Happy End of Summer to you ! We just finished 19 days of over 100 degree weather,and I am so happy to be able to eat my lunch outside for a nice change !!
   One of the trips I went on this summer was to the Monterey Peninsula with 12 fun women who met years ago at a singles group at a Baptist church.  This has become an annual trip,where we rent a beach house and we laugh and act like crazy girls living in the dorms together ! The cost per person has averaged out to around the expense of an inexpensive hotel.
   A few of us especially love going to a restaurant in Carmel Valley called The Corkscrew.We travel inland about 11 miles from Highway 1,(which eventually will lead one along the breathtaking California coast) ,past meadows,oak trees,the Earthbound Farm,(which grows the baby lettuce greens that a lot of us buy in containers),ranches,winerys, and Bed and Breakfasts.The weather is usually warmer than that along the coast. .It's like a little taste of Provence,France with it's rustic look,a bread baker baking luscious loaves on a wood fired oven ,gravel on the ground outside,colorful Provencal tablecloths,grape vines hanging over some of the tables,a small koi  fish pond in the center,and a little gift shop that sells generous bouquets of freshly cut, fragrant lavender !
   We especially love to order their heavenly lavender ice cream for dessert !! Last year we had it snuggled next to a warm nectarine crisp (oh,my mouth is watering !) !! This time I had Marion berry pie to go along with the lavender luciousness ! If I can't be in Provence,going to the Corkscrew is a tradition I don't want to stop !!!

Here's a photo of Sharon and I in front of The Corkscrew Restaurant in Carmel Valley,one of our favorite places !

Swedish Pancakes in Kingsburg !

I have decided to start a new tradition , in December or other times of the year ,if the desire strikes ! It's going with my family,or friends, to the little Swedish town,called Kingsburg,where my father grew up,to have Swedish pancakes,and then to have a small tour of this quaint village. Kingsburg is in central California,about twenty miles south of Fresno,where I live. I especially love a shop called Svnsk Butik Swedish Gifts,which is loaded with all sorts of wonderful goods from Sweden. June, the owner, sells delicious Swedish coffee,christmas ornaments,clothing,books,ect.,ect..

When I was growing up,our family used to drive to Kingsburg on various Sundays,to have roast beef dinner with my Swedish grandmother in her little house.My brothers and I could always count on her to have the cookie jar filled with sugar cookies !
   In December,before Christmas,my folks came up to visit, from San Diego,California and my daughter Ashley was in town,from San Francisco. I suggested,rather,I urged them to go on a trek to Kingsburg with me ! So,the first item on the agenda ,was to go to Kady's Country Kitchen, to have the World's best Swedish Pancakes ! This place is located off the beaten track,on the outskirts of town,close to the Old 99 Highway. The decor is simple and homey. A friendly waitress asked us what we would like,and we all chose  the Swedish Pancakes. The pancakes are huge,about the size of a salad plate ! They are a pale yellow color,because of all the eggs inside them,and have  a rich,buttery flavor,which is to die for !!! They come with a cup of lingonberry sauce,a boulder sized dollop of butter that melts and oozes all over the pancakes, and lots of powdered sugar sprinkled all over ! We ladies could only eat two apiece !
   After rolling out of Kady's,we dove to the center of town,and did a little shopping at the Svnsk Butik.Ashley bought some Swedish Dala horse cookie cutters and I bought some red wooden Christmas ornaments in a pig a,little girl,a little boy,and a heart shape.
   After that,we drove to a building that had once housed my grandfather's grocery store.There is a wonderful,enormous mural painted on the side of it,depicting Kingsburg's heritage.
   Unfortunately,at the end of this trip,we ended up landing in jail......Kingsburg's former two celled jail,that is ! The town must not have had much crime in the olden days,as is true today. ! You can peek inside,where you'll see two jailbirds sitting in chairs,playing cards at a tiny table.
   For the richest taste treat and a step back in time,I highly recommend stopping by Kady's Country Kitchen at 1710 Simpson Street and the charming little town of Kingsburg !
   P.S. I added a photo of  Swedish Pancakes  and Mandarin tangerines that I made at home recently for breakfast.....and dinner ! Hee hee !

