Take 22 - A trip Up-North (kind of !)

A few weeks ago, David took a day off. We left San Jose late on that sunny Friday morning and headed North. A short drive later and minutes after checking into our hotel, we were enjoying lunch in Japantown (but more on that later). Yes, I am talking about San Francisco again, located North of San Jose and a mere 45 minute drive, traffic cooperating. Very accessible either by car or by train (see a previous post). The trick is to rid yourself of your car as soon as possible to enjoy the city on foot. The reason for this comment is that parking in San Francisco can be a nightmare and spaces are at a premium. So if you decide to visit, plan your day or days carefully.

For us, this time, things were truly different. We felt like two teenagers out on the town with some money in our pockets. The difference ? No pooch. We had not spent a night away from Taylor since ..... 18 months. Last time we were away from him overnight was when he flew from Vancouver to San Francisco via Toronto. (See the details of that trip in Take 2 of my blog.) We have hired a trainer for our Goldie and this wonderful person also does occasional dog boarding for her clients, freeing us and enabling us to take trips sans chien.

Japantown is a neighbourhood which is amazing to visit. The architecture is authentic and surprising and looking upwards can often make you discover little gems like shops or simply a beautiful building. Speaking of shops, they are numerous and can be terribly inexpensive such as (Daiso) where almost all items cost $1.50 or very expensive if you go to antique shops or jewelry stores. In the main mall, not to be missed because of its Japanese decor, Japanese lunch can be had for a few dollars and everything is fresh and tasty. Of course, having lived in Vancouver for more than a decade makes me a fussy customer when it comes to Japanese food but the food is worth the detour.

The weather up there was typical for San Fran. Every morning was gray with a marine layer (looks like thick clouds), then the sun broke through for a few hours warming our bones as we walked beneath wall-to-wall blue skies. By late afternoon, the fog would dramatically rolled in with a fierce cool wind blowing and marking the end of the clement weather for that day. The expression used for this weather phenomenon is May Grays and later in the season, June Gloom.

When we go to San Francisco, we generally do not like to make plans. We like to meander. Going up one street and down another. This is how we discover little shops and restaurants. One of these shops is Utsuwa on Polk Street at Bush Street. It is a magical tiny store specializing in bonsais and terrariums. There are large ones but there are lots of small and very affordable specimens beautifully displayed in a space full of light. the owner is friendly and helpful and, should you decide to adopt a bonsai or terrarium, he will patiently explain the ins and outs of taking care of it. He will even evaluate online or in person, your adoptee's health. I urge you to go visit, even if you are not planning on purchasing. We fell for the charm of the place and their plants and brought home a bonsai and a terrarium. One sits in my kitchen window, the other outdoor on our upstairs deck. Here are photos of my newly adopted specimens.







During that weekend, we had lunch in North Beach (where there is no beach and which is also known as Little Italy) at Trattoria Pinocchio. The Fettucine Puttanesca were outstanding. David raved about the Calzone too. We sat outside at a sidewalk table. Very casual but also very romantic. The service was friendly, relaxed and efficient. We would go back there in a heartbeat. The restaurant is located on Columbus Street At Vallejo Street. Prices are also quite reasonable for San Francisco and for such good quality food.

On another day we took a cable car (my first time, despite all of my previous visits to San Francisco) on California street and headed downtown. We walked to the wharf, which is usually rather crowded but on that Sunday, Mother's Day, the streets were less busy and we took our time to enjoy the walk. We decided to go visit Tcho chocolate. Tcho is an American high end chocolate company based in San Francisco. Their headquarters, shop and factory are at Pier 17 on the Embarcadero. You can purchase chocolate there and you can even tour their factory. Their products come in white, milk and dark and are amazing and original. Not your usual flavors. Go try a sample !

Going to San Francisco is a constant surprise because the city keeps evolving and changing. It is a city, very much like Paris, that you discover bit by bit while walking its streets and people watching. When we go there, we leave the rushing around to others and savor all that is San Francisco. Here are a few photos including a couple of Chinatown streets, the inside of the a Cable Car and a few buildings.









