In Hollywood for Carmen

Posted on 02. Aug, 2010 by kchristieh in food, music

Georges Bizet had never set foot in Spain when he composed “Carmen.” Perhaps that explains why this classic opera incorporates so many Spanish stereotypes: the beautiful dark-haired woman in the red dress, the bullfighters, the passion. Last night we enjoyed hearing the LA Philharmonic perform “Carmen” at the Hollywood Bowl, and were reminded of how many of the songs have become familiar classics. The funniest moment came when the woman next to us started singing, “Toreador, don’t spit on the floor. Use the cuspidor. Whaddaya think it’s for?” We thought the words fit the song better than those that Bizet wrote. They’ll be stuck in my head until a catchy Black-Eyed Peas song takes its place.

My extensive Yelp research didn’t inform me that the restaurant we had chosen for a pre-concert dinner, Los Balcones del Peru, was undergoing renovations. Never fear: I’d had the foresight to print out my second-choice Yelp review, so we headed over to Sapp Coffee Shop and enjoyed some wonderful Thai food. According to Yelp, Anthony Bourdain enjoyed their boat noodles soup, and my daughter agreed that it was very good. I adored my Phad Woon Sen (glass noodles sauteed with onion, green onion, tomatoes and chicken). Too bad it arrived at least 15 minutes after everyone else’s food did. Thankfully, my husband shared his chicken curry with me. I was looking forward to leftovers for lunch today, but I’m sure that the homeless woman I met near our car enjoyed my meal last night.

We searched in vain for a frozen yogurt store between the restaurant and the Hollywood Bowl, but instead we found the Museum of Death and its companion, the Chaos Gallery. We didn’t go in. It sounds creepy to me, so I don’t think I’ll visit any time soon. Then again, the Bunny Museum is creepy too.

I wonder what kind of opera Bizet would write about L.A.?

My new favorite cooking site

Posted on 09. Jul, 2010 by kchristieh in art, food

What happens when artists from all over the world showcase their skills to clearly present their favorite recipes? You get “They Draw & Cook: Recipe Renderings by Artists, Illustrators & Designers.” This fabulous blog features mouth-watering recipes depicted in a variety of different artistic styles, but all within a one-frame picture. The recipes range from cake to salmon rillettes to salsa verde, and hail from countries as diverse as Japan to Italy to Poland.

I love seeing how people can take the same assignment and come up with something completely different. I’d love to make all the recipes, but I think I’ll start out with the Tatziky,

the Tilapia,

and the Pan-Fried Fish with Lemon Caper Sauce.

If I had the time, I’d depict my mom’s amazing lasagna recipe. Maybe someday…

Finally: An easy way to organize meals for friends

Posted on 24. Jun, 2010 by kchristieh in food

Over the years, there are several times that I’ve organized meals for friends who have had babies, had surgery, or lost loved ones to help ease their burden in difficult times. I’ve used Microsoft Excel and Google Documents, but neither of these has been as seamless for me and the people providing the meals as I’d wish.

I’m happy to report that there’s a new website, MealBaby, that finally solves the meal planning dilemma. You set up an account and include the dates available, dietary preferences and restrictions, and other relevant instructions. Then, send a link to the people who might like to provide a meal. Once they either register or sign in, they’ll see the dates on the calendar that are still available. They’ll also see what people are planning on cooking on the nights that are already taken. (After all, lasagne is wonderful, but you don’t necessarily want it every night. Unless you’re me.)

I signed up to make a meal for someone on Saturday night. I plan to make a great recipe for Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice Bake on AllRecipes.com, and will double it so my family can eat it too.

The easiest way to make awesome homemade bread

Posted on 17. Apr, 2010 by kchristieh in food

Don’t you just love homemade bread? The crispy crust, the soft, warm interior…it’s how bread is supposed to be. You’re in luck: today you’ll learn such an easy way to make homemade bread that you’ll be willing to make it whenever your family asks for it.

Here’s what you (k)need:

• Bread machine. We’ll use it to make the dough.
• Bread mix from Whole Foods. Or you can mix the ingredients yourself. The mix is easier.
• Water
• Oil. I prefer olive oil, but you can use vegetable oil or canola oil.

