Season's Eatings

This year the family decided we would have a “tradish” Thanksgiving dinner; that is, “tradish” for us. Brenda and Robin first soaked a twelve pound tom for twenty-four hours in a brine of water, salt, sugar and lots of herbs. When Steve arrived on Thanksgiving Day he started the coals and put that baby on the grill to roast.

 Robin put a pan of carrots, onions and parsnips under the bird to catch the drippings that would later flavor the gravy.

In the meantime, Robin prepared Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes with a Gastrique Topping http://www.cookinglight.com/entertaining/holidays-occasions/best-thanksgiving-recipes/glazed-sweet-potatoes-maple-gastrique , green beans with chopped hazelnuts and cranberries, mashed white potatoes, her Autumn salad, stuffing in the slow cooker, and, of course, the awesome gravy.

Maple glazed Sweet Potatoes

Savory stuffing

Ready to carve

Ready to eat

For dessert: Steve’s Pumpkin Cheesecake with Robin’s Salted Caramel Sauce and my apple pie. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Apple Pie

Brenda had decorated the table with her special flair. She loves autumnal colors so she has plates, napkins and runners that are perfect for the Thanksgiving meal. A low glass vase of deep red chrysanthemums completed the look. She  has an artistic eye for tablescapes.

Brenda's tablescape

Before we dug into the scrumptious meal Tony said grace and then we all went around the table saying what we were thankful for. I am especially thankful this year as all my three children are within easy driving distance. Steve is the farthest away, living in Antelope, a suburb of Roseville, about 2 hours away and Brenda and Robin are only ten minutes drive away. Emily, my granddaughter is still living in Washington D.C. so she is sorely missed. Lexi spent the day with her mother in Antelope but she and Emily will be here for Christmas. After dinner we Face Timed with my sister, Sue, and her family in Carlsbad. I miss my sis so much but I'll be spending a week with her and Martin in a couple of weeks.

Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving we drive to Santa Cruz and load up on Dungeness crab and mussels for a shellfish feast but this year the crab season has been postponed. We headed to the coast anyway and took in the Beach Boardwalk.

To the beach!

Steve, Robin, Ada, and Aiden were the ones that rode the rides. Brenda, Stephanie and I are not fans of the neck jerking, gut wrenching, twirling, diving, spinning, gravity defying rides so we are content to just watch. In horror. But everyone survived.

Ride that? Are you nuts?

Ada and Robin had a blast riding the bumper cars.

A little silliness makes the day even more fun.

After a walk on the pier to check out the sea lions and seals, slumbering and swimming under the pier, we headed home to make Turkey Pot Pie and Turkey Shepard’s Pie for dinner.

Time to head home

Saturday I took Ada and Aiden to see “The Good Dinosaur” while the rest of the clan went hiking. I enjoyed the movie as much as the kids! For dinner that night, what else? Turkey Soup, salad and bread. We polished off the desserts too. So another Thankgiving bites the dust and now it’s on to Christmas.

I’m not sure I’m ready just yet. I need to carve out some time in this busy season to think about the reason for the season before I get in the mood to decorate, shop and think about the next big holiday meal.

Sunday Dinner at Brenda's

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. It’s that time when the air is suddenly crisp and cold, the trees start putting on their showiest new colors and we can get down to some good old fashioned soup and casserole making to warm up the kitchen. Even though this is California, we live far enough north to experience a change of seasons, thank heavens. I think Fall is my daughter Robin’s favorite too and I know it’s my daughter Brenda’s favorite season as well.

It has become a tradition to have Sunday dinner at Brenda’s and this past Sunday was no exception. When my granddaughter, Lexi and I arrived at Brenda’s I was thrilled to see she had decorated the table with an Autumnal theme: Gold tablecloth, red flowers, dinnerware and glassware in shades of amber, red and gold. So pretty!

Perfect Fall colors

Brenda, Lexi, Robin and Tony

Birches on the Los Gatos Creek Trail

 For dinner Brenda made one of my favorites, Cheesy Butternut Squash Cavatappi Bake.

Cheesy Butternut Squash Cavatappi Bake

 and Robin created a beautiful Autumn salad of arugula, Sliced Fuya persimmons, sliced Bosc pear, pecans and Feta cheese with a champagne vinegrette dressing. Yum!

