Soon, very soon

Remember in April I posted about my darling seedlings? No, well catch up and click the link.

Ok, it's now near August and look how we've grown.

This is but two of the seedlings all grown up and ready to make my life oh so joyous by showering me with hot green chilies for the summer.

There, look closely and you can see a few, off to the left–hiding behind a leave– there's a New Mexico Green Chili hanging on. There are a few larger ones but they are deep in side and avoiding the camera like 20-year-old movie-star felon.

As you're looking closely you can see I don't use any bug spray and something is having a banquet munching on the leaves but hey, I've enough for all the little creatures. These two pots were planted because I had so many seedlings that sprouted. Half are now growing in my neighbors garden and he says they are doing well. He's also growing tomatoes. We are serious about salsa here.

It was a rocky start when we had the horrible triple digit heat wave. The 'net, and you all know I live by the 'net, said NM green chilies don't like hot weather over 90 during the day and over 60 at night. Sheesh, that's about our normal weather let alone these blasts from Dantes Inferno from time to time. But now I'm giddy with the amount of flower that stayed and became little tiny chilies. They are just so dang slow growing.

Grow, my darlings so you can realize your full potential, Chili Rellenos, Chili Verde, Salsa, anything your little green hearts desire.

I've bought seed futures

The green chilies from my garden last year were disappointing, very weak, but I learned chilies don't like a lot of water. I grew them amongst my herbs and the herbs were lush and wonderful while the chilies flavorless. Sadly, that is about the only space I have for them.

This year, I've enlisted the help of a neighbor with more gardening space and a penchant for my salsa. I also went to the source and invested in seeds from New Mexico. A few years back my sister brought back the best dried ground green chilies I've ever had and now I'm giving the University of New Mexico a chance.

They have lovely names such as Sandia, Big Jim, and Barker Hot. I've also ordered an Ancho Mulato because the flavor of the Ancho interests me. Being new to this I went to the Internet for ideas to germinate my new friends. I chose two ways, soaking the seeds and planting in soil and placing the seeds on a wet paper towel in a plastic bag. Set in a sunny location in my kitchen the bag acted like a mini-greenhouse. Those were the first to sprout and now I've moved them into tiny peat pots to grow a few leaves before I hand them off to my neighbor to plant.

The seeds soaked and planted seem to be doing better as to producing tiny green leaves. I can only imagine lovely green chilies attached to those plant, well, when they get stronger. For now, I am treating them like the infants they are. They get special food and time outdoors in the sunshine, if it's warm enough. I also whisper words of encouragement to their future outcome. Grow Baby, grow!

Is February really a short month?

Not a leap year so only 28 days to this month might be the reason I've been so busy. Maybe I should be grateful I've got stuff to do to keep me busy but out of the past month I've had something on my calendar almost every day. Oh, there was that one Sunday and a few days around the beginning of the month but for the large part I was a busy retiree.

Shouldn't complain since most all were things I wanted to do. Lots of time with the Princess and one day with the lil guy, a Bat Mitzvah, working at the Getty Center and helping my trainee docent get her wings. She did get her first tour this week. Amazing to her but I knew all along she could do it. There were many opportunities to meet with friends and family and also serious stuff like taxes and doctor appointments.

Don't forget all that time watching the Olympics. I think I'll be glad to see them go though I never did figure that Biathlon. You cross-country ski for a while, stop, shoot at a target, then off to ski some more. Why shoot at a target? Makes as much sense if you ski, stop and knit a hat, ski, stop and make a pie. And the Skeleton, they did not get enough adrenalin sliding down a twisty course on their back so someone decided to go face down head first. Really? Eighty miles an hour? Who dreams this stuff up?

Now with only a few short days left to February I'm still cramming in activities. Today, it's off to LA County Museum of Art for the member's preview of a new painting exhibit, American Stories. I've been looking forward to this almost as much at seeing the Renoir exhibit that opened last week. I don't think we'll have time to see that but will return before it closes in May. So much going on at LACMA right now.

Now that just leaves me with the last weekend of the month and Saturday might just be a good day to watch more of the Olympics, as rain is in the forecast, but Sunday, ah, Sunday should be the jewel. I've heard the Farmer's Market in Atwater Village, an area near Glendale, has a BBQ food vendor that is fantastic. He started selling at Farmer's Markets to finance he BBQ competitions and Big Mista has been written up in the LA Times as a hidden treasure. I must try the Pig Candy.

That would be the end to February but there are a few other things I need to get to. Will somebody hand me that Month Stretcher?

Christmas Guest Chef

After assisting our guest chef in the kitchen it's all I can do to post a link to the food blog. Visit Peanut Butter Etouffee for a special treat.