Steps:

1. Buy the mix.
   I use Bob’s Red Mill bread mix. It costs $2.99 at Whole Foods. Their website says it’s also available near me at Ralph’s, Albertson’s and Trader Joe’s. It looks like it’s available across the country.
   We’ve tried Wheat Bread and 10 Grain Bread, and both are fabulous. You can find them on the flour aisle. If you don’t buy the mix, you can follow the rest of the steps with any bread recipe.
2. Make the dough
   - Follow the directions on the back of the mix and add exactly the right amount of warm water and oil to the bread machine.
   Make sure it’s EXACT. I have a friend who got really frustrated that her bread never turned out right. It turns out she wasn’t carefully measuring her ingredients. Breadmaking is a science, and requires exact proportions to produce a perfect texture.
   - Add the flour part of the mix. (Don’t dump the yeast packet in the bread machine!)
   - Add the yeast.
   - Set the bread machine to make dough. Start the machine.
3. Let the dough rise.
   - Spray a bread pan (mine is Pyrex) and a sheet of plastic wrap with Pam with Flour or Crisco with Flour.
   - When the machine stops kneading the dough, remove it and put it in the bread pan. If you have the time, you might leave it in the bread machine a little longer, so it heats up a little.
   - Cover with the sprayed plastic wrap.
   - Wait until it’s risen a lot. I let it rise even higher than it did in the picture to the right.
4. Cook the bread
   - Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make sure the top rack is low enough to easily fit the bread in. I actually remove our top rack.
   - Cook the bread. I find that wheat bread takes 45 minutes in my oven with my bread pan, and white bread takes about 30 minutes.

That’s it. The bread pops out of the pan quite easily. The bread is perfect for toast or sandwiches. I’ve taught my teens how to do this, and sometimes they make the bread themselves.

Forget the carbs and enjoy!!

Great restaurant near USC: Mo-Chica

Posted on 15. Apr, 2010 by kchristieh in food

You know a restaurant is great when everyone at the table insists that their food is so good that everyone else must try it. That’s what happened when my daughter and I visited Mo-Chica. We’d never had contemporary Peruvian food before, but we both loved it. I was hesitant to order the Arroz con Pollo, since I don’t like cilantro, but it turned out to be fabulous. I’m not sure how they did it, but they tempered the cilantro so much that it actually tasted good. My daughter had the Lomo Saltado, and said it was amazing. The funny part is, we both ate so much of our own dishes that we didn’t try each other’s. We both also drank Chicha Morada, which is a “purple corn iced tea.” It tasted more like juice than tea, but it was fantastic.

I discovered Mo-Chica when searched Yelp for a great restaurant near USC (University of Southern California). The area around USC is full of fast food restaurants, but we wanted to eat somewhere nicer and more unique. Mo-Chica is located on South Grand Ave., about two blocks east of USC, on the other side of the Harbor Freeway (110). It shares a building with several other restaurants and shops, and my daughter said it actually reminded her of Costa Rica. It has secure, validated parking. I look forward to visiting Mo-Chica many more times.

If you click on the picture below, you’ll see a larger version. If your monitor’s big enough, you’ll be able to read the menu and the prices.

Rice Krispies Treat symbolizes a new day for beleaguered city

Posted on 14. Mar, 2010 by kchristieh in food, local news

Once upon a time, a truck crashed. Then a bigger truck crashed. Then came fires. Then mudslides. Finally, the fair and gentle citizens of La Canada Flintridge gathered together to build a big, magical Rice Krispies Treat that would make all their troubles disappear. **POOF** Nothing bad ever happened again.

The End.

The stars of TLC's new "Mega Bites" reality series count down with the crowd that gathered at the Community Center of La Canada to unveil the World's Largest Rice Krispies Treat.

The crowd waited patiently to see the mega Rice Krispies Treat.

Finally! The Rice Krispies Treat was unveiled after many practice runs.

It weighed 10,460 lbs. The representative from the Guinness Book of World Records was on-hand to certify that it indeed beat the previous world record of about 3,500 lbs.

Everyone stood back when the sides came down. It smelled really good.

Volunteers desperately needed to build Rice Krispies Treat

Posted on 13. Mar, 2010 by kchristieh in food, local news

Help!!! The people building the World’s Largest Rice Krispie Treat at the Community Center of La Canada need more people to help them complete the task tonight! Head on over to the Community Center, and they’ll put you to work bagging marshmallows (my specialty), scooping butter, mixing ingredents, and more. All ages welcome. Be a part of La Canada history!

While you’re at it, you might make it onto the new reality tv show, “Mega Bites.” Woohoo! Learn more in my previous post.

See you at the carnival tomorrow, 1 pm – 4 pm.

