Haggen

After food shopping at Vons for the past decade or so, we are about to lose our store.

The new game in town, will be a store from the Pacific Northwest, called Haggen.

They say that their store is a cross between a normal market and something like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. We took a look at one of the other neighborhood stores, that opened this week and we were not impressed.

Of course they still have most of the brands that we had in Vons, so it is tough to tell what's going on or what's going to be there for us to buy. The sign at the front of the store mentioned 12,000 products that will be phased in gradually.

The prices also didn't make us too happy. We hope that will change, since we have a pretty strict budget for food.

The rest of the Vons stores in our valley, will become Albertson's (which we already have many of).

It is a weird time for food shopping in our valley.

Jayne Meadows: RIP

I heard of the passing of Jayne Meadows the other day. She was probably one of the first "Show Business" people I ever met in Los Angeles.

I don't meet many actors, but I not only met her, I wrote about her and her Husband, Steve Allen, for my class project last year.

I bring that back, here so that you can read it. Memories of Pledge Drives Past.

Jayne, I am glad you had a good long life and I will miss you.

The photo is from KCET produced Meeting of Minds.

Jacaranda Trees, Growing Outside My Door

We had several Jacaranda trees outside my old building on Sunset Blvd.

When we moved to The Pointe, I never noticed that the trees that we have where we have to gather in case of fire alarm, are indeed Jacaranda's.

The other day, while walking from my car to the building, there they were. Jacaranda trees in full bloom.

Of course, it made my day, though there are some who don't like the mess the flowers create.

Huell Howser, shortly before his death in 2013, in one of his final programs, talks everything Jacaranda. The good, the bad and the spiritual.

He must had known his time on this earth was coming to an end, because the spiritual part really resonates with me, now that he is gone.

Want to check it out? Click the link HERE.

It is quite an episode.

A USC Fountain

My Water Post For Today.

Strike up the band...one guess where this fountain is located?

Give up?

Yes, it is USC. The fountain that carries the theme of the University, via its colors.

I thought it was interesting, though if I was the designer, I would have had music playing.

My 15th Order From Abundant Harvest Organics

So, here we are again, 3 weeks later and I am just about totally out of produce. I have only 3 oranges left. Yay!

I finally threw out the last of the lettuce, because it had gone bad. Otherwise, we did pretty well.

Here's what came in my box this week.

1 Bunch of Baby Dill

1 Bunch of Chard

1 Bunch of Italian Parsley

1 Bunch of Dinosaur Kale

1 Large Bunch of Butterhead Lettuce

1 Nopales (A Large Cactus Pad)

5 Oranges (Various sizes)

10 Small Potatoes

1 Pint Strawberries

3 Hot House Tomatoes

3 Turnips

I am really excited about getting the nopal (cactus). I am looking forward to trying a recipe or two. Maybe something from Patti or the recipe for Nopales Salad that came with my newsletter from AHO.

The big bunch of butterhead lettuce was a welcome change. I immediately ate some of it and it is so much better than the red and green lettuce. Yay!

I will be making a pot of soup today and much of this produce, will turn up there. I read an article on Saturday that mentions that the world's oldest families eat THIS soup every day and are healthy well into their later years. Minestrone, who knew? :-)

I found a recipe for turnips and potatoes and I am seriously thinking of trying it. They say it has a lower glycemic index then just potatoes, which is good for people trying to watch how many carbs they are eating.

I am becoming quite a fan of fresh herbs. More parsley and more dill!

I have used both already and constantly find ways to spice up my cooking with them.

Always an adventure in cooking, that's for sure.

See you next time.

The Commune Saloon

Many years ago, in a location 3,000 miles away...

I grew up in Hicksville, New York. Directly across the street from me was a family. The girl my age decided to stay in the family house where she grew up and she and her husband raised their 2 children there. So we were all neighbors.

Fast forward 34 years later and I am friends with her daughter, on Facebook.

The other day, I saw that the girl's Husband is part of a team that has opened a new restaurant/bar in the Bearsville Complex in Woodstock. It is called the Commune Saloon.

