old house that went with it. But I kept them figuring that, one day, I'd find just the right spot for them.

Flash forward to last summer. You may recall the photos I posted of our new house ... and it's white and green (jadeite, seaglass, aqua...) bathroom. Hey ... that bathroom also had a vintage hotel towel rack. Hmmmm. You know, when folded, those pillowcases look an awful lot like vintage cotton guest towels. Hmmmm. FINALLY! I finally found a home for those fabulous green-and-white-vintage-cotton-pillowcases-with-Kevin's-initials!

Yesterday, for the first time since I bought them nine years ago, I washed them; this morning, I ironed them. What a joy! I'm not sure why they're so different, but there is just something about vintage cotton that is delightful. When washed, it is sooo soft that you just want to wrap yourself up in it. And ironing it was so much fun! Taking wrinkled cotton and smoothing it perfectly with a hot iron - it's almost like magic!

I think I need to revisit eBay ... and look for a whole set of vintage cotton sheets. What a treat that would be!

Latest Obsession

Have you ever read Taste of Home magazine? I hadn't either ... until recently. I saw a copy while I was standing in line at the grocery store. The cover was appealing - summery/picnic foods- so I picked it up and thumbed through it. I admit it - I was hooked. It's chocked full of wonderful, every day recipes. Things that are simple to make that contain ingredients that we've all heard of and that are well within our budgets. What a concept! This is definitely a magazine I'd be interested in, I thought. I decided not to buy the issue though - it was whopping $3.99!

Okay, okay ... so the next time I went to the grocery store, I gave in and picked it up. Yes it was pricey - however, there was a subscription card inside to test out a free issue of the magazine and subscribe for just $10.00 for the year. Not bad! Especially when you consider that a single issue is nearly half of that.

So ... I subscribed to the magazine - you knew that was coming, didn't you? But did you see this coming?? Not only did I subscribe, I hunted down back issues of it on eBay. I found one seller who had from 1999 through 2003 and another seller who picked up in 2003 where the other lot left off and went through 2009. How cool is that?! Each seller had 25 magazines in their lot. With shipping, I got all 50 issues for just $41.00. YAY!

Let's review what I got: 50 back issues of a wonderful cooking magazine that suits our needs, our tastes and our budget; a free issue, plus a subscription for one year; hours and hours and hours of entertainment poring over each magazine cover to cover; ideas for lots of wonderful new recipes.

I don't know about you, but this sounds like quite a deal in my book!

Memorial Day

THANK YOU

The Demise of Mom & Pop (or, When Will Large Corporations Learn to Keep Their Dirty Little Fingers Out of Everyone Else’s Pie)

Growing up, I never heard the term “Big-Box” store - nor, I’d venture to guess, did my parents. It wasn’t until about 15 years ago I began to hear that term, referring, of course, to large chain stores. Sure, we had Sears and J.C. Penney’s, but no one ever referred to them as “Big-Box” – we called them department stores. Likewise, Safeway and Ralph’s were referred to as grocery stores. And, in my mind, they still are.

When I was growing up, there were also lots of “Mom & Pop” shops – the type of establishment of which there was only one or two – not like Safeway or Sears – of which there were many. The “Mom & Pop” shops were small restaurants or businesses and they were everywhere: just around the corner, downtown, across the street … you get the idea.

Somewhere along the way, the M&P’s began to disappear. Some went away as a matter of course – maybe the relative who’d started the business passed away and there wasn’t a family member interested in pursuing the business; maybe the validity of their establishment ran it’s course – this widget or that widget were no longer sought after by customers. Others, however, have been shoved out by the BB stores. Either the M&P’s cannot compete price-wise with the BB’s, or BB’s have so many stores – or so much property – that they’re shoving – literally – the M&P’s out of business.

What on earth am I talking about? You know – you see it every day in your own neighborhoods. Take, for instance, the Omelette Parlor in Costa Mesa, California. This quaint and charming – and BUSY! – little restaurant has been in the same location for 27 years. For 27 wonderful years they’ve served their community and their customers well. For 27 years they’ve served quality food to generations of customers. People who ate there as 20 year olds, brought their own children in to dine, and are now taking their grandchildren in to enjoy the same quality food they’ve enjoyed for 27 years.

…but not any more.

Well, at least not after May 31, 2010. What happens on that day? On that day, the Omelette Parlor will close its doors for the last time. Why? Not because they don’t have enough business. Not because their food is no longer sought after. No. They will close their doors for the last time because the “Big-Box” store (corporation - Safeway) that owns the strip mall where this little family restaurant exists, has decided to tear it down and build on to their already existing grocery store. Unbelievable! I’m not clairvoyant, but I’d be willing to bet that, if you asked the people of this community which one they’d prefer – a charming, cozy restaurant that has served them well for 27 years, or a larger grocery store (of which there are currently myriad) – they’d choose the Omelette Parlor hands down.