La Cañadans needed for “Mega Bites” TV pilot

Posted on 23. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in food, local news

Here’s a message from the Community Center of La Canada:

Do You Want To Be On TV? CASTING CALL

La Cañadans wanted for Pilot Episode of a new TLC television series “Mega Bites.”

The premise of the show is to partner with food scientists and engineers to create the “World’s Biggest” edible item and to get the community’s assistance in making the item in order to auction it off as part of a fundraiser. The Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge and our community is the subject of the pilot episode! We are proud that La Cañada has been selected, and are really excited about the filming and the opportunity to bring the community together.

CAMERAS WILL BE ROLLING
On March 11, 12, 13 the residents of La Cañada will be making the “Mega Bite” item out in our field. Cameras will be rolling as kids, teens, adults and seniors work together to create the “Mega Bite.” Are you wondering what the Mega Bite item for La Cañada is going to be? Chefs from our very own DISH restaurant will be working with the show’s food scientists to create…A GIANT KELLOGG’S RICE KRISPIE TREAT! This is so exciting!

THE GRAND “UNVEILING”
On Sunday March 14th from 1-4pm the Community Center will host a Carnival where the “Mega Bite” will be “revealed” for the community and the cameras. The Carnival will feature game booths, prizes, drawings, arts & crafts and food from Round Table Pizza, Jersey Miles Subs, and Los Gringos Locos.

BOOTH SPONSORS:
Carnival Booths will be sponsored by Sports Chalet, Doug Drummond, Dickson Podley Realtors, Plan-Spec Construction, Gilmore Bank, Flintridge Family Chiropractic, Inverse Logic, Dish, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Verdugo Hills Hospital.

NOW’S YOUR CHANCE TO BE ON TV! WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
We need “Cast Members” or Volunteers of all ages to participate in making the food item in 2 hours shifts on March 11, 12, and 13th. We also need volunteers ages 16 and up to work 2 hours shifts at the Carnival on Sunday March 14 from 12-5pm. Bring your friends, ask your social groups, employees, email your contact list…put the word out. We want 200+ people from all over the Community; Students, City Employees, PTA, Sports Teams, Girl and Boy Scouts. It’s time for La Cañada to shine for the whole country!

If you are interested in being “Cast” on the show please promptly email office@cclcf.org.

See you on TV!

Wendy Alane Smith and Megan Nordvedt
—————————————————-
Community Center of La Canada Flintridge
Event Coordinators / TLC “Mega Bites”
(310) 770-6384 cell

Food, Inc., TwoFoods and GoodBelly make me eat better

Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in food, health, work

Ever since I watched Food, Inc., I’ve been much more picky about the food I buy and eat. I was somewhat careful before, but now my eyes have been opened to food processing practices I had never even imagined.

The movie is not for the faint of heart: it shows how various types of meat get from farm to table, and shows the dangers of inorganic farming. I’m not ready to become a vegetarian, but I’ve been much more vigilant about buying organic products when possible.

Soon after I watched Food, Inc., I discovered a website that’s changed how I choose foods: TwoFoods.com. When you enter two food choices, it shows you the nutritional information for each one, side by side. It also shows similar foods that you can click on to see information for. Here’s a screenshot for the difference between eggs and Multigrain Cheerios. Before I lost weight, I ate Multigrain Cheerios every morning. Once I started eating eggs, the weight started coming off and I found myself more satisfied throughout the morning, probably since I didn’t have so many carbs. I need to start eating eggs for breakfast more again.

I also recently discovered GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drinks when they asked me to create a BigCommerce store for them. They were super-nice to work with, and it was a pleasure to wrap my brain around the extensive customization requirements. I documented the customizations in Evernote, and figure they’ll come in handy in the future.

To the right is the BigCommerce template before I customized it, and below that is what it looked like in the end. I had a blast working with their little “bug” characters, creating graphics with them that expressed different pages on the site. The store complements the look and feel of the GoodBelly.com site.

I’ve had a tough time finding GoodBelly in stores; so far I’ve only found it in the Vons across from Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. I’m sure it’s also at Whole Foods. I’ve only tried the Blueberry Acai flavor, since I’m allergic to the Strawberry flavor that Vons also carries. The Blueberry Acai actually tastes like grape juice, but not as sweet. It’s really good. Here’s how the GoodBelly.com website describes their products:

Get juiced with GoodBelly, a probiotic fruit drink that contains lp299v, which is clinically proven to support digestive health and strengthen the immune system. We’re good to the core, so you can be good to yours.

