Favorite Things

July – Coastal Air Conditioning
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July – Coastal Air Conditioning

We don’t have air conditioning at our house in Fort Bragg. It was 85 degrees F in the sun mid-day yesterday. That’s a high temperature for here, but nothing compared to much of the state and the entire U.S. has been experiencing. Over an hour from here, inland, it was over 110 degrees F. Our usual summer temperatures are in the high 60’s to low 70’s.

It cools down at night by as much as 20-30 degrees. And then we have our coastal air conditioning. As the temperature heats up inland, it pulls cooler air and fog into the coast. Our summers are frequently foggy and chilly. It’s a rare 4th of July that you can see the fireworks, usually just colorful shadows on the clouds. Tonight might be an exception; we will see.

Less than a mile from our house is Mackerricher State Park.

Beach at MacKerricher California State Park

Beach at MacKerricher California State Park – July

MacKerricher has miles of mostly unoccupied beaches. We don’t get swarms of visitors because…

  • the water is cold
  • we are some distance from the San Francisco Bay Area (it’s over a 3-hour drive)
  • the most significant small city is still over an hour away over twisty and windy roads; car sickness is a regular occurrence

We love it. I can walk for hours and only see the usual dog walkers who say a friendly hello. Sometimes, we stop and admire each other’s four-legged friends, allowing them to sniff each other.

The paved path along the shore is also a favorite riding spot of the S.O.B.’s Seniors on Bikes. They nod as they ride past.

The nearby stables offer horse rides on the beach; they wave and ask our dog’s name as they slowly amble by. But these folks are few and far between. It is usually quite empty.

Beach at MacKerricher California State Park

Beach at MacKerricher California State Park – June

Do you see that line of clouds on the horizon in the picture above? That’s our air conditioning. The breeze comes off the coast late afternoon and pulls in the cooler air.

The Pacific Ocean is never the same day to day. There is always something new to observe.

Beach at MacKerricher California State Park

Beach at MacKerricher California State Park – May

 

August - Pelicans and Sea Gulls

August – Pelicans and Sea Gulls

 

MacKerricher in December - see the seals on the rocks

MacKerricher in December – see the seals on the rocks

MacKerricher has camping during much of the year. It can get quite crowded in that area. But the beach remains empty except for some hardy souls and families with small children carting their shovels and pails.

My favorite time of year is just after the winter storms. The waves can be pretty fierce, and with a high tide, the dunes wash over the road, flooding it. In the case of the king tide last January, much of it also washed away. When that happens, the park closes the road, and it is only accessible by foot.

January storms washed away most of the road

January storms washed away most of the road.

Dogs are required to be on leash in MacKerricher, which is essential in the spring and summer when the shorebirds have their nests and when there are many visitors. But in the winter, when the road is closed, and no one is around, I let our dogs off to run. They chase up and down the dunes; watching their happiness is a joy.

I hope you all have a wonderful Independence Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

March – The River Flowing to the Ocean
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March – The River Flowing to the Ocean

“It is said that before entering the sea a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has traveled, from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast, that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river cannot go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear, because that’s where the river will know it’s not about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean.
”

— Kahlil Gibran

I saw the poem above in a recent blog post by Gretchen Schmelzer. She is a psychologist and writes a column on trauma and healing (Posts from the Trail). She is a very good friend of another good friend of mine, which is how I first became acquainted with her. In fact, she mentions this friend of mine in that post, although she is not named. Gretchen’s post is entitled “Purpose as a way to heal and grow”, you can find the link here if you want to read it. The post is about the importance of having a purpose to guide your life and decision making.

But the poem struck me in other ways, I have been thinking about politics a lot lately, how could you not? But also the passage of time and aging. It feels a bit like hurtling through space at the moment, without a lifeline or jacket. Our current weather…grey skies, cold and rain make me introspective and a little depressed. We live near the ocean and I walk beside it almost every day. It’s comforting to think of becoming it.

I don’t understand the divisions in our country right now. Another blog I read frequently detailed  the isolation of living within a household or neighborhood where your politics are in direct contrast and conflict with other family members, friends, and your community. How could you manage that? My heart bled for her.

I don’t have any answers.

I only know what comforts me. Here’s a partial list, in no particular order:

  • A pat on the back or a “well done” from my partner or a friend.
  • Hugs
  • A cuddle with one of our dogs
  • Smiles
  • Games, I am addicted to starting the day with Wordle and the NY Times Spelling Bee. It’s an opportunity to check in with my fellow addicts and friends around the country.
  • A cup of tea on the deck in the sun (I will have to wait awhile for that one)
  • A long walk by the ocean, even in the rain
  • An unexpected invitation to a meal out somewhere
  • A long talk, preferably over a glass of wine, with a good friend
  • A movie with a happy ending, especially a romcom
  • A challenging exercise class, I love the post workout endorphins
  • A weekend away
  • Soup
  • A clean house with everything put away
  • Brainstorming with a group of like minded individuals, solving problems creatively
  • Spending long quiet hours in the garden by myself and getting grubby
  • Watching plants grow and flower as the seasons change
  • Making a salad or meal entirely out of what I have harvested from my garden
  • A BBQ, anytime and anywhere
  • Fresh flowers in a vase
  • A new cookbook
  • Bookstores
  • New shoes
  • Dancing
  • A hot bubble bath with a good book and a glass of champagne
  • Herbal tea at bedtime

Once I started writing them down, I realized that it’s a long list and I could go on. I actually feel comforted just reading over the list.