Bearsville, is a complex that includes the Bearsville Theater, where among many, many others, Donald Fagen and his step daughter, Amy Helm have performed. Donald's wife Libby used to be in a relationship with Levon Helm and they have a connection to the area.

I don't know the history of the complex, but I believe it was sold within the past year or two and somehow my neighbor's Husband is involved in the ownership.

No matter what, that area is so historic and so many recording artists have lived and worked in that area. I think it's great that they have connected with Woodstock. I wish them success with this venture.

BTW, my neighbor's Dad was a chef and her Mom was a model and went to school with Billy Joel. :-)

Santa Susana Pass In The Simi Hills

When I took the train from East Ventura to Burbank, I passed through the Santa Susana Pass area of Simi Valley and Chatsworth. The area is known for its wonderful rock formations and I managed to get one photo of some of those rocks. This is the part of the pass that they dug a tunnel through. Actually, there are 3 tunnels that the train passes through on its way to the east. Before these 3 tunnels were completed, the trains had to travel up to my area of the world and take the tracks that followed route 126 across to Ventura...a distance of 67 miles. After the tunnels were dug, the distance became 61 miles. About 6 miles shorter for the trains. Butterfield Stage Coaches, on their way north to San Francisco, passed though this area, too.

Here is some wikipedia information about why those rocks look familiar to you and what is among those wonderful rocks.

"The pass area became famous from being seen in many movies, primarily Westerns, filmed from the 1920s to the 1950s at the Spahn, Iverson, Bell Moving Picture, and Corriganville Movie Ranches.

The area became infamous in the late 1960s with the Manson Family headquartered at the Spahn Ranch, near the top of the stage road's Devil's Slide.

To the south of the old stage road is Sage Ranch Park and the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

Immediately to the north of Route 118 at the pass top is Rocky Peak Park, a part of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor.

The old wagon road and rocky hill environs are part of the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, for public exploration.

The Southern Pacific Railroad began construction of three railroad tunnels through the pass in 1900 and opened the route in 1904. The railroad built the Santa Susana Depot in Rancho Simi on Los Angeles Avenue at Tapo Street in 1903."

A fascinating place that I really should spend some time exploring.

The Two Of Us In Santa Barbara

It was a mellow evening in Santa Barbara and before the beginning of the Steely Dan concert, my Husband and I took a walk up to the top of the Santa Barbara Bowl. The view from that area was incredible and I was trying to figure out how to get a selfie with us and the view.

Thankfully a member of that mellow crowd offered his services and took two photos of us and the view.

The only thing that would have made it a bit better, was if the sun had been setting.

Oh well.

The Final Journal Entry From Donald Fagen

Before I begin...Happy Earth Day!

All things must come to an end and this mini-tour is now history.

Donald Fagen wrote one last entry, to give us a flavor of the end of the tour and the second weekend at Coachella.

The final tour diary entry can be found HERE.

My other 2 posts about the tour diary are HERE and HERE.

It is always wonderful to hear his views of life, music and touring.

Thanks Donald

Checking Out The Los Angeles Times Cooking Stage & Donna Bell's Cook Book Session

After our volunteer shift at the Festival of Books, we went over to the Cooking stage and waited patiently for our session to begin. The person who had a session ahead of The Donna Bell crew, was a woman who is on The Food Network, Katie Lee. Here is her bio, from the FOB website. Lee is an American cookbook author, TV food critic, cook and novelist. She was the host of the first season of "Top Chef" and currently co-hosts "The Kitchen" on Food Network. She is the author of "The Comfort Table" and her latest, "Endless Summer." By the way, she was married to Billy Joel.

She lives in the Hamptons and her choice of food demonstration dishes, reflected that. She made a wonderful looking shrimp croquet that she put on a bun with avocado and lettuce. Then she made a quick dessert, with meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit on the top. As a Long Islander, I found her to be interesting and we were glad we ate our lunch near the stage area and watched her work.

Then, it was time for our main event. Donna Bell's Cook Book session, with Pauley Perrette, Darren Greenblatt and Matthew Sandusky. Here is the info from their book company.

"The heartwarming story of how NCIS star Pauley Perrette and her two best friends created a Southern-style bake shop in Manhattan—a celebration of love and friendship with gorgeous photographs and delicious recipes.