Besides tasting good and making me healthy, GoodBelly makes me smile when I drink through the happy face holes. I love a company with a sense of humor.  :)

Kogi Truck mixes Korean & Mexican food perfectly

Posted on 02. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in food

I finally found the time to visit LA’s latest culinary sensation: the Kogi truck. It was amazing, and I can’t wait to eat there again.

We knew that the truck would be parked at the corner of Brand and Chevy Chase in Glendale because we saw it on the Kogi blog. It’s a great blog, not only because it tells us where to find the excellent Korean-Mexican food they serve but because it has tips about other Los Angeles resources and clearly reflects that Kogi is about FUN!

You can find out about more food trucks on the Mobile Cravings blog.

The Kogi truck is pictured behind this awesome Scion. The Shave Ice truck was a few vehicles behind the Kogi truck. We were too excited for dinner to have shave ice, but I bet that was wonderful, too.

Soon after we showed up, this Scion arrived. All of a sudden, the car transformed into a total tailgating machine. The driver said it’s the next generation of Kogi cooking on wheels. Note the sink on the right, and the grill and speakers in the back. We all took pictures.

Here’s the Kogi menu. I got the Korean Chicken tacos and the Kogi Kimchi Quesadilla. It was amazing, and too much food for me. My husband ate the rest of the quesadillas when he got back from the airport, and agreed that they were wonderful. I was sad that he took me up on my offer to share them, but maybe this will convince him to visit the Kogi truck with us sometime.

The line moved quickly. Then again, our party was second in line, so we were biased.

My food. Just seeing it again makes my mouth water.

I must find more excuses to eat Kogi!!!

From the Norton Simon to hippos

Posted on 05. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in art, food

My son needed to visit a museum today to complete a report for his high school photography class. He insisted that we visit the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and two of his friends chose to tag along.

I love the Norton Simon. It has a very high quality collection that reflects a wide array of periods and styles. My son especially enjoyed the “Divine Demons: Wrathful Deities of Buddhist Art” exhibition. What teenage boy wouldn’t? I was very impressed with how thoughtfully each of the boys examined all the art, and they had many good insights. I got a kick out of how they noted that some of the Renaissance paintings reminded them of scenes from video games.

My favorite exhibition was “Gaze: Portraiture after Ingres.” It showcased several centuries of fine portraits in a wide variety of styles. One of my favorites was this caricature that Wolo Trutzschler drew of Galka Sheyer. It captured so much in one drawing, and I think that if I were to see her walking down the street, not only would I recognize her, but I’d have an idea of what makes her tick.

I was intrigued enough to look up Wolo Truzschler when I got home. It turns out his full name was “Baron Wolff Erhardt Anton George Trutzschler von Falkenstein” and he loved living in San Francisco. His son’s website says that he drew the original design for Edgar Bergen’s Mortimer Snerd, was a caricaturist for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote and illustrated five children’s books, painted murals and gave puppet shows.

I discovered that I’ve appreciated his art before, as he was the artist behind the now-defunct Hippopotamus Hamburgers in San Francisco. I think I first ate at Hippo Hamburgers when I visited California on a high school church handbell tour, and raved about it to my hippo-crazed sister and friend back in NJ. The place was themed so well that the toilets were even open hippo mouths! This place is legendary in our family.

But further Googling found this gem of a Wolo von Truzschler drawing, which accompanied a recipe for the Stanfordburger in the Hippopotamus Hamburgers cookbook. Right-click on the picture and choose “view image” to see a larger version, where you can read the complete recipe. Note that olive on top. That’s supposed to reflect the top of the “Freudian” Hoover Tower.

Maybe I should serve it at my next pre-reunion party…

My (mis)Fortune

Posted on 25. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in food, my life, things that bug me

I thought all fortunes at Panda Express were positive. Apparently not. Here’s what I got this evening.

I usually have good judgment. Maybe I should have bad judgment? Either way, it was very disconcerting…

Teavana iced tea beats Diet Coke

Posted on 04. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in food

I’ve found an easy way to make amazing iced tea at home. It’s fresh and tasty, and helps me stay away from the dreaded Diet Coke. The key is to use the iced tea making system that you can purchase at Teavana.

Step 1: Boil water. I use this durable RevereWare teakettle I bought in college. It’s the same kind my Mom used when I was a kid. I think she still has hers.

