Of Pancakes and Waffles

In my last post, I did go on about pancakes on Sunday mornings but today it’s all about waffles! 

I met up with some friends of mine last week and we had a great time catching up on the latest happenings in our lives and also the waffle buffet at the U.S. Grant where my dear friend Ed works. 

It was unbelievable, three different flavors of Belgian waffles with too many to count varieties of toppings (my favorites were the fresh berries and maple syrup). On the savory side, there were scrambled eggs, jerk chicken and pan fried sweet potato and plantains. This was actually the first time I had jerk chicken and now I know why everybody raves about it. Of course you know that no Sunday breakfast or brunch is complete without the gloriousness of mimosas – and they just didn't seem to stop coming. I ask you, is there nothing better than good friends and good food on a Sunday morning?

So that was last week, this Sunday morning was spent pretty much in bed watching Super Soul Sunday with Oprah. If you've never watched it, it’s kind of a self help program with an emphasis on spirituality and living your best life. I watched three in a row that were so interesting starting with Karen Armstrong, a bestselling author, former Roman Catholic nun and a world-renowned religious scholar. What an interesting journey this woman has had starting with becoming a nun at age 17! I am going to search out her memoir The Spiral Staircase.

Phil Jackson is known as The Zen Master but did you know he had a Pentecostal Christian upbringing? In his words, yes, he was a holy roller. In time however, the legendary coach began to question not only his religious beliefs but the world around him (it was the 60s). At college he was exposed to, among other things, Darwin’s theory of evolution. You can imagine how shocking this was to his belief system. Jackson is now a practicing Buddhist and he discusses his spiritual awakening and how it also affected his coaching style.  On a side note, Phil Jackson and the Lakers (during their glory days) would stay a few nights with us at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel where I worked. Great times!

Calling Dr. Robin, Dr. Robin…..I used to enjoy her visits to the Oprah Winfrey Show. Dr. Robin Smith is a psychologist, author, speaker and preacher (something I didn't know). If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard from her lately it’s because she has had a series of setbacks that seemed to start with a debilitating car accident in 2010 that left her unable to work. Thankfully, the good doctor has recovered and wrote a book Hungry which chronicles her experience.

Ok, so I fed my soul with Oprah and for a further luxuriating day in bed, I watched the movie Tortilla Soup. Can I tell you how much I adore Hector Elizondo? He is so sexy without trying. 

It must be that smoldering Latin thing he's got going on!  Huh, whaaa, Back to the movie! 

It’s wonderful. It’s about food and familia. You've got a single dad, his three daughters, their lives, their loves and in a guest starring role, food (my favorite subject).  Can you describe food as being voluptuous?

The food shots were almost a sensory overload and the kitchen was something from a foodie magazine or TV show. Mexican food was front and center and I was starving! Of course you know Mexico has one of the world’s great cuisines! This is a wonderful movie, perhaps the ending was a little predictable (spoiler alert, it was a happy one), but it was magical and warm and a great way to spend a relaxing day.

Adios!

A neighbor had a yard sale recently and I came upon an item I have been desperately searching for, a dutch oven. Unfortunately, my old pot had bit the dust but as luck would have it I managed to replace it with something of even better quality for only $2. It's a copper bottom Revere Ware dutch oven - yahoo! I christened it the other night with a stew and it was quite tasty.

My $2 fantasy

Speaking of things Revere, have you seen one of the latest Geico commercials? If Paul Revere had a cell phone that fateful night...it cracks me up!

Hey...they're comin'...yeah...the British...later.

Speaking of yards sales, I came back from Goodwill with an exciting haul that cost me $30. I don't usually spend that much but my 30 bucks got me two pairs of plain black tees (one short sleeve, one long), two pairs of pants (one for work, one for the weekends), one designer sweater (Adrienne Vittadini!), one pair of Clark's shoes (I know they can go for $80 but I got my never used pair for $8)! I swear most of the clothes are never worn or just lightly worn. You know, I really have a hard time shopping retail these days!

This morning I woke to our main street blocked off for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. It was an experience watching the runners and you could feel all the energy in the air despite the early morning hour. If you click on the website it will bring you to the course video. Once you select the video, it'll take about 40 seconds or so till you reach Adams Avenue the main drag where I live. You did see me waving at you, didn't you?