And large corporations can’t understand why the American public is fed up with them and their business tactics. Huh. Go figure.

New (to me) Recipes

Life's gotten crazy again and I've had a hard time finding a moment to post. Well, that and the fact that our internet has been down ... then up ... then down (again!) ... But hey, that's life, right?

Anyway, last weekend I had the opportunity to try out several new recipes. All of them were delicious!!

If you've grown up in the San Gabriel Valley, you're no stranger to the Northwoods Inn restaurants. If you haven't had the great fortune of dining at a Northwoods Inn, let me just say three words: Red Cabbage Salad. YUM!! I tried out a 'copy cat' recipe for their red cabbage salad, and let me just say, it tasted exactly like the real thing! This is definitely a keeper - I plan on making this often. While the restaurant is a bit pricey, the red cabbage salad is inexpensive to make (there's that "beer budget" thing again!), so I think we'll stick with having this at home. A steak on the grill and a little Clearman's spread on some sourdough bread. Mmmmmm...now that's a winner! If you'd like to try it at home, here's the recipe:

Northwoods Inn Red Cabbage Salad
Ingredients:
• 1/2 head red cabbage
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I thought this was too much; I'd use 1/3 cup the next time I make it)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (see above comment on oil)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp onion powder

Preparation:
Shred half of the cabbage finely and the other half coarsely. Place in a large bowl.

Whisk together vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, seasoned salt, black pepper, and onion powder.

Toss the dressing with the cabbage. Scrape the salad with the dressing into a zip-top bag or covered container and refrigerate at least 48 hours (I only marinated it for 6 hours and it was fine) or until cabbage turns deep red, softens a bit, and flavors meld.

One of the other recipes I tried was a Barefoot Contessa recipe for Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits. Oh MAN! Served warm, these biscuits are like Heaven on a plate. They're pretty darn good at room temperature, too! Here's a peak: We served them with homemade beef stew. DELISH!! Here's the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
Maldon sea salt, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

When I was growing up, fried chicken was a staple at my grandmother's house. Actually, both of my grandmas made fried chicken, but Grandma Maxwell made it a lot more often. Which made us very lucky because it was delicious! I can't tell you how much I miss that fried chicken. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Fried chicken is just not one of those things that I make on a regular basis. While technically it's an easy dish to make, it's also a very messy dish to make. Then there's the fact that it's ... well, less than healthy shall we say.

However, every now and then I get a hankering and nothing but good 'ol fashioned fried chicken will do. This past Monday was one of those times. On the menu: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn. YUM! When Kevin got home, he was tired and laid down on the couch to take a quick snooze before dinner. It wasn't long before he came in to the kitchen and said "MAN that smells good!". Ahhh, shades of my grandma's house =)

A short time later, we sat down to our fried chicken. MAN! It didn't just SMELL good, it was delicious! The vote is in: definitely a winner!

Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget

That's what my grandpa (Pa) always told me - that I had champagne taste on a beer budget. And honestly, that's mostly true, though it's more of a microbrew budget ;o)

Around Christmas time, I became enamoured with tinsel and feather trees and all of the wonderful vintage-y type ornaments that are available to decorate them. Not just for Christmas, but for every holiday and season throughout the year. Then, I began looking at the prices of the trees and the ornaments. Big mistake! Holy cow, I was SHOCKED at how expensive these lovelies are!

I had grandiose dreams of ordering some of these goodies - so pretty! ...then, my beer budget kicked in and I just couldn't allow myself to do it. However, I wasn't ready to abandon my dreams completely.

Figuring out how to make the "microbrew" version of some of these ornaments, my creativity kicked into full gear. What kind of supplies can I use to make something similar? Where will I find them? How will the finished version turn out - will it look cute? ... or would it be a waste of time. Having more time on my hands than money, I thought I'd at least give it a try.

So, without further ado, here's a sample of the type of ornament I'm referring to: Cute, right? Well, unfortunately the price isn't nearly as cute as the ornaments. The price tag for this particular trio? (Are you sitting down?) $64.00!! Oh, well, if you act now though, you can get them for a much more appealing $54.40. Can you believe it?!

Okay, so mine don't look exactly the same. But honestly, I think they turned out really cute - I'm very happy with them and I think they're almost as cute as the original. Here's my version:



What do you think? Pretty cute, right?

I used vintage image stickers that I purchased for almost nothing at Dover, Martha Stewart glitter (also available at Michael's - and there's a 40% off MS products coupon in the May issue of MSL), and rolls of crepe paper that I found at the Dollar Tree store. Each ornament (not including the orange tinsel in the wrapper) probably cost about a quarter to make.

I made the same types of ornaments for a 4th of July tree and will make them for Easter and Valentine's day as well. As for the tree, I found a much cheaper version here (Dadgummit! I see they're now on sale!). It's not exactly the same thing as a feather tree, but it definitely fits better with my beer budget.