Step 2: Choose which kind of tea you want. I have three canisters of Teavana looseleaf tea: Peppermint, Japanese Wild Cherry Green Tea and Lemon Green Tea. There are many more wonderful flavors, but these are three that I’m not allergic to. (I can’t have apple, strawberry, and peach, among others.) Sometimes I cut open tea bags of non-Teavana teas to make the iced tea.

Here’s what the Peppermint tea looks like in the canister.

Step 3: Measure the right amount of tea leaves into the Teavana Perfect Tea Maker on the right, and fill it with boiling water. I stir it a little while I wait for the timer to beep. Peppermint tea uses 1.5 tsp. of leaves and steeps for 5-6 minutes.

Step 4: Put the container of hot tea on top of the special Teavana pitcher that’s filled with ice. The pressure from below forces the tea out and into the pitcher, and I get instant iced tea.

I prefer to drink it in this 32-oz Rubbermaid Chugg I bought at Ralphs. It’s better than a glass on my desk, since if it spills it’s less likely to make a mess. I like how big it is, since it makes me more likely to drink more tea and water, which is good for me. It also fits into the car cup holder and is easy to clean in the dishwasher. I almost never use water bottles anymore. It gets great reviews on Amazon, where someone even points out that it’s made out of the safest type of plastic.

I might give this Teavana set to a few people for Christmas. Shhh!! (We’ll see if they read this blog.)

Teach your teens about EANABs

Posted on 22. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in food, parenting

One of the first things I learned in RA training at Stanford in the mid-80′s was to provide EANABs (Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverages) at parties. This didn’t mean water or cheap soda: the non-alcoholic drinks needed to be just as enticing as the alcoholic ones. The goal was to make people who didn’t drink alcohol feel welcome, and to give people who did drink alcohol something to supplement it so they didn’t have too much. I didn’t realize that “EANAB” was primarily a Stanford acronym until I just did a Google search and most references involved Stanford. Maybe that’s why I felt so comfortable there.

I was reminded of EANABs this afternoon when my daughter hauled a 12-pack of Diet Coke to the shopping cart and declared that she wanted to bring some EANABs to a party this evening. I was impressed that she’d remembered what I’d taught her, and told her that any time she wanted to purchase EANABs, even through college, I’d be happy to pay.

Hopefully kids are making wise decisions this evening. Teens are scary sometimes.  :(

If Julia Child could do it, so can I

Posted on 09. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in books, food, inspirational people, international, movies

The new movie Julie & Julia inspired me so much that I’m half-tempted to make boeuf bourguignon for dinner tonight. Instead, I opened up my cookbook cabinet and told my kids that they could each choose a recipe that contains no ingredients that I’m allergic to and I’d make it for them this week.

I knew I’d love this movie. I loved reading both Julia Child’s My Life in France and Julie Powell’s Julie & Julia even before I knew a movie was being made about them. Although I perfectly fit the demographic for someone who’d love these books – a French-speaking, American woman blogger – I think the books and the movie have a more universal appeal. They portray passionate people looking for a purpose in life who are willing to work hard at what they do. I also appreciated both the literary and on-screen representations of their marriages. Both women were in loving marriages full of mutual support and respect. Nora Ephron did a wonderful job of knitting both books together, and Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and the rest of the cast are absolutely marvelous.

I can’t wait to see what my kids choose for me to cook.

“Hernandez Quesadilla Salad” launches at Los Gringos Locos in La Canada

Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by kchristieh in food, religion

If I get to Heaven and God says I can eat whatever I want, I’ll choose the following:

• A Hobee’s omelette and coffee cake for breakfast
• The “Hernandez Quesadilla Salad” from Los Gringos Locos for lunch
• My mom’s amazing sausage lasagne for dinner
• Mint chocolate chip ice cream mixed with brownies for dessert.

But since I’m here on Earth, I’m still determined to eat healthy food, so I’ll just stick to the “Hernandez Quesadilla Salad.” I think that Los Gringos Locos manager/owner Bent Hansen, my amiga Jody Platisa and I did a fantastic job of concocting the best salad north of the Rio Grande. I won the opportunity to develop a new dish at this year’s LCF Educational Foundation gala. It’s a win-win-win: the Foundation gets $1 every time it’s ordered for the next year, Los Gringos gets more business, and I get to finally eat a healthy, tasty Mexican salad.

The salad consists of two grilled tortillas with melted cheddar cheese between them, covered with romaine lettuce, an avocado pico de gallo salsa and the yummiest marinated grilled chicken strips you’ll ever taste. It’s served with a spicy tomatillo dressing on the side. I knew we’d done a good job, but when I had it the other day I was blown away by how amazing it is. I could eat it every day. Truly. I hope they keep it on the menu when the year is up.