Anyway, all that excitement just got me hungry! I decided to make pancakes from scratch because they are always better that way aren't they? I use Martha Stewart's pancake recipe because it's no fail. Here's the recipe if you are so inspired to cook this morning.

Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Martha's Basic Pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup

Directions

You know what, the directions are awfully long. Basically you mix the dry ingredients into the wet and cook. If you have a griddle, all the better, I just use my frying pan. Wait till the pancakes start to bubble (1-2 minutes) and then it's time to flip them over. When they're done, I use real maple syrup and/or sometimes I put a little jam on the tasty morsels.

This morning I made the pancakes with mashed up bananas, added a little cinnamon and instead of milk I used flavored coffee cream (today it's French Vanilla).

Sunday morning at its best!

Hope you enjoy your Sunday!

Hey!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My cute little niece Victoria obviously feelin' the green today.

Erin go bragh!

It arrived when I wasn't looking...

…I’m talking about the holidays!  Wasn't it just Halloween? I went to Target on the Friday after Halloween and found it had been relegated to a small corner and Christmas had arrived and taken over. I almost feel that Thanksgiving has become an afterthought.

Norman Rockwell's Thanksgiving

 But hold on, no one is cheating me out of turkey with all the trimmings!

Save me a drumstick, Martha!

I’m not sure how you feel about Christmas commercials and specials appearing so early in the season but I guess it helps some people with planning or whatever. Not that I don’t enjoy the holidays but it does seem to get here earlier each year.  Please God, don’t let me be turning into a Grinch!

Thought you might like to see this shot of myself and my brother at my niece’s wedding back in 1999 in Santa Barbara on the beautiful campus of UCSB. There are so many stories behind this picture it’s hard to know where to start. 

Me and my brother Mike at our niece's wedding

I need to take you back two months prior to an accident that left me wondering if I would make it to the wedding! I literally smashed my ankle walking the dog. I had fallen down a little gully and had to wait for a passerby to ask for help. Long story short, I ended up being transported in an ambulance to the hospital where the emergency room doctor told me that if I had to break my ankle I did a damn good job of it!

It was a Sunday and being the bad dream that it was, I found out my surgeon was on the golf course – but of course! Surgery was scheduled for the next day followed by two months spent strictly in bed (if I wanted to make the wedding) and some rehab. I got cut out of my cast just a few days before the trip and on crutches,  I traveled to Ohio for a few days to be with my sister where it was the hottest summer on record (triple digits!) and then onward to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, back to LA and finally back home to Hawaii. It was an adventure traveling on crutches and when there was a time crunch with connections, I was whisked about on a scooter thru the concourse. I’m sure you've seen them. Do you know how hard people stare at you when you’re in one of those!

See that outfit I’m in? Does it look a tad big on me? It fit me perfectly when I got it (esp. for the wedding) but I knew I had to cut back on my food intake if I didn't want to balloon up. Two months lying in bed with no activity was a dangerous proposition! I ended up losing weight and didn't even realize it.

The gorgeous Santa Barbara coastline

Santa Barbara is a beautiful town. I remember thinking I could so easily live there. My brother drove us to State Street (their main street) where there are so many restaurants, shops, and galleries and I remember how he complained about “crazy California drivers” of which I have now become minus the crazy part! We got a parking ticket which I offered to pay and when I got home I included a little yellow sticky note on my check that said how much I enjoyed visiting their fair city!

There is so much more I could tell you but suffice to say, it was quite the trip, and one that will not be easily forgotten!

Yes, I am a day late and a dollar short BUT hope you all had a fun Halloween. This commercial has been playing all month and I'll miss seeing it now that Halloween's over. It just tickles my funny bone!

The Horseless Headsman!

With apologies to Washington Irving

And since Halloween is really for kids, here is a photo of my newest niece and her brothers all decked out for a night of fright!

Do or do not get pissed. There is no try.

My nephews Brian as Boba Fett, Miles as Yoda, and two week old (or is it three weeks?) Victoria as Princess Leia. Here is is Victoria in all her glory...

See you next time!

In which I express my outrage...

...at Panda Express!

Last night I was so beat and the weather so uncomfortably hot that I just didn't feel like cooking so I went to Panda Express for something to go. The reason I go to Panda Express is to chow down on their tofu and eggplant dish. I love it! Yeah, ok, I do like the orange chicken too but I really go there for the tofu and eggplant. Well, imagine my surprise when they told me they don’t make it any more…again!  They took it off the menu once but brought it back and now it is apparently gone forever! I told the kid behind the counter, if anyone cares, could he mention that I am very unhappy about the decision to remove my favorite item...again. Cry me a river, I am so sad  L.

