SALT

okay...if you KNOW me...i mean KNOW as in...have eaten numerous meals with me...may or may not have lived or spent the night several times to have known me that way...been friends since too embarrassed to say how many years...related to me so all the above probably count...you will probably know my infatuation with SALT...my mom and sister know this...let me just say my blood pressure is consistently low...90/60...so i use the excuse that my body needs salt, craves it even because it is lacking...whatever the salt debate is throughout the years i dont mind it...because i continue to use it...

since following cooking shows and being more into cooking as my married/motherly years grow in age i have come to love kosher and sea salt...i feel like they dont cover the flavor of foods but enhance it. we keep a bowl at our range which we sprinkle when necessary...and its usually necessary to me. but i just read an article i think all can benefit from when it comes to this wonderful additive...in no other than Readymade (which i am proud to say i have subscribed since volume 3)

(this is taken - and paraphrased - from June/July 2009 issue)

*cool off*
chill your favorite bottle of champagne or white wine with a layer of salt mixed in with the ice

*table manners*
if you spill during dinner....no worries...blot and cover the stain with salt - its absorbing powers will soak it up as you finish your vituals

*smoke and fire*
cover the oven floor spills with salt to stop it from smoking (p.s. salt does great at smothering grease fires)

*foodie facial*
just 1 tsp of olive oil mixed with 1 tsp of salt is a great face mask! mix and gently massage your face....also helps with puffy eyes! dissolve 1 tsp salt in 1 cup warm water. soak cotton pads in the solution and place onto closed eyes...at home spa bliss

*beet it*
if beets or blueberries or other foods stain your hands make a paste with equal parts salt and vinegar and rub over your hands

*send ants marching home*
place a thin line of salt wherever you see our little friends entering your abode - they will not cross the salty path!

*scour power*
clean your cast-iron and stainless steel pans with salt and a little cooking oil on a dish cloth to wipe away the built up residue

*beach beauty*
if you are like me...perhaps fair skin and averse to the beach scene but love the look and feel of sea-hair...mix the salt in a spray bottle full of water and apply and scrunch and go! beauty for cheap! (no tan, but if you are also like me you wouldn't have one anyway!)

*a cut above*
hate those stains in your wooden cutting board? i do...just rub them with a bit of salt and a lemon wedge... brush the salt away and let dry

okay....so i hope it stops the salt haters out there...and i hope it helps some of you to find some chemical alternatives/cheap ways to deal with everyday annoyances!

(photo taken from www.foodsubs.com)

Peter is back...

Peter...what happened? did you lose your job? can't afford the pricey Celebrations section anymore? have there been little to no concerts you have been able to attend? just know i have missed you...glad to see you back in today's paper...

"Photo shows Peter Fernandez of San Fernando City with lovely Vanessa Dinsay, a 2006 Miss Philippines-Universe, interpreting on beauty and good conduct with her love and compassion to compatriots. Taken on June 13, 2009 at the lively Philippines' Independence Day celebration in Los Angeles."


Also - a quick search reveals that i am not the only one infatuated with Peter...i found this funny article here

sweater rap is back...

many of you know (mom) that my husband is in a *band*...i guess its more of a *group* not sure the *correct* term...anyway - they go by Pseudo Rebels - they have very upbeat party music and their slogan is "sweater rap is back"...long-ish story and definitely more to come once they *finally* release their album.

they have been working their pseudo-tushies off on this project and have hired a marketing group to help them with their marketing, image, website, etc. one thing that they told them as a group that their argyle sweaters were too "safe" and they needed to push the envelope...ummmm...(picture me raising my hand fervently in the air) "i'll help!" i have been continually pushing my opinion on them from the beginning...i helped style their smaller co-stars in one of the music videos (again more to post when the album releases) plus i have been styling my amazingly gorgeous husband for his auditions for years...so of course i pushed myself on this job!