Check it out! Here’s a picture of last year’s Foundation president, Deborah Weirick, me, and Bent, posing with the famous salad. It ran with this week’s Outlook article.

Check out the Valley Sun article. Ruth Longoria actually came down to Los Gringos Locos and took an action shot of me actually eating the salad. Too funny. It could have been a much worse picture, so I’m ok with it.

I can’t wait to eat the salad again!

Independence Day carolers spread the spirit of the 4th of July

Posted on 04. Jul, 2009 by kchristieh in food, inspirational people, local news, music

Three young patriots treated us to a striking rendition of “God Bless America” today. Thank goodness they came before we departed for that other great American tradition, In-N-Out!

The performance was capped off with an Apple Pie. What could be more American?

Happy 4th of July!

Ralphs loses competitive edge over Vons; Trader Joe’s in the lead

Posted on 24. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in economy, environment, food, shopping, things that bug me

Imagine my horror when I discovered that Ralphs is cutting costs by eliminating the handles on its paper bags! Hopefully this will be the incentive I need to remember to carry my cloth bags in the car, but this evening it meant I chose plastic for the rest of my groceries.

It’s a tough life, but I’ll manage somehow. Or I’ll just go to Trader Joe’s.

I never ate this well at school

Posted on 16. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in education, food

Ah, the end of the school year. Finals, stress, searching for lost textbooks, and FOOD! The best food is that which earns extra credit.

Last night my teenage son made a Key Lime Pie all by himself for his end-of-year English class party. He used a recipe from our Down-Island Caribbean Cookery cookbook and even managed to cut the fancy lime slice to put on top. Maybe last summer’s get-off-the-couch-and-cook deal is paying off.

Sorry the picture’s not better. I figured I was lucky he even let me take one as he ran out the door.

Meet the overseas competition: cramming for exams in China

Posted on 13. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in college, education, food, international, things that bug me

If you thought that the 5.5 hour a day, 5 days a week, 14-week Elite SAT review course that I described in yesterday’s post was excessive, then definitely don’t move to China. Today’s NY Times article, “China’s College Entry Test Is an Obsession,” describes how the Chinese standardized test is:

• The only criteria for entry to university
• Only offered once a year
• Nine hours long
• Taken by 10 million students each year, of whom only 3 out of 5 make the cut

Not surprisingly, students cram like crazy for this test. The article described a class of kids that studied in a hospital hooked up to oxygen so that they could concentrate better, and a boy who studied 14-16 hours a day for a year, and only took one day off every three weeks.

It’s too bad there aren’t enough spaces in Chinese universities for everyone who wants an education. At least here in the U.S., there’s a space for nearly everyone to have some sort of higher education.

I appreciate that my kids don’t have to go through this sort of cramming. However, we also need to remember that our kids aren’t just competing against other American kids; they’re competing against the rest of the world. And they’re hungry, figuratively and literally.

Here’s the breakfast of champions described in the article: “a bread stick next to two eggs, symbolizing a 100 percent score.”

Maybe I’ll present that to my son the morning of his PSAT this Fall. Or maybe he’ll stick to his Cheerios.

Help name my new Los Gringos Locos salad

Posted on 29. May, 2009 by kchristieh in food

We had our second salad tasting this week, and we’ve come up with a winner! Loyal readers will recall that I won the privilege to create a dish at Los Gringos Locos in La Canada at the LCF Educational Foundation live auction back in March. Whenever Los Gringos sells that dish, the Foundation will get $1. Jody P. and I returned this week for our (hopefully!) final tasting, and we were quite pleased. I decided to make a non-iceberg lettuce salad, since this would fill an essential gap in the Los Gringos menu. The salad we came up with consists of incredibly tasty marinated grilled chicken strips tossed with avocado, pico de gallo, shredded queso, onions, Romaine lettuce and a creamy dressing on a grilled cheese quesadilla.

Here’s what it looked like the other day before we dug in. We asked Bent H. to not toss nearly as much salad dressing with it, so the final version should have less dressing than this does.

What should I name it? KC-dilla? Hernan-salada?

Los Gringos Locos taste-testing progressing well

Posted on 16. May, 2009 by kchristieh in food, my life, non-profits

Loyal readers will recall that I was the highest bidder on THE coolest live auction item at this year’s LCF Educational Foundation Gala: the opportunity to develop and name a new dish at Los Gringos Locos. Los Gringos will will donate $1 to the Educational Foundation each time someone orders it for the next year.