Robin's Autumnal Salad

I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have all my kids here in California. I confess, I will miss the excuse to go visit my daughter in the Northwest, such a beautiful place, but it can’t compare to having her here within a fifteen minute drive. Now there will be one more to gather for Sunday dinner at Brenda's.

Recipes:

Cheesy Butternut Squash Cavatappi Bake

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
8 ounces dried cavatappi or other elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 slices reduced-sodium bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
Thinly sliced green onions (optional)


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine squash and 2 Tbsp. water; cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 4 minutes; stir. Microwave, covered, about 4 minutes more or until squash is tender. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Mash squash; set aside.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a medium saucepan heat butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and green onions. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add milk, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in squash. Add pasta. Gently fold to combine.
Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add remaining pasta and cheese. Top with bacon, if desired. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Top with additional green onions, If desired.
Serves 4-6

Robin's Autumnal Salad

One bag washed and ready to use Arugula
2 trimmed and thinly sliced Fuya persimmons
1 pared, cored, and thinly sliced Bosc pear
1/4 cup roasted pecans
2 oz. Feta or goat cheese, crumbled (or more if you wish)
Girard’s Champagne Dressing to taste

Toss first five ingredients with Champagne dressing and serve.
Serves 4-6

 

Pyracantha

   

Trip to Carlsbad

    For my birthday this year my sister bought me a round trip airline ticket to San Diego to be used a month after she and my brother-in-law moved to Carlsbad. So on September 14 I flew south to stay with them for a week to help unpack and figure out where to hang the 91, yes, 91, pieces of art they moved with them.
    I had never been to the San Diego area and I was expecting a brisk ocean breeze and sunny skies but when I emerged from the airport the weather hit me like a fist! Heavy, humid and hot, the air got right up in my face. Wow! I thought, are we in Panama? It stayed like that for two days, raining all one day. It turns out it was the tail end of a Pacific hurricane. By day three the weather had become what I had thought of as typical beach weather, warm, breezy and clear.
    I was eager to see Susie and Martin’s new house in Carlsbad. We wound around and around through a large development called Carillo Ranch, Quintera until they stopped in front of a very charming, Spanish style (what else?) bungalow with tile roof and tropical landscaping. Sue tells me this was all part of a massive ranch owned by the old movie actor, Leo Carillo. It was sold and developed into a beautiful planned community, complete with park, swimming pool and visitor’s center.

Carillo, Quintara Clubhouse & Pool area

    Their new house is quite a departure from the quirky, unique, water tower house they lived in for 25 years in the Santa Cruz Mountains. For some reason, their furniture looks even better in the new house. It all fits perfectly as if it were specifically bought for this house. The interior is bright and airy with lots of light and high ceilings and the back yard, although not large, is a delight. The previous owner loved Hawaii so he planted Plumeria, Hibiscus, and palms. Martin has put up his bird feeders and is waiting for the local birds to discover them.
    Sue’s beloved horses, Punkin’ and Baby were professionally moved to a nearby stables so we spent one afternoon feeding them and making sure they were comfortable in their new surroundings. The stables is in a small valley surrounded by little hills. Huge Eucalyptus trees tower over the paddocks and corrals. There’s a sharp herbal scent under the usual horsey smells. Due to Sue’s ALS, she can’t ride anymore but she can sure enjoy feeding, currying and just being with her “babies.”

Punkin' and Baby's new home

Baby

Punkin' wearing her fly mask

    One day we drove the scenic route out to Escondido to visit the  small but lovely Orfila winery. We passed mansion after huge mansion on the way. Miles of telltale white fences surrounding them made it obvious it was horse country. We bought sandwiches on the way for a picnic under the shade of the grape arbor at the winery. It was a lovely day.