Here is a refreshing salad:

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
2 large cucumbers
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped mint

Peel the cucumbers. Cut them in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice very thinly. (I use a vegetable peeler). Place the cucumber slices in a colander. Sprinkle with salt (a pinch or two) and let drain 15-20 minutes. Mix the garlic, lemon juice, yogurt and dill in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in the cucumber slices. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the mint. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving and enjoy.

Bon Appétit !

Lori

Take 21 - Day Trip to Livermore

Day Trip to Livermore

Livermore is a wonderful little town part of the California Tri-Valley area. The Tri-Valley area includes the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Ramon and is located 33 miles east of San Francisco and 27 miles north of San Jose. For the purpose of this post, we will concentrate on Livermore. The route to Livermore from San Jose via  highway 680 is truly a visual pleasure. It's the type of scenery where you wish you had someone to chauffeur you around so everyone could enjoy the beauty.The rollings hills are greener than green and look like large balls under a blanket of Kelly green velvet. They give a brand new meaning to the topographical term "rolling hills". We arrived in Livermore and parked downtown. This area was renovated 7 years ago and although we never saw the old downtown, I think we can safely say that they did a wonderful job. It has received the National American Main Street Award. It is truly beautiful with public places, sidewalk dining and lots of interesting stores. It also has one of the best comic book store, my husband has ever seen! :-) As well, Livermore has a Premium Outlet Mall with over 120 stores for us ladies to enjoy.

After visiting downtown and having lunch at a cute Japanese sidewalk terrace, we headed out to wine country, about a 10 minute drive. Livermore has over 50 wineries where you can visit, taste and purchase the local wines. We were looking to send a case of California wine to a well deserving Real Estate agent in Vancouver, British Columbia so I picked two wineries at random. One large and one small. After visiting both I can now safely say small is not always better. At the small one,  which shall remain nameless, the wine tasting was rushed, the price of the tasting was not deductible from your purchase and the personnel was unsure when questioned about their wines and the region. At the larger winery (Wente) ,the experience was much better. Of course, you will assume that after tasting 6 different wines at the first one, any other visit would be great, right ? Well you could but despite what you may think, I was not drunk, nor impaired and not driving. At Wente the personnel was knowledgeable, attentive and interested in my comments on their products. The tastings were generous and the wines were outstanding. I could go on and on about the wineries but I would rather inform you of shipping wine to Canada. Shipping wine to Canada or even to another U.S. state from Livermore or from anywhere in California appears to be a very tedious operation. Now if you are a Canadian visiting California and wishing to ship wine from California to Canada, be informed that the only province you cannot ship to is British Columbia. A competition clause due to the important wine industry in that province prevents you from shipping to BC. That news forced us to make alternate plans for our favorite real estate agent.  To ship wine anywhere else in Canada, you buy the wine and call Fedex who will ship it for you and provide you with all of the customs fees and details. The wineries will not handle that transaction for you. Of course you can drive it back to Canada, if you are so inclined but that would be a long ride and I don`t know what the  added cost per bottle would be at Border. It's better to find out before and avoid the surprise of the surcharge.

We really enjoyed our time there and it is at the top of our list of contenders as a place to buy a house.  People there are nice and friendly and love their town. Finally, Livermore is also a great place to spend the day. Bring a picnic, bring your bicycle but beware, the Summer days can be quite hot in that area so bring lots of water and sunscreen. And don't forget your camera !

P.S. I will add photos when I figure out how to transfer my photos from my new camera to my computer. Stay tuned !

Here's a quick and easy meatball and tomato sauce recipe you can freeze and use on a night when extra time is a luxury.

Meatballs with tomato sauce
(Serve it over rice, pasta, quinoa, couscous or just as is)


32oz/ 1kg canned tomatoes
4 Tb extra virgin olive oil
7 oz/200 g crusty white bread
1 lb/500 g ground lean beef
1 cup/125 g grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste

Cook the tomatoes with the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 15 minutes stirring often. Grate the bread into a large bowl. Mix in the beef, parmesan and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in 4 Tb of the tomatoes. Shape the mixture into balls about the size of large plums. Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce. Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through, shaking the pan very gently from time ti time. Serve the meatballs hot with the sauce.

Enjoy !