I’m choosing to develop a new salad. I’ve found that most Mexican restaurants make weak salads that primarily consist of iceberg lettuce, corn, olives, cheese and Italian dressing. Bleah!

Jody P. was at Friday morning’s PTSA meeting, and kindly agreed to join me at lunch that day for the first taste-testing session. It turns out she’s quite a foodie, is very decisive, and has similar taste to mine. The perfect choice! Plus, we had fun talking while Bent H. prepared more items for us to test.

Our first step was to determine which lettuce and salad dressing to use. We quickly ruled out spring mix: even though we like it, we didn’t think it would have universal appeal. The watercress was ok, but too strong for the salad we envisioned. We didn’t have a strong preference for either the romaine or the mixed greens, as both were wonderful. They’re both still in the running.

As for the salad dressings, the tequila dressing in the upper right wasn’t very good, and the one next to it tasted too common. The yellow one on the lower left was tasty but had a little too much kick to it, and needed to be a bit more tangy. Bent’s going to tweak it for the next tasting. The white creamy one on the lower right was very good, flavorful but not too spicy. We’ll compare it to the revised yellow dressing next time.

Next we decided what to put the salad on top of. I was too busy eating and forgot to take a picture of our options before we dug in! Bent made us several versions of sopa, some grilled, some not, some thick, some thin. We liked them, but we didn’t love them. They also didn’t seem very healthy, and we weren’t sure most patrons would know what they were ordering.

On the other hand, the grilled quesadilla was wonderful. Not the most unique base, but it was really good, so that’s what we decided to use. We thought that grilled chicken would taste better and be healthier than shredded chicken, and Bent’s marinated grilled chicken was perfect on the first try.

Our next step will be to determine what to put on top of the salad. We’ll test mango salsa, and see how avocados, queso, tomatoes, olives and other toppings taste on the salad.

I’ll let you know how it goes!

One way to maintain that slim figure at a Mexican restaurant

Posted on 23. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in art, food, health

What is art? I know it when I see it. And these tortilla chips at Los Gringos Locos this evening were diamonds in the rough, blank palettes awaiting their Michelangelo.

Remember: the more chips you repurpose, the less you’ll eat.

Unless you have extra guacamole.

Can you tell what these are? Of course you can!

My biggest birthday party yet

Posted on 22. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in food, my life, social networking

Forget renting a party hall: the biggest birthday celebrations are the FREE ones on Facebook! I definitely felt the love today as oodles of buddies wished me a Happy Birthday and commanded me to have a wonderful day. I had a busy, stressful day, but Facebook helped balance it out with a smile.

Facebook made me smile recently when it recommended that I join the In-In-Out fan club only hours after I’d eaten there. How did they know?

They also suggested that I might know the mythical Gary Tyrell. I don’t, but what an honor that would be!

Facebook made me laugh heartily a few weeks ago when it recommended that I become a fan of U.S.C. and that I might know Pete Carroll, since apparently we have a bunch of friends in common. I’ve heard he’s a great guy, but I don’t know him or support his team, so I declined.

Local Blogger Picnic in Altadena this Saturday

Posted on 24. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in food, local news

Come one, come all, to the San Gabriel Valley Blogger’s Potluck in Altadena this Saturday.

Bloggers and their beloved families and groupies are welcome.

Many thanks to Altadenablog, Altadenahiker, Altadena Above It All and Open Mouth, Insert Fork for hosting this fabulous event!!

I get to create a menu item for Los Gringos Locos!

Posted on 09. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in food, my life, non-profits

I won the coolest item in the live auction at this weekend’s La Canada Flintridge Educational Foundation Gala: the opportunity to create a menu item at Los Gringos Locos, our fine local Mexican restaurant. Here are the parameters:

The winning bidder will work with Los Gringos Locos staff to create the beverage, dessert, entree or bar drink of your dreams. Your item will be highlighted on the printed menu for one year, together with your name if you so choose. Los Gringos Locos will donate $1 to the Foundation every time this item is purchased! Receive your item for FREE weekly for one year – up to $500!