Orfila Winery arbor

Picnic with my sister Sue

Martin

    I have to say how surprised I was at the geology of the area surrounding Carlsbad. I always thought of it as near the beach so naturally it would be cool, damp and lush. Not so. There is a ridge of land between the beach and the inland area and east that ridge the land is an arid desert. As one drives down Highway 5 you can see how the ocean pushes inland every few miles creating wide, brackish lagoons or estuaries. On either side of these estuaries are high ridges, dotted with homes with spectacular views.
    Once we had unpacked and sorted the art work it was time to figure out where to hang it all. After much discussion and carrying pictures from room to room we thought we had it handled.  Time for trip to the beach.
    The beach state park at Cardiff was perfect. We could park right next to a long ramp over the sand that Sue could navigate down to the water. I couldn’t resist. I had to wade into the surf to check out the temperature. It was almost warm. No wonder the surfers weren’t wearing wetsuits! We saw a small plane trailing a Coors Beer sign and a guy whirring along above our heads, sitting in a makeshift contraption that looked like an old aluminum folding chair under para sail with a little motor keeping him aloft. A lunch of tacos at Bull Taco in downtown Encinitas then back to the house for a rest.

    On Thursday Sue and I picked up her two grandsons, West and Marlow, at their charter school, brought them back to the house for snacks and then on to Marlow’s swimming class where we met Kristinha, Sue’s daughter-in-law. That night we joined Kristinha and Pat and the boys for dinner. Their house is only about 10 minutes away (across one of those estuaries) from Sue and Martin’s place.

Sue and West

Marlow

    Friday night Sue, Martin and I had dinner at the restaurant Pat and Kristnha had recommended, Casa Qero, a Peruvian restaurant in Encinitas. From the moment we walked in, passing a display of Peruvian folk art, to the moment we sat down and admired the gorgeous hand painted ceiling, we knew it was a special place. The atmosphere was intimate, friendly and festive. Even the menus were works of art. Our waiter entertained us with corny jokes and the manager came by our table to make sure we were well taken care of. The food was wonderful. I did make a small mistake in ordering the braised pork, however. When it came to the table I nearly fainted. It was as big as my head! Martin’s scallops would have been a better choice. At least he could finish them. Mine was delicious but I could only eat about a quarter of it. Sue had the braised beef and she could only manage about half. Naturally, there were leftovers enough for a couple of lunches at home.

Braised Pork shoulder "as big as my head!"

    Saturday morning was time for me to fly back home. I was sad to go but was glad to see my sister and Martin settling in to their new life. Now they’re close to their only child, Pat and his family. No more worries about electricity failures, falling trees, or fires, as they did in the mountains. They can relax and enjoy the lovely weather and spend time with their beloved grandsons. How cool is that.

       

Ch, ch, ch changes

My sister Susan and her husband Martin have lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains for many years. They fell in love with, and bought, a unique round house that was, at one time, a water tower. The original owner had dismantled the tower where it stood in Sunnyvale, numbered each plank, and re assembled it on a concrete pad in the midst of a forest just off Old Summit Road, and clad it entire thing in redwood shakes. I still remember seeing it for the first time when my sister and I went to the open house. At the time it was owned by a young, hippie girl. Incense and candles burned while soft flute music wafted through the house as we dreamily checked it out and then walked in the surrounding forest. Birds twittered in the peaceful silence. There was an unmistakable air of serenity about the place. I could tell by the look on Sue’s face that she was smitten and that Martin would be too. That was over 20 years ago.

The "Water Tower"

The interior or the "Water Tower"

Serenity

Now Sue and Martin are older and tireder and not in as good health as they once were. A place like that requires tons of upkeep, most of it heavy duty. Plus, in the intervening years, traffic on Highway 17 has become almost unbearable, especially on the weekends. It was inevitable. They would soon have to move to the “flatlands,” as they called it. Then in January Sue was diagnosed with ALS. That was it. They decided to sell their beloved mountain home and move to a little southern California beach town, Carlsbad, to be near their son and his family who live in Encinitas.

Sue and Martin are looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren and living in the home they found in Carlsbad. It is beautiful, almost new, and best of all, all on one floor. No more stairs. No more spending hours pulling weeds or repairing rotting wood. No more electric outages due to mountain storms. No more bumper to bumper traffic just to go to the grocery store.

I am conflicted. I know they are doing the right thing, moving to be near their son and family but I am sad to see them go. I will miss my sister more than I can express. We have no other siblings. Even though she is my baby sister she has always been the steady one, my rock. Now I can’t be there for her when she needs me most. I do intend to fly down as often as I can, though.