i immediately started searching for that perfect sweater and found an amazing one here for bryan. what i loved about the etsy shop Volcanoland is that when i received the package they had written all over it with geometric shapes and wrote "party time excellent" and "stay cool" p.s. in the cool part they used the o's as eyes and drew a happy face. amazingly late 80's...loved it!

not to mention how rad this sweater is! it may or may not be a woman's sweater, but just picture it with the sleeves rolled up and a collered shirt (i am picturing teal) underneath...i think you get the RAD picture i am proposing are you not? i think it cost $14. not bad...and it was such a hit with the other pseudos that they have now designated me as their sweater stylist....oooooohhhh yeah! i accept! and i will deliver!

wedding entrance

i want to get married again so i can do this...omg...i teared up at the end - what a dork am i?

ye olde park

we took a walk the other day around the neighborhood and visited our old stomping grounds - our neighborhood tot park - Los Altos Plaza Park...this park has such a special place in my heart - we met so many wonderful people - moms, dads, playmates, friends, nannies, etc. we moved into our place when bryson was 16 months and this was the perfect park. not only the park itself - gated...low structure...clean - but also the fact that a group of regulars met there nearly every weekday from 10-12.

bryson developed his first friendships there. i watched him as he matured from not giving two licks about other kids to devloping interactive play with friends. i watched as he learned to climb and slide by himself and (to my horror) jump off of high things. he and bryan would golf in the outside grass area and he and the other kids would kick a ball...and fight over said ball...and figure it out as kids do. we would hunt for mushrooms and play in the fall leaves and celebrate many a friend's birthday there...not to mention potlucks for baby showers and good-bye parties.

as all good things must see an end so did our park days here...the kids grew up and many of them entered pre-school and our regular meetings there turned into once or twice a week and then no more. when we visited the other day there were no familiar faces...in fact the park was empty. bryson is a little big for it now - he likes it for about 30 minutes at a stretch. bodie was content to sit in the stroller and look earnestly at us and ponder why we would want to be up and about.

it was a good reminder at how precious this time with young children is. how quickly they grow. how relationships come and go and the good ones remain constant in the background like a soundtrack. i picture us coming back when bodie is figuring out how to walk and climb and slide and letting him figure it out in this *safe* park while brother finds a nice tree to climb or a nice platform to jump from.

i look forward to the new friendships to be forged and new parks to be discovered and the continuing awe and excitement my boys bring me...feeling truly blessed.

VA Garden Panini

i had to post this because it was a true stroke of culinary brilliance on my part that birthed this sandwich...over-exaggerating you think? well...ha!...i implore you to decide that for yourself after making it!

bryan had every intention of putting off work for another hour or so after our VA garden trip (see previous post) and going out to lunch, however the thought of walking another mile in today's heat coupled with my cheap-o-ness (yes i made that up) made me start thinking of sandwich concoctions that would entice him to eat at home. we had just bought these amazing veggies...i knew i had brie...i knew i had some cracked wheat sourdough...i knew i have this amazing panini maker that came with my pots and pans i got for my 29th birthday and so i told him my idea...he was sold...and home we came.

i cut thick slices of the brie and thick heirloom tomato slices from the garden and added a nice big pile of beautiful chard (although i hate that word...too close to...well...you probably know) i sprinkled some e.v. olive oil and balsamic vinegar and of course buttered the cracked wheat sourdough bread and pressed it in my panini maker. oh dear...i am in love...with a sandwich...i hope i am not pregnant because i have been thinking about it all day...pregnancy does that to a woman by the way.

by the way...i had asked the lady at the VA garden for spinach and she talked me out of it. i think they secretly didn't have any...but she told me that i should get their chard instead. i don't usually use it, but how amazing...i am now on my way to look up chard recipes and then go back to the garden to buy 5 more bags....

