Friday Food 09-08-23

 I love  salads, but am always a little leery when eating out because of my allergy to sulfites. They are frequently  used to keep  the lettuce  and other veggies looking fresh.  Salad bars are the  very  worst so I avoid them. But better restaurants usually don't use sulfites on their food.  If  in doubt I ask, but don't always receive a firm answer. It is  worse outside of California due to the different regulations in different states.  I don't make elaborate salads at  home - all that chopping, ick.  Our  temps are on the rise this week so I am  thinking salads - maybe Fitness Grill again!

Tasty crunch with chicken and cheese on top and, as usual, the dressing on the side.

Grilled tuna and violets.  Can't really taste the violets, but they are a delight to the eye!

This is more like what I make at home - two ingredients with rice vinegar and olive oil on the side.  A little fresh parsley if I have it.

Tomatoes, radishes, broccoli, blueberries, provolone, and  greens..

Got a little fancy here.

This recipe came from a Facebook friend in Australia in 2009 and it is my favorite summer salad, worth all the peeling and chopping.  

 

There aren't any exact measurements, but this is what I use for just one dinner size serving:

3 - 4 radishes sliced

half a small can of sliced black olives

1/2 naval orange cut into small pieces

2 cups of watermelon squares - about an inch.

a couple hands full of mixed greens OR baby spinach OR what have you.

Toss with a dressing made with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. 

A beet salad at Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station, San Diego.

This is a delightful combination and I always  intend on trying to duplicate it at home, but haven't so far.  It tastes so cool on a hot day. 

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More construction in the park 09-07-23

 No workers  in the park today.

Here  is the cement they have poured at this far end of the park.

A closer view, but I cannot figure out what this will be.  The little bits of rain over the last week or so has started the grass sprouting.

The new cement path wanders off to the right to end at the small parking lot on  Palm Drive at the entrance to the park.  It is a small park - the width is about that of two house lots and  the length is about fourteen  housing lots.  I tell people that ours is the fifteenth house from Palm Drive.  

Warmer today.  The high was 84F and the low 62F.  Highs in the mid 90F until next Tuesday.  KoKo and I have enjoyed the autumn like temps for the last 3 or 4 days.  

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Construction in the park 09-06-23

Toward the end of July the city started the revamping of Parque de Arroyo Verde which we see from our backyard.  I searched through my  pictures to find  views over the years.  There aren't as many as I expected.

2011

This is sort of what it looked iike when we moved in 1986, but then the deodar trees were healthy and green.  By 2011 they were diseased  and dying and  the tree trimmers were taking them out.  

December 24, 2018

At the bottom of the picture you can just see the young trees that replaced the deodars and had been growing for about seven years.  They were just sticks when planted.    The trees  in the background had just been trimmed, they  are located in  the patio  homes beyond the perimeter block wall. 

February 14, 2019

Just a few months  later in a wet year the trees are still  rather  small, but the grass is green, very unusual for this area.  I have this picture in the wrong order, See the tall trees before they were trimmed.  Also notice that the vandals had been at  work in the flood control channel. 

Feb 26, 2923

One of the reasons for redoing the park was the city thought it wasn't being utilized enough.  There were never hoards of people, but it seemed to me that quite a few people used it for dog walking, running, picnics, and just  hanging  out.   

Notice  how much  those  little trees have grown  in four years. 

June 24,2023

We have had a drought for the last three years and the city stopped watering.   

But I guess the kids didn't  mind.  

June 24, 2023

This picture shows further south with the  wandering  path that had been there since at least  1986.

August 18,2023

The  end  of July the trees that didn't fit the  new  plan were removed.  Forms  for cement were put in.  It was very hot so they erected an awning over a table to hold the plans they were working from.  

August 21, 2023

When we had our "hurricane" that didn't amount to much, but it brought strong winds and lashings of rain  The awning and the table went flying and I guess the workers were dealing with fallen limbs and debris in other city parks because they didn't work here for most of last week.  The broken awning is still broken  and will probably go in the landfill.

I thought I had a picture of what it looks like today, but guess it didn't take.  So, I will go out in the morning and do a few shots and add on to this post.

NOPE.  I posted more pictures on the next post - 09-07-23

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12X12 Quilts in Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection 6 09-02-23

Another six quilts from past SAQA Benefit Auctions.  These are all leaves or trees from various years and countries.  I am fond of trees and their leaves, but I also look for different techniques and artists with a  distinctive style.  Four of the artists  shown here show their particular style.  