Nestled in the heart of midtown New York is a little shop with a big story. An all-natural bake shop that specializes in Southern baked goods, Donna Bell’s is owned by Pauley Perrette, the actress who plays Abby Sciuto on CBS’s NCIS, and her two best friends, Darren Greenblatt and Matthew Sandusky. It was named in honor of Pauley’s late mother, who is the beloved inspiration for everything they bake.

It all started in 1993, when Pauley met Darren in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen, just blocks away from where the shop is currently located. The two became inseparable friends and Pauley’s Southern mom would welcome Darren to their home with mouthwatering treats. Darren loved this food and soon left his successful career in fashion to open a food truck that sold Southern desserts at the Jersey Shore. Eventually he wanted to expand and turned to Pauley and their friend Matthew—who worked in the Los Angeles food industry—for help. Soon Matthew was on his way to New York to open Donna Bell’s Bake Shop with Pauley and Darren.

With recipes for favorites like buttermilk biscuits, chocolate chip-almond scones, and peach streusel muffins; personal photographs from Pauley, Darren, Matthew, and Donna Bell herself; this is the story how one fantastic bake shop brings warmth and happiness—one treat at a time—to the urban jungle that is New York City."

We knew things were getting serious , when we suddenly saw guards all around the front area. I almost expected a sniper to be on top of the building, watching over us...or maybe there was, what do I know. The three arrived and were led into a tent, by the stage. They must have been talking to the press and maybe special guests. Finally they were introduced and came up onto the stage area. You can see them cooking and talking, in the top photo.

What they decided to cook today was their wonderful buttermilk biscuits (you can see the recipe, if you download a preview of the e-book). At least I did on my iPad.

It took no time at all for Matthew (the one who cooks everything in Donna Bell's) to mix up the dough and put it into the oven. While they were baking, they answered questions. The biscuits took 10 minutes and the whole session went 45 minutes. So they talked a long time. We were all thrilled to hear so much from the three friends.

Then it was time to sign books. I only had an e-book, so they signed my map of the Festival of Books. We talked to all three and they were truly charming. I have met at least Darren at the Bake Shop, but I had much more fun this time. Hubby got the photo you see of the three of them, while I talked and got the autographs. It was a nice time.

Their next book (if they write one) will be savory recipes. :-)

Turtles Sunning Themselves At Bridgeport

My Water Post For Today.

We were back at Bridgeport this past week...walking.

The last time I saw the turtles, they were swimming by the bridge. I took their photo back a few years ago, though it looks like I never posted it. All you could see was their heads sticking out, so it wasn't exactly photogenic (I guess).

Well, this time there were no turtles in the water and I was hurt. Why no turtles, I asked my Husband? Did they die or something.

The answer was...they were all sunning themselves over on the shore, by the bridge we were crossing.

I think I counted 8 of them. Click the photo to make it bigger and check them out.

I hope you enjoy.

We Will Be Volunteering At The LA Times Festival Of Books Today

The Festival of Books is put on every year and as a matter of fact, this year is the 20th year. We have attended every few years and this year my Husband really wanted to go.

When my work place, KCET, asked for volunteers, I asked my Husband and he and I decided to both spend a few hours volunteering. I set up the time, so that we would be done an hour before the cooking stage will have an event that my Husband and I want to attend. Pauley Perrette is one of the cast of NCIS and we have stopped by Donna Bell's Bake Shop twice, over the years. Here's what the schedule says.

2:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL. 19, 2015
Cooking Stage
Pauley Perrette, Darren Greenblatt & Matthew Sandusky, Authors of “Donna Bell’s Bake Shop”
Cooking Demonstration

If you want to see what Donna Bell's looks like, I posted about the shop HERE.

Want to see her cookbook. check it out on Amazon, HERE.

If you are in Los Angeles, stop by booth 101, right next to Tommy Trojan and put your name in a drawing. We will have stuff raffling off every hour.

It should be fun all around.

A Couple Of Sunrise Photos From East Ventura Station

The morning after we attended the latest Steely Dan concert, I was taken to the East Ventura Metrolink Station. It is a totally hidden station, but in good news for me, walking distance from the hotel we stayed in.