What are your go-to comforts?

I realize this is a departure from my usual postings. Please bear with me, In My Kitchen and Garden is on the way to publication soon.

Hellebores

 

Liz

 

May 2023 – Goodnight Sweet Casey
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May 2023 – Goodnight Sweet Casey

Casey

Casey – toss the ball again Mom

Our beloved Casey passed away last week, she was almost 14. The above is one of my favorite pictures of her, she loved the beach and was so joyous there.

I can’t write too much because I will start sobbing. She was the best dog ever…smart, patient, loving, and calm. She was a couch potato of an Aussie in many ways. When my husband and I were still working, we took the dogs to a doggie-day-care business in Oakland. They would say that if the dogs were human, Casey would be the captain of the chess team and Quinn (her sister from a later litter) would be captain of the volleyball team. It was a good description of their personalities.

Casey and teenage Quinn
Quinn and Casey
Quinn and Casey, waiting on the stairs for us to pack the car to visit our home in Fort Bragg
Casey and her ‘blankee’, Quinn
Casey and Quinn
Casey and Quinn

 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from past years.

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They would both wait patiently at the door until we came home.

She adored belly rubs.

There have been many visiting doggie friends over the years, she got along with them all.

Quinn, Heather, Casey and Oreo
Milo, Cassey, Casey, Quinn, Nellie
Casey, Quinn and Olllie…ready for a walk

 

She was joined at the hip by her sister, Quinn.

She loved playing ball at Seaside Beach.

Her coat was so thick and heavy that we had her clipped in the warmer weather. She immediately looks half her size.

And then there were three…Shanna joined the pack.

Casey, Quinn and Shanna

Casey, Quinn, and Shanna
What have you done Mom?

Puppy Shanna adored Casey but certainly tried her patience.

Quinn is not alone. Shanna joins her on the porch to watch for squirrels and the UPS delivery van.

Quinn and Shanna

Quinn and Shanna

We buried Casey among the trees so that she could become part of the surrounding forest. She loved the freedom of Fort Bragg, being outside with me while I gardened.

Quinn resting on Casey's gravesite

Quinn resting on Casey’s gravesite

 

paper collage

paper collage – Casey

In My Kitchen – February 2022
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In My Kitchen – February 2022

If I had to choose my least favorite months of the year they would be February and August. February because it can be a very grey, cold and damp month…winter has dragged on too long for me at this point. August because I am tired of watering, weeding, deadheading and worrying about fire. On the coast August is often grey and foggy and crowded with visitors escaping the inland heat. Those crowds are a mixed blessing. At least most things are empty in February and you can get a seat outside at a restaurant, silver lining.

This post is part of a collection detailing events from kitchens around the world. You can find the others by using this link to Sherry’s Pickings.

So, what’s been happening in my kitchen. I have been going through a cooking slump. After two years of pandemic stay-at-home meals I am bored. What’s the solution? New cookbooks! I started with the title recipe from Midnight Chicken, by Ella Risbridger. Roast chicken has been my own signature dish for years and I always enjoy a new twist. I would say it was a big success judging by the moist flavorful meat and crisp skin. Before roasting the chicken was rubbed with chopped garlic, fresh chilis, rosemary, thyme, grainy mustard, lemon juice and olive oil.

Midnight Chicken

Midnight Chicken

 

Midnight Chicken

Midnight Chicken

The following week I tried the same spiced rub on boneless chicken thighs before quickly grilling them.

Midnight Chicken

Midnight Chicken

I will post the recipe for you, the book is a fun read with some great recipes.

From Eating Out Loud by Eden Grinshpan, I made Fennel, Celery and Mint Salad.

Eating Out Loud

Eating Out Loud

 

Thinly shaved fennel and celery are combined with toasted pine nuts, grated pecorino, fresh mint leaves, and lemon. This is a wonderful salad because it can be made several hours ahead.

Shaved Fennel, Celery and Mint Salad

Shaved Fennel, Celery and Mint Salad

Shaved Fennel, Celery and Mint Salad

Shaved Fennel, Celery and Mint Salad

My other new cookbooks include Grains for Every Season by Joshua McFadden (I love his other cookbook Six Seasons), big little recipes by Emma Laperruque from the group at Food52, and No-Recipe Recipes by Sam Sifton at New York Times Cooking.

Grains for Every Season
Big Little Recipes
No-Recipe Recipes

I’m still exploring the new books and marking pages with dishes I want to try.