                Swedish Pancakes (Pannkakor)

6eggs                                           1  1/2 c. flour                          lingonberry sauce
1/2 t. salt                                      2  2/3 c. milk                          powdered sugar
1  1/2 t. sugar                               1/8 lb.melted butter

First cut up some fresh fruit and snip some mint sprigs if you have them. Have this fruit ready to put on the plates when your pancakes are done.Some cooked turkey bacon can be a nice addition too.Heat your oven on low for about 3 minutes and then turn it off. Put your plates in the oven to keep warm .Melt  the butter. Beat eggs until light ; add salt and sugar. Add flour and beat well. Add milk gradually. Add melted butter and stir until blended, or mix all in a blender...Put a small pat of butter in a  hot frying pan or a griddle on medium or lower heat. Pour 1/4 cup or less of the batter in the pan or on the griddle.Cook until the pancake is golden brown on one side,and then flip it over and cook until the other side is golden brown.
   To make them extra rich,put a small pat of butter on top,some lingonberry sauce,and sprinkle a little powdered sugar ! Garnish with your fruit and mint leaves.
   This recipe can be halved for one or two people.I would leave the salt the same measurement,and put in 1 tsp.of sugar. This recipe was found in the Centennial Cookbook (1888-1988) by the cooks of First Covenant Church,Fresno California. Elaine Johnson submitted the recipe and had said to use 2  3/4 c. milk.I changed it to a little less milk.

On love.....In the book "How to Get a Date Worth Keeping" by Dr.Henry Cloud,he talks about being yourself from the beginning when dating. To be continued....
 

 

Hot Spiced Vanilla Milk !

One of my college years was spent attending Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey,California.I lived in a little quaint town next to Monterey called Pacific Grove.My boyfriend and I were vegetarians,and we used to frequent a small hippie cafe called Tillie Gorts,which is still there today,serving the same delicious,comforting foods,desserts,and drinks.

Pacific Grove usually has cool weather,and the nights can be very cold.We used to order a delicious,warm drink on chilly nights that would warm our bellies called Hot Spiced Vanilla Milk,and today they call it Mellow Elixer. I love to make it at home to drink in the afternoon or on a frosty night,as the fire is blazing in the fireplace. There's no caffeine in it which makes it nice for those who can't handle caffeine after 12 noon.Here's my version which may or not be how Tillies makes it.

Hot Spiced Vanilla Milk

Milk ,1 cup (for one person)
1 t. vanilla (I like Mexican vanilla the best)
2-3 t. honey
1/2 t. freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg ,mixed together (or less)
(I put a whole nutmeg and a cinnamon stick in a coffee grinder and grind together)
1/4 t.cloves ,or less (optional)
Whipped Cream

Put all the ingredients in a small pan,stir, and heat to the temperature you want,but not boiling. Add a little (or alot !) of whipped cream on top,and a sprinkle of the spices if desired,or perhaps some chocolate shavings !
This recipe can be doubled,tripled,ect.,according to how many people you are serving. Ahhh.......make your tummy warm and happy !


On love............Speaking of spices,I imagine that you have heard the expression,"Variety is the spice of life !"I believe that this idea is important in relationships as well.Too often in dating,or in marriages,it's possible,for one partner to become so entranced by the other,that they lose interest in their friends,or in their hobbies and interests outside of the love relationship.You'll hear the friends say,"Mary doesn't do things with us anymore,since she's been dating John". Or perhaps,"Since Grace has gotten married,she doesn't paint anymore".
Keep doing those things that make you interesting,and help you to be who you are.Those are the things that may have attracted your spouse to you in the first place,providing that they are good and wholesome activities. Don't abandon the friends that are wise and loving;those that truely care for you,and who will tell you the truth,even when it hurts.We all need a support team and honest people around us,especially if we're being blind in a relationship that is harmful,immoral,or smothering.Examples of support groups can be a loving family,a support group,a Bible study group,or a prayer partner.
Well,I wish you a belated Merry Christmas,Happy Hanukkah,and a Happy New Year ! May God bless you and your family with touches of His love,a close walk with Him,good health,peace, and joy this year ! Take good care of yourself,eat healthy,exercise,try to find a way to be kind to someone every day.
Much Love,
Katy

Tuna Curry with Apples,Raisins,Almonds,Ect.,Ect.

Patio Beside My Cottage "Casa de Arte"

Flowers at the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market

The Santa Barbara Mission

Calvary Chapel Single's New Years Party

My French Class Having a Party Where I Lived

A year ago, I lived in beautiful Santa Barbara,California....the land of blue seas,palm trees,surfers,outdoor cafes,farmer's markets,avacados,and men in Hawaiian shirts.! (And a whole lot more !) I attended Calvary Chapel Church there,where we had small groups that met weekly to study the Bible,to pray for one another,and to eat good food as well !