My Husband got up and drove me over, to make sure I made it safe and sound and these photos show you what it looked like that morning. What a lovely sunrise, greeted me.

This lower photo shows the train off on its siding. It spent the night there, along with 2 other trains. When it is time for the train to run, it moves to just past the end of the platform and then they change the switch, so it can move into position. We are then able to board the train, from the platform.

When it is time to depart, the train goes back to the end of the platform. Once again they flip the switch to another track and we move out and connect with the main line that goes from San Diego, all the way up the coast to eventually arrive in Seattle, Washington. In other words, the Coast Starlight uses this very same track.

The entire trip to Burbank took just over an hour. My Husband had a free pass on the train, so it did not cost me a thing, too.

That was the best part!

Steely Dan At The Santa Barbara Bowl 4/15/15

Set List:

Cubano Chant (Ray Bryant Cover)(Band Only)

Black Cow

Aja

Hey 19

Black Friday

Babylon Sisters

Show Biz Kids

Time Out of Mind

Godwhacker

Razor Boy (The Danettes Sing)

Bodhisattva

Daddy Don't Live in that NYC No More (Walter Becker sings)

Green Earrings

I Wanna Do Everything For You/band intros (Joe Tex Cover)

Peg

My Old School

Reelin' in the Years

Encore:

Kid Charlemagne

Untouchables (Nelson Riddle Cover) (Band Only)

I had really thought I would sit this mini tour out. Coachella was pricy as all heck, but Santa Barbara (which I went to in 2013) was a very nice venue and the tickets were not totally overpriced. So I talked it over with my Husband and we decided to get a room in Ventura and attend the concert.

Last time we were just a few rows back and we had nothing but trouble, so we went for the upper areas. Not as high up as we ended up in the Forum, so we had a nice view, for the inexpensive price we paid.

Things that were different this time around.

I finally got to hear Razor Boy! I was so excited last year, when they added it to their repertoire, but when they finally got to the Forum, it was gone from the setlist. I am so glad they brought it back this year. The back up singers sang the vocals and there was a lovely trumpet interlude in the middle. Similar to how they handle Dirty Work in concert. A piano piece began the song and it was truly beautiful. Great job of remaking an oldie but goodie.

Green Earrings is always a major thrill for this "angel" and it went as one would expect. I have been in love with this tune since I saw it on the PBS special back in 2000.

Godwacker always makes me happy when I hear the Trusty Angel Girl line and this time was no exception.

Bodhisattva brought the crowd alive! I hear they opened the first weekend of Coachella with this song and what a song it is. Always makes me happy to hear it. This time Keith Carlock added a longer drum solo in it and that just upped the wonderfulness, even more. :-)

A great concert that made me glad I went to the effort of attending. The major downer was that there was serious pot smoking going on around me and my Husband and to say the least, I was getting a contact high at one point. I think things are getting more relaxed in this regard and that is not all for the good.

Oh well...the headache eventually went away.

The View From The Back Of The Van

Most days I am in the middle of the Disney Van and so I don't get photos of much of anything.

This day, the person who normally sits in that seat was in attendance. I, thus, was sent to the rear seat.

Besides being a bouncy ride, I do get a window to myself and that is how this photo came about.

The train left the station the same time we did and so I knew we would not make it over the crossing before the gates came down.

Out came my trusty cell phone and I actually managed to catch it. Not perfect, but not bad, either.

More Posts From The Steely Dan Mini-Tour

Donald has been continuing to send his missives to Rolling Stone Magazine, for this short mini-tour. Here are the next 3. You can see my original post, with the first 2 posts, HERE.

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Most all the press has been giving them good grades for their first Coachella appearance. I was glad to see this and it bodes well for my near future, since I will be seeing them in Santa Barbara tonight.

Look forward to me comparing what I see, to what Donald documents.

This should be interesting. :-)

Note: The photo is from the Rolling Stone article and states that it is from Getty Images. I think it is such a beautiful photo and (for once) Donald's mouth isn't wide open. :-)

Chamomile

In my box of produce last week, I got this lovely herb, Chamomile.

Chamomile is known for its calming properties and is mostly made into a caffeine free tea, that people usually drink close to bedtime.