While looking through a tall stack of recipe clippings for inspiration, I rediscovered a handwritten recipe called simply MARINADE in my mother’s handwriting. It was almost like she had given me an unexpected hug. It was on her refrigerator for years and I had forgotten about it. I used it as a marinade for a flank steak, which can sometime be a tough cut of meat. You will find the recipe here.

Marinade

Marinade

Marinated and grilled Flank Steak

My Electric Pressure Cooker got a workout for chicken with white beans.

And a dreary cold day called for a simple chicken soup with the surprising addition of hot pickled cherry peppers.

And that’s it for my kitchen. Let me know if you have tried any of the recipes from these cookbooks and have recommendations.

I hope you are all staying well and safe.

April – Domestic Harmony in the Time of Covid-19
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April – Domestic Harmony in the Time of Covid-19

What does domestic harmony look like in your household? In our house it looks like this:

Domestic Harmony

Equal Split of Margaret Fox’s Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Whatever it takes, eh?

Margaret Fox was the owner and chef at Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino, one of the early restaurants in the California cuisine trend in the style of Alice Waters. She now runs the deli and bakery at our local independent grocery store, Harvest Market. We are indeed lucky. Her buttermilk coffee cake is delicious. I am not a baker so we try to get one whenever they are available on our currently infrequent jaunts to the store. Sharing equally is a big deal.

What are you doing to maintain a tranquil environment in this time of social distancing and stay-at-home requirements? I know things can get testy. Long walks definitely help, and Zoom exercise classes, and gardening if you are lucky enough to have one.

It’s time to appreciate and notice small things small things. Spring is definitely here. In my yard the song sparrows are singing a chorus. This is the first year the song sparrows have found our clearing, although I’ve been feeding the birds for the last three years (the seed bill is growing). Redwood forests don’t have a lot of birds, there isn’t much food for them under the trees. So it took awhile for them to find us, it’s worth getting up early to hear the morning riot of song. I’m hoping that they nest nearby as the mourning doves have. Their population has gone from 2 to 7. I’m keeping a log of all the birds that visit the feeders, they are increasing in varieties and number. Every once in a while I see a new one to add to the list.

We now have two native Western grey squirrels raiding the feeders as well, until recently there was only one. I am expecting some little ones the summer.

Did you know there is a run on jigsaw puzzles?

Puzzle

Undersea jigsaw puzzle

We found this one in the garage, an old one we had never put together. Puzzles are very relaxing and something the entire family can enjoy. The NY Times had a fascinating article on how jigsaw puzzles are made, it takes weeks. And it seems that puzzle makers are having a hard time keeping up with current demand.

Board games are a good distraction.

Board Games

Board Games

We were introduced to Mexican Train Dominos by some friends a few months ago, it has become a favorite. The instructions that come with the game are terrible, we had to figure them out for ourselves from online research. I’m still not sure we are playing it ‘correctly’ but we are having fun.

There are currently three of us sheltering in place in our household. We each choose an activity for the evening in rotation…games or a movie or a TV series we are watching together or simply sit and talk about something from our day. There aren’t any small children so things are a little easier for us than some of you. All three of us enjoy science fiction so we have been watching the new Star Trek episodes together.

And in case you are wondering what to do with all those leftover hard boiled eggs…

  • deviled eggs, one of my favorites

    Deviled Eggs with Anchovies

    Deviled Eggs with Anchovies

  • Easter egg salad sandwiches

    Easter Egg Salad

    Easter Egg Salad

  • Eggs a la Goldenrod – an old recipe from Betty Crocker

    Eggs a La Goldenrod

    Eggs a La Goldenrod

  • sliced and put on top of avocado toast with a sprinkling of coarse salt

Deviled Eggs for Anchovy Lovers

Ingredients:

  • 1 hardboiled egg per person – see the note below
  • 1/2 anchovy per egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon capers per egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard per egg
  • 1 teaspoon mayo/egg, or more as needed
  • red pepper flakes as desired (optional)
  • Thinly sliced chives or green scallion tops

Method;

  1. Cook hardboiled eggs as noted below
  2. Cool and remove the shell carefully
  3. Slice in half, remove the yolks to a small bowl
  4. Mash with the anchovies, add mayonnaise to thin as necessary
  5. Add the capers and taste for salt (it probably won’t need any with the anchovies)
  6. Add the red pepper flakes if you want some heat
  7. Carefully fill the egg whites with the mixture
  8. Garnish with chives or scallions
Deviled Eggs with Anchovies

Deviled Eggs with Anchovies

Note on cooking hard boiled eggs:

  1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by at least an inch.
  2. Bring the eggs and water to a rapid boil, then cover the pan and turn off the heat. Leave the pan on the burner. If you have a gas stove, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and leave for 1 minute before turning off the heat.
  3. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 12 minutes.
  4. Drain and run cool water over the eggs.
  5. Peel when cool. Slightly older eggs are often easier to peel.