"Autumn Leaves"  Aileyn Renli Ecob - California  2012   12X12 

Commercial cotton fabrics, cotton batting, cotton thread.

Beautiful hand applique.  

"Rainbow  Trees"  Nikki Wheeler - Canada  2011  12X12

Various fabrics, fusing, machine finished edges, Machine quilting. 

"Evergreen"  Brenda Gael Smith -Australia  2011   12X12

Brenda's distinctive style.  Commercial cotton fabrics, Machine pieced and quilted. 

"Possibilities"  Deborah Boschert - Texas  2009 12X12

Deborah uses many of the same motifs in her various quilts. 

Cotton fabrics,  fusing, sequins, embroidery, Machine quilting. 

"Coastal Patterns - Banksia"  Susan Matthews - Australia  2013  12X12

 Canvas, ink, polyester thread, wool fabric.

Collagraph printint, lino block printing, fusing, free motion machine stitching.

"Laurel Leaves"   Terry Grant - Oregon  2008  12X12

Cotton fabric and thread.  Machine applique, machine quilting.

Terry does very exacting work and experiments  with  new techniques  that   she reads  about  or  invents for herself.  This quilt has such depth.  

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A momentos day 09-01-23

Today was my 85th birthday.  How did I live so long?  I am now older than my mother and both  my grandmothers when they died. I find I am a little obsessed with this birthday and I just don't know why.  Anyway it has been a good day and cooler than the last few weeks. I had lunch with friend Carol Bednar at  our favorite lunch spot, Fitness Grill in Yorba Linda.  It was quite comfortable in the patio and it wasn't crazy full.  Pictures below.   I have a beautiful mixed flower bouquet which is  so tall I could only photograph it on the kitchen floor!  Lovely soft colors and no lilies which are beautiful, but the fragrance is too much.  Also picture below.

Grilled salmon sandwich with a sort of  mixed salad with thumb sized tomatoes.  It  is no longer on the menu, however I like it so much they are willing to make it  for me.   These days I cannot eat the entire thing, so I have half left for tomorrow's breakfast.

Chicken grilled on skewers and roasted veggies on a bed of rice.  Carol felt it was a perfect lunch. 

Since it was a birthday event we shared a dessert. An almond, raspberry bar with  fresh fruit and whipped cream. 

And to top off the day, Dave, the mail carrier, sang 'Flying me to the moon'!!  He has a very nice voice.

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Wordless Wednesday 08-30-23

 Edit - This is what was hot when I started high school in 1952. Del

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Construction 08-29-23

There is construction in the park behind us and several new roofs being installed around the area. It is about time for a new roof on this house, so I have been paying  attention to the different roofing projects  and  think I will  go with  Brea Roofing - depending  on the  estimates.   This is one of their projects a couple streets to the west. 

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The first step is taking off the old roof. Under the asphalt shingles are on bare 1X4 slats.  The house is 55 - 60 years old, so this can't be the original roof. However, for at least 40 years the standard for new or replacements is to put 1/2" plywood down under any shingles.  There were ten guys in pairs on the roof working at scraping off the shingles and throwing them in the truck backed up in the driveway.  Scraping, putting the debris on canvas tarps, carrying them to the truck location, and dumping them. One guy in the truck bed stomping them down to compact  them. 

The next day they had all the old shingles off and the stacks of plywood (with red edges) lifted onto the roof.

Two white stakes on each plywood pile keeps them from sliding.

You can see the slates that open into the attic.  They have to plan the plywood layout to go around vents, etc. 

The next morning they had a truck with a belt on a long sort of crane.  The bundles of shingles were loaded by a guy in the bed of the truck and lifted up to a guy on the roof  You can see that almost all the plywood has been laid  and nailed along with some metal flashings for the chimney and various vents.

This guy lifts each  bundle of shingles onto his shoulder and hustles up to a pile on the roof top.  Then  he hustles back before the next bundle comes up.  He was working very hard.  

The final day they are putting on the penultimate shingles before the roof cap .

The trailer is in place for all the scraps and wrappings.  I wonder how many trucks and trailers of trash they took to the dump for this one roof replacement. 

This morning all was quiet with the roof finished and all the debris removed.  It took them about six days.  The crew was well coordinated and worked well together.   KoKo and I sat on a wall across the street to watch and take pictures.  

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