As you can see, I originally placed it in a vase with water and left it hanging around my bay window for a few days.

When it started to be less than perfect, I dried it in my oven, so save for the future.

By the way, I did make it into tea on Saturday night, but it was not as wonderful as I remembered. That might be because some chamomile (for example Tazo Tea) is mixed with other herbs like, hibiscus flowers, rose petals and spearmint.

Mine was fine, though and it made my weekend.

I am sure it was because of the calming influence. :-)

Fish And Water

My Water Post For Today.

We are back at Bridgeport, walking in the evening.

This was our first evening and I felt like showing off the fish pond, at the end of the walk.

There are at least 6 or 8 fish spiting water into the pool and I like that it is shady and serene.

No ducks this day, either.

Probably their best waterscape.

I hope you enjoy.

Easter At St. Kateri (2015)

This was last Sunday at St. Kateri Church. It was so busy that I had my Husband drop me off outside before the service started and then I walked into my neighborhood, where he met up with me, after the service. We are lucky in that the Church directly abuts our housing development.

As you can see, they had video going during several sections of the service, mostly at the top, but again during the Mass.

We always video the service, so that the people in our overflow area, can see the service, too.

This second photo is of the head audio tech, running the video. It has been his job for years and I got a kick out of seeing him all duded up in black and talking into his walkie talkie.

May I say that I am glad I don't do this anymore.

I walked out early. :-)

Storm Drain History On A Manhole Cover

We were walking down a street in LA a few weeks ago and I suddenly noticed several manhole covers on the ground. They were each different and told (in a compressed way) the history of the building of the storm drain system.

I ended up taking a photo of this one, but I could have gotten one or two others.

I looked up information on the history of the storm drain system and found this information.

"LA’s storm drain system, which was built in the 1930s and 40s to prevent flooding, carries excess water from rain, sprinklers or business activities away from city streets and straight out to the ocean. Every day, tens of millions of gallons of urban runoff – enough to fill the Rose Bowl – flows through our local waterways. The system is unable to treat the water due to the sheer volume of runoff and it now serves the unintended purpose of carrying pollutants such as used motor oil, paint, trash, pet waste, and pesticides through our local rivers, creeks and lakes, and into our local bays."

So we have 2 different systems, the storm drains that keep us from flooding and the sewer system that processes our waste and then dump it into the ocean.

In case you can't read it, this is what my manhole cover says.

"Under your souls. Shoveled in the 1920s and 1930s by workers paid a dollar a day. 5000 miles of storm drain channels. The distance from Los Angeles to New York and back again."

If it was placed there to make me think, it did that and I must admit that I never knew.

Donald Fagen Will Be Documenting This Mini-Tour

In honor of Steely Dan's appearance this weekend at the Coachella Music Festival, I bring you the first 2 (of several) mini-diaries, documenting the next 2 weeks.

I don't know how many there will be, but similar in style to his book, Eminent Hipsters, Donald Fagen gives us a bird's eye view of the upcoming mini-tour, as it happens.

More to come.

You can read Part 1: HERE.

and you can read Part 2: HERE.

Angel's Flight, Flying No More

Angel's Flight is a throw back to a kinder and gentler Los Angeles. It began operation in 1901 and brought residents of the "tony" Bunker Hill area, up to their houses. When Bunker Hill was redeveloped in 1969, Angel's Flight was dismantled and left in storage for decades. I told the story, via this blog...HERE.

It has been an on again, off again relationship since it was reassembled a half block from it's old haunt. It leads up to The California Plaza and my family has used it quite a few times, over the years. Unfortunately, it has had several accidents and so it currently is sitting idle. The cars are there, but nothing happens anymore.

It is such a shame and I hope it gets redesigned one more time. Especially since they say the third times a charm.

Because I really miss riding it.

Makenna On Passover

I actually got to sit down for a few, while I was cooking last Saturday.

Makenna decided to get up and look at me, so I picked up my phone and got a lovely photo of an exasperated cat.

It took a bit of time to get her to turn to me, because she saw me pick up the camera.

She finally complied and this is the result.

I truly love that cat of mine.