Lori

Take 20 - Tax Time or On my way to San Francisco

On Caltrain, leaving San Jose Diridon Station

1st stop Santa Clara

It's tax time and my husband David does our taxes. He has always done them but now it has become more complicated since we are filing two reports for the US and one for Canada, so double the trouble or pleasure, depending on your point of view. Where am I going with all of this talk about tax returns? Well, this is when David turns into a person I hardly know.

Next stop, Lawrence

The mood has to be just right, the papers put a certain way and particularly I, have to be out of the way. Reminds me of someone in a very distant past life who would become a very emotional man when painting a room. So emotional that staying there would have qualified me for instant excommunication from the Catholic church by osmosis. So, of course, I would choose not to be there to watch the blasphemous process but rather back later to admire da Vinci's masterpiece. But, I digress ....

Next stop, Sunnyvale.

In this case, I was dispatched to San Francisco for a ME Day. Financial concerns thrown to the wind, as everyone knows how San Fran can be mighty tempting and at times, quite expensive.

Next stop, Mountain View.

I love travelling by train. It's calming and while you can do so many things, I choose to just stare out the window as the scenery and the stations go by. So, for now, if you will leave me with my thoughts on this 88 minute train ride. Aaaaah !

All of the other stops: San Antonio, California Avenue, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont, Hillsdale, Hayward Park, San Mateo, Burlingame,
Millbrae, San Bruno, So. San Francisco, Bayshore, 22nd Street.

So, once off the train at 22nd Street, a station I had never exited from, I was at a loss to find the bus stop for Bus 48. The map on my phone said it was located at 22nd and Iowa. However, I searched,I looked, I walked back and forth a couple of time and just couldn't find it when all of a sudden, there it was !  Printed on a post, as this photo will attest. 

Also, while on a Muni bus in San Fran, I first saw a group boarding the bus with a dog. Okey, I mused. Then, a few stops later another lady boards with a dog. Curiouser and Curiouser ! Upon exiting I asked the driver what was up with the dogs on the bus and here is the thing: dogs are allowed on San Francisco buses outside rush hour. Whot?!  If your dog is a service dog, he rides for free. If he is not a service dog, you pay regular adult fare for your dog. Yes, a bus fare for your pooch ! I was flabbergasted ! Wow. Has anyone ever seen such a service. Don't get me wrong, I am overjoyed. One day I will ride a Muni bus with my Taylor, just for the experience of it all and I will take and post photos of it too.

Once off the bus, my destination was Omnivore.

A cookbook aficionado's dream, Omnivore is a book store totally dedicated to cookbooks, new, older, antiques and collectors' treasures including signed copies of various cookbooks. It also has books on food history and food related subjects. The large single room is airy and filled with light. At my request, the owner enthusiastically walked me through the sections. She also explained how the store holds events such as signings. On the afternoon of the day I visited, the store was holding a pudding contest where entrants dispensed their puddings to anyone who paid the $5.00 fee to try all puddings and finally crown a winner. While there I bought three wonderful books and discussed authors with the owner. This lady knows her stuff and her cookbooks. She also regaled me with anecdotes about authors and past book signing events. I will return to buy more books and surely to enjoy another chat about cookbooks and their authors. So if cookbooks are your thing, I urge you to visit. Here is the info,
Omnivore Books, 3885 Cesar Chavez Street, San Francisco. 
And if you cannot make your way to San Francisco, visit the store's website at: omnivorebooks.com

I spent the rest of my day walking, shopping and simply enjoying the city and its throngs of people. I know I have said this or something similar in a past post but how strange this is to be walking the streets of San Francisco as a California resident and not as a tourist. It's a strange but also great feeling.

Finally, how educational to take day trips to the City, as San Francisco is called here. Does that imply that everywhere else (San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View,etc., etc.,) are all towns?  Hummm. Anyway, as I was saying it's an education to go to the City. Did you know you could drink alcohol on Cal trains? BYOB if you will ! I was on the train going back to San Jose and from my vantage point on the upper deck, I thought I spotted a girl on the lower deck drinking from a bottle that looked suspiciously like a beer bottle. I was afraid for her as I thought she would get caught when a few minutes later there was an announcement saying that because of a hockey game that evening (the Sharks were playing in San Jose) there would be no alcohol consumption allowed on the train after 9:00 pm. Huh ? Ok, so party on train riders ?!?