One thing I could do was give them a send-off dinner. I invited my daughter Brenda, my grandson Tony and my nephew, Patrick, who flew up to help his parents drive down to Carlsbad. There would be 6 of us. My town house has very limited living and dining space but we would manage, darn it, and we did. It was cozy all right but we didn’t care. Luckily, it was a warm evening so we could sit out on my patio before dinner. I served grilled salmon, grilled vegetables and red Quinoa with toasted almonds. For dessert I kept it simple, berries and whipped cream.

It was a squeeze, but we managed! Martin, Patrick, Sue, Brenda & Tony

My sister Susan, Nephew Patrick and brother-in-law, Martin

Sue texted me that they have arrived in Carlsbad. The house is beautiful, they are tired and their cat, Tiny is freaked out. I am a little freaked out too. I miss them so much already. I can’t wait ‘til September when I fly down to see them in their new digs. Change is hard but that's part of life, I guess.

A Cabin in the Pines - Pet Friendly, Sleeps Nine

Last summer my family rented a cabin in the woods in the little town of Arnold, California, for 4 days. This year we nailed it down for one week’s vacation.  Yes, there were nine of us: my daughter Brenda, my grandson Tony, his friend Nathan, my other daughter, Robin (from Seattle,) my son Steven, his wife Stepahanie and her two children, Ada and Aiden; oh, and their dog, Samson, a sweet and energetic Border Collie. Getting nine people of all ages and one dog going in the same direction at the same time is a challenge but we were up for it.


Saturday: Brenda, Robin, Tony, Nathan and I  left for the cabin, Brenda driving her Lexus and Tony and Nathan in their Pilot. We arrived there about noon, just minutes before Steve and his family arrived in their Lexus SUV. Once we had all sorted out our rooms and gear, we spent the rest of the day playing games, catching up and generally just chilling out. We are truly a family of foodies and we all love to cook. Each one of us could easily win any contest regarding cooking, the Food Network, cooking terms, cooking utensils, celebrity chefs; you name it, we know it. We even play a game called Food Fight, but the first night, to keep it simple, we had grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and I made macaroni salad.

Our cabin in the piney woods

Lots of room for everyone

It even has WiFi

And a roomy kitchen

Nice big wraparound porch

Sunday: We packed up  lunches, chairs, river shoes, and floaties and were off to the Sourgrass Park on the Stanislaus River. We relaxed, read, swam and floated on that clear, meandering, sometimes, rapid river of ice cold snow melt, until it was time to go back to the cabin and COOK. That night we had grilled boneless, Teriyaki short ribs, with sauteed courgettes and baby yellow squash and rice pilaf. For dessert, brownies and vanilla ice cream. Nathan insisted it wouldn't be dessert without real whipped cream so of course, we complied. I then assembled the ingredients for a Sausage, Spinach and Gruyere cheese strata to be baked the following morning for breakfast.

Nathan and Tony float the Stanislaus River

Grilled Teriyaki boneless short ribs

Sauteed courgettes & baby yellow squash

Monday: Steven and Aiden were up before the crack of dawn to go fishing for trout. They only caught one and released it but they were back in time for a breakfast of strata and fruit salad. We checked on the weather. It was sunny, with beautiful puffy, towering thunderheads forming but we packed up anyway and drove to Alpine Lake. Steven and Aiden took one of the inflatable boats and paddled around an island, Tony & Nathan played cards, Stephanie, Brenda and Samson took a long walk. Robin and I read and watched Ada swim. I did manage to wade out some but the water was c-o-l-d! Thunder and lightning sent us scurrying back to the car and home to the cabin to COOK. That night Steven grilled pork chops while Robin sauteed apples and I made a  green salad. For dessert we ate peach pie.