My 14th Order From Abundant Harvest Organics

It has been 3 weeks and I really got to the point where I had to buy produce at the store, we were totally out. Thankfully, there wasn't too much overlap, though I could have lived without the oranges. :-)

Here's what I got.

3 Carrots
1 Head Cauliflower
A Bunch of Chamomile
A Bunch of Kale
Lettuce
A Bunch of Mizuna
3 Murcot Oranges
5 Valencia Oranges
10 Potatoes (very tiny)
4 Spring Onions
Small Container of Strawberries (maybe 10 in all)
3 Lemons (again, not on the official list)

I had just broken down and bought a lb of carrots, so I was still wanting a few and these were bigger then the ones I ended up with.

We had the cauliflower for our Passover Dinner on Saturday.

Seriously thinking of making Kale Chips this time around. Tired of it in soup.

I had just bought a huge container of strawberries and so we did what we could to eat as many as possible, before these came in house. Hopefully, we will eat the rest before they go bad.

The Mizuna is another green leafy vegetable, usually eaten in Japan. It is milder than mustard greens and I hope to saute it and find out.

Potatoes, lettuce and spring onions are no problem, of course.

The Chamomile is a beautiful delicate flower that is made into an herb tea. I am currently using it as a table decoration, but intend to dry it and drink it in tea.

That's it. See you again in 3 weeks.

Bouquet Creek - Saugus, California

My Water Post For Today.

This is Bouquet Creek. It runs through the Saugus area of Santa Clarita and enters the Santa Clara River, right past this point. The Santa Clara River is the one that runs all the way down to Ventura, California and out into the Pacific.

This was back in 2005. We had rain and as happens, a rainbow appeared right after the rain. I was very lucky to get the flowing water in Bouquet Creek and the rainbow, that day.

I hope you enjoy.

Happy Easter 2015

Happy Easter Sunday!

It was an outrageous day before Easter, but I got it all done and here they are. Ready for their close-up.

On top of cooking these beauties, I had to make Passover Dinner. We had a good one, with Tri-Tip Roast, Matzo Ball Soup, etc...and there are leftovers for another day.

Today is all about leftovers. I am using a turkey I made back in February and so with just a small amount of work, we will have a mini feast for the 3 of us.

Finally, I want to send good wishes your way.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, enjoy the day.

Steely Dan In Germany 2007

A rare concert video just posted up on Youtube. A really well done video of a concert that Steely Dan did back in 2007. Live from Germany, no less. You can view it HERE.

I have no idea how long it is going to stay up, so if you want to watch it, do it soon.

Tracks include:

Bad Sneakers

Godwacker

Two Against Nature

Hey 19

Peg

Green Earrings...and more.

Easter Is Coming - 2015 Edition

I thought I would, once again, begin the biggest part of Holy Week, with links to my Easter Sunday Recipes. Mostly so that you have some time to gather ingredients and make them. Both are majorly yummy and can be made into any size you want. I have been cutting down on the bread itself, because it takes about a week to eat it all and it seems to dry out, in that amount of time. The curse of having a small family, I guess.

I love going back to a few posts that KCET put up for me. The photo has changed over the years, but the recipes and words are all mine. Please check them out.

Easter Egg Bread

Pizza Rustica.

Enjoy.

Lori Muir Design

I posted this photo on Facebook a few weeks ago, to let the maker of the necklace see that it had arrived and that I loved it.

Lori worked with me at KCET for the better part of 25 years, over 3 decades.

When retirement time came along, she and her husband, moved up to Oregon.

With all that time on her hands and the fact that she has always been creative, she started making these beautiful necklaces and began selling them at an outdoor art market up there.

To get a wider audience, she made an Etsy page called LoriMuirDesign, which you can see HERE.

So far, my pendent is holding up just fine and I have no complaints about it. As a matter of fact, I have been wearing it almost every day for the past 2 weeks.

I wish her the best, moving forward with her business.

Another Day, Another Sunset

When the sun goes down, my Husband and I have a tendency to run to the backyard and take at least one photo through our windmill.

We hate to waste a sunset with just light poles, roads and cars (the view from the front of our house).

I always feel like I live on a farm, when I post one of these, but they are pretty.

I hope you enjoy it.