Just One Year Ago She Posted This

and then she died just 19 days later...young and unexpectedly..of a heart attack. I loved her blog, her wit, and the fabulous pictures she took of the great food she made. Please click on the link, below, to read the rest of her post. I wish I would have met her. I'd go by "her place and she'd drop by mine". From the pic she took below, you can see why! Sherry Cermack...RIP.

http://whatdidyoueat.typepad.com/what_did_you_eat/2008/07/whb-lentil-and.html

Food, Inc. ..the movie. Showing Friday night at the Crest!

There will be a discussion afterward...Ann Martin Rolke is one of the panelists. Very cool. Movie begins at 8:00 pm. Many of the major movie theatre chains are NOT showing this movie. Industrial food processors have lots o clout! http://www.sacatomato.com/

Watch the clips...it is really good for you...to know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQVll-MP3I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8vsNjynMIU&feature=related

I plan to see it.

I Love a Great Farmers Market

My Frog and the red bush..and other random stuff

Don't double yolks mean good luck or something? My carton of NewLaid eggs were ALL double yolked. Sweet.

Who woulda thunk it? Got wax? What a dirty little froggie...and he looks drunk.

My husband thinks these strawberrries look like the Mucinex mucus globs in that commercial. What do you think they look like?

A Little Lemon Grass at Home

I bought Mai Pham's sauce at The Nuggett a month ago..or so.

I used some fabulous shrimp that I got at Food Co-op and veggies from the Farmer's Market. I served it over brown jasmine rice. You'll need a can of coconut milk too. It was great!

Nice sauce, great ingredients. We dined at Lemon Grass Restaurant about 10 days ago. It was good... but I didn't go ga ga over anything. It's not like I am looking forward to going back right away.

Simple salad with radishes and herbs from the garden. Just dressed it with olive oil and lemon juice. Refreshing.

I am down to my last two radishes. My next crop should be ready about the time the carrots are up! I've already picked two ripe tomatoes. They were the smallerish ones and I ate them right off the vine, all warm from the sun. Delightful!

Hey Meathead! Watch the ribs!

Grilldave made some "off the hook" ribs Sunday. Low and slow...succulent.

I asked Meathead (stella) to watch the ribs while I ran outside to pick some herbs.

The Standing Rib Roast came out just delicious. I cooked it on top of onions and carrots...and then made a killer au jus for prime rib sandwiches for Daves lunch. Lucky guy.

What a mensch! Oy! From so much pleasure, one could plotz!

Chopped Liver "Deviled Eggs"

chunky chopped liver

The best sandwich I've ever, ever had. I love sunflower seed whole grain bread.

Gorgeous chopped liver

Saute the chicken livers with some onions and garlic, S & P then set aside to cool. Barely pink in the middle please.

I grate the hard boiled eggs. Always have, always will.

Smash liver with potato masher..remove stringy membranes, or just use your fingers.

Then, I added 1 TBSP or so Hungarian paprika...and also more chopped onion.

I pulsed it in food processor a few times. I added some minced kosher dills..1/4 of one, after pulsing is finished. Don't run it too long..we don't want liver puree.

The sandwich was sublime. I toasted one side, then put a schmear of the chopped liver on, added lettuce, and closed her up. It tasted like something from my childhood. Wonder if mom or gramma made the chopped liver?

Got Flowers?

I picked enough flowers for 8 bouqets this morning. I can't give em away! Ya know how much all of these would cost? Lots and lots...that's what! I'll have more roses this afternoon. My hydrangea bush has gone nuts this year. Gorgeous!!

I also have a squash growing..and squash blossoms. Lucky me.

Beet it Baby!

Now, THIS is a French Breakfast Radish. Just decided to add it along with the beet pics.

Beets: Roast, peel (use rubber gloves), and slice. A drizzle of olive oil, then salt and pepper. Simple, beautiful, tasty.

SSSay Now....Making Healthy Pet Food

Please, click on photos if you want to enlarge them.

It's a good thing cats don't see color!

I guess I'll call it SSSay Chicken, Orzo & Fruit and SSSay Chicken, Liver, BeetsnPeas.

Last night, Uncle Doreen was telling us how she cooks for her dogs (kids). She said, "it's cheaper than buying canned and it's probably better for them..and they love it".

Today, we began cooking for our cats. Yes, you heard me right. We made cat food for Stella, Simon, and Stanley. It was good enough that I would eat it as pate' on a cracker! Well, I'd add some salt and maybe a few other things..but salt isn't good for cats.