We make fun

We attacked Los Angeles yesterday morning. Arriving at Union Station on the Metrolink we hit the ground running, literally; I had to find a rest room. The usually clean facility on the train had passed the "use by" date and a dash through the train station looking for another relief station wasn't of much help. Standing in line for a marginally clean stall I decided we'd catch a Dash Bus to our first stop and I'd turn off that section of my brain.

After a few false starts we found the correct bus and headed to Clifton's Cafeteria for a quick bite of breakfast and a bit of reminiscing. Sister Doodles had eaten there when she was enrolled in Beauty College a few blocks away but this was my first visit to this location. Both of us, as kids, often were taken to the Clifton's on Crenshaw. It was a Friday night ritual and we laughed and speculated that maybe the food wasn't as good as we thought. Our breakfast was just a snack to hold us for lunch and finally; whew, a clean restroom.

Back on the bus and over to the Garment District, an area selling fabrics, notions, and beads. Doodles was bitten by the necklace making bug after our own Lil Bird reintroduced us to this area. You see, our mom, Lorna had frequented these streets when she had a bridal shop. She made custom bridal/formal wear and since she didn't drive, I accompanied her downtown. We'd also drag the poor lil bird and when Doodles was in town, she'd come, too. These trips were always a treat and full of laughs and lunch.

It was like necklace making heaven and bought enough supplies to keep my sister busy all winter. She has a very good "eye" when it comes to colors and design so I bought some stones and handed them over to her. I'll get a necklace or two back. Nothing like custom made anything.

We were getting a bit hungry and had pretty much run through all our money so it was back on the Dash Bus to an ATM and then the Metro for a trip to Langer's Deli for lunch. I love the public transportation in Los Angeles. After the ATM it was down stairs to the Red Line and over one stop to 7th and Alverado. I did get a bit turned around in the Metro Center Station, we entered from a different area, but some nice gentlemen pointed us in the right direction and we were on our way.

Langer's was everything we wanted or needed. The #44 is a Hot Pastrami on rye with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on the side. We shared this as they are huge sandwiches. The waitress gave us two pickles, what a doll. After this fantastic lunch, and a discussion about how to pronounce "Philippe's" with the table next to us, we were back on the train and headed for Little Tokyo.

Our trip to the Japanese section of LA was short. We were both running out of steam and felt heading back towards Union Station to be our best bet. Plus we'd been dragging bags of merchandise all this time. When purchased who knew how heavy twelve long-sleeved t-shirts would get. We HAD to stop at Olvera Street and, though we couldn't eat another bite, darling Doodles bought some sweets from a vendor; I enjoyed my Alfajor this morning with my coffee.

Union Station is a short five minute walk across the street from the Calle and we sat in the beautiful waiting area for a few minutes. We are both marveled by the architecture. On to the platform and the hour-long train ride home. Love the Metrolink for it's comfort and cleanliness and at 5:20 pm we pulled into Simi Station. A lovely day and we really laughed a lot. Can't ask for much more than that.

This site is so free

Lil bird found this site and posted this on our food blog, Peanut Butter Étouffee. Like anything else, it can be addictive but at least you are helping someone. We throw away more food than some children get in a year so check it out, learn something, and feel good that you wasted a bit of time for someone else.

While you're there, check out some of the sponsors, they are the ones footing the bill.

Free Rice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.

FreeRice has two goals:

1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.

2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you.

"Fair"ly sure this isn't healthy

This should be on our food blog but I'd be embarrassed to post it. We do lean toward the healthy side over at Peanut Butter Etouffee.

It seems the state fair circuit has gotten out of hand with fried foods. Here were the contenders for the Texas State Fair contest on Labor Day. I'm almost disappointed, our Ventura County Fair only had the usual stuff on a stick and deep fried. My late-friend Crystal, who performed at the county fair each year, always said, "If you deep fry it and put it on a stick someone will buy it." I'm sure she'd chuckling at this.

Deep Fried Latte
Fried pastry topped with cappuccino ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream and instant coffee powder.

Fried Cookie Dough
Cookie dough with chocolate chips, pecans and coconut, dipped in batter and fried. Other cookie flavors may be offered.

Zesty Fried Guacamole Bites
Small scoops of guacamole breaded and fried. Served with salsa or ranch or spicy ranch dressings.

Country Pride Peach Cobbler on a Stick
Peach cobbler with dumplings rolled in pastry dough and fried. Covered with brown sugar and cinnamon and put on a stick.

Fernie's Fried Chili Frito Burrito Chili and chili-cheese-flavored Fritos wrapped in an uncooked flour tortilla and fried. Toppings include cheese sauce, shredded cheddar, jalapeños, sour cream, hot sauce and onions.

B.W.'s Original Fried Banana Pudding
Banana pudding wrapped in a flour tortilla, fried and topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar or cinnamon.

Mama's Fried Sweet Potato Pie
Pie filling wrapped in flour tortilla, fried and topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon.