Take 11 - Alzheimer's Residence

A while back, my friend and walking buddy, Jill, told me about volunteering at an Alzheimer private Residence here in San Jose. I listened as she started telling me about it but my interest reached its peak when she said she went there with her dog. You see, she is also the parent of a Golden Retriever and her Maggie and my Taylor are best buds. She asked if I would be interested in volunteering there and told me that if I were, she would get in touch with the administrator. I jumped at this opportunity and when after a few days she confirmed I could go, I was elated. I had no doubt Taylor would fit in beautifully because one of his qualities is his leaning habit. For the non dog owners among you, a leaner is a dog who will snuggle up to a stranger and lean into that person to be petted. Golden Retrievers are legendary leaners, love seeking dogs and caress opportunists. A good trait to have for this kind of activity especially when lots of people are wheelchair bound and the main goal is to make them feel somewhat better and sometimes, if you are lucky, make them smile. In order to protect every one's privacy I will not identify the residence nor any of the patients. For our intro visit, Jill was there with Maggie. She introduced us to everyone ...... too many names and faces to  remember all at once, too much to take in, the emotion of it all,  but certain traits and personalities stayed with me. In order to be admitted at that facility, a patient must have been diagnosed with Alzheimer, be it at its early stage or later. You notice right away that you and your dog are tools, instruments in a world that is beyond every day routine. You also leave your ego at the door. No one tells you those things, you figure them out for yourself. The first time I was there, one of the ladies hit me hard on the arm and told me to shut up. One of the nurses, knowing I was new at this, immediately made eye contact with me to gauge my reaction and noticing I wasn't thrown nor shocked, smiled and looked away. Taylor performed beautifully, going to each person and patiently letting each individual touch him and pet him. He also did a few tricks he knows to do when offered a treat. Things went so well, we were invited to return as often as we wanted. I was hooked ! Now, after having been there several times, mostly on my own with Taylor since my friend's and my schedule don't always match, there are things I have noticed, namely, expect the unexpected and leave yourself out of the equation. Some individuals can have perfectly normal conversations some day and the next time you visit not be interested in the same things, repeat some things none stop, temporarily forget your name or be in a foul mood. Another time, it hit be smack in the face ..... all of these people sitting in this dining room had all had a full life, were individuals filled with different interests, held jobs in different fields. I met some who rode horses, some who served in the service and were stationed in Europe, some who painted and drew and still do, some who taught school, some who spoke various languages and still do, some who had had dogs,lots of them did, etc. And now, this disease has reduced them to a fraction of their former self. Going there and volunteering weekly opens my eyes, makes me pay closer attention to people and hopefully makes me a better human being. Those people teach me something each time I go there with Taylor. This disease does not discriminate and it could very well be one of us in there.

Ironically, each time I wrap-up things to leave the residence, pick up Taylor's toys and water bowl and say my goodbyes to everyone promising to return the following week, a lovely lady, the same one each week, always says: Please don't forget us ! 

Summertime is almost here so please find a very refreshing recipe. Don't forget to read the notes.

Watermelon, tomato and cucumber salad 


1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups watermelon chunks
3 cups coarsely chopped heirloom tomatoes
3 cups coarsely chopped cucumbers
1 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Notes: If you can find seedless watermelon, you will save some time and avoid frustration. Also, if you cut    the melon the day before and refrigerate it before making the salad, it will add to that refreshing feeling. Use regular tomatoes if you can't find heirloom and if you are watching calories, use low Feta cheese.



Combine vinegar, salt, pepper and oil; whisk well. Gently toss remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Enjoy !

Take 10 - Odds and ends

Take 10

Odds and ends

With the price of gas so high, ($4.29/gallon in San José) I make a point of seeking the cheapest place to fill up, which just happens to be Costco, and the closest one to me is in Santa Clara. As you enter the parking lot, you can line up to access the pump of your choice. Sometimes there are about 5-6 cars in your queue, so as you wait your turn to fill up and after you have checked your messages on your device, you have time to look around. The other day, as I was waiting and looking around, I noticed something I had never seen. A man exited his car with a plastic shopping bag. He put his hand into the bag  and pressed the buttons on the pad through the plastic bag. He continued this way to remove the cap to his gas tank and then to lift the nozzle and insert into the tank hole. He kept his bag on until he was completely done and then removed the bag, threw it in the trash bin, got into his car and drove away. Was he a germophobe or just someone who hates the smell of gas on his hands ? I'll never know ! Looking to the right, still waiting for my turn and with still nothing better to do,(we do have lots of waiting time here in California, but people do it quietly and patiently, it seems) I noticed another man filling up looking very comfortable in his pajamas bottoms. Only, his pajamas bottoms. I am not making this up, I promise. This guy was shirtless, barefoot and with pajamas bottoms. How much more comfortable can gas buying get ? Other people would have taken a photo of both incidents with their phones but I couldn't. I am Canadian, after all. We are known to be the a polite bunch.

During a trip to Target, I purchased wine. Here in California, there is wine for sale everywhere, even in pharmacies so it is no longer a surprise to find cheap wine $3 a bottle as well as $20+ wines available for every taste, at various shops. No surprise there. The surprise however, came at the till. In Canada, to the eyes of the cashier, if a person could be under age, she will be asked for i.d. Here if you buy it, you have to show i.d., even if you should look to be 99 years old. No discrimination.So you do, no questions asked and no complaints.  Now again at Target, as I was purchasing cold medicine (dayquil/nyquil type) for David last week (my kind and generous husband has now passed on his disease to me, but I digress) I was asked for my i.d. Having nothing to hide, I handed over my brand new California Driver's License, which the cashier quickly proceeded to swipe like a credit card. Seems like it's standard procedure at Target. Needless to say I didn't even bother asking the Target employee, the reason for this and why she didn`t just glance at my birth date. They usually do it because it's company policy and no other reason is given. David thinks it's probably because it takes the reponsibility off the cashier and furthermore, it probably helps build Target's data base. There was a recent article in New York Times Magazine that explained how Target accumulated data on its customers to better target (pardon the pun) coupons and discounts sent to them. Elsewhere, at CVS pharmacy, when you buy such a cold remedy, there is a little tab attached to your receipt and here is what it says: Preventing Teen Cough Medicine Abuse. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase medicine containing destromethorphan
and no questions or id required. I suppose the CVS employees are better judges of age or work under a different set of rules ! Hum ......

Have I mentioned, traffic lights in Silicon Valley are forever long. Probably due to the gazillion cars going through intersections, all day long, no matter what time of day. Where are all of these cars coming from and where are they all going, I sometimes ask myself as I wait, and wait having nothing better to do.... How long are these traffic lights, you ask ? Well... At major intersections a man could shave (electrical shavers please, guys), girls could apply mascara (two coats easily, ladies), one could eat a medium sized apple or a large banana,and this being California, it does happen !. I could go on and on but..... I still have to tell you about a yummy recipe.

Here is a great finger food recipe you could easily turn into dinner. We did and it was great. I will leave the choice of accompanying drink up to you.

Crab Salad in Crisp Wonton Cups

-For the wonton cups

18 wonton wrappers (thawed, if frozen)
2 tsps canola oil
1/4 tsp. salt

-For the dressing

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. olive oil

-For the salad

1/2 pound lump crabmeat (I used canned)
1 stalk celery finely diced (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup peeled and finely diced ripe mango
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion (white and green parts)
2 tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make the wonton cups, brush both sides of the wonton wrappers with the canola oil and gently press wrapper into a mini muffin tin so it forms a cup shape. Sprinkle with salt and bake until brown and crisp 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cups and remove from the tin. To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice and zest, the salt, the black pepper and red pepper. Add the olive oil and whisk until well combined. To make the salad, in a medium bowl, gently toss together the crab meat, celery, mango, scallion and cilantro. Add the dressing and combine. Fill each cup with the crab salad and serve immediately.
P.S. We are planning on trying this same recipe with a different filling like salmon, shrimp or chicken next time for a more potent flavor. I will keep you posted.

Enjoy !


Lori

Take 9 - Blame it on the papers, magazines and DVDs

Take 9

Blame it on the papers, the magazines and the DVDs !

When I lived in Canada, I often fumed at how expensive it was for us Canadians to purchase  or subscribe to American newspaper and magazines or to simply buy a copy of said newspaper or magazine. In Vancouver and way back in Montreal, I would occasionally splurge and buy the Sunday edition of the New York Times. The cost ? $9.50 Can $. Yes, for one paper. The San Francisco Chronicle was approximately the same price. A subscription to a magazine often meant a huge difference between the cost to U.S. residents and Canadian residents.  Ah, the cost of culture ! Well now that problem is no longer. We now have the opposite one. Here papers and magazines are just too cheap. Almost dirt cheap. So inexpensive that I have gone nuts. Really ....  We now have a 7-day subscription to the San Jose Mercury News, as well as the Sunday edition of the New York Times. This also gives  us full access to the electronic edition but there is nothing like holding the paper. Hearing its rustling.... Smelling the ink..... But, I digress. Additionally,  I have subscriptions to The New Yorker (published weekly), O magazine, Real Simple, Architectural Digest, Saveur, and surely I am forgetting some others. I also have a few Canadian magazines subscriptions. Oh and David has a few of his own too. When all is said and done and read, that is a whole lot of reading, I agree..... but after exercising and walking the pooch,doing housework and cooking what else is there to do? The holder of an H4 visa cannot be gainfully employed so this is my fun way of keeping busy and informed until I have Taylor trained as a Therapy Dog.  I have also recently been tempted to look look into volunteering for a Cityof San Jose  Rose Garden in great need of some tlc. I do have some experience with roses but that story is for another day. Stay tuned ....

On a totally different topic and shade of ink you will notice, and to give you a microscopic look into our lives, my husband and I love tv. However, many years ago we gave up on trying to watch series week after week,  religiously, because something always happened to prevent us from keeping up and then we would have a ton of them waiting on our pvr or tapes and the pressure got to be too much and unhealthy. Heck, this is supposed to be a lesurely activity meant to be relaxing. Now we tend to watch the trends and then decide to delve heart and soul into one series or another,catching up with the seasons through Verizon (video-on-demand) or buying the incredibly inexpensive dvds at Target or elsewhere. We are doing basically the same thing as previously but without the pressure and the worry of losing one episode or more.  All this to say that right now, we are into Mad Men, deep into Season 3.With Season 5 now airing, we started with the Pilot and made our way through the first 3 Seasons, at our pace.  Wow ! Very interesting but what a bunch of unhappy and dissatisfied individuals. Despite that, we just can't get enough of Don, Roger, Joan, Peggy, and the rest of the gang. We have to restrain ourselves from watching more than two episodes per night. Another series we just can't get enough of also available in reruns and on Verizon on demand but which is totally different from the first one is, The Big Bang Theory. By the same creators asTtwo and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory (TBBT) is lol funny, super clever and has an immense rerun power. Although very nerdy, it is also very now and can become anyone's favorite after just watching a couple of episodes.  Everyone sees a little bit of one's self in Sheldon, my favorite character. Not every tv  series is worth investing so much time in, but some truly qualify as time well wasted. Now if you decide to relax and watch the tube, you may want to indulge in a wonderful piece of cake. The recipe follows ......

Orange Pound Cake

15 Tbsp. softened unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. milk

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/3 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. grated orange zest

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 6-cup loaf pan with 1 Tbsp. of butter and set aside. Pour milk,eggs,and vanilla in a bowl and beat until well combined; set aside.

Sift together flour, sugar and baking powder into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk. Add zest, beating on medium speed, then add remaining 13 Tbsp. of softened butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time, waiting until each is completely incorporated before adding more.

Slowly add milk-egg mixture, beating constantly, until batter is just mixed together. Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 55-65 minutes or more, depending on your oven. (Lightly cover cake with a piece of foil during baking if the cake begins to get too brown.) Allow cake to cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then un-mold. Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake.

Make glaze by combining sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce glaze by half. Brush some of the warm glaze over the top of the cake, reapplying until cake is saturated.

Yields 8 servings

Bon Appetit !

Lori

Take 8 - Taylor's Story

Taylor's story

Looking back a few years and many miles, David and I were sitting in our family room one evening discussing the pros and cons of adopting a puppy. Mostly pros, I must admit. We had the perfect location and the almost perfect situation. We were living in a large house on a half acre lot of rural bliss on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. David worked mostly from home as did I and there were plenty of good doggie daycare in the area if we ever needed to use one.  What kept coming up during our discussion were the facts that a) we didn't know which breed we wanted and b) neither of us had any experience raising a puppy of any breed. We knew we wanted what would become a large dog and wanted it from puppyhood. After doing a bit of research and regretfully rejecting Bernese Mountain and Newfoundland dogs because of their short life expectancy, our choice went to the Golden Retriever. The Golden's life expectancy is generally about 14 years (although we once met one who was almost 19 and still going strong) and is one of the easiest dogs to raise, perfect for us doggie neophytes. The next step was finding a serious and reliable breeder. I went online and visited the Golden Retriever Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club websites. I gathered lots of information about what to look for in a breeder and what to ask as well as what to expect. When I finally found a great breeder, we went to visit and met with the future Mom, Aimy. When the time came, she would be artificially inseminated (apparently lots of serious breeders now do it this way) with the sperm of a beautiful Golden Retriever named Fisher, who lived in Florida. Yes, when all the stars aligned, the sperm was actually flown from Florida to British Columbia, Canada and Aimy was inseminated . The end result was a gorgeous litter of 8 (6 males and 2 females).  After about 18 months of waiting, filling out forms, visiting, etc., we finally got to take  our baby home with the car radio blasting rock&roll music to sooth him from the shock of being away from his brood, as he cried himself to sleep. It was quite the experience having him in our lives but after little trials and tribulations, our baby is now a great cuddly pet. Let's just say raising a puppy is comparable to the labor pains of a pregnancy..... soon you forget the pain and discomfort and before you know it, you are making plans to do it again. With Taylor at almost 4 years old, we are thinking of getting him a little sister or brother.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I hope you will enjoy looking at these photographs almost as much as we enjoyed taking them. A note on a couple of them. In one photo, Taylor was on our front lawn napping away while several deer stood behind him. (Quite the guard dog !)  Also, on another, he is photographed at 2 years old with his Mom Aimy and his Grand-Mother Scramble. This is probably my favorite photo of all.

Aimy, after giving birth

He's one of them...

Or them...

Definitively one of them!

On the beach, at 5 months.

Before the water...

14 weeks - what can you say!

8 weeks

10 weeks - if you only knew, parents!

The Guard Dog

Smile!

I'm two, I'm too tired.

Taylor, mom Aimy, grand-ma Scramble.

Ah! Vancouver.  I'm 3.

Hello California!

Enjoy also the easy chicken recipe.

Barcelona Chicken Skillet

2 teaspoon Paprika
2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black Pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet pepper (green, red, orange or yellow) cut into thin strips
1 large onion quartered then the pieces halved
1 can 14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chicken broth or dry Sherry
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Mix flour, salt and all spices except peppers in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour. Cook chicken in hot oil in large skillet on medium high heat 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove from skillet. Add bell pepper and onion to the skillet and cook and stir for five minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth or Sherry and remaining flour. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in red pepper (if using). Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes or more until chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy !

Lori

Take 7 - This, that and the other .....

This, that and the other .....


As I might have mentioned, we live in a rental townhouse which is part of a large gated rental complex in an average neighborhood. Rent ? Almost $2,500, and yes,monthly for a 25+ year old place. Prices were never so high in the past. The rental market is on fire at the moment and this has been going on since over a year now. Why? Here's how I understand it. People who can no longer afford to pay their mortgage are turning to rentals, so there is a higher demand for rental homes of all kinds and there goes rental complex conglomerates cashing in on people's demise and all of this taking place as we arrive in California. We can understand $2500 being justified for a new and luxurious apartment but for an older place ??? Another thing we had never heard of is pet rental. The complex is pet friendly but who wouldn't be when you charge $35.00 per pet per month, including the ones you never see, like our cat. Another thing we had never seen any place else, is a monthly bill for water consumption, sewage and garbage pick-up, an equivalent to homeowners' municipal taxes in Canada. Shouldn't that expense be included in our already sky high rent?  Ah well, so is the cost of living in wonderful and beautiful California !