Because of the length of this particular post, I will skip the recipe, just this time. Promise :-)

Take 19 - My Playlist

Having been down and out with the Mother of all colds and coughs for the past few weeks and no, it was not the flu and yes, I had my flu shot, I have done little in the way of day trips and hole in the wall discovery around the Bay Area. So, in order to redeem myself a little to all you devoted readers and followers I thought I would tell you a bit about my playlist. Everywhere you read an interview of some famous person, the ubiquitous question is: What's on your playlist ? Well, I am not famous nor important but I have a big dog who needs lots of exercise, so I walk a lot. I also go to the gym several times a week so, I listen to a lot of music. I thought I would give you a sampling of what I listen to on my IPhone or on my mp3 on an almost daily basis. You will find a link to the YouTube video for that song. I hope you enjoy this musical journey!

The newer ones :


Allen Stone - Sleep

Churchill - Change

Neon Trees - Everybody Talks

Fun - We are young

Graffiti6 - Free

Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't gotta work it out

John Mayer - If I ever get around to living


The oldies but goodies :

Level 42 - Lessons in love

The Eagles - Already gone

The Doobie Brothers - Minute by Minute

Tears for fear - Everybody wants to rule the world

Earth, Wind and Fire - Got to get you into my life

Supertramp - Dreamer


Now on to the food part of this post.
Here is a sweet recipe that is nothing if not super easy and here is a little trick to make it even easier. The recipe uses a jar of Nutella (13 oz) or a similar product. A few seconds in the microwave before whisking with the eggs and water will save you some serious elbow grease. Just make sure to carefully and completely remove the metallic seal on the jar. This recipe gives you moist and flavorful brownies. Quite decadent !

Coffee-Chocolate Brownies
Makes 9 brownies

Ingredients

1 (13-ounce) jar (about 1¼ cups) chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella or a similar product
2 eggs
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant coffee, preferably instant espresso


Directions

Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8"-square baking pan with foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together chocolate-hazelnut spread, eggs, and ¼ cup water. Stir in flour, salt and instant coffee and transfer to prepared pan. Bake until just set around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to let cool completely. The brownies will be moist in the center.

Using foil to lift them, remove brownies from pan. Cut brownies into squares and enjoy.

Take 18 - A New Year with New Toys !

 A NEW YEAR WITH NEW TOYS  !


Happy New Year to all of you ! And what a great year it will be if only for the fact that during the Holidays in Monterey (more on that later), I discovered the online game, Words with Friends. I knew of the game through the Alec Baldwin incident on a plane and all, but until I actually tried it, I hadn't experienced the thrill. Total disclosure ? I am lousy at it. Oh, I come up with great words but I am no strategist. David, on the other hand, is a great strategist, with simpler words.  So, most of the time I lose but still, I love the game and I am probably slightly addicted to it. Ok, totally addicted to it. I will keep at it and hopefully, I will improve and beat my husband at it.

So now on to Monterey. I know, at the risk of boring some of you to tears, we love our Golden Retriever, Taylor and we often plan our free time with him in mind. So this time we headed to Monterey (next to Carmel). While I would not recommend the hotel I chose (Mariposa Inn)  with creaky floors and a huge charge ($40 a night) to have Taylor stay with us, I highly recommend Monterey where your dog, large or small is welcome into almost all stores including Crate & Barrel, H&M, Pottery Barn and too many other stores to list here. I think it's wonderful to be able to go on short vacations and to include your dog. To walk the streets, stop for a coffee or a meal at a terrace, stroll parks and visit sites with your pooch is a great thing.