The VA Garden

perhaps my favoritest place in long beach. it has a very special place in my heart...and until now only a handful of people knew about it...but its too good a secret to keep...too good!

we live across the street from the VA hospital. 2 1/2 years ago or so we were exploring our new neighborhood and ventured out of the park estates and found a dirt trail at the end of the VA grounds. we decided to try it out to see where it led - perhaps to the college? perhaps it turned into a trail? well even better...it ended at this AMAZING garden. i mean - the most diverse, well kept, huge garden. we felt like we were trespassing...i guess we were...we couldn't see anyone there and then walking around was an older man...we have come to know - Jim (I believe his last name is Bradford, but not 100%) who is in charge of the garden..."are we allowed to be here?" was the first thing we asked and a smile and an "of course" was what we received in return. He explained that this was the patient's garden...that the Vets maintain it as a part of therapy and also the kitchen uses the *very bountiful* produce.

(I believe the L.A. VA hospital also has a garden and I believe they sell the produce as well and have a huge market in the local restaurants....but I never have asked Jim)

He also told us that the produce and plants were for sale. At that time we had just started planting our first garden and he spent about a half hour with us explaining how to plant in Long Beach - what we will have the most success with - sold us some starter plants - told us we could have the compost for free - just pull our truck on up!

All of their produce is organically grown (evidenced by the spider that came home with our chard :) and not only do the Vets help with the tending, so do aspiring horticulturalists from CSULB and Long Beach City College...who have been tremendous help each time we have come. They spend so much time walking you through - helping you pick out whatever you need. plus let me just tell you about prices! produce - $1 per ziplock bag full of amazing veggies and fruit - 2 cucumbers for $1 - a huge bunch of chard for $1 - 2 heirloom tomatoes for $1 - a flat of flowers (16) for $5. Tomato plants $1. I could go on...we always try to contain ourselves when we go, but its difficult!

They are open in the mornings until 11:00a.m. - I can't recall if they are open during weekends or not...they must "close" but not sure - why am i not sure? because there is no website or phone # or really anything that i know of to double check...you could probably try calling the VA hospital itself...but why would anyone voluntarily call the VA? i mean really?

Bryson loves it there - there are so many different types of trees and plants we have a lot of fun playing "guess the plant" he is getting good at it i must say! his favorite part was the HUGE pumpkin they are growing for a contest. it is only a couple months old and already ginormous! we didnt know it but he picked up a jalapeno pepper from the ground and took it home with us and started eating it along the way...mr. picky pants eater was eating a raw jalapeno and liked it! whatever...

The garden is located in the very back North East corner of the property...and we found out today that one of their warehouses used to be the brig for the Navy base it was at one point in history during the second world war. The whole garden is extremely well cared for - they have art from the Vets sprinkled throughout and memorial gardens through it as well. and although it always seems like we shouldn't be there because it is so hidden...we are always greeted with smiles and "did you see....?"s

so i hope i convinced you to go...its difficult to park close-by by car....but try to park as close to the water towers as possible. of course i would be willing to accompany you if you must pull my leg! happy gardening!

thrift store books

a new very sweet thrift store opened up and bryson and i have had a lot of fun shopping there. we recently picked up quite a bunch of books and i had to get this one...copyright 1982...the books i grew up with...

what? mary could totally have had red hair and blue almond shaped eyes...and Jesus totally could have been a blond hair blue eyed jewish baby. what? you think the illustrator Sheilah Beckett would not depict the Nativity accurately? surely one would have to be a historian in order to become a children's book illustrator!

pseudo rebels video comment

i never knew people posted video responses to things on youtube. it blows my mind how communities are formed in this new space we are all trying to figure out. this cute little guy lipsyncs his favorite videos in the apple store in NY...he posted one before for the boys and it was so popular he did a follow up...so funny!

miracle

this is why i can blog right now...every 10 minutes i go from working to cleaning to the computer to trying to read harry potter...but i cant seem to concentrate - this is just too strange...this has only happened 3 times since bodie has been born...i cant control myself! i know one of them is going to wake up in like 4 minutes and i'll kick myself for not sewing myself a dress or something...oh well!