Driving in California is a pleasure ! Yes, really .I guess it all depends on what you've seen elsewhere. Full disclosure, David and I are not car people. We can drive, of course, but we are not driving horses. We hardly ever take the Freeway. Street driving is great and good enough, as far we are concerned. Barring the odd impatient and angry driver, and they are few and far between, people here are generally very patient on the road. When we first moved here, I was a little overwhelmed, to say the least. I didn't and still don't have a good sense of directions so it was hard for me to remember how to get somewhere and names of streets and I did get lost a few times. However, each time, there was a Guardian Angel to get me out of trouble and to show me the right way. Also, when you are unsure you tend to slow down looking around to find your way. Never, I promise you, has someone honked or passed me in a fury like in other North American cities. Furthermore, in the California Driver Handbook published by the DMV, they have a whole paragraph on honking and that basically it should be used solely for emergency purposes or to get someone's attention in case of danger. I can actually say that I very rarely hear car horns here. At first you don't notice it and one day it dawns on you. Of course I am talking of driving experiences almost exclusively in Silicon Valley. For anywhere else in California, you will have to stay tuned.

We have also noticed how polite and helpful people are in businesses and public places. People are careful not to bump into you with their shopping carts and apologize for cutting you off. Is it that we are new here and still with stars in our eyes unable to see the yoga for the yoga mats ? If so, NAMASTE everyone !

Now an update to a previous post. Not so long ago, I mentioned the swallows of the Capistrano Mission. Well it would appear they no longer go there. They used to arrive in Spring to build nests among the stone ruins of the Mission. Now they aren't coming anymore because cliff swallows, who are not birds of forests and generally avoid treed areas, did not care for the increase in trees and vegetation in Southern California. They are seen in the area each Summer but not at the Mission. Research is being done to find artificial ways of luring them back.

Here is a recipe for a great way to use leftover pasta, particularly spaghetti. I adapted a recipe from the great Giada Di Laurentiis by adding a few ingredients. Feel free to switch some items too.

Torta di Pasta


8oz spaghetti
1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 large eggs
1/2 cup bacon bits
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup grated Fontina
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil


Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain. Toss with the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, bacon bits, salt, pepper flakes, Parmesan and Fontina. Add the cooled spaghetti mixture and toss to coat.


Preheat the broiler; melt the butter and oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the skillet and press to form an even layer. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and broil until the top is golden brown about 5 minutes depending on your oven. Remove the skillet from the oven and cool to room temperature.


Invert the torta onto a plate and cut into wedges.


Enjoy !


Lori

Take 6 - University Campuses

In Montreal I was charmed by McGill University's campus, prior to and while studying there. I loved to walk around admiring its very old buildings, the majesty of its architecture and loveliness of its mature trees. Little did I know I had not seen anything yet. A few years later, I moved to Vancouver, British Columbia and was enchanted by UBC (University of British Columbia) and its small village feel with large expanses of grassy areas, and acre upon acre of prime land, even parts of it bordering the Pacific. Now, needless to say, I have been bowled over by the American universities. Even the smaller ones like Santa Clara and San Jose State University are  peaceful places to visit and totally inspiring. I was not prepared for my first visit to Stanford. OMG ! More than impressive...... if not just the mere size of it. We were there for a few hours and managed to cover only a fraction of it. Fountain after magnificent fountain of calming water, landscaping displays and hundreds upon hundreds of palm trees. Also, all campuses are pet friendly (on leash, of course) so lots to see while your pet is getting his or her exercise and you are too.  There is a totally impressive church to visit once you have driven the long driveway and parked your car. Stanford Memorial Church, dedicated in 1903, is located at the end of the mile long axis and was built at the request of Jane Stanford as a memorial to her husband. I often talk about churches and chapels, true, but only because I find the architectural details so amazing. You can stand either inside or outside and admire the intricate work of artisans of stained glass and mosaic. Simply awesome.  The fountains are also something to see. I love fountains. I don't know how many there are on the Stanford grounds but I saw several and as I intend to go back, I will count them and photograph them all. In the meantime, here are some photos and I promise more to come in another post.