For Christmas I was given a Fitbit. Ok,  I asked for a Fitbit as a Christmas present and frankly, here is another thing that is totally addictive. Fitbit is a device that tracks all kinds of things you do from the number of steps you take, the calories you burn, the stairs you climb, etc. you clip it to your t-shirt or bra, you sync it with your laptop or pad or both and this way every day you get a full report of your physical activities. The aim is to reach or do better than 10,000 steps a day. Steps can be reached through walking, of course, but also if you are pedaling on a bike at the gym or if you are standing you can step, discreetly or not while you wait around, so why not step and be active. And while we are on the subject of fitness, I have joined a gym. A recent bone density test forced me to finally take the plunge. I had looked into joining a gym since I moved here to California but I was not satisfied with what I saw while visiting several places. I didn't want the usual muscle building factory. I wanted something better. So, one day,I came across Club One at Santana Row here in San Jose. OMG, I fell hard and with good reasons. Located on the third floor of a building in fantastic Santana Row, the elevator doors opened into a huge reception area with large windows that let the sun shine in. The place is clean and modern and looks more like a spa than a gym. The ladies' locker room is great with all you could need to get ready after your workout. Everything is supplied including cotton balls, Q-tips, mouthwash, body wash and lots more. This locker room also includes also includes a sauna and a steam room. There are loads of classes, the equipment is top of the line and at the time I go, there are no waiting lines for any machine. Anyway, what I'm getting at is, I started in mid-December and love going there. I believe the trick is, choose your gym carefully. Visit many and choose the best you can afford. This place isn't cheap, but if you love it you'll go. At least, that is my philosophy. It's simply a pleasure each time. The minute I walk in, you feel like getting on with business.  And did I mention the personnel is outstanding. Ok, enough on my wonderful gym !

To help you get through Winter, how about a warming drink ? This is Dr. Sanjay Gupta's favorite concoction and it's also good for your brain. I tried it and loved it.

Dr. Gupta's Creamy Turmeric Tea
(1 serving)

1 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ginger
1 teaspoon Honey to drizzle on top

Pour milk in a saucepan and add the spices. Over medium heat and as the milk warms, whisk it all together. When milk is warm enough to drink and before boiling, pour into a mug. Drizzle honey on top.

ENJOY !

Take 17 - It happened just the other evening ......

It happened just the other night ......

I was just about to start preparing dinner when I heard on the news that a gunman had been spotted on the San Jose City College campus and that the school was now in 'lockdown'. This, only four days after the horrific event in Connecticut ! Someone had called the police to say a man carrying a gun had been seen on campus. The previous day, another call had come in with the caller claiming a person on campus was brandishing a knife. SJCC is a 5-minute walk from where we live. It's located on a very large landscaped and treed lot which includes many buildings, a football field, a fastball field, indoor and outdoor parking lots, and loads of other installations. I often go walking there with our Golden Retriever. Everyone is always very cool about him, stopping to pet him and ask questions about him and on weekends, I often leave him off leash to run on the grassy areas. In a few minutes, I started hearing helicopters hovering nearby. I could see through my kitchen window that the spotlights were on at the school's football field. David, who usually walks home from his shuttle stop and passes right in front of SJCC every night, was going to get a lift home that evening. I would pick him up. I also have to drive by the school to go get him so soon observed that  part of the street was blocked with police cars and several members of a SWAT team could be seen searching around. It was a scary scene, even if I just saw it for a few seconds from my car window. Then, after a few hours and to make a long story short, it was reported that the whole thing had been a hoax. However, SJPD and the SWAT team did not treat it as a hoax and proved they could be there in a hurry, if need be. A reporter on tv made a connection with the fact that it was also exam time. Could someone actually be so STUPID to commit such an act as stage a hoax to avoid taking his or her final exam ??? I suppose, in this day and age, the answer would be yes.  Such an operation deploying personnel and equipment is not only extremely costly but nerve wracking for personnel and students at the school. Some students and teachers stayed locked many hours in several classes until they received the all clear from authorities. Not to speak of people living in the neighborhood who were very disturbed by the event. The news report also mentioned there would be a follow-up to trace the call and text sent in to the SJPD.

The very next day, Taylor and I resumed our walk through the Campus and even sat on ''our bench'', enjoying the sunshine. Yes, we do have our bench where he drags me each time either to drink water to just to chill. He jumps up and sits close beside me. Such a smart dog. Thank God it was only a hoax !