I made chicken livers and chicken thighs (saved the broth of the chicken thighs and added fresh beet greens, carrots, and garden peas). We added some brewer's yeast (cats like it and it is good for them..and us) and we added some whole grain bread. Dave made the bread in the bread machine...all natural and fab ingredients. Cats need more protein than dogs do..and cats need to eat 3x a day. They also need carbs and fiber! Some cats like fruit, so added some of the neighbors blueberries (I did not steal them) to the just chicken and orzo pasta (no liver) dish.

I also used my garden parsley and savory. Cat love good taste just like humans. Well, Simon would eat cardboard if you smeared bacon grease on it...but, pork products are not good for cats so....nada.

Simon is getting old and needs more liquid in his diet, so he'll get it with the broth infused mixtures we made today. Actually, Stella is getting old too. They are 12 and 13. Stan, the man, is only 6 or 7.

As usual, I made tons of it. If you want some, come and get it. Leave a message on facebook or here. Should be used within a week. I'll freeze some too. I cannot wait to try making other kinds...like mackerel and liver! SSSay Now! I might have to mix it with canned cat food until they get used to homemade...but Simon is certainly scarfing it down.

Next....cookies and snacks for dogs and cats!

[scroll waaay down to comment]

Tomatoes and Radishes

The tomatoes above are my "extra carotene orange" tomatoes...they will eventually be medium-sized orange tomatoes.

People tell me I have lovely radishes.

Two separate roma tomato plants above.

I also have black heirloom tomatoes growing as well as the pink heirlooms... and my yellow grapes..two plants have tomatoes. I cannot wait. I know I'll have some red and yellow ones by the end of June!! I have 11 healthy plants growing. Get out the canning supplies! Mama's comin'.

They Thought The Silver Maple Was Bad!

For those who have followed my blog, you know that we had to cut down a huge silver maple tree in our front yard. Our neighbors always complained about the leaves that fell each fall and it finally became a real problem for us..and them. The old branches might fall on our house, or theirs. The tree had to come down. It took 3 plus days for a company to remove it. I cried....it was great shade for us..and I always envisioned putting a swing there for my grand kids. We paid almost 2500 bucks to cut it down. Did our neighbors thank us?? Nope.

So, when I had Hasties come and dump dirt for our two raised beds, I had them dump it where the tree used to be. We used all we could, but we still had this small mountain of very rich soil. What did I do? I planted corn, eggplant, cukes, and wildflowers.

If my neighbors hated that tree, they are really gonna hate the large stalks of corn when the come up!

Sunday: Farmers Market and Market Club for Eats!

Market Club - Sacramento

This restaurant is inside the gates of the Sacramento Produce Market and is closed on Saturdays and Mondays. It is in the middle of the southern most loading dock and is surrounded by produce sellers on both sides. Hours are from 5:30 AM to about 1:30 PM. On Sundays they have a special "oki breakfast". "Oki" is the Japanese word for big. It is Japanese fried rice with an egg on top and a side of linguica. You can also get fried bologna and eggs served with potatoes or rice. And of course the Hawaiian favorite Spam and eggs. Lunch specials include baked short ribs on Wednesdays served with short grained steamed rice (Japanese versus the long grained Chinese and American rice) or mashed potatoes.Their hours are T - F 5:30AM - 1:30PM and Sun 6:30AM - 11:30 AM. NOT OPEN ON SAT. CASH ONLY.

Market Club

2630 5TH St

Sacramento, CA

95818

(916) 498-9953

My Review:

We went to the farmers market before hitting this spot for breakfast. I'll post a pic of all of the great produce and herbs we bought. The place was packed by 8:30 a.m. so from now on, I am getting there by 7...at least until my garden produce is ready. We plan to make the Market Club a regular bkfst stop.

It's a lively dive..been there forever and it shows. We met one patron who is a retired Sac Police Dept. officer. He told us that when he worked for the force, they would meet the lawyers and judges here for coffee..cause nobody bugged em. "Mayor Fargo used to come here all the time cause nobody bugger her either..actually, nobody really cared". He kept giving the waitress a hard time and she finally told him to "shut the hell up"...he laughed. Another regular, Steve who loves golf, knew the police guy. Steve was a funny guy too.."this place makes ya happy, like looking at a flower....like a fucking dead rose". We all laughed. Steve ordered 'the royal..with sprouts'.