...I'm so proud of my beer budget!

The FA Chili Cook-Off 2010

That's right, folks. This past Friday night the Johnson's hosted the Second Annual First Avenue Chili Cook-Off. It was yummy!

This year there were 6 chili entries. Each was as different as it was delicious. I was talking to one of our teachers prior to the party and we were discussing what a subjective thing chili is. There are so many different types and recipes - and everyone's taste for chili is so different. That said, I tasted 4 of the six varieties and they were all really good. In addition to the chili, we had a variety of cornbreads, salads and desserts. Oh, and beverages - some mild, some a bit more on the wild side (also dubbed the 'evil elixir' in a post party cryptogram at the Faculty meeting on Tuesday).

It was a fun night! Not quite as many people in attendance as we had last year, but a really wonderful group.

Who won?? Jeff. Just ask him, he'd love to tell you all about it.

(Anyone else think it's suspicious that the BOSS has won ... both years?! Anyone?? Yeah. Me too.)

I Get a Peaceful, Easy Feelin'

Ahhhhh, last Friday night, under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl ... Eagles flew. It was a beautiful sight to behold. ...not to mention the sweet sound of some of the most amazing harmonies in musical history. (Photo from Los Angeles Times)

For Christmas, I'd given Kevin tickets to the Eagles concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The only drawback? Christmas is in December and, well, the concert wasn't until April 16th! No matter - sometimes delayed gratification is a good thing. This was definitely one of those times.

The concert was amazing. The Eagles were in top form and played many favorites as well as songs from their new CD - Long Road Out of Eden. We had SUCH a great time!!

Merry Christmas, honey! ... and thanks for letting me be your date ;o)

Definitely Not Atticus Finch

One of the other things I've had on the ...uh... docket, is this: Yep. I was on jury duty this week. I don't know how other states are, but our state has the "One Day/One Trial" system which means, once you receive your Jury Summons in the mail, you're given a specific week to call-in. Sometimes, though very rarely, you can make it through the week without having to actually go in at all. At that point, you're off the hook and can't be called again for at least a year.

More commonly, however, you will find that, at some point during the week of call-in, you'll be required to report to the courthouse. That was me this week. I skated through Monday without having to report. Monday night I called and, sure enough, I was required to report on Tuesday morning at 7:45. In L.A. Great. That means, because I decided to take the Metro instead of drive (If you've ever driven in L.A. during rush hour ... which, really, is just about every hour of the day, you know why I decided to take the Metro!), I had to leave the house quite early. The saving grace, however, is that the train drops you off, literally, right across the street from the courthouse - which is great!

About mid-day, I was called for a jury panel. Uh-oh, kiss of death! Having served Jury Duty many, many times, it's been my experience that, if called to a panel, I will nearly always be seated on a jury. This time? No exception - I became juror number 7. The judge explained that this was a misdemeanor case and shouldn't last more than a day. However, because the next day was the third Wednesday of the month, and because the courthouse is on furlough that particular day due to budget cuts, we all had to report back on Thursday for the actual trial.

It all went smoothly, though. As the judge said, the trial was just a one day event. I won't bore you with the details of the case or the trial itself. I will, however, comment that neither the defense nor the prosecuting attorney would give Atticus Finch a run for his money. And the case? Eh. From my perspective, at least, it was a complete waste of taxpayers money. But there you have it, justice in action.

Here's the Other Place I've Been Hanging Around ...

... far too much recently!! It's a beautiful place, actually, and they do wonderful work. But - I'd much rather not see it quite so often.

Both mom and dad have been somewhat regular visitors to the hospital recently. Both are feeling better and are on the mend. We're all hoping it stays that way for a very long time! Love you both very much.

Shaveapalooza

One of the notable events I've been too busy to comment on lately is the Gabrielino High School Shaveapalooza.

The what?

One of the teachers at Kevin's school is undergoing chemotherapy for her third recurrence of cancer. Ugh. Several weeks ago she began her first round of chemo for this new recurrence. During Spring Break, she began losing her hair; shortly thereafter, she shaved her head. In a touching show of solidarity, fourteen staff members decided to shave their heads, too. Thirteen men ... and one woman! ...with very long hair!

Paul Mitchell Salons came out for the event and shaved the noggins for free. Here are just a few pics of the event: The "Before":

The Victims ... err ... volunteers: The "During":
And, The "After": Handsome, don't you think?? Though we both agreed that we like Kevin better with hair, his doing this was definitely an act of love and compassion.

... and he'd do it again in a heartbeat.

MIA

Sorry I've been MIA lately.

You know, that thing called life just sneaks up on you and ... POW! Suddenly you're busy and several weeks have flown by with no time to post.

I'm (hopefully) going to try and remedy this situation. I'm crossing my fingers that things will calm down a bit and I'll be more of a regular again.

Here's hoping!