 I have been meaning to talk about La Gruellense, which is a Drive-Thru taco place located on San Carlos, in downtown San Jose. The tacos there literally melt in your mouth. There are several tables outside but the best part is the drive-thru where you speak face-to-face with a smiling employee to place your order wait a few minutes and are on your way home or office or park to enjoy your delicious tacos. So far, we have enjoyed the chicken and carnitas ones. There are a few other items on the menu but so far, we have only been drooling over those two. Here is the address: 400 West San Carlos Street. Oh, and did I mention they are dirt cheap ?  It's really a win/win !

And, while we are on the subject of food, here is another wonderful and easy recipe.


California Guacamole
2 avocados
1 small white onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 ripe tomato chopped
1 lime juiced
Salt + Pepper to taste

Peel avocados and put them in a medium bowl, mashing them with a fork against the bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, tomato and lime juice + salt and pepper. Chill 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Bon appétit !

Take 16 - One-Year Anniversary

A year ago today, I was arriving in California on Air Canada and saying "hello" to my adoptive Country and coveted State. So far and for the most part, life has been great here. So now I have put together a list of  a few things I've learned, in no particular order and bearing no degree of importance.

A) don't hand over your credit/debit card at the store when it's time to pay....... .no one will take it anyway. You slide it into the slot yourself and enter your info.

B) if you see something you like in a store, buy it!  It will not be there when you decide to return for it and you will hate yourself. Besides, stores here have unbelievable return policies and you will be refunded almost everywhere. So go ahead and shop ! Also, there are tons of coupons for all stores in newspapers, in the mail and online. Competition is fierce here and every store works hard to get your money and they will do what it takes to get you to come back.

C) you can grow fruit bearing trees in containers on your balcony in San Jose. Lemons, oranges, figs and olives.  I even cured my own olives. Yes, it is probably the smallest production in the world but right now they are curing and resting. We will taste the fruit of my labor at the end of January. As for the lemons and oranges ? It will be a while but still, it's terribly exciting !

D) in a medical emergency, you call your physician who meets you at the hospital. Here, differently than in Canada, you get your physician's phone number. The relationship is a more personal one.

E) in the US, there are only two days in the year when everything comes to a grinding halt and those days are Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Make sure you have everything you need or go without until the next day, when things return to normal. However, this year, some stores are talking about tagging on Thursday evening to Black Friday. Who will win this one, the employees who would rather have the complete day off or the big chain stores who want to up their Holiday Season sales ?

F) here in the USA, there is mail delivery 6 days a week .... a little luxury we have quickly taken for granted. Yes it's a costly luxury for the country to maintain this extra day of mail service and one day it will end but meanwhile we are enjoying it immensely.

G) in Vancouver, we hardly used our car. I had to go down in the underground parking, start our car and drive around the block  2 or 3 times to make sure it would start when needed. Here, no need for that little exercise. There is nothing we can buy or pick up within walking distance. Our 12 year old car is growing up at warp speed. When we left Vancouver, the odometer showed the equivalent of 50,000 miles. Now, we use it every day and sometimes several times a day. In an average family where there are two or three children of driving age, you often see 3-4 cars. Life can be really nightmarish here without a car.

H) in California, hair stylists are graduates of a trade school, differently from in British Columbia where the stylists are taught and expected to practice for a number of hours and then they are done.  The difference is quite apparent. The ones I have met are  highly experienced, creative and extremely responsible. I love the results.

I) Need to go to the DMV, make an appointment. You will save yourself half a day. Those people mean well but they are short staffed and often have to deal with people of all kinds, which can take a long time per individual.

I could go on, but I won't. Vacationing in a place and living in it permanently are two completely different things. On vacation, we tend to see life through rose colored glasses and why not ? Vacation is a time to indulge in fantasies. Every day life can be seen through clear lenses and as most of it is great a small part of it can be downright daunting. All this being said, California is a great place to live and after one year, I am still thrilled to be here.

Here is comfort food at its best.

Gingerbread Cake

1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
2-1/2 cup of flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup molasses
1 cup hot water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
3. Combine molasses and water and add to butter mixture alternately with flour mixture. Beat until creamy.
4. Grease or line 8 inch square pan with wax paper. Pour in batter and bake 50-60 minutes. Serve plain or with toppings like whipped cream or applesauce. I serve it with applesauce because I love the contrast of the two flavors.

Enjoy !

Lori