Alpine Lake

Tuesday: We were off to the "California Caverns" to go spelunking. The rest of the family had been down into the "Moaning Caves" last year. Tony & Nathan even rappelled down into that one. I was still recovering from a broken kneecap at the time so wasn't able to manage all the stairs. This year, however, we all went marching into the California Caverns like miners with our hard hats and expectations and boy, was I blown away! Who knew such beauty existed underground and out of sight. We all agreed, it was spectacular! After the cave expedition we decided that we were so close to the old mining town of Columbia, why not take that in too. My father was a state park ranger for 30 years and Columbia was one of the state parks I never visited so I was looking forward to it. Charming and funky, Columbia is typical of the little mining towns that dot the rolling hills of the California Gold Country. There was the requisite blacksmith, the old Wells Fargo Stage Coach museum, and a real live stagecoach ride. Robin and Ada had a blast posing in some old time costumes from the era. Ada and Aiden panned for gold and even though they didn't find any, they were satisfied with their gleanings of little garnets and mica or Fool's Gold. That night, Steven, the Grillmaster, rustled up some delicious Asian inspired chicken thighs, grilled corn on the cob and Robin's Belela Salad (recipe below.) We served it with another version of rice pilaf.

Ready to go down under

Downtown Columbia

Ada & Robin, stagecoach drivers

Blacksmith

Ada & Robin, pioneer misses

Wednesday: Stephanie, Ada, and Aiden had never been to Yosemite so even though we knew it would be a bit of a drive, we were determined they could check it off their bucket lists. It was worth every curvy mile we drove. Tony and Nathan took turns driving the pilot and Stephanie drove their Lexis SUV. While we were at Glacier Point the weather turned dark and thundery with a few sprinkles but we didn't care; it's Yosemite, God's gift to California. Somehow it made the view even more dramatic. Down in the valley the sun came out and Bridal Veil Falls and El Capitan were  in full splendor. Since it would be late when we got back to the cabin, Steven’s Beer brats, sauerkraut, and Bobby Flay's German potato salad made by Stephanie were on the menu. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/german-potato-salad-recipe.html Quick and easy but oh so tasty.

Our first view of Yosemite Valley

Glacier Point

Thursday: Another early morning fishing attempt for Steve and Aiden. That time Steve let Aiden reel in the fish. They were back in time for the trip of the day. Even though most of us have been to Calaveras Big Trees multiple times, no trip to Arnold is complete without it's trip to Big trees. It's only a few miles away. After our hike around the trees, narrated by Tony, it was time for another visit to the North Fork of the Stanislaus River for more floating, swimming and loafing. That night we opted for  tacos, Robin's amped-up refried beans, and Spanish Rice, followed by a rowdy game of Fibbage. No, not Cribbage, Fibbage.http://jackboxgames.com/project/fibbage/

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

The best way to see how big the trees really are

Steve & Aiden

Friday: Our last day at the cabin. We rented two kayaks and one paddle board and headed off to Utica Lake. After driving several miles on the highway we turned off and rumbled and racketed over several more miles of a rocky, dirt road to get to it, but once there, well, it was stunning; a pristine blue Alpine Lake set in the middle of a pine forest with huge outcroppings of granite on all sides.  Stephanie tried out the paddle board first. We saw one group with canoes loaded with camping gear to camp out on an island in the middle of the lake. Steve and Steph took off in one of the kayaks to paddle around that island and Nathan and Tony took off in the other one. Aiden chose to float around on the paddle board. Just before we left, Brenda urged me to try the kayak so Steph and I paddled across the lake to check out a swimming hole and then back to our family. I'm so glad I did it. The only other time I ever kayaked was on the Pacific Ocean out of Santa Cruz. This was much different. The quiet, glassy lake, the swish of the oars, the sway of the kayak. Magic. Sadly, our family vacation was almost over. We had originally planned to go out for dinner that night but in the end we couldn't resist cooking one last time: Spaghetti with Italian sausage, cheese bread and Kale salad.

Lake Utica

Saturday: Scrambled eggs with chopped ham, pan fried potatoes and toast for breakfast. A couple of loads of laundry, a general packing up, a quick last check of all the rooms, and we said say goodbye to our "Cabin in the Piney Woods" for another year. We're already thinking about what we want to see and do in 2016. As for me, I’m home recovering from my “relaxing” vacation.

Packed up and ready to go home

Goodbye until next year

Belela Salad
Ingredients:                                           
2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained   
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup red onion, finely minced
1/2 cup mint, finely minced
1/2 cup parsley, finely minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Dressing:
2 jalapenos, chopped
5 Tblsp. cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Puree all dressing ingredients in blender or food processor. Stir, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together and refrigerate for on hour or more. Can be served at room temperature as well.