So Dave ordered the house-made corned beef hash with two soft-poached eggs. It was crispy and delicious and the eggs were cooked just right. I had the bologna and fried rice with two over-easy eggs. The rice had freshly cut veggies in it and it was aromatic and delish. With the eggs on top, slathered with some Chinese hot sauce, I was one happy camper. The bologna was thick and tender...and cooked on the flat top. A former co-worker of Dave's walked by...and he told us that he just had fried liver and onions with eggs. I love liver and onions! It's not on the menu..but they'll make it. Next time.

The clientele was a mix of long-haired men and women, all races and ages. The vehicles in the lot were everything from junkers to new bmw's, mercedes, and pickup trucks....oh, and many produce express trucks.

Go. Sit at the counter. Joke with the patrons and the waitstaff. We loved it. It's sorta hard to find....but you can do it. It's close to the Sunday Farmer's Market..the one under the freeway. The really big one!

Just Some Photos

Love this pic of Dave...taken in Oregon the day before Mike and Jenn's wedding. We rented a nice beach house in Lincoln City.

I adore this pic of the grandkids. Mike took this last week.

Ethan...right before his first haircut.

My Stupid Visit with the Diet Guru

So, because I am overweight and my dr. apparently does not believe me when I say that I eat healthy, she refers me to a "dietitian". I go, not wanting to appear as if I know everything. I do though. I have a Master's in health sciences and counseling. Just 10 years ago, pre-menopause, I was not fat. Since my dr. is younger than me and cannot figure out why I have difficulty losing lbs., she refers me to this person. After driving all over frickin' Elk Grove...and walking all over this huge building, I end up at a suite that says it is a Chiropractor/Spa. I walk in and say I think I am in the right place to see Kathy (whatshername). She is, in fact, there. Whew!

I go into her sparse, yet zen-like office, with a massage table in it. She says she rents the space for when she is in Elk Grove...and does not do massage. Damn..cause that is what I really need!

So I am hoping she knows about menopause, decreased metabolism and antioxidants, foods that increase metabolism, hormones, etc. Instead..she asks me what I eat. I tell her. She says,
"that sounds good, so what is the problem?" I say, "do you mean, why am I fat then?" She laughs and crosses her oh so skinny legs together. She says, well your diet is great. Why don't you measure out your olive oil? [is that it?]

I say, "I do. Geez, guess I just need a kick in the ass or something". She prompts me to stand up and then actually kicks me in the ass. I also find out that my dr's office sent old insurance info. and that my new PPO will not pay for the visit.

60 bucks for a requested kick in the ass. Nice. I knew more than she did about nutrition. People never believe that overweight people know this stuff. Many do.

So...I keep walking, eating right, and staying the same damned weight. Shit!

Mary's Roasted Chicken

No...not roasted yet. Look how gorgeous it is!

There's a reason they're called "bronze" chickens. I'd say they are more auburn but whatever.

I always stuff my chicken with half an onion, a big fistful of rosemary, and two quartered lemons.
I truss it a bit, sprinkle salt and pepper all over it, then throw it in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, lower temp to 325 until chicken juices run clear. This one took about 2.5 hours...maybe. Somewhere around there. Served it with dilled fingerling potatoes and roasted broccoli w/almonds and parm. cheese. Click on the photo to see how great the skin was!

I roasted this California Bronze Baby up the other night....the very best chicken I've ever had. I bought our Mary's Chicken at Sac Natural Foods Co-op. Yes, it did cost a bit over $28 bucks..but hell, it looks like a small turkey!

Then this eve I open up the food and wine section of The Bee and see that Allan Pierleoni did a story about Mary's Heritage Birds. I love getting one of her heritage turkeys at Thanksgiving. Carolyn Kumpe from East Bay Kitchen Supply roasted one up herself...and it was proudly displayed on the What's Cooking page!

Check out Mary's Heritage Birds by clicking on the title of this post. You can buy her chickens at Taylor's Market on Freeport, Corti's on Folsom Blvd, or at Food Co-op on Alhambra and S.

Future Olympic Gymnast...and her coach x2

You can tell that she hates every minute of it.

She's already advising the other students. I can hear her now, "did you know your underwear's are showing?"

Apparently her coach calls her "little Hercules".

This will be her future coach....he looks serious and focused.

A Song for Homophobes ...please enjoy

Thanks to Tara over at http://www.taradharma.blogspot.com for the heads up. This video is a different montage but equally as entertaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV26OMSb_VQ&feature=related