Speaking of the weather, it was so hot and humid last night. I took cat naps all night long and woke up exhausted. I actually got up at 3:30 in the morning to go sit in the patio where it was only slightly cooler than the house. When I got back to bed, I flipped on the TV and caught the Olympics.

 

I happened to tune in to a marathon through the streets of London a city that fascinates me (a topic for another post). 

When I finally got out of bed, I had to take a couple of aspirins and sleepwalked with the dog through the ‘hood. We got an early start like 6:15 and you won’t believe this but all the neighbors were up walking their dogs, doing their chores with the same thought as me, let’s get things done before the day heats up! San Diego has such a mild climate that when the summer heat hits we are such pansies.

I started this post on Saturday and here it is now Wednesday the 15^th and I find it is Julia Child’s birthday – Happy Birthday Julia! She would have been 100 years old.

I have been a fan of this woman for years. One day I hope to make it to the Smithsonian to see Julia Child’s kitchen and the famous peg board that holds her pots and pans. Not a fancy kitchen by any means but quite a functional one and one that was host to many well known chefs that cooked and baked with Julia on PBS.

Julia, the Great, in her kitchen

When the book Julie/Julia was published I was first in line to pick it up. The premise of the book sounded like a great idea. Unfortunately for me, the hype did not live up to the actual product. I thought the book was horrible. A far better read is My Life in France which Julia co-wrote with Alex Prud’homme. 

The lady had a sense of humor! Julia and husband Paul.

When Julia was a regular on Good Morning America (I think this was sometime in the 80s) the group visited Italy where she made panzanella, the Tuscan bread salad. I was blown away as I had never heard of anything like this before. Who would want to eat a salad made out of bread?

Charlie Gibson, Joan Lunden, Joel Siegel and Julia Child

Well, I did eventually try it and in fact I would like to share a variation on a theme of that recipe. Here is a panzanella salad made with cornbread. I don’t have any amounts listed I would suggest that you use your best judgment based on the number of people you are serving and as my mother would say…eyeball it! Good luck!

Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Sugar plum tomatoes (whole or cut in half)

Hot house or English cucumber (cubed)

Pre-made (or homemade) cornbread cut into cubes

Fresh basil (chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste

One meyer lemon (zest and juice)

Throw all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy - it's quite good!

As Julia would say

BON APPETIT!

Downward dog or whatever...

...isn't that a yoga pose? Anyway, breakthrough discovery…I have discovered….yoga pants!

Mine are black but pretty much look like this pair

I now do everything in them except – oh, you are so right on – what they were designed for, namely yoga! They are great to wear for shopping, sleeping, going to the movies, getting a bite to eat or just plain relaxing. My yoga pants are awesome, they are sooooo comfortable! AND, they were a bargain at $4 from Goodwill. Just thought you’d like to know!

Just a few photos from the archival vault of Diamonds & Daisies!

Speaking of clothing (I realize yoga pants are hardly what you would call fashion), a recent USA Today article caught my eye, it was about fashion trucks on wheels. To read the story, just go here!

This one is called Wanderlust in Portland, Oregon

We’re all familiar with food trucks but how about fashion trucks for curbside fashionistas? They exist and what a great concept!

This is the Styleliner based in the Hamptons and New York City

There is even a San Diego track called Therapie which I will have to search out but you can visit with them right here.

This is Therapie right here in San Diego!

To totally switch gears, have you ever heard of Mexican Train? Well, it’s a domino game that apparently has been around awhile but is currently gaining some kind of resurgence.

I have no idea why it's called Mexican Train, do you?

I had never heard of it and never played dominoes but they sell it everywhere including Target where my neighbor got his. So, I was invited to game night at Phil and Rod’s place (our hosts) and they invited a few of us neighbors on board J.

The guys provided dinner and drinks and we each brought a little something to round out the meal.

The dinner theme was comfort food and there is no more comfort than Sloppy Joes!

I brought the dessert, an angel food cake with fresh berries and whipped topping. It was yummy.

Yes, it was heavenly!

This was our second game night and I highly recommend it!