Several amigas have suggested that I create a nuevo margarita, but I’m going to create the most bueno ensalada con pollo this town has ever seen. (Isn’t it great that I feel free as a gringo loco to butcher espanol?) Anyway, I figure that if I’m going to eat this every week for a year, it should be healthy. And besides, many of those times will be at lunch, and I’m not decadent enough to have margaritas at lunch. (Except on June 17, 2010)

So far, I just know I want the salad to have tasty lettuce (aka, not just iceberg) and grilled chicken. Perhaps some lime. Probably guacamole.

Any other suggestions???

From Lacrosse to France to Gala

Posted on 08. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in food, local news, my life, sports

Yesterday was one of the busier days I’ve ever had. It started when I dropped off my daughter to volunteer at a school pancake breakfast, only to soon receive a call that their griddles weren’t working and they needed to borrow ours. I scribbled our name on the back of ours with a Sharpie and raced on down there to save the day. I hung around there until it was time to drive my daughter to her lacrosse tournament. After dropping her off there, I bought some salad for the team to eat later in the day, picked up the dog and went back to the fields.

My dog made a new pal: Winn-Dixie! Winnie is very sweet, and her even temperament calmed my little guy down. I think he’s smiling in this picture.

Here’s a picture of one of the lacrosse games (not my daughter’s). It’s a cool sport to watch. It’s really fast, and there’s more scoring than in soccer. The added bonus for me is that I LOVE the parents of the girls on my daughter’s team, so I enjoy sitting on the sidelines with them.

After that, I met some fellow lady bloggers at Nicole’s Gourmet Foods in South Pasadena for lunch. It was so much fun to meet up with such fascinating and bright ladies! Nicole’s was wonderful also. It’s the most authentic French restaurant I’ve ever had lunch at (outside of France). I’ll definitely be returning there. Maybe I’ll even take the Gold Line next time. Too bad it doesn’t run anywhere near where I live.

After that I quickly bought some new shoes, had my hair styled, and finished writing my speech. My husband patiently heard me rehearse it over and over, so by the time I got to the La Canada Flintridge Educational Foundation Gala I had most of it memorized. He’s an attorney and a former debater, so this was par for the course for him. I was amazed at how much effort people had put into making this a special evening for me. They didn’t need to do that!! But I appreciate it.  :)

Now to catch up on my sleep. Today’s time change caught me by surprise!

Rolls Royce spotted at local McDonald’s

Posted on 05. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in economy, food

It’s no wonder that McDonald’s is doing well in this lousy economy. The food is so tasty and reasonably-priced that even the man who drives this convertible Rolls Royce brought his friends (and his little Westie!) to our local McDonald’s.

I bet his Shamrock Shake had four leaves.

Reminder to myself why I should avoid Diet Coke

Posted on 19. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in food, my life

I’ve tried for awhile to stop drinking Diet Coke, but haven’t quite kicked the habit. Anyone who knows me well knows I don’t have many vices, so this has been my daily treat for awhile.

But since I started drinking Diet Coke, I’ve gained weight, my sleep patterns have been wacky, and (probably TMI here) my left foot gets itchy.

The Frontal Cortex blog recently reported that an article in Behavioral Neuroscience confirms that humans aren’t satisfied by artificial sweeteners such as Splenda. Here’s how the blog summarizes it:

The essential lesson is that the brain doesn’t like being tricked. When you give us sweetness without the caloric energy, we end up craving calories more than ever.

That pretty much sums me up. When I drink Diet Coke, I get an (often appreciated) energy boost, but I also become hungrier, and wind up eating more.

I also read recently (but can’t remember where, sorry) that many of the scientists who ran the tests to determine whether Splenda is safe refuse to consume it themselves. Even though their tests didn’t find any problems, they’re spooked by the complexity of the chemical formulation behind Splenda.

I’ll treat myself to Diet Coke every once in awhile, but I’ll try to remember this post and stay away from it.

Our newest breakfast treat: Danish Pancakes

Posted on 16. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in food

Every culture has its pancake, and my new favorite is the Danish Pancake. It’s like a thin souffle, and it’s incredibly easy to make. Here’s the quick version:

1. Heat 4 TB of butter in an ovenproof 12″ skillet or dish at 425 degrees.
2. Mix the following in a blender for about 30 seconds:
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• A pinch of salt
3. Pour the mixture into the skillet or dish and cook for 18-20 minutes at 425 degrees.
4. Serve with powdered sugar, lemon juice and fruit or jam.

Yum! Here’s a picture of our second attempt. I don’t have an ovenproof skillet, so I used a Corelle dish. It serves 4, or even less if you’re piggy like we were today. This picture was taken before we slathered the sweet stuff on it.