Here is a very easy recipe for yummy muffins. It's a no fail breakfast staple.

Banana Walnut Muffins

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 very ripe bananas
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup walnuts (whole or chopped)

Blend first 4 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended. Fill paper cups with batter and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Enjoy !

Lori.

Take 5 - Missions

Many years ago, during my first trip to California, I visited San Juan Capistrano (founded in 1776) located 70 miles North of San Diego and one of the 21 Missions between San Diego and San Francisco. I was so impressed with its beauty, calm and tranquility that I promised myself I would make a point to visit each one of the 20 other Missions, at one time or another. A tall order when you live in Montreal ! San Juan Capistrano is the one Mission where each year, on or about March 19th, (St. Joseph's Day)  the swallows return to stay until it is no longer warm enough for them and they leave again to winter south of there.  How they know to return at the same date is a mystery to everyone and many people gather at the Mission each year to witness their return. Fast forward many years later, 3 years ago actually, this time with David, we visited San Diego de Alcalá (founded in 1769). Another beautiful chapel with well maintained grounds and the ubiquitous gift shop. I don't approve of the gift shops in every Mission but let's face it, maintaining a place like that cannot be cheap and this is a way to generate funds. Also, David has a dear Aunt who is a nun and we make a point of getting her a little token from each visit to a Mission. Now since living here, we have visited two more: Santa Clara de Asís in Santa Clara (founded in 1777) and the first to bear the name of a woman. After many relocations due to fire, flood and earthquake, it finally settled at its present location also known as Santa Clara University. Finally, our fourth Mission visit was in Carmel on Christmas Day (more on Carmel in another post) where we walked the grounds and visited the chapel of San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (founded in 1770) in the bright sunshine on a bitterly cold day. Unfortunately, being Christmas Day when we visited, the shop was closed so no gift for dear Auntie Micheline which only means we will have to return. For more information on the Missions go to www.missionscalifornia.com The next three we plan on visiting will probably be San Francisco de Asis, located in San Francisco, San Jose. located in Fremont and Santa Cruz, located 72 miles South of San Francisco  in beautiful Santa Cruz. More on those in a later post.
For now, enjoy those photos taken at the aforementioned Missions:

Here is a wonderful recipe I found in a magazine and have adapted to my taste. The finished product looks so professional, your guests or family will not believe you actually made it yourself. A few pointers I have picked up through trial and error and after making this tart at least a dozen times. I don't suggest trying it with oranges, although quite tempting, because the orange taste does not come out as outstanding. A tart pan with removable bottom is a must if you want to achieve the professional look. And finally, tart weights. They are ceramic beans you put in the bottom of your uncooked crust, over parchment paper to ensure your crust does not puff upward. You can also use regular beans which you will discard when the crust is done. Your choice !

Classic lemon Tart

Crust:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 TB sugar
1 TB lemon zest
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut in pieces
1 egg yolk

Filling:
2 eggs + 5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup 35% cream
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 TB Limoncello (optional)
Icing sugar for dusting

Position rack in bottom of oven and preheat to 350F
Combine flour+sugar+lemon zest in bowl of a food processor and mix. Add butter + yolk. Whir until crumbs clump together, about 1 minute. Transfer dough to centre of a 9" tart pan (with removable bottom). Press dough firmly from middle to edges. Line pastry with parchment paper and pie weights. Bake with tart pan on a baking sheet for about 25 minutes.

Whisk eggs + egg yolks + sugar in large bowl. Whisk in cream +lemon juice and limoncello (if using). When crust is done, remove beans and parchment. Pour filling through a sieve into crust. Return tart with baking sheet to oven and bake 30 minutes more until filling jiggles slightly when shaken. Cool on cooling rack. Refrigerate 1 hour and sift icing sugar over top.

Bon appétit !

Lori