I was in a group hosted by a sweet young couple who had their first little baby boy.One of the women in the group had a passion for cooking, and she decided that night to jazz up a tuna salad that she was going to bring. Her recipe grew in ingredients by the minute. She added to the tuna....mayonaise,raisins,almonds,curry powder,and some other ingredients,which I'm not positive about right now !
Anyway,my taste buds went zing,zing,bazaam when I tasted it,because of the addition of the spicey curry powder,the crunch of the almonds,and the sweetness of the raisins,ect.....the tuna salads I had been making were starting to be the same ol' thing,ya know what I mean ?

Today I made my version,laid it out on the patio table to photograph it,and who should hop on the table to help herself to a sampling of it,but my cat Poof ! I managed to shoot the photo right before she was able to snitch a nibble ! Afterwards,I had a delicious lunch,including some chocolate mint tea to drink ! I'll tell you how I make that too.

Tuna Curry Salad

1 can of tuna (Tongol tuna from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods has less mercury in it)
1/3-1/2 apple,diced
1 T. raisins,or dried cranberries,or dried cherries
1/2 t.curry powder,or more to taste (don't use old curry powder,it has no flavor)
1-2 T. chopped almonds
2-3 T. chopped spinach,or parsley,or other greens
1/4-1/3 cup mayonaise
a pinch of salt and pepper
1 T. capers (optional)

Mix everything together,TASTE it to see if you need to add anything to make it better, and dollop on open faced pieces of bread,toast,or avacado halves. To make your salad prettier,put a few raisins,chopped almonds,chopped apples,and pieces of the greens,ect. on top.Beautiful presentation is HALF the pleasure of eating !
Put some sliced tomatoes,fruit,ect.on the plate as well to add color and a healthy touch !


Chocolate Mint Tea

1 bunch of chocolate mint ( I buy mine at the Farmer's Market on Shaw and Blackstone in Fresno,Calif.,I hope you can find some !)
2 T. honey

Boil some spring or filtered water in a full tea kettle or a medium sized pan.Add a semi- large handful of washed chocolate mint sprigs.Let the tea steep for one hour or overnight.Add the honey,stir and sip this divine,refreshing tea ! I feel cooler when I drink it,so it is especially lovely in the summer time !

Then have a small piece of dark chocolate for dessert.Close your eyes and savor it as you indulge ! (Some people become happy eating chocolate,and some get a little moody.Which type are you ?

LOVE THOUGHTS.......

Yes,sometimes a recipe,like the same tuna salad made month after month ,gets tiresome and boring.And....speaking of men, women.... and ...... old tuna recipes....yes.....I have been reading the book called,"Finding Mr.Right (and how to know when you have)," by Stephen Arterburn and Dr Meg Rinck. I know...you're saying,"Where is she going with this ?"Well,I'm going to make the comparison between premarital sex and boring tuna salad,or does Mr. Right want to marry the easy woman ?

Mr.Arteburn and Dr. Rinck say......"Mr. Right is not looking for an easy woman.Despite the plethora of sexual imput in our culture today,not everyone is having sex before marriage.Men may be willing to mess around with women for a while,but when they are serious about marriage,they do not like" used goods." (or boring tuna salad !) (my words !)It may seem hypocritical,but it is a reality.Men who are the Mr.Rights of the world are looking for women who are moral,chaste,and able to be faithful.(Of course,Mr. Right must uphold the same standards.

It is never too late to become pure again after having been sexually active.Many people have decided to become abstinate,and to call themselves,"secondary virgins",hopefully saving themselves from an unwanted pregnancy,sexually transmitted diseases,and deep heartbreak. Just as one says no to drugs,one can say no to premarital sex,saving sex for the wedding night.My French teacher's wise Jewish father told her when she was younger....."Sex is the only thing you can do that creates a new life ,so save sex until you get married".I believe God blesses many marriages when the man and woman have chosen to wait. A pastor I heard on the radio said,"My wife and I can usually tell which couples at the wedding ceremony have waited to have sex.They are the most excited !"

I write these things because I care about you,and I don't want to see you make the same mistakes that the "Hippy generation" made ! So,God bless you and happy tuna fishing !

Honey Lemonade

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